Why Sculpting Was Never A Part Of My Training

There's a fine line between looking fit and being fit. There's also a difference between being strong and looking strong as well. Let's face it, I'm not going to be winning any bodybuilding titles or looking like a greek god any time soon. I was never into sculpting my body but rather have the strength and other attributes to do what I love.

For some, sculpting is mindset and often times an obsession to develop the body that makes heads turn and making women's knees buckle. Not saying someone who wants to look fit is a bad thing it just isn't my preference. Now on the other hand, I don't want to be looking like a 400+ obese guy who hasn't done a damn thing in 20 years and eats McDienolds everyday. Sometimes looks can be deceiving and just because someone looks fit, that doesn't mean they have world class strength and the ability to outrun an olympic sprinter.

For the most part, I don't look like the fittest guy, I don't have 20 inch arms, 8-pack abs, cannonball shoulders and certainly don't look like I can go an hour in a workout without sounding like I'm having a heart attack. I do however can move a near 60 pound hammer for reps, have done 500 Squats in a row on multiple occasions, haul heavy furniture, Curl 60+ pound dumbbells, Run Sprints, go an hour or more in an animal workout, can spar with people far lighter than me in No Gi Grappling and other things. I don't feel the need to look like Zeus or Hercules to prove that I can be strong and have stamina, endurance and flexibility.

Maybe it is genetics, maybe it's the way my brain works or how my mind is made up but I don't need to look fit in order to be fit. If my health isn't well and I need to change things up like losing weight, lower my blood pressure, focus more on flexibility or whatever, than I'll do things to make those happen and I have. I was 275 about 2 years ago and that was too much for my height (5'10) so I changed my eating, worked out differently and changed my mindset and now I'm 20+ pounds lighter and feel incredible. I'll probably want to lose more weight in the not too distant future but for now I'm happy with where I'm at.

High Blood Pressure runs in my family so I do know I need to keep an eye on it especially when I get older into my late 30's, early 40's and beyond but I'm going to do the best to my abilities to stay off medication and keep it to less stress, better nutrition and training. The first I had it checked was for a physical a few years ago and I had it at 150+/110 which is damn near danger zone. I also needed my cholesterol levels down because I ha more bad than good. So I changed things up again and instinctively went on a program for 6 weeks before I checked it out again. The next time I went in after doing the program, my blood pressure dropped nearly 30 points at the top number and more than 20 points on the bottom number and it was incredible. Now I haven't done this program in a long time and have used other methods to help keep my BP in tact, one thing more than anything is to keep stress levels down. I hate being on meds because as a child that was what I had to do until I reached about 9-10 years old.

So what does this have to do with sculpting? Quite frankly nothing because just looking fit doesn't mean your health won't be in jeopardy. You can have the fittest looking body on the planet and still have major problems and not always from taking steroids or being natural. People with Diabetes have a sculpted look, not many but they do exist, fit athletes have developed cancer, it happens. Some people who look like a Greek God have high blood pressure or need a sleep apnea mask in order to get rest because their breathing is an issue. I can go on and on but you get my point. Do what makes you happy and keeps you actually fit. Looks won't always save you in real life situations so it is important to understand things in perspective. Now if you're sculpted and have the attributes to back it up, that's awesome, it works for you and it should continue to work for you.

The point is to be healthy and develop your body that can be resilient and strong along with being able to go for a solid period of time, be flexible, have less stress in your life and live well. Sculpting was never my thing because I rather be healthy overall instead of just looking like I'am. A fit body doesn't always mean healthy so learn to value the differences and make the choices that keep you healthy both inside and outside.

All-Natural Testosterone, Better Blood Flow And Fast Recovery

Hey What's Up (No pun intended),

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Instant energy without the crash or jitters of coffee
Banishing stress and a chipper mood
Noticeable strength gains after workouts
I'm talking about Pine Pollen in liquid and powder form..

And better yet... It's claim to fame in recent years is it’s one of the only sources of natural plant-based testosterone on the planet.

In essence, Pine Pollen is the reproductive content from pine trees. This stuff benefits humans on several levels.

Many men report having...

A Healthy Morning Wood
Better energy recovery for your workout
Higher Testosterone Levels (also known as the ‘success hormone’)
First, the ‘Morning Wood’ guarantee. Having an erection when you wake up is an indicator of optimal testosterone. It’s your body's way of telling you, ‘your testosterone levels are good, go seize the day!’

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Next, the ‘increases recovery.

Pine Pollen replenishes energy. It contains a host of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

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It’s why we recommend Pine Pollen for athletes. Or anyone who exercises regularly.

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Testosterone is known as the ‘success hormone.’

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Whether it’s…

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Rooting for your health,

P.S. Here’s what one customer had to say after trying Pine Pollen.

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2,000 Years Of Sweet Tasting Cold Medicine In A Bag (Discount As Well)

Spring is around the corner. And you already know what that means. An oasis of beautiful smells will be available to your nostrils. Sweet flowers. Fresh cut grass. Hamburgers steaming over a gas grill.

But for others, smelling anything will be next to impossible.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

First, let's talk about allergy season because it can be a real pain in the you know what. Your respiratory system weakens, making you feel lethargic. Non-stop coughing leaves your throat feeling like sandpaper.

You get the point. Allergies are lame.

But there is a solution to this problem. And it comes in all-natural form.

Elderberry is effective at treating allergic sinusitis and rhinitis.

This is due to its rich flavonoid content. The main flavonoid being Isoquercetin, which is a glucoside of Quercetin.

Quercetin contains strong antioxidant and anti-histamine properties. When you ingest this flavonoid, it…

• Protects your body from free radicals in our environment (and there’s a lot of them now)

• Charges up your endurance levels for better athletic performance

• Blocks ‘mast cells’ to give your skin a healthy, rich appearance

• Helps detox your liver for a host of health benefits But there’s more.

Spring allergies can send your immune system into overdrive. This leaves you more susceptible to viruses. And that’s where the magnificent berry really shines. Elderberry contains the highest amount of Anthocyanins of any berry.

These anthocyanins inhibit cold and flu viruses from getting into your cells. There have been many studies pointing to anthocyanins as some of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet!

While every batch is different, we guarantee this Elderberry contains at least 13% anthocyanins.

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Learn more about Elderberry yourself right here.

Rooting for your Immunity this cold and flu season!

Animal Flow + Ginastica Natural= Playful Movement

Sometimes in our training, we want to have those days where rep & set schemes don't matter and just have a little fun. It's like playing hooky but from a fitness point of view. If that is the case, I just about play hooky very frequently. Routines for me don't matter as much as it does to others.  I'm a kid at heart and although I take training seriously, you want to make an adventure out of it too.

One of the reasons why I love the way Animal Flow works is that you can be spontaneous and come up with flows and combos you never expect to do, sure you learn how the movements go but after getting the basics down, what's stopping you from creating some cool moves on your own? Ginastica Natural has that same effect, it comes from different disciplines including Yoga, Gymnastics, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Animal Style movements. I love watching the master of this method at work and get a kick out of the scene from Choke where Rickson Gracie just flows through exercises and his breathing is incredible.

When you combine 2 very awesome methods, the sky's the limit and you can create so many things out of it and never be bored. It's playful movement at its finest and molding it to your abilities and creativity is just the tip of the iceberg man. Play opens up the brain and gives you the opportunity to be creative and doing something that is challenging but exciting, even eventful for that person.

It is so beautiful to see what possibilities are out there and be able to do it anytime and anywhere makes it all worthwhile. One of my favorite videos is of GN's Master Instructor Alvaro Romano is when it portrays him doing different animals and breezing through them in the jungle of Brazil. It is almost majestic yet breathtaking. Very cool video to check here.... If you want to learn the basics, go here and the DVD versions are pretty cool too as they take you through routines in a group like format.

Animal Flow has similarities to GN but focus on other components into a style that incorporates Capoeira, Gymnastics, Breakdancing & Animals. You take in exercises based on more animal specific movements and switching them out into combos, freestyle, ect.

Make it adventurous and share your progress, no matter how big or small. Be encouraging and open up your wild side. People love to see creativity at work, it's inspiring.

Taking A Page Out Of Gama, Zass & Justa

With the new Isometric Power Belt I have aquired, it has given me a new outlook on the men who have used Isometrics to better their health, fitness, overall strength and creativity. The Great Gama would tie a belt around a tree every morning for over 2 decades and tried to throw it, suplex it, push it, pull or anything to get it off its roots. It never happened but that's not the point; the point is, that tree made him so strong that he could toss opponents around like rag dolls either in practice or in competition of Kushti Style Wrestling. The belt and the tree gave him an advantage that nobody can match and was undefeated his whole career.

Alexander Zass was an old-time strongman who could bend bars, twist steel and other feats that were extraordinary in his day. He started becoming The Amazing Sampson when he was a Prisoner Of War in World War 1, breaking out of prisons a total of 4 times. He made it his mission to snap the chains that held him and bend the bars of his cell that kept him captive by straining as hard as he could until something moved or broke. He utilized Isometric Exercise in order to survive and that made him a legend among strongmen.

He took what he used and molded it to an act show of bending bars, snapping chains and twisting the toughest steel at the time. He once developed a book using Isometrics as a base for strength and exercise. He used an apparatus that was a long chain with 2 handles attached to each end. You can shorten or lengthen the chain and do a series Isometric Exercises to strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body. Some people got so strong the chain broke and would have to replace it. The Isometric Power Belt can duplicate those same exact exercises and no way of it snapping on someone and safer to use than a chain. I did a workout one day using those exercises and felt amazing afterwards. Great training to say the least.

Steve Justa out of all three of these men has got to be the most oddball. That is what makes him great though is his uniqueness and his no BS style of training. He became a believer in Isometrics when he was bailing hay and the guy much smaller yet muscular than him was pacing like a madman and had this incredible endurance for manual labor. Steve tried for 2 years lifting and moving heavy weight but barely made a dent in his labor work; worked for a few months on isometrics and was moving faster and could keep up with his co-worker with ease and his strength was insane along with amazing stamina. Isometrics shed a great deal of body fat, developed strength in his tendons and ligaments and was doing workouts that lasted from several minutes to a couple hours, working every single angle he can come up with and varied the intensity from 30%-100%. He has a course out called Iron Isometrics that shares his story along with how diet and Isometrics got him off diabetic medication after nearly losing his life to Type 2 Diabetes. There's another book you may have heard of called Rock, Iron, Steel that also has an entire chapter dedicated to Isometrics.

With the Isometric Power Belt, that is 28 ft long you can get creative and like Justa, develop strength from all sorts of angles and work the tendons like a madman. You can hold certain positions for long periods of time or shorter periods it is up to you and what your goals are. You can work around injuries (be careful on that) and develop greater speed. The longer holds are what Justa called Aerobic Isometrics (I guess it sounded cool to him lol) where you lower the intensity of a contraction and stick to that position for 30 seconds to several minutes. Think of it like the Shaolin Monks who hold several positions such as horsestances, fingertip push-up holds, handstands and such for long periods of time. That takes serious strength and mental conditioning. This is just an idea, it's not the end-all-be-all.

Isometrics can help you go beyond plateaus and even possibly help you recover from injuries. Be careful on how you breathe during these exercises, it is very common to want to hold the breath which is a huge no-no bro. With higher intensity like around 60-85%, as you exhale breathe out the letter S as in "sssss". For longer holds and less intensity say around 30-50%, breathe as deeply and calmly as possible. With longer holds, you can get quite a cardio workout as the muscle fibers are firing and your breathing becomes a factor.

Now what are the best ways to build muscle and burn fat with Isometrics? From my experience and learning from others including people like Bud Jeffries, Steve Justa, Logan Christopher and others who have practiced Isometrics; the shorter holds with higher intensity tend to give you more definition while the longer and less intense holds give you more of that "pump" and put on more natural muscle mass. I can't prove this scientifically so it's up to you to find this out for yourself, I'm going on what has happened with me. So take a page out of Alexander Zass, The Great Gama & Steve Justa and hit up some isometrics in your training. Get the Isometric Power Belt when it is available and develop some insane strength in the process.