You Must Choose Wisely

Remember that moment in Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade where if you chose the wrong chalice or cup something bad will happen? Of course you do. However it's tough to choose something where there is so much damn variety it becomes confusing. You never know what you'll end with, you can end up with something as glamorous and full of sparks and looking like an award winning Broadway but you may also choose something more simple and have the feeling of no more or less while you go for something with no hidden agendas or anything stabbing you in the back because it turns out to be something that just wasn't worth it. This happens pretty often in the world of fitness & exercise because although we have a great deal of options there's also that burden of picking the right things for you.

Picking certain things can be tough and can bring certain consequences like injuries, burn outs, soreness/tightness you don't want and doing something that could cost you your life; so in order to find the right type of training for you, you have to experiment with a few things. Sometimes you may not certain programs right away or something doesn't suit you so you move on to something else. Whatever makes you happy and gives you the greatest benefit in your journey, stick with those and you can't go wrong. If you like Hand Balancing; do cool stuff to learn about that and, if you like grip training you find ways to train that way, if you like lift heavy objects than who's stopping you from making that happen go lift heavy stuff. I'm more of training with an overall base where I pick and choose things that happen to be in my head and I run with it, if it's something i'm interested in than I go with it. Don't be so picky to the point where there's only these specific things but you can't get around to them very much, never put yourself through that.

The real aspect of finding the thing you are choosing to do is to make it a journey and utilize your will to learn and go with what's important to you. Choosing can be hard but it's not rocket science, you either like something or you don't it's that simple. Don't dread what you don't like, live within the things you do enjoy and it brings passion into your life because as you may have noticed, when we do things we don't like we tend to be slower a little unfocused and we resent the fact that what we don't like makes us feel worse than it should. Go with the journey, toss away what doesn't work and focus on the stuff that does. Nobody's perfect and things won't always turn out the way you thought they would but there's always something awesome to come along and the journey is just part of the fun if you lead yourself in that belief. How we think determines what our actions will so if you think excitement and fun, you're going to attract that; if you attract the opposite well you get the picture.

Make your own choices. What you choose to do something will always follow and it won't always be in your control. In the fitness world you have a million things to choose from but only the smallest fraction of that will end up working for you so be wise about what you're going to do and make it work for you, if you're not happy change it or do something else. Once it really hits you, you'll want that feeling all the time even if you do something different a little everyday because you never know what mood you'll be in or how long you'll want to do something. Be instinctive and be passionate about what you do. Don't focus on the hate, bring in the kick ass moments and shatter the goals you want to achieve because at the end of the day, we're just human finding and working towards the things that keep us living. So choose and choose wisely for as the true journey will bring you life but the false and hateful journey will take it from you.

Hitting Goals And Doing What You Love

Goals are like your own personal treasure, they're meant for you to have and have feeling that richness and have that feeling of taking the world by storm. You can share your treasure if you wish but it's important to realize it is yours and no one can take it away from you because you have an internal bond that just won't go away. You don't need to be greedy and brag about what you have achieved or won yet you can inspire others to go after their own treasure and seek out the adventures to get to them.

Achieving things is a very powerful entity. You don't always feel the need to lose weight or gain muscle or just be fit; it can be a business goal or working towards a certain amount of views that people have seen on your website where they can see your creativity and possibly buy stuff from you. My goal for this blog was really just to see if people would read it or have any inspiration to do something for themselves and just have fun with it. Turns out it became more than that, it spread throughout the world and has been seen in more than 30 countries on 5 contienents with a viewing total of 500,000+; that is insane and I'am so greatful that it made it that far, never expected it. Must be doing something right. Whatever goals you want to achieve, make it worth it to you and you only because nobody is going to set your goals for you, they're your adventures and your struggles. It creates a part of who you are and where you're willing to go.

Don't go after things you hate. Who the hell wants to achieve something that they didn't even want, it's not logical or ethical yet some people seem to do that on occasions. Go after things that are worth while, make a choice of what's important to go after and do everything in your power to achieve it that is productive, sustainable and it makes you happy. People will try to tear you down and tell you that what you're doing is stupid and you'll never do it; well they say that crap because they don't have the drive that you do and they'll only do things according to their standards. Don't be controlled on how you want to achieve a goal.

As I've said before, get the most out of what you want to do. If you don't achieve it the way you were meant to it's ok because the journey ends sometime and you never know where you'll end up. Some people have goals that last for years and as great as that is, there's no guarantees where you'll be at the end of it. It's the journey that comes into play far more than the outcome. Breathe and make your goal interesting and bringing new light to who you are because you could end up a totally dfferent person because you went through many different things, things that didn't have anything to do with your goal but they're apart of the journey. Live and go with the flow. Do what you love and use it in any way that works for you.

3 In 1 Exercise Tool For Everyone

There are three very awesome tools in the world of fitness that an be used for any sports training, conditioning, strength, endurance and many more. These three tools can take you to another level and bring you a world of power while burning fat, gaining muscle and jump up your growth hormone levels for a faster metabolism, recovery and cardio. The three tools are the kettlebell, the dumbbell & the medicine ball. However there are limitations to how you use the grip for these implements which I will get to in a second.

The grip is one of the most important aspects in the strength training world. If you can't grip your implement or a pull-up bar, it's going to be more dificult for you than it needs to be. With the three implements I just mentioned, the limitations are basically in the grip, it's the same grip every time even with the medicine ball; it's a great tool but it only had one standard grip so you can't really do what you would like to do. What if there was a way to do this and not spill out a bunch of money off your card and cash. Get something that gets you doing all the kinds of exercises you like to do and it implies all three implements in one tool that also makes you change your grip every time. I'm talking about the Sandbell; be able to snatch it like a kettlebell, row like a dumbbell, slam like a medicine ball and more with this bad boy.

When it comes down to it, there's got to be some things that are suitable to everyone, what I mean by that is not everything won't be equal because there are some things that are just too dangerous for some people and not everyone from a child's age should use a dumbbell or a kettlebell because they can hurt themselves from all the metal that can land on them, with the sandbell, its more padded and full of sand. It is a fun and effective way to exercise every muscle in the body and adults can get the heavier weights and the kids can have the much lighter weights. Toss it, flip it, play catch, slam it on your floor or on a mat, work your pinch grip by switching hands in the air, use it like a hammerthrow, kids can play catch the carrier; there are so many cool ways to use this. If you're an MMA fighter, you can use it for grip work, takedowns, suplexes for wrestling drills, squats for leg training, Core Work and other cool things. Whatever you feel you want to work on, a Sandbell can help you get there.

From the 8 year old hyper kid to the 65 year old prospect who wants to get in great shape and jump start their hormones for a longer life, strength building and cardio machine. These sandbells can be used by anyone and can be used in dozens upon dozens of ways. Make a game out of it, work on your conditioning for your specific sport, do one-legged movements, work on your snatch test (a 30lb. sandbell is tougher to snatch than a 53 lb. kettlebell), get a super powered grip for arm wrestling, a pinch grip people would fear and get a cardio workout in under 5 minutes. It is so useful and durable that you may even forget about metaled implements all together. Expand your horizons and grab the kind of weight you would like yo use, get one for your young one to play with; it has a strong leather that is very difficult to break so it won't snap on you so even if you slam it with tremendous force the odds of it tearing are in your favor. It is safe, protected padding and it doesn't make a mess or have the sound of metal echoing throughout your place. Take advantage of your fitness and own one or more of these bad boys. you won't regret it.

Your Legs Are Your Wheels

    Ever since my accident and learning to walk and train again, I have made a vow to go into deep research on training the legs and making them stronger not just in the muscles but more importantly the tendons and ligaments. As we age, one of the first things that starts to go physically is our legs, the bones become a little more brittle and the joints get a little weaker and muscles begin to go south. It becomes more and more difficult to even get a good move going and your body just aches like a bitch. It doesn't have to be that way though; you can make a choice to keep your body in incredible shape when you get older like into your 50's and beyond. It's a matter of modifying and building a foundation. Flexibility is your first priority, then you work on strength so you can value the useful of what is working in your body.

 
    Most people think as you age, muscles need to keep strengthened more than anything else; not necessarily true, strength is a factor and should be in on your to do list but for the most part muscles are secondary compared to the joints and ligaments in the body especially in your hips, ankles and feet. How can you really move at all when your joints are all screwed up? Why do you think so many older folks have bad hips and weak ankles? It's not always about aging, its about how you take care of yourself. Sure you're not going to be lifting extremely heavy poundages (but then again what's really stopping you if you wanted to do that) but make it your main focus is strengthen the tendons as much as possible, the muscles will follow when you do the right amount of training. Isometrics are extremely power tendon builders and utilizing Chi Kung methods help you internalize your energy and build strength from the inside. Flexibility is not always about stretching and toe touching, it's about finding that youthful vitality in your bones that is full of vigor and life. Do some joint loosening, stretch your hamstrings efficiently and power up on the hips because they give the lower body some of its greatest power in many areas. I train my legs consistently with plenty of dynamic stretching, joint loosening, isometric stretching, mobility drills and others and I'm in my 30's, I want to be nearly as mobile 50 years from now because of it.

 
    Sprints build powerful legs, period; some people don't always have the luxury of sprinting somewhere or they don't have the strength to move as such but there are always alternatives, sprinting doesn't always mean running, you can do exercises at a much faster pace to get that effect whether it's push-ups, squats, running in place anything that gets their heart rate up quick and with intensity. Circuit Training can be useful mixing exercises together and moving in a fast pace and go round to round with no rest, that alone burns up a lot of fat and puts on muscle. It's all about what works for you and making the best of what you have. I love sprints, however I don't always feel like running so hard I feel like my legs are going to pop off, I can sprint in place and still get the same benefits. Make it work for you and experiment the very best you want to learn and master.

 
    If you want to learn on how to build powerful, agile and enduring legs, talk to an old-time pro wrestler like from the 70's and before. It's not always about entertaining a crowd with theatrical exploits, you also need to keep up with your opponent and work a match to the very end whether it's 10 minutes or 60 minutes. These guys are the very embodiment of superior conditioning. If your legs aren't up to the task neither will the rest of your body. Guys like Ed Strangler Lewis, Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne, Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair, Frank Gotch, Karl Gotch and even guys like Ben Sharman and Killer Kowalski were exceptional in the conditioning department and hardly broke a sweat within the first 10 minutes of a match (slight exaggeration). Being able to endure a lot and still have some fire burning in the tank is an awesome thing to have. Research on how wrestlers trained their legs, there is some cool stuff you can do and you don't need to do extremely high reps to reap the benefits, just enough to where it works for you and keeps you firing. Having enduring legs is also great for your testosterone and having a high sex drive. Strong legs can carry you in ways that can be useful when you need them too. These guys can teach you things about the legs most sports can't even fathom, why do you think wrestling is the most important sport? Keep your legs strong and agile no matter what your age and prove to yourself that age is just a number and not an ideal outlook of what you were and what you have been led to believe. Your legs are the wheels and your will is the engine and the rest are the various parts needed to keep going. Be awesome my friends.

The Circuits That Keep On Giving

   There are mixed reviews with circuit training as it is with of other methods. These days when you think of Circuits, you think of Crossfit and getting in as many rounds as possible in a certain amount of time. Although that's great for an advanced person but for someone starting out, it can put them in the hospital or in an unwanted grave. Circuits are done where you mesh a certain amount of exercises and do them without rest until you have completed 1 round. Most people can't handle that fast pace and high form of intensity because it takes far more than just strength & endurance, it becomes a mental game of chess and some are great for beginners but others are mostly for those in decent shape. Those long cardio sessions on the treadmill are practically useless unless you plan on training for a competition of some sorts. You'll gain endurance for sure but you'll also lose muscle mass and the ability to burn fat efficiently. If you want a quicker workout that has the same benefits circuits would be the way to go. You can get in a great workout in under 30 minutes with proper rest periods between sets.

 
    Although circuits are good in some order, some of the exercises they put people through most of the time are either boring/generic or far too much for someone to handle when they're not prepared for it. You can however mix your favorite exercises you do know and can use your imagination with to get awesome benefit out of. The key secret to circuit training is not always about speed and short rest periods (although they can be a great factor as you progress) but more on a steady pace with as good of form as possible. You want to have nearly as good form at the end just as much as crisp in the beginning. Once you start slouching and you're in need of an iron lung than you need to stop. If your form or pace is deteriorating as you go along, you can have some severe problems in your joints, muscles and tissue in the ligaments. I'm not a huge fan of plyometrics and I don't think you need to jump as high as possible 10-20 times per circuit so I personally believe especially for those who have had injuries and such ought to keep circuit training as low impact as possible and use very little to no equipment. Unless you're in a specific sport or in need to get in serious shape fast, some equipment would be good to use but really Bodyweight is best.

 
    One site I highly recommend that has circuit workouts for every level of fitness is Darebee where you can choose from well over 100 workouts and programs for your specific goals and needs. This is the next evolution from Neila Rey. These workouts even have themes that anyone can relate to; superheroes, movie characters, books, anime, military, Primal, Circuits For Swimming & Sports and way more than I can mention. These give you an idea on how to take a cool pop culture idea and turn it into a kick ass workout that will have you begging for mercy while having fun as well. Nobody really likes those boring and generic exercise systems that really have no value to the individual who's looking for something interesting to do. I'm all for using the imagination and utilizing basic and advanced exercises to build skills for your everyday life. I didn't like circuits very much until I came to Darebee and found a new realm of ideas to use. Plus it's all free and you can download and print out the workouts into little cards for you to travel with so you don't always have to get on the internet. These are truly some of the very best exercise programs around today and take less time to do than it is to get the gym, dress and getting on a machine (which you may need to wait for). They have programs for strength, weight loss, High Intensity, realistic cardio, fat burning, stamina, flexibility and speed. There are no excuses and you can switch exercises around to suit your needs and goals, modify them if you have to you have that option. They have levels of progression that are simple and straight forward; you can work out up to 3 levels of sets (or 10 sets total in some workouts) and learn how you can make your own progressions.

 
    I'm a hard working guy when it comes to training and have put myself through some of the most intense workouts imaginable so I can safely say if you want to be in great shape, you need to know what your fitness level is otherwise you can get injured or burned out; I was doing Level 3 type workouts for about a week or so and just didn't have it in me afterwards and ended up quitting for a while because I pushed it way too much and I was already in good shape. Build up and remember you don't need to go to the highest level every single workout and because of the limitless amount of circuits at Darebee not every workout is the same, so learn how to adapt and modify a bit so you can get to that high level on a consistent basis but not a frequent basis. If you only have enough in you for 2-3 rounds that day do so but don't push so hard you'll pass out or end up having some kind of lung problem from lack of pure deep breathing oxygen. Keep a close eye on what you do so you can make the very best of it. Circuits are great but if you're not careful, it can bite you in the ass and chew it with a vengeance. There are even custom type workouts in the forum section of the site where you'll find circuits not found in the cards such as the Tarzan Workout, Godzilla, Indiana Jones and others; I even came up with a circuit that professional wrestlers used when they trained and it takes even the most advanced people down for the count. Research on circuits and find what can be suitable for you and make it work for your needs, not for the sake of being able to do them. Have fun and keep going my friend.