Being On The Oregon Coast And Training To Keep Things Flowing

 Being near the ocean again was just incredible and putting in some training doing Isometrics, Dopa Bands & the 2 + 1 Sapate HIIT Workouts. Feeling the air, the sound of the waves, it's one of those great places to clear your head. Each day, there was a fun way to get some exercise in and then enjoy the rest of the time doing whatever. First night after getting into our Hotel in Lincoln City, did some Isometrics and using the band to stretch my body after being on the road for over 8 hours. The rest of the week was Sapate Workouts and a couple more Dopa Circuits doing 500-600 total reps each in Coos Bay. When we came home Saturday, I did a 500 Rep Dopa Circuit after a long travel day. 

I turned 42 last Tuesday and the older I get, the more I'm understanding that in fitness, it's not about who the toughest is or who can be so damn extreme consistently, those can be subjective but the latter has become more of a joke because of how much it's pushed by certain people. It's really keeping things flowing, especially after reaching 40.

I'll still push myself at times, hell those Sapate Workouts are hard and I do enjoy them. Testing things out but also being smart about what I do. I rather do things that build a future over beating the crap out of myself that leaves me wanting to sit out for days. I'm not breaking my streak to do that shit. Being on the sand and seeing the waves while feeling the wind of the sea reminds me of these things. Sometimes it's calm and other times, it creates a greater force but they always keep coming. Always in motion, that's a big proponent of my fitness journey.

It's those days where you can hammer out a high rep workout that can have you breathing like you ran sprints but other times, you can do some Iso Training, creating heavy tension and letting those muscles work without pounding the joints into an oblivion. Being over 40, I know I haven't peaked yet but I also know that when to go hard and when to back it up a few notches becomes an art form.

It also doesn't mean slowing down or making excuses. It means you're training with purpose, a structure that has meaning. Being able to train anywhere has become somewhat of a lost art, sure you can do just body weight and be cool with it, I encourage it wholeheartedly but having things like Bands on hand just adds not only the variety, but also getting an on site education to what you can come up with and developing abilities that keep you young and vibrant.

There's nothing fancy about old school training, it's the consistency and the use of your imagination that will have you going into new realms of strength, health and durability that didn't seem to exist before. Too many these days feel turning 40 means you're going downhill. Not me man, I don't believe it for a second. Do I train exactly the same as I did at 21? Nope, but that's ok. Do I believe I'm doing better now? Very much so, because I've learned that wisdom comes with age and experience. Adapted to what my body responds to and how to progress intelligently. That's what knowledge through trial and error over the years gets you.

Nature is a great teacher. Giving us lessons that can last a lifetime. When we pay attention to things in a different light, it shows us what we are capable of. The weather changes, the tide can be low or high, the wind can be calm but out of nowhere can be gusty. It teaches adaptability. The way we train shouldn't be any different. Some workouts can feel incredible, others can be humbling and even question our life's choices, we can seem invincible in one sense, at times just showing up and doing what's possible in the moment is our victory for the day. Just don't stop moving.

For those over 40, don't spend so much time worrying about what was in the past, stay the course on what you can do today. Experiment, learn new challenges, the journey doesn't end because a calendar tells you you're a year older. Think of it as a new chapter, a new adventure on the horizon. 

As for our time on the coast itself, we saw beautiful sunsets, witnessed a proposal within yards on the beach and even celebrated a little of it, some awesome lighthouses and spending time with people that we don't see very often even though each time we do, we pick up where we left off last. We smiled, took little trips down the coast and created memories that will never leave us. Being loved and sharing it with the people that matter to us. Life can be hard at times but there's beauty in it as well and that is also what keeps things flowing. Be amazingly awesome and have a great Monday.

Share some of your favorite travel memories in the comments.

A Hater's Workout: Lots Of Typing, Zero REAL Training Done

 I saw a lot of this with a hater of my own. Some idiot who barely does 10 Squats on a Youtube Video will write a Tolstoy like Novel of a post about my own form and say the dumbest things that make no sense, not to mention plagiarizing my articles to make up fake reviews for his so called Isometric Course (if you even want to call it that, mainly copy and pasted garbage with no originality or actual training structure). Hell, he couldn't post a video of a real hold to save his life.

It's funny how some of these people utilize anecdotes more than actual science and individual adaptation and only post what they believe is right otherwise anything else outside their messed up bubble is wrong. 

Let me tell you the truth.....

Pseudoscience isn't real science. That should be a painfully obvious "No shit sherlock" moment but most of these guys can't get that through their overly biased thought process. Realistic research starts with the actual work being done, I've shown things like my bands and even performing a full Deck Of Cards Leg Workout. All he really shows is dumb rants and small little "hints" of his superiority to things like Pull-Ups when he struggles to get 6 yet claims he can 25 like its nothing. Talk about bullshit. 

Anecdotes aren't evidence either especially when it comes to the most exaggerated claims. Things like losing 132 lbs in less than 6-8 weeks. How the bloody hell is that even healthy? Where's the science behind that and being able to function? Even losing that in 6 months would be pushing it. It's not true, sure he lost a lot of weight but it wasn't in that period of time unless he did some kind of liposuction and made sacrifices to maintain it like his sanity. Making up stories like being able to casually swing a 40kg Club in each hand. I've seen footage of several people doing this but its nowhere near casual, it takes a load of coordination and not only strength but to even get those damn things upright in the first place. If you're claiming crap like that while weighing less than 135 lbs soaking wet, you better put up or shut up and not just picking it up and actually swinging it, put it on a scale to see the actual weight. For the record, 40kg is 88 lbs.

What's their biggest tell?

The Obsession. I've never met a strong dude that spends his day bitching and moaning about other people's training style or doing everything possible to debunk them. Real men, spend their time training and doing things to make it better for themselves. Weak men, take more time to hate. It's practically a full time job: Scroll, Analyze, Debunk and repeat over and over. No training that means anything and stay stuck as a pencil neck twig with a grudge. 

If your training works for you, that's awesome. If you like pull-ups, do them until the cows come home, like swinging clubs, cool. Just make sure you write the accurate weight instead of some outrageous arbitrary number that makes people question your math skills. Don't tell me about my form in certain movements like Hindu Push-ups while you turn it into something overly inappropriate. What is wrong with these people?

Here's an idea: Put your damn phone down or put the laptop away and actually move your ass doing something. Spend less time writing your little pity parties playing the victim and actually train. I highly doubt you will since you seem to care about what I do more than what you can do for yourself. Quit the hating, click baiting and be a man. Actually do something productive in your miserable life. 

Damn that was quite a rant wasn't it? Sometimes you just got to get stuff out every once in a while. Keep kicking ass everyone. Be amazingly awesome.  

100 2 And 1 Sapates Workout

 Today was a hell of a test day. Wanted to see if I can do 100 of the 2 & 1 Sapate Exercise. Keep it at 10 reps per set, 2:30 of rest in between and go from there. Normally it takes me 5 seconds to complete 1 rep of this and on my HIIT days I can do about 6 in 30 seconds. Doing 10 of these in a row is actually pretty damn tough. 

I knew this wasn't going to be easy and it would get harder by the later sets. Even with the amount of rest I was taking, the reps were getting heavier by like set 4 or 5 and my breathing was feeling like I was doing sprints. There was even a split moment where I wanted to quit but it faded so fast that barely even remember which set I thought it. I was determined to hit that 100. 

This was really pushing my own limits and testing my conditioning and mental fortitude. It was Strength Training, Cardio, Agility and Explosiveness all in one shot. As time went on, the pacing had to slow down a bit because I was feeling the lactic acid build up. This is where the resting was a godsend because if I did any less especially for later sets, I would've felt like my legs were like jello and my breathing would've felt so damn unbearable that it would've been a miracle to get past sets 6 or 7. In later sets, think my timing per rep went up to about 6-8 seconds per rep which is still hard considering what kind of exercise this is.

Every time I walked it off to rest, I just did my route around the living room, calming my breathing as best as I could and think intently about making it through the next set cause it did get harder and harder. Felt like my heart was going to jump out of my fucking chest and it seemed like I was ready keel over and die, but I kept going. I kept fighting and even though I was soaked from all the sweat, it was very rewarding by the end.

I made it to all 10 sets, 100 total reps. 100 Push-ups & 200 Squats altogether. It's one thing to do them separately cause that wouldn't be much of a challenge for those who are consistent with bodyweight training but to combine them together like that, that's a whole other sport in itself. It's hitting so many muscle groups that its hard to fathom. This was a test beyond sanity or even physical conditioning. It was a test of what I'm capable of doing for myself and what the possibilities are to be able to do it moving forward. It was one of the hardest workouts I've done in a while and it made workouts like my 500-1000 rep band workouts feel like a pre-warm up before a warm up. That's how crazy it was for me.

Doing them in a HIIT fashion felt easier LOL. So, would I do it again? Never say never. Could be once a week or every other week, you never know until I write up about it. It was brutal, tough and a little fun. Care to give it a go? See how you do but I will warn you, this isn't for beginners so I don't recommend you do this without spending some time understanding the mechanics, the pace and the specific workouts to keep things flowing. Let me know in the comments what you think. 

The Things I'm Grateful For In My Training

 My birthday is sometime next week and I want to take the time to reflect on a few things and be grateful with what I'm able to do. I'll be 42 and I don't feel it whatsoever. My fitness has been getting better and better, experimenting with things and making sure not to push to where there's a possible injury coming on.

Yeah 42 isn't that old to many but I'm also not in my 20's or my 30's anymore either so there are things that I choose not to do these days that I did do back in the day but I'm grateful for those years and doing things I didn't think were possible. 

I may not be doing heavy barbell squats or pistols but the current stuff I'm doing for my legs is fucking awesome. Because of things like Step Ups, the 2 & 1 Sapate, Isometrics, Sandbags and playing with sledgehammers, I don't have knee problems and my hips are just as mobile as ever. I'm not a runner for certain reasons that I'm not going to bore you to death with that you already don't know, but I will sprint every now and then, go for walks with the weight vest or go on hikes so I do these over conventional running. I keep my joints healthy through a routine that I molded years ago using circular patterns, stretching & DDP Yoga moves and from 2024, I haven't had back issues, maybe stiff at times but I once I get things rolling, it's all smooth sailing from there.

Do I feel things from time to time, yeah duh LOL. My ankles feel tight at times and my shoulders hit up but not in painful entities. I've got no arthritis or tennis elbow which is a plus cause some have started in early stages around this age from all the crazy shit they put themselves through years earlier. My cardio is at a great level due to my dopamineo training, HIIT Workouts and other things. The fact I can still go at a solid level of intensity without risking injury is just mind blowing. Seriously, when I was in my teens and early 20's, I thought 40+ year olds were mostly down hill and not maintaining. It's awesome to still be able to do things like Step Ups for 30 min or longer if I want to or tackle a band workout for 1000 Reps or more (think my biggest total is over 1300 at this point in a session) and still feel energetic. 

I don't smoke, never have in my life and when it comes to drinking, I can go for extended periods of time without ever wanting one, may have a little something every once in a blue moon but considering some of the things I saw growing up involving Alcohol, just turned me away from it 99% of the time. I get to train anywhere I please without relying on equipment in the gym and I'm happy as hell I don't need a membership ever again. It was fun while it lasted but my true love is being outdoors in the woods, at home, on the beach, hotel room or in a fucking pool. I believe that those who have greater knowledge and application to workout with whatever is on on hand even if its yourself, a gym would be way more optional than feeling like a necessity. 

A great perk to have is that throughout my life so far, I've never been jumped or robbed and I've been around some tough neighborhoods where there has been violence, stabbings, shootings, robbery and worse things. I do believe it's due to my training and I haven't had anyone want to test me. It's not like you see a bigger guy and automatically think he's easy Pickens. People around me know I'll throw down if I have to but I'm not going to start anything and think I can take anybody. I'm not into fighting or going on the offensive when it comes to being around others in public. Publicly, nobody has ever wanted to fight or come up to me. Now online, some of it is just banter and guys shooting their mouth off but those are the ones that wouldn't know a wristlock from a wristwatch. Not saying I wouldn't ever get my ass kicked, it could happen but sometimes, I don't know what I would do to someone if it came down to me or him. For the most part, unless it's just dire and there's no other option, I don't go looking for street fights, quite frankly I'd rather have an old fashioned wrestling match and see who gets pinned or taps first and then shake the guy's hand win or lose. Guy can dream right?

Overall, I'm very happy with what I got going on and keep making it a part of my journey. But also, when I say happy, doesn't mean I stop at a wall or just stay in a certain place. I'm happy with experimenting, progressing, finding ways to build muscle and be at a solid level of conditioning. I'm happy that I don't tire out like many my age or even younger, I'm happy with maintaining my strength and being explosive if I need to be. I don't get winded hiking or climbing stairs and sure as shit don't feel my body is breaking down. My tendons and ligaments are still as strong as I was in my 20's and 30's. Maintained my weight between 228-235 the majority of the time in the last couple years and don't plan on going higher than that anymore. The lowest I'd like to be again is around 225 which isn't that much lower than when I graduated high school back in '03. 

Things are shaping up and I can't wait to see what's in stored. Be amazingly awesome and let's interact in the comments. What are you grateful for? What are you happy with? Let's hear it. 

Experience The Benefits Of The Goji Berry

When you're having fun, time just flies by as you hit that endorphin high. Get up, move around, sweat a little and afterwards, feel like you're on cloud fucking 9 man. I love that feeling, don't you?

Would you be willing to play around with something new in the kitchen that fits that whole vibe? Come and grab the Organic Goji Berry Powder from Lost Empire Herbs. To be honest, not everybody is a berry guy, you have your typical diet of meat & eggs, drinking plenty of water, keeping it simple right? These little red bastards however; have a reputation for a heavy reason. In the community of Chinese Medicine, some call it the #1 Herb, not for being some nutty stimulant but because of it being a gateway herb. Tastes incredible, easy to start with and packs a hell of an uppercut.

It is called the Happy Herb for a specific purpose. Not to mention it's THE King Of Antioxidents. Want to understand the nerdy side that can grab one's attention? The ORAC Value of the Goji is listed commonly at 25,000. For Blueberries which is a favorite for many only hits at 7,000. That might as well be a whole other sport when it comes to the difference. It's not just a numbers game, this stuff will actually help the body build up its own internal antioxidants such as glutathione and SOD aka Superoxide Dismutase. It's the defense system getting stronger. That matters when you're doing crazy workouts and the muscles are screaming. 

If you believe in magic, the realism of it is the LBP's or in other words: Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides. It's benefits include......

Anti Aging Support

Eye Function

Healthy Liver 

Metabolic Function & Blood Sugar

Immune System Strength along with Reproductive Health

The Nutrient Density alone is extremely powerful. Practically a Superfood packed with over a dozen Amino Acids, Vitamins like C, B1 & B2, E and trace minerals. There's far more but you get the picture. For a dose, 1-2 Tablespoons a day is simple enough. Put it in water, your favorite smoothie or mix it with tea. Take it everyday if you'd like, no need to cycle.

You may notice things within days. Have greater energy levels, better mood and not having that jittery feeling. Is it actually magical, fuck no, still need to put the work in but it'll make that engine run much cleaner. I would recommend that if you're on Blood Pressure meds or are Diabetic, I would talk to your doctor first. I wouldn't want someone having issues with this. 

Willing to give it a go? GET IT HERE!!! Hope this inspires you to test out something new for you and in how you recover with a smile on your face. 

For more information, look into this product further to see if it would be good for you to work with. It's important you know what you're getting into and how you want to move forward. Be amazingly awesome.