Back in the day before WWE was the major king of wrestling promotions, you had territories spanned across the country in practically every state plus some around the world like in Mexico, Japan, Europe, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and parts of Africa & Asia all had rosters filled with wrestlers. You had promoters, bookers, ring generals and of course a champion of that promotion even though the NWA of the time was considered the company where you had one world champion. Behind every wrestler that comes in, there is someone who trained them before promotions came calling.
When it comes down to it, forget the aesthetics, the high flying stuff and the brawling; if you don't have the strength & stamina to stay with the other guys you're working with you have no business being in the ring. Some champions took on hour long Broadways that kept people on the edge of their seats and today it's somewhat of a lost art. Can you imagine the conditioning it takes to go hard night after night let alone any good match for 10-20-30 minutes or more. When it comes down to guys who can go hard for nearly any time in the ring and still have reserves are guys like Lou Thesz, Brisco Brothers, Ric Flair, Ted Dibease, Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, Bruno Sammartino, Karl Gotch, Billy Robinson and a few others including Kurt Angle & Bret Hart. Some trainers rely on getting his students in the best shape possible just to be able to handle himself in the ring whether it's taking bumps, high spots, chain wrestling or whatever the case may be so they put them through workouts that would make most men even at a world class level cringe.
The point I want to make here is if you want to be in awesome shape, it's going to take more than a few rinky-dink exercises that will have you look like a greek god and trust me if you can't back up your training by only looking good you have no business telling people how to train. It's going to take you going beyond certain limits and really take on a mentality most would call "insanely dangerous."Conditioning ideals when it comes to pro wrestling is bonified circuit training that has you repping totals in the triple digits of an exercise. Most people would be considered crazy doing this but as Karl Gotch use to say "Conditioning is your best hold" imagine the type of energy you can use in the sport you're playing or having insane endurance and strength in your workouts. When it comes to circuits I call on Darebee.
Some of these circuits based on their theme and set of levels you can achieve it makes me think of what Pro Wrestlers would go through in order to achieve that green light for the promoter or trainer to say "yeah he's ready." Like some of the Superhero type circuits such as Batcave, Justice Served, Ivy, Loki and even Black Widow will have you doing up to 10 sets of 1 circuit which for example would be something like from the Strength Of Asgard Thor Workout: 200 Squats, 200 Lunges, 400 Side To Side Chops, 200 Climber Taps, 100 Push-ups, 200 Shoulder Taps, 200 Sit-ups, 200 Seated Twists & 200 Get-Ups; that's nearly as close to a Pro Wrestler's Conditioning Workout you will get. Talk about being crazy fit, you will look awesome too but your conditioning can be right up there with some World-Class people. Even if you have no ambitions to be a wrestler or athlete you can still progress up some serious fitness and outlast your friends or even your gym buddies. It's up to you but think about it and progress at your own pace. No one will be able to do these at first and Level 1 might be very difficult to achieve at first, take your time.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Time Crunching Circuits
Wasn't a fan of Circuit Training until I got into the Darebee Workouts. I'm not saying they're the end-all-be-all method but they have a place in fitness even when you don't have a lot of time. There's always that notion about needing a half hour of cardio and an hour of weights three times a week when clearly for most people who work and have families it's impossible at times; the fitness magazines tell them there aren't a lot of options which in fact there are.
The purpose of training a circuit is going through one exercise after another until you have completed one round. Some of them have as many as 4-10 exercises and you do as many rounds as possible or a certain amount depending on the goal. Crossfit thrives on circuit training but many exercises are too difficult for the average person and could end up in the hospital. If you're a decent level of fitness and have a firm grasp of the mechanics of an exercise circuits are great. However, circuits do rely on speed and not resting until an entire circuit is done. Circuits can do used in many ways and the biggest factor is conditioning.
What Darebee provides is circuits that have basic movements preferably in the Bodyweight department and give you a certain set of levels that determines your fitness level and how much rest you can use. Personally I like to rest as long as needed but every now and then to amplify my energy is to just keep going until I reach a certain level. For a beginner Level 1 is quite a feet as most circuits carry from 6-9 exercises at a time; Level 2 would be someone who's fairly fit and can go pretty hard; Level 3 is a conditioning maniac and someone who should be a world-class athlete. I'm not one to judge everyone has their own levels and at times I go beyond Level 3 just for the fun of it.
Here are a few circuits you can do that take no more than 20-30 minutes which you can do anytime anywhere.....Don't worry ladies you're included too.
The purpose of training a circuit is going through one exercise after another until you have completed one round. Some of them have as many as 4-10 exercises and you do as many rounds as possible or a certain amount depending on the goal. Crossfit thrives on circuit training but many exercises are too difficult for the average person and could end up in the hospital. If you're a decent level of fitness and have a firm grasp of the mechanics of an exercise circuits are great. However, circuits do rely on speed and not resting until an entire circuit is done. Circuits can do used in many ways and the biggest factor is conditioning.
What Darebee provides is circuits that have basic movements preferably in the Bodyweight department and give you a certain set of levels that determines your fitness level and how much rest you can use. Personally I like to rest as long as needed but every now and then to amplify my energy is to just keep going until I reach a certain level. For a beginner Level 1 is quite a feet as most circuits carry from 6-9 exercises at a time; Level 2 would be someone who's fairly fit and can go pretty hard; Level 3 is a conditioning maniac and someone who should be a world-class athlete. I'm not one to judge everyone has their own levels and at times I go beyond Level 3 just for the fun of it.
Here are a few circuits you can do that take no more than 20-30 minutes which you can do anytime anywhere.....Don't worry ladies you're included too.
As you can see, the workouts depending on the levels can be easy or as brutal as you like. Talk about time crunchers. Some of these workouts can be done through H.I.T using only 4 exercises and do them tabata style or one minute each until the circuit is completed doing as many as 15 rounds. I use circuits like these for my Superhero Sprint training three times a week doing sprints or burpees for 30 sec. or more than do a circuit until I have completed the amount of circuits and sprints resting as long as I need to after each circuit or set of sprints/burpees. Be creative and listen to your body. These can be a lot of fun and picture being your favorite hero/villain training hard for your goal. You a martial arts fan, they got tons of those; movie characters too plus superheroes how cool is that. Get away from the boring training like you're in hell routine and make an adventure out of it. Practice good form and breathe naturally as you move throughout a circuit.
Here's a total of the Batman Workout when you can do all ten sets...
200 Squats
400 Punches
100 Jumping Lunges
100 Push-ups
200 Shoulder Taps
200 Slow Climbers
100 Sit-up Punches
100 Leg Raises
100 Seated Twists
If that doesn't get you in top condition you can just shoot me now, that's 1500 total reps in a workout that's insane. You can be extremely fit from these workouts and never need to pay for the gym again. The only profit you get on free training is the body you have built for yourself and challenged the fitness naysayers that bodyweight training is only good for endurance. Guys in sports will go nuts over these like UFC Fighters, Pro Wrestlers, Football Players, Olympic Athletes, just about anyone who is willing to challenge themselves. Get your training in the best way you can and if you want to save money, here you go.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Training At The Happiest Place On Earth
On those rare occasions when you find someone not training in a gym or the woods, in a barn or hell next to the damn beach but in an amusement park? How and why would anyone want to work out there. Truth of the matter is why not? The fact of the matter is it is one of the most oddball things to do other than rides, getting little toys and taking pictures with favorite characters. How would you even begin to exercise at such a place better yet at the mecca of amusement parks Disneyland? Well my friend here are a few tips to where you can burn calories and get in decent shape at Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom.
First off it is one of those really weird things to do and what can you do without anyone suspecting you or making weird gestures? Here's what i've done in my own experiences that have inspired workouts outside the park I use to this very day...I've held Handstands at both parks (California Adventure included) and have done power walks all over the place and even had a hell of a time stair climbing at Tarzan's Treehouse. Who needs a stairmaster in Orange County when you can go up and down the Ape man's pad. How about wall sits while waiting in line to build leg strength and endurance while maintaining good joint health for your knees and ankles. The very best method in my opinion is Isometrics. They are the perfect system because while you're in line waiting for that bad ass ride whether it's Pirates Of The Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Star Tours or whatever you choose to go on; lean up against the wall and press into it with your hands, forearms, legs whatever and all the while no one even realizes what the hell you're doing. Think what would be awesome for being in line say a good 15-20 minutes and you can get an entire workout in within that?
The fact of the matter is, you literally have no excuses and say you have no time to exercise. I've been to Disneyland multiple times in my life and only on a few trips I discovered how to get my workout in for the day other than walking all day. You can do dips at various benches all over the park, Do squat sits in various lines, grip different props within the confines of the ride, do isometric pushes and pulls on the handles of Splash Mountain, Press your feet onto a box in line of Roger Rabbit's Car Ride, do chest presses in new Orleans square I've even done arm exercises while riding Peter Pan, Isometrically pressed against the legs riding its a small world. There are endless possibilities, the only limit is your imagination. I'am telling you without thinking twice about it there are possible ways to exercise in the Happiest Place On Earth and nobody will ever notice and if they did who cares, you're not hurting anyone however I wouldn't be too hasty to do Push-ups smacked in the middle of the Jungle Cruise or do sissy squats around Mr. Toad's Wild Ride but yet creativity is in your grasp.
Here's something to think about; the next time you book your trip, make it a mission to do some form of exercise that doesn't have to be in the hotel room or a gym but in the park itself. After say a good hour of walking around, go in line to a ride that's roughly in the 30 minute range and do nothing but Isometrics ever so often every 5 minutes doing at least 3-4 exercises ranging from a chest press to wall sits and see how you feel once you get on the ride. Adapt your exercising on every line you're in. Play a game like say whenever you see a certain character more than once do 5 push-ups somewhere that won't make a scene, taking a picture with a character and doing 10 squats in a near by area afterwards. Whenever you see Jack Sparrow on Pirates flex your biceps ten times while sitting in the boat. Very awesome things to do while having a good time and if you're in line it passes the time faster than you originally thought. Be creative and have that no excuse attitude on your next adventure to one of the most amazing parks in the world.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Are Warm Ups And Cool Downs Really That Important?
In P.E we are taught to stretch before we exercise as a warm-up to the muscles and let them get heated before hitting it hard at whatever it was you were going to do that day. The gym applies the same principles and when it comes to cool downs; same thing you stretch at the end. Believe it or not, stretching or basic western style stretching can do more harm than good and it's not always a good idea to get injured before you train. I believe in loosening up the joints more than the muscles because if the joints are better prepared, the muscles will have a better chance at making your workout that much more efficient.
I'm not an expert at anything but after nearly 20 years of experience in fitness I have the right to a opinion on what makes workouts more efficient or not. I want the workout to go as quickly as possible without losing form and staying at a consistent pace. Breathing is a major factor and how you breathe can make you or break you in your training. Yes I believe some good solid stretching is good but don't take so damn long you don't want to go full bore in your workout. I rarely if ever "warm up" anymore because I listen to my body as I train, I don't separate a little routine just so I can be prepared. Everyone works differently and some need to stretch before training if they're inflexible, in the beginning stages or need to build a foundation before doing anything remotely hardcore. A lot of exercises I perform have stretching automatically like Bridging, Animal Exercises, VRT and other methods of training. Now if you're a maniac and lift heavy fucking weight often and need to stay mobile yes you should stretch before and after training usually for recovery purposes not for the sake of being able to touch your toes.
Cool downs are usually a form of stretching or "extra" training to recover from the hardcore workout you just put yourself through and I have mixed feelings towards that. One way I look at it is that if you stretch too much after training and not understand the concept of deep breathing and naturally stretch you can pull muscles that can affect your next session and you won't be able to go the way you'd like to. On the other hand; if you can make a habit of breathing deeply and letting the body relax as you move or stretch after a workout this can be a great asset to your overall training because you're giving your body the recovery it needs and give it that little edge to make your next session even more bad ass than the next.
So are warming up and cooling down really that important? Yes and no depending on the type of training you do and the essential recovery you need to proceed to the next workout. Better yet, make your warm ups and cool downs part of the workout itself as you loosen up then hit it hard than relax and be loose, almost like moving meditation. I train every single day whether for 5 minutes or an hour and I have not had any major injuries or issues that are worth going to the hospital for and my flexibility has actually gotten better as I got older since I do hardcore type workouts and recovery workouts where I practice deep breathing and qi gong to stimulate blood flow and give my muscles and joints some relaxation type exercises which helps me stay in awesome shape no matter what I do. This works for me so whatever you wish to do make it work to your advantage and stay as injured-free as possible no matter what method you do; if you do things that are a set-up for injury it's best to avoid that method as much as possible. I believe in long-term training and being able to do things that save me from torn shoulders, ripped tendons, shattered bones (had enough of that in my lifetime) and doing what I love to do. Training is a lesson that you learn every single time you do something for a period of time; something to think about.
I'm not an expert at anything but after nearly 20 years of experience in fitness I have the right to a opinion on what makes workouts more efficient or not. I want the workout to go as quickly as possible without losing form and staying at a consistent pace. Breathing is a major factor and how you breathe can make you or break you in your training. Yes I believe some good solid stretching is good but don't take so damn long you don't want to go full bore in your workout. I rarely if ever "warm up" anymore because I listen to my body as I train, I don't separate a little routine just so I can be prepared. Everyone works differently and some need to stretch before training if they're inflexible, in the beginning stages or need to build a foundation before doing anything remotely hardcore. A lot of exercises I perform have stretching automatically like Bridging, Animal Exercises, VRT and other methods of training. Now if you're a maniac and lift heavy fucking weight often and need to stay mobile yes you should stretch before and after training usually for recovery purposes not for the sake of being able to touch your toes.
Cool downs are usually a form of stretching or "extra" training to recover from the hardcore workout you just put yourself through and I have mixed feelings towards that. One way I look at it is that if you stretch too much after training and not understand the concept of deep breathing and naturally stretch you can pull muscles that can affect your next session and you won't be able to go the way you'd like to. On the other hand; if you can make a habit of breathing deeply and letting the body relax as you move or stretch after a workout this can be a great asset to your overall training because you're giving your body the recovery it needs and give it that little edge to make your next session even more bad ass than the next.
So are warming up and cooling down really that important? Yes and no depending on the type of training you do and the essential recovery you need to proceed to the next workout. Better yet, make your warm ups and cool downs part of the workout itself as you loosen up then hit it hard than relax and be loose, almost like moving meditation. I train every single day whether for 5 minutes or an hour and I have not had any major injuries or issues that are worth going to the hospital for and my flexibility has actually gotten better as I got older since I do hardcore type workouts and recovery workouts where I practice deep breathing and qi gong to stimulate blood flow and give my muscles and joints some relaxation type exercises which helps me stay in awesome shape no matter what I do. This works for me so whatever you wish to do make it work to your advantage and stay as injured-free as possible no matter what method you do; if you do things that are a set-up for injury it's best to avoid that method as much as possible. I believe in long-term training and being able to do things that save me from torn shoulders, ripped tendons, shattered bones (had enough of that in my lifetime) and doing what I love to do. Training is a lesson that you learn every single time you do something for a period of time; something to think about.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Superhero Muscle
In the comics we have some of the most powerfully sculpted and muscular physiques in the realm of fiction. The power of Thor, the athleticism of Captain America, the gymnastic body of Batman and even the v-shaped muscle powered Superman. Muscles have been the defying moments of man and how stature has been the key. However; muscles these days have become controversial because of steroid use and the big thing of Bigorexia (the need to build more and more muscle despite the cost of health). There is still hope on building real and functional muscle in a variety of ways. Weightlifting, hard hitting calisthenics, lifting odd objects and possibly the most intense of them all Sprint Training.
I've always been fascinated with muscle building since I was 13 but up until learning about sprinting, I feel it is one of the very best when it comes burning fat, increased metabolism and age defying qualities that develop the very best in the human body. When you combine the elements of Superheroes and Fitness that is a very powerful and creative idea to instill motivation and bring to life one of exercise's most intense form of training. What would it feel like to have the body of the Flash or Gambit, Spider-Man and other heroes?
Shaping the body is not meant for Isolation but utilizing the whole body as if it was one piece. Hill Sprints are by far the greatest method for incredibly fast fat burning but not everyone has a hill nor can they train in very hot or cold weather so there has to be a solution. That's where the Superhero Sprints System comes in handy where it teaches not just how to sprint out in the fresh air but also inside as well. Want to lose weight, build muscle and increase your metabolism and only train up to 60 minutes a week? Superhero Sprints is there. Build real muscle that not only looks awesome as hell but also be just as strong and athletic to boot.
I've always been fascinated with muscle building since I was 13 but up until learning about sprinting, I feel it is one of the very best when it comes burning fat, increased metabolism and age defying qualities that develop the very best in the human body. When you combine the elements of Superheroes and Fitness that is a very powerful and creative idea to instill motivation and bring to life one of exercise's most intense form of training. What would it feel like to have the body of the Flash or Gambit, Spider-Man and other heroes?
Shaping the body is not meant for Isolation but utilizing the whole body as if it was one piece. Hill Sprints are by far the greatest method for incredibly fast fat burning but not everyone has a hill nor can they train in very hot or cold weather so there has to be a solution. That's where the Superhero Sprints System comes in handy where it teaches not just how to sprint out in the fresh air but also inside as well. Want to lose weight, build muscle and increase your metabolism and only train up to 60 minutes a week? Superhero Sprints is there. Build real muscle that not only looks awesome as hell but also be just as strong and athletic to boot.
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