Friday, February 27, 2015

Gymnastics For Non Gymnasts


    Sounds like a contradiction don't you think? Isn't Gymnastics specifically for athletes in that sport? Not always because Gymnastics before it was a competitive sport was entitled for those who wanted to become efficient in movement and skills that required practical strength and agility. It is the style of Calisthenics at another level of athleticism but not everyone has to be a gymnast in order to benefit from this. Some of the old-time strongmen were masters over their own body in such as ways as Hand Balancing, Acrobatics, Ring Work, Climbing and other styles of natural movement. The way I'm to let you learn is how to master your bodyweight not like a competitive gymnast but something you can do when done correctly can be used throughout your later years without the nagging injuries or age-speeding process those in the competitive field experience.

 

    Anyone with a brain can move some sort of weight around and be able to pick on things quicker than trying to master your bodyweight. A military press is far easier to learn and master than a Handstand, Pull-Downs are so freaking easy a 5 year old can manage it but how many can master the Rings; trust me I firmly believe I'm one of the heaviest men around to actually train the Rings and I'm telling you it's way harder than it looks. Just to stabilize and flex every muscle in the body just hold a steady pull-up let alone those insane skills like the Muscle-Up or Iron Cross. This isn't some Crossfit exercise to mess around with on "Fran Day" the real skills don't involve kipping or breaking your shoulder just to do little witty dips, it takes full on concentration with the muscles in proper alignment and control to make even the most basic moves look insane. Mastery over your own body is a difficult but fun task if you apply yourself with the right mindset. Being able to balance yourself in certain positions are crazy feats of strength within themselves and not just making a couple moves but a whole sequence that you can create on the floor, the rings and the Parallette Bars.

 

    When you practice these moves to create a new skill set or a new level of different skills performed you can develop sequences of movements that are not only bad ass but help you build muscle and burn fat like nothing else on the planet. Sprints may be the ultimate fat burner but bodyweight movements especially as close to Gymnastics without the hours of training as you can get are the most difficult strength feats known to man. These moves can have a profound effect on your psyche even in the beginning stages; think how cool it would be to have ninja-like moves, hold a Handstand with ease, doing incredible skills on the rings and move through the air with such strength and grace. Be able to switch from one move to the other in the blink of an eye, impress your friends with skills they never dreamed of and take on a creative plethora of skills that help you feel young and vibrant as if you were playing.

 

    These are in no shape or form isolated movements like tricep kickbacks or building an upper chest with leg extension machine; these are full body movements that require you to develop laser-like focus on the muscle control of your movements. Your Core will be tested to stabilize every muscle in your system and you will need to learn how to keep the body as straight as possible in many movements but for the most part you'll learn to jump, squat and press/pull with precise technique that will take you to new progression levels as you get better. Have some fun and learn great moves that work every muscle and do so with crazy strength and agility it'll being that awe dropping athleticism you were meant to have.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Power Of The Jungle


    It is a known fact that the more muscles you use in a given movement the more muscle is developed. We as humans can practically adapt to nearly anything within the right mindset and the right amount of logic and environment. You don't see Gorillas in the Squat Rack, you don't see a Cheetah running on a treadmill and you certainly don't see a Cricket doing the bench press. It takes a lot of strength to move in a fast way because in order to work the movement, your core needs to strong and need a good solid base within the arms and legs. We will never be strong or as fast as a wild animal (maybe not even Tarzan for that matter) but we can have an upkeep on our levels of realistic and functional fitness based on the animals we all love, admire and fear.

 

    Breaking through the "Human Exercise" concept is a physically philosophical way to look at what we can achieve in terms of real strength, stamina, speed and agility using our bodies to move in an adaptive way like the animals. When I talk about human exercises I'm talking like toe touches, lunges, push-ups and Jogging; two of these are very good no doubt but mostly everything else gets boring fast in a lot of cases. Once you have mastered a typical "Human Movement" where's the challenge after that? I'm not referring to training like MovNat or the Ido Portal Method, these are incredible forms of movement that expands the human anatomy in how we find ways to move in the most basic to advanced levels of that formality but yet Animal Movements are a different breed of training and that one should practice from time to time because you're moving in awkward positions and forming patterns of movement you can't fit in weighlifting or the machine crap. You're opening up the possibilities of finding ways to move that is more natural, vastly strengthening the tendons and organs and adding tons of Human Growth Hormone without drugs or injections. Think about that; being able to increase testosterone to fight off fat and build lean and powerful muscle, super strong tendons that are like Iron Cords and a Core that is so insanely powerful it can help you be less-prone to injury.

 

    I love moving weights (or odd objects better yet) from time to time when I feel the need to but because of the knowledge and exercise wisdom I have developed and participated in, I've kept up my strength and fitness using methods based on realistic movements and Animalized Training. I can still pick up hundreds of pounds, curl in the 70 pound range and even Row up to a 150 lbs. Dumbbell with no straps or belts or anything. When you can add in Animalized Movements into your routine or by themselves you can develop strength in areas most methods won't even touch because it is that unique and it is that damn powerful. I have learned how to adapt in how I train. It took me a long time and I still have plenty to learn but when it comes down to it, when you can adapt within other areas and develop a variety that you can be great at; you're developing knowledge most won't achieve because most people are so narrow minded they're forgetting what can be truly useful in how their potential can climb.

 

    I've said this before; we all have an inner animal within us because we have those instincts that is within our blood, that fight or flight mechanism which makes us part of the animal world in a different light. Due to the lack of what society has going on right now, it's more important now to stay as fit as possible in the long-term to help fight off disease, have a good metabolism, make better food choices not diets (the word die is already killing the word, pun intended) and build a solid base on how to stay fit with less to no injuries, stronger bones and a developed immune system. We are lacking in all these things today yet we have more resources than we know what to do with. Bring out your inner Animality and bring forth your right as a living Animal (a good portion of animals share the same blood color) to reach potential levels that the average man/woman can't even comprehend and have that advantage that will rise even among your offspring because strong children mentally and physically help create a better world.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

The Art Of Movement


    We were not built to functionally utilize our universal gift of strength and athleticism through isolation. Unless you're in rehab or a "bodybuilder" that's the closest to isolating the muscles you'll be noticing or taking on. Functional is being overused and it has become a joke among the mainstream media of fitness. Functional in reality really means being able to move with whole body or certain sets of muscles in a state of realistic use. Sure you can curl a good amount but can you do a pull-up have the skill to climb? Sure you can balance a little on a bosu ball but will that really matter if you can't balance on an uneven stretch of a sidewalk? Wow you can bench press 300 lbs. good for you but will that come in handy if you need to lift up a log or a heavy boulder off of somebody? When you utilize every muscle into one given movement or series of consecutive moves you're building real functional power along with agility and awkward type strength. What I consider moving weight I'm talking some real heavy stuff none of this 3 pounds crap or 10 pound lateral raises I'm talking heavy presses, pulls, odd objects, squatting and have some crazy grip strength.

 

    When you can creatively move in various ways to achieve newfound levels of athleticism; you're developing aspects of the human body that is useful, real functional strength and putting your body in awkward positions. Whether it's Hand Balancing, Animal Flow, Gymnastics, Lifting, Crawling, Jumping & Squatting you're programming the body to be used what it was meant for. Real world training is not always up and down or left and right; it's working into positions that seem out of element to the human eye. Sure you can do a pull-up but will that fair out if you need to change positions while rock climbing? Think about it, it takes a great deal of skill and strength to move in the most amazing ways. It takes practice and a well-rounded mind and body to do things that go beyond the normal level of fitness. It's amazing to watch someone who is over 200 pounds to do Cartwheels (they're fun but I'm far from perfect) or someone with a shredded physique lifting some serious weight (without the use of steroids) and it's even amazing to be able to do what I call chain movements; mixing different moves into one fluid motion (watch Ido Portal or Mike Fitch) it is mind-blowing. Being able to climb a tree or jump in perfect motion into a lake or ocean with a beautiful dive. Be creative in how you move, when you do that, movement becomes Artistic.

 

    When you truly want to progress in how you move, there's no time table from start to finish. Progression is key but if you're constantly timing and speeding up without understanding the concept of technique and awareness you're decompressing your progress and not expanding your level of achieving great strength and agility. Timing and speed is good to a degree for testing out what you can do but the real progression is when you develop in your own timeframe and it doesn't matter if it takes you 2 minutes or 2 years; it's still your way of reaching what you want to achieve.

 

    Movement is life, we spend 1/3 of our lives practically sleeping but the other 2/3 is being on the go and using our bodies in various ways. Movement is freedom, expressing your love of what you can do and creating opportunities for yourself to move even if you're in a wheelchair or have no arms, you can make things happen when you learn to believe in the possibilities instead of the limitations. How you create those possibilities is up to you and the way you live your life through your own set of possibilities. Not everyone can perfect everything or master everything but you can however master what you see as a possibility and make things work for you in your own unique way. I was taught to do this or that or get a normal job or go to rehab when I broke my legs and do what people tell you to do and if they say you can't do it it's most likely true; but you know what, I say screw it I'm going to do what I love, I'm going to rehab by myself even if not one person is behind me and I certainly can care less what people say I can or can't do because I find the possibilities and firmly believe in what I can accomplish even in the toughest situations. Move the way you want to because you are capable of doing amazing things and that's the beauty of movement, it is an aspect of life that can be used in a variety of ways regardless of your age, sex, creed, religion, sexual orientation or possible deformity that people will ridicule you on; so show them what you are capable of despite what has become of you. Be movement and be free to challenge the norm and open the window of possibilities.

Monday, February 23, 2015

What Makes Me Push That Extra Mile?


    We all have experiences where certain things give us a perspective of what happens in our lives. In my experiences they've been tough, hard and had their moments where I was happy as a clam but it's no fun when you're called certain names because of what you look like or being told you'll never be able to do this or that and it's certainly not fun when you get your ass kicked by some people. I won't say I had troubled childhood because I didn't but I have seen things up close that nobody should go through, feeling like a nobody or being picked on for being fat. For the most part I was happy in many areas, got to go to different houses and play, be around friends and family and get to go certain places like Disneyland or South Lake Tahoe hell even Vegas but there also times where my life felt empty and I was going through so many things in certain times of my life. I went through hell after I broke my legs and not being able to walk, I got beat up a couple times, I even had an experience where Thanksgiving became the very least holiday I look forward to; I got depressed because at one time I had nowhere to go and people I trusted didn't even bother to help me and I hated it for the longest time. You're probably wondering what the hell do these things even remotely have to do with fitness? I'm getting to that in a bit. This isn't about confessing sins or have people feel pity, I just want to be honest and upfront with you.

 

    Whenever something peaks my interest, no matter what it is I tend to push things far greater than I expect myself to do and some people in my life never understood why I take things a step further. When something doesn't interest me and I have no reason to put my heart and soul into it yet being forced to do it either by someone or myself it has never gone well and I have come to accept that. Some people in my life look at what I do and make themselves believe and even going out of their way to tell me that what I do is just a hobby, something to pass the time and should do something that is contributing according to their philosophy and ideals of what contributing is. I'm going to say this without any hesitation because it's worth it to me to say; being told what I do is a hobby is an insult and offensive to me because they have no clue what I have put myself through to get where I'am today. I'm not a professional athlete, I never won an MVP or being called a team player hell I never even made it to a competition in anything except in High School but I will tell you this; I rehabbed all on my own, I became literally passionate and driven to better myself in many ways and even helped others along the way, what I do is far beyond a hobby; it is my livelihood and every drop of sweat, every drop of blood and every single exercise and workout I took on became a part of my soul to dominate in everything I chose to be great at. It's my passion to do this, I was destined to be the very best I can be in this field because it wasn't just an interest it's my entire being down to the very Core of my individuality physically, emotionally, spiritually and even Psychological. Whoever tries to tell me what I do is a hobby doesn't know one (excuse my language) fucking clue how wrong that statement is and that it makes them even weaker because they don't know what real passion is.

 

    I haven't taken a day off in nearly a decade because I'm never satisfied. I'm always hungry for the new adventure that awaits me in my training. Everyday I'm in constant battle to do even a couple moves for a few minutes but in the end, I always go with my intuition and feel out what I'm going to do. I get asked every now and then why I don't take a day off and or how do I go at it every single day without getting hurt or not "recover" when I'm supposed to. First off; the reason why I don't take a day off is because I love it so much and it brings me more joy and challenge to my life than anything I've experienced. I have been hurt a few times but never to the point where I can't do something, I get creative and do something that challenges me of something soft and ever flowing; my recovery is a mystery even to me but I firmly believe because I don't take it to the brink of complete over consuming of my nervous system where my organs and bones are at risk and I pay attention to how my body reacts and heals itself. I don't go hardcore everyday but I never settle doing something completely crazy or shedding something lighter and putting a smaller touch on something I can do. It's a journey and I continue to walk in the path of my very own road.

 

    I push myself in ways that would freak out the average person and I do it not to prove I'm the strongest, the biggest, the fastest or a good writer; I do it because I don't want to live my life being average and doing the same thing everyone else is doing. I wish to be different because I'am different. I want to do things that scare the living hell out of others not to the extreme but beyond a level they would never understand. I want to be the very best at something that gives me respect I have never earned before. I push myself because I want to say that I'm proud to have done things I never thought I could do and that when it really matters to me, I make it my mission come hell or high water to make it happen. It is my duty to write, to help and challenge myself to lengths that only I can reach and more no one else has my passion or my will to go that extra mile. When you're passionate about something, you hold onto it like your life depended on it and you never let it go otherwise you'll let others walk all over you and you'll never learn to get back up. It's a battle worth fighting for and when it helps you bring real happiness in your life, nothing is more beautiful and loving than having a passion for something.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Realistic Superhero Training


    You have to realize by now that most of the workouts in the muscle magazines that promise the same results that actors have used for Superhero Films is complete bullshit. First off, 99.9% of those workouts are not only unrealistic but are also dangerous and are not for a beginner. You have to remember that these A-List stars pay a shit load of money to have people cater to them and you need to realize they spend far more time training than they want you to believe. What should look like a less than hour workout really is a 3 hour slugfest to get in shape extremely fast and to speed it up, some of these actors even take certain "boosts" to get there even quicker, believe if you were getting paid 10-20 million per movie and they needed you to be shredded in less than 3 months what would you do?

 

    Talking about being sold a bill of goods, the mad truth with Hollywood Vs. Real Life is staggering. If you got a full time job, raising a family, paying a mortgage and you need to commute to that job, you'd be lucky to get in an hour of training maybe 45 min. at best. Hollywood is based on one thing really and that's the moolah, if you're a rich actor and are up for a role plus they want you in incredible shape, training while filming becomes your whole life for 6 months or whenever the amount of time shooting and this includes interviews, training a minimum 3 hours a day being on a super strict diet that would make the average person scream bloody murder. So it would be easy to sell to the masses what these actors are doing to get in shape for these roles, granted I'm a huge fan of these guys and the superheroes they portray are bad ass to the bone but I realize there's more going on and I wasn't born yesterday. They do put in some serious effort I'll give them that and I admire they want to share or their trainer likes to share with the public but that's the tip of a massive mountain they're not showing you and why would they? In the real world, people have other things going on and in order to get what you want out of your training, you make the time and use it when you can whether it's 10 min. or an hour if you have that window, take it.

 

    There's always going to be these marketing ploys about shedding this amount of pounds in 10 weeks or being able to look like Captain America in the first month but realistically, your results will come in when they're supposed to. We all have different body structures and we all need to customize what works best for us because you can't expect the average shmuck to do the same exact routines as Wolverine done to the very tempo because there is a chance it could kill him. Results are based on what the effort proceeds in the outcome of that training. You may not be ripped inside of 6 weeks but your body will change if you understand the principles of a well-rounded system that gives you the time you need and what you bring to the table as far as effort is concerned; if you do too much, your body's going to respond by showing you certain problems within your muscles and your Central Nervous System. If you do too little, you're not putting in the right amount of intensity your body can withstand and your body is left with the same shit when you started. If you find that balance and you strategize it to work around your needs and goals, your results will come when they're supposed to. Starting to get it?

 

    As you may have read I'm going through a training system that consists of workouts that are to be done 3x a week that allows me to use the amount of intensity and rest I need to get the job done. I have tuned it to my liking and within the first couple workouts I'm already seeing small changes in my body and I haven't been injured, burnt out or bored. It involves sprinting and circuit training. Normally I don't associate myself with circuits even without adding sprints into the mix but the way I have strategized it, it seems to be working and I'm getting what I want out of it. Superhero Sprints takes the glamorous Hollywood bullshit out of the equation and pits you into a system that is fast, quick and can be done anywhere; yes Sprints can be done indoors, you'd be running in place for 30-60 seconds but if you're out on the field or track, 30 seconds is the highest you only need to Sprint. Sprints jump start the nervous system and make everything in your body surge with incredible power that burns fat, puts on muscle and increases growth hormone which helps you stay young, vibrant and pump your heart and lungs full of strength and blood that in riches the fluidity within your muscular system. It has been said that with a Sprinting Program 3x week you'll be jumping up Human Growth Hormone as high as 500%, that's 10 times more than the leading injections athletes and actors use. So if you really want to change your physique naturally and with a strategized training program with a realistic food composition go with a Sprinting program. Would you really rather train on a treadmill for an hour and then go "lift" for another 45 min.? Didn't think so, you will only need maybe an hour or less a week and get even better results without the wear and tear on your joints or ligaments. Keep track and keep yourself flexible and supple, it goes a long way to getting the results you've always dreamed of.

 

    

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Laughter Is A Treasure




    We have different types of humor we laugh on: some of it is witty, wicked, stupid, dark, sarcastic and just plain weird. I do have a few sides of humor and there many things that make me laugh out loud and hard to breathe. Laughter is something we all have in common, we end up laughing at something we find hilarious, some things are not funny like bullying a kid or poking fun at a traumatized individual but for the most part we find a way to laugh and feel alive. I have never had any major depression in my life, it's just not possible, sure I have shed a few tears and have been down but more sooner than later you'll find me laughing my ass off and just having a good time. It depends on what you're into but in the end, find a way to make yourself crack up. One of my ways to laugh is when something funny comes up in my head and I start laughing for like no reason, I have literally had people to tell me to stop laughing because they found it weird or they think it was about them or whatever. I can laugh practically at any time and at times for no reason but that's the beauty of life is when you can laugh just by your thoughts.

 

    Giggling, blasting, can't breathe, chuckling; these are all things when laughing happens, it changes moments, it makes dull moments disappear when you end up laughing. It relieves depression in that very moment and it perks people up when you do it in the right moments when you least expect it. Some people just don't have a sense of humor which is sad (talk about oxymoron) because there's no emotional balance there and very little of life within your personality. Sure there are things that aren't funny but what's to stop you from finding what is and having a great time in those moments where it becomes a true test of our most sacred treasure; it isn't gold, silver, war, greed, that picture of Snow White in a sexy outfit that's the same color as her dress (now you got that stuck in your head) or The Beattles rocking it to Hokey Pokey (no wait that's AC/DC ); it's pure unadulterated laughter.

 

    Now granted there are some places where laughing can be a bit rude and make you look like an ass say for a few examples:

 

A Dwarf couple getting married at Disneyland where Goofy marries them
During A Presidential Speech at the The Improv
At a police station where arrests are being made and the sirens sound like Lucile Ball
Daffy Ducks Funeral
Even at a Strongman event when a lifter is deadlifting 800 pounds of chocolate easter bunnies
Or when a family member has died in an area like at a hospital and his/her last words were "Did you fart?"

 

Sure these may sound funny but people expect you to be serious about that sort of thing because being on good behavior and controlling yourself is what we were taught to do as kids.

 

    Laughter makes the he heart strong and vital (except if you were Mr. Dawes sr. the owner of the bank in Mary Poppins). Certain things just want to make you burst out and turning redder than Donald Ducks temper tantrum for me it's usually from Stand-Up Comics like George Carlin (Airport Pre-Boarding and Pre Skit), Robin Williams (Scottish GPS), Eddie Murphy (Impersonating Bill Cosby) and a few others plus things like Family Guy, Adam Sandler movies, Married With Children "I have an egg and some M&M's, I can make an omelet" "No thanks Peg I'm still pleasantly nauseas after last night's feast of the three-legged chicken." Certain lines or characters that just have a way of pouring out laughter kind of like a favorite line of mine from Spaceballs "What's the matter Colonel Sandurz..Chicken." Hey I rather die laughing than getting murdered by some asshole who's a fan of Charles Manson. I really don't believe you can live a full life without having some form of laughter or doing something positively fun and making joy out of something. Laughter is a sacred treasure that opens up the chest of the soul, it's not money or possessions or hell it isn't Weird Al doing a song based on Metallica's Master Of Puppets (I'd actually would like to hear that), it is within your being to laugh and feel empowered with love and happiness.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Sprint Your Way Into Spring & Beyond





     It's important to get a head start on your goals because once you've begun, it becomes easier to focus on than half-assing it telling yourself "I'll do it tomorrow." Flowers are blooming, sun is getting warmer, day is shining brighter and everything begins new life. As a matter of fact, why not blossom into a fit and strong superhero since your favorite Marvel Movie is coming out just before Summer; Avengers: Age Of Ultron and dive into your own battles on shedding unwanted fat and build muscle like a madman. You don't need super powers to be a hero, but if you want the very best out of your body and want to get muscled up in a short amount of time without drugs, performance enhancers or any of the bad protein shakes than Sprints or better yet Superhero Sprints is one way to do it.

 

    Why wait to see Avengers 2 when you can possibly build a body like one and not just look incredible but have the speed, strength and crazy calorie burning to go along with it. I've done Sprinting in the past and it's kept weight off me longer than I expect it too. I've stopped because me and winter don't get along so I ditched the field for moving around the house, although I've kept up athletically but I have put on about 20 pounds which is now at 260, I was 242 when I stopped. Sprints practically murder unwanted fat and jump start your hormones like you were still a damn teenager. Starting at about 30 or so (and to think I'm that age now) our hormones begin to decline about 1-5% per year, that's not good especially for men who want to keep their masculinity and feel like a man ready to take charge, women too; there needs to be a balance that keeps your womanly hormones fresh as well as having a good level of testosterone that keeps fat from slipping up. Men need that balance too but yet we need far more testosterone. How would it feel to you to run like Captain America, have an appetite like Thor and have the hormones of an 18 year old kid and keep fat away and muscle reaching their natural peak? I'm a fan of Superheroes as you can tell and I realize in reality I can't fly, run like the Flash, have the muscle of Thor in the comics or have an appetite like the Incredible Hulk but yet with my imagination and a little boost of sprint training, I can build natural muscle, burn off fat, lose weight, eat nearly whatever I want and boost my metabolism faster than the average man my age.

 

    It's time to get cracking with sunshine and sweat. As you go through the Superhero Sprinting Program, you'll learn that in order to really blowtorch the fat you need to put in the effort but you won't need hours of training but the most you'll be training is 60 minutes a week. Getting that Vitamin D and drinking plenty of water can boost your results faster and don't need to count calories because even on the first day of Sprinting, you'll be burning an insane amount of calories even hours after your workout. If you live on the Coast of California, you have a greater advantage to train in this manner than those around other areas of the country where winter is still hitting cities and towns. However, if you're not ready to get that sunshine yet because it's so damn cold, you can do this program indoors which has an entire section dedicated to it so you don't really have an excuse. Nobody can work out or exercise (play) for you so if you want to get the best out of your body, get up and get moving. You don't need to do this program everyday (actually you'd be very dumb to do so), this system is meant to be done 3x a week maximum. Think about it, training for 20-25 min. and the majority of the time is spent resting because you need to reserve your oxygen; as you get better, do lesser rest periods but take it as long as you need to.

 

    Be prepared to get your ass kicked and have fun training with a side of awesome strength and hormones. Before you get into the exercises, take a few minutes to loosen up the joints especially the hamstrings, ankles, knees and hips, keeping them strong will get you less injured and more powered up for the tough exercises ahead. This isn't something I'm going drill seargent on I actually want you to have a great time and fill your imagination of being your favorite superhero and building the body of your dreams. Nothing comes easy but one of the simplest and pure forms of muscle building and fat burning is by doing Sprints period. This is most likely going to be my training program for the spring and summer because I want to be outside and getting that fresh air, I'm done being home with limited space, go swimming, lift some rocks, climb somewhere and be free. I'm tweaking this program a bit to my style which has a similar outlook to it but the principles stay the same. There's even a section that is made for beginners who haven't done much training or are very new to it. Go through it as thoroughly as possible and do your best to make it work for you.

Friday, February 13, 2015

You Can’t Train Indoors Forever


    I hate winter, ok maybe not hate it has it's perks up here in Pre-Canada Idaho but when it comes to training, I don't find it fun at all training in 20 degree weather or when it's snowing. I'm not bitching or anything when I train I'll do it however I want even if it means going out in Winter Wonderland but I'm a born and bred California kid ok, freezing to the general population is 32 degrees give or take more or less but on the California coast, to them freezing is like 50-55. I've kept myself stuck training indoors since late October and I'm already getting Cabin Fever and it sucks man lol. Before I moved up here, I exercised practically every freaking day outdoors, sprinted up hills, rolled around like an animal at parks, Handstands on the wharf (ok that one time back in early '06), Training with my boys in the rain and walking on my hands in the driveway, it was a blast. Don't get me wrong I still have fun moving around in my house doing Animal Flow, Handstands, Mace Swinging, MovNat and best of all Qi Gong but when I'm outside in the fresh air and the weather is sunny and warm; I'm a damn maniac. I'm telling you when Spring and Summer come in, stay out of my way or try to keep up cause I'll swimming, lifting rocks, sprinting like The Flash, listening to the birds chirp as I move with flowing energy in Qi Gong Styles and playfully moving my body doing all sorts of stuff that is fun and exciting.

 

    Training indoors can be fun if you're at home or in your favorite gym but nothing beats training out in the fresh air, being free of artificial appliances and planting your feet in nature and it teaches you something that doesn't involve your cell phone, iPad or that asshole next to the dumbbell rack texting his friend about the hot mamacita doing squats next to him. Time to blossom sweetheart, when that warm weather catches your eye and feeling the warmth of the sun it just feels good. Some people do like training in the snow and on occasion I'll mess around on the tire or do some bear crawls around the yard but for the most part those people are far tougher than I'am and I have a ton of respect for them. You have all this open space (even in places like New York or Chicago you can move around in many places), it's all about your creative imagination. My friend Bud Jeffries trains in the backyard of his house and even does sled pushes down the freaking street that is bad ass in my book. Do some cool stuff on the swing set, go run some sprints up your favorite hill, go swim in your favorite lake or the ocean, do some primal moving smacked in the middle of Central Park if you can, you have freedom and tons of things to practice and learn. When I'm down at the Lake even around a ton of people in this small area of a beach I play around with Handstands and dynamic stretches in between jumping in the water and doing different strokes (no pun intended). Make it your chance to shine even if you are terrible and just learning how to move just don't hurt anyone and don't feel bad about being embarrassed it's all apart of the process brother, in my handstand craze at the beach I have held for a short amount of time and I've also fallen on my ass looking like a complete idiot but I didn't care because I'm having fun.

 

    When people say there are ways to train anywhere and everywhere doesn't mean you do it indoors at every freaking place you go to, come on man live a little. While a couple family members are paying 20 bucks to hit the gym for an hour 20 minutes away, I'm at the beach lifting heavy rocks, swimming for meters on end, sprinting off the docks and climbing/crawling on the bigger rocks by the shore, that's the type of guy I choose to be, sure I would hit the gym a time or two but it's for one purpose only, to see how much weight I can muster to move within the time I'm there. I love being inside at times where I don't feel like going out and have plenty of options for that anyway but holy shit, you get me outside my imagination catches fire like a moth to a damn flame. There are places that are much better done outside than inside. I don't like being in just one spot to do exercise or play, I want the whole damn field, swim around the entire lake or move around a good stretch of grass just for the love of movement. Can you tell how excited I'am for the spring?

 

    The sun is not always your enemy, some people do have a condition where they're extremely low on Vitamin D and they burn up faster than usual in the sun but with that exception I think the general amount of the population can suck it up and get some sun. Sure it can get pretty damn hot in certain places so indoors is a good idea and it can also get ridiculously colder than Jack Frost's Gene Pool so, find the balance that works for you. Granted some people train in practically every type of weather, hell if acid rained from the sky some insane dude with a death wish will go train, I wondered if a guy ever got caught in a tornado while he was training for the bench press out next to his trailer park? Maybe some beautiful woman with a slim sexy body training for the Ironman get's blown into Hurricane Terrence in the middle of South Beach Miami (sounds like a slightly gay hurricane don't you think); you never know what type of weather people will train in, why not an athlete training in the middle of nowhere Siberia wearing 100 pairs of clothing in 100 below freezing winter just because he wanted to get a few minutes in before he kicks back in his cozy little house and possibly watch some Russian Stand-Up Comedy? All in all, get your Vitamin D in naturally and feel the love and warming touch of that perfectly crisp and lemonade chugging weather where you have the freedom to bask in nature's training arena and take on something you never done before and have a blast doing it.

 

    

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

The Evolution Of Fingertip Training Is Here



    We sometimes underestimate the power and strength our hands are. We need for a great deal of things like building, climbing, fixing things, folding papers, using specific tools and countless others so when we don't have the strength to use our hands for like a job or something you don't get paid. Yet when we don't realize the strength we need and have it's also sad that the tendons and ligaments aren't as strong as they should be. I've said it before, anybody can build a substantial amount of muscle no matter how small or big but it's the tendons that make the biggest difference and when they're not strong, the chances of an injury are greater. Our hands are more than meets the eye; the touch, the energy and electrical surge throughout our nerves is something most of us forget we have.

 

    I have read many courses in the near 18 years in the fitness field but nothing is as thorough and in your face as the brain child of Matti Marzel's Ferocious Fingertip Course. He's got this incredible and unique mind to tell you bit by bit about the fingers in a way that is so unique it ought to be just for pro athletes who want that competitive edge but yet he wants to share his style and secrets with anyone who wants to learn. I have corresponded with Matti off and on for nearly 4 years and in that time, I learned a ton from him. He's the type of guy that doesn't hold back on anything, he'll tell you off even if it isn't necessary but at the same time, once you see what he represents under the surface it takes a special person just to even understand him at times. However, he is one of the most eager athletes I know that truly has a heart for Physical Culture and wants to do as much as possible and make things happen. He is the spark plug of a new age in Physical Culture and without question he is pound for pound one of the strongest dudes on this planet bar none, I'm shocked Stan Lee's Superhumans didn't catch up with him because his character alone is just as crazy as his strength.

 

    He has some incredible energy and his intensity is just out there and I mean that in a positive way but all of that is just as insane as his course. This course is practically an encyclopedia of developing strength and conditioning using the fingers in more ways than you can imagine. From Push-ups to Levers, Handstands to Pull-ups, Tucks, Hanging, One-Arm Holds, Feats Of Strength and a whole mess more in this monstrous saga of Fingertip Training. He uses some awesome references in this bad boy that take on a life of it's own. Being influenced by many people and sources in Pop Culture like Bruce Lee, Jack Lalanne, Bud Jeffries, Dragonball Z, Rock Climbers, Shaolin Monks and much more. No one has taken on Fingertip Strength quite like Matti. In my opinion, if you want to get the best out of your fitness through the use of your fingers down to the very bone in the modern era, this course will do it guaranteed.

 

    If there is one thing I know for sure especially after learning about fingertip conditioning, you will never look at physical training the same way again. This course can be useful for many athletes and those who want to take it to another level in their training. If you're a baseball player, think of the strength in your swing you can have if you trained the tendons in your lower arm, pitching with hands that are nerves of steel and throwing with even more velocity to get the runner out. If you're a grappler, your fingers will be so freaking strong you'll be tossing guys just using your trigger finger. Into Strength Feats? Think of the power in your tendons to rip phonebooks easier, tear decks of cards in split seconds and bending steel as easy as a clothing hanger. What about being a Firefighter, you need strong hands to handle a hose, strong body to carry another person to safety and definitely need that grip agility to climb those long ladders. Rock Climbers have by far the strongest fingers of any athlete so if you added even remotely a fraction of this course to aid in your rock climbing you'll be even stronger and with that strength I'd be afraid to shake that person's hand man or woman. I encourage you to learn about this course when it's in full fruition and channel your energy into the very core of your hands as you will learn the value of hand strength like never before.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Sprint Like A Madman


    When it comes down to fat burning, speed is the dominant factor next to strength and power. People believe that in order to get into that fat burning zone they need an hour of cardio and possibly another hour of weights when in fact one simple method makes nearly everything like a cakewalk and that's Sprinting. Imagine having a lean and strong muscular body that can burn off calories like a furnace, accelerate your metabolism like lightspeed and give unwanted fat a boot to the ass faster than you can say "A monkey's uncle." Think for a moment if one burst for 8-30 seconds and then rest for up to as much as 5 minutes and repeat that about 5-7 times up to no more than 10 and be able to burn off fat more than doing 1 hour of cardio would you want that? There's no magic pill for a quick fix but if anything came remotely close it's a Sprint Training
program.


 

    We have become an overweight and uneducated society and we have been fed lie after lie in infomercials, magazines, corporate fitness hacks and marketing gimmicks that promise you a greek body in an extremely short amount of time and don't get me started on that Biggest Loser crap it's complete bullshit and it's not what real fitness is. When it comes down to it, the best sculpted and athletically muscular athletes are Gymnasts and Sprinters because they have to utilize every single muscle in the things they do, sprinters utilize the arms just as hard as the legs and if you ever watched Usain Bolt or Michael Johnson you'll know why. Some people can put on muscle more than others and I get that, I'm no fitness model myself but when I'm on a sprinting binge for a several months things change rapidly and I notice way more definition in my musculature than when I do other forms of training. What would it be like to you if you can sleep better at night, engage more growth hormone without taking a single drug, have nearly the type of muscle you had in your younger years, less prone to injury and have a firing lung capacity that would make marathon runners blush? Look far younger and be able to eat nearly whatever you want, I may be younger than most of you guys but even at 30 coming into 31 this July; I still have people tell me I look younger than 21, it's fun to get carded at casinos nowadays. Want to know one of my secrets (besides having that baby face), it's being able to be on a program that takes even less time to get to the gym and hammer out that raw power and feeling like the Flash.

 

    With all forms of exercise, technique is just as important as the workout itself but yet if you're being chased down by a bear or having to run down a suspect hell even race to save someone's life, technique is the last thing on your mind. Your imagination however can speed up the process (pun intended) along with trained technique can make you unstoppable and putting those weak ass pizza loving bums at Planet Fitness or any gym of that caliber to shame. Picture yourself as your favorite superhero with blazing speed like Superman, the Flash, Quicksilver even someone as fast as Blade; when you open up your mind and focus on something that charges your body and brings everything into motion you can add your speeding power by three fold. I'm not going to lie it takes effort and it's tough training plus you're going to be huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf out of breath from trying to blow down the brick house. Never be tense as you sprint, to be as relaxed as you can but use the muscles needed for that burst.

 

    The best part about this type of training is that you can do it for up to 1 hour for the entire week and that's only doing up to 3 workouts in that week total, 20 minutes per workout and the majority of that time is resting. If you have hills, even better because of you fighting gravity and having to push even further and the most you need to go up is 60-70 yards. You can do it at a track or a field near your house. I do my sprints at a field which has two baseball diamonds and a long stretch of grass, before I moved from a few miles, I ran at this little park that stretched about 55 yards. Don't go at your maximum the first time around, I know it's exciting to do and believe me I've been there but you need to set a base of progressions. If you're totally new to sprinting or haven't done it in a while start with 4-5 bursts and build up to ten per workout so for maximum benefit 30 bursts a week is best. Look into it, make sure you keep your joints and muscles warmed up because sprints can be brutal if you don't have supple and flexible joints trust me it's happened to me a time or two but believe when I say this, sprinting is far safer than jogging 10 miles because over time taxing the joints in the ankles, shins and calves can lead to injuries as oppose to sprints that have a few bursts that can increase the strength in the joints because they need to jump start more than usual and it brings another element to tendon power.

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