The Power Of The Hammer

During my recent exploits into grip training or more specifically using sledgehammers it's come to the conclusion that after extensive repetition and using a deck of cards along with a tire to hit, building a super powerful grip is eventually going to commence whether you like it or not (why wouldn't you). The purity of your hands being crazy strong is an essential part of life every man should strive for. Just to even lift a heavy hammer takes a lot of strength and moving it for an extended period of time takes a ton of mental and physical endurance but in the end; shaking someone's hand may not be good for the other person. 

Most believe in order to be strong you have to have tons of muscle and for enough guys I've witnessed doing crazy feats that theory is not necessarily true. Sure muscles look cool and all but if you don't have strong tendons, your muscles won't mean jack shit in situations where muscles won't be enough. The tendons are what hold the whole structure together forming this machine of nerves and bone capacity to move in the best directions possible. Even having flexible tendons make a huge difference in how you move and hold a heavy resistance. Because of training with a sledgehammer, it builds tendons like steel cords (for you marvel fans, think of Vibraniam or Adamantium) and not to mention the increase of testosterone using a heavy resistance through intense exercise. 

A favorite hammer of mine is the Thor Hammer that is purely made as if the Norse gods had access to it themselves. You don't have to know Norse Mythology yet the moment you see a hammer of this magnitude, it brings a sense of presence that only a few can ever understand. Picture as if Thor handed you this hammer and you were the chosen few to hone it's power and feel the spirits of Valhalla coursing through your veins and bringing the strength of thunder and lightning into your blood stream the moment you hold it in your hands. It has no equal and it can be used in various areas of training and turning your grip into a structure that is no longer human flesh and bone but that of superhuman machinery of solid matter and the strongest steel that you can imagine. Even the Epic Sledgehammer has that very found affect and if you can handle it, treat it with respect and people will be afraid to shake your hand.

The way I train in using Sledgehammers is by swinging and hitting the tire with such force as possible and for as long as possible. The way I count reps is by taking my deck of cards and do the amount of reps the card requires. I don't also train by the reps themselves, I go after the total amount of weight I have lifted with that hammer for example: If you took a 13.8 lb Thor Hammer and your reps were say 500, you didn't just hit the tire 500 times but you have lifted nearly 7000 pounds total when you mathematically multiply the weight and the amount of reps. That's more than 3 tons, can you say freakish strength? How would that feel to you, being able to handle that much weight and having that amount of strength/endurance? My last workout was with the Epic Sledgehammer and it weighs approx. 39 pounds, that's a lot of hammer; now picture moving that amount of weight in just over 30 min. 600 times. that's over 23,000 pounds being moved, that's over 11 tons. I train by the ton because I don't want to just hit a tire with a heavy object, I want to see how much weight I can move within a period of time that brings out the very pinnacle of strength and conditioning. If you're a strength athlete or an arm wrestler; think how much strength you will acquire doing this type of training in your arsenal. This can aid you winning some big competitions and take down some of the strongest opponents imaginable. Feel the power of the hammer and make your grip the strongest it can be.  

Sometimes Being Lazy Is Fun

My definition is lazy is a far cry than what most people consider it. I don't believe sitting on your ass for 8 hours watching TLC Network is that productive as being lazy, that just makes you a slob. Lazy to me in the fitness has both a positive and a negative; yes not making an effort on your goals and just half assing through your routine thinking it's gonna miraculously get you fit is being clinically lazy and you just don't care about yourself. On a positive side to me it means just picking out something repetitively easy and just run with it, don't even think it.

You want to workout but you're too damn tired and just don't give a rat's ass what to do. It happens to us i'm not gonna lie, I went that route today and just didn't care yet I still made myself train even if it was an "easy" day by doing a circuit by mainly using my chair where I watch cartoons and movies as I work. I'm not saying you should have a lazy day everyday and believe its good to get some sun and live outside ever so often; what i'am saying is that if you feel like you just don't feel going hardcore but want to do something simple and quick than do so it still counts as training.

I do circuits on occasion that are quick but effective and the best ones you can to do anywhere is by using the Darebee Workouts. The cool thing bout these is that they give a workout in less than 20 minutes even when you have the busiest schedule. They're good for nearly any type of program but at the same time their great when you're short on time but also get that cardio and sweat going. Just pick a workout you'd like to do and see how you can challenge yourself; you a level 1, 2 or 3 conditioned trainee?

I don't believe in taking days off, that's not my motto (what's a motto with you?) because training every single day is beneficial and builds mental toughness plus it doesn't hurt to keep yourself in tact and get kick ass benefits out of it. I do believe however in "rest" days where you don't go all out like a roided basket-case gym rat but do something that is simpler, something that is comforting and not too difficult, it's still considered a workout and it's important to acknowledge that. My "rest" day came in the form of the workout I did yesterday called The Office Workout where you basically sit in a chair and do pretty simple and easy exercises that nearly anyone can do. I just felt like doing it because I had quite the weekend doing various movements, hammer work, swimming and other fun stuff that wore me out but yet managed to do a workout that took less than 10 minutes. Get in the habit of your "rest" days as a day of being a little lazy but still have fun and go after it the next day. Being lazy at times has it's perks, trust me, I've had people tell me i'm lazy yet i'm far more productive than they are, just sayian.

Workout Bonding

For the most part, training alone for me is the ideal way to get the best out of fitness. Not just in the gym but also anywhere else you want to train but at times being alone sucks and want to have that feeling that there is someone that can exercise with you and motivate you. Trust me for nearly a decade, I have trained mostly on my own yet on occasion go to the gym or workout with my boys Logan Christopher or/and Tyler Bramlett. It's not so much the bonding but getting to hang out and just see how much we can push the limits. With bonding with another person, it adds an extra form within your relationship whether it's just friends or with a significant other and/or if you have kids.

I firmly believe that a family that trains together bonds together. Whether you're with relatives, your kids or with the one you love; being able to bond and work together as a team/group whatever the case may be, utilize your inhibitions in order to create a fun and exciting environment. Kids make awesome training partners because they mimic the movements you're attempting to make or practice and they want to see how cool it would be to do it themselves. A spouse can be a bit trickier because they seem more cautious and not as daring as a child but at the same time, it gives that person a chance to learn who you are not just doing simple exercises but making it feel wild and fun and that's where a kick ass bonding experience comes into play. I'm currently training my girlfriend Holly who you can find at This Butterfly Life and she was eager to learn but felt a little rocky at first but eventually just started flourishing really quick and has gained muscle and flexibility in a short amount of time, very proud of her. That's just an example but the principle still applies, it may be different by just the both of you starting out together and you don't know what to expect, learn your strengths and weaknesses and bring that tight bond together; magical things happen when you apply it right.

A great benefit of bonding while training is how both of you can enhance each other's motivation by bringing it up to a degree where you both are just rocking and helping each other rep things out and pushing each other. Not so much drill sergeant and calling each other name's, to me that's a big no-no. With kids, it's not always showing them the technique but how to keep it interesting for them. Animal Movements are awesome for kids because they get to live out their fantasy being an animal in the jungle in their imagination while they move. Movement is about adventure, exploring the unknown and channeling their energy that isn't hooked onto a TV or an Ipad or whatever electronic device. It builds their brain power, heightens their self-esteem, teaches teamwork and being themselves without ever telling them their exercising but playing.

I firmly believe that everyone should customize their own system because for one, if you're trying to keep up with someone else, it's only making you too much of a follower than forming your own ideals. Being self reliant in this case is a powerful tool because you are learning your own sense of individuality and creativity. By bonding you don't have to do the same program at the same speed and pace but you can encourage each other by sharing ideals and how to apply them for your own style of training. Be proud and let your significant other know that they matter and you bring a sense of inner strength for them because you give them a reason to better themselves. I don't ever want anyone to try to attempt what I do yet what I love is encouraging others to be more efficient in their own style of training and something that works in their favor alone and use that to bond with someone else. Make the experience exciting, creative and something to use for growth physically, mentally and emotionally.

Why Diets Suck

Atkins, 21 Day Fix, Low-Carb, Fruitarian, Water Fasts for weeks and many more crazy diets have you pegged a sheep trying to follow some asshole with a name on a piece of paper calling themselves "Experts" and make you suffer more than helping you. I believe that if you want the best out of losing weight, gaining weight, dropping fat than you need to manage or make the effort to do so without feeling so strict about yourself. Changing everything completely cold turkey is a complete waste of time, unless you've had nothing but junk food your whole life and knowing what the hell a fruit or a vegetable is than yeah time to make some big changes but start small. Life is not a race, it's a journey that you wrestle with and you won't always have a winning streak, losing at times can be good because it's a life lesson that could help you get back up.

What are the first three letters in the word Diet? D-I-E. Those three letters alone should have you be suspicious of anything remotely related to nutrition. I will admit my eating habits aren't the greatest and most likely never will be. I don't eat McDonalds everyday or Taco Bell, Jack In The Box or Burger Queen. I eat relatively healthy having good fats, eggs, meats, fruits and veggies, plenty of water and electrolytes and yes I do eat carbs but not so much the bad kind. I need some high level doses of food to fuel me because how hard I train. I love cookies, bacon wrapped hot dogs, coke, an occasional grilled cheese sammich and yes I do eat fried chicken from time to time. The thing is I don't feel any guilt about doing them because I know how my body works and that because of the way I train, I'll never look like an obsese person. Be noble and smart about what you eat and drink but there's nothing wrong with indulging a few bad things once in a while, you need that balance. I'm not a good or bad eater, I do my best to stay in the middle. You shouldn't have to suffer or feel like dying when it comes to food, it's choices and managing it that works in your favor for your own body.

Eating healthy isn't easy and it's not always willing to be healthy but money isn't always in your favor so it comes down to making compromises with yourself and/or the family you are raising. It can be stressful at times because of certain circumstances but it doesn't have to be negatively stressful. Being stress free means you are doing what's best but you don't feel guilty when something doesn't always work. Be honest and realistic with yourself about what you eat but don't ever feel like you have to strict yourself. Some people can't eat a ton of food but some need more than others depending on your goals and your intensity levels of exercise. Here's a tid bit of how hungry I get, after a workout say lifting a total of 20+ tons striking a tire with a 30 lbs.+ Sledgehammer i'm in no mood for little salads or those small meals i Tupperware, I grab what I can find in the fridge that is fairly healthy and devour it like a madman or go out somewhere like to subway, Quiznos or Panda Express and get as much as either two sandwiches or 4-5 entrees of food at Panda put into around two-three big boxes worth. When you're hungry you need fuel and at times you may not always get the healthiest thing because your body needs food badly. Make good choices but also listen to your body and not try to tell it what you think it needs or whatever the "plan" is on that diet sheet you think you can handle.

When it comes to Experts, I don't look for the shmucks in the fitness magazines or dumb forums and hell I don't trust nutritionists on TV like on Dr. Oz or some crap like that. I look to men and women who have been through the ringer, know that being strict doesn't get you anywhere and that food is fuel, not little bitty pieces of baby lettuce salads and 100 calorie Tupperware Meals. I look to real people who are very strong, athletic and do things out of the ordinary. It's those people I admire, not all of them have six pack abs or the body of a greek god; some of the healthiest people I know aren't the best athletic looking yet their health is even higher than those who look athletic in the first place. Most Experts have an agenda and they don't see through how some individuals don't have the capacity to fit their lifestyle with their diet ideals. Make honest choices but don't make yourself feel like shit in the process. It's tough, it can be frustrating yet eating real food is the best way to go but if you can't always make them happen, use your budget wisely and be open minded.

Top 5 Exercises For A Healthy Sex Drive

It's not an easy topic to talk about when it comes to sex and hormones because for the most part, people feel uncomfortable talking about something that is private to them or have people being refrained from sex and taking advantage for the things that bring out the very best in what makes the world great in many ways. This is isn't going to be your typical list of exercises that you see in the muscle magazines or learning the basic styles of fitness (presses, pulls, squats and ab work). What you're going to see are exercises you don't normally find that actually deliver realistic results and jump up your hormones like a rocket going into space. The importance of staying consistent with your hormones is crucial no matter what your age and sure there other factors to consider beyond exercise for some people but when you do keep it up (no pun intended), you actually have a greater chance of living a healthy life full of excitement and wonders that makes most jealous or envious.

The top 5 exercises I will be mentioning here are not just some random testing usage on a strict group of people or studying the limited facets of what works and what doesn't; these are from my own experiences and the type of training I have literally performed on. This isn't scripted or written out on a pre-made sheet of numbers and statistics, this is the real deal and doing just one of these will increase your hormone levels to heights you didn't think were possible. Do two of them, you're ascending the ladder to hormone heaven. Three and you'll be a man/woman to be feared and your lover will have no choice but to keep up with you. Four and you'll be hitting hormone city and doing all 5, you're a beast and blasting into Hormone immortality......

5. Sprints-

Short and High Intense exercise excels the levels of your hormones into the stratosphere by using strategic styling that brings your hormones to their peak even 2 hours after exercising. Sprints, especially used in the Superhero Sprint System last no more than 20 minutes maximum with the majority of you resting. You sprint hard for a good 10-30 seconds and take the amount of rest you need and then sprint again repeating the process until you can do from 4-10 sprints maximum. These alone done 3x a week burn off fat, increase lean muscle mass and turn you into a muscle building machine with the sex drive of a highly unadulterated teenager. It is one of the most incredible forms of training on the planet period.

4. Animal Exercises-

Ever mimicked your favorite wild animal from when you were little and pretending to be this ferocious beast? We all have an animal living inside us, it's part of our DNA to move and utilize our entire body as a single unit. Training like a wild animal brings out the intensity of your body's craving for natural muscle building and developing growth hormones that keep you fit, young and healthy. When you move in this manner whether you're flowing through them or just going full blast, you're using your entire body and need to tense up the Core Muscles in order to stabilize you from getting injured. The most basic animal movement is the Bear Crawl, trust a few yards of this and you'll be winded and when that happens and the huffing and puffing is obvious, it's pumping your heart with fresh blood and needing to use more oxygen in your lungs in order to elevate your body's nervous system. Doing these exercises will destroy fat and build animal muscle that gives you the hormones of a horny 20 year old on steroids. Think what it would be like for you and your partner to have intense, beautiful and possibly at times crazy sex when you're that high. Talk about going wild in the bedroom my friend.

3. Lifting/Moving Heavy Weight And/Or Objects-

Weightlifting can be a serious testosterone booster and elevate hormones at a level that is at times unexplained. However; as great weights are, moving heavy odd objects bring in another element of hormone elevation that just makes lifting weights obsolete. For instance, you are in a one-sided level of movement in using weights, going up and down in a strict formidable fashion as oppose to using every muscle in awkward positions to move a heavy weight. One of my all-time favorites is doing Hammer Strikes on the tire using up to a 30+ lbs. Sledgehammer; just the mere effort to lift a hammer that heavy using every muscle and tendon to move and stabilize brings a whole other meaning to the term "Elevated Sex Hormones." Doing high reps in this fashion at a solid pace makes your whole body come into play and the muscle generating strength needed to keep going is astounding in itself. Moving heavy rocks, logs, kegs and barrels are lifted in awkward ways because of the way you need to shift your body it's never a straight line, it can throw a curve a lot of the time and this alone generates incredible sexual energy and hormone progression. The more muscles needed, the greater chance you'll be increasing your hormones.

2. Swimming-

Talk about using natural resistance; A full body entity that just screams hormone elevation when done correctly. This type of training is hit more on the nerves than most training ideals because you can't stop moving in water or you will drown. Being in the water over a period of time hits your nerves like a bolt of lightning and when you finally relax after a day of swimming, your endorphins kick in, your nerves are so high it makes you feel alive. Not to mention it makes you hungry as hell (just ask Michael Phelps) and full of energy that needs to be dealt with. Let's just say because of swimming it makes my hormones just screaming bloody murder after a while; having that much Sexual Energy can be a disaster and make you moody as hell if you don't have a significant other. It brings out another element of calmness and awareness within your surroundings and what's going on in your body.

1. VRT Bodybuilding-

Now just because it's number one doesn't mean its the best of the best, this list was never in really any particular order but it is part of the top 5 that I have experienced. VRT is a system where you tense your muscles as if you were lifting imaginary weights or heavy objects. When you flex and extend a muscle, you are using opposing figures in the tissues going in opposite directions of each other like a bicep curl uses a flexion in the bicep and the extension is using the tricep muscle like in a pressdown for that particular muscle. This system is a modern day version of Muscle Control where you utilize a specific muscle during a particular movement or hold. When you imagine and tensify your muscles, you're squeezing out the tissues that eventually break down and need to repair to build greater muscle density. When you practice this method correctly you should be winded after a few reps or more of an exercise as if you actually lifted a big heavy weight. This can be done anywhere and doesn't require equipment whatsoever yet it is very effective on how you can elevate your hormone levels. This system generates great power into your nervous system that can lead into helping the muscles and tendons not be overused and broken down in the way that weights do. It can lead to greater density in the muscles and doesn't wear and tear on the joints, so think about it; when you are making the muscles more dense, fat becomes your bitch and you're forcing it to leave out the body's unwanted resources that can generate muscle growth and increased levels of metabolism and strength.

Sex in most cases is one of the most beautiful joys of life but people especially in our society today have made it rather messed up in order for a healthy living; porn addiction, religious outlining & restrictions, protesting against it's true inflections and intentions and not to mention the weird ass stuff that goes beyond sexual exploitation. It's a sensitive subject I get it but it's clear to me that with the right loving person, life has greater wonders and there's beauty in there somewhere even by the smallest fraction. Getting laid for the rush is just not a great route to be headed into and it's not emotional or mentally stable. When you rush things or just want the excitement and that's it, there's a piece missing in that realm where real sexual love is a rare commodity and there's not only interest but realistic unconditional love and wholesome meaning. Real sex is about love, compassion, the willingness to flow as if two people were as one unit. Sex is amazing when everything just gives off this powerful feeling of invincibility and healthy strength and livelihood. When it's personal and full of life and passion that keeps consistent, it opens up a world not many today really understand or could understand.

The power you can possess in the quest for natural sex drive isn't easy and not always simple but with the right mindset, safe strategic entities and making it interesting can bring you to heights that makes most just hideous and jealous yet want to know your secrets. I'm at an age where testosterone starts to take its toll by 1% a year from now on, even though i'm nearly 31, i'm not going down so easily, I make it my mission to stay consistent in what I do and get stronger both internally and externally, I want to have hormones raging by the time my golden years reach their peak and beyond, living with passion and fire that delivers my true strength. It doesn't matter how old you are, you can have high hormone levels that makes those less than half your age feel like chumps. Yes it gets harder to maintain it in your later years but it doesn't have to be so hard it makes you feel like you can't do it enough. Be awesome and live with passion and the will to keep up with your body strong and healthy for many years to come.