Getting In Shape No Matter How Big Or Small

    There is this certain notion from people who think they can't get in shape because of no time to go to the gym, they're too tired, they can't make the effort because of a million other responsibilities and I can understand that. Kids can get in the way, your job makes you work long and grueling hours and you might even be going to school or when you have free time you just want to sleep. It's not easy but it is possible to get fit but using realistic and strategic goals. You may have a low metabolism and it's tough for you to gain muscle and lose weight or you have a high metabolism and you can easily lose weight but not build muscle not as quickly so you learn what you can do. Look at the old-time strongmen; some of these guys were laborers, businessmen, promoters, others were sick and can barely breathe and were told they would never have a chance to have a full and healthy life so what did they do, they made the effort but it started out very small and progressed their way up. If you truly want to get in shape, you will make the time and the effort, it may not always be an hour a day to do what you want but whatever time you have, use it and your body will thank you for it.

 
    I was a fat kid as a teenager, overweight and had some muscle from the weights I used and did the shot put and discus on a daily basis in the spring of my sophomore and junior year of high school but I wasn't where I wanted to be. I tried bodybuilding but I just got burned out all the time so I just lifted heavy weight and see where it went. After my leg(s) injury, I learned different styles of training and molded them into my own style and I got in great shape. Although still a heavyweight, I can do some pretty good athletic stuff for my size. It's not easy to start out, so you learn to make a little effort even if you exercise for 1 minute and that's it for your day. You have little kids and they have their naps, use that time to do some training even if it's just push-ups. Arthur Boorman struggled for over 15 years overweight and using crutches to help him walk, this man could barely even stand so he started doing DDP Yoga but really a small portion of it he was that bad, at first he couldn't hold himself up on his own but he kept at it no matter how much he fell over or had trouble getting back up. Today he is the heart and soul of this program and he can do sprints, the splits, 30 second push-ups and many other things. You have a choice to either get fit or do it despite your obstacles or you can keep doing what you're doing and bitch that you don't have time. A skinny person can do it too to build muscle and gain some serious strength, look at Charles Atlas, Lou Ferrigno, Tommy Kono, George Jowett and many others who were told because they were so small there's no way in hell they can get strong yet take a good look at what they have accomplished.

 
    Making an effort is the first step but it doesn't have to be hardcore and/or grueling to even start, do a couple exercises to start for a few minutes, learn the technique and develop your focus. As you get better, do a few more exercises and do them when you have the time. You don't have to train in one shot for the entire day, do a little something throughout the day like when you wake up, stretch a little, on your lunch break do some squats and push-ups, when you come home move a little to rejuvenate.

 
    Some people will create this negative bullshit they cooped up in their heads because somebody told them it's not possible or that they're so busy what's the point, stop it. I know some seriously busy people, one is pregnant, one runs around all day with work and kids, one works for 10-12 hours and a few are in college, so what's your excuse? Blow off that dumb ass thought that it's not possible and look at what could be possible, you're at a stop light what can you do for those mere 15-30 seconds; Press your hands together, do dynamic resistance curls, push/pull on the steering wheel in different directions; there's about ten things you can do in that amount of time. You're buying groceries for your family what can you do; how about pushing down on the handle of the cart, hold up a gallon of milk for 5 seconds, twist on the handle of the cart, curl a heavy bag of apples; yes it looks weird and it can be unappealing to do but so what, you're doing something for your body that nobody else will do because apparently the only way to get in shape is to go to the gym (most are horrible anyway) or go to a yoga or Zumba class (timing for that is rough for a lot of people) bullshit. Learn from others to motivate you, make friends at a place that gives you support and love. You can do it and I believe in you that you can. Start with a couple minutes here and there, find what works for you and even if you have the toughest schedule, there are possibilities and it's up to you to find those possibilities.

 
Have a great weekend everyone and be safe, train smart and have fun. Be Awesome.

Let The Outdoors Be Your Friend

    

      It's a whole other connection to your body when you train outdoors. Now granted some of you (like me) live in a state where all 4 seasons occur and in the winter time, it can get pretty damn cold. This is where you learn to adapt and value the awareness of the various conditions that give to the weather. I love to train outside especially in the summer time, it does get super-hot sometimes but that's how you learn your awareness, unless you're working outside, don't be out training in the hundred degree weather for three hours unless you have a shit load of water and breathe with efficiency. The feeling of fresh air sinking into your body that reconnects your roots of those that came before you and the value of getting that Vitamin D which I will get into a bit here.

 
    To really get the connection of exercising outdoors is to do it on nice green grass. The feeling of the earth on your feet when you walk on nice, soft and loving grass. Not a lot of people have that luxury and I understand especially those in California right now where practically brown is the new green so do what's possible, do it on the beach if you want if that's your next option. Grass however gives you that sense of love and connection with the earth and I'm not talking that astro-turf or whatever that stuff is, find real grass even lay in it for a few minutes and your mood begins to change and you don't know why. When I go to parks that have grass, I move in any way I can and let my whole body get the feeling of it and I have a deeper connection than I would if I trained indoors.

 
    Now onto the Vitamin D. The best place to get it is in the sun where it shines on your body, giving you a radiant glow of energy, hormone increase and nourishing the skin. Some people can't take the sun too well like those with pale skin and that's understandable so find vitamins or supplements that give powerful vitamin D complexities. When you're balancing your hormones (not including pregnant women, they can't control that it's just not possible) you're giving your body a gift of building natural strength, metabolism, bone strength, your joints and it helps with recovery. What you eat is important and it's awesome to keep up with your fruits and veggies but eat according to your needs because not everyone can eat the same amount of food and drink the same amount of liquids. I'm a big man over 250 lb. and I can eat quite a bit so if I'm out of my own balance and certain people don't realize that, I become someone I don't want to be so I need to nourish my body the way it's meant for me. Granted fasting is a great way to let the body repair itself and have a great deal of hormones bouncing out of you because you're setting them free; however, you must learn the balance of fasting because if you go too long without being aware of it your body will turn on you so a good 24-36hr fast once a week is great if you want to drop weight but keep up with your liquids.

 
    This is a sensitive subject when it comes being burnt from the sun when you've been in it too long and it's too hot out. I'll go on record and say yes I don't use sunscreen for a lot of reasons and one being it doesn't really do that well for you and the chemicals in that crap can make you burn even worse (sounds like a contradiction). When I was in Lake Tahoe earlier this month, I'd go down to the lake, lay my towel and my shirt & shoes on the dock, climb a few rocks, jump in the water and just swim for as long as I can. Yes I did get a little burnt but only in a couple places as oppose to the whole damn body. I learned valuable lessons when my whole body would be burnt from head to toe so I had to be aware of what my body was getting so instinctively I stayed in the water and this helped a lot. But what if you're outside training without being in water, well; you pour a little water on you from time to time, not a bucket or anything and where very light colored clothing like sky blue shirts or white shorts for example because for the most part, black clothing gives the sun a chance to tell you "don't mess with nature dumbass" and you'll feel it. Some people can handle the sun wearing black clothing but others not so much. Don't get so burnt you start to peel skin, it's not fun, it hurts like hell and you can barely move your body. Be aware of how you use the sun and have it work for you, not against you because the sun does give life but it can also make it a living hell if you're not careful.

 
Happy Thor's Day everyone. Be safe, have fun and be awesome.

Tough Keeping A Positive Attitude

    It's not easy being a positive person. We're all human and we have our moments of having that part of us wanting to strangle somebody or just say something to them just to get it out. It's very easy to let loose on negative bullshit because when someone you know or don't know dumps on you and throw all their crap at you it can be very stressful, frustrating and even painful. They may not direct their feelings of draining energy from you personally but it can still be a pain in the ass to deal with. One of the toughest things to do as a human being is having an attitude that is just beautiful, energetic, powerful and a feel good personality. Some are just born with it and have developed a unique way but for the rest of us it's not so easy.

 
    A powerful positive attitude caters to how your personality comes into play. Some look like they're attitude is great until you see how full of themselves and judgmental they are and that changes the game completely. Your attitude is one of the pure definitions of who you are as person both inside and outside. The way you smile and radiate your energy towards a certain goal, the way you treat people and how you see yourself from within. I've known plenty of people in my lifetime that have a somewhat positive attitude on the outside but inside they're egotistical, self-loathing, hypocritical assholes and they're in pain when they realize it or not. I've always been a nurturing guy and I may not always speak my mind towards certain people and have in the past had a negative attitude towards things but it's all about learning and finding what gives me a reason to be happy and positive. Like I said it's not easy whatsoever.

 
    Let me put it to you this way; the way you train, exercise, workout, move whatever; it is important to know that if you do these things with intention and mindfulness it changes your mood in a whole other way. It doesn't matter if you lift weights, do handstands, be like a wild animal or go swimming for that matter your mood is going to change whether you want it to or not. The changes you'll notice is when you put in great effort and jump starting those endorphins, your body begins to shift into a spiritual realm where your structure becomes different, your thinking is a little clearer and your hormones are firing. Why does this happen? It's because when you exert enough of your mind and body's energies physically, mentally and anything else you just want to feel like you're at your highest and for a split second you are at your happiest and you don't know why.

 
    Building a positive outlook takes practice, just like anything else you're interested in or want to accomplish. It's also not one of those 3-6 week courses you do and then be done with it, it's a lifetime of practice that will be filled with experiences, hardship, overcoming spiritual blockage and how you look at things from a certain perspective. When I officially turned 30 almost a month ago, I had this idea in my head that I'm not that old and not just feel younger but wiser and happier, I'm 18 with 12 years of experience and I have been asked what kind of experience I'm referencing and the truth is I've experienced heartbreaks, losing a few friends from my past, nearly died a few times, learned to deal with not being able to walk for nearly three months, people in my family that have died and I've learned hard lessons in relationships, building myself up again and again and many more things so yeah I've dealt with a ton of shit and yet still here laughing my ass off and learning new things that keep me interested. They say you only live once but to me I say live every damn day and live with purpose, love, kindness, happiness and living with who you are and screw the rest who try to bring you down.

 
Glad to be home to share my love of life, training and philosophy with all you bad asses. As a man in his 30's now, iy's going to be one hell of a ride and I'm just warming up. Be awesome and have a kick ass Wednesday.

 
    

Crazy Strength While Walking

    

     When it comes to Mythology, there are many creatures in certain stories like dragons, half man half beasts and many others but when it comes to pure power and strength one of the most legendary creatures the Centaur is famous for. A Centaur basically is a man with a human head to torso with a horse's lower body. When you have that much strength to go with it's not just that it's crazy speed, the tendons of a great animal and if you want to put a little humor to it you can call this guy a real horse's ass. We're going to be looking into The Chiron Program where it teaches how to handle weight while carrying it in different ways.

 
    Now one of the greatest exercises for pure raw strength is the Farmer's Walk, taking an object of each hand (hopefully with equal weight) and walking with it for distance; this could be dumbbells, kettlebells, buckets of sand and/or water putting thick grips on the handles to make it harder and other possible ways. This is truly a man's man exercise. Now imagine pressing the weight overhead and walking that way in different directions, why not clean them and walk that, it's all how you use your imagination. Being able to imagine you're this mythical creature with superhuman qualities and progressing to a great amount of weight, think with great focus. Ever see the strongman competitions that are on ESPN from time to time? These carry weight pretty much with ease, now think what it would be like to lift and carry furniture to help a friend move or being able to save someone's life if they're trapped, bringing that dead weight to your torso and just take off.

 
    Using your imagination is a key to being very successful in your endeavor, if you're too realistic and think nothing of what you only see with your eyes, you can be successful but not in a much bigger manner. When you open up your mind to the world of the possible, picturing yourself with a much stronger body and can handle greater stress, applying it productively in real time with a progressive system that gets you firing your success rate will jump. Work towards building up to bigger weight or whatever you can handle, lift with efficiency so you don't hurt yourself in the process. Imagine being a real Centaur with a powerful upper body and a superhuman lower body with legs that can kill a man with a single kick, a back that can carry a couple people and has vast energy burning within of the wild beast.

 
    Like the story of Atlas, you literally and figuratively have the weight resting on your shoulders and body. It's not easy holding up vast weight and having to carry it but it can make you crazy strong and fast. Imagine having a weight vest on and walking a mile or less with it that's around 100 lbs. more than your bodyweight, take it off after you're done and you're practically floating as you walk and doing it with speed. It is important to train and let it be useful for nearly any situation, a powerful body that can help others and not just to pose like a pretty boy. Being a beast is not always how big or bad you are, it's the strength you possess both inside and outside and using it to the best of your abilities to help one another. The weight may rest literally on you but you have the power to move and not just carry it but push and pull with great power. You can be a smaller guy and have incredible strength, it's all about how you're willing to carry the weight from a mental stand point and letting it carry over to the physical side, hint Mind/Muscle Connection.

 
Have a great Wednesday guys, be awesome and carry your weight with power and might.

Yoga With A Bad Ass Attitude

   

     I like certain programs that are unique and sticking to the basics, not complicated and has some great use for the imagination. One day I decided to check out what DDP Yoga was because I heard about ex-pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page doing this Yoga gig. As a researcher and an athlete it helps to learn a thing or two from people you've actually heard of and a system that you have studied on. When I saw what it's about, I was in awe and it was refreshing. This isn't your typical studio vegan health nut Yoga, its Yoga with an attitude. I studied the exercises as I possibly can and tried a few of the workouts and it just clicked. I don't like doing other people's workouts, as you know I love creating my own workouts with various systems. This works.

 
    I already knew quite a few of the poses in the DDP Yoga system from other programs I've studied and used but he makes them a little different. He uses Muscle Control (calls it Dynamic Resistance) to turn the exercises into a cardio type workout while also building strength and flexibility. The exercises are similar but he names them very differently, mostly after certain pro wrestlers and football analogies but that's cool to me and makes the workouts interesting. He doesn't sugarcoat anything and goes right between the eyes. It's amazing how this guy expresses himself in a unique way. He won't tell you it's going to be a sweet and old fashioned workout, it's going to be tough, you'll curse and you'll be sweating your ass off; he'll actually say that. For me, it's awesome to find something that is unique and having fun with it and believe me I make my workouts as easy or as tough as hell as I want and I wouldn't want it any other way.

 
    His advanced program DDP Extreme isn't just tough, it makes elite athletes look like chumps. One of the exercises he does is push-ups but in a damn handstand non supported; the man is 6'4 around 230 lbs. That's insane and his flexibility is incredible. I've tried a few of the exercises and I was dying after a few minutes, he does this for practically a whole hour. It does look like a bit of an infomercial when you first see the promos of it and normally I wouldn't look twice at things that have to do with Infomercials but it caught my eye and I like to think he's got that bad ass physical culture side to him that is raw, uncensored and in your face and I love that. If anyone can do his Psycho Workout all the way through you have my respect.

 
    Dallas is the real deal. Most ex-wrestlers have trouble having a life after being in the spotlight, believe it or not this guy became a wrestler when most athletes are ready to retire. He just made it happen and led a new career that gave people faith that you can make a difference not just for other people but more importantly for yourself. He has helped thousands of people and even practically saved two great wrestling Icons Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) and Jake "The Snake" Roberts from their own self destructive paths. Dallas has seen it all practically in wrestling, he's won the world title 3 times, wrestled the biggest names in the wrestling business and knows the hardships of being on the road and being plagued with injuries. He made a name for himself a second time around and turned one of the oldest forms of exercise into one of the most hardcore systems around. Take a look at DDP Yoga and see for yourself how awesome it can be and that it's no longer a smooth ride to blissfulness, you earn it with sweat, tough exercises and more expressive personality.

 
Be awesome guys and Dallas, you are one incredible man and I thank you for what you have done.

The Inspiration Of A Half Man Half Goat

    

     In various religions, there is a symbol of man of with horns on his head and goat legs; they like to think of this creature as a sign of the devil and that evil lurks in all those that look like him. The Satyr however is more so the opposite in my opinion. His story if you look at Greek/Roman mythology (Roman would call this Satyr Faunus) is a tale of living life to the fullest. Letting our desires become a reality in a loving and free-spirited fashion. Living life being who you are, love whom you want and celebrating until you are no longer on the earth. Does that sound like a symbol of the Devil to you? I'm not against anyone who has religious points of view but I don't like certain views that makes it sound like it's trying to control everyone and make them feel unworthy because they don't believe in what you do. Pan really loves all kinds of things (especially Nymphs but that's another story) and doesn't want you to feel unworthy. Sure we have urges that we could balance out but not controlled.

 
    Pan is a dancer and uses music as his voice. However no matter how much study I put into on this awesome symbol of love and celebration he'll always sound Irish in my head for some reason, I'll let you sink that in for a second. Back to the task at hand, one of the key aspects of his life playing the "Pan" Pipes and dancing is that he does it with passion and incredible strength and agility. Most who look at Ballet Dancers think of this prissy, stuck up and bad acting when in fact if you look close enough, Ballet has pound for pound the strongest legs in the world because it's not just tip toeing around a stage, it's using graceful skill and using the legs as the voice of the play that is taking place. Salsa Dancers at their best are absolutely incredible and the women with their beautiful bodies and amazing strength to move in ways that can make a man blush (it happens trust me). For women, they move in ways no man can and I'm not saying this to be sexist, men can move too but have to move more weight because we are denser and have greater amount of hormones being thrown out. Dancers in reality are known for not just incredible leg strength, agility and flexibility but how they use them with undeniable passion.

 
    When it comes to leg training, nothing builds your natural hormone levels greater. The leg muscles are the strongest in the human body and can withstand greater stress than any other parts. One of the best basic forms of building leg strength is the squat. Now granted I'm not just talking putting a barbell on your back and going up and down, there are many variations of the squat. One of my favorite exercises is the way Sumo Wrestlers do their squats; We know that Sumo guys are these big, humongous beasts that are mostly covered with fat and look like they can't move around very well, truth is they may not have great endurance but their legs are incredibly strong and very agile. Believe me do 100 Squats Sumo Style and you'll be feeling wobbly afterwards, they're tough. Beyond the squat, there are sprints, lunges, wall sits, jumping and moving like a wild animal; think of moving like a frog, a kangaroo, a stalking lynx or hopping with great power like a Jack Rabbit, your legs will become stronger, your tendons will burst with strength and your explosiveness is off the charts. Your Growth Hormone will shoot up and this will help you gain strength, build a powerful metabolism and help you stay young. Wouldn't that be awesome?

 
    Leg training when you do it correctly and not risking injury or trying use so much that you tear something; you extend your energy to your sex organs. Wow did I really just write that, did I break the fourth wall? Sex is a beautiful thing, sure there are idiotic ways of showing it but true and passionate sex is incredible. When you learn to do incredible training with the legs it jump starts the system in that area more than anything else. Add in flexibility training and you got yourself a winner. It's not all about how much muscle you have or how flexible you are (it does help in some ways) it's about how you bring that passion and energy into it and then using that energy for something else. It's learning to channel yourself and understanding how you balance yourself. It's different for each individual but the common theme is that good and smart leg training will lead you to great health in many forms. No matter your age, you can increase your hormones naturally if you apply yourself the correct way for you. So next time you think Pan is the devil and all that, think of it in a different perspective. The power he possesses with his legs can actually show you ways of strengthening your body that you didn't think of before. Love one another and share this incredible life with as many people as possible and channel your energy in a very positive and productive way.

 
Happy Monday everyone and get your hands one of the most unique systems on the planet the Pan Program.

 
    

Creating A Flow

    This isn't how to build flow using energetic training (Chi Kung) but it helps. What I do want to tell you is, you can create a flow of putting exercises together whatever they may be, could be DDP Yoga, Squat Training, Muscle Control, lifting heavy weight or Farmer's Walk; you can put some of the most intense and even the toughest exercises together and create your own energy by how you move, your breathing and how you bring them together in sequence like a circuit or just resting than moving to the next exercise. It's a practice that develops not only great physical strength but building internal power. Most people believe in order to channel your energy internally you have to do training of that sorts, not always true.

 
    Finding that rhythm for you may not be easy or maybe it will, it's up to you to figure that out. Following someone else's workout is great no question but the other side of that is it doesn't always flow with you because you didn't come up with it, you're just following someone else. Some people don't like me saying that but you know what, I've learned from experience when you build your own workout and it flows for you, it is so much more worthy than just trying to "Keep up" with the other person. I love DDP Yoga it is one of the best systems in conditioning today and combines many elements I'm interested in but as I've said with every other program I like, I learn and study the exercises but I don't feel good about trying to keep up with that person's program when I can just come up with a workout of my own that is just as intense or more and I'm getting greater benefit out of it. "Make it your own" as DDP would say and I have been following that motto for many years nearly a decade actually. Find a rhythm that works for you.

 
    One of the most important aspects of creating your own flowing sequence no matter how intense or the tempo might be is pacing yourself. Most who buy those infomercial crap just want to jump in and not consider the consequences. In reality you are not meant to try to keep up with the people on the DVD, you are meant to build yourself up and keep up with yourself. If you just try to go as fast as they do or anyone for that matter, you're missing out on building your own style and doing your best to flow for you not to see if you're just as good as they are. Nobody is better than the next guy, some have more experience and their bodies can handle greater stress but they're no better than you. You are one person and you need to give yourself a chance to make something out of yourself.

 
    This is my favorite part about the article where I get to tell you about being creative. You can follow along with someone else and just be a mindless sheep or you can break the rules and just make shit up. Let me put it this way; you understand the basics of your program whatever it might be so now, just make up the workout, learn how your body flows through each exercise and follow your intuition about what to do next, follow your instincts, listen to your body and feel in your mind what gives you the most benefit. I rarely ever do the same workout twice in the same week because after doing the same exercises in the same sequence over and over it becomes boring to me real quick. I don't want to feel I'm stuck in this routine, I want to be free to make my own choices and go with how I move and exercises that give the freedom to breathe, stretch and just let my imagination run its course. That's the beauty of just making up your own workout is the use of your imagination and tapping into that power that resides within you and you don't even realize it. Build a flow that creates your own bliss, your own intensity and the only person you should be keeping up with is yourself. No one else has your body and your strength and/or weaknesses so why should you try to keep up with everyone else? Think outside the box and do something out of the norm that only you decide how intense it will be, what the tempo is and making it work for you and nobody else.

 
Have a great weekend everyone. Be awesome and train hard. Next Friday will have me writing my last article for the next few weeks as I will be in California for my 30^th Birthday celebration. You are the most bad ass people I've ever had the pleasure writing for. You all inspire me to do what I love. Keep reading and find the best resources for you or your friends/family.