Monday, October 29, 2012
Can You Juggle Kettlebells?
Hello,
I've played around with kettlebell juggling in the past and had some fun with it.
But if you truly want to master this art than my friend Logan Christopher is your man.
He's giving away 35 minutes of video on getting started and advanced skills from a workshop people paid up to $1000 to attend.
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4872433
If you do anything with kettlebells you owe it to yourself to check out this video. You'll see all the benefits these fun skills can give you.
This isn't just for advanced people, although many people may think it is. Whether you're just starting out, or have been lifting kettlebells for years, you'll surely learn something new here.
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4872433
Ben Bergman
P.S. And that's just the start. He's got some even more amazing things in store that will change the way kettlebell juggling will be done in the future.
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4872433
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Kettlebell Juggling ON FIRE!!!!
Hello,
Leave it to Logan to come up with this idea.
As if juggling heavy weights isn't enough of an impressive skill...
He decided to light a kettlebell on fire and then juggle it!
Watch the video here.
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4872432
Ben Bergman
Friday, October 26, 2012
Pull-ups: Can Women Do Them Or Not?
October 25, 2012, 12:01 am
Why Women Can’t Do Pull-Ups
By TARA PARKER-POPE
This column appears in the Oct. 28 issue of The New York Times Magazine.
While the pull-up has been used by everyone from middle-school gym teachers to Marine drill instructors to measure fitness, the fact is that many fit people, particularly women, can't do even one. To perform a pull-up, you place your hands on a raised bar using an overhand grip, arms fully extended and feet off the floor. (The same exercise, performed with an underhand grip, is often called a chin-up.) Using the muscles in your arms and back, you pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar. Then the body is lowered until the arms are straight, and the exercise is repeated. The Marines say a male recruit should be able to do at least 3 pull-ups or chin-ups, but women are not required to do them. In school, 14-year-old boys can earn the highest award on the government's physical fitness test by doing 10 pull-ups or chin-ups: for 14-year-old girls, it's 2.
To find out just how meaningful a fitness measure the pull-up really is, exercise researchers from theUniversity of Dayton
found 17 normal-weight women who could not do a single overhand pull-up. Three
days a week for three months, the women focused on exercises that would
strengthen the biceps and the latissimus dorsi - the large back muscle that is
activated during the exercise. They lifted weights and used an incline to
practice a modified pull-up, raising themselves up to a bar, over and over, in
hopes of strengthening the muscles they would use to perform the real thing.
They also focused on aerobic training to lower
body fat.
By the end of the training program, the women had increased their upper-body strength by 36 percent and lowered their body fat by 2 percent. But on test day, the researchers were stunned when only 4 of the 17 women succeeded in performing a single pull-up.
"We honestly thought we could get everyone to do one," said Paul Vanderburgh, a professor of exercise physiology and associate provost and dean at theUniversity of Dayton ,
and an author of the study. But Vanderburgh said the study and other research
has shown that performing a pull-up requires more than simple upper-body
strength. Men and women who can do them tend to have a combination of strength,
low body fat and shorter
stature. During training, because women have lower levels of testosterone, they
typically develop less muscle than men, Vanderburgh explained. In addition,
they can't lose as much fat. Men can conceivably get to 4 percent body fat; women
typically bottom out at more than 10 percent.
So no matter how fit they are, women typically fare worse on pull-up tests. But Vanderburgh notes that some men struggle, too, particularly those who are taller or bigger generally or have long arms. This is related to an interesting phenomenon: if you compare a smaller athlete to an athlete who has the same exact build but is 30 percent bigger, the bigger athlete will be only about 20 percent stronger, even though he has to carry about 30 percent more weight.
"We're a combination of levers; that's how we move," Vanderburgh said. "Generally speaking, the longer the limb, the more of a disadvantage in being able to do a pull-up. I look at a volleyball player and wouldn't expect her to be able to do a pull-up, but I know she's fit."
Why Women Can’t Do Pull-Ups
By TARA PARKER-POPE
This column appears in the Oct. 28 issue of The New York Times Magazine.
While the pull-up has been used by everyone from middle-school gym teachers to Marine drill instructors to measure fitness, the fact is that many fit people, particularly women, can't do even one. To perform a pull-up, you place your hands on a raised bar using an overhand grip, arms fully extended and feet off the floor. (The same exercise, performed with an underhand grip, is often called a chin-up.) Using the muscles in your arms and back, you pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar. Then the body is lowered until the arms are straight, and the exercise is repeated. The Marines say a male recruit should be able to do at least 3 pull-ups or chin-ups, but women are not required to do them. In school, 14-year-old boys can earn the highest award on the government's physical fitness test by doing 10 pull-ups or chin-ups: for 14-year-old girls, it's 2.
To find out just how meaningful a fitness measure the pull-up really is, exercise researchers from the
By the end of the training program, the women had increased their upper-body strength by 36 percent and lowered their body fat by 2 percent. But on test day, the researchers were stunned when only 4 of the 17 women succeeded in performing a single pull-up.
"We honestly thought we could get everyone to do one," said Paul Vanderburgh, a professor of exercise physiology and associate provost and dean at the
So no matter how fit they are, women typically fare worse on pull-up tests. But Vanderburgh notes that some men struggle, too, particularly those who are taller or bigger generally or have long arms. This is related to an interesting phenomenon: if you compare a smaller athlete to an athlete who has the same exact build but is 30 percent bigger, the bigger athlete will be only about 20 percent stronger, even though he has to carry about 30 percent more weight.
"We're a combination of levers; that's how we move," Vanderburgh said. "Generally speaking, the longer the limb, the more of a disadvantage in being able to do a pull-up. I look at a volleyball player and wouldn't expect her to be able to do a pull-up, but I know she's fit."
Ok, what’s wrong with this picture (or words)? This article suggests that women are pretty much incapable of doing pull-ups. As I do agree to a certain peak about the levels of strength compared to men and women, it still pisses me off that this article doesn't really know a damn thing about Pull-up training. First things first, if you're going to do pull-ups what do you do, you do pull-ups dumbass. Can't expect someone to lift weights using arm and back exercises and have them do pull-ups for a test. I’m sorry but that’s just flat out dumb.
Yes it’s proven that women aren't as strong as men and our testosterone levels are much higher but that doesn't mean a woman can’t be strong at something. To overcome this notion that a woman is incapable of doing pull-ups, you don't listen to bullshit like this and if you really want to do pull-ups, do them and make it happen for you, the mental game is just as important as the physical. Its people who wrote this article don’t know the real capabilities of both men and women. Don't ever feel that as a woman you are weak and not worthy to become strong. You are more than just a beautiful person, you’ve got heart, will and brains to become something that nobody can use against you. You have 2 eyes, 2 arms, a torso, a neck, 2 legs, 2 ears, hair, 5 fingers, 5 toes and 2 feet, what makes you think can’t do some of the same things as a man can? I've seen women overpower men much bigger than them and are stronger in some cases than they are.
My personal take on it is that out of all the scientific crap thrown in this article they messed up on more than 5 different things one of which is about doing what you need to do to do pull-ups. He talks about how they used weights and Isolated the arms and back, hate to burst your bubble pal but crap like that doesn't carry over to pull-ups, if you want to get strong in pull-ups you do exactly that, common sense don't you think? Another is how he talks about men struggling as well, you can't do pull-ups very well if you're this big or have long arms and this and that. I'm more than 240 lbs. This article suggests that because I'm too big I’m not capable of doing many pull-ups but yet I've surpassed 10, where is your logic now? Structure has some factors but if you trained in pull-ups with the right amount for your level of fitness you have the capabilities of doing plenty of pull-ups and it may take you a long time or a short period but in the end, if you are willing to pull yourself (pun intended) you will do one or more pull-ups.
Don't ever fall for crap like this. I realize this was a test for schools and such but if you can't train someone to actually do pull-ups how are they suppose to be able to do them in a test? Women aren’t very capable to do pull-ups, please, look at Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, whether it was her or a stunt woman, a woman was doing pull-ups or the other chin-ups. One other thing this moron talks about is that pull-ups are a back and arms exercise…Wrong it’s Back, Shoulders, Abdominals, Arms, Grip and Chest in other words the entire upper body, an exercise of that caliber needs multiple muscle groups to even stabilize the muscles let alone pulling yourself up.
Women are more than just beautiful people; they are more than capable to pulling off strength feats. I firmly believe that pound for pound, ounce for ounce women in some cases are stronger than men. I once saw a woman press up more than half her bodyweight with a kettlebell with one arm. Even if a woman can do more than one pull-up or chin-up that still proves that crap wrong that women are more than capable of doing pull-ups with the right training instead of isolating them. This is an article that is incapable of showing any real logic or common sense and still tries to put women down. Women are strong in more ways than people like this give them credit for. Testing on something while training a completely different thing isn't going to help your cause, that’s like asking a baseball player to train for football in baseball season; he’s not going to get any better at baseball and might even diminish his levels, so why test a woman on pull-ups if you're training them in weights? To do well in pull-ups, you train in pull-ups plain and simple.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Your Biggest Critic
We learn as we get older who we are and what we become,
sometimes it’s early sometimes late and very rarely at the right place at the
right time. The bad thing about that is people will tell you what you can and can't do to be successful but in the end it’s up to you how your life is made.
There will be people who want to bring you down yet those
same people should be your biggest motivators. You have dreams and goals and
you either don't accomplish them or you do, one way or another the one person
who’s going to criticize you the most is the one you're looking at in the
mirror. Those same people who want you to fail not only got you to fail but
made you fall for the things they said about you. They didn't really make you
fail; it was you who failed yourself.
It’s not easy being motivated to go after something you want
to accomplish. No matter how many excuses you come up with or how many people
tell you can't do something the one person holding you back is you. If you want
something bad enough, you'll find a way to get there with or without someone’s
encouragement. In fitness there are as many critics as there is in Art,
Sports, Business and Politics, when you want to accomplish something, there
will be some people who will hate you for it not because of your ambitions but
because they're too damn scared or can’t understand so they radiate negative
energy towards you. Never let this happen to you.
I've had many setbacks in my life, I've cheated death a few
times, didn't understand how my body worked when I was recovering from
meningitis and I was told I wouldn't be able to very athletic and strong. It
happens to all of us but the point I'm making it is if you want to go after
something, you do it period. I can tell you stories about some of the guys who
have overcome major obstacles in their life but it’s all just words, actions
speak louder than words and it’s up to you who you want to become. Are you
going to sit there and let people give you all the crap and let you fail, or you
going to make things happen and show them that if you're going to fail or
succeed, you're going to do it on your own terms?
You've been told either your whole life or at some point in
your life that you're either going to be successful or you'll fail so when is
it enough for you? You are your biggest critique, not them not anything else, you
are the one who will take a stand or just plummet like the others who just let
themselves go and not get anywhere. Criticizing yourself can make you or break
you which one is it?
Look to where you want to go, feel that power of
accomplishment before it even happens then set it to action, listen and learn
how to make yourself better little by little. Build a foundation for what goals
you want to accomplish, don't forget that 2 sided coin of those who encourage
you and those that want you to fail, believe it or not they're both important
because when you do accomplish something the ones who did encourage you will
help you even more, the ones that wanted you to fail are the ones kicking
themselves and feel even more crappier then they did before and might even give
you a bit of a clap because you triumphed over your obstacles and did something
they didn’t believe you could do. Get in the habit of making yourself successful
no matter what the challenge is, I believe in you, there are others that
believe in you, don’t let your goals and dreams die, they’re a key to making
your life the way you always wanted.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Why Do We Do It?
We all have our own way of exercising; we have trainers, do
it for a number of reasons but why really do it? What comes out of it for you?
A lot of people workout because they don't have a choice, use it relieve stress
from a bad day, force themselves to do it because if they don't they'll hate
themselves or they just go through the motions and have no real emotion like a
zombie.
There are two types of trainees, one has passion and the
other does it but not in it and I'll tell you the difference. The passion is a
desire to make something of yourself, you make an effort that’s real and
emotional, you don’t go on the treadmill and watch TV, you don't wait around
for someone to be done, and you find a way to make things happen and with fire and
vigor. The other exercises but isn't in it for the long-run, they do it because
its there and don't put any real effort. They get done too early or get hurt
because they didn't bother to learn proper form or didn't care what happens,
just show up and do a few things and that’s it it.
I'll tell you why I do it, it’s because it gives me a sense
of hope, a form of responsibility to myself and make things the way I want
them, I have sweated, bled and ate, slept and breathed exercising because its
not just fun, its an adventure and it brings me life that you can’t get just by
showing up. I remember an interview with WWE wrestler Triple H back in 1999
when he just came out of shell as a character and became one of the biggest
heels (bad guys) of the time, one of the things that made me realize now about
what he said was about being a student of the game, like him in the wrestling
business I’ve done the same with exercise. I dedicated my life to being in
great shape, take in knowledge like a sponge, make goals instead of excuses and
put in hard and tough workouts to make what I’ am today.
What do the Old-Timers and Modern Warriors of fitness today
have in common? They created results; they found ways to build themselves with
no excuses and made an effort to get what they wanted. It’s not everyday we wake
up and want to do it but yet it’s second nature and we sometimes don't go as
hardcore but the heart and passion is still there. Most don't realize what they're missing out on, I do sound like a prick and you might think it’s all
hardcore and a punishment but in reality its not. Working out is not just doing
an exercise and pray you'll turn into a beautiful god/goddess, you know what,
let’s take out the words working out and put in fun and adventure, its not all
blood and going to failure, its getting you get off your ass and have some fun
and excitement in your life. Whether you're a weightlifter, bodyweight enthusiast or have a zest for animals, training is a matter of creating
something and building it with emotion, effort and love.
One of my favorite movies Peaceful Warrior has a lot of
insights into what is unique and what you can learn to make something of
yourself. Nick Nolte who plays a philosopher once said to his student Dan
Millman “You practice gymnastics, I practice everything.” The real Dan Millman
is a former gymnast and now an author of many books and one of the coolest guys
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and learning from. Back to the subject, Dan
practiced only one thing but has left everything else out including things he
should pay attention to but Nolte’s character Socrates practiced everything
else meaning he didn't set his eyes on one thing; he absorbed knowledge and
wisdom from many different elements and gave insight to each of what he learned.
Most people only do less than a handful of things that makes them who they are
but miss out on the real important things and forget how they got there in the
first place. Learn as much as you can with an open mind and be open about your
passions and instead of making excuses, make an approach to get better.
Knowing certain things is only half the battle, sure you can
squeeze by on knowing but it’s the doing that yields the benefits. Don't just
do something, do it with heart and emotion because there’s a huge difference in
that area and I'll let you figure it out for yourself. Why do we (Exercise
enthusiasts) do it? Because it makes us who we are, we learn, we teach and help
others find that same passion maybe even help them become better than we are.
One of my good friends Bud Jeffries has trained his son into becoming quite
possibly the World’s Strongest Teenager, Noah has learned a number of things on
his own but the one thing he figured out and still has many years to learn is
how to give back what he’s learned, in some cases he’s surpassed his dad in
many elements of strength and I don't believe Bud could anymore proud of his
son. That’s what I want to give back to my child and do it with a smile on my
face.
What are you getting out of it? Finding your place in
training and learning where you want to go and what you want achieve is all
within your grasp, learn how you have that passion and fire to become the best
you want to be. Get something out of it, don't just throw yourself into a
workout and hope for the best, make the best of it and know that sooner or
later you will have results and it’s not just from busting your ass, you busted
your ass with a smile and the desire to improve and make things happen. At your
next training session, ask yourself “Why am I doing this?” You'll be surprised
what you might find and if it’s a negative thing turn it into a positive, if
its positive make an improvement to get better. I'm sure you'll find a way.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Gateways To Herculean Strength & Blazing Speed
I'ma huge fan of Mythology and Superheroes and a personal
favorite is a demi-god we all loved by his strength and courage but also hated
for his vices and troublesome behavior depending on your version and that’s
Hercules, the son of Zeus and a man that was born into chaos and a mystical
time of mystery, magic, sorcery and dangerous creatures. The reason I got into
him and why I believe he’s a great choice for this article is because really,
he is the ultimate synonym for strength and the ability to overcome obstacles
in the most daring and unimaginable fashion. Get ready to learn the very
secrets of how to obtain some of the glorious and powerful strength.
There are always debates about how to get strong in the
fitness world. Sometimes we rely on one exercise to determine a level of
strength, at times we rely on a specific fear or skill and even in some cases;
we determine who can be the strongest in 3 lifts or more. For me the best
answer to determine strength is how you are efficient in various ways to
exercise plus exerting an amount of force. You're strong in some areas, other
areas you're weak in, it’s a simple fact. Others try to make one thing and blow
off the other. Why not work different elements like Strength & Endurance in
the same workout? How about the idea of hitting a heavy weight then moving onto
an exercise for high reps? It breaks out of the norm and it gives you a sense
on what you can measure for your own strengths.
Most people believe that if you want to get stronger, move
onto weights but it’s not always that simple or that quick to judge. BodyweightTraining when done right can be much tougher and more exhausting than hitting
the weights. One of the most effective exercises to build strength from
multiple angles is to move like a wild animal. Animals in the wild are far
superior in strength than man is period, there’s no question how abundantly
strong they are so why not mimic them the best way we can. Just to hold a
certain position takes strength right, now let’s move in an awkward direction
and see if we can keep tight in that position while in a moving process.
Believe me if you can get strong in the most awkward positions you have
strength in ways most can't match
A key to learning effective strength and power is through sound. Sound, how the hell do you determine that? Think about, a punch for
example…BAM, BAM, did it sound powerful and super strong? It sounded more
straight edge and a little dull, it’s powerful but it doesn't have that spark
of real strength. Here’s another one…WAA-KAHH..How did that sound? To me it
sounded fast, powerful, directional with a specific point of torque. Want to
know the best way to look for that sound? Ever heard of Bruce Lee? I rest my
case.
One of the simplest ways to get better at Bodyweight
Exercises is through Progression but what’s the best way to determine that? You've done 100 push-ups, great how do you make them harder? First off what
type of push-up did you do to get those 100 reps? Did you do them military
style or did you do in a handstand against the wall, how about your feet
elevated on a stool or even your hands between two chairs? If you did them
military style, how about trying the same amount of reps while doing 4 seconds
going down and 4 seconds coming up, if you did them in a handstand I want to
shake your hand because only less than a handful of people on the planet have
done that, feet elevated do them going down fast and come back in 5 seconds.
Tempo and position is a great way to determine progression in push-ups and many
other exercises.
What do Michael Johnson, Marcus Allen, Walter Payton and
Kurt Angle all have in common? They all did Sprints to build that explosive
speed and undeniable power in the entire body plus they all build high levels
of Natural Growth Hormone, the thing that has the ability to burn fat like a
furnace, build muscle like crazy and expand the lungs like there was no
tomorrow for high levels of endurance. Sprints done 2-3 times a week is one of
if not the fastest way to burn fat and builds natural muscle. It gives you that
high kick of endorphins after a workout which can be no more a few minutes tops
but isn't it ruled that you have to do 30 minutes of cardio and an hour of
weights to burn fat and build muscle, dude get with the program. Really no more
than 8 sets at about 15 seconds per burst is all you need and if you can't do
that at first start with 4x8sec. And work from there.
The number one key to open the door to superhuman strength and speed is to have an open mind. Too many people are skeptical and afraid and avoid the very possibility that they will be able to achieve levels of muscularity, strength, health and stamina. Being open to ideas and find what works and what doesn't for you is a sure thing you’ll find what you're looking for. Too many follow this, avoid that and are sheep to those that think they know best, nobody knows your body better than you do. Find your own ways to get to where you want to be, I advise to avoid drugs and PEDs as much as possible if not at all, learn the natural ways to get strength, your body will be better for it.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Only Drug You Should Be Taking
There are all sorts of ways to take this to relax and that
to wake up but most of it is drugs or meds that can most likely kill you than
help you. Even modern bodybuilders take drugs to build extra muscle to gain an
edge in their competition just like other athletes and such. Drugs for the most
part is the easy way out f your problems and lets face it, those commercials
where they tell you the side-effects are far worse than what you're trying to
get rid of. Unless you're dying than maybe but seriously, there are much better
ways to get yourself healthy.
If there was one drug that has no side-effects and works
better than any drug or PEDs out there is consistent work ethic and training
smart with an effective exercise program and eating good foods and stay away
from junk food as much as possible. I may not have the best nutrition going on
but I do my best to keep it going and keep building muscle and energy. When you
build a goal and you set on training with consistency and putting in the time,
you will accomplish what you want.
The old-time strongmen of the early 20th century
such as Maxick, John Grimek, George Hackenshmidt, Charles Atlas and others
never even took drugs because they didn't exist in their time and yet with
smart training and good nutrition they built some serious muscle and lived
longer than your average bodybuilder or athlete today. Finding a program isn't easy to find or is it? Seriously though when you look at certain methods that
have worked for god knows how long and gave you a sense of overcoming your own
obstacles wouldn't you want to use that to have the body you want?
Back in my late teens, I was a big kid (still am but as an
adult) and I got up in lifting heavy weights rather quickly and every now and
then either as a joke or actually asking I was asked if I was taking steroids
because I had already reached 300 pounds in the deadlift and leg pressed nearly
950 while benching 260 and curling with 50-60 pound dumbbells but I was nowhere near the shape or strength that I have now compared to back then and yet
I got asked that sketchy question that many athletes go through but to this day
since I was asked it I continue to say no and you know why? I wanted to earn
those lifts and earn the strength I wanted to gain. I'm much stronger and more
built now and still say I'm earning it. A shortcut in your training is like
cheating on a math test, you see the answers but what are you really learning
from it. If you are looking to build great strength, awesome flexibility and
insane endurance, taking a shortcut will do you more harm than good, trust me I've tried it by skipping progressions and ending up hurting myself. If you
want something bad enough, earn it and earn it with passion, heart and will to get
what you want.
The best program you can do won’t come from a magazine or
following someone on a DVD, the best one is the one that works for you no
matter what your schedule is and no matter what you want to do. Make it work
for you and stick to it, one way or another you'll find the right one. Things don't happen overnight, they are earned with sweat, a work ethic and heart to
create something out of nothing. Don't take the short way out, you won't like
what you’ll find in the end if you do, taking a shortcut in most cases is
dangerous and however cool it looks now, it'll bite you in the ass in the end.
Respect yourself and your body by earning and using consistency to create your
best physique along with lifelong strength, vitality, flexibility and stamina for
years to come.
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