Finding Comics For Inspiration At An Older Age

When I was a kid, I wasn't into comic books; it just didn't appeal to me as I had books ranging from Disney to Goosebumps & things of that sort. For all I knew back then was comics were for nerds and geeks and that was all that mattered to them. My comics came from watching superheroes on Saturday morning and after school like Batman: The Animated Series, Spider-Man, X-Men, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers & Superman. In the 90's, Superhero TV shows flourished, you couldn't find any kid under the age of 12 that didn't know who Batman or the X-Men were; quite frankly it surprises me that the comics themselves still sold like hotcakes since the Shows were towering over them.

I had one comic when I was a teen not many knew about with me. It was a Fantastic Four comic. I can't tell you where it is right now but I remember reading it in my room a few times and it was the only one I truly knew about. How I got it that I don't remember. When Ironman & The Incredible Hulk came out in the late 2000's, it peaked my interest because it reminded me of my childhood watching the cartoons. In the last near 5 years since I lived in Idaho, I have collected more comics (graphic novels) than ever in my entire life. I found a store here that has at least 3 sections dedicated to comics and one of the first ones I picked up was I think a Thor & Hercules set of comics. I had the Thor Hammers made by Stronger Grip a couple years before that and I just got enthralled to the point I got into the comic book scene. I'm officially a superhero nerd when it comes to that kind of thing. They inspire me to train and get fired up for breaking PR's, inspire me to create and come up with new things to write, they infuse my imagination like Burgers & Fries it just worked.

I'm reliving my childhood all over again in my 30's and learning about amazing stories and classic/new artwork and how the images are so breathtaking & wonderful to view. I find it so fascinating that any book that I find interesting I grab. Most of what I've collected are graphic novels of Marvel and little of DC but always have a heart for both. I've got books on Harley Quinn, Thor, Moon Knight, Batman, Captain America, Spider-Man, The Inhumans & Hercules. I've even got books on Star Wars based on Characters & The Force. I've been to a couple Comic Cons in Spokane, WA and plan on to go again at Lilac City Comic Con going with my girl and her brother.

As you can imagine, as a crazy superhero fan with the movies its going to be one hell of a year. Already seeing Deadpool and moving onto Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice (I'm with Bats on this one) its going to be insane. I've become such a fan of both the comics and the films that I have put in my own Amazon Store exclusively for Comics of all types which you can go to here at My Comic Book Store with all the latest updates and Pre-Orders for upcoming comics and graphical art sets of paperback & hardcovers. Whether you want inspiration to train, learn about the characters or just a collector of new and classic books there's something for everyone. I'd recommend because of the craze of Star Wars & Marvel Films coming out get your hands on some of the newest editions of stories on Darth Vader & the Rise Of The Empire/Republic with Deadpool stories and upcoming hero stories based on the upcoming movies.

The Bob Backlund Workout

Most pro wrestling fans today (especially those in their teens) wouldn't know who Bob Backlund was or is. Most today who have heard of him only know about him being another Hall Of Fame guy or the weird looking dude with the Bow Tie and business shirt with red straps that appeared on Raw once or twice in the last few years. What you don't realize was that next to Bruno Sammartino was the longest reigning WWE champion that lasted over 5 years. Back in the 70's & 80's he was the poster boy for the babyface character; Howdy Doody on roids with a boy scout all-american personality.

Former College football player & wrestler transitioned into the pro ranks being trained by legendary pro wrestling coach Eddie Sharky (same guy who trained the greatest tag team of all-time the Road Warriors and former Minnesota Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura) and ventured out on the road wrestling in the old territories. Backlund was about as a blue-collar american kid as you got. One of his traits back in the day was being in top condition on a frequent basis. We're talking about rough conditioning that would make some MMA Fighters blush and was able to go an hour with some of the top guys at that time including former Intercontinental Champion and 2004 HOF inductee Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. His training is still talked about to this day in some circles.

Since the mid 80's or so when his career was going down little by little he began training differently in order to build strength in his legs after being injured from constant running for cardio and some of the beatings he took in the ring and learned about the Step-Up test from Harvard University. So to substitute running he became a fanatic of the Step-Up Exercise going as fast (with good form) as possible. He would do this sometimes for more than an hour at a time. His other exercise he really got a bug for was the Ab Wheel. He believed that these two exercises were the heavy foundation that saved his career and his health. Granted these two baddies are as simple as you'll ever see but yet some of the most brutal exercises around. Doing rollouts with the Ab Wheel is no joke and will build muscle in the entire core along with strengthening the back, arms and shoulders. The step-ups are crazy in themselves because you're constantly quickening your feet up and down at a steller pace. I've done more than 5 minutes of this exercise and was dying so imagine doing that for more than a freaking hour.

You can do Step-Ups from virtually anywhere there is a step or stairs. Ab Wheels are great but the ultimate wheel is the Power Wheel from Lifeline. You don't just have to grip the handles, you can place your feet into the straps and can do all sorts of stuff that even the legendary wrestler would be impressed by; walk on your hands, do push-ups, pull-ins, hamstring curls, jumping push-ups and so much more. This device alone targets the core unlike anything else and makes machines look weak.

Backlund's best records with these exercises from what I read was 2800 Step-Ups (1400 per leg) and 700 Roll-Outs. That's seriously impressive don't you think? Although he did do other stuff to stay fit these 2 were his golden boys. So next time you want to get in a good workout, do 100-200 Step-Ups & 20+ Roll-Outs and see how you feel the next day. That's the thing I love about the old-timers, their training was off the chain and were revered as legendary and have been used to test guys who were tough enough. I practiced a good deal with the Power Wheel before I came up to Idaho and did stuff off and on in the few years since. Walking on my hands is my favorite exercise, second would be the roll-outs, those kill me every time. Here are a couple of videos of Backlund doing these exercises for your enjoyment.

Train To PLAY!!!

I know what its like to push past limits, do crazy challenges and just overall have a hardcore mindset. I've been there and I've done it but the fact of the matter is none of it matters if I don't play with what I do. People become so confined to a one dimensional idea that they forget there's options to where they can do things that do't require that hardcore mindset to train to be beastly.

I like to think of myself as a Three Dimensional fitness enthusiast; practicing various things because my brain is hot-wired that way....Gymnastics, Animal Movement, Sledgehammer Striking, Isometrics, Swimming, Sprinting, Stretcher & others. Its not that i'm obsessed with exercise, I find it fun and enjoyable, if i'm not interested in something, I find a way to be interested in something else. People like to do one particular style where it's Crossfit, Zumba, Aerobics, Weightlifting, Bodyweight for MMA or whatever. I'm all for those who engage in exercise that keeps them active but on the other side of the coin, I feel bad for those that don't like what they do or get bored but keep doing it anyway. You're not meant to train like a Zombie or act like one in your training. Adventure is the name of the game here; PLAY with your exercise.

The foundation is just pure movement. Create scenarios, games & just live it out. Some like it structured and that's cool, no harm in that but at some point there might be that "F*ck it" moment where you just want to be free and make stuff up just to get your brain cells going. I'm constantly doing different things; I test out routines for days or weeks at a time but I always end up just free balling and making things up as I go because that's where I find myself in my best state of mind. Most of the time its pure bodyweight but I might have an idea in my head on just doing cables that day or hit the tire every 4 days with Big Bertha (59 lbs. Epic Sledgehammer). I don't limit myself because if I do, I not only lose out what's fun but I become cranky and out of whack.

When you invest in Playful Movement as I like to call it, it gives you freedom to do what you want and practice awesome things without needing to go beyond your limits and just be happy. Playful Movement is the practice of moving with a playful physical and mental idea in freedom. Always find a way to play.


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Isometrics & It's Value In Fitness

Off and on for over a decade I've dabbled in Isometric Training to help carry over to other areas of strength that I do including various feats like Steel Bending & Phonebook Tearing. This type of training for the most part is one of the most valuable yet neglected because when you normally think of Isometrics it's usually something out of yoga poses or doing a plank but in reality it's one of the toughest areas of strength training period. To learn more on the specifics check out this course.

I'm here to talk about it's value and its importance especially in today's fitness circles. On the deeper level very few people know what Isometrics truly are but that's not their fault. Fitness companies and other areas try to disprove it because it's believed it doesn't hold true value for real strength (which is ironic because most fitness areas have nothing to do with strength) which is quite a shame. Isometrics build not only real muscle but dense hardened muscle due to the amount of contraction needed in order to really have it be effective. There's two types of Isometrics; one is short burst contraction where you flex a muscle for a period of near max power at no more than 10-12 seconds, the second is coined Aerobic Isometrics where you flex or push/pull at smaller intensity for a longer period of time say 30 seconds or more. Which one builds more muscle? It depends on the objective but overall you're developing muscle from another perspective while working the tendons at another level as well.

There's literally countless ways to do Isometrics and can be used in practically every single type of exercise. BTW its nothing new either; it has been used for centuries in various ways from the ancient archers to the NASA Space Program and beyond. Some of the strongest men on the planet used Isometrics to develop strength for specific feats. It's even used in Bodybuilding because of the posing these guys do. I prefer however the type that those from the earlier 20th century used Muscle Control in an Isometric format, flexing specific muscles to contract and relax at a more rapid level.

It's very powerful and can aid in those who have trouble getting over plateaus in their program. I specifically used Isometrics to enhance my strength in pull-ups, feats of strength & even my Animal Movements. I wouldn't be in the state i'm in if it wasn't for this type of training. My neck bridges are a form of isometrics, holding various qi gong poses are Isometric. It's not always about what exercise to do, its the controlled contraction that you start in your mind and working your to the muscles. Yes that sounds weird but its more true than you'll believe. Isometrics have been used not just in fitness but in other areas like in the movies for example in Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back when Luke is in that handstand using the force to channel his body to levitating the rocks and even Aretoo; that's a Isometric Exercise. How about like in Man Of Steel where Superman had to hold the beams of that building in the middle of the ocean to save those workers from being crushed; that's a mega extreme form of Isometric Contraction. You see even something as awesome as those are inspiring to me that this type of training has value in ways most don't ever realize.

Superheroes use this type of training whether it's actual training or not, athletes use it, strongmen use it, bodybuilders use it, yogis use it and many others. You never know what you'll find on it until you have read, observed and done it. I have even used it to strengthen my legs after my accident. It develops wonders you didn't think were possible and imagine the dense muscle you can have and the fat that burns really fast doing this correctly. It is not just a form of training it is a very tough skill to practice but its fun and you can create any workout you want around it. For the most part, Isometrics hold the key to real strength most consider to be untouched and have yet to truly discover.

Animal Exercise Under Two Hours Per Week

Getting back to doing Animal Movements in the last few workouts has become quite fun and accelerating. Being able to move in different positions on a constant shift helps develop the body and mind in another style. 10-20 min. a day is all that is really needed. Start out 3x a week to build a level of strength & endurance. Some of the exercises require some flexibility but with practice you can get some pretty awesome stretching. Some people don't do no more than 5x a week on this specific routine and that's ok.

You don't need endless hours of training in order to get fit. People have to work for a living and have other responsibilities yet there's no excuse you can't train under 30 min. a day; 10 min. would be enough for most people. Advanced can do 20 min. or longer depending on the day you do them. I recommend more of a spread of Greasing The Groove; training periodically throughout the day a few minutes here & there. Keep it to where you go after a daily goal of doing your workout as long or short as needed. Animal Exercise overall won't take you very long because of the constant movement and multiple muscles you use in a particular exercise.

Make it work for you and you will be in shape in no time.

Animal Kingdom 1

Animal Kingdom 2

Animal Flow 2.0