Training The Neck Safely While Building Strength

 If there was an area of the body that shows the most neglect, it’s the neck. Unless you’re a football player, wrestler or martial artist, there isn’t a ton of people training their neck. First off, mainly those who do teach it, even with good intentions may not showcase the bigger picture and focus on this or that. The real truth: It can be scary with the way it is shown at times.

Most who attempt to teach people how to train their neck show mainly machines or using some form of weight along with Bridges that don’t have progression systems in place. The Bridges are often the most “Screw this” reaction than to even using weights because you’re having the top of your head on the floor and the only things supporting are the hands and feet. Does that mean Bridges are bad overall? That depends. I’ve done Bridging exercises for many, many years and never had neck issues that were a cause for alarm but it’s because I learned how to properly progress and control in how I perform them. 

This doesn’t mean Bridges or even weights for that matter are for everyone. If you have spinal injuries or have spurs, it isn’t wise or even worth your health doing those things. Now, if you are healthy and need guidance in training the neck using those things, I would highly recommend Advanced Bridging by Logan Christopher where he teaches you even the most basic exercises to train not only your neck but the spinal cord and overall body development. For the weights, I would look into the Neck Flex and learning ideally from Mike Bruce who knows a thing or two about training those muscles efficiently. 

What would be the alternative to these where you can still work your neck without having to do those things. You can do Neck Mobility Drills like I show on Youtube, you can do Self Resistance Exercises working the neck in several directions where you are in complete control of the tension you use, or you can use a resistance band with the Neck Flex.

For the record, I never really used weights to train my neck, the closest thing would be bending steel in a wrestler’s bridge on my head but other than that, I didn’t necessarily need to do weights. So what makes training with a resistance band any different than training with weights? Resistance is resistance right? In a nutshell, weights have the same level of resistance throughout the range of motion but with a Band, the more you stretch it, the more it fights against you instead of staying the same.

From a personal stand point, I believe using a band is a very powerful alternative because you can train in different directions when you hook it up to the D-Rings on the Harness and train safely while also building size and strength. Because of my own training with it, I have maintained a 18 1/2 inch neck and don’t have any problems in those areas or in my spine. I can still do Bridges if I wanted to but in terms of maintaining size, mobility and keeping it strong for things that matter, it truly is the cream of the crop for those attributes. The resistance isn’t stupid heavy and it can be for beginners or seasoned vets in the game.

As we get older, safety becomes more of a priority than ego lifting or doing better than everyone else. We want to build that strength and mobility that keeps us lasting longer and as injury proof as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to be paranoid or overly cautious, it means you learn to be aware of things from a focused perspective. I’ve had enough injuries in my lifetime to understand that it’s not worth your health if you can’t enjoy the greater things in life. Too many people become crippled or worse because they don’t train their bodies in a safe manner to keep things going smoothly as they can. We can’t 100% avoid injuries but we can learn to be aware and do our best to control what can be prevented and be able to have that durability without testing our egos on theories of how far we’re willing to push. It’s one thing to challenge yourself, it’s another to punish yourself in the attempt of being healthier and stronger.

Train your neck wisely and be in control in how you perform movements or even holds for that matter. Having a strong and healthy neck can mean saving your life.

Be amazingly awesome and share your experiences with me on Neck Training or have questions about the Neck Flex by shooting me a comment. Be sure to use my code POWERANDMIGHT when you have an opportunity to order the Neck Flex. They may even be having a sale going on and my code will shave off even more of that. Subscribe to have articles sent to your email and may you continue to kill it in your journey.

Are High Volume Calisthenics Really Necessary???

 Debates are a time honored tradition and in the manner of fitness, it adds some heated discussions at times. Let’s look at the idea of them but also, perspectives on what they can be beneficial for and/or their possible limitations.

In a short version of this context, it really boils down to what your goal is and what type of training you’re shooting for. Now, what can make this a little more interesting? Shall we turn the key and open up the door?

From my own experiences, I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. I’ve done hundreds of push-ups and squats throughout the years in various workouts. Sometimes using a deck of cards, sometimes in sets using ladder methods or countdown versions at certain points in time. Heard those say it’s junk volume and not really building strength or muscle. Mostly endurance. Well, they’re not totally wrong but at the same time, they don’t necessarily have the right idea either. On the other side of the coin, I’ve felt in certain cases, high volume doesn’t have the advantage one may believe.

Let’s make a case for High Volume in and of itself:

In reality, it can be hard to beat when your goal is to enhance your conditioning, strengthen your work capacity and build serious mental toughness. Calisthenics in this manner are awesome for that. When you push past the 300-400-500 thresholds, it’s not the muscular aspects that change, it’s the breathing that becomes honest, technique that has to hold up when your gas tank is hitting that breaking point of fatigue and learning how to compose yourself when you start to run on empty.

There’s real transfer there. That level of High Volume work builds an engine like a locomotive. The raw reality of strength endurance that hits you like bricks.

Bodyweight Exercise can be done anywhere and at anytime. It doesn’t matter whether you’re chilling at the beach, tackling a few reps after chopping firewood or getting a tan on the dock by the lake. It’s not just Push-Ups & Squats, there can be lunges, burpees, leg raises, bridges and all sorts of things.

Here’s an outlook on what we can build a case for going against High Volume:

Is it really necessary for everything? The end-all-be-all high and mighty? Hell no and I’ll tell you why? 

High Volume is not the same as maximal strength. You can get very strong in certain parts and you can be much leaner and better conditioned, but don’t expect to work like a powerlifter hitting a shit ton of weight. If you want more out of it, focus on utilizing tension. Tension is the key and that leads into progressive overload. What normally can be done at 50-100 reps of whatever can change course but still yield results by contracting the muscles and concentrate on the movements at a slower and more controlled rate. Some do very well hitting numbers while maintaining tension but sets of 15-20 can have a great impact in how you control the muscles.

Another important lesson to look at is the way your technique goes when you start chasing numbers. If you’re pushing into the hundreds but your form looks like you’re a fish out of water, it’s going to bite you in the ass and cause problems you don’t want. You can also burn out and have a bit of psychological damage due to the overwhelming physical trauma you put yourself in. This in turn can affect your sleep along with your ability to eat that turns discipline into problematic eating.

Some say High Volume is the only thing that matters to be fit but let’s face it, how many people in their 60’s and 70’s are doing hundreds of crazy calisthenics on a daily basis? The numbers would shock you how very few in the world per capita are doing that. It’s better to train smarter than chase numbers that can potentially derail you than make you better.

Is it truly needed???

Here’s my take on it: For wanting to be well conditioned, tough and resilient, doing High Volume work does have it’s benefits. Some of the greatest athletes in the world were heavily into it like Herschel Walker, Dan Gable, Karl Gotch, Rickey Henderson, Charles Atlas and Jack Lalanne for example. Being exposed through progressive training bolds well in many areas and not always on a daily basis unless that’s a goal you have in mind.

To be as strong as possible, that’s going to take more than a few hundred squats. High Reps isn’t a whole tool box, but they are a tool of the trade. Build a base, use them as finishers or as a way to recover. It’s not that complicated as some may think, as long as you keep it simple and be able to adapt when needed, you’re golden. Be aware of how you perform and do things that help you recover and not blowtorch to where you’re waiting another week or two to feel ok again.

Could High Volume work outside the realm of exercise itself? Fuck yes it can. Because it could have some awesome benefits to be able to work better and move better throughout the day. You don’t need to live on it though, just value of how you get there and when to take a step back so you don’t create overkill. Remember, even the smallest fraction of progress still leads to the big picture. Keep being amazingly awesome and kill it in your journey to be even 1% better each day.

Why Are Dopamineo Bands Such A Powerful Conditioning Tool???

From a certain perspective, developing levels of conditioning isn’t about getting tired. It’s about giving the body the opportunities to keep at it when the easy way out would be to just end it.

When it comes to valuable tools, these bands are an ideal outlook on my view of being in great condition. The legendary wrestler Karl Gotch said “Conditioning is your greatest hold” which leans more to the sport (more specifically Catch As Catch Can Wrestling) but on that similar idea, my style is through a fitness perspective by saying “Conditioning is your greatest asset.”

The bands do provide resistance, just not the same way as you would do with weights. The more you stretch the band, the more tension it creates which increases difficulty compared to weights where the resistance is the same throughout the entire range of motion regardless of the exercise. they also provide consistent feedback. It’s not just simply going from one area to another, the resistance is constantly there and changes when you move further or closer to its anchor point. Controlling the body, maintaining tension, focused breathing and producing effort that is continuous.

That’s one of the brutal truths of conditioning. The workouts can be very hard or they can be very light depending on your goals, level of fitness and what you need to do. If you have read another article I’ve written here about using a Deck Of Cards, you’ll understand why it’s a favorite of mine. I have also dabbled quite a bit in circuit training to keep a pace that is intense but have the ability to keep going round after round without wearing down. Some of the best athletes in the world who use them do warm-ups, finishers, work on their athletic development or use them to be able to move better throughout the day so they can be more productive.

A gym isn’t always a requirement, it’s an option. I personally have used these bands in a a gym as a finisher after using weights for 45 min to an hour doing circuits that went up to 500 total reps in 20 minutes or less. Only a few times but it still put me in a state where I felt fucking great and didn’t get sore or have issues walking back out the door to go home.

It’s not complicated to set up and you don’t need to go for hours on end to get a beneficial session going. Hell, on average, my workouts lasts less than 30 minutes depending on what I want to do, if I go for 20 rounds doing 5 exercises for 10 reps each, the timing varies from 30-40 minutes. It’s another reason why I believe they’re valuable at any age.

A young athlete like in High School or even in Pee-Wee sports, can develop their conditioning using bands like the Fly, Feather or Light so a parent/coach/mentor can teach them work capacity. For heavier athletes, the Middle to Heavy Bands can turn them into lean, mean fighting machines that have exceptional endurance and be able to strength train without always relying on heavier external loads. For those who have been at it for decades such as myself, they can be used to maintain health and cardio to continue to move efficiently.

One component however really opens the doors to be a fit individual with these bands and that’s hitting your mental game on another level. A solid level of conditioning is also a teacher of being able to deal with discomfort. That’s not the same as reaching to aspects of pain or doing something stupid to hurt yourself, discomfort is the big word here. What’s the major difference?

The ability to work through a demanding band workout whether it be a circuit, set and rep and scheme or whatever, the mind will eventually start to play tricks on you and throw several reasons to slow down, give up or just prance on through like it was meant to be easy. This is where things get very interesting. They teach you how to handle your composure in times of fatigue. Be able to control your breathing in the midst of pressure and maintain your technique when it gets tough. These bands will work with you when you learn to respect them and work alongside them as one entity instead of fighting yourself or them.

That specific mindset is very important to carry over into other aspects of life, not just sports. It’s not easy cause life can be hard as it is. There’s never 100% mastery over this but it is part of the journey of becoming even 1% better. Even the smallest fraction of progress still leads to the bigger picture. Being uncomfortable doesn’t always indicate of giving yourself the reason to stop.

It’s a valuable lesson regardless of age. This is why I favor them so much beyond just being able to get through workouts. You can make them as challenging or as “easy” as you want without making it so damn complicated like with other programs or methods. Being able to manipulate the pace, change exercises on a dime and make your rest periods long or short is up to you. They’re the kind of tool that allows freedom in ways you may not get with weights, they’re a great addition to weight training but you may not be able to travel with a barbell or dumbbell so much LOL.

I have taken these bands to many places such as……

The Beach

The Park

At A Lake

Even In A Rec Center

Start putting in the work and you’ll start to see things in ways that are not only fun and enjoyable but it aids in how you can stay fit or increase your fitness. Simple, adaptable and portable.

Make those efforts count. Be amazingly awesome and check out Dopamineo.com and see what kind of bands can suit for you and your goals. Use the Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT to get a some bucks off your order.

Playing Like A Kid Again!!!

 When we were little, we had wild imaginations, putting thoughts out into the world and create something out of only by what we dream about. As we get older, we become more analytical, cautious, only use what we see and not what we can think of. We become the entity that loses that fire and passion to be creative out of necessity. Is it too late to feel that drive again? To be creative, passionate and to use our thoughts into action? I firmly believe we can and it starts with what we already did as kids and that’s moving like a wild animal.

Remember what it was like to pretend we were bears, apes, tigers, snakes and such? We mimicked our favorite beasts and critters by playing games like tag and racing each other. What happened to that? Being realistic in the adult world is what happened and we went from crawling, jumping and playing to office desks and bringing people bad food in restaurants LOL.

Now, there are things as we get older we need to be aware of and we aren’t always able to play the way we used to and bounce back like it was a cake walk, but we can however; make a difference in how we still can have that child-like quality but put into action how we apply it to what our bodies are capable of in the moment.

Off and on for more than 20 years, I have practiced the art of Animal Movement and it’s multiple styles depending on who teaches it and what is utilized. From crawling to combo moves to HIIT, Tag, Races, Dice Games and others, I am always finding ways to make workouts look like play because I still am a kid at heart, even in my 40’s. I still want to feel what it’s like to mimic an animal in the wild.

Where to even start if you’re just getting back into it? Well, it’s best to start with the basics and work up to them in a variety of ways. One would be to start Bear Crawling which is the simplest Animal to practice. Start with 1-3 sets of 10-20 seconds of just getting the feel for it again. Don’t need to rush or speed up, just focus using opposite arm and opposite leg patterns until you become good at it. As time goes on, build up until you can go for 1-2 minutes non stop. If you want to really be ambitious, one of my favorite workouts takes no more than 5 minutes where you Sprint in the Bear Crawl for 10 seconds, rest 20 seconds and repeat for a total of 10 rounds. 2-3x a week max for this.

Some days, I would wake up, Bear Crawl for 1 minute, rest, Gorilla Hop/Jump for 1 minute, rest and then do a Tiger Crawl for 1 minute. 3 minutes of movement is often all it takes. This is particularly a good workout to build cognitive strength because of the constant movement and patterns being used. It potentially can wake you up better than a cup of Coffee.

At the park, I would sometimes do different crawling patterns, combine different animals together to create a hybrid or do one movement after another and switch on a dime. When I rest, I walk around focusing on my breathing until I’m ready to go again. Sometimes I’ll do this kind of training for 10 min, 20 min or even a few minutes just to get a good sweat going. I get to play and challenge my brain to see what can be done next.

In the video below, you can get an idea of what I mean by this….

When I do these things, I feel like a kid again, living out my imagination and having the time of my life. Sure we have responsibilities and need to do things in order to live amongst our means, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn to play again and make things in our lives interesting and playful. You can too with a little practice and doing what’s possible for you.

One course in particular I use that teaches you all kinds of moves and blending them together is called Movement 20XX where it combines the elements of Calisthenics & Animal Movement. Learn and have fun with it.

Fitness is not always about reps and sets schemes or having to go to a gym and face the unpredictability of what to use and maybe wait for people, things like this give you the freedom to explore your inner child and building strength from another perspective. You can do these at a gym if you’d like (preferably in an area where it won’t be in anybody’s way) or do them on off days to keep things flowing. They can be done as warm-ups, finishers, 2-A Days or whatever you like, the choice is yours. That’s the beauty of it.

Be amazingly awesome and let’s keep the imagination and play alive so we don’t have to get stuck in a damn nursing home later in life.

On a side note, a new era has begun for Power And Might as I have ventured out into a new space to write and share my love for training. If you'd like to check out the new spot, go to the comment section or send me an email using the Contact Form and type in POWERANDMIGHT and I will send you a link. 

The Deck Doesn't Care About Your Feelings: Only If You Got The Guts

A great workout should never be complicated. When it comes to your conditioning, it is one of the best assets you can ever have and it's important to know that you don't need some manual telling you to use 12 pieces of equipment or get lost in the shuffle because some dude decided you're better off making it harder than it needs to be. 

One of my personal favorite workouts to stay in solid condition is using the Dopa Band and a Deck Of Cards. That's really it. The cards are your coach and unlike a typical training partner, that deck doesn't negotiate. 

Here's the setup I use:

Hearts = Chest Flys

Diamonds = Wave Pulls

Spades = Squats (Underhook is my go to)

Clubs = Dopa Skis

Jokers = Propellers

Now for the numbers game:

2-10 = Whatever that card is

K/Q/J = 10 reps

Aces = 16 reps

Jokers = 50 Propellers

One full deck is 500 total reps in this capacity.

Can't have a crazed workout without a joker. There's a reason behind that. The propeller is the king of the conditioning exercises in the Dopamineo Arsenal. 

Start shuffling and be ready to pull the cards. You may start with 5 Chest Flys, seems easy enough right? A 9 of clubs comes up and you got Squats to do. 10 Diamond and you've got your Wave Pulls. All of a sudden, the Joker appears. The deck has decided that if you thought you had it easy, it doesn't care, it will kick your ass whether you like it or not. 

What is the Outlook on this kind of Conditioning???

It's not always about the reps. It's the constant change that truly makes the difference. Moving from exercise to exercise which can start out hard or easy. It doesn't settle something predictable throughout, so you have to constantly adapt. The randomization isn't some gimmick, it's more philosophical or a different view point of how life can be. Things aren't always planned out. You have unexpected challenges and things can change in the blink of an eye. Just when you thought you were comfortable, a joker will laugh and say "you're shit out of luck, get to work or quit." That happens in life often. 

You're not always in control of the cards you're dealt with. You can however, learn to control how you react to them and be prepared to deal with it. This lesson is more than just a workout, it's expecting the unexpected. You never know what what will come up so you adapt to what will be in front of you. A carryover beyond the aspects of conditioning. 

Care to attempt this twice???

Going through this monstrous workout a couple times in a row creates a unique amount of work that forces you to maintain pace and technique as the fatigue builds up. Trust me, I've done it and although I enjoy a challenge, this will test your sanity. Getting through the first deck consistently may seem comfortable but doing a second time may have you questioning your life choices. Can you keep up with yourself? Maintain form with precision? Be able to follow through the work volume without falling apart? This is where your conditioning is truly tested. 

It's not about survival. It's the development that builds the ability to withstand a workload that is unpredictable and having the guts to keep performing. That in turn is useful more than you may want to believe. The real world won't always warn you what will come next which makes the deck no less different. 

Get to shuffling....

The band is the resistance and the cards provide the randomness. A joker will sooner or later be a reminder that you should have read the fine print. You provide the effort. Can't control what comes next, the only thing you can control is the reaction. That's real conditioning with a bit of philosophy thrown in. Shuffle the cards, start flipping, do the work and repeat until you can do a full deck. 

Be amazingly awesome and hope you succeed in your endeavors. Go to Dopamineo.com, pick your band, get familiar with the exercises and see what you're made of with the Deck Of Cards workout (Use Code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout). One of my favorite decks to use is the Dark Knight Deck from Theory 11.