There aren't many courses dedicated to the Burpee but one I found truly does that and then some. It's written and published by MMA Conditioning Specialist Funk Roberts called 50 Shades Of Burpees. Here's the scoop on it...
Just when you think there were only a few variations of the Burpee, good ole Funk puts the cherry on top of a giant cake with 200 Variations and over 50 workouts ranging from Sports to MMA, Conditioning, Beginner & Advanced. The names alone are pretty awesome but once you see what the workouts consists of it makes it even more bad ass. Although its geared towards Finisher Circuits and Tabata Style Circuits, it can still inspire other ways of High Intensity Interval Training.
Learn the history of the Burpee and why its practically pound for pound one of the best if not the best in getting a heavy workout anywhere anytime using little to no equipment that burns fat, builds muscle and adds on HGH like there's no tomorrow. To me the price was well worth it and i'm just touching the surface of the amount of variations I've tested myself on. Understand why its a staple for conditioning for world-class athletes, military and law enforcement recruits to test the wills of individuals who seek and are demanded high quality endurance and toughness. For examples of the variations check out the Video below.
44 Of The Greatest Burpees Ever
Friday, October 21, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Getting Back To The Bridge
Hey Bad Asses,
I've been getting back into Bridging lately mainly to stay in good shape but more importantly keeping my spine and abs strong especially when it comes to recovery from my Burpee HIIT Workouts. It's important to keep your neck and spine healthy even in various sports like Football, Wrestling, MMA and others. I have been off and on doing Bridging Exercises for over a decade now and even at 32 Its important to maintain that healthy spinal cord and keeping the core strong well into my 40's in the next decade and beyond. Sure I'm young and still vibrant compared to those in those in their 50's and 60's but at the same time I feel bad for those poor souls in their 20's and in my age range already having issues with their joints, aching backs and thinking they're "invincible" and testing their limits in just everything. I'm all for having a great time and testing what you're capable of but at some point, certain things will come back and bite you in the ass if you don't take care of yourself.
I've read reports on crossfitters as young as 17 already having back surgeries and tearing their joints to death before they're even fully developed. Young girls in their 20's putting on way too much muscle for their structure to handle and training hard as much as 6 days a week and busting up their bodies like its a prestigious thing to do. I get it; the excitement, temptation and the belief that if you push yourself to the max you'll go far. Actually the opposite is true; when you don't give yourself the time to recover, being aware of your body's ability to regenerate and not progressing according to your body's needs you will get hurt and have injuries you can never come back from.
Back to me talking to you about my latest bridging endeavors; whether on my days off or some time before my big HIIT Workouts I've been working towards slowly building back the type of flexibility I had back in my 20's where going into bridge wasn't all that difficult with or without a wall, hold a gymnastic bridge well and bridging for health reasons not for the glory of being crazy flexible and strong in the exercises themselves. Last night I did 3 types of bridges just before I started writing this. It helped clear my brain, felt more relaxed and getting that endorphin high that only bridging can give me. This is the type of training that opens up the body in a very meditative manner, its intense but not hardcore. Its not only a way to build strength but also put muscle on the legs, back, abs & yes the neck. Most people cringe seeing someone holding a position where their head and feet are the only body parts touching the floor and of course its not for everyone yet the percentage of that is extremely low. Its understandable but when you don't give into fear and look at what its really capable of in terms of your overall health, the way it could protect from very harmful injuries and be the very reason your spine is as strong as it can be. I could easily hold a 3 min. back bridge cold if I wanted to but doing only one type of bridge will have me neglecting the other muscles in the neck and work my abdominals from another position. The Back Bridge or wrestler's bridge extends the abdominal wall while the front bridge is the flexion of that position. You want to have your muscles working in the best positions possible working opposite areas of the body not from an isolation standpoint but utilizing the body as a whole.
Bridging is one of the areas of exercise that has helped stayed injured-free for years; I've never had a spinal injury, never bruised my neck, never had a concussion and have kept my back so strong I've never really had to take as much as an asprin or muscle relaxer when it had a spasm or two. I feel healthier and stronger when I bridge & I get into a greater state of meditation than through any other method. It puts me into a state of mind that is calming and soothing even though it is an intense contraction or isometric hold throughout the exercise. You can learn more about by checking out my friend Logan Christopher's course called Advanced Bridging. Its got info on everything he knows about the Bridge from the simple holds to doing insane athletic moves, some of which I learned personally from him. He is the main reason why I love Bridging so much, he doesn't just teach the exercises, he goes into the very depths of the underworld on Bridging and what it can accomplish with the right strategies for flexibility, conditioning and unbelievable level of strength & agility that you won't get from anything else.
Learn about it and let me know what it has done for you. Always love finding out from others what they think of courses like this.
Have a great day and keep in touch. You all are awesome.
Big Ben
I've been getting back into Bridging lately mainly to stay in good shape but more importantly keeping my spine and abs strong especially when it comes to recovery from my Burpee HIIT Workouts. It's important to keep your neck and spine healthy even in various sports like Football, Wrestling, MMA and others. I have been off and on doing Bridging Exercises for over a decade now and even at 32 Its important to maintain that healthy spinal cord and keeping the core strong well into my 40's in the next decade and beyond. Sure I'm young and still vibrant compared to those in those in their 50's and 60's but at the same time I feel bad for those poor souls in their 20's and in my age range already having issues with their joints, aching backs and thinking they're "invincible" and testing their limits in just everything. I'm all for having a great time and testing what you're capable of but at some point, certain things will come back and bite you in the ass if you don't take care of yourself.
I've read reports on crossfitters as young as 17 already having back surgeries and tearing their joints to death before they're even fully developed. Young girls in their 20's putting on way too much muscle for their structure to handle and training hard as much as 6 days a week and busting up their bodies like its a prestigious thing to do. I get it; the excitement, temptation and the belief that if you push yourself to the max you'll go far. Actually the opposite is true; when you don't give yourself the time to recover, being aware of your body's ability to regenerate and not progressing according to your body's needs you will get hurt and have injuries you can never come back from.
Back to me talking to you about my latest bridging endeavors; whether on my days off or some time before my big HIIT Workouts I've been working towards slowly building back the type of flexibility I had back in my 20's where going into bridge wasn't all that difficult with or without a wall, hold a gymnastic bridge well and bridging for health reasons not for the glory of being crazy flexible and strong in the exercises themselves. Last night I did 3 types of bridges just before I started writing this. It helped clear my brain, felt more relaxed and getting that endorphin high that only bridging can give me. This is the type of training that opens up the body in a very meditative manner, its intense but not hardcore. Its not only a way to build strength but also put muscle on the legs, back, abs & yes the neck. Most people cringe seeing someone holding a position where their head and feet are the only body parts touching the floor and of course its not for everyone yet the percentage of that is extremely low. Its understandable but when you don't give into fear and look at what its really capable of in terms of your overall health, the way it could protect from very harmful injuries and be the very reason your spine is as strong as it can be. I could easily hold a 3 min. back bridge cold if I wanted to but doing only one type of bridge will have me neglecting the other muscles in the neck and work my abdominals from another position. The Back Bridge or wrestler's bridge extends the abdominal wall while the front bridge is the flexion of that position. You want to have your muscles working in the best positions possible working opposite areas of the body not from an isolation standpoint but utilizing the body as a whole.
Bridging is one of the areas of exercise that has helped stayed injured-free for years; I've never had a spinal injury, never bruised my neck, never had a concussion and have kept my back so strong I've never really had to take as much as an asprin or muscle relaxer when it had a spasm or two. I feel healthier and stronger when I bridge & I get into a greater state of meditation than through any other method. It puts me into a state of mind that is calming and soothing even though it is an intense contraction or isometric hold throughout the exercise. You can learn more about by checking out my friend Logan Christopher's course called Advanced Bridging. Its got info on everything he knows about the Bridge from the simple holds to doing insane athletic moves, some of which I learned personally from him. He is the main reason why I love Bridging so much, he doesn't just teach the exercises, he goes into the very depths of the underworld on Bridging and what it can accomplish with the right strategies for flexibility, conditioning and unbelievable level of strength & agility that you won't get from anything else.
Learn about it and let me know what it has done for you. Always love finding out from others what they think of courses like this.
Have a great day and keep in touch. You all are awesome.
Big Ben
Monday, October 17, 2016
4 Minute Abs
Anyone who's been around infomercials knows about the Super Core Workout: 8 Minute Abs. The type of workout that is quick and get you building muscle in less than 10 minutes a day. Let me point out that most infomercials are full of bullshite and are really just entertaining globs of crap that 95% of the time or higher have no real usage in the real world or in real based fitness elements. Those little videos of "fit" people trying to sell a product to the average person where they suck you in and make you put down money that you earned through hard work (or stole out of your nana's purse) so you can "build" the body of a greek god or goddess. Talk about marketing BS.
What if there was a way to not only cut that time in half but get greater results without the need to really hype anything and go with old-fasioned, balls to the wall conditioning that works for all fitness levels with progressions and variations that can take the weak and make them possibly nearly superhuman in the most humanly possible? Its the one exercise that can be done anywhere, anytime and will jack up your heart rate nearly or close to in the one of sprints. What if this one exercise got you winded so fast you need longer time to recover and not only that but jack up your hormones regardless of your age or your sex. Its the Burpee my fellow fitness crazies; a classic movement that has stood the test of time since it was a mainstay for World War II trainees to prepare for the fight of their lives. The Burpee puts on muscle, helps you lose weight, burn off fat and aids in your endurance all at the same time.
The Burpee not only hits the legs and muscles of the upper body but strikes into the very Core (pun intended) of your abs where stability and contraction are needed to doing a solid Burpee movement. So you're getting the best out of one exercise. When you add in the push-up it becomes an almost mystical form of conditioning where fat screams bloody murder, muscles pop up and your cardio becomes your greatest ally. How can you do this in 4 minutes? You can do 8 Intervals where you bust out a set for 30 seconds and then rest for 90; you're only working a total of 4 minutes and then dogging it the rest of the time. You can also use it as a finisher where you do 8 rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds rest. Think about it, being able to train a total of 12 minutes a week and be able to burn calories like crazy even hours after a workout. No more long and boring runs on a treadmill, no more forcing yourself to go outside in bad weather (seriously, you'd have to be into S&M if you think you can workout efficiently outside during a hurricane or in a place like Antarctica where the warmest weather is -18 and your balls are sucked back into ribcage) and no more excuses that you can't do them anywhere; you can do them in a hotel room, at the park, around the corner of your building, at home or anywhere else.
This is one of the fastest ways to put on lean muscle and burn fat like butter on a hot pan and have it melt like the Nazi in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Get your lungs firing and soon enough, you'll be seeing and feeling the body in a whole new light. Go ahead, give it a shot. You might like it.
What if there was a way to not only cut that time in half but get greater results without the need to really hype anything and go with old-fasioned, balls to the wall conditioning that works for all fitness levels with progressions and variations that can take the weak and make them possibly nearly superhuman in the most humanly possible? Its the one exercise that can be done anywhere, anytime and will jack up your heart rate nearly or close to in the one of sprints. What if this one exercise got you winded so fast you need longer time to recover and not only that but jack up your hormones regardless of your age or your sex. Its the Burpee my fellow fitness crazies; a classic movement that has stood the test of time since it was a mainstay for World War II trainees to prepare for the fight of their lives. The Burpee puts on muscle, helps you lose weight, burn off fat and aids in your endurance all at the same time.
The Burpee not only hits the legs and muscles of the upper body but strikes into the very Core (pun intended) of your abs where stability and contraction are needed to doing a solid Burpee movement. So you're getting the best out of one exercise. When you add in the push-up it becomes an almost mystical form of conditioning where fat screams bloody murder, muscles pop up and your cardio becomes your greatest ally. How can you do this in 4 minutes? You can do 8 Intervals where you bust out a set for 30 seconds and then rest for 90; you're only working a total of 4 minutes and then dogging it the rest of the time. You can also use it as a finisher where you do 8 rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds rest. Think about it, being able to train a total of 12 minutes a week and be able to burn calories like crazy even hours after a workout. No more long and boring runs on a treadmill, no more forcing yourself to go outside in bad weather (seriously, you'd have to be into S&M if you think you can workout efficiently outside during a hurricane or in a place like Antarctica where the warmest weather is -18 and your balls are sucked back into ribcage) and no more excuses that you can't do them anywhere; you can do them in a hotel room, at the park, around the corner of your building, at home or anywhere else.
This is one of the fastest ways to put on lean muscle and burn fat like butter on a hot pan and have it melt like the Nazi in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Get your lungs firing and soon enough, you'll be seeing and feeling the body in a whole new light. Go ahead, give it a shot. You might like it.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Sadistic Conditioning
Whether in sports, getting in shape or proving to your buddies, you want to be in the best shape possible for whatever an occasion calls for (mostly) not only at the beginning at something but just as much left in the tank for reserves at the end. Its important to challenge yourself and do better at your next workout but it doesn't have to be ruled like a crossfitter or a pro athlete. The average person for the most part won't last a conditioning workout like a MMA Fighter or Pro Football Player hell even a Pro Wrestler, its not meant to be like that yet you have all these magazines and "gurus" telling you that if you work out like a world-class individual you'll be just like them. Sure its great to have a fit body and have the stamina of a wrestler or the strength and speed of a linebacker but there's also hospital bills you could end up paying because you ended up injured or were sadistic enough to think you can handle it.
If i'm telling you this, why bother having a title this article says and be contradictory about it? Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat and that's developing your own style so you can be in the best shape you can be and be world-class all on your own. I have had people tell me how crazy i'am and how my strength and endurance is off the charts and all that but as fun as it is to hear that, I know there are people out there far better than I could ever be and i'm ok with that. I didn't start out being very strong and full of energy in the tank, I had to build up to it and it wasn't overnight, it took me a lot of years of experimenting, challenging myself and learning many aspects of full on conditioning. I'm no where near the level of World-Class Athletes but I can knock out 400 Squats & 250 Push-ups using a deck of cards, I can move a 30 lb. Thor Hammer and hit a tire over 1000 times, I can go a good 20 minutes doing Animal Exercise and Sprint up a hill well. I'm not saying these numbers to brag, its to tell you if you want to be sadistic and be World-Class on your own, it takes time and its never easy, hell if it was I'd have Hulk Strength & the speed of Quicksilver by now but it doesn't happen that way. Everyone is different.
The word Sadistic to many says i'm off my rocker, someone who has no regard for morals or throwing the rule book out the window yet if you were around me, I look nothing or act anything like that. To me Sadistic Conditioning is not how far you're willing to push yourself, its taking the rule book and making it my own, its willing to do something most wouldn't dare to go to, building my body through interested forms of exercise that I want to be the best at for myself and not be compared to anyone else. I see it as a way to make yourself different and not care what people say about you. I have my own levels of sensitivity and I take it day by day but in the end, I'm going to do what I love and be very good at it. Take risks man, test out things, if they don't work for you that's great, something will come along and regardless of the difficulty, if it keeps you interested you can do cool things with it. I train for myself and if anyone wants to learn, all you got to do is ask. Be sadistic in your own way but be positive about it and learn to use your mind and body to do things that are interesting to you and make you happy. People may give you weird looks but others might even join you, you never know.
"It never gets easier. Just more interesting."
If i'm telling you this, why bother having a title this article says and be contradictory about it? Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat and that's developing your own style so you can be in the best shape you can be and be world-class all on your own. I have had people tell me how crazy i'am and how my strength and endurance is off the charts and all that but as fun as it is to hear that, I know there are people out there far better than I could ever be and i'm ok with that. I didn't start out being very strong and full of energy in the tank, I had to build up to it and it wasn't overnight, it took me a lot of years of experimenting, challenging myself and learning many aspects of full on conditioning. I'm no where near the level of World-Class Athletes but I can knock out 400 Squats & 250 Push-ups using a deck of cards, I can move a 30 lb. Thor Hammer and hit a tire over 1000 times, I can go a good 20 minutes doing Animal Exercise and Sprint up a hill well. I'm not saying these numbers to brag, its to tell you if you want to be sadistic and be World-Class on your own, it takes time and its never easy, hell if it was I'd have Hulk Strength & the speed of Quicksilver by now but it doesn't happen that way. Everyone is different.
The word Sadistic to many says i'm off my rocker, someone who has no regard for morals or throwing the rule book out the window yet if you were around me, I look nothing or act anything like that. To me Sadistic Conditioning is not how far you're willing to push yourself, its taking the rule book and making it my own, its willing to do something most wouldn't dare to go to, building my body through interested forms of exercise that I want to be the best at for myself and not be compared to anyone else. I see it as a way to make yourself different and not care what people say about you. I have my own levels of sensitivity and I take it day by day but in the end, I'm going to do what I love and be very good at it. Take risks man, test out things, if they don't work for you that's great, something will come along and regardless of the difficulty, if it keeps you interested you can do cool things with it. I train for myself and if anyone wants to learn, all you got to do is ask. Be sadistic in your own way but be positive about it and learn to use your mind and body to do things that are interesting to you and make you happy. People may give you weird looks but others might even join you, you never know.
"It never gets easier. Just more interesting."
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Why Burpees Are The Best For Those Short On Time
Not everyone will have an hour to be at the gym or be able get in the time they feel like they need in order to get the right training going. I have had times where it was almost impossible to do the type of training I wanted to do because of either traveling, can't get away from a party, shopping or whatever else but regardless I always did something even if it was for 5 minutes.
You need to get through your narrow brain that no matter what time you have there's always something to do. That's what I love about Burpees; they are great for time crunching training either as a finisher or a HIIT Workout that requires less than 6 minutes of work. When you have a 5 minute window and you need something to do, do a set of Burpees or variations you may find online and do a couple sets of 5-12 if you can. If you're really ambitious and are in good shape, go for how many you can do in that amount of time. When you do that you're getting just as much conditioning as if you were doing a 30 min. run on the treadmill. Its a hell of a calorie burner and increases HGH like crazy.
When I'm not writing or doing anything i may get distracted by, I knock out a few burpees just to get my heart rate going and move a little. All I need to do is get off the chair here and get into a good small space and BAM i'm in. If you happen to be traveling and need a good stretch, next time you pull over at a gas station, stretch out a bit and knock out 10 Burpees and feel that sensation of energy. Waiting at the airport? Knock out a few before lining up for the plane (have a towel on hand if you get a little sweaty and maybe some Deoderant LOL). You can do them in your hotel room before you head out for a meeting somewhere or a conference, there's no reason why you can't do something. Don't overthink it and question anything, if you want to get a little something in you find a way to do so or you'll come up with an excuse. The only thing stopping you is you.
No bodyweight exercise except maybe animal movements jacks up your lungs quicker in a small amount of space than burpees. Everywhere you go, you can do them, anytime you feel ready or crunching for time, you can do them then too. Make the time count and be bold.
You need to get through your narrow brain that no matter what time you have there's always something to do. That's what I love about Burpees; they are great for time crunching training either as a finisher or a HIIT Workout that requires less than 6 minutes of work. When you have a 5 minute window and you need something to do, do a set of Burpees or variations you may find online and do a couple sets of 5-12 if you can. If you're really ambitious and are in good shape, go for how many you can do in that amount of time. When you do that you're getting just as much conditioning as if you were doing a 30 min. run on the treadmill. Its a hell of a calorie burner and increases HGH like crazy.
When I'm not writing or doing anything i may get distracted by, I knock out a few burpees just to get my heart rate going and move a little. All I need to do is get off the chair here and get into a good small space and BAM i'm in. If you happen to be traveling and need a good stretch, next time you pull over at a gas station, stretch out a bit and knock out 10 Burpees and feel that sensation of energy. Waiting at the airport? Knock out a few before lining up for the plane (have a towel on hand if you get a little sweaty and maybe some Deoderant LOL). You can do them in your hotel room before you head out for a meeting somewhere or a conference, there's no reason why you can't do something. Don't overthink it and question anything, if you want to get a little something in you find a way to do so or you'll come up with an excuse. The only thing stopping you is you.
No bodyweight exercise except maybe animal movements jacks up your lungs quicker in a small amount of space than burpees. Everywhere you go, you can do them, anytime you feel ready or crunching for time, you can do them then too. Make the time count and be bold.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
HIIT & Cold Showers
Sometimes you can't get enough of a boost from the High Intensity Training that you want an even greater kick. One of the best things you can do after a hard workout or enough to where you're sweating bullets like crazy you would take a Cold Shower to burn off even more fat and burn even more calories. How does that even work? From my personal experiences when you go hard in a session, you build up a lot of heat and need to cool down not just the skin but the internal organs as well. If you are still hot regardless of the amount of time after training, that can be a bit rough for the organs to still be full of heat and when you overheat, you can have heatstroke or the organs shutting down and even well dehydrated if you don't drink enough water and letting the skin cool off.
When you take a cold shower, it might suck at first but its one of the best things for you not just cooling off but it could very well save your life. Cold Water gives the skin that sensational feeling o comfort and extra endorphins after you come out of it. While in it, your body has to burn calories and carry extra blood flow in order to stay warm, that's where the redness all over the body comes into play, its forcing the body to try and stay warm so as it is doing this, its developing natural testosterone and increasing growth hormone which in turn can help you stay young, burn off fat at a greater rate and enhances sexual energy (trust me guys, after a while from being in cold water and wanting to be with your significant other, there won't be shrinkage for long, you'll be amazed at the feeling you'll get when you're in the sack.)
For guys, we need as much testosterone as possible because that's what helps the sperm count and we want those boys swimming like there's no tomorrow. For women, it brings a specific balance because whether you want to believe it or not, too much estrogen in women can lead to many problems and having the right amount of testosterone can counter that with having lean muscle but still be feminine. When you train hard and do Cold Water Therapy, you're going to be amazed at the results and look at it this way, with the afterburn affect of HIIT or in simple terms the caloric burn which stays in effect 24-48 hrs after working out through HIIT you can get an even higher caloric burn when you jump into a cold shower a few minutes after training because of the increase of fat burning in order to keep the body warm you'll have a greater chance of losing weight and having naturally smooth skin and stronger organs. The stronger your insides are, the stronger you will be overall.
When you take a cold shower, it might suck at first but its one of the best things for you not just cooling off but it could very well save your life. Cold Water gives the skin that sensational feeling o comfort and extra endorphins after you come out of it. While in it, your body has to burn calories and carry extra blood flow in order to stay warm, that's where the redness all over the body comes into play, its forcing the body to try and stay warm so as it is doing this, its developing natural testosterone and increasing growth hormone which in turn can help you stay young, burn off fat at a greater rate and enhances sexual energy (trust me guys, after a while from being in cold water and wanting to be with your significant other, there won't be shrinkage for long, you'll be amazed at the feeling you'll get when you're in the sack.)
For guys, we need as much testosterone as possible because that's what helps the sperm count and we want those boys swimming like there's no tomorrow. For women, it brings a specific balance because whether you want to believe it or not, too much estrogen in women can lead to many problems and having the right amount of testosterone can counter that with having lean muscle but still be feminine. When you train hard and do Cold Water Therapy, you're going to be amazed at the results and look at it this way, with the afterburn affect of HIIT or in simple terms the caloric burn which stays in effect 24-48 hrs after working out through HIIT you can get an even higher caloric burn when you jump into a cold shower a few minutes after training because of the increase of fat burning in order to keep the body warm you'll have a greater chance of losing weight and having naturally smooth skin and stronger organs. The stronger your insides are, the stronger you will be overall.
Monday, October 10, 2016
HIIT Burpees On The Rise
Getting more and more into Burpees these days since I bought Funk Roberts' 50 Shades Of Burpees Program. Its one hell of a course dedicated to just one particular exercise but done in many variations and workouts. I've been reading up on this guy and he's fit dude. The course has you doing more than 50 workouts and learning 200 variations of the Burpee, some are easy others aren't and that's what I love utilizing variety.
I don't go for much of the workouts just yet but learning the variations is a lot of fun. I've made some variations of my own and the results are tremendous in less than a few workouts. The Burpee has been around a while and everyone who can do them know that after a while doing the same variation can become boring and dull. It is important to keep your sessions fresh and enjoying the different challenges. I'm sticking with the 8 sets of 30/90 Protocol (30 sec. on, 90 sec. off) and just busting them out as many as I can. Some people are good with a 45/15, some do well with 30 on and 4 minutes off and others like doing Tabata Style (20 on, 10 off).
However you do them, whether as a finisher or a stand alone workout have fun with it. Besides when you do them for a total of 4 minutes worth of work and resting the rest of the time 3x a week you're developing not only excellent cardio and building lean muscle and burning fat like butter on a hot pan but also jump starting your hormones which help you stay young and vibrant. Studies have shown that with this type of protocol of training it can boost testosterone & growth hormone by as much as 500% capacity. That is insane and you've been told the only way to burn fat is to do an hour of cardio and lift weights. The Burpee can be done anywhere, anytime and can save you literally thousands of dollars in gym fees. Think about it, one exercise and the many variations you can do or create will get you fit fast. Some athletes have done 3000 Squats, some have done 2000 Push-ups but the world record in Burpees is less than 2000; that alone aught to tell you its majestic hold over fitness. When you can get yourself huffing and puffing really fast, you're doing something right for your heart, kidneys, muscles and your conditioning. Get cracking guys.
I don't go for much of the workouts just yet but learning the variations is a lot of fun. I've made some variations of my own and the results are tremendous in less than a few workouts. The Burpee has been around a while and everyone who can do them know that after a while doing the same variation can become boring and dull. It is important to keep your sessions fresh and enjoying the different challenges. I'm sticking with the 8 sets of 30/90 Protocol (30 sec. on, 90 sec. off) and just busting them out as many as I can. Some people are good with a 45/15, some do well with 30 on and 4 minutes off and others like doing Tabata Style (20 on, 10 off).
However you do them, whether as a finisher or a stand alone workout have fun with it. Besides when you do them for a total of 4 minutes worth of work and resting the rest of the time 3x a week you're developing not only excellent cardio and building lean muscle and burning fat like butter on a hot pan but also jump starting your hormones which help you stay young and vibrant. Studies have shown that with this type of protocol of training it can boost testosterone & growth hormone by as much as 500% capacity. That is insane and you've been told the only way to burn fat is to do an hour of cardio and lift weights. The Burpee can be done anywhere, anytime and can save you literally thousands of dollars in gym fees. Think about it, one exercise and the many variations you can do or create will get you fit fast. Some athletes have done 3000 Squats, some have done 2000 Push-ups but the world record in Burpees is less than 2000; that alone aught to tell you its majestic hold over fitness. When you can get yourself huffing and puffing really fast, you're doing something right for your heart, kidneys, muscles and your conditioning. Get cracking guys.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Building A Body Of YOUR OWN!!!!
All of us at one time in our lives wanted to look like a specific person we admired whether it was a superhero, athlete, bodybuilder or someone in manual labor perhaps. Its awesome to have that and base it on a goal you wanted to make happen or already going after it. Truth is, we can't look exactly like the people we admire. Not to say it isn't possible to be similar but in reality, you can't be anymore than yourself.
I grew up on hero's like Batman & Spider-Man in the cartoons and admired athletes like Shawn Michaels, Barry Sanders, Michael Jordan and Barry Bonds; they were the type of guys I wanted to be like but sadly it never turned out that way but it's ok. I'm not black for one and i'm nowhere near as tall as some of them and my body is not meant to have that type of physique which I've chosen to accept. We search around all the time to find someone who has the coolest physique regardless of that individual's type of genre but we also stop figuring out how to have the coolest physique for ourselves. At one point I wanted six pack abs because that's what all the athletes have and the superheroes (turns out just the look in itself is most likely worthless) yet I don't tons of muscle in my core area but I'am without question very strong in that area or I wouldn't be able to do the type of training I do.
All of us have one body, its up to you on how you develop it. Don't do it to mimic somebody else otherwise you'll set yourself up for automatic failure; on the other hand, you have an opportunity to develop a body that suits your structure and helps you in areas of your life that work. Not everyone can be Arnold Schwarzenegger or Michael Jordan but they can be the very best of themselves. That's why we are born different and have different structures, brain functions, learning motor skills at different rates. We have only one body, why make it from somebody else's? Train your body with a purpose and the muscles will come the way they're meant to. Not every quarterback has six pack abs, not every wrestler has 20 inch arms, not every baseball player has large thighs and not every hero has a v-shaped torso yet we can develop those things with the right strategies for our individual structure.
I'm 5'10 and over 265 lbs. Most never believe i'm that heavy due to the muscular structure I've developed over the years, I've been told I look 20 pounds lighter or a bit more but I didn't build my body to be like someone else, it formed itself that way through my training, the way I eat, the way my structure handled the exercises and the way my direction went to get it to where it is now. Not everyone can be 6'6 or look shredded at 225 so make the best you can and always strive to improve not always by how you look but by the designing of the direction you want to go. Always be as healthy as possible and be as strong that YOU can be. Build a body that is of your own hero, the body you were meant to have as an athlete. Even if you never get to where you planned, there's progress around every corner and you have a compass to take you there, just need to look and when you find it, go after it like a bat out of hell. You have only one body, make it work for you.
"It Never Gets Easier, Just More Interesting."
I grew up on hero's like Batman & Spider-Man in the cartoons and admired athletes like Shawn Michaels, Barry Sanders, Michael Jordan and Barry Bonds; they were the type of guys I wanted to be like but sadly it never turned out that way but it's ok. I'm not black for one and i'm nowhere near as tall as some of them and my body is not meant to have that type of physique which I've chosen to accept. We search around all the time to find someone who has the coolest physique regardless of that individual's type of genre but we also stop figuring out how to have the coolest physique for ourselves. At one point I wanted six pack abs because that's what all the athletes have and the superheroes (turns out just the look in itself is most likely worthless) yet I don't tons of muscle in my core area but I'am without question very strong in that area or I wouldn't be able to do the type of training I do.
All of us have one body, its up to you on how you develop it. Don't do it to mimic somebody else otherwise you'll set yourself up for automatic failure; on the other hand, you have an opportunity to develop a body that suits your structure and helps you in areas of your life that work. Not everyone can be Arnold Schwarzenegger or Michael Jordan but they can be the very best of themselves. That's why we are born different and have different structures, brain functions, learning motor skills at different rates. We have only one body, why make it from somebody else's? Train your body with a purpose and the muscles will come the way they're meant to. Not every quarterback has six pack abs, not every wrestler has 20 inch arms, not every baseball player has large thighs and not every hero has a v-shaped torso yet we can develop those things with the right strategies for our individual structure.
I'm 5'10 and over 265 lbs. Most never believe i'm that heavy due to the muscular structure I've developed over the years, I've been told I look 20 pounds lighter or a bit more but I didn't build my body to be like someone else, it formed itself that way through my training, the way I eat, the way my structure handled the exercises and the way my direction went to get it to where it is now. Not everyone can be 6'6 or look shredded at 225 so make the best you can and always strive to improve not always by how you look but by the designing of the direction you want to go. Always be as healthy as possible and be as strong that YOU can be. Build a body that is of your own hero, the body you were meant to have as an athlete. Even if you never get to where you planned, there's progress around every corner and you have a compass to take you there, just need to look and when you find it, go after it like a bat out of hell. You have only one body, make it work for you.
"It Never Gets Easier, Just More Interesting."
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Anytime Anywhere & Do It All For FREE!!!!
The beauty of Body-Weight Style Training is the fact that you can do it anywhere you want, whenever you want and make it however you want. Sure there's fancy workouts using nothing but your own body and there are hardcore, balls to the wall workouts that would make the average man puke his guts out but in reality it all comes down to simplicity and the type of goals you're shooting for. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out a few exercises to really get the job done but many people especially the ones that "write" the workouts online, in magazines and what's written on the wall of a crossfit gym really over-complicate and make it difficult to really understand the true objective of a workout.
There's nothing wrong with making a session brutal or soft or whatever but what is wrong is the fact that you or someone else puts too much into it that it becomes an overzealous and over-thinking process that is totally unnecessary and off the wall ball busting. It's not that complicated people and you don't need some infomercial or follow along DVD to tell you what really works and what doesn't. I love the variety of exercises that can be used for any day of the week yet for the most part just doing a few things in one workout or throughout the day makes things all that much sweeter. Whether you're rich, poor, white, black, green, christian, Muslim, gay, straight, transgender or a fan of Donald Trump; you will always have some of exercise that will do wonders for you regardless of where you are. Doesn't cost you a damn thing and you can learn the exact exercises for your body type and level of fitness.
There are exercises harder than others and some are far easier than we give them credit for but in the end, all it comes down to is your interest and your imagination. I firmly believe in what I call the 3 I's of fitness that brings out the greatest results and the ultimate in how they transform you; Interest, Imagination & Intention. Let's break them down so you can get an idea of what i'm talking about....
INTEREST
Many exercises for body-weight are not too difficult to do and will give you results with the right application; however, if you are not interested or willing to do them utilizing the very word interest in itself, you're only dreading just going through the motions. Interest means it catches your eye, makes you feel good about doing it whether its difficult or not and you put the effort in because it works for you.
IMAGINATION
Regardless of the exercise, just simply doing them in and of themselves will give you results with the right application; however, when you imagine the exercise in a different light and practice it using both mind and body it becomes a whole new experience even though you're doing that same exact exercise. Take for example the Push-up; everyone and their grandfather at some point did a push-up but when you create a scenario or game in your mind and apply it to the push-up it becomes a very different experience like say instead of just going up and down, picture as if something is coming at you and you have to duck down to avoid but when you go down something is coming at your face smacked in the middle and push-up fast to avoid the sumbitch. I picture being Indiana Jones in some cases where if a spear comes at me I need to get down to avoid being hit but need to come back up fast because spikes could pierce my body if I don't move it. Imagine anything crazy and tell me the experience isn't any different.
INTENTION
What is the purpose of doing your exercises? Why those ones are more important than others? Putting intent into the exercise makes all the difference. Just going through the motions may get you somewhere but it doesn't give you the full direction or potential for the results you really want. Most people who exercise just go through the motions because thy saw it on DVD or an infomercial or try to duplicate it in the gym, very few train with the intent of either mastering the exercise or getting better physically or mentally due to that particular exercise's style and/or reasoning to do it for themselves or for a group training together. Simply put if there's no intention, there's no reason to it.
There are the three I's and what they mean through my understanding and experiences. It took me many years to figure it out and on some days I need to remind myself why I do them for particular reasons. Overall I have fun when I train but I don't lack in just doing them, they're done with purpose and using creativity to aid in my interest and imagination (see where i'm going with this?)
Train with what you have and knowledge of and use it wherever and whenever without putting down monthly payments or an annual membership to do it. Save your money and learn what you can. Remember the three I's and you can't go wrong.
There's nothing wrong with making a session brutal or soft or whatever but what is wrong is the fact that you or someone else puts too much into it that it becomes an overzealous and over-thinking process that is totally unnecessary and off the wall ball busting. It's not that complicated people and you don't need some infomercial or follow along DVD to tell you what really works and what doesn't. I love the variety of exercises that can be used for any day of the week yet for the most part just doing a few things in one workout or throughout the day makes things all that much sweeter. Whether you're rich, poor, white, black, green, christian, Muslim, gay, straight, transgender or a fan of Donald Trump; you will always have some of exercise that will do wonders for you regardless of where you are. Doesn't cost you a damn thing and you can learn the exact exercises for your body type and level of fitness.
There are exercises harder than others and some are far easier than we give them credit for but in the end, all it comes down to is your interest and your imagination. I firmly believe in what I call the 3 I's of fitness that brings out the greatest results and the ultimate in how they transform you; Interest, Imagination & Intention. Let's break them down so you can get an idea of what i'm talking about....
INTEREST
Many exercises for body-weight are not too difficult to do and will give you results with the right application; however, if you are not interested or willing to do them utilizing the very word interest in itself, you're only dreading just going through the motions. Interest means it catches your eye, makes you feel good about doing it whether its difficult or not and you put the effort in because it works for you.
IMAGINATION
Regardless of the exercise, just simply doing them in and of themselves will give you results with the right application; however, when you imagine the exercise in a different light and practice it using both mind and body it becomes a whole new experience even though you're doing that same exact exercise. Take for example the Push-up; everyone and their grandfather at some point did a push-up but when you create a scenario or game in your mind and apply it to the push-up it becomes a very different experience like say instead of just going up and down, picture as if something is coming at you and you have to duck down to avoid but when you go down something is coming at your face smacked in the middle and push-up fast to avoid the sumbitch. I picture being Indiana Jones in some cases where if a spear comes at me I need to get down to avoid being hit but need to come back up fast because spikes could pierce my body if I don't move it. Imagine anything crazy and tell me the experience isn't any different.
INTENTION
What is the purpose of doing your exercises? Why those ones are more important than others? Putting intent into the exercise makes all the difference. Just going through the motions may get you somewhere but it doesn't give you the full direction or potential for the results you really want. Most people who exercise just go through the motions because thy saw it on DVD or an infomercial or try to duplicate it in the gym, very few train with the intent of either mastering the exercise or getting better physically or mentally due to that particular exercise's style and/or reasoning to do it for themselves or for a group training together. Simply put if there's no intention, there's no reason to it.
There are the three I's and what they mean through my understanding and experiences. It took me many years to figure it out and on some days I need to remind myself why I do them for particular reasons. Overall I have fun when I train but I don't lack in just doing them, they're done with purpose and using creativity to aid in my interest and imagination (see where i'm going with this?)
Train with what you have and knowledge of and use it wherever and whenever without putting down monthly payments or an annual membership to do it. Save your money and learn what you can. Remember the three I's and you can't go wrong.
Monday, October 3, 2016
A Recent Workout Of HIIT
Its always fun to come across something that just strikes you like a bolt of lightning. For me it was learning a little bit more of High Intensity Interval Training aka HIIT and how it is possible to increase growth hormone and metabolism plus a plethora of other benefits. HIIT is nothing new but it has come up a lot more in recent years due to crossfit training, metabolic conditioning for athletes, MMA Fighters are using this and research being done on why it does what it does.
From what I've learned from mentors, online searching, books, my experiences and others it is one of the most powerful forms of exercise for specific reasons; first off it takes only a fraction of the time you spend in the gym, it is good for the heart although some may find it scary to do, it burns off fat like a furnace with the right strategies and intensity, it puts on muscle faster than the leading injections of steroids and performance enhancers and it gives what's called the afterburn which simply put means even hours after a session you're still burning calories.
The best thing about this is that practically any exercise that gets you winded fast can be used for this type of training such as sprints, push-ups, squats, lifting weights, pull-ups, plyometrics, animal exercise, burpees and many more. My personal form of exercise is Burpees & Animal Moves. In one of my recent workouts from this past week I did a particular method of HIIT that really hit the spot and it really helped my legs that has a bit of tension around the hips and calves. I went with a Burpee Workout on Friday where I took multiple variations of the Burpee and used a protocol that you can read here>>>>http://transformetrics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15974&highlight=HIIT it is doing 30 seconds of maximum effort (do your best to keep form so you don't injure yourself) and then resting for 90 seconds. You would do this for up to 8 rounds. What this does and I highly suggest you do some research yourself on this is that it has you work really hard for a short period of time then as you rest you engaging more oxygen to bring into the bloodstream throughout the lungs, organs, muscle fibers and even the brain which burns the cells and generates greater hormone elements.
HIIT is a form of anaerobic exercise meaning without oxygen, 30 seconds of all-out effort so when you stop and rest, oxygen comes at you like a bat out of hell and you feel that huffing and puffing throughout your body and feel like your heart is going to burst out of your chest like John Hurt from Alien. What this does for your system overall develops greater flow and breaks down the fibers of the muscles and you recover for a period of 2-3 days and even in that time you're still burning calories at an alarming rate. You can feel this in the very first workout so when you do workouts 2-3x a week over a period of time (very short by the way) your body will change very quickly into a fat burning, muscle building machine and create more growth hormone which helps you stay young regardless of age or sex. Now how much of a percentage of hormone increase can come into effect? Some are higher numbers than others but on average the most common I've seen or heard was up to 520% capacity, that's 10 times more than the leading injections athletes and actors use to bulk up muscle. Some say its 441% others even go as high as 700% or more but from a general respective when its in the triple digits and you're looking at training hard less than an hour a week that's saying something.
Most people who have done burpees say how much they suck and its not enjoyable but crucial to building a great physique; i'm sorry but if you're not enjoying your training you're not really training at all. Unless you're in the military where being yelled at and called names is mandatory, stop being such a wuss and have fun with it. If they suck so bad, figure out a way to make it fun. When you do something that sucks you're setting off a chain reaction not only in your mind but your body as well. Why have the same mindset of everyone else when you have a mind of your own? For me if it sucks I turn around and make it fun and interesting. Like my workout on friday, I didn't do the same exercise over and over each round, I made up a few variations that I found cool to do and added variety. On some of them I used my imagination to make it even more interesting for example I pretend that i'm Indiana Jones and i'm jumping, ducking and getting down from bad guys, booby traps and dangerous objects to save myself from harm. When you use your imagination, you're creating your own adrenaline and with that comes greater metabolic entities, stronger sense of awareness, oblivious to soreness and you're building greater strength. Doing an exercise and of itself can be boring, tedious and downright stupid but when you add in your imagination, you're doing the same exercise just different but more fun to do and it generates a greater love of fitness.
From what I've learned from mentors, online searching, books, my experiences and others it is one of the most powerful forms of exercise for specific reasons; first off it takes only a fraction of the time you spend in the gym, it is good for the heart although some may find it scary to do, it burns off fat like a furnace with the right strategies and intensity, it puts on muscle faster than the leading injections of steroids and performance enhancers and it gives what's called the afterburn which simply put means even hours after a session you're still burning calories.
The best thing about this is that practically any exercise that gets you winded fast can be used for this type of training such as sprints, push-ups, squats, lifting weights, pull-ups, plyometrics, animal exercise, burpees and many more. My personal form of exercise is Burpees & Animal Moves. In one of my recent workouts from this past week I did a particular method of HIIT that really hit the spot and it really helped my legs that has a bit of tension around the hips and calves. I went with a Burpee Workout on Friday where I took multiple variations of the Burpee and used a protocol that you can read here>>>>http://transformetrics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15974&highlight=HIIT it is doing 30 seconds of maximum effort (do your best to keep form so you don't injure yourself) and then resting for 90 seconds. You would do this for up to 8 rounds. What this does and I highly suggest you do some research yourself on this is that it has you work really hard for a short period of time then as you rest you engaging more oxygen to bring into the bloodstream throughout the lungs, organs, muscle fibers and even the brain which burns the cells and generates greater hormone elements.
HIIT is a form of anaerobic exercise meaning without oxygen, 30 seconds of all-out effort so when you stop and rest, oxygen comes at you like a bat out of hell and you feel that huffing and puffing throughout your body and feel like your heart is going to burst out of your chest like John Hurt from Alien. What this does for your system overall develops greater flow and breaks down the fibers of the muscles and you recover for a period of 2-3 days and even in that time you're still burning calories at an alarming rate. You can feel this in the very first workout so when you do workouts 2-3x a week over a period of time (very short by the way) your body will change very quickly into a fat burning, muscle building machine and create more growth hormone which helps you stay young regardless of age or sex. Now how much of a percentage of hormone increase can come into effect? Some are higher numbers than others but on average the most common I've seen or heard was up to 520% capacity, that's 10 times more than the leading injections athletes and actors use to bulk up muscle. Some say its 441% others even go as high as 700% or more but from a general respective when its in the triple digits and you're looking at training hard less than an hour a week that's saying something.
Most people who have done burpees say how much they suck and its not enjoyable but crucial to building a great physique; i'm sorry but if you're not enjoying your training you're not really training at all. Unless you're in the military where being yelled at and called names is mandatory, stop being such a wuss and have fun with it. If they suck so bad, figure out a way to make it fun. When you do something that sucks you're setting off a chain reaction not only in your mind but your body as well. Why have the same mindset of everyone else when you have a mind of your own? For me if it sucks I turn around and make it fun and interesting. Like my workout on friday, I didn't do the same exercise over and over each round, I made up a few variations that I found cool to do and added variety. On some of them I used my imagination to make it even more interesting for example I pretend that i'm Indiana Jones and i'm jumping, ducking and getting down from bad guys, booby traps and dangerous objects to save myself from harm. When you use your imagination, you're creating your own adrenaline and with that comes greater metabolic entities, stronger sense of awareness, oblivious to soreness and you're building greater strength. Doing an exercise and of itself can be boring, tedious and downright stupid but when you add in your imagination, you're doing the same exercise just different but more fun to do and it generates a greater love of fitness.
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