Energy…without Stimulants

In our society we tend to load up on things like coffee and energy drinks in the search for more energy.

We feel the “buzz” for a little while until it quickly fades and we find ourselves reaching for the next drink.

Again and again, up and down as the roller coaster ride repeats.

Worst of all, you just keep taking more and more stimulants to get the same effect. Doing this…at some point the roller coaster is going to crash.

Sadly, it’s the daily life of many people. But is this normal?

Or shouldn’t we have boundless energy…even if we’re not young?

What if I told you there was a way to support that youthful energy without stimulants?

There is. In Chinese Medicine there is the idea of tonic herbs.

Unlike most medicine or even other herbs which are used to treat symptoms, these tonic herbs are designed to support your health.

This special class can be taken every single day and the benefits get better over time.

And of these some are better than others for energy.

One of the most popular is He Shou Wu.

Unlike stimulants, he shou wu supports your body at the root level so that your body can produce all the energy it needs much better.

In addition it actually acts to calm the nervous system, which most of us certainly could use in our high-stress modern lifestyle.

Truthfully, that only scratches the surface of what this amazing root can do for you.

Science has only begun to explore how this root helps you produce more powerful antioxidants, supports your adrenal glands, protects the liver, enhances immunity and much more.

For a high quality He Shou Wu extract check out Super Man Herbs. This company stands by the quality of their herbs so strongly they offer a 1 year money back guarantee, even if you return the empty bag!

Get more details about what He Shou Wu can do for you.

Be Awesome

The Legend of Mr. He

Let me tell you a fascinating story...

Mr. He (pronounced ‘Ho’) was a 58 year old drunk, largely because he was depressed. And why was he depressed? Because of his lifelong lack of potency and weak constitution.

So one day he passes out in a drunken stupor in the forest.

As he slept, he dreamt of the roots of a plant making love to each other. When he awoke he noticed that he was right next to that same plant so he dug up the roots and took them home.

He began to consume these roots daily.

Soon enough his depression lifted as his virility and libido came alive in full force.

Not only that but as he continued to take it daily his white hair returned to black.

With his newfound health he found a woman, got married, and the legend says he fathered 19 children while living to be 160 years old.

Now as a legend this story is undoubtedly exaggerated…

But it goes to show the power of this root, known as He Shou Wu.

Since it has become popular it is regarded by many as one of the very best herbal tonics in all of Chinese Medicine because of how it restores vitality and fights aging.

Wouldn’t that be something you’re interested in?

For a high quality He Shou Wu extract check out Super Man Herbs. This company stands by the quality of their herbs so strongly they offer a 1 year money back guarantee, even if you return the empty bag!

Get more details about what He Shou Wu can do for you

Be Awesome

Superheroes With Animal Powers

Those with superpowers in the comics inspire many people and we fantasize what it be like to have those extraordinary abilities. For instance who wouldn't want to have the power of flight or super speed, extreme stamina, godly strength and even the power to teleport? The comics I mostly read are of The Avengers, Batman, Tarzan & Spider-Man; those are my personal favorites but as of late especially since I'm back into training like a wild animal I've wanted to look into on a deeper scale about superheroes that animal-like or animalistic abilities. Some I found very interesting.

I have written about the Teen Titan Beast Boy that can turn into any wild animal but only for a period of time; this character fascinates me not only because of that ability but also he's a genuine hero that has a bit of an attitude like all teens have (amp it up 1000x if that teen happens to be a superhero) yet there are other heroes out there that are incredible but some are very underrated. One of them is a not-well-known super-heroine named Mari McCabe aka Vixen; she has the ability using an object called the Tantu Totem to summon all the powers of the Animal Kingdom (meaning she literally can transform into a wild animal any time she wanted) and have their animal strengths and attributes. I don't know about you but that is one hell of a superpower to have. A young African girl raised by her father a village priest was told of the totum by her mother before she passed, got away from the clutches of her uncle who wanted that power for herself fled to the states to start a new life becoming a model in the Big Apple.

You look up the story of her origins online but the mere fact she was not only a holder of one of the coolest powers ever, she was also a member of branches of the Justice League and becoming a member of the Suicide Squad and also was brought to a reformed Justice League by Cyborg. She didn't have a high status compared to other big named members but she was without question an ally you definitely wanted on your side.

Now compare her with other heroes with animal powers she's right up there; there's Squirrel Girl who had the pleasure of taking down Iron Man at one point, the Wonder Twins, Wolfsbane, the short-lived character Animal Man, and others. The unbelievable ability to transform and utilize the attributes of a wild animal or even call upon the attributes and strengths while in human form has got to be one of the most awesome powers anyone can have. I love the intelligence of batman, the strength of superman, the accuracy of hawkeye, the speed of flash, the healing of Wolverine but nothing compares to the power of a wild animal; the metamorphosis some possess, the memory of an elephant, the speed of a cheetah, the endurance of a tiger, strength of a gorilla, the swinging ability of a gibbon I can go on and on.

There's even a series of a comic I've written about before that bears repeating and that's the Apevengers where your favorite Marvel team take on the form of primates like a loosely based Planet Of The Apes meets Superheroes. Imagine not only having the power of a comic book hero but have the extra abilities of the strongest and most athletic primates on the planet. Anyone, the mere fantasy to morph into an animal at any given time and having their attributes is something you wouldn't want to get into a fight with. We can live out just a microscopic percentage of that by adapting out human abilities and mimic wild animals in the most realistic way possible. So the next time you do a workout, picture being a superhero with the ability to morph into an animal and imagining the ability to power up your muscles and get stronger, faster, strengthen the connective tissues and operate the body from as many angles as possible.

A Few Minutes A Day Will Keep The Fat Melting Away

The condition us folks today have gotten worse than in the last 2 decades with the ever growing rate of obesity, horrible food & sitting on our asses for too long. Movement is the key to a healthy life and we don't seem to grasp the concept that you know what, maybe we should be moving in some form (besides chasing damn poke'mon). A lot of people see exercise as dangerous, full of ways to get hurt and overstrain our bodies. Hate to break it to you but not everything in the exercise world will hurt you or is dangerous. What is dangerous is not doing the right kind of exercise like crawling, jumping, balancing, playing, swimming & yes even lifting. 

Just yesterday I went to the lake down the road and walked among some rocks and decided to take a dip; before doing so after laying down my stuff, I saw a big rock that weighed maybe 200 pounds, possibly more, so I tested it by simply picking it up and putting it back down, no brace, chalk, gloves or shirt for that matter; the way nature intended. It was fun, beautiful and crazy tough but I didn't care. I also used my brain and utilized what I had learned using a bit of math, judging the grip just to even pick up the damn thing and coordinated my lower body to get the right balance. I picked it up and even partially pressed it over my head, now how could I have done that without even remotely training to move such a big object let alone an awkward one and not be hurt whatsoever? I made a choice to not give into fear. It also means I'm very well trained and have put time and effort to learn and use my body in a manner that is different, unique and moving forward with what knowledge I have gained. Putting knowledge into action creates results, period.

Now that doesn't mean all of you should find the heaviest rock possible on a whim. You need training and in order to do that you have to take a chance and make the choice of not giving into fear and creating something within yourself. When I first started walking again more than a decade ago, I made the choice to make myself stronger because if anyone was going to push me, its going to be me. Motivation can be a bitch but trust me, not everyone will support you or encourage you, you have to motivate yourself first and foremost. On the safer side of training, moving like a wild animal is a highly motivational thing because its not really exercise, its just a series of movements where you mimic a living, breathing creature. I do my best to tell people that to get the best results is to not look at fitness as a "workout" but to see it as an adventure, a portal to a world where you make the decisions, finding what suits you best and making the most out of it.

Just a few minutes of crawling like a bear, walking like an ape, jumping like a frog, balancing like a flamingo and hopping like a bunny can be a huge start to help melt fat away and having it keep melting within your consistency. I do this many times throughout the day, I sometimes do it for 20 min. straight, sometimes an hour goes by and I never notice because I don't treat it like Work, yes it takes effort and it can be tough but it is fun and exciting. Where is the motivation? The ability to see it as freedom and being imaginative, that's how I stay motivated. When you see it as work or something that feels like punishment; you'll resent it, makes you feel like a prisoner and being so strict it becomes dull, tedious & sad. Who the hell would want that?

Stop fearing what can give you the greatest benefit and do so without developing injuries, joint-pain & torn muscles. Listen to your body, challenge it on a level that helps you progress to the next level. This type of training alone I have never felt pain from or overtrained on, I move when I feel like it and use my brain to the best of my abilities. Most people who train hard have no clue when to actually stop, the body can only take so much, we are not like those in Dragon Ball Z (although its very motivating) or remotely close to the discipline Batman where he pushes himself so hard the average person would be dead. Make the most of what you can do but in the long-haul, listen and never sacrifice your body so you can treat injuries like their medals won at the Olympics. Just a few minutes a day and work from there. 

Animal Muscle Develops Functional Strength & Fat Burning Metabolism

Weightlifting is an amazing form of strength training and aught to be added into any routine but unless you've got a good budget to get weights brought to your home or can afford to go to the gym (when you do it consistently otherwise you're just wasting hard earned money), you can't carry weights everywhere with you and even if you could it be a pain in the ass in the long-run. There's always alternatives and that's one of the reasons I love to do bodyweight training; it's free, only thing being carried is you and there are thousands of things you can do just using your bodyweight.

The ultimate and most fun form of bodyweight training without question is Animal Exercise. Moving like a wild animal can be done in a variety of ways and almost all of them will whip your ass into shape in short periods of time. Its not easy just holding up your bodyweight but to move in awkward positions takes a great deal of strength. When you can move your whole body this way, you're not just building strength but developing loads of growth hormone that will help you stay young, lose weight, burn fat like butter to a hot pan and kick starts your metabolism which burns fat instead of storing it. Sure you can do your "kickboxing" dance follow along dvds or Tae Bo or Insanity Workouts but the truth is, as "great" those may be, you're developing a second rate self by doing something that requires you to work as hard or as long as the same people on the DVD at the same speed, same tempo and same workout over and over. You can't do the same as Animal Exercise.

Animal Exercises force you to use muscles not normally used in positions that can't be at the same speed or same exact positioning if you were to follow somebody. Everybody has a different structure and has to adjust otherwise if you go through the motions without regarding your own placement of the hands and feet and just follow, you can injure yourself or worse totally breaking something. The balancing is tough, the movement in some animal forms can be very difficult but with the right level of fitness and the way you pace yourself, you can progress a little quicker and bring in amazing results.

I have been doing this for nearly a decade and tested out well over 50 animal exercises from very beginner to high advanced and i'm telling you nothing gives me more thrills and makes me better conditioned than this form of strength training and overall development. Its both aerobic & Anaerobic, fast & slow, great to transition from one to the other, makes your brain work more which generates more nerve power, challenges your muscles more than any other form, upper and lower body are worked at the same time on most exercises & puts you into the driver seat by utilizing which exercises give you the greatest benefit. We are animals, we may have "better" intelligence than most animals but like the wild cats, the primates, the bears, the dolphin, the dogs, the birds we shed blood the same exact color. We may have evolved in 99.9% in most cases but we are nowhere near as strong or enduranced as they are and don't have anywhere near the same level of their abilities hence why we fear most of them. When you move like a wild animal, you become stronger than the average human, you form another level of intelligence, your energy takes in greater power to not just the muscles but the tendons, ligaments and joints down to the very crevasse of the bones. I have not found anything more athletic to do than this form of training.

Wonder Twin Powers Activate...Form Of Gorillas

Feel old now? Mean while at the Legion Of Doom. All joking aside you can't help but realize that Gorillas are freakishly strong, fast & pure bad asses of the Animal Kingdom. Apes possess strength anybody wished they had and the best part is, they only use their bodyweight. I like the lifting too especially with hammers like Big Bertha (Epic Sledge) & Thor's Hammer but no matter what I do I always go back to moving like a Gorilla.

Chimps & Gorillas are the closest to us humans, its a fact get over it. We won't be anywhere near the level of strength they have assembled but we can in fact become much stronger than the average human, granted that you're willing to step out of the celery snacked and Juice Bar (Koolaid) gyms that only cater to you using their machines instead of really helping you. Let me ask you something; have you ever seen a gorilla say to himself "I'm not going to climb today, think i'll find a bench somewhere" or ever seen a chimp feel like taking a day off cause he has a boo boo after a bad landing? I didn't think so. They run, climb, carry and swing through the trees not to look like crazy acrobats from Vegas but to survive and build their strength through play, mimicking other apes in their clan and learn skills that could save their life on a daily basis.

Its essential to move like a wild animal especially our animal cousins because it builds a foundation on how to be strong in other areas of life. It teaches control, flexibility, strength in ways that didn't seem possible, build insane power in the connective tissues and build tendons as strong as Vibranium. You think i'm all giggles here but I can assure you being strong from every possible angle can save your life or someone else's. I practice moving like an Ape lately on a daily basis; Squatting deep, walking and moving fast on my knuckles, shifting side to side, crawling, jumping and as I get stronger; rolling for spinal flexibility. I feel empowered when I do this, my knees are getting stronger, my lower arms are becoming more sinewy, my abs are showing more definition, my hips are getting used to be in a deep squat and staying there for a period of time without hurting, my fingers are getting way more solid and powerful plus builds crazy lung power and a mighty back.

I believe you can be more alive and energized when moving like your favorite animal, its invigorating and opens up your mind like nothing else plus it doesn't hurt to work your brain and amplify that electricity in the nerves that can increase intelligence, support and add greater hormone entities and power-up on your fat burning mechanism. Be a Manimal, unleash your Animality & open yourself up to the possibilities of developing strength and energy that will benefit greatly.

Go Here And Order A Copy Of Animal Workouts On DVD

Own The Awesomeness Of Your Inner Animal Spirit

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Creating What Works For You

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

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

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

Your Body And Your Imagination

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

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

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

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

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

$1.99/Kindle $9/Paperback

True Intent Creates The Very Best Results

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

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

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

Less Time Using VRT

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do High Repetition Calisthenics Really Matter?

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

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

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

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

The Miracle Seven Exercises

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cold Showers In The Summer

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

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

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

Twice A Day

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

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

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

Bodybuilding That Heals

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

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

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

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

Bridging For Real Strength & Flexibility

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

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

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

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

Using Exercise To Heal

Whenever you hear the phrase "no pain, no gain" don't you just want to throw up on the person that said it to you? Unfortunately its been etched into the minds of many people in the fitness world that have this notion that in order to get what you want, you go through some kind of torture and "pleasurable" pain. I'm sorry but if you need pain to get results you're either sadistic or just plain full of brain farts. True exercise is suppose to help heal and build, not be painful and torturous.

For most people, they need to understand that building muscle & training the body in general does take effort but it certainly should never be painful; discomfort is one thing I'll take that but pain is just plain dumb. When I was getting back on my feet, I used exercise to heal my body and built on developing great blood flow into the muscles themselves. Some exercises are very tough and can be crazy to work up to but don't ever believe that pain is going to get you somewhere, it can and its called Misery and i'm not talking the Kathy Bates kind either.

I still to this day train to stay healthy both inside and out, I've gotten back into doing the healing exercises called DVR's (Dynamic Visualized Resistance) which are done by tensing the muscles than moving throughout a range of motion in full fashion. Think of it as if you're driving with the brakes on. This type of training alone can be beneficial in how you energize the body, increase blood flow into the muscles down to the smallest capillaries & developing natural muscular definition. This isn't to build massive muscles like in bodybuilding but they can be used to develop the body's natural musculature and create healing strength and promote healthy flexibility in the shoulders, back, chest, thighs, calves & upper/lower arms. Even the Abs get an amazing workout because of the contraction using an exercise throughout the entire range of motion. No you won't be able to lift massive amounts of weights but because of the control you have to tense & relax the muscles it can certainly help if you're a weightlifter. What it truly does that it helps the muscles and tendons create an expansion of the range of motion in particular movements, basically another version of Muscle Control.

DVR's aren't necessarily new but have been used in various ways throughout the centuries in Yoga, Martial Arts, Bodybuilding & many other ways. The main component is not just to tense the muscles but truly connect through the mind/muscle concept where you think into the muscles. This type of training can be very taxing if you overdo it but with correct tension you can strengthen the body from the inside out. One of things they truly can do is put you in a state of pure blissfulness and mellow you out with pure peacefulness. Give them a shot. Its worth it.

Recover Well

I'm one of those guys who loves intense workouts such as 250 push-ups and 400 squats, lifting heavy for an hour with my boys when I get the chance, do 30 min. Animal Workouts, bend a few spikes in a row, finishers that are pure ass kickers; I love that stuff but I also love the recovery workouts as well. Most never realize how much recovery is just as important as the intense ones themselves. When I do recovery workouts its usually exercises at a lighter intensity and a good portion of the time are what I call Playful Movements; combining the elements of stretching, Animal Flow, Regeneration & Ginastica Natural where its really just messing around and playing but also have it being more meditative and fun.

The body needs to repair itself but that's not going to happen if you kick its ass day in and day out every single day of the week, you're not a pro athlete and even if you were, recovery needs more attention than you'll want to believe. I've worked out among some heavy duty guys and very few I ever say truly did some recovery training. I don't do very much of the "warm up" stretches before my workouts for a number of reasons, one being that a lot of workouts have an automatic stretching element in them so I do get limber and loose as I go throughout the training. Some days however like yesterday I had to take it easy on my shoulders and my legs after a heavy deck of cards workout and muscle control exercises so I did exercises that didn't put a lot of heavy stress on those particular muscles such as bridging exercises, DVR Exercises (Dynamic Visualized Resistance) & the Chest Expander to stretch the shoulders from various angles (awesome tool for those who've had shoulder issues).

Make recovery workouts a part of your regimen regardless of what system you're on. If you can't function at a high level you won't be at your best. Do daily training by being intense less than a few days a week and do recovery workouts on your "off' days and the reason why I put it in quotes was because there's no such thing as a day off, even if it means going for a 30 min. walk/hike or swimming or bicycling or even just to have a field day playing a sport with your buddies. Be active.

Your training is not going to die if you do a recovery day or 2; some people need a week or more because that's just how the body works. It gets to me sometimes when people are so idiotic to think that if they train the same as a pro athlete to get the results they want its going to magically happen. Pro Athletes train hard for a specific purpose and that's for their particular sport. It's not meant for the average person to be going that hard for a period of time; you need recovery, healthy food intake and the right kind of exercise meant for your body type & or leverage. I'm learning this myself but unlike the majority of brain dead people out there I know when its time to back off and do things to get me back to what I want to do. Recover well and do so being mindful and open to the idea that you know what, its ok to not be so intense all the time, its ok to take it easy and do something lighter; you're still doing something and you're keeping yourself consistent. Its not easy by any stretch but with consistency you are creating a life-long element that leads you on the path to a kick ass life well beyond your years.

What Deck Are You Using?

Over the last few days killing it on the deck of cards workout, its gotten me into a rhythm that keeps me interested and keeps me on my toes. The workout goes by fast when you really get into it, it sucks the first time around but once you really hit a stride and your body hits into automatic mode; time just flies by. For the most part I don't like using plain old regular bicycle decks or poker cards that are just generic and boring. I've been using an app on my android that gives me this workout and I can type in the name of an exercise whether I want to do 2 or 4 exercises.

Most decks are pretty dull when you look at them so whether its my app or the decks I do have I make it interesting and shoot for a fun filled deck that keeps me motivated and having a great time kicking ass. My favorite deck to use is my Indiana Jones Playing Cards; nothing is more satisfying and more bad ass than seeing the adventurous archaeologist on the card and telling what's coming next. The beauty about this is you never know what card you'll end up getting since I never do the same workout twice. What deck do you like to use?  

I mainly use this for my bodyweight workouts and later on this summer will use them in my hammer workouts which will be no more than twice a week. Its a great tool to use on the road or just wanting to train in your home. I've done this many times and have hit high numbers from doing this doing 4 exercises to just doing Push-ups & Squats at a total of 250 & 400. It'll get you fitter, leaner, great cardio and muscular endurance training, strength, flexibility, great for speed, fat loss, muscle building & not to mention tons of testosterone building. You need only a couple other things for this and that's a towel & a bottle (gallon most likely) of water. Some workouts range from 20-40 min. Some of my workouts last a little over an hour since I like using as great form as possible and take not laying down and die rests but deep breathing in between cards and get oxygen going.

Old-Time Wrestlers used this workout to get in shape such as Ric Flair, Karl Gotch, Ken Shamrock, Tatsumi Fujinami & other Japanese stars have used this to get in phenomenal condition. You don't need to be a pro wrestler to benefit from this, do the best of your abilities, rest only when needed and do tons of deep breathing, it'll help your cardio immensly. I believe next to animal exercise & sprints the very best cardio there is. You don't need much space to do this. For the time being keep your exercises the majority of push-ups and squats; you can add other exercises too like Burpees, sit-ups, pull-ups, mountain climbers & V-ups but make at least the first two a push-up and a squat. My current exercises are the Hindu Push-up, Tiger Bend Squat (variation of the Hindu Squat taught by John Peterson), Hindu Jumpers & Mountain Climbers; this workout alone is an ass kicker and takes me around 25-35 min. to finish give and take my deep breathing between cards. Want to get really ambitious, finish off the workout with the Front & Back Bridges, its nuts and really for the insane trainees but its fun and really tests your mental game.

Have fun and rock that deck. I'll be rooting for you.

Lifelong Fitness Is Better Than Momentary Fitness

Being in shape doesn't always mean six pack abs and arms that look like cannonballs. Training for life is key and the best way to do it is to maintain your body as best as possible as injury/pain-free as possible. It's always an adrenaline to test your numbers and how much you can lift at a certain age and your endurance levels plus keeping up with a tight body those are all cool things but the truth is you won't always be able to maintain the same things in your 80's like you did in your 20's or 30's.

For those of us in our 20's and 30's are in the prime of our testosterone peaks, we can handle stress far greater than most twice our age and we feel invincible at times. I trained very hard to get where i'm at today but once I hit a certain age I do need to train differently although I'm mostly a bodyweight guy, I tend to just stick to the basics (Push-ups, Squats, Bridging & some Ab Work) while I also move around heavy hammers, qi gong exercise and Self-Resistance Training. Train to help you live longer, not beat you down and feel like a cripple.

Momentary Fitness is the type of training that is for the extremely hardcore fanatics that take exercise to levels that doesn't need to be done. Crossfit in most cases does training that lasts momentarily until someone ends up in the hospital and needs a hip replaced before their prime or have shoulder surgery and is out for 3 months. Other similar systems don't look for the long-term, just drive your body into the ground and after a few years even at age 30 some might feel like an 80 year old man; that's truly messed up and whoever pushes themselves that hard aught to get their brain scanned for insanity.

I do believe in challenges and testing yourself but not on a frequent basis and go to extremes just to prove what you can do. Most of the time people go to extremes to impress others just so they feel approval and tell everyone how fit they are. Being fit is not about impressing others or pushing yourself to keep up with someone else, its truly how you keep up with your persistence and progressing little by little and getting better at something overtime. I'm not the fittest guy in the world, no one is but I can do things at my age, my size that most can't; its not bragging (just a tad) its because I have proven to myself not someone else that I can do something and get better at it or do things because I want to and not get injured. I've had enough injuries in my time that its better to stay within a range that works and keeps me happy. I've broken both legs, cracked my head open, dented my knees, scrapped my arms, nearly cracked my ribs, taken shards of glass out of my bare hand and have been so stiff everything hurt if I moved so don't tell me about your little boo boos on your elbows or cry about having busted shoulders from your bench pressing its not going to fly.

Do things that make you feel young and vibrant, things that help you have energy well beyond your years and do things that challenge you but never need to go to the hospital for. I've read lists of people who have been in the hospital for injuries from exercising too hard. I never once in over 10 years gone to the hospital because of something from an exercise. I rarely ever have been in the ER the last few years and that is due to my judgement and how I keep my body healthy. The only time I went to the ER since my accident was for a stomach virus and was seriously dehydrated that's it.

Train with purpose but look at it from a long-term perspective. Be mindful and listen to your body.

Being In Top Condition For Life

Regardless of age it's always awesome to be in top shape. Whether you're in sports, business or just want to look awesome and be full of energy; training for life-long conditioning is a must if you want to live a quality life. Sure you can be over 80 and still be lucky to be alive but the majority of those in that age range or even 20 years before then have a lot of major issues that halts their health, happiness, quality of shining energy and more.

It's not a bad thing to look good and have a body that turns heads but if you have problems on the inside all that outer appearance won't mean jack. I don't look like a greek god or a adonis that is just so damn beautiful; i'm just a guy that likes to train and maintain good health and quality of life by laughing and learning what I can. I train for life, I don't go for max weight or reps or do anything to failure, just do things that make me happy and help me stay in shape. That's part of my current training by taking basic old school exercises and get in the best shape I can without injuring myself and feel like that one day at 19 where I couldn't even lift my head out of bed because I was so stiff.

Living a long life is a great feat for anyone but why live a long life of physical pain, full of arthritis, joint inflammation and weak legs? Train for quality, not for quantity. It takes a bigger person mentally to rather maintain their health by training and challenging the body rather than reminiscing what you were able to do. I don't plan on doing another 1000+ Squats in a workout anytime soon because why would I need to? There's no point but I want to be able to do more than 100 as I get older. It's that mindset most can't truly understand because its that "I want it now and I need it fast." Knowledge is first but wisdom becomes your greatest ally when you open doors for yourself and give the next generation a chance to learn. A painter didn't start out great and when he masters his craft he makes more mistakes than a beginner can even begin to touch. Live with purpose but live for what's important.

Make the most out of your training by developing knowledge on how to maintain your strength throughout your life and how to use it whenever you choose. Whether momentary or for long periods of time if you stay in top shape regardless of what you do, you'll be light years ahead of your peers or those in your age groups.

I'm Back & Ready To Get @ It

I'm back and it is crazy awesome. Disneyland was the best trip yet with my favorite girl and making awesome memories and did a ton of walking plus Isometrics. I have written before about Theme Park Isometrics and that it helps with boredom and keeps you on your toes. While in line for various rides and meet & greets, I did Isometrics from many angles and intensities ranging arm wrestling poles, pulling on chains, isometric wrist rotations, pulling up on rails, pushing against the walls, gripping the handles of a ride, chest presses, isometric punches, wall sits and much more. It gave me insane energy as we walked on average 8 miles a day in the parks and to/from the hotel.

I even gave an Avenger a run for his money during a photo op in California Adventure near the Animation Academy & the Hyperion. See For yourself.....

I had him on the ropes and I could really do this all day but the guy needed to have fun meeting fans and keep up with another Marvel hero that was just crawling with charisma; think you may know the guy....

Isometrics just give you that insane internal strength & power you can't get anywhere else. You can literally do them anywhere, anytime and at virtually every angle. I think even a Star Wars villain was sensing my strength and needed to be sure he can use his own abilities on me but he just couldn't come to grips with it. Tried to get in my head....Poor bastard never had a chance...

To truly learn the value of Isometrics within the beauty of training in reality is the ability to expand your mind to possibilities you didn't think existed. There are many that are so shallow & can't grasp the concept to truly train anywhere anytime. You have strength in you that hasn't reached its greatest potential. Adding in Isometrics with you give great power but as Uncle Ben says "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. 

Time to get back to doing my thing and remember no matter what, you can do things that can make a greater impact than you can imagine. Kick ass & be awesome.