Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Creating What Works For You

As you well know i'm not a man of copying or making other people's routines my own, I take what works for my interests & develop a style that is of my own design. Its not easy being your own trainer but its far better for your mind and body to be so. There is importance in learning specific exercises and gaining technique by practice but its more important to perfect what works in your favor not someone else's.

I believe in self-mastery meaning that I take what I do seriously and put my heart and soul into creating something for myself and only myself. I have no problem training with others but I'm not going to do exactly what they do otherwise i'm missing out on who i'am. Most take the easy route by being sheep and following someone else's routine or go at the same speed, same exercise step by step. There's nothing wrong with learning an exercise and doing it right but if you want the complete package, you need to step away and also master yourself first and foremost. Some people think being your own trainer will get you hurt and no matter what you need a trainer, I disagree in parts of that area; I believe that if your technique is off and you are hurting yourself then learn from someone how to do it right but at the same time, learn the facets of your own physiology and develop technique that suits you and your needs of obtaining results.

I have learned from the very best on what exercises need good technique on and have trained alongside some of the strongest and fittest people on the planet. I had to learn on my own 11 years ago how to walk again and train my body, I worked out with people but for the most part, the training, the process of getting strong again and the some was all me and whatever technique I learned I observed it very closely in books and on DVDs. I was very good at observation and it helped me find what can work for my structure and how I've stayed less injured this whole time. Being your own trainer takes guts and its not a temporary thing, its a life-time commitment. Be your own trainer roughly 80-90% of the time, the other 10-20% is from learning from others, observing, participating and practicing.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Your Body And Your Imagination

Most equipment in fitness these days are way overrated and most of the time don't even work. The stupid gadgets, cardio machines, smith machines, Bosu Balls and others are just things that take up way too much damn space. Very few things are worth while having like maybe a rack to use for squats, a pull-up bar, a hammer, mace, kettlebell & Steelbell other than that its not worth putting your money on. I like to move heavy things from time to time but I always have a better use for my body by doing things that are fun, realistic, unconventional & imaginative.

The more stuff you use the less you get in the habit of using your imagination. Less is more. That's part of the beauty I love on bodyweight training, there's so much you can come up with but only need a fraction to get what you want. Training using a ton of equipment takes away the purpose of putting real effort into your training. Its very important to use both your body and your brain in the best way possible and trust me, having a ton of machines will diminish your progress rather than have it climbing. There are also certain forms of training that can't mach certain others, take calisthenics for example, there is so many variations that are possible but like any other method it doesn't hit everything. I love doing squats, push-ups, pull-ups, v-ups, handstands and others when i'm in the mood but even those components cannot touch or even scratch the surface of other methods.

This is why I like the VRT method of exercise, you can have all the equipment you need in one form of training where your imagination is the key. Think about it, being able to have all that equipment by just focusing on it in your mind and programming it to the muscles in your body. Be able to take the gym anywhere and do it whenever you want. VRT gives you freedom that you never experienced before. The benefits of this system are amazing in more than just developing muscular growth, it also enhances cardio, endurance, heals possible previous injuries, doesn't wear and tear on your joints and get this; you can wear whatever you want or nothing at all when you do a workout. You can do it in a long or short period of time and you can do it with your kids or grandparents, hell do it for students in a P.E class. This is a system meant for everyone from 10-100 years old, it isn't easy but it can be very interesting and it can really get you out of breath when properly performed.

When I need a break from regular forms of bodyweight training I go to this but lately its become so addicting I've been doing it and a variation of the system for weeks now and haven't even felt the slightest bit of a burn out. Target the muscles you want worked in mere seconds just by thinking then moving in a range of motion while maintaining tension. You control the amount of resistance being used and you have the freedom to come up with any exercise you want. Instead of thinking of regular, boring dumbbells, why not think of a car, heavy chains, a strong rope, picking up heavy bricks, pushing the pyramids, rowing an extremely heavy oar, squatting with a boulder on your back or even pulling a train full of gorgeous women; there's a limitless amount of things you can think of to hit the muscles you're working. You are powerful and this system can give you amazing energy and insane control over your whole system; be able to flex and relax your muscles at will, putting your thoughts into the muscles to create that surge of strength & power plus become enthralled in developing muscle that stands out and gives that natural glow on your structure.

There's nothing like doing the VRT Workout and no other form of muscle control gives you more freedom and lends you a limitless amounts of ideas that can create a workout that not only is out of this world but puts you in the front seat and gives you the tools to ride your own ship.

$1.99/Kindle $9/Paperback

Friday, June 17, 2016

True Intent Creates The Very Best Results

Its not hard getting some results from certain methods o training; not easy but not too difficult either. When you set a goal, your mind is set on that goal and regardless of what may get past you, you intend to get that goal. Most people can't fathom that. They set a goal but often times go through the motions and never put any real heart into it.

The best results in a training program should not only excel at a physical level but a mental & emotional as well. You fight to get what you want but at the same time, be at peace and emotionally invest in the time you want to get the results in. Some will try to tear you down not because you can't do it but because they don't want you succeeding. I've literally heard people tell me to my face that what I do is pure bullshit, its a hobby, something that doesn't cater to society and that I should do something real. I've been training in different methods for over 11 years without one single day off and never once thought about it; its not a hobby, its my addiction, my livelihood and a powerful form of safety net that I can't live without. When I hear people tearing down other people's dreams and choices that could do good for this world, makes me want to punch somebody.

Train using every bit of your soul into what you want to accomplish, its your choice and what comes of it will be what its meant to be. Not everyone can be an athlete, but they can be a part of sports or athletics in one form or another, not everyone is meant to lift 1000 pounds but you can become very strong in ways most people can't even dream of. When you are intent to do something and you make the best of it on your terms, results will happen one way or another; often times when you least expect it. Nobody can be an Arnold Schwarzenegger, but they can be the best versions of themselves and have something even the former Mr. Olympia can never have. You have the power to get amazing results but they need to be done with great intent. True intent creates the very best results.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Less Time Using VRT

Training within a period of time has always been a learning experience where its not just the time being used its the quality of the time. I take what I can get and train in a manner that my mind is set at a point in time and just do what pops up and make the best of it. Lately its been on Muscle Control and hitting my body using the DVR exercises from transformetrics.

For the past few weeks I've really hit these exercises hard doing 7-12 of them at a time where its three sets of 10 or 10 each arm. I clocked it once at 35 min. & 25 sec. for a full routine and felt amazing. I've decided to change things up and add in VRT Exercises to supplement some of the DVR exercises to get not only less time but put more focus on particular muscles such as the shoulders & upper arms. VRT is a beautiful style of training where you mimic the use of weights by flexing or extending a muscle by contracting and relaxing from a specific range of motion instead of a full range of motion. I've talked about and used this training in the past many times and always learn something new. With DVR's you control the contraction by utilizing your mind and muscles as if they were one and the same, VRT has a similar protocol but you use more of your imagination to truly make the contraction even greater.

I believe in what works and yes I have gained significant strength from this method especially in pull-ups and arm wrestling. It doesn't just give you a "pump" it goes beyond that where you infuse the mind and visualize what you're lifting. Your muscles can't tell the difference in what is being used or not used. You can virtually mimic any form of weights, machines & more by seeing in your mind's eye what the weight & implement you want to mimic; it even goes beyond weights, it could even go as far visualizing lifting a car, pulling chains like Samson, pushing a pyramid, pulling a really thick rope, gripping hard on a metal ball, Pressing a boulder your exercise is limitless.

It doesn't really take a lot of time to do this type of training, for the most part 20 minutes is really all that's needed. You can do more but its not necessary. I only go longer because its my choice. When I need a break from Calisthenics, Yoga, Circuit Training or Animal Moves I go to this method of exercise. I never make an excuse to not train because if I stop, it'll set me off and I'll literally hate myself for doing so; plus my brain is just not wired for it, I'm constantly learning and making adjustments to what methods work for me. Can this make you strong, absolutely but not in the manner you may want it to be; you can't lift a thousand pounds after doing VRT but you can however, generate real muscle & functional fitness without wear and tear on the joints plus you create rapid blood flow, endorphins and tapping into your own physiology. This has helped me learn how to control my body that has carried over to other areas like Isometrics & heavy lifting. It didn't make me crazy weightlifting strong but because of the way my body can contract and relax it has helped me in lifts I rarely if ever touch.

Use this method to put on awesome muscle and challenge the mind and body in a different manner than the norm. Don't be giving it a hard time if you never used it. It has its place more than you're lead to believe that it may not by some quacks who just want you to do their stuff otherwise you're just dumb. Its amazing for cardio, help lose bodyfat, lose weight, gain muscle, target muscles that won't be in isolation because in order to get the full benefit, you have to use multiple muscles for any specific exercise. Trust me, when you're strapped for time and you don't have the energy or transportation to get to a gym, this is a great alternative. It can be done practically anywhere from the park to a hotel room, at a banquet, a restaurant, lunch breaks at work, between meetings, sitting at a red light (And only at a red light NO DRIVING), in your chair watching a movie, while you're cooking or at the beach its up to you and you can pick any exercise that your imagination can utilize.

Use the VRT System to your best advantage and make the best of it no matter what time you have.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Do High Repetition Calisthenics Really Matter?

Often in training there are little things that can be up for debate for what works best and applying to a particular style. I've been through many styles of training; high rep workouts, heavy lifting, sprinting, focused tension on specific exercises, animal moves and circuit training; the thing I've come to grips is working best on a style of training that gave me the condition to not always rely on high rep workouts such as push-ups & squats in the triple digits or higher. Not that I don't believe they work, they do but there's far much more to training than focusing purely on high rep calisthenics.

What I look for is specific elements that don't take a long ass time and focusing purely on specific exercises that can be as effective strength wise either through high repetition or utilizing tension for lower reps. Take the push-up for example; I've been through the ringer of only as much as 5 reps in a single set and have hit more than 500 in a single workout; the true effectiveness for me is using muscle control that gets me only a few reps but just hits me like a Mack truck. I do believe High reps works beautifully but after a period in my eyes, it becomes boring, drags along and I don't have the energy to do anything else. The only true purpose to do this type of training is if you're an athlete and needing to be in top condition for your sport or to test yourself to see how far you can go.

I prefer Isometrics & Bridging over most these days and because I've become so enthralled with DVR Exercises, calisthenics is more of a background thing. You don't need to do a ton of reps in order to get in shape. Its great to have that kind of strength & endurance but sometimes you need to step away and test out other things. High reps is also time consuming so if you only have a few minutes, you won't be doing 500 reps of anything but you can do Isometrics, Yoga, Qi Gong, DVR Exercise, Bridging and Gymnastic Type Exercise. I believe in the quality in movement and isometric holds so wouldn't it be better to do a movement that demands quality or just go through the motions and screwing up your form in the process because trust no matter how you slice it, very high reps will cause you to lose your form in one manner or another and if you do it too often that leads to injury. The other thing on that count is how you recover, its important to rest up or do something a little different otherwise you can strain something and it'll bite you in the ass.

Do they truly matter? That's up for you to decide and depending on what you focus on. I love the excitement of training and putting together a workout or sets of workouts throughout the day that takes in quality breathing, energizing effects of particular exercises and making the most out of it and not always striving to do a great level of repetition and lose my sight on what's important or other things. High reps have their place and its ok to not do them if you don't want to but its also important to learn what you're capable of  and making a note that you have the ability to do something amazing. Regardless of what you do, learn the value of quality over quantity.


Monday, June 13, 2016

The Miracle Seven Exercises

Almost sounds like something on fitness in church. Dumb joke aside, the exercises I want to share with you that I've been practicing for a little while are incredible when it comes to building health, natural relaxation, blood flowing and the ability to contract and relax the muscles at will & how it can be done anywhere, anytime. The truth is muscular tension exercises are as old as exercise itself and over a period of time, the exercises may have changed or evolved but the principles stay the same. Using the mind to focus on specific muscles to contract and relax isn't easy to do but with practice can be done one of two ways, either in and of themselves as a training program or using them as a supplement to your current regimen.

I first learned these back around 2006 when I first got the book Pushing Yourself To Power by John Peterson. I didn't exactly care too much on some of the religious aspect of it, all I cared about was what exercises can I use and how I can apply them. Now granted knowing what I know now, its a expanded version of the Charles Atlas Course Dynamic Tension and with it were not just calisthenics and self resistance exercises, there were exercises purely based on muscle control utilizing movement within the tension being used. They were a little odd to me especially the name of the style called Dynamic Visualized Resistance (DVR). I tried them out anyway and they were great but they just didn't click with me at the time. As I was collecting more and more fitness books I came across another of John's books, The Miracle 7.

These were 7 exercises that were also in PYTP were the main emphasis for this particular book and as a curious trainee figured I'd check them out. Practiced them and were great for a while but ended up backing off. 10 years later I'm back at them and for a specific purpose other than learning; I wanted to truly find out what these can truly do when I applied my style with the exercises themselves, changing up the feet placement and putting my own spin on the 3x10-20 protocol. After practicing for weeks now, they have become a part of my daily life and I practiced them as my first workout of the day. Adding in the other 5 from the first book to do the complete routine from head to toe it has given me a different perspective on how to really expand the mind to exercise and use them as a workout exclusively and use other forms of exercise as training. Because of this I train from 1-3 times a day challenging my mind and body to control the muscles from amazing angles.

This type of training alone has greater benefits than just regular calisthenics. As much as I love push-ups, squats, bridging, v-ups, pull-ups and the best of them all  animal movements, DVR Style Training gives me a greater purpose to train for health especially because of the injuries to my ankles and shins I can't always keep up with the jumping, high rep workouts on a daily basis because it does burn me out and I need to take time off from them. Not the DVR Exercises, I can do these practically whenever I want and never get sore or bored, hell I don't even have to run or go too fast and lose my form; this thing is all about moving using muscular tension and focusing on the muscles without putting much or little stress on the joints and ligaments. They can be used in a variety of ways, they can be used for rehab, building muscle, train throughout the day or in one shot, doesn't take too long depending on what you do, generates an insane amount oxygenated blood down to the smallest capillaries, can be used as a warm up or a full workout, create flexibility, teaches how to breathe naturally, can be used on days off or (aught to be done) everyday. They help regenerate mobility and create muscle that isn't full of bloated skin, teaches you how interact the mind/muscle connection, can teach you how to use other forms of training by how you contract and relax the muscles in specific positions and can help restore injured muscles to their natural ability to heal and strengthen.

You can learn the Miracle 7 Exercises from here >>>>http://transformetrics.com/exercises and look for these exercises.....

Ab Contraction
Barrel Squeeze (Full Range Pectoral Contraction)
One-Arm Chin
Shoulder Roll
High Reach
Wrist Twist
Half Squat

To learn the Full 12 Exercises grab Pushing Yourself To Power. Very powerful exercises that open up the body and mind in a whole other realm. I like to do these out in the open where you can breathe in amazing air, get vitamin D (sunshine) and feel the body in a more natural setting. Doing them indoors works great too and is great for those that either can't go outside due to bad weather or just want to train and chill in the house afterwards. Can help build a naturally developed physique, very relaxing effects from post-workout, creates amazing endorphins and did I forget to mention can rave up your hormones especially for those over 40? Trust me, its worth a look at.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Cold Showers In The Summer

If you live in a hot climate in parts of the country you know that staying cool is more than a priority, its practically life-saving. Some people are natural heaters, I happen to be one of them so in winter time even up in northern Idaho I still dress in California style clothing. That's just the way my body tends to operate so the heat on my body helps me stay warm in the winter but in the late sprint to late summer that can almost be deadly. 

Staying cool for me lately is taking Cold showers which in turn helps me maintain temperature. Sure I can use fans around the house but for the most part it doesn't help my body much and its not fun watching a movie while the fan is blasting at the same time. Cold showers are my best friend and i'm talking like deep cold. Some people are more naturally cold so heat does get to them but they have a faster rate of dying down after a while, like my girl, she's cold very easily so I tend to be the heat rock. Those who can be colder can maintain a good amount of heat, i'm the exact opposite, I need cold just to maintain body heat.

Cold Showers can help not only maintain the body's temperature but can also aid in improving skin tone, weight loss, fat loss and open up hormones to the sexual organs. This in turn can lead to irony where because I need cold water to maintain my body heat in hot climate, my body burns calories just to stay warm. Believe me, they never get easier but they can be interesting if you do practically nothing but cold showers and only warm water a few times just to clean yourself has many benefits. In the winter it helps build a tolerance for cold weather so as long as its not so cold that your spit freezes in mid air you should be fine. The body has to burn off twice as many calories just so you can stay warm so look at the benefit from that. Make it a habit and get that amazing feeling on your skin and as much as you may not believe, cold showers do increase testosterone (it'll hit you once the body is at the best temperature of warmth). 

Monday, June 6, 2016

Twice A Day

For maintaining muscle and quality training, I believe in the art of training twice a day whether its in the afternoon and evening or morning and evening. If my energy is good i'll work out sometimes 3-4 times in a day but two is actually very good to do. You don't have to do hours upon hours who really has time for that? That was the ideal for Charles  Atlas and other athletes of that era. 

If you only one session for the whole day that's great at least do something. Do some energy drills or Push-ups & other exercises in a 15 minute period in the morning and do another one after coming home from work; chill for a bit, eat up and then train after digesting. This type of way helps the muscles stay fresh and can help give you some quality sleep. Don't train so hard you'll be hurting just get enough to where you're knowing you got some work in and its helping you die down but have some energy left for those endorphins. 

I like to sometimes do Bridging at night to help me get those endorphins going and feeling so good it helps me pass out. I might do DVR's at night which really helps the blood flow to the muscles and energizing the body while it brings everything down to help fall asleep. Training a little after waking up gives you that get-up-and-go feeling of supercharging the body and get those impulses firing for the day. If you can get a small increment of training on your lunch break go for it but don't waste so much energy you can't function for your second half on the job. Power up twice a day and you can't go wrong.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Bodybuilding That Heals

Some people won't like this and i'm not knocking bodybuilding in general; I believe in the power of healing, strengthening & supply my body with realistic training methods that rejuvenate & expand the body's energies from the inside out. Bodybuilding today is not something that is appealing in most cases unlike yesteryear with guys like Arnold, Otto Arco, Charles Atlas, Bobby Pandour, Bill Pearl & Maxick; these men believed in the art and superhuman effort to build the body for a purpose that went beyond just the symmetry & musculature. These guys were legitimately strong in their own right. Bodybuilding was life and wasn't always about competition although that helped but overall they did things most guys won't do today and have no way of ever catching up with them.

When I watch little posing routines from guys like Arco, Pearl & Arnold; they all had one thing in common and that was taking it to a level that made sense in their time and were far stronger than most guys today. The big exercise system I've been into lately has been the Muscular Tension exercises that create a full range of motion while thinking and flexing the muscles. Weights are great in many aspects especially for old school muscle building which I believe is far superior but when it comes to what's called Focused Muscular Tension, you have more control over your body than controlling a weight. Some will knock it as a joke that this type of training doesn't build real muscle and doesn't generate any real strength. Hate to break it to you home boy but it does generate great muscle especially developed density but also create natural musculature that isn't going to wear and tear on joints or ligaments. It also creates amazing strength results because once you can control your muscles in a flexed/relaxed state whenever you want it'll help with other crossover training.

That may sound like a pipe dream but I'm also proof that this stuff works; if it didn't I wouldn't be able to do my strength feats in a much more rapid pace of progress. This helped me do more pull-ups, helped my bridging gymnastics even as a heavyweight, put me in a state of pure power with my sledgehammer training, generate greater power into my steel bending, rip phonebooks easier and even help me deadlift over 400 pounds without any specialization. It takes practice and a great focus. I'm doing even more of it now to shed fat off muscles I'd like have greater density on. It is very powerful stuff. Best yet, I don't have any injuries from it or feel soreness or severe joint pain. They are healing exercises for sure and everyone should add these to their repertoire even if its for off days, they give you a high very few things can and because of the rapid blood flow to your nervous system, it generates even greater flow to the internal organs and strengthens the joints.

The closest to it I can think of is the VRT System which is available here....These systems don't just heal the body but maintain for life when kept consistently.    

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Bridging For Real Strength & Flexibility

The back bridge was one of my first exercises when I was building my leg strength after my accident. Nothing made me stretch as much as the bridge did and holding it or 30 sec. at first felt like an eternity. I eventually built up to 3 min. and more plus learning the old school style of Bridging Gymnastics; being able to fall back into a bridge, kick over and back.

To me from my personal experiences both internally & externally, the bridge and its amazing variations like the front bridge, Gymnastic Bridge & the Rainbow Bridge (holding with hips high, legs straight as possible & without hands support) have given me real strength & flexibility that has carried over to other areas of training and its given me the greatest endorphin high ever. Who needs weed and drugs when you can bridge for a period of time?

Its not the easiest exercise but it truly opens up the body like no exercise has ever done. When you apply the full details of bridging in your training you're going to experience one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and that's turning back the clock and slowing down the aging process. Because of the way the bridge is taught, it goes beyond a neck exercise or just a stretch, it strengthens the organs, unlocks strength in the tendons and powers up on natural growth hormone. The flexibility you will develop gives you energizing affects and goes to levels most exercises can't touch. With its isometric components, Bridging makes every muscle in the body strong as hell for true functional strength and flexibility. Did I forget to mention it helps develop a wicked sex drive? When you apply the bridging techniques you'll feel and notice why.

To get the most out of bridging read up on Advanced Bridging by going to Legendary Strength and grab the course. There's nothing like it and its one of the most unique courses ever developed. Don't believe me, see for yourself.....

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