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. 

A Perspective On Who Trains For Longevity And Those That Train To Win

GOOOODDDD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!

Hope you guys are having a bad ass Monday so far and hope you're already having success in your endeavors. So far today, I got in my Joint Loosening Routine and my 2 & 1 Sapate HIIT Workout. With the big workout, I added a couple rounds so it was 30/90 For 10 Rounds and managed 6 Reps each time. Totaled 60 Push-ups and 120 Squats in under 20 minutes. 

I was watching a podcast the other day from Stories With Brisco & Bradshaw that had Scientific Wrestling's Jake Shannon on as a guest talking about Karl Gotch and their book No Gas, No Run. It was a few months ago when the episode aired but I thought I'd get into it. Really interesting stuff about Karl and his philosophy on things while Jake was being realistic about his opinionated thoughts on things and his rugged interior. Worth the listen.

Towards the end, Jake brought up a distinctive outlook that caught my eye (or my ears since I was listening intently) and I wanted to share my perspective on the idea and accurate approach to athletes or those that want to be fit......

He had said there were two different people and the distinctive differences to how their bodies become later on in life. There were those that train for longevity and well-being and then there are those that train to win. From a fitness perspective, those that train for longevity tend to have a greater quality lifespan and work towards protecting the body from injuries as much as possible and be able to function for the long haul. The second was more talked about from a wrestling idea but this can apply to any athlete, it was about those who train to win. In this case, a person who's a pro or whatever athlete, have a specific duty to work on their sport and do whatever it takes to overthrow the competition. 

In more of the case of those that train to win, it's pushing the body to its absolute limit in order to formulate skills that help the person win in their chosen sport. Football players have specific positions and train for skills that make those positions their specialty on the field that correlates to working as a team. In the case of wrestling which is the roughest sport anybody can do, you develop skills by drilling and conditioning the body to withstand and control an opponent. Defending or going on the offense using takedowns, holds and pinning/submitting someone. It's extremely hard on the body and over time, the body eventually will break down. 

In many cases especially these days, athletes have shorter careers and accumulate more and more injuries. In baseball, it's almost become mandatory for a pitcher to have Tommy John Surgery or a football player sustaining concussions, torn ligaments, broken bones and knee/hip replacements before the age of 50. Bodybuilding has lost it's roots when it comes to health, the sport itself today has many men and women pushing beyond limits of what the body can take both physically and supplementally. Several have dropped dead before the age of 45 and many these days never see 60. Training to win has become a sacrifice to one's health and well-being. From a statistical point of view, way, way less than 1% of athletes ever come out of a career with very little injuries and live a long life. 

In the case of the episode I watched, Jake was honest about what guys like Karl & Billy Robinson had done to themselves to be the best catch wrestlers in their respective generations. They both sacrificed their bodies and although Karl was the fitter of the two old timers by the end, it's still a thing to look at that after doing so many matches, so many drills, so many hindu squats & push-ups that the road leading them to having several body parts replaced is a sad thing to look at even though there is great respect for what they have done in the sport. The philosophies and outlook between Karl & Billy were very different. Billy looked at conditioning by pure wrestling and building up the stamina, Karl took the approach from learning to condition the body through calisthenics and such from guys like Benny Sherman & the Wrestler that taught Karl the Hindu Style along with Club & Mace Swinging. Both weren't wrong in how they did things and were among the very best in the last 60 years. 

Winning does come with a cost beyond the physical and for many, it has destroyed their bodies and it's a miracle some have lasted this long. As we get older, the ability to adapt becomes something we don't have a choice in the matter. We can't train the same way at 50 or 60 from when we were 25 or so. When you go so hard for so long, it will come back to haunt you if you keep it up. Longevity is about patience, awareness, adaptability and individual reactions to certain methods. Training to win becomes a necessity to do whatever it takes and do what must be done to overthrow an opponent. Like I said earlier, very very few can walk away from that life maybe not completely unscathed but know what their body can do or can't do anymore and can consciously be able to understand what's more important in the moment than chasing fame, fortune and glory. 

This doesn't mean I don't respect an athlete's sport or doing certain things to win a game or a match. I may not like the methods and degrees of sacrificing themselves but I do respect how they perform in the sport. I loved watching guys like Sammy Sosa & Brian Urlacher do the things they did, it was incredible and pound for pound, Rickey Henderson was the greatest scorer and base stealer of all time. Guys like Kurt Angle & Brock Lesnar were phenoms in the WWE and had some of the best matches from a technical and even entertaining stand point. However; the things they did in order to make those things happen were beyond what a person's limits was able to do. Henderson out of the list of people I mentioned was one of those extreme few athletes that had a very long career and took care of himself. 

What would be your perspective on this subject? Let me know in the comments or DM me through email. Let's read your take on things. 

Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it everyone.