Heading Back To My Animal Roots

I go through many phases of training to keep my mind wanting to try new things or experiment with combinations of methods but what draws me back more than anything else is the Animal Movements and the Free Flowing Combos. Hell, I did a 4 1/2 minute workout straight through to this song by Beasto Blanco on the spot and just let the exercises come on their own. It felt great and also felt like a splash of cold water water on my face waking my ass up. It was natural and instinctive. Included Crawling, Stretching, Mobility, Switches, Backward Rolling & Shin To Feet Jumps.

Training this way takes out all the stuff about set & rep schemes and just move. The practice of getting into a flow, breathing into it and let your instincts takeover isn't easy to do but once you get it, there's nothing like it. Sort of like Rickson Gracie going into a meditative state as he moves throughout a workout and let's his intuitiveness handle it instead of just thinking about it and analyzing everything. That's one of the things I'm drawn to, a few sets and reps of something is cool but to go into a place in your mind as the animal within takes over is a whole other ball game that many don't quite understand.

We rarely ever use our instincts and we are told by some that our instincts aren't valued and we need to pay more attention to detail in the sense of thinking too much and analyzing the way we go through life. The analyzing can be good to a degree but at some point we need to learn how to just let go. If you've practiced the mechanics of any exercise method long enough, it becomes a muscle memory and instincts can shoot up depending on the situation. You've done it so many times that it becomes automatic. That's one of the key aspects of Animal Movements and Flow Combos, you practice them until they become a part of you, to the degree where you become something else for a few brief moments and your mind goes blank but your body is flooded with all this Physical Memory (if that's the right term to use).

With the Animal Deck Of Cards, sure there's reps to do. I've gone through enough times to wear the reps or steps are just part of it but I get in tuned to it more than any other type of workout using a deck of cards. It's not just a conditioning type workout, it's not just to get a sweat going and it sure as hell isn't a workout for the sake of working out, it's to embody being animalistic and letting go of all the crap around you. Without the cards, I free flow and see where it leads me. I play and develop that meditative state of just letting certain things take over. That's the true art of physical exercise. 

When I went through that workout while the song played, something just clicked that I haven't experienced in a while. Everything felt right, didn't think about anything else and just had this drive to let the music in and help me in that state of mind. It wasn't like an out of body experience or anything like that but I was in the moment, in the now and get in touch with my inner animal. I was conscious but the thought process wasn't really there and just let the body take over. It was surreal.

When you can train like that, there's no other feeling like it. The world you live in for a mere moment doesn't exist and all that is is the connection to your body and mind, no more, no less. Animal Movements can give you that in ways other exercises can't (at least in my experience). Give them a chance and see where they take you. You don't need to do exercises so damn advanced that they seem impossible, work the basics and form a way to flow through certain things. Let it be fun, challenging and not so much a chore or something that bores you to death. 

Be instinctive, build that mind/muscle connection with the aspects of nature and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Here's a little Push-Up & Scorpion Combo Flow you can try out to get some mobility, coordination, strength and agility. Do this as many times as you like and it can be a warm up or cool down in your regular workout.

Animal Stretching & Flexibility

Would you believe that Animal Exercises go beyond just warming up or being used for conditioning? What if the method was used to help loosen up the muscles and joints in a stretching routine? Although mainly used for dynamic work, they can also be used in isometric fashion if you understand the mechanics. Most stretching routines are pretty boring and you look stiff as it is as opposed to actually being stiff and trying to loosen up. A good routine can be found here if you want to try it out.

My favorite exercises to really get the body going and have that relaxing feeling is utilizing the Bear Walk, Scorpion Rotation, Over Reach and various moves based on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, add in a few Yoga moves, concentrated stretches and working the spine, knees, elbows and ankles you've got it made. I don't really take breaks in the middle of this workout because I just transition from one exercise to another like a Flow and keep going. The objective is to not speed through it but pace as relaxed as possible, remember it's just mostly stretching.

You don't have to do the transitioning, that's just part of it. If you're new to it, doing them one at a time than two moves, than three and so on until you can do a continuation without having to stop. It's like building up a cardio like routine where you get the benefit of building stamina as you stretch and you can go as long as you need to. There's no limit, once you get the a good routine down for yourself, you can go into a regular workout or just practice flows and combos till you're done for the day. It's all up to you.

I can make an update video of a off the top of my head kind of routine but for now here's a video of a 5 minute routine I did a couple years ago to get you an idea (I've lost weight since then) but it's still a good set of stretches to do at just about anytime when you need it. Stretching should never be boring, it should give you the ability to wake up and feeling good. I've never been a fan of routines and just go with my instincts which works for me. Because of the type of memory I possess, I can take just about any exercise I know and do a flow style set. That's where I feel most like myself instead of trying to follow exactly the same style as someone else, it just doesn't feel right, I'll pick up on stuff and learn the exercises for sure but from a routine stand point, it just feels wrong to me to "follow along." 

The transitioning aspect as you get better, creates more than just stretching the body, you're also stretching your brain to send the nerves into overdrive and be quick on your feet and breathing naturally. When animals stretch like a wildcat or a wolf, they naturally program their bodies to be ready for what lies ahead whether it's on a hunt, a battle for leadership or even when mating occurs. That's what Animal Style Stretching is like, to be able to wake up the body for what the day brings. You never know if you'll be able to help someone in need, to stay healthy to prevent injuries and having the body alert for taking care of loved ones. 

Flexibility is a key to staying young and some of the best stretches in the world come from the inspiration of the Animal Kingdom. Be flexible/limber, be aware and be amazingly awesome. 

Could Movement Training Put On Some Serious Muscle?

Movement Training building Muscle? Is that even possible? For the most part, the human body couldn't even give more of a shit where the resistance comes from whether it's utilizing your own body or lifting weights. When given a good amount of time with the amount of resistance (in other words TUT), the muscles can create growth.

Believe it or not, you'd be shocked how amazing movement training puts on muscle, it's just a different version of it than typical weight training. This particular method emphasizes certain areas more than weight training. Let's give this a rundown: When we move the body in this manner, it's a more holistic approach as you form patterns, combos and mix and match using the body as a single unit. You're not isolating the muscles even though you could focus on certain areas as you move. 

Moving like a beast in the wild is a beautiful and even more phenomenal way to develop many parts of the body. Is it perfect? Hell no, nothing is but that's where you can supplement to really focus on the areas you do want even though Animal Moves are quite unbeatable. Here's one idea to look at it, walking like a cold-blooded Lizard...it'll hit your triceps hard and really tackle the shoulders, chest, hips and core like crazy. Another would be a variation of the Bear; going after the shoulders and core with an emphasis on the posterior chain while developing strength and flexibility in the hip flexors. When it comes to the wrists, Animal Moves are some of the best you can do. 

Leg Training wise, I found nothing more fun and exciting to do than moving like an animal. Don't get me wrong; Hindu Squats, Step Ups, Lunges, Bulgarian Squats and others work like a charm and can be kick ass supplemental exercises especially step ups (look up Bob Backlund and you'll know what I mean) but if there was anything close to putting a method on a pedestal, animal moves would be right up there with the best leg training you can do IMO. If you really want to tackle the legs in other ways, check out Warrior 20XX for more info on conditioning that area. 

From Hops to Duck Walks will work you legs far more dynamically and make you more Athletic than other traditional methods. Nothing wrong with working deadlifts and squats and have made many champions and athletes successful but they're still not the GOATs for hitting the lower body. In reality, the exercises in and of themselves could only work with the individual that gives them the best benefit. 

When it comes to Core Training, Movement Training is as close to perfect for that specific area. It's not just strengthening the abs or specifically targeting the front but everywhere around that area. In most cases, Gymnasts & Fighters have some of the most developed Core Muscles that actually makes them functional and athletic as hell. Because of the movements they use, that's where they mostly get those awesome abs that can make them soar through the air or take a punch. 

On Back Training; very few understand the concept that the back muscles work harder than you may realize when it comes to Animal Moves when you're crawling on the floor. That's because our back muscles need to work hard in order to stabilize the scapula or the shoulder girdle. With Animal type movement, the scapula is worked through 3D motions which in turn can develop the muscles in the back. Now there's still some pulling movements you can utilize especially in Suspension Calisthenics to really add on that development. If you look throughout ancient practices such as Yoga or Qi Gong, what is one thing that never comes up? Pulling Exercises yet some of these people have developed incredibly healthy bodies and balanced musculature. Even Ballet Dancers have some awesome back development and most don't do almost any floor work or weights. The arm movements when done with proper control develop the rear delts and backs by themselves.

Although there's more to Movement Training than meets the eye, you can develop a whole plethora of muscle through other means like I said before with Suspension Calisthenics or through Warrior 20XX or even Athlete 20XX. Isometrics work amazing too especially if you're new to certain aspects of training and strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments for the movements later on. Be strong, get wild and be amazingly awesome. 

The Length Of An Animal Workout

Time can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending how you prioritize and take things into consideration along with making time. Time in itself is an illusion but for the sake of everyone's sanity (which could use a bit of a tune up these days) let's just play with the idea that time is of the essence. 

Workouts in reality don't take up a whole lot of time unless you're a pro athlete who's job is to train for a specific sport and supplement exercises in order to perform at a high level. You could also look at the Great Gama who did nothing but exercise, eat, sleep and do a ton of wrestling that would make the average man's job look like a walk in the park. Most workouts shouldn't last for more than 30-45 minutes max, hell look at guys like The Mentzer brothers and Dorian Yates at the peak of their bodybuilding careers doing the HIT method and trained for 90 minutes a week. Most ideal training programs should be simple, short and with intent.

If you ever read up or check out the books from Red Delta Project (Side Bar Here), you'll find out that the workouts built in or certain plans don't take up a ton of time and make the time count in order to get the results you need. The truth is, if you can time your workouts right, you can make them as short or as long as needed. Micro Workouts are perfect for this because they give you ideas on how to spread out a workout or help you put in a certain short time frame and get the most out of it. 

Now for the reason of the title of this article, Animal Workouts don't take up a ton of time and for good reason, they're intense as hell and most of them make you work every muscle in your body in various directions. A high percentage of workouts don't take more than 20 minutes if that because of how intense and explosive they can be. In reality, you can go as long as you want or do short workouts because it's not meant to be a "workout" per se but more of a way to play and have fun with. With other methods of exercise you can have fun with them too but it's something that brings that natural excitement when it comes to Animal Exercises. When you were a kid, you weren't thinking about how to properly do tricep kickbacks or planning your future to bench press 500 or more more pounds, most likely you were chasing friends and pretending to be a wild animal. Howling like a wolf, making sounds like the wildcats as you crawled like them or play on the monkey bars thinking you can be an ape. 

It's that natural and instinctive connection to wild animals. We are fascinated with what we see at the zoo or an aquarium or even some crazy battle in the Forest or Serengeti that's on National Geographic or Animal Planet. It's that feeling of wanting to know what it's like to run like a cheetah, climb like a monkey, swim like a dolphin or wrestle like a Grizzly. As we get older, we lose sight of what made us pure, connected to nature and understanding what it's like to have that child-like energy and imagination. 

You've all read about the animal dice game more times than you care to find out. To me, it's the GOAT of all workouts because you never know what comes next and you can either do a beginner's version of a movement or a more explosive, fast and more advanced version it's up to you. Some days, I'll just go a few minutes, other days I'll go for a half hour, it's new all the time and it builds your awareness and being ready for what comes next because you never know what animal you'll have to do. The longest workout I did with this was 82+ minutes long and if you want to know what it's like to need water and feel endorphins kicking in, that's it. For the most part, 20 minutes max is more than enough for anyone but it all depends on your energy levels and what you want to do. They can be so intense, 5 minutes will kick your ass and that's all you'll be able to do. 

When you really get into it and understand the movements, you can go as long as you want or can handle. There's really no timeframe when it comes to Animal Exercises, you can do one animal per workout or do a whole zoo of them if you want. The variety is there for you and regardless of your age and sex, you will get some crazy results from them. Think about how much stamina you can build up, the strength you can posses, the explosiveness you will attain and acquiring a level of conditioning that would blow people's minds. Make the time count but have fun with it too, animals can teach us a lot of things. Be strong, get wild and be amazingly awesome. 

The Animal Deck Of Madness

A great workout is when you can play with certain exercises and make a little game out of them and making training more enjoyable while also getting the most out of your conditioning in a short period of time. Animal Exercises is one of those methods that really throws boredom out the window and into a world of imagination, playful movement and being free. 

When it comes to Deck Of Cards workouts; over the years I've done various types from doing Combat Conditioning Exercises, totaling 500 Hindu Squats, 1000 Step Ups, Ab Wheel/Step Ups duets and doing hundreds to a thousand reps or more with sledgehammer training. Some of these workouts go from 20 minutes to over an hour depending on what I'm doing. The 1000 Step Up Card workout lasted 50 minutes at my fastest. Some workouts are about speed but others were more precise and keeping form as best as possible and letting the speed come naturally. Some workouts required rest periods and others were straight through the deck where flipping the card was your only rest. You do what you like and make progress little by little.

When I came up with the animal movements for the cards, it naturally became a favorite. It was fast, quick and didn't require almost any rest and just go straight through. It consisted of 4 Animals: The Bear, The Crab, The Duck & The Chimp. At a good clip, it should take about 15 minutes or less to complete but don't forget, the faster you go, the more you need to be aware of your balance because if you move too quickly and the body doesn't line up, you can trip and fall on your face or ass. So although this workout requires speed and agility, it also requires a solid amount of balance and awareness. This was my morning workout today and finished the deck in 13:28. Got a great sweat going and feeling energetic plus the endorphin high just fucking rocks man. 

Here's how you number out the reps/steps to reach 500 (in this case for the animals)....

Hearts: Bear Crawls

Diamonds: Crab Walks

Spades: Duck Waddle

Clubs: Chimp Walk

2-10 Cards are as is.

Kings/Queens/Jacks Are 10

Aces Are 16

Jokers Are 50 Steps Of The Bear Crawl

All cards should lead up to 500 Reps/Steps. I learned this specific numbers game from an article that legendary catch wrestler Billy Robinson had said that he would do this with wrestlers from time to time on Hindu Squats because you can do 500 in various ways but with the cards, it's never the same order twice. 

This is an awesome workout that hits practically every muscle in the body and has awesome benefits for conditioning, continuous strength, balance, agility and cardio. Requires no equipment and if you're short on space, just move back and forth with the space you do have (for this particular workout, it's a lot more fun to do it out at a park or on a grassy area. Be wild, free and amazingly awesome.  

The Importance Of Conditioning Using Animal Exercises

If you look in nature, the wild beasts and creatures that are animals in the jungle, the water, swamplands & deserts are in amazing condition; they have strength lasting them long periods of time, some have amazing stamina like the wildcats & primates, others have insanely powerful joints and tendons to stay tough during battles and for survival looking for food. In our society; endurance, strength & conditioning are dramatically specialized and too concentrated on one or the other. I'm here to tell you, too much concentration on one particular thing without bringing the others into play can be more harmful than you realize.

In order to even move in some animal exercises it takes strength. As you progress, you go a little longer and your stamina builds up but even then you still need the strength to hold yourself and be able to move fluidly because if you become sloppy and your strength diminishes, the rest can falter as well. Strength isn't everything yet it is a key attribute but endurance can also be the defining factor and that can determine your level of conditioning. If you're an athlete, you need to be in shape for your sport. Granted in some sports being in shape isn't everything but in most cases if you get tired early in a game/fight you are pretty much useless to the people on your team or against a particular opponent. 

Conditioning is the best asset whether in sports or in life. The beauty of animal exercises, it doesn't utilize just strength or endurance; both are valued and are the essential elements of what makes them superior to many other systems of exercise. They force you to adapt to any direction you're put in; it's not the typical up and down exercises like weights & push-ups and squats. Unlike other bodyweight exercises where you are stationary (staying in one spot of space), they have you move from point A to B, C, D. up, down, left, right, sideways, forwards, backwards, diagonal, horizontal, vertical, front ways, long ways, north, south, east, west you get the picture. When you move your body in all sorts of directions and gain strength from awkward angles, it creates a dynamic point of view where just like in sports, you're going somewhere at some point you never noticed before. 

The importance on conditioning utilizing this ancient style of fitness remains one of the most powerful yet a nearly forgotten aspect of what brings us closer to nature. Animals are by far in greater shape than any of us humans can even dream of. You can be the fastest man alive, the strongest woman, running a marathon like its nothing or go the distance in a wrestling match but none of us will ever have the universal power, speed, stamina, intensity of a wild animal. Emulating them brings us closer to what our DNA gives us the abilities to do amazing things. You can have a great physique yet have amazing functional strength, legs that can go the distance, flexible shoulders, steel-like tendons & have the lungs that would make a marathoner blush all by imitating a wild animal. Become conditioned, fast, coordinated and crazy strong.  

More On The Animal Dice Game

No matter what program or playout I end up doing, sooner or the later the bug (pun intended) will bite me to say "go back to the animals, they're your favorite." One of the things I have observed in MMA or Wrestling (the real kind) is that you never know what to truly expect from an opponent, the random things that could happen in their strategy can strike you at any time. Randomness can be your best friend or your worst enemy if you never expect the unexpected. Your brain is going a million miles an hour and what you may not know may end up hurting you in the end. That's what I love about doing Animal Moves and playing the dice game.

If you know how to move like a wild animal, whenever it comes up you're prepared to do it but another animal can come up at any time and if you don't know the moves, your instincts can go in the wrong direction. That's the reason why I made the best decision to learn about Animal Movement, it can be very unpredictable because you may not even know which direction to go but if you have practiced enough of the movement and it becomes a second language to you, you have conditioned your body to move that way and you're prepared for it even at the most random moment.

The dice game goes beyond taking random steps of an animal and I have personally have journeyed my mind and my body to be ready at all times whenever an animal comes up and I know all the animals I have learned like the back of my hand. Although it's a game of physical movement, it challenges your brain to be quick and strong to the point where you know what animal to go with but because the game is never the same twice, you're on constant alert for what comes next. It teaches you the unexpected. Just like in sports you don't always know what's going to happen but if you have programmed yourself to expect the unexpected, it gives you an advantage over your your opponents and when you add the conditioning into the mix, you're a monster among men.

It has taught me to use my instincts on another level, create a greater sensitivity of what can be applied next and has made me physically stronger than practically any other program I have done before or since. With animal moves, you can go in any direction; up, down, sideways, backwards, forwards, diagonal, horizontal, create shapes as you move and so on. Many people believe they're only good as a warm-up when they don't realize it can be the most challenging playout of their lives if they opened up their mind and see the other side of the coin. I challenge anyone to play this game and see how they feel after 20-30 min. I have gone nearly an hour doing this and I was done, many won't go 10 min. and 20-30 sounds like forever. If it's too easy, double the reps or triple it; if you can go for a half hour tripling the amount of steps per animal, that's impressive. It's a deadly game but that's the point, it makes you deadly.

How Long Should Animal Playouts Be?

People in fitness tend to give a general ideal of the amount of timing someone's fitness is at. Some say 10 min. is a good start, 15, 20,30 even sometimes an odd number like 13 minutes but for me it ought to be much lower. When someone starts out, they don't know what the hell they're really doing and just going through the motions. I say once you have them getting used to certain movements, start them off with 5 min. to start. Why 5? Isn't that a little short and very easy to start? Well, you want to build up an individual's stamina and strength and for health purposes, 5 min. is more than most can handle.

Once their consistent, build it up minute by minute. I started out with barely 10 min. before I gave out and wanted to die LOL. Everyone is different so they can't always go by the same protocol and plus, some take longer than others to get used to the movements. Depending on your fitness level and coordination for the animals you're good at, start with what's right for YOU!!!

When you're at a level where 10 min. is easy, do 20, then 30 and after that if you're in world class shape you can go 45 min to an hour or longer. Because animal moves are very intense, it won't really take that long to get really winded, even the greatest athletes in the world have fallen prey to short and intense playouts of the animals. Now really when it comes down to it, you don't need to go more than 20 min. to be in awesome shape. That's the main reason I love the animal dice game; after a while the numbers can get boring and you need a challenge; how do you do that? Double the reps on the dice, too easy? Triple them and so how you really do.

It makes me laugh that people say bodyweight exercises or animals are only great for warm-ups; if you tripled the reps on this dice game alone; you'll be begging for mercy within minutes if not seconds. I once did a total of 1000 reps worth of animal exercises within 45 min. to an hour doubling the reps on the 20-sided dice. It was exhausting and packed full of whole body movements that many consider easy, keep going and overtime, the exercises get harder and it becomes more difficult to jump, crawl, walk and hold certain animal postures. Play the dice game long enough and tell me how easy it was; I guarantee it'll make a world class athlete humble after going beyond double reps. I once did about 10-12 rolls tripling the reps of the movements and I was spanked.

The animals (pun intended) become second nature after practicing the movements so that's when you test out your stamina and conditioning by doing the dice game or picking and choosing certain animals for time or as a circuit. They can be done in some many ways its not even funny. They can turn a weakling into a powerful human being within weeks with solid practice. They don't build bodybuilding muscle because when applied correctly, animal moves utilize the body as a single unit and have you using practically every muscle. Many are so intense that a minute or more moving would spank most people in a heartbeat. They build insane conditioning for anyone, even the very best in sports have done them; some are used in gymnastics, wrestling, MMA, Football, the military and other factions of law enforcement for the sole purpose of targeting the entire body and strengthening it from all angles even areas regular bodyweight and weight training can't touch.

Go as long as YOU see fit, build up and see how far you can go. The most I will ever do is an hour but at times i'll be so into it time flies by. Amazing source of functional fitness, hormone builder, testosterone booster, getting excess energy out, lung enhancement, heart strengthening, tendon builder & provides insane stamina for your daily life.

Animal Kingdom Conditioning 1 & 2
Wild Animal Fitness For Kids

It Is Good To Get All That Energy Out

    One of the most common things that you see in children (you parents know this very well) is when they get all hopped up and start running around like the house is on fire and you need them to blow off steam. This happens with adults too at times when we can't sit still and get hyper at times we can't fall asleep because your mind is on something and you just get so worked up over certain things. Blowing off steam doesn't always mean grabbing a beer or two to get away from something and it certainly doesn't mean getting high (although I see certain reasons needed to for some people) off of weed or whatever makes you see something that isn't there. One of the very facets about fitness is its ability to teach you to get all that energy out of your system and have a more calming demeanor. Go to the gym, go for a run, do animal movements (perfect for taken down a kid if you need him or her to chill out) or go lift some heavy stuff and just do what you need to do to get those endorphins kicking in and letting your nerves wind down.

  Being hyper is a common thing especially among kids and hormonal teens, all those little tweaks that happen in your body, adrenaline is running and you're doing your best to calm down and nothing is working. Take care of it by working your body for as long as you need to. Taking a walk and deep breathing is a start but for the most part, it's really telling your body to move and utilize your body's abilities to do various things. When I'm in hyper mode after being at a concert or coming home full of adrenaline, I do different things like Bridging, moving like a wild animal or push-ups. Even one time I was so hyper I was bending this steel bar I had and used every ounce of energy I had to twist and pull from every direction I can think of. By the end I was ready to pass out because it takes a lot out of you. Have a little fun with it while it won't scare the living hell out of your spouse/sibling/parent or whatever.
   
   What seems like a polar opposite of what you think happens, getting all that energy out productively actually calms the nerves in your body and bring flow back into your body on a much different scale. I don't believe I ever met anybody that got a ton of energy out of their body from working out and saying "man I'm pissed off." Your body is brushing with endorphins and adding a cold shower into the mix helps regenerate everything and lets the body use its cooling system. Funny on how the body works. Go outside if you have to; I wouldn't be howling at the moon like a retarted werewolf scaring your neighbors but moving your body in a fast pace manner for even a few seconds can elevate your emotions and clear out the cobwebs. Every time I hold the bridge for three minutes, my body just begins to float and when I'm done I feel like I'm in heaven, floating with calmness and awareness and feeling refreshed and happy. Animal Movements are great to get everything out of your system because they don't take that long for you to be huffing and puffing when you do it right.

  Want to pass out without the need to be drunk? Go do some Animal Movements or create moves from Gold Medal Bodies and see how long you last. Movement is life but so is sleep, so in order to balance things out, you have to take care of your need to chill out. Don't take those crappy sleeping pills full of chemicals and crap that can harm your insides and I can understand the need to drink a little something but it's not the only way. For me, my drug is exercise, when I need a fix, I take care of it and I feel like a new man afterwards without the side effects of withdrawals and feeling the need to do it every 5 minutes just to feel good, at times one time is all it takes and my ass is knocked out like a rock. You know how they give names for these "diseases" kids have like ADHD or whatever they came up with, they just want to feed these kids drugs so they can sit down long enough so they focus on a board they'll be staring at for an hour and having them feel like they're nearly comatose. I 'am very much in tuned with a kid needing an education and finding a way to focus so they can get their school work done but feeding them drugs is not going to help your cause. Remember back in the day when we were told drugs were bad and whoever took them were losers and now drugs are great for "helping" in school; what a crock and very contradictory. Be productive by giving them something they could enjoy doing, something fun and letting their imaginations run. 

  Moving like a Wild Animal creates structure, helps out self-esteem and takes lazy kids out of the house, hyper kids become calmer and kids with attitude issues lighten up because of the endorphins. Don't force it on them or be so damn strict they'll hate you for it, make a game out of it and help them find a way that works for both sides. It's not easy but it's far better health wise than taking some crazy drug that can screw up their bodies later in life just so they sit still for an hour every class. Be smart about it and make it fun for them.

Crazy Strength While Walking

    

     When it comes to Mythology, there are many creatures in certain stories like dragons, half man half beasts and many others but when it comes to pure power and strength one of the most legendary creatures the Centaur is famous for. A Centaur basically is a man with a human head to torso with a horse's lower body. When you have that much strength to go with it's not just that it's crazy speed, the tendons of a great animal and if you want to put a little humor to it you can call this guy a real horse's ass. We're going to be looking into The Chiron Program where it teaches how to handle weight while carrying it in different ways.

 
    Now one of the greatest exercises for pure raw strength is the Farmer's Walk, taking an object of each hand (hopefully with equal weight) and walking with it for distance; this could be dumbbells, kettlebells, buckets of sand and/or water putting thick grips on the handles to make it harder and other possible ways. This is truly a man's man exercise. Now imagine pressing the weight overhead and walking that way in different directions, why not clean them and walk that, it's all how you use your imagination. Being able to imagine you're this mythical creature with superhuman qualities and progressing to a great amount of weight, think with great focus. Ever see the strongman competitions that are on ESPN from time to time? These carry weight pretty much with ease, now think what it would be like to lift and carry furniture to help a friend move or being able to save someone's life if they're trapped, bringing that dead weight to your torso and just take off.

 
    Using your imagination is a key to being very successful in your endeavor, if you're too realistic and think nothing of what you only see with your eyes, you can be successful but not in a much bigger manner. When you open up your mind to the world of the possible, picturing yourself with a much stronger body and can handle greater stress, applying it productively in real time with a progressive system that gets you firing your success rate will jump. Work towards building up to bigger weight or whatever you can handle, lift with efficiency so you don't hurt yourself in the process. Imagine being a real Centaur with a powerful upper body and a superhuman lower body with legs that can kill a man with a single kick, a back that can carry a couple people and has vast energy burning within of the wild beast.

 
    Like the story of Atlas, you literally and figuratively have the weight resting on your shoulders and body. It's not easy holding up vast weight and having to carry it but it can make you crazy strong and fast. Imagine having a weight vest on and walking a mile or less with it that's around 100 lbs. more than your bodyweight, take it off after you're done and you're practically floating as you walk and doing it with speed. It is important to train and let it be useful for nearly any situation, a powerful body that can help others and not just to pose like a pretty boy. Being a beast is not always how big or bad you are, it's the strength you possess both inside and outside and using it to the best of your abilities to help one another. The weight may rest literally on you but you have the power to move and not just carry it but push and pull with great power. You can be a smaller guy and have incredible strength, it's all about how you're willing to carry the weight from a mental stand point and letting it carry over to the physical side, hint Mind/Muscle Connection.

 
Have a great Wednesday guys, be awesome and carry your weight with power and might.

Anything But That

            The way some people look at fitness or certain fitness methods is pretty funny sometimes. You ask someone who doesn’t like weights and you might hear this (especially from women) “Ugh, anything but weights, they’ll make you bulky and you will just get injured.” Weights aren’t always as bad as you think. Some people prefer other things which are awesome. But it’s not just weights but many methods that this type of thinking or similar thinking comes around. Some can say something similar to other methods like say bodyweight exercise “Shit, anything but bodyweight stuff, that’s just endurance work and strength isn’t much of a factor.” I’m sorry but I got to laugh at that shit that just tells you, they have no clue what they’re talking about.

            There are people who are so harsh about certain methods that most of the time, they don’t realize it’s most likely something they might enjoy. I have even read somewhere that someone was so harsh on Animal Training it just made me want to slap them. Just because you read a marketing ad and think it’s bullshit without ever stepping foot into the program, that just makes you dumb and ignorant. People can say whatever they want but until you actually have done it, don’t be so harsh. I have trashed some methods before but that was because just what it looked like it just didn’t seem appealing. People who can’t stand certain methods try to dismember and trash it to the point where it takes away what fun it could be for someone else. Granted there are programs that are a complete joke like the Shake Weight or Hip Hop Abs (its aerobics done in a different form) but if someone likes them and it works for them, cool I’m not going to take that away from you.

            There are plenty of people out there who try to advise you on what method works and what doesn’t and will tell more negative stuff than the positive. Granted certain people I’ve been around have told me to stop what I’m already doing and do this other thing so I can look even better and help me in other areas, these same people have no real clue what I do and only have seen a glimpse of it. People will tell you can do this but never do that because of whatever reasons; common injuries, death, it didn’t work for them so why should it work for you and a favorite of mine; that’s pretty dumb and you look like an idiot doing it, well thank you. You have a choice and no matter what you choose there are pros and cons in all of them, but if it works right for you, that’s all that matters, screw the others.

            Want to know something really funny; I’ve done methods that are fun but to others it’s ugly and gnarly because it’s different and they don’t understand it. Most people that don’t understand will turn it into something that it really isn’t. There are some people that a friend of mine likes to call Wile E Coyotes, they’re the type of people who are obsessed with those that have programs that work for them and try to tarnish and ridicule them because not only does it not work for that person they try to destroy others for it. Most of these types of people are just keyboard ego maniacs who don’t have a clue what real training is.

            If you love what you do, hold on to and guard it with your life. If you’re good at it, help people find out about it but don’t preach the negatives, teach them by suggesting it and helping them find out about it. There are a lot of people who have methods that work but also try to destroy other ones so they can keep getting the bucks. We all need to make a living I get that but being an asshole doesn’t always work out so well. You can brag that whatever works for you will work for the rest of the population and beat down other methods just so you can be the top dog but in the end, every method is a suggestion from the endless variety that you can choose from.

            I take different methods and find the best ones by taking little pieces of them and mold them into something awesome for myself, it’s like creating your own puzzle, and you find the pieces that go with the picture in your mind and putting those pieces together.

Be awesome my friends. 

Animal It Out

            As kids and teenagers we go through extreme changes and some of that is being full of energy and hyped up. As adults it doesn’t happen quite like back in the day but still we can full of energy and just have a tireless work ethic (not all but some). Animal exercises are a favorite of mine especially mixing things up to make it interesting. When you train like an animal, you’re getting your hormones balanced out, you’re learning how to coordinate and you have fun playing around with them.

            Like everyone else I also get frustrated and mad at times to the point where it’s hard to think, it happens. When you get mad, your body shifts and it can throw you off so you need to chill out. Believe it or not, a few minutes of Animal Training can wipe out that anger and bring you back down to a blissful state because of how much of your whole body needs to be congruent with the movements.

            One of the major keys to be successful in your Animal Training is to think like that animal or what I like to call your Animal Spirit or Animality. Sure there are plenty of movements to do but there’s only one that catches your eye and you do it more often than the others, it’s what calls to you and sometimes without thinking about it you just do it and why is that? Every one of us has an animal spirit within and how we obtain it is by looking inside ourselves and once you find it you’ll know.

            Another secret is to play and just have fun with the Animal Movements. When it stops feeling like a chore and more of a game, your results can be more efficient and more likely to happen. Kids love games, it gives them structure and they enjoy it. When you teach them to play a certain game with Animal Exercises, it helps get stronger and more brain efficient because they have to use it to coordinate, be aware and learn to control what they’re doing while building natural muscle and powerful tendons that can aid them in sports and other endeavors. Create something fun out of it whether you’re a kid or an adult, you can find a way to Animal it out. 

Moving With Freedom

           In most exercise programs, you usually see someone in one spot doing a plethora of moves and routines whether it’s running on a treadmill, riding the elliptical, moving weight up and down or whatever it happens in one particular spot. As much as I admire that type of thing for certain programs I feel one should move around in more than one spot. Why stay in one place when you have more room than what you have?

            I get it, not many people want to move around in more than one spot and if you're in prison, being in different places is more of privilege and you have no choice but to be in one spot or the other but on the other hand; if you have a place to move around and the weather is decent you have the freedom to move wherever you want. It’s like playing as if you were a little kid again. Kids run around all over the place, their energy is boundless and can do all sorts of things. As adults we “grow out” of this phase of our lives and become more analytical and focus on not getting hurt rather than just have fun. Stop that and when you exercise, have some fun with it.

            Playing and moving your body is essential to fitness success. Sure if you’re passionate about it and are serious about what you want to do that’s ok too but at the same time it’s important to not take most things so serious. It’s about taking it one step at a time. If you're new to training yes it’s important to start out slowly but also don’t be so serious it becomes stressful, smile and be open to things. I have a mother who is serious about line-dancing and rarely ever really exercises but she makes the line-dancing fun with moves and music that are just crazy to dance to but brings joy to them.

            A personal favorite type of training is moving like a wild animal or mimicking an animal. The reason why is because it gives me freedom to move however I want and it teaches you how to be aware of how you move and which direction you want the body to go to. You can’t stay in one spot with this type of training unless you imagined you’re an animal in a cage. Unleash your Animality, hone the animal that is within you and have fun with it. My Animality is the Ape because for some reason in my mind moving like an Ape is just fun, exciting and deeper as a being than any other animal. I’ll bet you big time that if you practice moving like an animal in the jungle, there will be one that you’ll find the most exciting, the one that just has your mind on more than anything else, that’s the animal you want to bring out and have fun with.

            Be free and put in the effort to move different ways in not feel like you’re in a cage, move around damn it.

Train To Move

           The power of movement is essential to everyday life. In fitness when people think of movement, they think roaming on elipticals, moving weights around, aerobic exercise and other types of stuff. That’s all good in some cases but what I’m talking about by movement is using different functions of the body that keeps you healthy, free and open to channel the body by squatting, running, jumping, climbing, lifting and carrying weight and making the habit to be practical and utilizing every inch of your body to it’s potential. Functional Movement is precise in what brings the body as a whole as you move through various patterns, using as many muscles as possible in any given time.

            When it comes to sitting, we usually bring ourselves to sitting in chairs or our beds sometimes but never take the time to actually squat and sit that way or move in the squat. This exercise can help build the tendons and ligaments in the knees and build strength in those muscles. Jumping has become a meaning to use in sports or in other endeavors but never for any real fun anymore, when was the last time you felt like jumping and playing hopscotch or something? Lifting doesn’t always mean heavy but it means picking up an object of certain weight, moving with the weight by carrying it is pretty fun to do, think of carrying a heavy backpack or picking a 50 pound rock and carrying it a certain distance then tossing it. We all know how running goes, personally I’m not a fan of running but I like to sprint and amp up my body’s metabolism so that’s a form of running.

            Some movements are in awkward positions like moving in an animal type fashion like Bear Crawls, hanging and swinging like an ape or climbing like a gecko, your body was meant to move in all sorts of directions granted how you’re structured and the way your body can operate in a certain movement. Even walking in an awkward terrain or non-flatted areas is moving in an awkward position and changing directions as you go along. When you can move in an awkward position, you’re utilizing other muscles you normally don’t use.

            When you move, you have a greater chance of having a longer, healthier life if you practice enough to where you’re using practical movements, progressing and utilizing your mind at the same time. I love moving around even when I’m out in the snow hitting a tire with my Sledgehammer; I’m giving my body strength and heading towards specific goals of movement. I even love to just move around in the living room, stretching my body out and jumping & crawling just for the fun of it. 

          To understand the fun of movement, look to what Mary Poppins says by “in every job that must be done there’s an element of fun. You find the fun and snap the job’s a game.” This applies the same way as moving in your training, you learn to imagine having fun with what you’re doing and making it more enjoyable instead of feeling like you have to punish yourself. This helps having a longer life by using your imagination and building a happy attitude to what you do and incorporate it to other things in your life.

Make Your Own Ingredients

           Thought I was talking about food didn't you? Seriously why would I do that to you after just having the biggest feast of the year? Damn you guys need to pay attention. What I’am going to talk about is creating recipes for workouts, finding those little things that can help build your body like you were cooking an incredible meal.

            It’s important to pick the right ingredients to create something great and exciting. You don’t always know how to find those ingredients so what do you do, experiment. Find the best exercises for you that will give you a run for your money and have you begging for more or you've had enough. To me creating workouts is a lot more fun than looking at someone else’s. Think of it this way, would you rather have crappy Taco Bell or would you like to make your own kick ass tacos with the things you put into it? That’s what a lot of the muscle magazines and other types of training the fitness industry offers, it looks awesome advertised but in the end it’s just going to make you sick and not want to exercise. Build your own set of exercises you learned and see how they work for you and your goals.

            Sometimes every once in a while you want to spice things up. You want to add that extra kick that’ll get right in the heat of your training. I like to work on legs and grip these days because it gets me fired up and I just love challenging those exercises, every now and then my mix of those methods can get a little stale so I’ll add in a couple things like some flexibility work or move around like an animal in the wild just having a good ole time. Sometimes spicy even just a touch can make all the difference just like in your food; even just a hint of something will make it taste completely different than usual.

            Now I know what you’re thinking “dude you have been talking about food so why would you compare workouts with food?” Good question, yes I didn't want you to think about food but at the same time food & exercise go together like a horse and carriage, the carriage isn't going to pull itself now is it? The ultimate ingredient for having a great workout isn't always what you came up with, there’s only one that is missing that most people don’t put into and it gives them that extra push, that will to keep going and that’s your determination, add that in with everything else and see how far you go. Without it you’re just having random mixes and you don’t have the right idea how to turn it into something incredible.

            Create what you want, find your own recipe and experiment with it. It’s not always going to come out good but once you find the right ingredients it’ll be the best workouts you've ever had and it’s organic and full of freedom. Don’t copy someone else’s ingredients otherwise you’re just second guessing yourself and don’t have the will power to say “What can I do with this and how can make it be just as good if not better?” Be yourself and turn into a mighty chef of fitness. Get to it and have fun.

The Most Natural Steroid

             It doesn't take injections to build a healthy and strong body. A lot of people feel that if you’re in shape you look beautiful and have big muscles and can do anything. Unfortunately that’s not always the case. Sure there are some kick ass looking people out there but that doesn't always mean they’re in great shape from within. What most don’t realize is that how you train the body from within puts a whole new emphasis on what comes out as you see. Some athletes take steroids to amp up their game and most end up looking like a cartoon character than a healthy human being. There are more natural ways to gain lean healthy body mass and still have great strength both inside and outside.

            When it comes to growth hormone, it’s that component that gives us natural mass and great beautiful skin that also keeps our metabolism high which means more fat burning and more natural muscle. When our growth hormones are compromised especially as we age it becomes even more important because if we just let things go and be a past thing and believe we can’t have a beautiful and lithe natural muscular body then our bodies will become frail and we’ll lose bone density and become old and withering. To prevent this, it’s been said that intense training at a short amount of time helps keep the metabolism high and the fat loss more stable.

            Sprint training is one of the fastest fat burning methods that have ever been done. When you do sprints right and you can do them on a track, a hill or maybe you can sprint in place you don’t last very long, maybe no more than 30 seconds at a your best clip. You can do this up to no more than 2-3x a week. The reason why you don’t need to do them everyday is because they jack up your system so high that you have no choice but to rest and recover. Believe it or not when you sprint, the majority of your workout is resting. Build up and if you’re ballsy enough for 1 day a week, do one sprint at a very long distance say a maximum of 200 yards. This type of training alone can increase your growth hormone by more than 500%, that’s 10-15x more than the latest injections or artificial steroids.

            A very important factor to remember is that to get the best out of building lean body mass and healthy muscle is to do plenty of leg training. Our legs are the very foundation to how our bodies generate the sexual energy in our system. Think about it, our lower body has more than half the strongest parts in the human body. I’m not saying you should neglect your upper body but yet I've seen more than my fair share of men and women who have a great upper body but have flamingo legs. Paint them pink and people will mistake them for a freaking bird lol. Train the legs often and have fun with them. Some of the strongest legs on a human come from Ballet, try it sometime, it’s not as easy as it looks. Animal training has plenty of leg work like Frog Jumps, Duck Walks, Bear Crawls, Kangaroo, Rabbit and others. Squats are very powerful in building muscular strength and vitality as well as virility. Great leg training increases sex drive, incredible energy and mighty endurance to keep going in what you love to do.

            Build strong and powerful legs and you’ll see how far you get in your endeavors. For men you can build natural testosterone and have muscular and mighty thorough bread legs, for women, you can have those firm, tight and enduring legs that will make men’s heads turn. Strength & Vitality at it’s best.

Falling For The End-All Be-All Crap

             For the most part in fitness, you read in the magazine about this workout or in sports you hear about this or that way to throw, shoot or kick a ball but in the end it all boils down to the individual. We don’t have the same structures and our bodies handle things differently than others. That one size fits all bullshit is just getting you to pay up for their little schemes.

            Who can you trust when it comes to your goals? I like to believe that we can always use a coach, a friend, mentor or someone to show us the ropes. We learn and we get to see in action what is being done, however; once we learn a thing or two, it’s up to us to figure out how to put into action according to our own feeling and how we see things for ourselves. I have been trained by some of the strongest and athletic people in the world and learn a ton from them but I don’t always do things their way because if I did, I’d just be a guy that follows yet I rather build my own style from the things I learned from them.

            I've come to learn that there is never one way to do things. A lot of what we see today is generic and not very imaginative. You learn certain things and you get a feel for how they work for you. There is always something different and it’s important to understand that but not many accept it. I love certain methods like Hindu Style Conditioning, Animal Exercises, MovNat, Gymnastics and Grip Training for example but I don’t always go by what I’m told to do and for some it pisses them which I’m fine with. Once you get to a certain point in your training or whatever where you’ll begin to see things from a different perspective, some might see it very clearly right away for others it takes a while. You are one person, you don’t have the same strength as another, you don’t have the type of injuries or setbacks they've faced and you certainly don’t have the same capacity to try and keep up with them. The only thing you should keep up is yourself and what you want to go after.

            There’s always a challenge in training and in life no matter what. If everything were easy it be (in the words of Danny McBride in Your Highness) tedious and boring so find the right challenges for you and don’t try to compete with anybody else. Be creative and utilize what you have learned into forming your own personal quest and not following someone else’s. It can be demanding at times but it’s more rewarding when you set something apart from the general population. There are things I've seen friends do that I would never attempt to do but there are things that I can do that they can’t, that doesn't mean either one of us is better than the other, it just means that we have different views on our goals an we set them to what can be achieved just for us.

            If you have practiced a variety of methods, you’re on the right track to expanding your mind and learning how body handles itself in certain situations. If you just focus on one thing and that’s all you know and ever want to do more power to you but you’re also narrowing your mind set and you’re shrinking the plethora of knowledge that is out there. Some people are just full of themselves and think only their style is the best and everything else is crap. Be objective and expand your horizons. You’ll be surprised what you might find. 

The Spirit of The Gorilla

          When you come across a powerful creature of immense strength, mighty spirit and tremendous power in the tendons, the Gorilla or Mighty Ape is what comes to mind in my opinion. It is extraordinary to think of the Ape as a true king of the vast Wild Jungle. As heavy as 500 lb. can still climb trees and truly wrestle the very best the animal kingdom offers in it’s surroundings. It’s spirit is so powerful it takes hold of what we as human that have evolved from stand the test of time as one of the strongest animals ever.

            We all have an animal spirit within us, it’s called our Animality. Some of us hold a special animal in our hearts, not so much the domesticated but a wild creature that has grasped our imagination, the ability to use our instincts and be able to move with grace, power and speed. When you hold onto that Animal Spirit it becomes the embodiment of what we truly strive to become and that’s a strong, mighty and powerful being and could become superhuman if we truly submerge ourselves into a deep state of mind.

            Our imagination is what binds us to create the reality that dwells within each and every one of us. We can create similar things but there’s always something different and unique to it because we think differently and channel our energy differently. What we think tends to become a reality if we truly believe in it. The world is huge and dangerous and powerful natural occurrences but it’s also very beautiful in many areas of life and we tend to overlook this concept. Our Animal Spirit is a driving force for which our imagination runs with. You can’t create something without thinking of it first. It’s that whole world inside all of us that helps us find what we seek and where we want to go. Follow your Animality and see where it leads you.

            For me my Animality is the Gorilla, that ferocious strength that courses through my veins, being able to strengthen my body from the teachings of this mighty but beautiful animal. My ability to hang with the strength of my hands; walk on my knuckles and fingertips that will bring intense power in my tendons and muscles. My love for strengthening my body from awkward positions and turning my tendons into cords of Vibraniam, not steel or iron but Vibraniam you know the element from Captain America’s Shield that is far stronger than steel. You also have an Animality that is waiting to be unleashed, giving you the strength to do what you were meant for and the surge of strength and power coursing through your body. Helping you find the best way to build your body the way you were meant to have.

            It’s that natural instinct that is now fading away because we have forgotten how to harness it’s power that doesn't come from big muscles or an ego the size of Texas but it comes from what we see from within, the spirit that dwells in our minds and our hearts that reach out to us. Listen to it and you’ll realize how beautiful it is when it speaks to you and helps you in ways you couldn't have imagined before. Listen to your Animality and when you unleash it into the world in a positive and healthy way, it becomes a reality that has been hidden far too long. 

The Ultimate Beast

            As a species we've been striving for strength since the dawn of time. The early evolution of man was to hunt, run, swim, climb and didn't have a choice to be strong, you either were or you died that simple. As we became civilized, we've lost touch of our roots of what is strength and life-long health and power not just in physical form but emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Most ancient man of strength was either in slavery, farm work, blacksmith, sporting man or soldier and no more than that. There was a time when kings were great warriors and their physical strength was incredible, nowadays most don’t value the strength they've developed or don’t realize the true strength within them.

            A key ingredient to successful physical stature of strength and fitness is to evolve backwards and it’s one key way to become naturally superhuman. Today with all these gadgets and machines, “aerobics” classes and other things, we are nearly fading in the shadow of our ancestors and forgotten more about strength and health than any other time period. If you value your body, give it strength; give it a reason to be resilient to disease and learn to control what you put into it. A great form of exercise is to move like a wild animal. Build your body that can become three times stronger than the average person. Imagine powerful tendons, a mighty back, arms with powerful functional muscle, abs that can take a punch, legs that have full of energy and build your hormones to levels that couldn't be fathom before and all with great strength, tremendous balance, graceful agility and devouring power. Think about that.

            You’d want to spend as much time outside as possible. If you live in an area where weather conditions aren't so great aka Idaho where weather is almost like Sybil and still has all four seasons, you learn to adapt. In the summer and spring when it’s warm and beautiful go outside and live around nature, be adventurous and play, in the winter, keep warm and train as much as you can. There’s no excuse to not train everyday of the week even if you only have 5 min. do something. The wild is our gym, you can lift odd objects, if you go to the gym; do some basic lifting (presses, squats, pulls) and leave the bunny weights alone. You live in an area that has snow, shovel it out of the way, that’s a great workout, got a tire and a hammer, strike it down and become more powerful than you can possibly imagine (if you don’t get that reference I feel sorry for you). You live in the city, adapt to your environment and walk to certain places. There’s always something you can do to make the best of your training. Live out in the country, chop wood, who said a gym is the only place to train.

            We all have an animal within us. In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation despite its horrible acting and overdoing the characters, there was a distinct message in there. Within us is our own what’s called Animality. Animality is the spirit within us that has a distinct animal. No one has the same form of animal and it makes us unique. We move a certain way and our Animality is what we strive to be even if we don’t know it. When you do physical animal movements, there will be at least one animal you will do more frequently, you may not know or you may come to grips with it but whatever animal comes up and you end up having more fun, more results and you do it more often because your mind is fixated on it that is more likely the animal spirit within, your Animality.

            Kids are the real inspiration for our future but nowadays that’s fading away due to obesity, the way kids are taught in school, bullying, depression and not enough love and encouragement to help them strive to be their best. One of my friends Bud Jeffries has a son named Noah, this kid has had obstacles in his life that most wouldn't dare to fight back but yet at nearly 17 he’s one of the strongest teenagers, very intelligent, is one of the sharpest shooters in the world and learned how to develop his mind in ways most can never understand. He is one inspirational kid and had great parents to get him through life. You don’t have many kids like that today and it’s sad.

            Kids should be encouraged, loved, showing them how they can be great at what they love to do. Help them find what they’re best at and have it be a positive influence. Get them to exercise like an animal, let them play, have fun create friends and share stories with them. I’m not a parent so I don’t have the luxury or the tools to tell you how to treat your kid and don’t need to but I've been around kids my whole life and observed from a lot of families including my own. Show them what a great life they can have, how they can change the world for the better and give them something to hope for, encourage them, and give them something that brings them joy.

            It’s time to unleash the best within us and become strong in every possible way whether it’s fitness, business, sports, teaching and/or entertaining, we all strive to be strong in our own way, let it bring out the best in all of us because it’s more freighting to feel locked up than to be free. 

How To Become Tarzan In Your Own Way

            In the Jungle, you don’t know what to expect, don’t always where to eat or drink because there’s always something else that might get in your way. You’re constantly on the move and you can go from tree to tree or you run on the ground. To move like a wild animal, you must learn its moving patterns, where to plant your body when you land, which direction to use your arms to get where you want to go. Tarzan is a great reminder of how to use your body and mind.

            When you've been in a certain environment long enough, you know where everything is, you know what can be dangerous and it becomes second nature to you. You can use that to your advantage when you want to train. When you learn how to use your environment as a resource for exercise and fitness, you can take it anywhere and anytime you want. You don’t always need one specific place, when you aren't used to a certain environment, learn how you can make it your strength and learn how you can use it to get in awesome shape.

            One of my friends Ed Baran has a few words that he says called Way Of The Animal, it’s related to how you move like a wild animal in the Jungle, using your body to develop strength and muscle like an animal. It is far healthier and much more natural to move like an animal in the wild than sulking in a gym waiting to use the weights. When you head outside and go to a park, there’s a great connection there. Since kids are back in school as of late, this is the time to reflect on getting them in tuned with their animal counterparts by imitating them to fight off obesity and other forms of illness.

            A thing I have learned over the years that I’m still learning is to follow my intuition meaning how to use my awareness in a mindful way. For me, my intuition is never wrong and whenever something comes up no matter what it is, it’s usually spot on. Like Tarzan from all his time in the Jungle, his intuition is so powerful that it’s kept him alive, it’s helped form a bond with his body and mind when he senses danger and needs to protect himself. Granted yes in the movies he never dies because the script said so but there is some truth to that notion when you learn to follow your instincts and something inside of you is telling you something, you better listen.

            Have fun when you’re learning how to use your intuition, your way of moving around your own environment and practicing the movements of a Jungle animal. Too many of us get stuck in this rut where things are so downward and dull, boring and we don’t give ourselves time to relax and enjoy what we have. I understand you have certain things to deal with in your lives but that doesn't mean you make it harder on yourself to control what you really can do in a more productive and positive way. Channel your energy and learn from somebody like Tarzan, he’s got more issues then you do and yet he still has that child-like quality of him that still plays even in the worst conditions of the Jungle. Be fun and have a kick ass time.