Many people have busy schedules and can't always cram in a workout when they want to. It's not easy juggling life, a mortgage, a marriage, kids, PTA meetings and Gatherings but you always have a little time to exercise. Instead of thinking you only have this much time and you can't exercise, change it to "What can I do quickly?"
There was a course I use to promote called Muscle Reminders by my friend and gymnast/entertainer Cess De Kok. What this taught was resetting the mind and thinking differently in terms on how you can exercise daily without needing to do one particular workout. He used the idea of doing different exercises throughout the day whether at the grocery store, in your car (only at a red light or stop sign), at the park, in your hotel room or while strolling on the beach.
Our lives don't ever have to interfere with our way of staying fit. You can join the gym and do your thing but you may not always have that opportunity so it is important you still believe you can get some exercise in even if you only do a few at a time. Since a lot of us are obsessed with our phones, why not make it useful instead of always posting selfies or taking pictures of your food. There's an App for many things and a few of them are from one of my favorite websites and that's Darebee where you can find workouts you can do just about anywhere and can be modified to your level.
Three of these Apps are.....
1. Fit Tap:
A fun and active way to do exercises throughout the day or can be played by friends and family and challenging each other in a productive way. Are you up to the challenge?
2. Pocket Workouts
A massive collection of approx 250 Workouts you can choose from that are divided into different categories. Each one has a workout that has three sets of levels for determining your fitness level. Some are easy, some are very difficult but you can adjust them however you want and if you can't do all three levels in the same workout than pace yourself and see what you can do or you can do a certain level at certain points during the day. Each round takes roughly a couple minutes at best so if you're short on time, do a quick round and go from there. Make it work for you.
3. 100 Office Workouts:
These can come in handy while you're on break at work. Easy to follow and again can be adjusted if needed. Don't hold yourself back and get fit, even at your job.
All of these are free to download or you can choose to download them for less than a dollar. The "Champion" Version is virtually identical. All it is is a donation to the site so they can keep you up to date with workouts, programs and challenges.
I do this every now and then and at times make a full workout out of the Fit Tap App. Don't ever get discouraged and make the best of what you can. If you're really into these workouts, check out the site or grab one of their programs in book form either on Kindle or Paperback such as....
Hero's Journey
Fighter's Codex
Volumes 1 & 2 each containing 100 Workouts
1000 Workouts
All books sold have a donation go to the site. Have fun and stay active for you and your friends/family.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
1 Minute Animal Walks A Day
In mainstream fitness, there's an arbitrary set of rules for exercises in how they are mapped out and what this does for your cardio, this for your strength and so on and so forth. Numbers are good in the sense of what your goal is and what is allotted on paper but there are times where we just want to forget all that crap and just go and kick ass. There's even a format with how much time you're "allowed" in how long a workout should be and it has to be done in this amount of time.
I don't always believe in "closed in" or limited numbers or time when I train. I go by what makes me happy and pushes me when i'm most interested. Hell last night I did a deck of cards workout and only lasted about halfway in; not because I was exhausted but because I got bored and when my mind stops being in that zone, I'm not going push any further. I have beaten the deck many times in the past and have beaten it at least once recently. Where do the animals come into play here?
As you know, animal movements are my go to exercises and yeah I play the numbers game seeing how many steps I can take in a workout or throughout the day (my best is around 2000) but I also just want to move and play. I still get great results and my mindset is dead on from beginning to end. Some days, I go for endurance, others; i'd just go for a minute or 2 on a couple animals each and that's it. Animal Workouts can be done anyway you want them to and can do them at your pace, your own level of progression and you can spend as much time on them as you want or capable of.
Let's start making a habit each day to move like an animal for 1 minute whether it be a bear crawl, crab walk, tiger walk, duck walk, Squat/Jump like a frog, hop like a bunny rabbit or whatever you decide but do it for up to 1 minute. This could be a great start for a beginner or a warm up for an advanced animal mover, either way you're going to find something going on in your body that isn't just the muscles and tendons. If you're in a house or indoors and there isn't a ton of room, you can do a few steps forward and back, take a few steps and turn around and repeat or whatever but keep going for a full minute. If it's too much for you, do 30 seconds. You don't have go fast and be like the Flash but just move and focus on the placement of the hands plus breathing naturally.
Doing one minute of exercise can get your heart rate up if you do it right. A minute may not be much but it can have a huge impact on the beginning to your day. You're stretching the body, you're opening up the brain and you're training the tendons. If you wanted to do a full workout, just add on animals and do no more than 20 total minutes of exercise. Because of the intensity, a solid workout shouldn't take that long anyway and you're getting those major attributes done for the day; cardio, strength training, conditioning, coordination, flexibility, agility, muscular endurance, strength endurance and power all done at the same time.
Do 1 minute of animal movement a day and feel how good you'll be afterwards. Think of the energy you'll spring up, the endorphin high that helps you stay smiling and the mental focus you'll generate for later in the day. Animals are amazing for exercise and they open up doors to a whole new world for you when you do them consistently.
Go to the animal pictures and courses on the right side of this blog and learn what animals you can do just starting at 1 minute a day.
I don't always believe in "closed in" or limited numbers or time when I train. I go by what makes me happy and pushes me when i'm most interested. Hell last night I did a deck of cards workout and only lasted about halfway in; not because I was exhausted but because I got bored and when my mind stops being in that zone, I'm not going push any further. I have beaten the deck many times in the past and have beaten it at least once recently. Where do the animals come into play here?
As you know, animal movements are my go to exercises and yeah I play the numbers game seeing how many steps I can take in a workout or throughout the day (my best is around 2000) but I also just want to move and play. I still get great results and my mindset is dead on from beginning to end. Some days, I go for endurance, others; i'd just go for a minute or 2 on a couple animals each and that's it. Animal Workouts can be done anyway you want them to and can do them at your pace, your own level of progression and you can spend as much time on them as you want or capable of.
Let's start making a habit each day to move like an animal for 1 minute whether it be a bear crawl, crab walk, tiger walk, duck walk, Squat/Jump like a frog, hop like a bunny rabbit or whatever you decide but do it for up to 1 minute. This could be a great start for a beginner or a warm up for an advanced animal mover, either way you're going to find something going on in your body that isn't just the muscles and tendons. If you're in a house or indoors and there isn't a ton of room, you can do a few steps forward and back, take a few steps and turn around and repeat or whatever but keep going for a full minute. If it's too much for you, do 30 seconds. You don't have go fast and be like the Flash but just move and focus on the placement of the hands plus breathing naturally.
Doing one minute of exercise can get your heart rate up if you do it right. A minute may not be much but it can have a huge impact on the beginning to your day. You're stretching the body, you're opening up the brain and you're training the tendons. If you wanted to do a full workout, just add on animals and do no more than 20 total minutes of exercise. Because of the intensity, a solid workout shouldn't take that long anyway and you're getting those major attributes done for the day; cardio, strength training, conditioning, coordination, flexibility, agility, muscular endurance, strength endurance and power all done at the same time.
Do 1 minute of animal movement a day and feel how good you'll be afterwards. Think of the energy you'll spring up, the endorphin high that helps you stay smiling and the mental focus you'll generate for later in the day. Animals are amazing for exercise and they open up doors to a whole new world for you when you do them consistently.
Go to the animal pictures and courses on the right side of this blog and learn what animals you can do just starting at 1 minute a day.
Friday, November 23, 2018
100% Natural Herbs On Sale ALL WEEKEND
Lost Empire Herbs has been basking in the holiday spirit today. So here’s a gift to you...
EVERY ITEM IN STOCK - 15% OFF!
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Getting the discount is as easy as pumpkin pie.
Just type in the promo code CYBER15 in the checkout area to add the discount to your order.
This is a rare opportunity to give the gift of health to yourself or a loved one at a sweet price.
We know the holidays are a joy but they can also present unwanted side effects. Things like…
Unwanted weight gain from overeating and too much alcohol.
Stress from family drama.
Tanking energy levels from traveling and party planning.
Sure, it’s the most wonderful time of the year and all. But all that celebration has its drawbacks. So it’s important to make sure your health is in tip-top shape.
What better way to combat these negative effects than through natural herbs?
YOUR CHOICE of any herbs -- 15% OFF!
Freaking out about seeing your in-laws? Try the Spartan Formula. This one is packed with Schisandra, Eleuthero, and Rhodiola to relax and de-stress you.
Worried about keeping up with the younger ones? Check out our Pine Pollen or our Phoenix Rejuvenation Formula. These provide a clean, long-lasting energy so you can take part in all the fun and games without crashing out early.
Use the promo code CYBER15 in the checkout area of the site to apply your 15% OFF coupon code.
Don't nose-dive into the liquor cabinet to deal with stress this holiday season...
Click here to shop and save 15% with code CYBER15 (ends Monday)
Monday, November 19, 2018
Getting The Most Out Of Your Conditioning
"Conditioning is the base for every combat sport. Go back to nature and you'll find that animals in the wild are in the greatest of shape, because they use their own bodyweight and stretching."- Karl Gotch (1924-2007)
We all understand the concept of conditioning whether you're in sports or not; however, what we don't always realize is the simple elements that help us last in the "game." The world in fitness keeps on changing, coming up with various programs to be in top shape whether internally, externally or both. The problem with this is that even though a lot of great things that come out, it becomes too overwhelming to choose which ones or one is best to do. We have programs that build the body from the outside, we have programs based on MMA, we have programs used in Crossfit and we have programs that push your limits like in Tough Mudder or Spartan Races. Personally, I research and learn programs that help me last but at the same time, be practical and progressive that engages my brain and my muscles in sync with one another.
Don't get me wrong, many ideas out there do work for a lot of people but how long could someone keep up a certain program that is meant for those in their 20's and not in their 40's, 50s and beyond. Conditioning on a deep level, teaches you how to keep going but not always within the same pace. Some of the greatest athletes even have to slow down but they know how to keep going even when they're fatigued. Another concept of pure conditioning is the controlling of the breath. Let's face it, no matter how hard you train, if your breathing is an issue and you don't have the mindset to keep it at bay even in the crucial moments, you're not going to last.
Do a program or taking ideas from multiple programs and mold it into your own that gets you in great shape but also learning the ideals of breathing. Even if you're not in sports, conditioning can come in handy in regards to your health, vitality and everyday life. Be able to go upstairs without seriously huffing and puffing, play with the kids without tiring and getting through the work day without fatiguing. In a lot of ways, we have forgotten how to truly stay in shape because mostly you read about are ways to get in shape for bodybuilding, combat sports, sports in general and others. I'm not one to follow along easily to a person on DVD and mimic everything they do in sequence, to me that just adds on anxiety and self sabotage because if you can't follow along or don't want to, does that make you weak or not good enough?
Going beyond just animal movements and other bodyweight exercises, I do my best to stay in shape by moving through exercise after exercise but if I need to take a breather, I do it and when I recover, I get back on it. I don't understand the concept of this doing x amount of reps and than rest X amount of seconds or a minute and repeat. I go with what my body can do and understanding how my brain can comprehend a certain workout. If I can go, I know my body and mind can go but if you tell me or force me to do an idea that isn't synced with me, it's not going to go well. I have gone to limits and lasted in certain workouts and have done workouts I was forced into that my body and brain couldn't be in tuned with that just killed me in seconds.
Get the most out of your conditioning whether in sports or in life by doing things that align both body and mind. Let me put an example on this. The toughest athletes in mainstream today or MMA Fighters, period. They do all sorts of conditioning for their art whether it's Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Catch Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing or whatever but when it comes time to fight, a lot of them (not all) just screw up and their breathing is so off that they are done within the first round. What I'm getting at is, you can be in the greatest shape of all time but if you can't control how you breathe and your mind and body aren't in sync, you just wasted all your time and goals. I'm constantly learning this in BJJ because it's not just about lasting in a match, its about lasting in life too.
Practice breathing, move with intent and condition both mind and body in the workouts you love to do and are willing to progressively push yourself in. Practice being in shape for life because you're not always going to have the ability to be in shape like you were in your 20's, train accordingly and don't be afraid to be adventurous.
We all understand the concept of conditioning whether you're in sports or not; however, what we don't always realize is the simple elements that help us last in the "game." The world in fitness keeps on changing, coming up with various programs to be in top shape whether internally, externally or both. The problem with this is that even though a lot of great things that come out, it becomes too overwhelming to choose which ones or one is best to do. We have programs that build the body from the outside, we have programs based on MMA, we have programs used in Crossfit and we have programs that push your limits like in Tough Mudder or Spartan Races. Personally, I research and learn programs that help me last but at the same time, be practical and progressive that engages my brain and my muscles in sync with one another.
Don't get me wrong, many ideas out there do work for a lot of people but how long could someone keep up a certain program that is meant for those in their 20's and not in their 40's, 50s and beyond. Conditioning on a deep level, teaches you how to keep going but not always within the same pace. Some of the greatest athletes even have to slow down but they know how to keep going even when they're fatigued. Another concept of pure conditioning is the controlling of the breath. Let's face it, no matter how hard you train, if your breathing is an issue and you don't have the mindset to keep it at bay even in the crucial moments, you're not going to last.
Do a program or taking ideas from multiple programs and mold it into your own that gets you in great shape but also learning the ideals of breathing. Even if you're not in sports, conditioning can come in handy in regards to your health, vitality and everyday life. Be able to go upstairs without seriously huffing and puffing, play with the kids without tiring and getting through the work day without fatiguing. In a lot of ways, we have forgotten how to truly stay in shape because mostly you read about are ways to get in shape for bodybuilding, combat sports, sports in general and others. I'm not one to follow along easily to a person on DVD and mimic everything they do in sequence, to me that just adds on anxiety and self sabotage because if you can't follow along or don't want to, does that make you weak or not good enough?
Going beyond just animal movements and other bodyweight exercises, I do my best to stay in shape by moving through exercise after exercise but if I need to take a breather, I do it and when I recover, I get back on it. I don't understand the concept of this doing x amount of reps and than rest X amount of seconds or a minute and repeat. I go with what my body can do and understanding how my brain can comprehend a certain workout. If I can go, I know my body and mind can go but if you tell me or force me to do an idea that isn't synced with me, it's not going to go well. I have gone to limits and lasted in certain workouts and have done workouts I was forced into that my body and brain couldn't be in tuned with that just killed me in seconds.
Get the most out of your conditioning whether in sports or in life by doing things that align both body and mind. Let me put an example on this. The toughest athletes in mainstream today or MMA Fighters, period. They do all sorts of conditioning for their art whether it's Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Catch Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing or whatever but when it comes time to fight, a lot of them (not all) just screw up and their breathing is so off that they are done within the first round. What I'm getting at is, you can be in the greatest shape of all time but if you can't control how you breathe and your mind and body aren't in sync, you just wasted all your time and goals. I'm constantly learning this in BJJ because it's not just about lasting in a match, its about lasting in life too.
Practice breathing, move with intent and condition both mind and body in the workouts you love to do and are willing to progressively push yourself in. Practice being in shape for life because you're not always going to have the ability to be in shape like you were in your 20's, train accordingly and don't be afraid to be adventurous.
Friday, November 16, 2018
Getting Wild After Waking Up
When we become in tuned with a routine, we forget to live a life too, being spontaneous and doing something a little different. It can be scary at first because we aren't used to it and if 5 minutes is too much than do 1 minute. It's a start. Getting a little wild in the morning can do wonders not just physically but mentally too. You're not just moving around working muscles, you're also waking up the brain and getting blood flow to the body that generates energy, vibrancy and vigor. I'm not even asking you to go full boar, play with your own pace. Who said you had to stop playing as an adult huh? Life is more than just a routine, it's a chance to renew yourself and setting a different mindset that can lead to adventures, creating better moods and channeling your inner child.
Sure it is our responsibility to work, pay bills, do laundry and take care of a house but it is also our responsibility to live as well. When was the last time you saw a good movie? Wore something that was fun and exciting to wear? Read a book you couldn't put down? When was the last time you felt at ease and smiled from ear to ear for no apparent reason. Like you I struggle to live at times and need to remember that this life is our only one and do things that make us happy and feel amazingly awesome. Moving like a wild animal isn't some silly trend that is geared towards kids; it's a method that opens up a world we have forgotten and need to relive. It goes beyond exercise, it's an expression of freedom, the ability to challenge the norm and opening up our minds in a way that gives us reasons to smile and play.
You have a responsibility to live a life that has a lot to offer and it starts with a small build up of playing. Get wild after waking up and see what happens.
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