Spinal Power

    Back pain can be a real bitch for most people. You have spasms, stiffness and can hardly move to function right without feeling tension in certain areas. It is difficult to fathom someone can have a healthy spine especially in this day and age with overweight people, inflexible folks that take pill after pill to take away the pain. For the most part, pills only temporarily block out the pain until it comes back and bites you harder than ever. It isn't uncommon to not be flexible in the back, most people who want have a powerful back lift heavy weights but yet there is a draw back. Typical stretches may not always cut it and you can't keep paying a chiropractor every week just so you move around here and there. Our spines are the most crucial parts of our entire anatomy because without them we wouldn't be able to walk, move our limbs and most of all function internally. In order to build a healthy spine, you can't just lift a few weights, you need to stretch it to the point where it not only becomes flexible but strengthens you at the same time.

 
    I wasn't always a flexible guy, I use to be so damn stiff I'd wake up mornings hearing cracks from my neck to my toes and it would be exhausting just to get out of bed; that's only supposed to happen to people in their 40's and 50's right? Reality check, I wasn't even 20 yet. After my leg injuries, I dedicated myself to strengthening my body in ways I've never attempted before, I even went out of my way to train my body that would have doctor's cringing and everyone in my family thought I was nuts, I was obsessed at that time. I learned how to do bridging and not just holding a position but be able to lift myself up and move in those positions from the wrestler's bridge and front bridge to holding the Gymnastic Bridge (Wheel Pose in Yoga). Strengthening the spine has been part of my quest for nearly a decade and the results from it are indescribable, my body began to take shape like a big athlete, I can touch my toes from standing barely bending my knees and it opened up growth hormones naturally so that I was losing fat, building muscle and making my tendons incredibly strong. Most fear bridging because it looks unnatural and looks like only something a gymnast or a wrestler should be doing but in fact whether you're big or small it is one of the best damn exercises you can ever do.

 
    What many don't realize about bridging is that it not only stretches the neck and back but its every single muscle in your body from neck to toes. Think about it in order to even hold the positions you need your feet to planted into the floor, your hips raised as high as possible and your Core muscles need to be strong enough to stabilize you, it's impossible to hold any bridge without needing that kind of strength and they say bodyweight exercise is only good for endurance. When you can control your entire body in a position of that caliber you begin to open up the body in ways you have never imagined; super strong legs, incredibly powerful abs, a spine surging with electrical power, a crazy strong upper body, neck muscles to help prevent injuries and with the stretching you're opening up the hips and get incredible sexual energy that is just fuming with power. For men, you're building incredible growth hormone which releases energy that helps burn off fat, build muscle and have a libido that a teenager would envy; it is that powerful, for women; the hips are a powerful presence on the body, think of the incredible pizazz you can create with strong sexy legs, powerful mobile hips and losing that belly fat you absolutely wanted to get rid of to have a sleek and toned abdominal muscle that would make gay guys quiver over. Your whole body becomes one big unit and it can help you in ways that don't always involve exercise. Be able to touch your toes without grunting or being in pain, be able to move with grace and strength at the same time, have an athletic build that turns heads; it's all possible through adding bridging into your routine.

 
    Remember when I talked about hormones; I wasn't joking, I once trained a guy who was in his mid-30's, he wanted so badly to be flexible and he tried many things and he wasn't a big guy either he was no more than 165 lbs. soaking wet, he was so stiff at first going down the wall backwards was difficult for him. I showed some specific techniques that involved breathing and contracting the muscles and within less than a half hour I had him touching his nose in the wrestler's bridge for the first time in his life. After he experimented more on it, his body started feeling like he was back in high school, full of vigor and surging energy from the inside out and this is after nearly 2 decades of him having those types of back issues. When you can jump start your hormones, everything in your body comes alive and puts you in a state where you feel incredible for no apparent reason and you bring a new presence that can be felt from the other side of a room. At 255 lbs. and less than 6' tall I shouldn't be able to do this stuff let alone falling backwards onto my head and kicking over so it's not only a blessing but I have proven that if you practice and progress little by little, it doesn't matter how big or small you are there are possibilities. I have not done one single form of exercise that brings more power and strength to the spine that bridging has and have nearly 20 years of experience in the fitness field under my belt. Gain your livelihood and own your life in a powerful way. It may not be for everyone due to certain issues but the majority can learn to bridge with the right techniques and understanding of their own physiology. Become strong and flexible. Be awesome.