Here we are again, at it about Animal Movements, will I ever shut up about them? Hell no. If you don't like it read something else. Moving in this method requires you to use every muscle in your body including the stabilizing muscles to keep yourself balanced during the exercise. Every animal has it's own style of movement so for us to pull them off we have to adapt in order to get the greatest benefit. Adjust accordingly and breathe as naturally as possible, animals don't practice breathing patterns it naturally comes to them.
I really don't like the word cardio, just sounds demeaning and makes me think of machines and dumb zumba classes where you follow someone else. When it comes to cardio for me, moving like a wild animal gives the best benefit because when you work out for 15-20 min. your heart rate keeps a solid pace at a level where if applied right you will burn off fat and gain lung capacity for greater endurance. Unlike training for an hour on a treadmill where you're doing stationary running and trying to get into that weight loss mindset, you're actually depleting muscle mass instead of gaining it. Ever heard of skinny fat? That's the type of thing you see on distance runners where there isn't much muscle but have fat left over because of the over excessive running. When you do Animal Exercise, you're actually building muscle while doing cardio. I never stop moving, I pick the animal and go with the steps I take and keep going. This alone can help you in other endeavors that require you to have something left in the tank.
It takes strength to keep yourself stabilized and moving your bodyweight in awkward directions and positions like for example the Alligator exercise; you're basically moving in a walking push-up and anyone that has done push-ups know how tough they can be holding yourself up without slouching and doing reps, now move in that manner and it's even harder because your muscles need to fire off more than usual just taking a few steps. Even animals that are specific for the legs will get your lungs firing; the duck walk requires you to squat as deeply as possible and walking in that position and it really opens up the hips and brutalizes the thighs and hamstrings so just walking 20ft can be a chore.
The most basic animal in the entire system is the Bear Crawl, you've seen it, you did it as a kid and it has been used in countless training areas like in the military, wrestling, football, MMA and even in Yoga in order to really strengthen the back and abs for the downward dog position (don't believe me? Try it some time and tell me your downward dog pose doesn't improve). It fires your lungs more than almost any exercise including sprinting because you need to move fast on all four limbs instead of two which alone can burn off fat and increase your metabolism greater than a torch to a flame.
I believe in all my years of training that Animal Exercise for 20 min. is the equivalent to an hour of cardio on the machines and it's way more fun and builds on hormones much faster because if you're outside you're also getting vitamin D from the sun which is a hormone so you get the best of both worlds. You can do it indoors as well doing animals from a stationary position and moving in the little space you have. It challenges your creativity and gets you into the mindset of a wild animal and I bet you big time whatever animal that's your favorite is your spirit animal as well because the mind and body work in unison when you train in this manner. So if you want to be more adventurous, getting more out of your cardio and strengthen every muscle from head to toe, move like a wild animal and see why it is the best for real world strength & cardio.
Animal Kingdom Conditioning
Animal Kingdom Conditioning II
Wild Animal Fitness For Kids
Animal Flow
Friday, September 11, 2015
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Take Your Animal Exercise Anywhere
As of late I've gone back to the Animal Movements because it is by far my most favorite form of exercise and the one system I get most excited about. Having that urge to move like a wild beast and getting in awesome shape while having fun for under 30 min. I'm convinced nothing burns off fat faster and makes you stronger than Animal Exercise. As much as I love doing things like pull-ups, sprinting, hammer workouts and kettlebell juggling; the animals take the cake.
I have written possibly a dozen times or more about moving like a wild animal and the reason that is besides what I just wrote above is that it brings me joy to my life more than any other system has. You can do these anywhere you wish, I even do them indoors on a sucky day. When you're outside you can do them all over the place but indoors you can move a little slower and do exercises in a stationary position like the Frog, Flamingo, Condor, Spider against your wall, Armadillo, Puma, Isometric Alligator or Seal whatever you choose to do. I believe in making the best of them when you're in the mood and just have at it. I do these exercises no more than 30 min. at a time and always hungry and ready for a shower afterwards.
It's also important to incorporate deep breathing between sets of exercise to open up your lungs and let your body recover because these exercises hit your whole body with a vengeance. This helps increase endurance, develop a faster metabolism and generate insane natural growth hormone which helps you burn off fat, build strength, put on natural muscle mass (not bulk like a bodybuilder) and create athletic ability. Watch how animals have insane lung power like the tiger, cheetah, Bear and even chimps. Sure we're built differently and don't have the same hunting senses but overall we can increase our conditioning and power in our bodies that frown upon our DNA to move and live with great strength and incredible athletic agility and stamina.
The biggest thing about training this way as I've said many many times is that it creates an atmosphere that is enjoyable and fun that it doesn't feel like working out. If you're someone who is hyper, this is the perfect system for you because when you move for so long your body releases endorphins and builds on bringing that calming and relaxing affect on your nervous system. Don't push so hard you pass out (happened to me on the first day) but understand when to stop and just breathe and let those endorphins kick in. If you're someone with low self-esteem these exercises perk you right up because when you move in this manner you're using every muscle in your body and it opens up an area of the brain where you generate that happy side and having that sensation of powerful calmness and beautiful feeling of smiling from the inside you can't help but light up.
Get into the mindset of a wild animal being adventurous and exploring your fitness potential. Who knows, in a short amount of time you'll ind yourself feeling better, muscle comes in quicker, you have more energy and for guys, your testosterone will shoot through the roof and for women those hormones will get you going like you were 18 again. Do us all a favor and get out there and just move like your favorite animal and get your body in the shape it was meant to, build up and see your body shape up with animal muscle.
I have written possibly a dozen times or more about moving like a wild animal and the reason that is besides what I just wrote above is that it brings me joy to my life more than any other system has. You can do these anywhere you wish, I even do them indoors on a sucky day. When you're outside you can do them all over the place but indoors you can move a little slower and do exercises in a stationary position like the Frog, Flamingo, Condor, Spider against your wall, Armadillo, Puma, Isometric Alligator or Seal whatever you choose to do. I believe in making the best of them when you're in the mood and just have at it. I do these exercises no more than 30 min. at a time and always hungry and ready for a shower afterwards.
It's also important to incorporate deep breathing between sets of exercise to open up your lungs and let your body recover because these exercises hit your whole body with a vengeance. This helps increase endurance, develop a faster metabolism and generate insane natural growth hormone which helps you burn off fat, build strength, put on natural muscle mass (not bulk like a bodybuilder) and create athletic ability. Watch how animals have insane lung power like the tiger, cheetah, Bear and even chimps. Sure we're built differently and don't have the same hunting senses but overall we can increase our conditioning and power in our bodies that frown upon our DNA to move and live with great strength and incredible athletic agility and stamina.
The biggest thing about training this way as I've said many many times is that it creates an atmosphere that is enjoyable and fun that it doesn't feel like working out. If you're someone who is hyper, this is the perfect system for you because when you move for so long your body releases endorphins and builds on bringing that calming and relaxing affect on your nervous system. Don't push so hard you pass out (happened to me on the first day) but understand when to stop and just breathe and let those endorphins kick in. If you're someone with low self-esteem these exercises perk you right up because when you move in this manner you're using every muscle in your body and it opens up an area of the brain where you generate that happy side and having that sensation of powerful calmness and beautiful feeling of smiling from the inside you can't help but light up.
Get into the mindset of a wild animal being adventurous and exploring your fitness potential. Who knows, in a short amount of time you'll ind yourself feeling better, muscle comes in quicker, you have more energy and for guys, your testosterone will shoot through the roof and for women those hormones will get you going like you were 18 again. Do us all a favor and get out there and just move like your favorite animal and get your body in the shape it was meant to, build up and see your body shape up with animal muscle.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Making Push-Ups Interesting
I'm not the biggest fan of push-ups but I know they work very well and have great benefits that are beyond conditioning and strength. Some call them the greatest bodyweight exercise and some say there are better ways to build muscle than with push-ups. All I care about is how things make you better whether people agree with them or not. Push-ups have been the staple exercise throughout many cultures and in the military making it the homestead of strength and endurance. I for one feel once you reach a certain level of push-ups, do more difficult versions and see how far you can take it without injuring yourself or get so bored you begin to hate them.
I do feel however that an exercise of that caliber should have a place in any program but it's not always a necessary exercise, for me the best exercise is the Bear Crawl; it literally hits your body from every angle and having to move in awkward positions creates a stronger base as oppose to push-ups where you are only going up and down in the majority of variations. Sure the Bear Crawl needs a bit more space but when it happens, you will be huffing and puffing quicker than Peter Griffin's time on a Cardio Bike. I like to make Push-ups interesting or try variations that are a little out there. One way I do my push-ups is using a weighted vest and do them slower with less repetitions with fewer sets to build up testosterone and get more of my arms in the mix. I also use what's called The Power Push-up Plus from Lifeline that makes it more of a Bench Press feel to it where resistance is the main key.
Most of the time I see people doing Push-ups, most of the variations they use are very boring and just so tedious they're not fun. Sometimes too basic becomes dull so spice things up a bit. Going up and down isn't what life is about, it has curves, swirls, circulates and even has you at a dead stop at times. Make your push-ups interesting; do them upside down, do Archer Push-ups, clap for joy and even jump around, have fun with them. If I wanted to just go up and down just do stairs. Be creative.
I've done tons of reps in this exercise well within the hundreds in single workouts so why continue that cycle, sometimes I don't count and bounce around doing a few reps of different variations and goofing off. Doing hundreds of reps a day is boring period, if you're into that more power to you but having a puffy chest can only get you so far. Live it up and do push-ups with a little Flair (and no i'm not talking about Ric Flair's grandkids).
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Theme Park Isometrics
When it comes down to it, I love amusement parks, been to a few in my life and always end up having a pretty good time especially at the greatest theme park of all-time Disneyland. Yesterday however, I had the opportunity after nearly 4 years of living in Idaho I went to the state's most famous theme park Silverwood in Athol. Very fun and just an awesome time with my girl Holly, speaking of which if you get a chance check out her bad ass blog about Turner's Syndrome at This Butterfly Life. Anyway back to it, me and the lovely Spider Monkey had an incredible day full of love, laughter, enjoyment and just pure kick ass fun. Went on water rides, a couple Coasters, saw a magic show, ate awesome burgers at a wild west themed restaurant and rode a 3 mile train ride that included a stunt show and tour of the grounds circling the park.
Now why did I come up with the title of this article, how the bloody hell do I mean Theme Park Isometrics? Well students, what you do is when you're in line at a par of this caliber or any amusement park for that matter, while you're in line waiting for your ride; you do Isometric Exercise against the railing or wall of the line. This really tells you that excuses are not part of the quota here and you can get training in even at a crazy place filled with characters, buildings and large fucking rides. I've been doing these for years at the Boardwalk and at Disneyland. Standing in line, doing wall pushes, pulls, sits, arm wrestling a pole, chest presses, Iso Curls and even muscle control with my hands in my pocket; whatever you can come up with make use of it. This will help you keep up your energy so you can stay pumped full of life during your stay at the park, walking is also awesome which you do a lot of anyway but why not bring muscular contractions to make things interesting. I even once did a unassisted Handstand in line of World Of Tomorrow at the Happiest Place On Earth.
It can be a little trying to exercise in line and might be worried that someone might look at you funny and think you're some kind of weirdo; trust me I thought the same thing and I did get some looks every now and then and was even asked what I was doing, just said that i'm doing what I love and that's training. Some get weirded out by it, others have given me praise for them but the majority of the time, no one gives a shit; they're either on their cell phones texting friends that are right next to each other or being bored when the line will move and then there are kids, that is self explanatory. I do it because it's fun and you can even make it look a little casual like nothing out of the ordinary; that's where the wall sits come in handy big time especially if you want to keep up the stamina of your legs throughout the day.
Next time you're in line waiting to get on a ride, do a few Isometrics against the railing whether it be wood, a chain, hollow aluminum steel and whatever else. Passes the time when you're there a while (try being in 2 hour line waiting for fucking Indiana Jones in Adventureland you'll thank me on that one). Will it wear you out? No if you play your cards right and not go full boar in every line, only use maybe 40% of your strength at best and do it for a few seconds and don't make yourself too obvious to attract so much attention the person operating finds out and won't know what the hell to do with you, be creative but casual and relaxed, not so full of adrenaline you make a damn scene. It's a lot of fun and it gives you something to do instead of moping around or getting so excited that you might lose it after waiting too long. Go for it and may you get stronger before you get on your favorite ride.
Now why did I come up with the title of this article, how the bloody hell do I mean Theme Park Isometrics? Well students, what you do is when you're in line at a par of this caliber or any amusement park for that matter, while you're in line waiting for your ride; you do Isometric Exercise against the railing or wall of the line. This really tells you that excuses are not part of the quota here and you can get training in even at a crazy place filled with characters, buildings and large fucking rides. I've been doing these for years at the Boardwalk and at Disneyland. Standing in line, doing wall pushes, pulls, sits, arm wrestling a pole, chest presses, Iso Curls and even muscle control with my hands in my pocket; whatever you can come up with make use of it. This will help you keep up your energy so you can stay pumped full of life during your stay at the park, walking is also awesome which you do a lot of anyway but why not bring muscular contractions to make things interesting. I even once did a unassisted Handstand in line of World Of Tomorrow at the Happiest Place On Earth.
It can be a little trying to exercise in line and might be worried that someone might look at you funny and think you're some kind of weirdo; trust me I thought the same thing and I did get some looks every now and then and was even asked what I was doing, just said that i'm doing what I love and that's training. Some get weirded out by it, others have given me praise for them but the majority of the time, no one gives a shit; they're either on their cell phones texting friends that are right next to each other or being bored when the line will move and then there are kids, that is self explanatory. I do it because it's fun and you can even make it look a little casual like nothing out of the ordinary; that's where the wall sits come in handy big time especially if you want to keep up the stamina of your legs throughout the day.
Next time you're in line waiting to get on a ride, do a few Isometrics against the railing whether it be wood, a chain, hollow aluminum steel and whatever else. Passes the time when you're there a while (try being in 2 hour line waiting for fucking Indiana Jones in Adventureland you'll thank me on that one). Will it wear you out? No if you play your cards right and not go full boar in every line, only use maybe 40% of your strength at best and do it for a few seconds and don't make yourself too obvious to attract so much attention the person operating finds out and won't know what the hell to do with you, be creative but casual and relaxed, not so full of adrenaline you make a damn scene. It's a lot of fun and it gives you something to do instead of moping around or getting so excited that you might lose it after waiting too long. Go for it and may you get stronger before you get on your favorite ride.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
A Traveling Fitness Companion
I love to travel and have been to many cities and a few states in my lifetime. Being back east was an adventure, traveling up and back the pacific nothwest was a delight although I was recovering at the time but won 500 bucks at a Harris Casino in Lake Tahoe. With the way you travel and where you travel it is important to have valuable needs that are as basic as possible and I certainly believe you should travel with a fitness training kit.
Even though we have gyms at every major corner in the U.S, it's difficult to get some exercise in after a hard day driving on the road or flying for hours on end. It's also very difficult to carry weights around so I don't think its wise to travel with a rowing machine or squat rack full of iron plates and a bar. A gym to travel with should be easy to carry and put away like in a suitcase, backpack or dufflebag so when you get to your hotel room or wherever you're staying, you can get a little bag out that has handles with cables to attach to and use a door anchor to place so you can all sorts of exercises from as many angles as possible. I sometimes travel with my chest expander and it's a hell of a way to get some kick ass training in before you head off to bed or after you wake up in the morning before a meeting or session with your employees/employers.
A great training kit would be a TNT Cable Pack that you can get in a 60 lb. Pack, 120 lb. Pack or 180 lb. pack that have a few rubber cables where you can attach a triple insert slot with the cable and have at it doing the same types of exercises you would in a gym such as overhead presses, curls, squats, lunges, cleans and others. With the Door Attachment you can hook your cable(s) and handles over a holding bin where you can do exercises based on the machines such as Lat Pulldowns, Arm Wrestling Pulls, Tricep Pressdowns, Twists, Sit-ups, Upright Rows, Chops, Rows, Chest Presses going downward/upwards and like a standing Bench Press but that's just the tip of the iceberg. You don't need the gym per say when you have it everywhere you go. Take it out while you're at the park, at a baseball field, at the airport waiting for a plane, in a guest room at a house you're visiting for the weekend, at the beach hell if you an get away with it train at a gas station while you're pumping gas; you have no excuses.
People tend to believe that if you want to get in shape you have to train at a gym or a fitness studio paying a shit ton of money that could be used for other important factors like your fucking food or gas money. I'd say "you're right I do train at a gym when I travel, got it right here in my bad ass bag here, this is my gym and I can get fit anywhere I fucking wish." It really throws people off when you carry a gym in a hefty little bag that weighs no more than 3 pounds at best yet get in great shape under 20 minutes a day and don't have to pay for the day at a lousy gym filled with gross sweathogs that don't wipe down equipment and judgmental shit for brains that think that they own the fucking joint, no you never have to go through that. The world is your gym my friend, embrace and don't give a shit what people think, you're the one getting fit while they stand there with their finger up their ass looking like you're some kind of hippie.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Uncut Review Of C-Mass
What does C-Mass stand for for those playing the home game; it stands for Calisthenic Mass, in plain English means building insane muscle using only your bodyweight. Now really how the fuck does that happen? Isn't this a contradiction that only skinny dudes and guys that can't afford a gym membership only do Bodyweight and isn't Bodyweight Training mainly for Gymnasts and those who do Zumba classes? Believe it or not guys, you can get pretty fucking big using your own body. Just to be clear, I'm not talking the grotesque type of muscle mass you see on roided shit for brains bodybuilders with a gut the size of New York and arms bigger than Sally Field's head and it damn sure isn't about having a back that makes North Dakota look small; it's about realistic muscle mass that is functional, useful and looking like a real old school athlete or muscle builder (pre-1950's).
Paul's brand of humor and non-sense bullshit is the heart of this book and he gets down to the nitty gritty with very few scientific outlooks but more based on experience and letting his readers know in plain English what the real stuff is all about. He's no scientist or doctor, hell the guy has been in the joint but yet he's honest about what has happened and what inspired him to how guys can get huge using the body as the ultimate weight. I for one admire his views on building real muscle and how you can do it without drugs, supplements or machinery.
Now with the guys on the cover Al & Danny Kavadlo, they bring the soul of this book with their smiles and plethora of tattoos (Danny takes the cake as the most tattooed bodyweight guy I've ever seen). Some people gave these two guys shit because they're not "big" in the sense of what the book was intended to apply as but yet in my blunt opinion; they are pretty big for guys who only do Bodyweight, yes they're most likely under 190 or more but that's the amount of weight most muscle guys back in the early 20th weighed; guys like Charles Atlas, Bobby Pandour, Eugene Sandow and let's not forget pound for pound the greatest muscle control masters Otto Arco and Maxick. Shit I admire that amount of muscle on guys like them. I have them beat by nearly 100 pounds and can do gnarly stuff from a bodyweight stand-point.
What's amazing about this course in and of itself is a true testament and hope that with the right tools and the more muscle being used in a single exercise can constitute a great physique. For over 10 years the majority of my training is pure bodyweight and I can attest that it is possible to be big and use nothing but your own body. All I can really say is once you apply these simple techniques you're gonna need a new freaking wardrobe so be forewarned. I give this book on a scale of 1-10; it goes to 11. It's one of the most unique books on building realistic muscle mass and staying as healthy as possible with the only side-effects being increased metabolism, higher testosterone, burn off fat like butter to a fucking frying pan and it can only be limited by your imagination. Get massive shoulders doing presses like Handstands, close-grip push-ups, Dips and others and getting cannon-ball biceps from pulling movements like Pull/Chin-ups, Rope Climbing, Aussie Pulls and Bodyweight Curls and let's not forget an insane mid section from Levers, Knee Pulls, Dragon Flags, Human Flag, Hanging & plenty more. Learn The Commandments with a Vengeance, study the old-timers he mentions and keep an open mind.
Here's the link to C-Mass: How To Maximize Muscle Growth Using Bodyweight-Only Training
Thursday, August 27, 2015
A Workout That Tortures The Entire Body
Every now and then I do workouts that are just fucking worth sharing because they are that good and it can make anybody humble when you feel yourself shaking like a damn earthquake. I don't normally talk about my workouts in full detail just bits and pieces about how I feel. Last night however, holy shit it felt amazing but insane at the same time. I love Bridging; it's by far the best method for stretching and strengthening the spine, hips, midsection and neck. This workout consisted of 5 exercises that just hit you hard with a fucking vengeance, still think Bodyweight Exercises are only good for endurance and short gymnasts? Try this on for size and to warn you I'm over 250 lbs.
Wall Walking X 10
(On The 11th Rep) Wall Walk & Touch Chest To Wall 10 times
Wall Walking (W/ Reverse Push-up or Gymnastic Bridge) X 5
3 min. Front Bridge
3 min. Back Bridge
My legs were shaking trying to hold the bridges and still held em for the amount of time. This workout is particularly used by those in MMA or Wrestling (Not WWE) but if you're interested in getting in shape this will be incredible for any routine. Being able to lengthen the spine releases incredible energy that gives you the juice you need to keep your structure healthy and secure from injuries. It opens up channels in the body that most exercises can't. Think how strong your midsection gets from doing this kind of training; you stretch the obliques because of the automated contraction from Wall Walking and your legs get a hell of a workout keeping you stabilized in the bridging exercises.
It goes beyond training your back and neck, you're really throwing your whole body in the mix going forwards and backwards, powering up the hips and it releases a great amount of Growth Hormone that enables you to enhance your metabolism, burn off fat from your neck down to your toes and increases sex drive and seriously having a healthy sex drive is something we all should strive for.
This is not a workout that should be taken for granted, develop mastering the bridges and the wall walking before engaging in this setting. It takes time and patience believe me, it took me a month just to hold a three minute back with no hands with my nose to the mat and took me a few more weeks just to press into a good gymnastic bridge. Wall Walking is fairly simple to do but be cautious and always have some kind of good padding so you don't hurt yourself. Also doing the wall walk (walking down the wall backwards until your head touches the mat) do not ever use a very wide stance, this can really put far more stress on the knee joints and puts most of the weight on them, so keep the foot distance of shoulder-width apart. Also as you get better walking all the way down consistently, decrease the distance between yourself and the wall to the point where you're walking down with your feet less than a foot away from the wall.
Have fun with this if you have the experience with bridging exercises and let me know how it goes for you. If you wish to know about Bridging in full detail check out my friend Logan Christopher's Advanced Bridging course that will take you far beyond holding a bridge. It is by far the best course out there for this specific method.
Wall Walking X 10
(On The 11th Rep) Wall Walk & Touch Chest To Wall 10 times
Wall Walking (W/ Reverse Push-up or Gymnastic Bridge) X 5
3 min. Front Bridge
3 min. Back Bridge
My legs were shaking trying to hold the bridges and still held em for the amount of time. This workout is particularly used by those in MMA or Wrestling (Not WWE) but if you're interested in getting in shape this will be incredible for any routine. Being able to lengthen the spine releases incredible energy that gives you the juice you need to keep your structure healthy and secure from injuries. It opens up channels in the body that most exercises can't. Think how strong your midsection gets from doing this kind of training; you stretch the obliques because of the automated contraction from Wall Walking and your legs get a hell of a workout keeping you stabilized in the bridging exercises.
It goes beyond training your back and neck, you're really throwing your whole body in the mix going forwards and backwards, powering up the hips and it releases a great amount of Growth Hormone that enables you to enhance your metabolism, burn off fat from your neck down to your toes and increases sex drive and seriously having a healthy sex drive is something we all should strive for.
This is not a workout that should be taken for granted, develop mastering the bridges and the wall walking before engaging in this setting. It takes time and patience believe me, it took me a month just to hold a three minute back with no hands with my nose to the mat and took me a few more weeks just to press into a good gymnastic bridge. Wall Walking is fairly simple to do but be cautious and always have some kind of good padding so you don't hurt yourself. Also doing the wall walk (walking down the wall backwards until your head touches the mat) do not ever use a very wide stance, this can really put far more stress on the knee joints and puts most of the weight on them, so keep the foot distance of shoulder-width apart. Also as you get better walking all the way down consistently, decrease the distance between yourself and the wall to the point where you're walking down with your feet less than a foot away from the wall.
Have fun with this if you have the experience with bridging exercises and let me know how it goes for you. If you wish to know about Bridging in full detail check out my friend Logan Christopher's Advanced Bridging course that will take you far beyond holding a bridge. It is by far the best course out there for this specific method.
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