It's no mystery my favorite animal is the Gorilla but what's your favorite Animal? In the fitness world there are a lot of freedoms like the variety of exercises and the programs to choose from but also they come with rules, rep/set schemes and narrowly structured limits to what can be performed because some shmuck decided to be a fitness god and tell you his/her ten commandments. For the most part, its not a bad thing to have a structure but its also not a good thing to lower yourself to standards based on someone else's teachings.
I've learned many things and one of them was learning to be self-reliant; teaching myself any facets of training I find interesting. I can teach you technique and a workout or 2 but in order to become your very best you have to discover things for yourself and tackle them with a vengeance. We all have an animal spirit within us that gives us ultimate freedom to move within our individuality, putting forth the power of what makes us stronger than we believed to be. I love to move like a Primate especially a gorilla but not everyone will want to do that, maybe you want to move like a Tiger, a bird, a reptile, a frog what have you; don't be afraid to open up to the possibilities of what can make you the strongest and most conditioned you could ever be.
Learn your animal spirit by moving like a wild animal and whatever you find that you seem to do frequently more than others, chances are that's the animal you were meant to do. You can learn the exercise all you want but when you find your center of gravity and naturally geared towards that amazing creature only then you'll truly learn the secret to animal conditioning. Check out the DVD Animal Workouts and find the animal that really puts you into that state of mind. The Animal Kingdom Conditioning Series 1 & 2 give you more insight into the movement, the mindset and the center of being that animal. Get the kids involved, help them find their favorite animal, kids are very imaginative and always seem to find what works best for them and stick with it.
Unleashing your inner animal in a positive way enhances your body's abilities to handle awkward movements, realign areas of the brain and make it stronger hence becoming a bit smarter than the average Bear (see what I did there) and gets you to build muscle fast and shed fat like a furnace. I make it a habit to move like a wild animal anywhere I can roam, sure it looks funny from time to time but its fun and i'm doing something not many are willing to even try because they don't want others to think less of them. I firmly believe in that what others think of my exercise is none of my business, i'm having fun and that's it; if they don't like it, they can shove it and keep having a stick up their ass. Be bold and take a chance, you might actually like. Feel the Awesomeness of your inner Animal Spirit.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Monday, July 11, 2016
Review Of Film Fittest On Earth
Always liked Documentaries since I saw Pumping Iron back in high school. From exercise to sports, to nature and others Docs bring in a tale of a story being unfold with real people doing real worldly things. This film I saw on Netflix The Fittest On Earth is the story on the lead up to the 2015 Crossfit Games.
It tells the story of participating Crossfit competitors from all over the world; features a few people out of around 40 total in the competition from the beach towns of Santa Cruz & San Diego, California to West Virginia and European Athletes. It is without question one of the premier events today and has some of the most dedicated, toughest and most well-built men and women on the planet.
I've known about Crossfit for some time now and have seen good, bad and downright ugly aspects of the "Sport" and my thoughts really on it are that as competitive as it is, its also one of the most dangerous and injury-prone form of conditioning & athletics. Without sugarcoating it its basically lifting, running, jumping, hard-nosed calisthenics that is taken to the extreme with some downright awful technique on exercise. The workouts are so insane it will literally kill the average person. Let me put it to you this way, it suppose to bring you to the absolute limit of your strength, endurance & coordination. Strictly timed and each workout makes you work faster than the last time.
I have mixed feelings about this film being that I couldn't take it too serious because the people being interviewed sounded like their on a reality show and no matter how much they say they love the concept of Crossfit, they'll literally do whatever it takes to win and fight off any competitor that gets in their way. Don't get me wrong, I love the competitiveness and the psychology of what these people go through, the training alone is brutal, hardcore and downright nasty. What I found really difficult was how much pressure they put on themselves more than understanding just being there is an accomplishment in and of itself. I've been in competitive sports so I get the idea that when you're on its crazy at times and its tough to maintain composure. Some of these men and women were so passionate about this that when they lost or had to withdrawl it sounded like their life just ended and there's nothing left to do.
It is an amazing film and the workouts these people went through defy the laws of human nature and were pushed so hard some have thrown up, passed out and/or had so many freaking bruises they piratically welcomed them as battle wounds. I'm all for challenging yourself and making the best of what you can do but not to this extent. I'm all for women tackling fitness and damn it I love it when they have better results than us guys do but a lot of these women had way too much muscle on their frame not the bodybuilding type but more than what's given for their height and bone structure. The injuries some of these people had were totally unnecessary and some of their technique in various exercises were horrendous and cringing. Some of them might take that as a compliment but its not a compliment when you are dead from dropping weight onto your body that broke the muscle in your heart and collapsing the lungs.
During the competition wherever they were at was hot, dry and painfully scorching; the workouts they endure was not meant to be done in that heat and not surprised if anything got broken during some of those exercises. I sympathize with them for what they do but I can't stand how they hurt themselves in the process. Is it inspiring in some form yes I will give them that; it teaches how to fight for what you want and hard work is the key. The biggest drawback is that they put so much on themselves they don't grasp the concept that losing is not total failure but a lesson and that when you have reached your limit and you can't move anymore, its time to back off. I don't know how much recovery they got in their training but clearly most of them didn't get even a fraction of what is needed. I'm not surprised also that some were on Performance Enhancers just to keep up the requirement for some of these workouts. Some workouts are doable but that's maybe in the 1.5% if that and the rest are just downright not meant for a human to do let alone not get injured from.
A positive thing for this is that it teaches what its like to put your heart and soul into something you believe in and that you'll fight to the very last breath. That's the warrior mentality and they for the most part are overwhelmingly warrior-esque. Out of ten I'd give this a 6.5 because as awesome the lead-up and the finish of the competition shows in this film, I can't give a rating any higher on the level where it also tries to make people see that regardless of your health in order to be the best you have to go beyond your actual needs of training otherwise you're not meant to be fit. That's the way I feel about it plus its not cool to beat yourself up so hard you can't grasp the concept that you did everything you possibly can do and realize that failure is a part of life and doesn't make you a two-time loser. I saw quite a few in that film that broke down and felt that because they lost they'd rather be dead. You can't win them all.
It tells the story of participating Crossfit competitors from all over the world; features a few people out of around 40 total in the competition from the beach towns of Santa Cruz & San Diego, California to West Virginia and European Athletes. It is without question one of the premier events today and has some of the most dedicated, toughest and most well-built men and women on the planet.
I've known about Crossfit for some time now and have seen good, bad and downright ugly aspects of the "Sport" and my thoughts really on it are that as competitive as it is, its also one of the most dangerous and injury-prone form of conditioning & athletics. Without sugarcoating it its basically lifting, running, jumping, hard-nosed calisthenics that is taken to the extreme with some downright awful technique on exercise. The workouts are so insane it will literally kill the average person. Let me put it to you this way, it suppose to bring you to the absolute limit of your strength, endurance & coordination. Strictly timed and each workout makes you work faster than the last time.
I have mixed feelings about this film being that I couldn't take it too serious because the people being interviewed sounded like their on a reality show and no matter how much they say they love the concept of Crossfit, they'll literally do whatever it takes to win and fight off any competitor that gets in their way. Don't get me wrong, I love the competitiveness and the psychology of what these people go through, the training alone is brutal, hardcore and downright nasty. What I found really difficult was how much pressure they put on themselves more than understanding just being there is an accomplishment in and of itself. I've been in competitive sports so I get the idea that when you're on its crazy at times and its tough to maintain composure. Some of these men and women were so passionate about this that when they lost or had to withdrawl it sounded like their life just ended and there's nothing left to do.
It is an amazing film and the workouts these people went through defy the laws of human nature and were pushed so hard some have thrown up, passed out and/or had so many freaking bruises they piratically welcomed them as battle wounds. I'm all for challenging yourself and making the best of what you can do but not to this extent. I'm all for women tackling fitness and damn it I love it when they have better results than us guys do but a lot of these women had way too much muscle on their frame not the bodybuilding type but more than what's given for their height and bone structure. The injuries some of these people had were totally unnecessary and some of their technique in various exercises were horrendous and cringing. Some of them might take that as a compliment but its not a compliment when you are dead from dropping weight onto your body that broke the muscle in your heart and collapsing the lungs.
During the competition wherever they were at was hot, dry and painfully scorching; the workouts they endure was not meant to be done in that heat and not surprised if anything got broken during some of those exercises. I sympathize with them for what they do but I can't stand how they hurt themselves in the process. Is it inspiring in some form yes I will give them that; it teaches how to fight for what you want and hard work is the key. The biggest drawback is that they put so much on themselves they don't grasp the concept that losing is not total failure but a lesson and that when you have reached your limit and you can't move anymore, its time to back off. I don't know how much recovery they got in their training but clearly most of them didn't get even a fraction of what is needed. I'm not surprised also that some were on Performance Enhancers just to keep up the requirement for some of these workouts. Some workouts are doable but that's maybe in the 1.5% if that and the rest are just downright not meant for a human to do let alone not get injured from.
A positive thing for this is that it teaches what its like to put your heart and soul into something you believe in and that you'll fight to the very last breath. That's the warrior mentality and they for the most part are overwhelmingly warrior-esque. Out of ten I'd give this a 6.5 because as awesome the lead-up and the finish of the competition shows in this film, I can't give a rating any higher on the level where it also tries to make people see that regardless of your health in order to be the best you have to go beyond your actual needs of training otherwise you're not meant to be fit. That's the way I feel about it plus its not cool to beat yourself up so hard you can't grasp the concept that you did everything you possibly can do and realize that failure is a part of life and doesn't make you a two-time loser. I saw quite a few in that film that broke down and felt that because they lost they'd rather be dead. You can't win them all.
Friday, July 8, 2016
All Year Round Is Amazeballs
For a long period of time, people have had this notion on fitness where you only "workout" 3x a week doing cardio (please), weight lifting (not real weight) & stretching (don't get me started). Its good to do all those things if you can afford the gym or the equipment but if you want to get the best results, your best bet is to learn not only the mechanics but the old school style of training because quite frankly, 99.9% of fitness these days is all about models on a cover & supplementing you to death.
I believe in being creative and not following someone else's "expert advice" down to the T. However; I do believe in learning different styles to get a handle on what works and what doesn't. It's not wrong to follow someone on a DVD through a tough workout but you'll only be second rate when you allow yourself to go at the same speed, tempo and time as another person. Its awesome to have goals that go for a period of time but with consistence all year round, you're building a habit that creates results that you can maintain for life.
Never taking a day off in nearly 11 years has taught me many things and one of them is to never stop learning and adjust to your status of physical, mental & emotional levels of what to do on a day to day basis. There are days where i'm not up for something an hour long or want to go so hard I feel like Rocky and just want to train being relaxed, go for a swim, live in the moments of deep breathing & meditation. Exercise doesn't always involve moving; there are days where I'll do nothing but Isometrics and do holds for various amounts of time, either way i'm always doing something even in certain exercises it looks like i'm not doing a damn thing.
Seeing training as a hardcore thing is a mental aspect to certain people but believe it or not, you can train with the out most intensity without physically doing anything on the outside. You want to talk hardcore training; you won't see me lift 600 lbs. on a barbell or run on a treadmill so hard its going out of style, to me hardcore is just moving your body in awkward positions and or utilizing combos while being heavier than most doing this stuff. I train all year round because its not only a habit but more than just a lifestyle, its freedom and taking on challenges that I have yet to experience.
What they don't teach you at planet "fitness" or "eat my shorts meathead" gym, hell even at "Look like Tarzan, lift like Jane" Fitness Center is that to get results, it takes effort and commitment to get what you want but you must pay first and keep paying for not showing up and rather have you do the latter. Get your own equipment, train on your own time, move your body that is suitable for your current level and do what makes you happy without having to wait while Zoolander McPrettyboy is texting in the middle of a set where you want to take weight on. Be an all year rounder, not a winter coat couch potato or a summer-timing beach body attempting psycho, get fit no matter what time of the year because in parts of the world there is no beach body season or New years resolutions because you never know when something might snatch up and be taken away from you. Take advantage and make it happen regardless of what season it is and we all know your New Years "Resolution" isn't going any further than Oscars Night.
I believe in being creative and not following someone else's "expert advice" down to the T. However; I do believe in learning different styles to get a handle on what works and what doesn't. It's not wrong to follow someone on a DVD through a tough workout but you'll only be second rate when you allow yourself to go at the same speed, tempo and time as another person. Its awesome to have goals that go for a period of time but with consistence all year round, you're building a habit that creates results that you can maintain for life.
Never taking a day off in nearly 11 years has taught me many things and one of them is to never stop learning and adjust to your status of physical, mental & emotional levels of what to do on a day to day basis. There are days where i'm not up for something an hour long or want to go so hard I feel like Rocky and just want to train being relaxed, go for a swim, live in the moments of deep breathing & meditation. Exercise doesn't always involve moving; there are days where I'll do nothing but Isometrics and do holds for various amounts of time, either way i'm always doing something even in certain exercises it looks like i'm not doing a damn thing.
Seeing training as a hardcore thing is a mental aspect to certain people but believe it or not, you can train with the out most intensity without physically doing anything on the outside. You want to talk hardcore training; you won't see me lift 600 lbs. on a barbell or run on a treadmill so hard its going out of style, to me hardcore is just moving your body in awkward positions and or utilizing combos while being heavier than most doing this stuff. I train all year round because its not only a habit but more than just a lifestyle, its freedom and taking on challenges that I have yet to experience.
What they don't teach you at planet "fitness" or "eat my shorts meathead" gym, hell even at "Look like Tarzan, lift like Jane" Fitness Center is that to get results, it takes effort and commitment to get what you want but you must pay first and keep paying for not showing up and rather have you do the latter. Get your own equipment, train on your own time, move your body that is suitable for your current level and do what makes you happy without having to wait while Zoolander McPrettyboy is texting in the middle of a set where you want to take weight on. Be an all year rounder, not a winter coat couch potato or a summer-timing beach body attempting psycho, get fit no matter what time of the year because in parts of the world there is no beach body season or New years resolutions because you never know when something might snatch up and be taken away from you. Take advantage and make it happen regardless of what season it is and we all know your New Years "Resolution" isn't going any further than Oscars Night.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Power Up Your Hormones On HIIT
For men, hormones are a big deal and the older we get, the more important it is to maintain. Natural hormones create a fusion of energy that carries nerves all over the body and keeps us young and vibrant. When that energy throughout the nerves begins to go down, our bodies come down with; losing muscle, gaining bodyfat, lack of energy, the soldier hiding more often than saluting & more.
It takes specific training and developing strategy that not only charges up the hormones but skyrockets them into the next galaxy. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the very basis of generating that area to where in a matter of only a few workouts, you can jump up your testosterone very quickly. There are many ways to do it but you have to go so hard for only 30 seconds or less and rest a minimum of 3x that (90 Seconds). How often do you need to do this? Roughly 2x a week but no more than 3x a week. How many rounds or sets? Some in the beginning can only do 2, others can do up to 5, the most elite don't do more than 7-10.
You can do this by doing anything that gets you huffing and puffing fast such as; Sprinting, Lifting weights at a fast pace, running hard on the treadmill, jumping rope, Push-ups, Jumping Jacks, Bear Crawls, Snatches, Squats whatever feels right to you. When you power up on your hormones you'll start to see & feel these benefits; Losing weight, building dense muscle, burning fat like a furnace, intense sexual energy, burning calories even after hours of the workout, higher state of euphoria, focused, greater sleep and a hell of a lot more. I'm over 30 so I'm just beginning that stage where maintaining testosterone is important, when you're over 40, it becomes critical.
To get an idea on ways to use HIIT here are a few places to check up on.....
Superhero Sprints
Animal Workouts
Darebee Training
The Twisted Conditioning Series
Weightlifting Made Easy & Interesting
It takes specific training and developing strategy that not only charges up the hormones but skyrockets them into the next galaxy. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the very basis of generating that area to where in a matter of only a few workouts, you can jump up your testosterone very quickly. There are many ways to do it but you have to go so hard for only 30 seconds or less and rest a minimum of 3x that (90 Seconds). How often do you need to do this? Roughly 2x a week but no more than 3x a week. How many rounds or sets? Some in the beginning can only do 2, others can do up to 5, the most elite don't do more than 7-10.
You can do this by doing anything that gets you huffing and puffing fast such as; Sprinting, Lifting weights at a fast pace, running hard on the treadmill, jumping rope, Push-ups, Jumping Jacks, Bear Crawls, Snatches, Squats whatever feels right to you. When you power up on your hormones you'll start to see & feel these benefits; Losing weight, building dense muscle, burning fat like a furnace, intense sexual energy, burning calories even after hours of the workout, higher state of euphoria, focused, greater sleep and a hell of a lot more. I'm over 30 so I'm just beginning that stage where maintaining testosterone is important, when you're over 40, it becomes critical.
To get an idea on ways to use HIIT here are a few places to check up on.....
Superhero Sprints
Animal Workouts
Darebee Training
The Twisted Conditioning Series
Weightlifting Made Easy & Interesting
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Why Do Things That Work Best For You???
Over my lifetime, very few things have ever truly worked for me and shaped my life over the course of experimenting and learning. School wasn't the greatest thing for me and didn't enjoy it much, only liked maybe 3 things about it...Drama, Track (Maybe) & Weight Training. Since then I went back and forth doing little jobs that barely lasted enough for a pay day and wanted to lift. Since my accident that changed too.
When began experimenting almost exclusively bodyweight exercises, some things just came natural to me and worked. Did more things and more stuff kept popping up, before I knew it I had an arsenal of exercise weaponry and knowledge that helped turn me into a fitness machine. I may not run 100 miles or do 3000 Squats, endless and worthless crunches but I can do things most men my size & age can't do and that's something I'm very proud of. Why do they work for me; hard to explain but if I had to some it up I'd say it because they make me happy and I feel it doesn't take too much effort (even though they were tough as hell in the beginning).
Doing things that work for you may not always work for others. I do my best to not teach to do the same exact things but to help find your potential and give you resources that not only hit you like lightning but help you make them feel as natural and effortless as possible even though you're putting in effort to make them work. For the most part, I believe in challenges but I don't believe in making you work so damn hard and nothing is clicking for you, its just not practical and or sane to do. If it doesn't click with you, something's up. Whenever I train and something doesn't click, I toss it in the trash or save it for a rainy day and just play around with it but really most of the time I train in a manner that makes me feel awesome inside and challenges me but at the same time comes natural to me effortlessly.
Some things can be a pain in the ass but if you make the effort and learn plus use it to your liking, things will happen; you won't be as stressed, you move with greater ease, have a blast and it doesn't cause you pain. I really hate that term "no pain, no gain" its a crock of crap to get you to push so hard you might as collapse and die. I believe in the term "all gain, no pain" where you can built up great muscle but without the unnecessary pain that doesn't have you function very well. I'm all for making an effort and hitting little peaks but I also believe in recovery, flow & working hard enough to where its just right. Remember Goldie Locks & The Three Bears...Here's my philosophy...
Papa Bear Fitness: Its too hard, painful & doesn't seem right
Mama Bear Fitness: It's too soft, not enough effort and no real challenge (BORING)
Baby Bear Fitness: It's just right, enough effort to where its fun and challenging but not to the point of pain and suffering that makes me feel like crap.
Be like Baby Bear Fitness guys. Fitness aught to fun, unique, challenging both for the brain & the physical body. Pain-Free & Injury-Free as much as possible. The ability to grow without being put through torture that questions your training.
When began experimenting almost exclusively bodyweight exercises, some things just came natural to me and worked. Did more things and more stuff kept popping up, before I knew it I had an arsenal of exercise weaponry and knowledge that helped turn me into a fitness machine. I may not run 100 miles or do 3000 Squats, endless and worthless crunches but I can do things most men my size & age can't do and that's something I'm very proud of. Why do they work for me; hard to explain but if I had to some it up I'd say it because they make me happy and I feel it doesn't take too much effort (even though they were tough as hell in the beginning).
Doing things that work for you may not always work for others. I do my best to not teach to do the same exact things but to help find your potential and give you resources that not only hit you like lightning but help you make them feel as natural and effortless as possible even though you're putting in effort to make them work. For the most part, I believe in challenges but I don't believe in making you work so damn hard and nothing is clicking for you, its just not practical and or sane to do. If it doesn't click with you, something's up. Whenever I train and something doesn't click, I toss it in the trash or save it for a rainy day and just play around with it but really most of the time I train in a manner that makes me feel awesome inside and challenges me but at the same time comes natural to me effortlessly.
Some things can be a pain in the ass but if you make the effort and learn plus use it to your liking, things will happen; you won't be as stressed, you move with greater ease, have a blast and it doesn't cause you pain. I really hate that term "no pain, no gain" its a crock of crap to get you to push so hard you might as collapse and die. I believe in the term "all gain, no pain" where you can built up great muscle but without the unnecessary pain that doesn't have you function very well. I'm all for making an effort and hitting little peaks but I also believe in recovery, flow & working hard enough to where its just right. Remember Goldie Locks & The Three Bears...Here's my philosophy...
Papa Bear Fitness: Its too hard, painful & doesn't seem right
Mama Bear Fitness: It's too soft, not enough effort and no real challenge (BORING)
Baby Bear Fitness: It's just right, enough effort to where its fun and challenging but not to the point of pain and suffering that makes me feel like crap.
Be like Baby Bear Fitness guys. Fitness aught to fun, unique, challenging both for the brain & the physical body. Pain-Free & Injury-Free as much as possible. The ability to grow without being put through torture that questions your training.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Play To Build The Brain
It is important to learn the facets of a routine; knowing what to do, how to do it and understanding the route from A to B. Not all routines are equaled though, not everything will be what it seems and the unexpected tends to pop up at random times. The best routine is to teach the brain the unexpected. For instance, my current training is based on many things I have learned and molding them into a workout where I don't know where the hell I'm going, but I know what the hell i'm doing.
I play to strengthen the brain, ever since I was little I always had to learn things a little differently since having the meningitis. A lot of what I learned came from Video Games and observing others both in life and in film/tv, I know that sounds really odd and very weird but its true. I never not went outside and played I did a ton of that too and it was playing that gave me certain tools that transferred into my nerves and help me coordinate my body and use my mind in a unique way. I developed a crazy memory over the years and I can't tell how I did in precise details because quite frankly I didn't even understand it until I got a little older.
When I was getting into Fitness on a serious level, I taught myself a lot of different exercises by reading books and doing them as best as I could. I got so deep in it that I just built up this knowledge of dozens upon dozens upon dozen of exercises, workouts, programs, the history, the details and just flat out by playing and mixing things up. My brain starting doing things it hasn't done as long as I can remember and that's developing stronger nerves to send into my body and "upgrading" a few things I never experienced before. I'm not the best at explaining things but what I can tell you is when you play and observe and learn your awareness effortlessly things begin to shift in your brain and bring in more flow and power that can help you enhance intelligence, create better emotional comprehension, sharpen your mind to do tough tasks and many other things.
Play to build your brain and things will come alive like you have never experienced before.
I play to strengthen the brain, ever since I was little I always had to learn things a little differently since having the meningitis. A lot of what I learned came from Video Games and observing others both in life and in film/tv, I know that sounds really odd and very weird but its true. I never not went outside and played I did a ton of that too and it was playing that gave me certain tools that transferred into my nerves and help me coordinate my body and use my mind in a unique way. I developed a crazy memory over the years and I can't tell how I did in precise details because quite frankly I didn't even understand it until I got a little older.
When I was getting into Fitness on a serious level, I taught myself a lot of different exercises by reading books and doing them as best as I could. I got so deep in it that I just built up this knowledge of dozens upon dozens upon dozen of exercises, workouts, programs, the history, the details and just flat out by playing and mixing things up. My brain starting doing things it hasn't done as long as I can remember and that's developing stronger nerves to send into my body and "upgrading" a few things I never experienced before. I'm not the best at explaining things but what I can tell you is when you play and observe and learn your awareness effortlessly things begin to shift in your brain and bring in more flow and power that can help you enhance intelligence, create better emotional comprehension, sharpen your mind to do tough tasks and many other things.
Play to build your brain and things will come alive like you have never experienced before.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Move Stretch Play Like An Animal
Being inspired by the upcoming Tarzan Film, I'm edging my way back to doing Animal Movements. Having the ability to change things up and honing a skill I haven't practiced in a while is not only a blessing but a lot of fun. Most of the time, I have no structure when it comes to training like an Animal and why should I; the only routine an animal ever really has is when its in captivity otherwise they rely on instinct and need that jolt for when they need to eat or run from prey.
I don't necessarily do rep schemes unless its the animal dice game otherwise i'm moving and stretching by instinct and working my brain at the same time. I get it some people are very much into their routine because it gives them comfort, safety and they know what to hit. If you're out in the wild, routines are basically out the damn window. The ability to adapt and improve takes practice and learning how to use your brain from as many angles as possible. When you get caught up in a routine, there's not a whole lot of changes, the body becomes use to what you're doing and at times more than likely slows down your progress than bringing it up, granted some routines work fantastically and has made many results but at the same time its important to switch things up because in order to develop higher brain activity, you must be willing to change things up in a moment's notice and take on different tasks that develop greater nerve power.
That's the beauty of various forms of movement especially Animal moves; its a constant change and shift in the body's ability to perform sometimes out of nowhere by having strength in awkward positions, the ability to balance whether bi-pedal or quadrupedal plus being flexible in as many positions as your body can stand. Just the mere stretch of The Scorpion Reach or the Crab Reach from Animal Flow creates sensations and automated shifts in how your body performs the exercise; its awkward at first but with practice it is beautiful to learn.
I believe in Exercise Freedom, making use of what you know and what you can learn to know that helps transition from one thing to another and just playing. Too many of us are over-analytical and never take the time to just play and learn what works. Learn to expect the unexpected and have fun otherwise you just go through the motions and never realize your true potential and imagination that can not only create results in a snap but shoot them through the roof.
I don't necessarily do rep schemes unless its the animal dice game otherwise i'm moving and stretching by instinct and working my brain at the same time. I get it some people are very much into their routine because it gives them comfort, safety and they know what to hit. If you're out in the wild, routines are basically out the damn window. The ability to adapt and improve takes practice and learning how to use your brain from as many angles as possible. When you get caught up in a routine, there's not a whole lot of changes, the body becomes use to what you're doing and at times more than likely slows down your progress than bringing it up, granted some routines work fantastically and has made many results but at the same time its important to switch things up because in order to develop higher brain activity, you must be willing to change things up in a moment's notice and take on different tasks that develop greater nerve power.
That's the beauty of various forms of movement especially Animal moves; its a constant change and shift in the body's ability to perform sometimes out of nowhere by having strength in awkward positions, the ability to balance whether bi-pedal or quadrupedal plus being flexible in as many positions as your body can stand. Just the mere stretch of The Scorpion Reach or the Crab Reach from Animal Flow creates sensations and automated shifts in how your body performs the exercise; its awkward at first but with practice it is beautiful to learn.
I believe in Exercise Freedom, making use of what you know and what you can learn to know that helps transition from one thing to another and just playing. Too many of us are over-analytical and never take the time to just play and learn what works. Learn to expect the unexpected and have fun otherwise you just go through the motions and never realize your true potential and imagination that can not only create results in a snap but shoot them through the roof.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
An Animal Never Takes A Day Off
When I think about people wanting a day off because they're sore or there's nothing in them for that day or they're doing their split routines and having "time off" for recovery; makes me want to ask them if "you ever heard of a tiger or a gorilla taking a day off?" Does a gorilla ever say "I'm going to take a week off after climbing this tree" or a cheetah telling himself "you know what, I ran hard today so maybe a couple days off since there isn't anything to do in the jungle" its not going to happen.
Animals have it far worse than we do and i'm talking the wild ones not the ones in captivity where there's "Structure" and domestication but do they complain about back aches or hurting thighs hell do they think its cool to just shrug it off for a day or two because their muscles are just downright out of it? Let me tell you something, if an animal even remotely screws up he's someone else's prey or couldn't find enough food to live on and starved to death. Compared to us humans we have it easy, there's really no apparent reason to ever take a day off of training. We don't need to do the same intensity all the time but we always aught to do something no matter how small or big.
I've learned this new philosophy that unless you're paralyzed from the hair follicle down, there's no excuse to take a day off. You have more than enough muscles in your body that function the way they're supposed to, so if you're sore in one area, utilize another, it doesn't take a genius to know that when one door doesn't open another does and you have the opportunity to make the best of it. Motivation starts in the mind, when you transfer it to the body everything falls into place. I understand many aren't motivated but for the most part a lot of the reasons are very much inexcusable "I don't have time" you always have time, a workout can be less than 5 minutes or even 1 minute to start with, "I can't afford the gym" use your own bodyweight and do little things to start like jumping jacks, marching in place, Isometrics; "I don't have the equipment" again use your bodyweight, go to a park, use rails, do isometric pulldowns while riding the bus; "The gym is too far away" do things at home or in the yard like squat holds, push-ups, exercise in your chair; "People will laugh at me" people will always give someone a hard time but look at it this way, while they have nothing else to do, you're doing something more important for yourself.
I believe in being able to do something even for a minute and most can do things for a minute, nothing is going to happen overnight, it takes time & patience plus effort but if you can do a little effort even down to the smallest fraction and build up little by little big things will happen. I love what I do but not because its glamorous or always fun, I do it because I know what it's like to be low and not be able to do much, I had broken legs for nearly several months and it was more than damn difficult to keep up my mind and do what I felt I needed to do. I had not one person telling me to not rehab with PT, nobody gave me the motivation and most people I knew didn't believe in what I wanted to do, nobody encouraged me. I had two choices really and one of them was just give up and do what everyone should tell me to do; I chose not to do that despite what was thrown at me. Don't ever think being motivated is by having others encourage you and giving you praises and inspiration; that's not going to happen for everyone.
Animals are a bit of the same way, nobody tells them what to do, they go on instinct and what they're choices are simple and that's either survive or die that's it. There's not a whole lot of encouragement, sure there's packs of different animals in a tribe but for the most part, they're on their own and when family isn't around the chances of survival is extremely slim. Taken a day off in my mind is a sin unless its in extreme circumstance otherwise if you can turn your head, wiggle your fingers, move your toes, move your stomach forward and back or hell only able to lift your arm only mere inches that's still doing something and can be made into amazing training if you put the effort into it. Yes I can be harsh at times but its not to punish or put down anyone, its part of my self-discipline and what I choose to do on my terms and how I view things from personal experiences to mere observations.
Be like an animal, always learn what's possible and make it happen.
Animals have it far worse than we do and i'm talking the wild ones not the ones in captivity where there's "Structure" and domestication but do they complain about back aches or hurting thighs hell do they think its cool to just shrug it off for a day or two because their muscles are just downright out of it? Let me tell you something, if an animal even remotely screws up he's someone else's prey or couldn't find enough food to live on and starved to death. Compared to us humans we have it easy, there's really no apparent reason to ever take a day off of training. We don't need to do the same intensity all the time but we always aught to do something no matter how small or big.
I've learned this new philosophy that unless you're paralyzed from the hair follicle down, there's no excuse to take a day off. You have more than enough muscles in your body that function the way they're supposed to, so if you're sore in one area, utilize another, it doesn't take a genius to know that when one door doesn't open another does and you have the opportunity to make the best of it. Motivation starts in the mind, when you transfer it to the body everything falls into place. I understand many aren't motivated but for the most part a lot of the reasons are very much inexcusable "I don't have time" you always have time, a workout can be less than 5 minutes or even 1 minute to start with, "I can't afford the gym" use your own bodyweight and do little things to start like jumping jacks, marching in place, Isometrics; "I don't have the equipment" again use your bodyweight, go to a park, use rails, do isometric pulldowns while riding the bus; "The gym is too far away" do things at home or in the yard like squat holds, push-ups, exercise in your chair; "People will laugh at me" people will always give someone a hard time but look at it this way, while they have nothing else to do, you're doing something more important for yourself.
I believe in being able to do something even for a minute and most can do things for a minute, nothing is going to happen overnight, it takes time & patience plus effort but if you can do a little effort even down to the smallest fraction and build up little by little big things will happen. I love what I do but not because its glamorous or always fun, I do it because I know what it's like to be low and not be able to do much, I had broken legs for nearly several months and it was more than damn difficult to keep up my mind and do what I felt I needed to do. I had not one person telling me to not rehab with PT, nobody gave me the motivation and most people I knew didn't believe in what I wanted to do, nobody encouraged me. I had two choices really and one of them was just give up and do what everyone should tell me to do; I chose not to do that despite what was thrown at me. Don't ever think being motivated is by having others encourage you and giving you praises and inspiration; that's not going to happen for everyone.
Animals are a bit of the same way, nobody tells them what to do, they go on instinct and what they're choices are simple and that's either survive or die that's it. There's not a whole lot of encouragement, sure there's packs of different animals in a tribe but for the most part, they're on their own and when family isn't around the chances of survival is extremely slim. Taken a day off in my mind is a sin unless its in extreme circumstance otherwise if you can turn your head, wiggle your fingers, move your toes, move your stomach forward and back or hell only able to lift your arm only mere inches that's still doing something and can be made into amazing training if you put the effort into it. Yes I can be harsh at times but its not to punish or put down anyone, its part of my self-discipline and what I choose to do on my terms and how I view things from personal experiences to mere observations.
Be like an animal, always learn what's possible and make it happen.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Tarzan Is Coming Back To The Big Screen
Oh baby, I've been itching to see the Ape Man on the big screen again for some time and now its finally here (July 1st to be exact). The last Tarzan film that was reasonable was Disney's take on the Jungle Man back in the 90's (For you youngins) and I was around 14-15 years old so it was literally over half a lifetime ago for me LOL and it was and still is one of my all-time favorites. I fantasized like a lot of kids what it would be like to travel through the jungle in trees and running on the ground like a gorilla. After a number of years I've come to accept that Apes are my favorite animals and I intend to move like one off and on the rest of my life.
The character embodies the perfect man; the physique, the strength, the speed, agility & significant genius of survival, second that comes to mind comes between Batman & Indiana Jones. His movements are so keen and powerful that whether you've heard of the name or not, seeing what he can do is jaw dropping and inspiring. When it came to conditioning, one of the things that came up was how one on how to train like the ape man; training on the Charles Atlas course, high rep calisthenics & swimming were those things. I started digging more and learned a few things but nothing for me has come close to what the exercises for Animal Movements has brought.
You see, most people who knew of the Tarzan films starting back in the 30's with Johnny Weissmuller then on had a common theme with most actors such as Ron Ely, Mike Henry & a couple others where they worked out by doing nothing but calisthenics & Swimming (Good ole' Johnny) which it should be because don't get me wrong the new guy as the Ape Man looks in phenomenal shape but Tarzan doesn't lift weights or operate heavy artillery in his style so he relies on nothing but his own body and the environment he's occupied in e.g the Jungle. Animal Movements are the closest thing next to the Movement Style MovNat to actually getting into that Jungle Man mode. You crawl, jump, climb, swim, move rocks, swing, balance & run (I rather sprint thank you). It inspires me to learn how to develop my body in a unique way and have a lot of fun with it. I'm a heavy dude and am no where near Tarzan's lean, mean, fighting physique but that doesn't stop me from doing kick ass things and have the opportunity to train and move like a wild man.
This looks like the most epic version of the Tarzan Mythology yet especially with how they CGI'd the Gorillas. Read the story is a tad different but not by much. He'll be played by Swedish Actor Alexander Skarsgård (to you fans of True Blood) whom I've only heard of by a couple things so I don't have exact opinions of his acting abilities but apparently he did enough to land the role so we'll see. To get more familiar of the Character check out the old films (long before Disney) by going here.....I highly recommend the Mike Henry version since I consider him the best looking but the best acting of the character belongs to two guys; Ron Ely & Jock Mahoney. Some of the acting is a little out there but pay attention to the story and the excitement of the adventures he endures. My personal favorites however are with Johnny Weissmuller with Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane.
The character embodies the perfect man; the physique, the strength, the speed, agility & significant genius of survival, second that comes to mind comes between Batman & Indiana Jones. His movements are so keen and powerful that whether you've heard of the name or not, seeing what he can do is jaw dropping and inspiring. When it came to conditioning, one of the things that came up was how one on how to train like the ape man; training on the Charles Atlas course, high rep calisthenics & swimming were those things. I started digging more and learned a few things but nothing for me has come close to what the exercises for Animal Movements has brought.
You see, most people who knew of the Tarzan films starting back in the 30's with Johnny Weissmuller then on had a common theme with most actors such as Ron Ely, Mike Henry & a couple others where they worked out by doing nothing but calisthenics & Swimming (Good ole' Johnny) which it should be because don't get me wrong the new guy as the Ape Man looks in phenomenal shape but Tarzan doesn't lift weights or operate heavy artillery in his style so he relies on nothing but his own body and the environment he's occupied in e.g the Jungle. Animal Movements are the closest thing next to the Movement Style MovNat to actually getting into that Jungle Man mode. You crawl, jump, climb, swim, move rocks, swing, balance & run (I rather sprint thank you). It inspires me to learn how to develop my body in a unique way and have a lot of fun with it. I'm a heavy dude and am no where near Tarzan's lean, mean, fighting physique but that doesn't stop me from doing kick ass things and have the opportunity to train and move like a wild man.
This looks like the most epic version of the Tarzan Mythology yet especially with how they CGI'd the Gorillas. Read the story is a tad different but not by much. He'll be played by Swedish Actor Alexander Skarsgård (to you fans of True Blood) whom I've only heard of by a couple things so I don't have exact opinions of his acting abilities but apparently he did enough to land the role so we'll see. To get more familiar of the Character check out the old films (long before Disney) by going here.....I highly recommend the Mike Henry version since I consider him the best looking but the best acting of the character belongs to two guys; Ron Ely & Jock Mahoney. Some of the acting is a little out there but pay attention to the story and the excitement of the adventures he endures. My personal favorites however are with Johnny Weissmuller with Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Developing VRT Exercise Routines
Been going crazy over the VRT training lately and its beginning to be more addicting everyday. I test out different routines to keep the mind fresh and the body constantly adapting because as you know or may not realize, once you begin peaking and nothing really changes, that means your body is used to what you've been doing to it. To get the best results is to change things up on an often basis. No problem doing the same exercises but make sure to switch around the order and the level of intensity.
The fastest routine I can get through lately is doing the exercises in Supersets (2 exercises back to back, no rest) and continue this throughout the workout. My order has been 9 exercises, 8 of them in superset fashion. This is a great way to really jack up your heart rate hence the fat burning mechanism, intensity is a little higher and you can do it in one of two ways, do them as same muscle groups (Curl, Cable Pulls) or Opposite Muscles (Back/Chest) for example. You can create any order and do a routine any way you see fit. Some people like to do them one at a time, some done in circuits whatever is comfortable for you.
Some people have actually used VRT as a primary bodybuilding routine done on split days like the old-time muscle builders, it works great for that too. I once read that a guy does this type of training for a full hour and a half for bodybuilding. I like to be able to get done fast and over with as possible. As adventurous the system is, my brain just doesn't do well with intense training for a long period of time. I'd keep it under 30 min. more like 20 and i'm fine. Create the routine that suits your goals, the time needed & making the most out of your training. It is a beautiful system that can be done anywhere, anytime. My favorite place is outdoors getting that vitamin D while taking in fresh air, doesn't get any better than that. Some prefer indoors, that's awesome; how about listening to your favorite tunes like you would in the gym, you can do that too. Learn what you want out of it, develop a routine that aids in building primarily muscle, or boosting cardio or whatever; take the time to figure out what gets you in the habit and fire away. Make VRT your own.
The fastest routine I can get through lately is doing the exercises in Supersets (2 exercises back to back, no rest) and continue this throughout the workout. My order has been 9 exercises, 8 of them in superset fashion. This is a great way to really jack up your heart rate hence the fat burning mechanism, intensity is a little higher and you can do it in one of two ways, do them as same muscle groups (Curl, Cable Pulls) or Opposite Muscles (Back/Chest) for example. You can create any order and do a routine any way you see fit. Some people like to do them one at a time, some done in circuits whatever is comfortable for you.
Some people have actually used VRT as a primary bodybuilding routine done on split days like the old-time muscle builders, it works great for that too. I once read that a guy does this type of training for a full hour and a half for bodybuilding. I like to be able to get done fast and over with as possible. As adventurous the system is, my brain just doesn't do well with intense training for a long period of time. I'd keep it under 30 min. more like 20 and i'm fine. Create the routine that suits your goals, the time needed & making the most out of your training. It is a beautiful system that can be done anywhere, anytime. My favorite place is outdoors getting that vitamin D while taking in fresh air, doesn't get any better than that. Some prefer indoors, that's awesome; how about listening to your favorite tunes like you would in the gym, you can do that too. Learn what you want out of it, develop a routine that aids in building primarily muscle, or boosting cardio or whatever; take the time to figure out what gets you in the habit and fire away. Make VRT your own.
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