Thursday, February 3, 2011

What Can A Former College Linebacker Teach You About Conditioning?

From High School to College to the European Football Circuit Vince Palko has been nothing but a great linebacker on the gridiron and is a hall of famer in his high school and at his alma marter at Bowling Green. He has not been on a losing team his entire career and has trained by some of the top coaches in the world and knows a thing or two about conditioning. Lets face it the most conditioned athletes on the football field are the linebackers. They are the meanest, toughest and most brutal animals on the field and for good reason. Take a look at guys like Lawrence Taylor, Dick Butkus, Ray Lewis and Jack Lambert. What do they all have in common? The Intensity that can make a Army Ranger blush (slight exaggeration). They have to be, they have to outrun the Running Back, tackle like a lineman and every now and then intercept like a cornerback. Add in the conditioning they need that would impress Olympic wrestlers and you got yourself a wildman of the gridiron.

After his football career was over he turned his sights on marketing and took a shot at fitness work and not the pink dumbbells and chrome and fern crap. No...He taught serious conditioning that took intensity and fat burning strength training. For all its worth he's got some of the best products on the planet that not only get you in shape for triathlons but also for football, wrestling and combat training. He gives you less time to train and thats the best type of training you can work with. Anerobic Conditioning is working with high intensity training and getting the heart rate up faster then rocket launch. Take into consideration that if you want to lose weight and burn fat the fastest way possible this is really one of the best guys to go to. Being trained by top coaches and researching on top methods that are less prone to injury and take your power to new heights in the best way possible. Doing some of this training a few min. a day can help you carry over to many other things in your life. This guy also doesn't just do Fitness but can help you take your website to the next level with Ad Toons and Animated Illustrations to draw your website to people that are in your interests.

Take a look at what he does, read his story and his will to make comebacks and the testamonials that prove his systems are not only works but its almost miracle work.

http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/?af=1301775

How Can Training Be So Twisted

Whether you like it or not certain training methods are just crap. You do 30 minutes on the treadmill and an hour of whatever weights you lift and that's your workout. Seriously, how generic do you have to be and dull I might add. Training is suppose to be interesting, fun and mysterious. You should be getting cardio and strength training at the same time and using different implements. If I wanted serious conditioning and I was into lifting weights I'd want to be hitting stones, swinging heavy clubs and pressing logs. The way I look at is if you're serious about training, you have to be creative and adapt to heavy training. Most of all you have to be really "twisted" in order to get the results you want. Functional training requires being able to use different angles and move in awkward positions. What you can look at is Bud Jeffries' Twisted Conditioning Series. Work into equipment that can not only build strength but surreal stamina and scary conditioning. The man is one sick bastard to come up with a gameplan like this, but that makes him that much more of a genius at what he does. Check out below and see for yourself.


Twisted Conditioning

Twisted Conditioning 2

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Secrets Of The Old-Time Strongmen

Some of the biggest names in weightlifting shared certain secrets on how to not only increase their strength but how to build tendon and ligement strength as well. Back in the early days of Physical Culture there were strongmen that didn't just lift weights and do bodyweight exercise....They added an arsenal of training methods to not only experiment with but it helped their advantage that much more. Back when gyms were just on the uprise there men across the country who couldn't get to a gym either because it was too far away or because they didn't have the money to pay for the equipment themselves to use at home so they improvised a lot and tested different methods and found exercises that not only made them very strong but it helped carry over to when they could use weights. There were exercises that tackled very differently then weights and challenged the body from different angles and were in different shapes and sizes hence the name Odd Object Lifting. Say you had a barrel laying around or a sandbag....You can do a good amount of training using these objects and can turn your body into a conditioning machine.

Odd Objects are not barbells and dumbbells they are peices of equipment that can come from whatever you have. Here are a few Examples....

Barrels

Kegs

Logs

Sandbags

Hammers

Rocks

Concrete Blocks

All these would be considered odd objects to train with. A man who has mastered these time and time again is strongman Steve Justa. If you never heard of him he is considered one of the strongest men in the world and has written a book called Rock, Iron, Steel. You can find that on the Ironmind Website or at Functional Strength owned by John Wood. Justa is best known for training in his backyard and lifting very heavy weight ranging from 500 pounds to 2000 pounds. He carries scrap iron, lifts heavy barrels and carries a yoke that weighs as much as a beetle car. I have very high respect for what he does and is a genius in the realm of strength training. Another man whom I have high respects is Strongman Bud Jeffries. He has a DVD series covering many exercises on odd object lifting and the way he teaches you how to handle them are just incredible. I've played around with Barrels, Rocks and Sandbags myself and I will tell you without blinking twice they are ass-kickers and once you learn to adapt them into your training you will get stronger.

Think of it this way, with barbells and dumbbells you can only move them in limited directions. Now what if you can move a weight in more directions and still gain strength? That be a better way to look at it in my book. George Hackenschmidt once said that to be strong overall you have to adapt to more then just limited movement. If you want to get strong you have to work different angles while working major muscle groups. If you think lifting a 135 pound barbell is the same as lifting a 135 pound barrel it isnt. It takes far more strength and stability to lift a barrel because you can't tell which way it'll go so you have to shift your weight and grip it much differently and not in the same places as a barbell. Odd Objects teaches the muscles how to stabilize differently and how it makes adapt over and over. Go check out Bud's DVD Series and then find out for yourself how awkward it really feels. Train smart and train effectively according to your training needs.

Odd Object Lifting Series

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

What Women Want?

In the fitness world many women have trouble creating the body they want to achieve...Toned Muscles, Firm Thighs, Slim Abs and last but not least a sexy butt. Its harder for a woman to build the body she wants because the less terstosterone they have as oppose to us guys. Whenever they do think about exercise many feel "It'll make me bulky and I don't want to look too muscular." How many times have we heard them say thaty? If someone had a nickle every time they heard it he'd be a millionare.

As far as i'm concerned regardless of how much estrogen or testerone a woman has they are pound for pound ounce for ounce stronger then most men. I once heard of a woman who was 106 pounds swing a 106 pound Kettlebell, now I dont know about you but that is pretty damn strong and from what I heard she wasn't a bulky girl either. Now try picturing a man at 200 pounds trying to swing a KB his own weight, do you think he could pull it off, highly unlikely so that should tell you how strong a woman can be.

I have trained around plenty of women in gymnastics, Core-Performance and Weight Management Training and they have smoked me in areas I can't do and i'm pretty flexible for a 245+ pound guy. Its never easy for a woman to train the same way as a man and why should they? They're build different and need different types of training to enhance their abilities but yet they can become stronger. It takes practice and patience and the belief in yourself to bring out a strong and powerful woman. Women are precious in more ways then one and some are vulnerable to many areas but that doesn't mean they can't get strong and still look super sexy.

There are 2 people I know of who can train not just men but perferably more for women how to become strong and powerful not just on the outside but the inside as well. They're names are Vanessa Bader & Ed Baran. Vanessa to me is one of the best dancers in the world and believe it or not she is one of the strongest women on the planet and yet she has one of the most beautiful bodies you would ever seen. She is a kettlebell, pilates and dance instructor and has performed in shows that would blow you out of the water. She performes with her husband Garin Bader who's a Concert Virtuoso and Magician. If anyone knows how to get women in shape the right way its her. Ed Baran is a former Charles Atlas student and has dabbed in bodybuilding, cycling and olympic weightlifting. At age 35 he studied gymnastics and has never looked back. He is an instructor and author of a plethora of fitness books and dvds. I would consider him one of the best conditioned men in the world and his physique is one of the best i've ever seen. He's in his mid 40's but makes men 20 years younger look like chumps. He's also an instructor on women's fitness and has had testamonials from women all over the world proving without a shout of a doubt he is the real deal and help women reach their goals.

Check out the links below and see for yourself what these 2 wonderful people can do to help you bring new life and create the body you always wanted. Gain strength, flexibility, stamina and power and unleash that confidence that you always wanted to bring out but never knew how. Take charge and prove to yourself that not only can you be beautiful and sexy but have the additude that makes you feel like a badass that can rule over anything that walks in your path. I never judge a book by its cover. I've seen quite a bit of hot women but the real women are not only sexy but could possibly kick your ass at the same time.

http://images.ultracart.com/aff/7231FABB02AAD4012D59C873E2051600/index.html

http://hotburningbody.com/hotburningbody-bodyweight-workout/

http://hotburningbody.com/hbb-kettlebell-workshop-for-beginners/

http://hotburningbody.com/kettlebell-extreme/

What Alternatives Do You Want To Spice Up Your Workouts?

Whether you lift weights, do bodyweight or both they are incredible in various areas to make your training not only efficiant but can turn you into a strength machine. We all have ways to train and we can find many exercises to either build mucle, lose weight, tone up or just become flat out strong. Weights have great value for building muscle and has been proven for decades (even before steroids). Bodyweight exercise have exercises that not only build phenomenal power and explosiveness but are superior to weights in the amount of Range Of Motion used for unlimited amount of exercises.

With all that well and good its apperant to realize there are methods out there that neither weights nor bodyweight exercises can touch. How would you feel to do various training methods that can build power from various angles and take control of greater strength and better stabilization. Here are a few ideas to get you going.....

Cables

Hammers

Maces

Rocks

All of these can turn your body into a machine in ways that nothing else can touch. Building strength in many angles can help you in many areas whether you're in a sport or training for competition or just want to shapen your muscles that put you ahead of the competition. Bud Jeffries on the other hand can help bring all of these things to you if you make the effort. I have worked with cables and hammers and believe me these will take your strength to levels you never knew you had. Even the simplest exercise from a rubber cable can improve your joints and build muscle in ways that not many other methods can touch. Bud may seem like a super-heavyweight that doesn't have a chance of being flexible and he's just all strength but I can assure you he's beyond strong and has strength that most men would kill for. He has a series of DVDs called Alternative Conditioning which features methods of training that people can work on if they can't get to a gym or want to try something if bodyweight exercise don't have the answer.

Take a look at what they can do and get on the bandwagon. Its never too late to learn and build up ferocious strength and power.  Click below and read what this Strongman has to say on the subject.

Alternative Conditioning Series

Monday, January 31, 2011

Squats & Push-ups....The Foundations For Superior Bodyweight Conditioning

When you learn bodyweight exercises the first 2 types anyone should learn and master are the Push-up & The Squat. The reason why for these is because they lay the foundation for total body conditioning. There are many variations of them but only a few surpass the true monument for superior exercise. In the early days of Physical Culture, men and women of either bodybuilding, weightlifting or gymnastics trained in Squats and Push-ups because they knew how much power they can build to help assist their training. Some of the biggest names did these exercises such as:

Charles Atlas

John Grimek

Otto Arco

Maxick

Alois P. Swoboda

Steve Stanko

Earl Liederman

Great Gama

Ect......

At one time or another all these men performed push-ups and squats. At high reps they combine a great deal of strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. High Rep Squats performed correctly build ammense lung power and superior conditioning and they know it gets them in high regard when it comes to competition. It takes a great deal of mental awareness and strength to do great reps. Whether its 100 or 1000 you will take your physical and mental game to the next level. I for one have done over 300 reps a day for a while and I once went over 1000. Regardless of your fitness level, if you learn to work and adapt you can become strong and vital. Once you reach a certain level you can increase your HGH Levels which helps boost testosterone and helps you stay younger.

One guy that can help get you there is considered the world's strongest man drug-free and thats the big 'ol southern man Bud Jeffries. In his time of training he has recorded the following.....

1000 Pound Squat (Starting From The Bottom Position)

2000 Push-ups

3000 Squats

2000+ Kettlebell Swings

Pulled A School Bus

Bends & Scrolls Long Steel Bars

Those are just a few to mention but no matter how you slice it the man knows conditioning and has done it as a super-heavyweight at a BW of 380 Pounds. He now is at just under 275. He still performs as a strongman all over the country. Yet inspite of all this he still uses BW Squats and Push-ups. He's put together a series of the two exercises in DVD sets and both Videos have multiple variations that can be suited for any need and adaption. Bring you level of conditioning to new heights and be on the look out for more muscle, more stamina, more mental power and great physical strength waiting within you. Are you up for the Challenge.

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Squats

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Push Ups

Saturday, January 29, 2011

My Thoughts On Super Humans

I watch the History channel quite bit alongside its cousin History International and I love the stories on there whether some are true or not with the likes of Haunted History, True Carribbean Pirates, Mystery/Monster Quest and tales of the Samuri or Barbarians it just facinates me. I've been a history buff as long as I can remember, first it was baseball, wrestling and basketball (sports stuff) then just getting into history itself. One show in particular though thats a series really caught my eye and thats Stan Lee's Super Humans. For those who don't know Stan Lee is one of the most famous Comic Book writers in the world and has created some of the biggest names in Super Hero history such as Spiderman, The Fantastic Four & The Incredible Hulk.

He has a man travel around the world in search of human beings who have extordinary abilities to have certain powers. One guy they found happens to be an idol of mine and thats Strongman Dennis Rogers. For those who don't know who he is Dennis is considered pound for pound the strongest man on the planet for the feats he performs. He's held back Harleys, bent 8-10inch Crecent Wrenches into "U" shapes and can rip a deck of cards in quarters not just halves. Those are just a few with many more up his sleeve. Anyway back to what I was saying, the man who travels around is considered the most flexible man in the world. He has found quite a bit of people with powers that are beyond belief. Now are there really super humans out there?

In my opinion I would like to think so. People who posess great power are not really born with that power but they have developed it over time through careful practice and long concentration to perfect their craft. I mean you can't really bend a wrench or dive into a 1ft pool without knowing how it works and what it takes to make it not only look good but without harming yourself as well. Yet I feel that anyone can become super human if they practiced what they want to do and there are many keys but I have a few that just make the top.

Creativity- What you want to do has to come from you, you can't perfect your craft from others. Learning your own way and practice, practice, practice.

Will- You gotta put effort into what it is you want to do. Half-cocked isn't going to get the job done. It takes more then physical power to create the power you want. It has to come from the mind first and the will to go that extra mile.

Learn The Proper Technique- There are major consequences if you don't get your technique down to the point where you know it like the back of your hand. Know how your technique works through your own self observation.

Going That Extra Mile- Perfect your craft like nobody else can. Put into effort that would others think its impossible for them. That one peice of small effort can make a major impact on your way to making your feat look surreal.

So do you want to be super human? Make the effort and learn your own physiology and most importantly use your imagination. If you want to build great power it has to come from the mind. Our minds are the fastest computers and can build data faster then any laptop machine. Work up to what you can do. If you want to learn how to find your way to superhuman strength then I encourage you to check out my friend Garin Bader's CoreForce Energy System. Its a system that helps incorperate sounds with your imagination to create great strength and speed. Does it teach you to fly? Hell no but once you learn to find the power within you it'll make you a more confident person and you will soar through the will of your imagination.

http://www.coreforceenergy.com/

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Bring Out The Animal In You

Training can be a pain in the ass sometimes. We are told to do this, we are told to do that so when do we have the time to be ourselves and just flat out burst into an animal in the wild. In some gyms you can't make noise because it seems disruptive to others who are listening to their ipod and lifting 10 pound dumbbells. This is one of the reasons why I don't like going to gyms anymore. Most of these gyms don't let you bring out a side of you that could actually create more strength and mental power. Say you broke a new PR in a bench press and you're so happy you jump for joy and laugh a little, just for that you can get kicked out of a gym and thats a shame. Training is about sweat, perserverance and putting in that last inch of effort to make your workout effective and nowadays you can get out just for those particular things. A lot of those gyms make me want to punch those guys in the face.

To me one of the best ways to train effectively is to bring out another side of yourself a transformation if you will. What i'm getting at is I want to bring out the animal within me that is just ferocious and powerful and doesn't let anything stand in the way. This is why I love doing Animal Exercises. Its like taking on a new personality and you just feel invicible and nothing can stop you. Get your mindset to think and move like a wild animal. Your gym can be a grassy knoll, a field, your backyard or the park for that matter and yet you can get a far better workout and there won't be anyone to tell you you can't do this or that. Sure people will look at you funny if you move like a bear or a gorilla but you know what who gives a shit.

When it comes to raw power, surreal speed and unbelieveable stamina nothing is better then moving like an animal in the wild. If you do a few exercises a day for as long as you want whether it 5 min. or 30 min. You can burn off fat, build muscle, gain flexibility and have strength that would envy the strongest of men. There are bodyweight exercises then theres Animal Exercises. These exercises alone can help you fight off obesity and regain your health in ways most exercises can't. There are a lot of great training methods but moving like a wild animal is beyond unique. You don't need sets/reps schemes, you don't need a lot of time, you don't need a specific program to go on just go outside and do it until you're out of breath.

This is not only for adults who want to get in shape but its also for young children as well. Obesity is at a high rate in this country more then any other time in history. Theres not enough exercise and lets face it some physical education protocals are just plain stupid. Certain kids hate running, they hate push-ups at times hell even jumping at times is no fun because they're asked to this many reps and yet they'll get hurt if they don't do it correctly. I know I hated P.E sometimes because it was hard and there were times where I just didn't care about what was going on. I even passed out once running up a hill. For me I want a program for kids where they learn how to move whats comfortable for them and they're bodytype and if they get out of breath then let them walk it off until they want to do it again. Now that may not be sensible to understand but if you give them a chance to see what they are capable of and to teach them to adapt to what they can handle believe me they will have a better chance of having fun then giving a teacher the bird (slight exaggeration).

So for great results and building undeniable confidence I feel one of the top methods for conditioning that includes having fun and building a foundation for a better health and mind is moving like a wild animal. One guy who can help get you there and knows how to turn into a wild animal is my good friend Ed Baran. His background is in Gymnastics and has done olympic weightlifting and cycling. He is a very strong guy in his mid-forties and one of the most conditioned men around. Tell him I sent you and he'll help you get results in the fastest time possible. All you have to do is take a look at what he has to say on the subject and believe me it is worth it a million times over. He has helped me in many ways in terms of amping up my conditioning for being a heavy guy at 5'10 245+ pounds. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or just want to get in shape this is the guy to talk to.

http://images.ultracart.com/aff/88F46789C0276A012D59C78437051600/index.html


http://images.ultracart.com/aff/6D7CDB4942DB80012D59CA2507051600/index.html   
 
Bring out the animal in you and you'll notice how awesome it'll feel.

Monday, January 24, 2011

The Passing Of A Legend!!!!!!

One of the greatest human beings and physical culturists of all-time passed away yesterday Jack Lalanne. He personified the meaning of physical fitness and helped more people then just about anyone in history. His endurance was unmatched and took feats of strength to a whole new level. Every year on his b-day starting at age 40 he did endurance feats that not only were surreal but you pretty much had to be there for it to be believeable. He was one of my biggest influences in the last 14 years of training. At a young age he turned his life around and became a pioneer in the fitness industry and became the first man to jumpstart fitness on television from the late 50's to the mid 70's and it was still to this day the longest running fitness show in television history. His books and videos changed so many lives I think we all lost count and whenever you mention great bodybuilders Jack has to be near the top of the list. He had one of the best physiques of all-time. Nobody can say Jack about his undeniable boundless energy and ever enduring smile apon others. Some of his most memorable quotes are inriched into the brains of millions and should be in the library of congress. May he RIP and lets never forget who made fitness an art.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

My Time At The New Legendary Strength Gym

Went to the grand opening of my friend Logan Christopher's Legendary Strength Gym in Scotts Valley, CA. It had great people there, awesome food and a couple contests which featured Kettlebells in the Snatch & Jerk. Three guys including me was in the kettlebell snatch competition and I came in second place with 83 snatches in 5 min. There was a great atmosphere in the air and meeting a few guys from around the california area from San Mateo, San Jose and Belmont. There was also a feat of strength show done by Logan himself ripping a phonebook, bending a 60d penny nail and probably the most dangerous feat i've seen him do up close by getting into a wrestler's bridge, hold up 2 kettlebells, 3 concrete blocks stacked on top of him and while the position a friend of ours Smashed the blocks into peices with one swing of a sledgehammer. He also pulled his truck with his own hair while me and a few people sat in the back of the truck going for a ride.

For kicks Logan did a series of snatches with the kettlebell hitting an impressive 157 reps in 5 min. without ever putting down the bell. For the most part it was one of the best days I've ever had. You couldn't help but smile and laugh if you had been there. We all cheered each other on and one of the contestants' son did some snatching of his own hitting 104 reps with a 4kg kettlebell, that may not sound very much but this kid was 7 years old. He impressed us all and he was just having a grand old time. Me and some of the other guys were swapping stories about the old-time strongmen and giving each other ideas about training and we did it for hours and never once was it boring.

The Gym looks awesome for such a small space but with time and work I feel its gonna widen and take on some hefty competition. This was a big day for Logan and as a fan he's one of the coolest trainers there is and one hell of a physical culturist but as a dear friend of mine it was a very proud moment for me to be apart of it and share it with him. He deserves every bit of this and more. If you're looking to get in awesome shape, get strong, more flexible and gain more function for your body then go see Logan. I guarantee you will not only learn what he can teach but you will get the training of a lifetime. I'm very proud of him and I could not be any happier then what he has accomplished at his age.

For me it was a blast and when you get the oppertunity to share with the same people with the same passion as you do its nothing like anything else in the world.

Here are some of the results from the competitions

KB Snatch 53 lbs.: 5 min. Time Limit

1. 95 Reps

2. 83 Reps

3. 70 Reps

Logan: 157 Reps

KB Jerk 70 lbs.

1. 20 Reps

2. 21 Reps

Logan: 60 Reps

Tyler: 72 Reps (Hopefully I got that right)

Legendary Strength

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