Thursday, October 23, 2014

Super Breathing

    Almost sounds like a super power that a hero uses don't you think? Believe it or not it's just another term for deep breathing but amped up a bit. When you breathe deeply and correctly, it's not just filling the lungs with air and having a calm effect at the end, it goes beyond that. The power of deep breathing enhances your body and mind in many different ways from having a clear mind, decompressing the stress on your body and delivering powerful quantities and qualities of natural strength, awareness, flow of movement and opening up the Chi or life force that makes you feel alive with vigor, vitality and pain-free. Some people have trouble breathing deeply due to some illness that they were born with or have a defect in their structure of the organs however; if you look at some of the old-time strongmen like Maxick, The Mighty Atom, Charles Atlas and a few others who were told that because of their fragile capacity they won't have a chance in hell having a healthy life but yet these very same individuals became powerful men of strength, health and fitness.


 

    One of the key elements to understanding deep breathing or in this case Super Breathing is its ability to heal the body and mind in a way that is difficult to explain. When the body is at ease and your breathing is a factor of the healing process just about whatever it might be, you're finding that the cells and blood flow run much smoother and help you rejuvenate at a fast rate. I'm not saying you'll heal like Wolverine or Captain America but the rate you can heal at if your body is using as less tension as possible because too much tension causes inflammation, shallow breathing, compression of the shoulders & back and overstress causes the cells and blood to block their ability to run on their natural flow of generating growth and powering up the internal organs. When you can command your body to relax and open up from the inside (not physically split open, this isn't a horror movie) you're giving your body the juice it needs to bring powerful vitality to everything the inside produces and this natural process can help you stay young, active, produce natural hormones in both men and women and can help heal your body from previous injuries.


 

    The power of your breath has another important aspect that many neglect to understand and that is its ability to produce natural strength levels that you may have not noticed before. A lot of people all over try to tell us what's so different and labeling us to a high degree when in fact there are plenty of things that make us the same for instance; we all have muscles that fire up in our body when we do something extraordinary or just plain putting effort into something, we all have a way of generating strength within some form of degree and we all have the ability to become super strong in some shape or form. By breathing and using the mechanics of your muscular system, you can become crazy strong. With infusing your mind and body and the way you handle the breath you can generate instant strength that can almost be tripled within seconds. This is a foundational concept of programs like CoreForce Energy, Advanced Hypnotic Training and how you can release Chi from practicing various energy arts in Qi Gong, Tai Chi and other forms.


 

    Another great thing about the ability to deep breath is when your mind is a complete ease and the clarity you can produce can have a profound effect on the way you can enhance your learning abilities whether they are exceptional or not, your ability to think better, making decisions without stressing out and your ability to handle situations. Opening up the mental aspects of deep breathing allows you to take in more power and vitality to your brain which can unlock your ability to remember things you haven't thought of in a very long time, greater use of using visualizations, oxygenate the brain and perform tasks with a greater rate of success. So as you can see, deep breathing is not just about binging more life to your body and mind, it's about bring the quality of how your life proceeds with added abilities that can aid you in what makes your life strong, vital and important. It's our livelihood that we breathe with power and flow. Breathe and breathe with life and attitude because how you breathe determines the way you live life.


 

Happy Thor's Day everyone and be sure to pick up Super Power Breathing by Paul Bragg on your way out of this article. Flow through your body using Mike Fitch's Animal Flow program, you'll have fun, exciting workouts and you'll be breathing like crazy after a few moves. Have a great day, be awesome and send me a shout. I'd love to hear from all of you.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Your Breath Is Your Power

    The most important aspect of life is the breath. We can go for weeks without food, days without water but can only hold our breath for no more than a few minutes. One of the key points in life is how we breathe. Some are shallow breathers and have trouble going through life because of stress or having negative impacts in their daily routine. Others who breathe deeply have greater power internally and their mental state is balanced and emotional balance as well. One of the oldest exercises in existence is the ability to breathe deeply and not just in a workout but throughout the entire day no matter what you're doing. To really get in tuned with your body it starts with your breathing. When you add in mental techniques you have a rich outlook on how you release incredible strength and power without needing to get psyched up or mad at something that just adds tension. There's an old saying by Martin "Farmer" Burns; "Deep Breathing Exercises Alone, Can Make Many A Weak Man Strong And Many A Sick Man Well."


 

    As we go through our lives one of the most common things that happens to us is building tension in the body and it comes at times where it is not needed. Our shoulders shrug up, we become stiff in many places including the back, neck, knees, arms and wherever you can think of (get your mind out of the gutter) so what do we do that is another common theme when it comes to tension; we take the easy route by popping muscle relaxers and other pills to help us relax when we can learn to use our natural way of healing by breathing. Sure some people have trouble because of Asthma or needing to be on a respirator but even with that unless you have a severe case almost 99% of the population can learn to breathe deeply and release tension naturally. Sometimes we create tension just by thinking and stressing ourselves out. We're all human and there are those who a stressful job, has to take care of kids, deal with certain people and just flat out have something negative going on that causes the tension which can lead to weight gain, inflammation, bad posture, heart disease; you'd be surprised what comes up when shallow breathing and mental negativity plus stress is in play.


 

    When it comes to strength, I'm not just talking about lifting heavy weight or doing an incredible feat with only your body but the type of strength I'm talking about is when you learn to breathe in certain situations and the way you handle yourself through your breathe by moving with the breath, you can develop incredible power and speed that is unbelievable to the human eye. When you open the chi in your body (life force) you put incredible strength into how you physically do things, you think clearer, your awareness shoots through the roof and your imagination opens new doors and by doing this is by breathing and doing so using techniques that require you to move with your breath or the way you stand/sit/lay down ect. The strength you can have has a superhuman element to it and the old-time physical culturists, hindu wrestlers, yogis, the great scientific minds and others knew this long before it became a mainstream thing. It doesn't matter if you're an athlete, scientists, stock boy, waitress, construction worker or someone in law enforcement if you learn to breathe with power and deep understanding you can change the very landscape of how your life can be great. With Deep Breathing, your attitude changes, you become mentally aware, you have more energy and your quality of life adds up. That's the true strength.


 

    Deep Breathing exercises are a powerful de-stressor because they open up the flow of energy within the body and when you practice regularly, you can sleep better, strengthen the internal organs and have a more relaxed state. You can do things quicker, your mind is sharper and the release of endorphins increases by ten fold. Whether you move or hold certain postures, the better your quality of breathing you will have a more charged system that takes out all the crap that is blocking you from having a quality life. Get into the habit of deep breathing and see what changes occur as you practice it consistently. Research on what can work for you and help you live better and healthier.

Monday, October 20, 2014

A Cocktail Of Exercises

    Anyone with a brain has been in a bar at some point in their life whether it was for a few minutes or a few hours. So if you have or had, notice the most common set at the bar table; the plethora of drinks to choose from. You can have practically any type of drink you want whether it's one type or a mess of them in one shot (not just a shot of tequila). Now I'm not encouraging anyone to drink because quite frankly I don't drink at all and can go my whole life without taking a sip of anything again. The reason I'm putting this out is because although it's not safe to kill your liver but on the plus side there is a creativity to mixing things and having a blast doing it. Ever see the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise? Classic. It's a bartender's job to not only make the drinks but have a certain flare to it, now some guys are very dull and just bore the hell out of themselves mixing stuff up but then there are those who flip the bottles in the air, putting some zest into their craft and even have a presence felt across the room because his way of creativity is very powerful.


 

    When it comes to fitness, there is creativity being made all over the place but how you choose to use that creativity is a whole new ball game. There are a ton of exercises to choose from and you don't need to do 100's of them in a single workout, matter of fact pick a few of your favorites and play around with them and put some zest into them. Use your imagination. Make yourself powerful from the inside. The fun of mixing things together and putting body language and energy into them makes an exercise go from dull to awesome in the blink of an eye. When you mix things up that include strength, flexibility, endurance, tempo, speed and imagination you're creating a type of training that brings everything together and brings out results. Now you can just do exercises that are only for strength, flexibility, endurance or whatever and can still be creative but why settle for one thing when you can have the whole package. Think of a great dancer; it's not just how they plant their feet and turn and spin, it's how they bring out that passion and fire within them that gives them the power to make people see from every angle of the room and putting powerful art into their dance, the way they kick and spin is different, their feet move with grace and strength and their structure changes. Mix exercises that you love and put together a workout that is fun, exciting and make it unique.


 

    One of my favorite things to do is combine programs together to make an interesting workout, take for example Animal Flow and Combat Conditioning in a certain sequence:


 

4 step Beast Walk

Switch To Crab and move 4 steps

Go into Tablemaker and hold up to 30 seconds

Come down and go into an overhead leg lift

Bring legs back down and go into V-up

Come down and go into Crab Reach

Switch to Beast and push the legs out into a push-up position

Do 5 push-ups

Jump legs in till you are a deep squat position and hold for one minute


 

This sequence in one set can be your whole workout for the day and it hits every muscle in the body. Just so were clear I came up with this sequence at the top of my head just now. There are other combos and programs to choose from, at times I like to mix energy drills with DDP Yoga to give it more flare and a challenge. Keep the body moving and not spending a ton of time doing it unless you're really into it and it feels great. Give it a whirl and use your imagination no matter how crazy it seems because remember, those who invented the best things we use today were at first thought were crazy and unimaginative. Be creative.


 

    You have one body, one life and it's all yours. Make the choices that would make your own destiny and however you choose to do things, one way or another there will a positive or negative sides towards it and people will criticize you no matter what you choose. If you want to be fit and healthy, make the choices to make that happen and not just for the outer appearance, make the choice to be healthy and fit from the inside as well building emotional power, spiritual strength and a rightful attitude towards life. You can have the most beautiful looking body but if you have no personality or a loving attitude than what's the point, same can be said if you have a great personality and a loving attitude but you're letting your body wither and fade so to get the full benefit of being fit and healthy it's both using the mind and the body as if they were the same thing. Be awesome and find your creativity and live with power and a smile.

Friday, October 17, 2014

The Batman And Robin Complex Of Fitness


    

     The most famous duo in the history of comics bar none IS Batman & Robin. They have been icons for decades and have taught us all in many ways how Batman (Teacher) and Robin (student) have learned not just how they feed off each other but how one learns from another and not just be a sidekick. A teacher gives information in a manner which the student learns to find the answers. No teacher reveals all their secrets because in order to become your own person, you have to find something within yourself and plus you can't exactly be like your teacher, you are unique and it doesn't matter if you're better or worse the point is you're different. These two caped crusaders are a spitting image of the leader and the follower and it happens in every aspect of the world not just superheroes, so how does this apply to fitness?

 

    Let's face it, Batman is the man when it comes to superheroes, he has no powers and no superhuman strength yet he's smart, cunning, risk taking and knows how to kick ass when he needs to plus he never kills. Most who know of him go nuts over him but more tend to be like Robin than they want to believe or even realize. You see in fitness a trainer tries to find someone to train or follow their system and it's not always about a trainer, it's following a system from a single person or group of people that want people to follow and believe in. Someone who studies a system of training and follows the person who created it and believes in him/her is like Robin; eager to walk in their footsteps and befriend them so they can learn from their idol(s). Robin wasn't always eager to follow Batman, he needed convincing and guidance to bring himself to not only be Batman's golden boy but also a friend/brother/partner in crime. When we see someone we want to emulate, we don't always jump in and act on worship and asking for guidance, sometimes we have to be lured in and see certain things they want us to learn but it takes a little time and before you know it, we are at their feet just waiting to taught something and become the best we can be. Some leaders are not like that at all, they can be downright mean and only care about themselves and don't care who follows them as long as they keep on coming. When the student gets better or in this case a trainee gets better at certain exercises, gets fitter, stronger, more flexible whatever somehow they will either keep following the same type of people or become greater than their teacher and move on as an individual.

 

    If you have ever read about the story of Robin or have seen a few cartoons here and there, you'll see he becomes Nightwing. His own man, out of the shadows of Batman who has similar skills but more unique and has a style all on his own. Like I said before you can't be exactly like the teacher (Batman) because let's face it no one can come close to Batman not even a fraction but yet you can be different and even better in some ways because you have a different mindset, looking at things from another angle, you have been trained well but you cannot be the same exact person because nobody is exactly the same. You have made a great leeway and have been trained by the very people that came into your life, it's time to venture out or you can keep going as a follower and never leave, it happens.

 

    You have the power to become your own Character. Someone who is different, has a story of their own, has different ways of seeing the world and things will happen for you one way or another but the way you choose your path is your own cross to bear. Some people want to be like Batman and be able to do all these incredible things, seek out those who have wronged and bring them to justice; others want to be like Robin, someone who lives in the shadows of his teacher and wants to learn from them and follow their path in his image (plus, who wouldn't want to be sided with Batman). There are those however who want to become their own character, live their story on their own terms, teach if they wish to and seek out others in their own unique way. We are all individuals who have an origin and in the fitness world we learn from others and we teach others on how to get fit, strong, looking awesome and becoming better as a person. How will you play it out and what path are you willing to go down to?

 

It's Friday and that means the weekend is near (or starting now for some). Have a blast everyone, have fun, be awesome and keep in touch. Share, comment, pin and let me know what you thought of this article.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Why Quick Fixes Are A Joke

    Say a young teenage kid just turned 16 and has a full license to drive and up right in there gets a car because they told daddy they wanted it. The kid hasn't had much driving experience and has that thrill of getting into a car and wanting to drive fast, smooth out the drift and believe their invincible. That's the attitude of most people in the fitness industry, they believe that if they take something or follow some idiotic program promising them muscle in a ridiculous amount of time they will get the muscles they "wanted." That's the type of people I call the "I want it now" folks, you know those mindless yaps who have no interest in making an effort to get truly strong and healthy for themselves; they want a body now and they're willing to risk their health just to look good without considering the consequences. The magic pill that will turn them into supermen or that little itty bity program that turns women from an overweight sappy housewife into a picture-perfect goddess in 6 weeks or less. Jesus Christ how low can you go?


 

    Ever read those obnoxious magazines? I'm not talking about just the muscled ones but those moronic diets they put in US Magazine or the latest trend that will have you shed 20 pounds in less than 2 weeks if you eat this one thing. Even those online marketing pitches that just want to make you cringe. The type of bullshit that leads people to believe that without effort they can look like the superheroes they see on TV or in the movies. I'm a superhero fanatic and always look forward to seeing the big cats of the big/silver screen in action but I also know when to be realistic and do my research. It doesn't matter if it's in a magazine or in an online scheme there's going to be some shmuck ghost writer who never touched a weight or moved his body in any form that builds the slightest amount of muscle in his life will make you a sheep to a Shepard promising you guarantees of beautifully sculpted muscle and being able to achieve it inside of a few weeks or less. To me that's a low blow to us guys who help you find programs that are not only real but deserve more recognition than the latest diet that some celebrity endorses or building a superhuman body that isn't realistic.


 

    When people take the easy route; they get excited, jump right into some program that looks incredibly awesome with promise of having a body that a supermodel or bodybuilder would envy and within a few weeks or less what commonly happens? Someone gets injured or gets burnt out and then quits and actually believes all programs are like that because it didn't work out for them. I've been down that road myself where I wanted to have a bodybuilder's body and read up on all the workouts the best bodybuilders produced and yet came out looking like someone ran me over with a mac truck and ended up looking more like Allen Covert in Little Nicky (bad reference I know) than Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando. Ever see those yahoo Crossfit guys and ladies, they look extremely fit and they look like the superheroes you see on TV but what you don't see is the nagging injuries that are wasting their life force more than gaining it. Being hardcore can only last for so long and when it comes to Bodybuilding, most don't realize it takes years to get to where those guys are at, if you had good genetics you'd be lucky to even stand up to the bottom of the Mr. Olympia barrel let alone the top guys. Quick fixes are for those who have no spine to make the effort that can not only be healthy and fit but keep it so without damaging the joints and ligaments that could plague them later in life.


 

    There is a hidden truth in the fitness world that most refuse to accept and it is called consistency. When you find a program that delivers results and gives you an idea to build a foundation on and progress at your own pace, with consistency you will have found the one true thing that never gets around the average person. I personally don't believe in the hype or the belief that I will have the perfect body inside of a few workouts a week, if I see something that interests me and shows something that seems like fun and enjoyable I do it and I get it. I have exercised every single day for nearly 10 years straight and have been in fitness for nearly 18 years and I will tell you that if you can't enjoy and challenge yourself on a consistent basis than someone is leading you on and are taking advantage of you. I've trained on some of the best and worst fitness programs there is from weightlifting to gymnastics, bodyweight training to odd object lifting, strongman to kettlebell training and even had a small stint doing powerlifting type stuff and the one thing that has kept me on my toes and out of taking a day off is the value of time and consistency in what I want to do. It takes time to learn things, the mechanics, the way your body handles things and that no one person can do the same exact things. Don't accept a quick fix, be different and break a few rules in a positive and healthy way. Have fun and learn from guys who have done realistic, smart and use of consistent training that builds real muscle, doesn't take a mess of time and brings out the strongest version of yourself.


 

Happy Thor's Day everyone. Never settle for the easy way to train, train smart, train hard and have a blast doing it without getting injured, taking drugs and following your instincts.


 

    

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Train With Your Kids


    In this day and age there are school shootings, kids getting fatter everyday and it's become somewhat of a concern in some countries including our own when play has become very strict. I can deal with structuring and teaching kids to be careful but you can't take away too many things otherwise you're treating them like they don't have a right to just have fun. In Australia, a teacher or set of teachers have restricts kids to not do cartwheels while during recess; I don't know if that's true but even if it was it's not awesome or funny to take away an activity that brings such joy. Do kids get hurt sometimes yes and it does suck sometimes but the other kids shouldn't suffer because it happens every now and then. There's always been violence in the world especially in the home and it's sad when kids are getting beat up or slapped around because of stupid things what does that tell you about the parents. I've been hit a time or two and for very dumb reasons and it's one of the reasons why I vowed to never hit my future son/daughter in any manner because I don't promote physical/verbal or emotional abuse and it's not worth it trying to teach the kid discipline. We have more food varieties than ever in the last century but yet because of cheap prices and an overwhelming idiotic way to pay hardworking people we have become a nation of junk food addicts. Making healthy choices isn't east but it's not impossible.

 

    I've been around kids my whole life ever since I was brought to a day care when I was 6 months old. I'm still friends with the family that raised me to this day and throughout that time I've seen a ton of kids come and go. Some of those same kids had incredible parents but others not so much. Some parents have just let go and can't keep themselves in god shape to even help raise their kids. Out of shape, overweight, skinny and other things but still if you can't keep yourself healthy, how you are supposed to help your kid be healthy. Just because your kid can physically run around doesn't mean their mentality isn't at stake. I've had my fair share of run ins with my dad and he wasn't always healthy either. I'm not saying all parents have trouble with kids it's the toughest job in the world whether you're a single parent or two parent family. The point here is, if you want the best out of your kid's life, don't just put a roof over their head and feed them whenever you need to or they need to but also bond with them, talk things over with them, discipline them in a healthy way and share the little things in life with them without hidden agendas, bribery or force them in more than a number of ways otherwise they will figure it out and can resent you for the longest time.

 

    One of the healthiest things you can do for your son(s)/daughter(s) is to play with them, exercise with them disguised as play. When you create something that's productive and offers not only a form of discipline but structured to value teamwork, punishment without the violent side of it and sharing a common goal of getting kids on the right track in life. It doesn't matter if you get them to do animal movements, push-ups for talking back, playing tag, grounding them adding an exercise for that punishment or whatever it's better than taking the easy route by slapping the kid around or spanking them or just taking away their favorite things. Back to bonding; when your kids exercise with you, it forms a powerful entity when those endorphins kick in and taking all that energy out in a healthy way because some kids are not so easy to calm down, they're hyper, can't stop moving and you're more exhausted trying to chase them around. When you need to get serious do so but don't do it out of anger or frustration, be bold and honest. Have fun with your kids, let them open up their imagination with you alongside them. You only get so many years with your kid so make the best of them even when times are tough and tension arises, make the choices because it will have an impact on their life one way or another.

 

    I have never worked out with my parents and playing wasn't always easy to come by but I loved going on trips, going to ball games, spend summers in Tahoe, watch something hilarious and laughing it up with either one so it was a lot of fun but I always wondered what it would've been like to play tag and being chased, race them or whatever. I'm not saying every family should wear spandex pants and bandanas and chase each other moving like a wild ape while shouting their sounds around the neighborhood (although that would be quite hilarious in itself) but the point is, to get the best out of yourself and kids is to bond in some form that is accepting, loving and helping one another. Sure kids need space very now and then and want to be with friends or significant others when they get older but yet there's that power of family that just sticks with you and a greater appreciation for each other that many families will never understand. Keep your kids fit and healthy but do the same for yourself yet if you do it at the same time it can bring many other benefits of not only raising awesome kids but also giving them hope and faith in each other with not only physical health but building brain power, emotional balance and structure that helps them in their own lives. You have the power to change their life.

 

Be safe and healthy everyone. And to all you kids out there, have fun, listen to your folks, do the best you can on your homework and keep being awesome. You guys rock, don't ever forget that. Be awesome.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Let The Animal Flow Through You

    Many systems of training would have you believe that in order to exercise like them they treat you like a little puppet; they've put the strings on you making you dance and twirl and got you in the palm of their hands. They don't care about your freedom, they mostly just want your money and don't give a shit whether you live or die. Sure they'll train you but also drain you just so they can keep going to the bank. I do understand people need to make a living but there's a fine line between someone being an asshole and one that is compassionate, willing to help you achieve your goals the best way they can teaching you their style and helping you adapt to yours. That's what me and a few others believe in, we want to help you succeed and show you how to take your fitness to a whole other level with intensity and adventure because that's what it's all about. No more being someone's puppet, you are your own man/woman to make the decisions you want to make.


 

    One thing I have always emphasized about training is the ability to have fun. Sure you can be serious about making goals and challenging yourself but if you strict yourself to feel like it's more punishment than adventure than what's the point. The way we connect our minds and bodies together is through the way we think and putting it into the physical. Our imaginations help us find that line that will make us or break us in our training. When I see something I believe can benefit me and utilize my imagination, I believe in it whole heartedly. Recently I got the Animal Flow workout program created by Mike Fitch and I've done some of the moves before by just watching and imitating but when I finally got it and started practicing them, it's a whole new look at training. There are times when Bodyweight Exercise gets a bad rap because you can't get strong unless you lift weights or it's an endurance thing or better yet it's a beginner's type of training; hate to burst your bubble people but you haven't seen bodyweight training like this before. The way you move your body in multiple directions, switching from move to the other and combine movements in a sequence can take down even the strongest of men. It's fun, interesting and it's unique which I like because too many people show the same type of training but this is way different.


 

    The moves you will learn in Animal Flow will not only make you strong and flexible but give you that athletic prowess that feeds on speed, coordination, awareness and how you use your body in various motion. There are a lot of boring stretching programs and some strength training programs that just dull and generic when this takes out all of that and be able to move however you want and get both a stretch and build strength at the same time, when that happens it's a sure fire to work. It doesn't matter if you're in a sport or just want to get in shape, just a few minutes of this training will have you breathing hard, sweating like crazy, moving with grace & agility and open up your body in a whole new way. When it comes to progression, its right up there with some of the best I've ever seen. He takes the ABC's to a whole other level and it makes you want to move and do cool stuff.


 

    From some of the advanced movements it looks like Animalized Breakdancing and to me that's just insane and fun to look at but I'm one of those guys who likes to move and just flow through my own way which he also teaches. We've all seen some form of breakdancing and not just spinning the head on a piece of cardboard but combining moves that involve hand balancing, jumping, switching from one form to the other, dancing and utilizing the imagination to move in a very unique way. In this form of training he breaks down bit by bit on how to work the moves efficiently using hand placements, using the legs to switch and stretch the body while holding a certain position. Once you understand how to use the moves you can combine them however you want and that's what I love is to be able to learn cool exercises and mold them into my own style instead of being told to train this way or that way. Flow in your own way, practice making the moves your own, learn how to get them down to the point where it's not even like working out but playing and having a good time while building a body you can be proud of or be able to move like an animal in the wild being free and happy to do as you wish.


 

Hope everyone had a kick ass weekend and welcome to a new week. Less than two weeks and I'm off to Spokane, WA for the first PAC Con (Washington's version of Comic Con) and getting my geek on seeing celebs, grabbing a few comics maybe and have the time of my life. Be awesome everyone and have a wonderful Monday.

Friday, October 10, 2014

What Are You Supposed To To Lift?

    In a lot of ways, fitness can help you find the very best systems suited to your goals and needs for whatever you choose to do whether it's to build size, gain strength, muscle, lose weight, burn fat or whatever the case may be. However; there are things in the fitness world that make people very confused about what can work for them because you have some quack trainer telling them to do this or that and maybe some giant bodybuilder with 24 inch arms telling someone how to lift a bunny weight for that "Contraction" to pump the muscle. It's tough figuring out because although we have "evolved" as an industry it's also becoming frustrating and mind numbing and too many people make things complicated when in fact it's simpler than most want you to believe.


 

    Let's face it, with all the chrome and fern gyms and all the "glitz and glamour" of training, the fact is when you lift heavy things you get stronger period. The problem is most don't understand how to work up to lifting heavy things; they either can't do it or they can and if they can't most quit and think they're too weak. When I say lifting heavy things I don't always mean barbells and dumbbells; there are other things to lift like logs, heavy cables, odd objects, hammers, your bodyweight, and farmer's walk with various objects like kettlebells, lifting heavy clubs and many other things. When you lift a heavy object it takes a lot of effort and engages more muscles than you would think. It's not the same as if you tried to curl a 50 lb. hammer as oppose to a 50 pound dumbbell because the balance is different, the grip isn't the same and one has you engaging more muscles so which one makes you stronger? Most aren't taught how to use proper progressive training because it differs for other people, you can't teach the same progression system but you can however teach how to adapt to that lift and show them how to get stronger using what works for them. Sorry if I'am confusing you but what I'm pointing out is if you want to get strong, you simply lift something heavy it doesn't matter if it's a squat or a bench press, deadlift, pull-up, pushup, handstand or lifting an anvil; when the muscles are engaged using a resistance that hits the major groups of those muscles engaged and then some with the understanding of how that lift is made you are building strength.


 

    Let's talk about balancing for a moment and not talking about that stupid thing with the squat on the stability ball or those idiotic tricep kickbacks while on one leg on the Bosu Ball; I'm talking balancing while engaging the stabilizing muscles and using various muscle groups for a particular lift. Balance is a whole other ball game if you have to engage the muscles in an awkward and unusual way meaning yeah it's cool to press 300 lbs. overhead with a barbell but how lifting that same weight but it's a stone or a rock. When you lift odd objects such as rocks or kegs hell even a log or small beam, your balance is going to be very awkward and in order to pick it up let alone press it or carry, you have to shift your hands different, your grip won't be even and you have to move the legs a bit to get a jolt while squeezing the abs to protect your lower back. You know how they say lift with the legs more than your back, well that's more of a vague look at what you need to do. I have lifted heavy boulders, carried many pieces of wood, hell I've had to carry a cooler a good distance that had the handles in a wide arm position and practically carried it in in the range where the bottom of it was touching my thighs and it was heavy as hell so don't tell me I don't know how to handle an odd object. Don't ever mistake that you can do cool things with barbells and dumbbells and expect to lift a narrow rock or a piece of furniture the way because you aren't. Lifting in this manner doesn't just engage muscles, it hits the whole system from the muscles to the joints, tendons and ligaments and because of the shifting you have to balance differently on a more frequent basis.


 

    One of my favorite ways to do resistance training is using rubber cables like you would use from Lifeline USA. Unlike a dumbbell where the weight stays the same when you lift it it's very different compared to a cable where you lift it, it's attempting to bring you down and the weight becomes heavier the more you stretch it. When you pull/press or squat on a cable you're not isolating the muscles needed for that particular lift but you're engaging more muscles because it takes more effort on the stabilizing muscles needed to make that lift go. Say for example you have the TNT Cables and you have a fairly good amount of resistance that's tough for a few reps and wanted to do rows so you get into position that's needed for that exercise, still think you're only working your back and arms? Wrong, you're not only hitting those muscles but you're working the legs, hips, abs and chest because the other muscles are to help you stabilize the position and so you're hitting multiple muscle groups which in terms helps get stronger. I'm not saying lifting cables will make you lift super heavy weights but they teach the muscles what is needed for that particular lift and helping them remember which ones to engage in. Weights can be very expensive so why not go for the cables, they're easy to travel with, they don't take up much space and they're easy to adjust to the amount of resistance you want use. So what are you supposed to lift? Lift heavy things and learn the mechanics with good technique and understanding of the muscles needed and with odd objects, learn how your body balances in awkward positions and get a feel of where to shift and learn how the muscles are engaged in something you don't always find in a strict weight going up and down.


 

What a beautiful Friday and hope everyone has a great weekend. Keep in touch and share this article on twitter, facebook, google+ or whatever suits and shoot me a comment and let me know what you think. Be awesome and get stronger my frends.

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Thursday, October 9, 2014

Obtain Power Most Won’t Possess

    Within each of us there is energy that charges our system and gives us strength to do things we normally don't use. This is what' called Adrenaline where you're so hoped up either in some situation or your body just raves up everything and becomes a wrecking machine. Normally this lasts for a few seconds and usually happens when danger occurs or in certain sports and even when given an adrenaline shot (ever see Pulp Fiction). However even with all of that, that part of us is in our system all the time but it's not easy to unlock it. There's also what's called Chi which means life force or what some would call Nerve Force where the body is racked with energy due to using the mental aspect to obtain the physical. This type of energy is practically the same thing but on another level. To unlock it takes practice but it is possible to achieve a level of energy that can instantly increase our strength, speed and movement within just about any angle using a few techniques and opening up our minds to be congruent with the body.


 

    It's not always easy to tell but when your energy doesn't align and it's low or not used well you are weak in many areas and not just physical. Your mental state isn't in the right place and things aren't flowing as well. You're frustrated, mad, angry, confused or anything negative and your focus just isn't there. It happens to all of us and it's nothing to be ashamed about but you can however learn to open up and let everything flow by the way you breathe, the way you think and the way you move; actually when you can harness all three and they're in unison you become stronger, more focused, heading towards your goal and you can whisk your way around any corner and move with great efficiency and agility. When the mind and body flow together you are a stronger person both physically and mentally. Adding in the emotion of your energy creates a chain reaction of increasing your strength more so than just infusing the mind and body.


 

    In CoreForce Energy, it teaches not just being crazy strong or how to open up your energy but it also teaches you how to harness your muscles to the degree where at just about any angle no matter how cool or weird looking you can stay strong and have everything flowing. Now I'm not saying you'll lift 1000 pounds or become a contortionist hell you won't fly like superman but yet you can have strength within the snap of your fingers when you learn the techniques and exercises that are in stored in the course. Think what it would be like to move like Neo in the Matrix or close to it, harness the strength that can go up even by 1% that most scientists say can't be achieved. What about moving with such grace and agility yet still have a knockout punch and take down the biggest of men. I didn't believe it at first until I actually learned the techniques, open up my imagination and begin to believe that something was happening with incredible crystal clear sight.


 

    Some of the greatest minds in history used their imaginations because there is a whole other world that we can't explain. All of us see something different in our minds, it could be similar to someone else's but in the end as an individual we have different outlooks, different ways of seeing the world and what we use to make us successful. In the physical world we can only do so much and we're told we can only be this strong or run at a limited speed even at a full sprint and we've been told we can only use an extremely small percentage of our brain capacity (which is said at max 5%) however, what if we can unlock that 1% that has run a little faster, make us slightly stronger and open up our minds that are in our control and create mental clarity and focus that is so strong it makes others envy would you want that? Just a 1% increase of our brain power can jump start a major breakthrough in the human physiology, anatomy, mental awareness and seeing the world in a whole other way that is better and revolutionary and evolve with greater opportunities. We have only scratched the surface to how the brain is built and wired yet we have an extremely long way to go. However, what we do know and what we can learn can impact us in a way that hasn't been seen before. CoreForce Energy is part of that breakthrough that is built upon the principles of opening up our body's energy from the inside and tapping into the power of our minds and unleashing it into the physical realm.


 

Happy Thor's Day my friends and become a stronger individual from within. Be awesome and have a great day.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Your Subconscious Mind And Weird Science

Here’s a 30 second crash course in the history of brain science:
In the 1990s, when the CIA declassified their secret files, subliminal music + technology was born.
Shortly after, binaural beats were “re-discovered” and proven to work better than subliminals.
By 2000s, hypnosis became real – and not just a magic trick.
SO real in fact, that pregnant mothers trained in self-hypnosis are giving birth painlessly – by triggering the release of natural anaesthesia in their bodies.
Bam! A powerful, measurable, bio-physical response produced by training the subconscious mind using hypnosis.
Just when we thought hypnosis was the KING…
Along comes a new breakthrough —
This new audio technology is a fast, safe, & effective way to reprogram your subconscious mind so that your conscious intentions and subconscious are in alignment.
You see, this is the SCIENTIFIC reason why you may struggle to make positive affirmations, visualisation, and the law of attraction work for you.
Scientific American Magazine Cover January 2014
“Our Unconscious Mind… It exerts a profound influence: shaping decisions, molding behavior – and running our lives.” ‐ Scientific American, Jan 2014
Be Awesome

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