Slam Your Anger Away

Anger is an extremely powerful emotion. It can consume us and turn us into people that we weren't meant to be. Anger & Hatred go together like a horse and carriage and can put us in a dark place, much like turning to the Dark Side. What if we can take that Anger and turn it into something positive and get it out of our system productively, safely and without harming anyone or anything; would you want to learn how to do it?

In Star Wars, for the Sith, Anger is a weapon when focused and making it an overpowering emotion to destroy enemies without any remorse. In the depths of the Star Wars Universe, there is a group of Jedi called Gray Jedi who use concentrated emotion either in peace or in Anger to keep themselves in line. It's a form of Jedi that doesn't follow the rules of the Sith or the Jedi in the same context. They utilize both ideals. They call on the force projections of the Sith but aren't corrupted yet they also can apply techniques of the Jedi to be peaceful in certain times.

-Gray Jedi Code

Flowing through all, there is balance

There is no peace without a passion to create
There is no passion without peace to guide
Knowledge fades without the strength to act
Power blinds without the serenity to see

There is freedom in life
There is purpose in death

The Force is all things and I am the Force

Now what does this have to do with getting your Anger out? As far as you know, this is just a geeky thing to write and all I'm doing is Fanboying on Star Wars. The point is, like a Gray Jedi, you can use your emotions to your advantage, in this case getting fit. One of the best tools to get fit fast and not use a chunk of time is a Slam Ball. A Slam Ball is a tool you can pick up and like its namesake, slam it hard on the ground as many times as you can until you're fatigued. You can also toss it, throw it high in the air, press and drop, do lunges, curls, squeeze it for Isometrics or anything else you can think. The most basic exercise is just slamming it.

There are a lot of cool Slam Balls out there but to me, (Like Highlander) there can be only one; The Death Star Slam Ball. This bad boy is wicked bad ass and is in the shape of the evil Space Station. Instead of blowing it up, just pick up this sucker and slam it down hard and fast. Get a hold of this thing and get your Anger out in a healthy way. Just slamming it for a minute or less will strike you down and release dopamine like crazy. You'll be huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf in no time flat and supercharge your body with natural growth hormone and help you build muscle and increase fat loss.

Sometimes we get upset and need to blow off steam, instead of venting, make use of it and slam that aggressive emotion away. We're all human and we can't never be angry all the time so it is important to utilize our emotions and let ourselves heal. Being pissed off shouldn't be a long thing so keep it low as much as possible. Sometimes we just get emotional and need a release, take advantage of it and use it in a manner that can also get you in shape. Look at it this way, it's cheaper than therapy and you won't have to hurt yourself or someone else in the process. Give yourself the opportunity to get out those feelings out. I've had my share of Angry Moments and after a minute or two of slamming this thing, I wasn't feeling angry, I was feeling out of breath, tired and couldn't think of anything more than just being worn out.

Be resourceful and don't let your emotions get the best of you.

Play By Swinging The Mace

In my "right mood" workouts, I want to find things to play with and have some fun without worrying about bullshit that might occupy my mind. I've been wanting to swing the mace and just feel my body getting to that place of peace and tranquility. With the circular movements and the hand placements, it is more than just a workout, it is a journey. It is a journey of learning of who you are, how to control your body along with an implement and feeling the flow within the body.

The Mace, is an ancient tool of the Middle East for centuries that dates back to the writings about the Monkey God Hanuman. It is a tool for developing the athlete, was a tool for the soldier and now a tool for fitness. Also called the Gada, it was foundational for wrestlers in developing strength, conditioning, mobility and flexibility aimed at the shoulders, core muscles and grip. The main purpose was to strengthen the muscles not normally used as opposed to the dumbbell and barbell in today's movements using heavy resistance or weight.

Most beginners learning to swing ought to start very light at around 10 pounds or so. As you get stronger and develop control, move up to 20-30. For strength endurance and conditioning, the heaviest doesn't need to exceed more than 25 lbs. For strength purposes, 30-50 is decent enough. The more weight you use, the more it's about control and stability than regarding repetitions. It is awkward to move once you get up in weight and if you don't pay attention, you'll pay the price. In India, there are contests on who can swing the heaviest Gadas and Meels (Clubs) and some of these implements have spikes on them so if you can't control them, they will get you. Focus on a weight that isn't difficult but still challenging to where, each repetition is smooth and concentrated. Lighter weight, you can go faster and get some cool cardio out of it.

My Mace is loadable and it stands right now at 25 lbs which doesn't sound like much but when you pick it up and start swinging, it'll feel heavier because it's full of water and shot lead. I'll do a rep range of 10-20 reps swinging what are called 360's and 10-2's. There are a lot of different exercises you can do which you can find here at Art Of Manliness.

For follow along workouts or instruction on Mace Swinging, I recommend checking out Zenkahuna on his youtube channel, one of his videos on the mace is here. Get yourself this amazing workout tool, get outside and swing away.


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Getting The Kinks Out After Waking Up

As we get older, it is important to keep our joints healthy and our muscles ready for what lies ahead. When we are young, we don't think too much about flexibility and mobility and we think because we are young, our joints don't need much. There are a great many ways to loosen up the body but the biggest factor is after waking up whether from a night of sleep, a nap, or even after passing out on the couch.

One way to loosen up the joints and give your body that wake up jolt is to move certain parts of the body in a circular type fashion and work from your head to your toes. Hip Circles, Ankle Rotations, Neck Circles, Circling The Knees; these will open up the body big time and just because they're not big exercises, that doesn't mean it won't help your body in the long run. Another would be to do Animal Flow by dynamically stretching the muscles by moving in animal like fashion. A favorite of mine is the Ape Reach which opens up the hips, lower back, shoulders, chest and scapula.

Another great way to open up the body is by doing Yoga, even just for a few minutes. I prefer DDP Yoga as it seems more fun to me and it interests me than other forms of yoga. The 10 Minute Warm Up is freaking amazing to get that body going. That is from the DDP Yoga Extreme DVDs but because it is a warm up, don't freak out because it's on an extreme workout DVD. I'm not the biggest fan of following along but I do modify it to my needs and pace and do what's best for me which is what DDP encourages.

I know what it's like to not be able to move after waking up because i'm so damn stiff and my joints hurt every inch I moved. After my accident, I dedicated myself to be in the best shape possible and not just for building muscle but keeping my tendons strong and my joints healthy because when I get older (I'm almost 35 now) I'll have issues in my shins and ankles so my job is to prevent as much injury elements as possible and focus on staying fit without having to go on meds to suppress my joint pain. I flat out hate being on medication because up until about 9-10 years old, I was on meds from when I had the meningitis as a baby and it didn't make feel normal, now granted I'm still not normal but I don't have pills being shoved down my throat for the sake of being under control.

Be healthy inside and out and keep your joints strong for as long as you can. In our teens into late 20s, we don't think too much about our tissue and cartilage along with staying on top of keeping our tendons strong so we just go hardcore on the biggest workouts and tear it up until we are so beaten up that by the time we reach Grandparent age, we can't move or do a damn thing without being in so much pain. By our 30's and beyond, we have to be smarter and not let our egos get the best of us, we can still do amazing things but we want to enjoy life as well. It all starts with getting the kinks out.

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Why Did I Let Them Win?

During the preparation of my wedding, I had some anxiety issues, not because I was nervous about the wedding itself but the after effect of nervousness who had some doubts of what man I'm supposed to be for my wife, my future kids, my work and overall image. I needed a distraction in order to really stay balanced and it didn't really work out the way I wanted it to. I joined a forum out of word of mouth and research, it was decent and had some knowledgeable people there but pretty much from the start it became a negative vibe and mentally painful entities that I didn't want to see but it was right in front of my face.

Some of the people on that forum were nice to me and were open to what I had to say and were inspired by me but the majority were just mean, self absorbed assholes that didn't give me the time of day to just have an intellectual conversation about fitness. Some even tried to call me out on bullshit I wasn't even really aware of. I admit I got caught up in it and lashed back at them and it bit me in the ass. I left that forum for a day or 2 than came back but made up the story of being hacked and had restart the process of being there. That blew up in my face and I got bullied again and also fought back in those keyboard wars which now in my mind was so freaking stupid, I just wished somebody would slap me upside the head and tell me to quit being a bitch and let it go. The weird thing is, whether in reality or online at times, it isn't ignoring certain comments. I wear my heart on my sleeve and some of those people made me feel ashamed of that and I let that happen.

Why did I let them win? How could I have been so blind that I didn't see that they were deliberately trying to get under my skin and I let them pin me down just like the kids that pinned me down when I was 12-13 years old and a kid got on top of me and starting beating the crap out of me. I felt sick and appalled that I let that happen to me. The truth is, these same people who think they're knowledgeable, don't have a clue how to be a true human being and put people down because they look different or have to be this way and do things that cater to them. The real truth behind these people is that they hate on and mock one man and his system of exercise and the people who follow him to such a degree that they band together and do nothing but try to "expose" him as a fraud and a frail old man that can't find his way out of a paper bag. Honestly, these are some sick bastards that need more therapy than an assault victim. One of these guys even tried to compare this one man to Hitler for christ sake, the hell is wrong with you?

Now that I'm married, everything is done, had the wedding, went on the most kick ass honeymoon and ready to start my life as a married man, I started seeing things more clearly and remembering the advice Bud Jeffries gave me when I talked to him about the cyberbullying stuff, it has opened my eyes to a different perspective and going through this experience and surviving it mentally and emotionally makes me appreciate more of what the world does offer and the people that love and care about you is a gift. I'm always learning how to be a better human being not just in my self but to those around me and the things I heard out of Bud, my father, my best friend, my wife's best friend, the BFF's mom, my niece and my sister just shook me to my very soul that maybe there is something about me that can grow into this person and what to do with it.

I had quit this forum a second time even though I said I was back for good because the BS these guys kept coming at was overshadowing the real important aspects of training, philosophy, intellectual conversations and other things. I check in on it occasionally but I don't post there anymore and check out the free info I can find on there that has some value. The rest of those guys can go screw themselves and live in their circle jerk world. They have no real value to fitness or to the aspirations of being gentle and loving, they just love to hate on what values others and can't seem to let go of the person they try to "expose" and live a real life that has meaning, positivity and forming a real relationship. They're nothing but keyboard jackasses that live their lives demeaning others. They don't win anymore and I'm not going to lose sleep over their BS about me or the people they hate on. I hope they find peace and learn to just be human instead of trash.

Got Married In A Galaxy Far Far Away And Couldn't Be Any Happier

Did you miss me? I've been gone for more than a month because I was preparing for the biggest day of my life. Times were a little rough, saved up quite a bundle with some help and made it happen with all our friends and family there to celebrate me and my Princess Leia.

The majority of the planning goes to my awesome wife Holly because quite frankly, decision making isn't my thing although I got in some really cool ideas and plenty of ideas we came up with together. One of the best things about this wedding was getting our officiator. The world's strongest man/jedi Bud Jeffries. He did an amazing job with setting things up, telling us what we would like to do and run with it. During the ceremony itself, he made us all laugh to ease some of the extra nerves and just made it so perfect for us.

I'm so thankful for everyone that came out to be there for us and me and my wife are so blessed to have friends Jeremy Farr & Jackie Nicholson for the extra things they did for us and we owe you both a great deal of gratitude. Everyone who pitched in was wonderful and deserves a lot of credit.

A fun thing I got to do since it was Star Wars themed was instead of the traditional tux, I went a completely different route and dressed up as Han Solo for the ceremony. It was super cool and Bud dressed up as Obi-Wan Kenobi. I had the idea of doing music for my groomsmen when they walk out. I also got to dress up as Indiana Jones because that was one of my biggest dreams as he was my all-time favorite character and the films were what I grew up on. Being Indy was definitely a dream come true for me.

It truly was a fun and magical day for me and Holly. I couldn't be any happier and getting to share our nerdiness, love for Star Wars and being our true selves with the rest of our loved ones. This wedding was truly one to remember and can never forget our Anniversary, May 4th LOL. Here are some more pictures from the wedding you'll get a kick out of.

To see more photos, got my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.j.bergman

I even did some training days before the wedding with Bud doing Hammer & Kettle Training. Think you'll find these pretty damn cool. Now that I'm back, I'll be writing more frequently and bring you some fun articles and maybe a guest or 2. Have a wonderful day guys and bask in the love of those around you.