A Powerful Grip Goes A Long Way

         The joy of having a strong grip is a lot to have. Many opportunities arise when your grip can handle many things like carrying groceries, helping someone move, twisting off a tough jar, climbing, carry someone and holding onto them so why not develop a mighty grip? It’s a lot of fun because our hands were meant to be strong for the things we need to have in our lives. The stronger our lower arm is, essentially the stronger our whole body is. It’s not just a pump you get in the gym or squeezing someone’s hand.

            Most people who start out with developing anything, get all excited and can’t wait to jump in but as they move along, most of the time get really bored and don’t want to progress any further or they just keep up the same old crappy routine and never make any headway. It’s all about the three P’s; Pacing, Progressing and Patience. We start out weak in some area or another so we begin with the simplest things plays around with them, we progress in order to advance ourselves. Don’t just push yourself all the time, pace yourself; do a little more each time. It’s the journey, not the destination that is the key; the smallest things can have the biggest impact. Be patient, if you get stuck somehow, find a solution, change things up and use your imagination to get better. We all have different ways of progressing, some are faster than others but we share a common goal and that’s getting better. It’s like math; you don’t start out with calculus right? We start with Arithmetic and work our way up, same thing developing your grip strength.

            One of the greatest modern Physical Culture authors Brooks Kubik said to Master your exercises. Doesn't matter what you’re shooting for but to progress with the best intentions, you must master what you want to develop. For grip strength, you don’t need to master a million things; you just need to focus on a few things. Do no more than 3-4 things to master because this helps you focus on what you can do to progress to a higher level whether it’s adding sets/reps or advance to a more difficult exercise. For me as an example with my Thor Hammer, I started out just lifting up, down and side to side. Next progression, slamming it with a tire 1000+ times often, next one was pressing it up using only the ball of the hammer, after that was juggling and flipping it. There’s more to progress to but you get my drift. It doesn't have to be a hammer, you can add in Fat Gripz onto your barbells and dumbbells to make your exercises harder, the effect is much different when you curl a 40 lb. dumbbell the regular way, slap on a Fat Grip, you’re in a whole new world of lifting my friend.

            Some of the strongest men in the world don’t always have the biggest hands. Yes big hands give a distinct advantage and that’s awesome if you have them but there are some of us who don’t have that luxury. Don’t fret though, there’s still hope and don’t ever let it stop you from chasing your dream from having strong hands. Want an example; Dennis Rogers is one of the strongest men pound for pound ever yet he’s no more than 5’8 and weighs no more than 170 yet he’s been able to do things most men twice his size can’t even fathom. He was also a champion arm wrestler at a point in his life and took down some of the best there was and some of them were far bigger than he was. So you see, there’s no excuse for you, you have the power to have some mighty mitts and you can have them if you want them bad enough. Train with intent, think big, think powerful, use your imagination and make it happen for you. Grip strength is very important, it can even save someone’s life, think about that. Don’t ever give up chasing your dream, don’t just chase it, thrust through and take a chance. It’s within reach, go get 

Technology Has It’s Purpose To A Degree

            In the world of modern technology, it’s everywhere from computers to cell phones, satellites all over the globe, little robots that can do certain things, apps that have just about every single piece of information you can find and it’s all mostly unnecessary in the fitness world. There are ways to work around that however. There was a time when there was no internet, no cell phones, no computers to give us the slightest bit of info and the closest to entertainment you found was in a movie theater, the radio, Burlesque shows, Vaudeville and the Circus. You actually had to find a way to make life interesting whether it was working on a farm, wrestling with many sparring partners at a YMCA and sometimes the nearest town was miles away and had to ride a horse or in a carriage.

            Machines today have their reason and some of them are good to use but when it comes to exercise, most machines don’t really do anything for you because of how fixated they are. Some people can use technology to their advantage in their training; I was never fond of the treadmill but somehow certain people like them and use them in the gym or their home. To take advantage of this while being productive there has been ways of people getting fit from a treadmill while working at the same time. A great friend of mine Tyler from Garage Warrior has his laptop attached to his treadmill so while he’s doing emails and writing up articles, he can get in a brisk walk at the same time so he’s making something useful.

            To be fit in my opinion is to be as old school about it as possible with as limited machining and technology as possible. Learn to be more wild-like and open to getting strong, certain people like lat pulldowns for the back muscles but in the end if you want a great powerful back stick to basic exercises like Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Deadlifts and DB/BB Rows. When you move a barbell/dumbbell or even your own bodyweight, it’s a different feel; you’re part of a tradition in a modern era that is overrun by microwaves and technological distractions. Learn how the old-timers trained, you don’t have to be exactly like them but learn to use their example of how being fit and strong really is. Lift odd objects to find out how your muscles work in an awkward and unstable position, learn to use your body like an animal seeing how you move with constant change and direction.

            Since there are so many freaking apps for fitness there are only two or three I've ever found that is truly useful, the Tabata apps and the Deck Of Cards. Tabata training is basically an interval training system where you do 4 minutes of intense exercise with 20 sec. on and 10 sec. off ratio, this app can be great for short and timed training. I use it for animal type training. The deck of cards app is by far the very best one I have found that gives you a workout that is never the same and it’s an unlimited deck where you can do an infinite number of cards. You can pick up to 4 exercises that you can type in and you’re off and running, after you do a certain exercise on the card, press a button to go to the next one and it’ll tell you how many reps to do for that particular card, sucks it doesn't have jokers though.

            We can use technology to our advantage in the way we train but you have to be smart about it, let it work for you. Stick to the basics as best as you can and have a kick ass time with them but don’t let technology run your whole way of training, overall its best to turn off your computer, cell phone, radio and just be free to do whatever you want. It’s all about how you find things that work best for you.

Going Rogue

            We all want to find the best ways to get results in the fitness world. Some use equipment, some don't and the rest just make shit up. You don't to have equipment to get the best but yet you can find what’s useful to you and make it worth your time to go at it hard. I love using certain things because they give a sense of purpose and meaning when I want to create something exciting and having the tools provide that.

            When it comes to equipment in a gym, there are two types of gyms that have a complete different type of world, the health spa and the underground gyms you see in various parts of the country including one of the craziest in New Jersey. The difference between the two is that a health spa consists of “beautiful” people with chrome and fern machines, state of the art treadmills, most weights in the dumbbell rack go up to about 50 lbs. and you see plenty of people wanting to look like Tarzan or Arnold yet have the strength of Jane. The Underground guys are bad to the bone (yes even the women), some are tough as nails hitting iron, flipping tires, lifting, dragging, carrying, pulling, pushing and even a few becoming a machine instead of focusing on one. This is the type of gym that turns little boys into tough hardcore men with strength to go with their look like the old school strongmen of legends past.

            If you want to use equipment to get results, you want ones that are productive, basic and simple to use because in the end, the basics give you the most out of everything else. The true weapons of Mass Destruction are your Barbells & Dumbbells which you only need to consist of a few things, Presses, Pulls, Squats and the occasional Grip Work which you can add with to your training by going to Stronger Grip to give you that extra edge. To supplement, you can use medicine balls, Kettlebells, Jump Ropes ect. It doesn't need to be complicated with all the crappy machines like a Lat Pulldown or a leg extension.

            In the Military, our forces need the proper training to stay in the best possible condition for battle, stealth tactics, running towards enemy fire and the ability to fight in self-defense so why not give them the best deal there is and help them fight for our country so they can come home safe and sound. Not all Military personnel lifts weights but if we showed them a foundation of Monstrous proportions, they’re be able to handle the rough and tough terrain of lifting, carrying and throwing with ease that can save their life and those of their troop or squadron.

            One of the most fun types of training in lifting is being able to lift a heavy ass weight. My good friend Bud Jeffries knows what it’s like to lift some super heavy weights and not always in a full range of motion but in a Partial. Partial Lifting is moving a weight from a specific range of motion which you can lift heavier and heavier weights than usual. Some people think Partials don’t do anything, some think they're the best to help their range of motion for a full lift, I personally feel if you're going to lift some crazy weights, you ought to progress the lift to the point where your best lift is at full range. Say your best bench is probably 400 at full range, you can lift far heavier if it was at lockout or quarter lift say for instance like as high as 600 at a lockout or 525 at a quarter and work your way down, it may be less weight at the longer range of motion but you're still building crazy strength in order to reach that point. My best deadlift is around 400, not a great amount of weight to right home about but yet I rarely ever lift weights, so far my best quarter DL is at 475 for 4-6 reps which I'm proud of considering I never moved weight in that type of lift in any other part of my life but anyway you catch my drift. In order to do partials you're most likely going to need a good solid Power Rack which you can adjust the range of motion to any lift you want.

            Have fun with these things and get as strong as you can. Whether you lift weights or not, it’s best to create what you want to get the best possible results and study the best in the best people who are drug-free and have great knowledge in how real strength and physique can be obtained through sheer hard work, balanced eating and rest. The simpler the better.

5 Tips To Help You Gain Muscle

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Drew Stegman. I looked over his site and I find him very interesting in his approach to weightlifting, bodybuilding and Nutrition. Its basic, simple and no B.S when it comes to building the muscle you want. Without further ado here is the 5 steps to help those who want to gain muscle fast.....

With everybody these days trying to lose fat, it’s fairly easy to forget about the importance of muscle on your body. Whether you simply want to increase your metabolism or look at yourself in the mirror and know that you’re totally hot and ripped, muscle mass is necessary to do so.

Here are five simple ways to build muscle, rather you’re trying to pack on a few pounds or you want to look like a professional bodybuilder:

1. Cut Back on the Cardio: Doing cardiovascular exercise is fantastic if your goal is weight loss, since it allows you to burn additional calories and gets your heart rate up into its target zone. But if your goal is to gain muscle, I’d recommend cutting back on the cardio a bit. Too much cardio can actually burn muscle, which is the case with the long-distance marathon runner; sure they might be lean and have no fat on their body, but they’re lacking in the muscle department. This doesn't mean that you should ignore cardio completely, but definitely cut back on the long distance stuff. I would limit your cardio to no more than three 30-minute sessions each week and spend the rest of your time and effort focusing on lifting weights.

2. Don't Overdo It: Many bodybuilders, weightlifters, fitness enthusiasts and even average gym goers all make the same mistake – they overtrain. When it comes to most things in life, more is better, but when it comes to building muscle, doing more will simply end in failure. If you overtrain, you’re either going to get injured or simply get burnt out. Whatever the case, you won’t be able to build any muscle and if you get injured, obviously you’ll be out of the gym for weeks or months at a time. So keep your weightlifting sessions under an hour and don’t workout more than 5 days per week. Even with five days per week, you’re still pushing it – I’d even recommend scaling that back to 3-4 days per week.

3. Mix Things Up: Why would you want to do the same thing over and over again anyway? Variety is what keeps people from getting bored in life and when it comes to packing on muscle, things are no different. Your muscles (and body for that matter) all operate under one simple principle. Once they get comfortable with what they’re doing, they stop adapting. And when they stop adapting, they stop growing. Always make sure you’re switching up your workouts every 4-6 weeks, so you can keep your muscles constantly confused and in the state of muscle growth. Trust me, you won’t regret this decision once you finally decide to give it a full-blown shot.

4. Keep Eating: Many people focus on calorie restriction when trying to lose weight, which is completely understandable. But when you’re trying to gain muscle, you need to play by a different set of rules. Quite simply, you have to eat big to get big. If you’re not supplying your body constantly with the nutrients and calories it needs to grow, then don’t expect to get very big. But you can’t eat anything – you need to consume a constant balance of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and fruits and vegetables as well. If you starve your muscles, they’ll wither away, so don’t let that happen to you.

5. Take a Break: Remember point two. Even if you’re mixing up your workouts and continually confusing your body, you won’t gain much muscle if you workout too much. In fact, you’ll probably find that you gain the most amount of muscle when you’re resting. Many people don’t realize that muscle growth does not occur in the gym; it occurs outside of the gym when you are resting and eating. When you hit the gym, you’re breaking down your muscles and then your body has to go back and rebuild those muscles once you've broken them down. But if you’re always working out, you’re body won’t have enough of an opportunity to rebuild these broken down muscles, so they won’t grow. Every six months or so, take a rest week and you’ll be amazed at the effect it has on your body; not to mention your state of mind. Your mind and body will make a full recovery and you’ll be more than ready to hit the gym once this rest week has ended.

This was an article written by Drew Stegman. For more muscle building tips check out his website: http://how2gainmusclefast.com/

Animalize Your Exercise

 What do a tiger, a gorilla, a spider and a kangaroo all have in common? Every one of them is super S-T-R-O-N-G. Do you see a gym anywhere in the wild, no and so how do these animals stay fit and powerful? Simple answer because they have to be for survival and to take down what their food is for the next few days. They scratch, claw, climb, maneuver and have super strong tendons to boot. If there’s anything we should imitate it’s the strength of a wild animal.

 Am I saying weights aren't worth it, of course not they have their place but unless you have a truck, I highly doubt you’ll be able to travel with heavy equipment. Animal training is the type of fitness that can be done just about anywhere at any time. To get the best out your training, start where you’re at even if it’s taking little steps, you learn to progress. Once something becomes easier, challenge it at that level. People talk about doing 30 minutes of cardio and an hour of weights 3x a week and maybe throw in some of that aerobics crap that has god awful club music in the background.

 Want to know how many hours a week I train for the things I do, it’s not 10 hours, not 6, def not 4, it’s less than 2 hours and this goes on all week long. Training with this type of duration gives you rest, plenty of time to recover and still be able to do things you love to do, isn't it fun to gain than the average person?

 Kids today have it worse than when I was a kid. Back in the 90’s, there were issues like heart disease and such but obesity wasn't at a high level of concern, once I left high school, that’s when the obesity generation blossomed, it’s not on adults anymore, more and more children and teenagers develop bad habits. When I graduated high school almost a decade ago, Ipods barely were getting off the ground, ipads didn't exist, Myspace was the top social network and texting wasn't that big yet, today these kids have way too many privileges and don’t have the right sense of earning those privileges.

One of my biggest concerns for these kids is the way they socialize, half the time they’re texting friends but when their sitting next to them, they get bullied on Facebook and deal with pressures of having the newest cool gadget while trying to look cool for their peers. Damn sad if you ask me. Teaching the kids how to exercise not for punishment but for fun and learning how to push yourself productively and safely.

One of my mentors Matt Furey let his song Frank watch Winnie The Pooh but Frank had to earn that privilege so Matt tells him “Do your exercises first, pick ones you want to do an how many reps and when you’re done you can watch your movie.” Frank was hesitant at first but he did it and was proud of himself and was so excited to finally put on the movie. That to me is wicked cool because you’re not punishing your kid or forcing him to do it but if he/she wants something bad enough, sometimes they’ll have to earn it but encourage them to choose what they can do. It teaches how to accomplish something, it sets boundaries, rules and structure without making it look like you’re in hell.

 A child is already fit when it’s born, it’s very flexible and is learning on it’s own to strengthen themselves. As we get older, we lose sight of how we can stay fit and healthy; you start eating too much junk food, not enough exercise, no play time and rarely socialize anything with a pulse. Teaching the Way Of The Animal at a young age can set the tone for what they can develop, better brain power, strengthen muscles, define motor skills, productive competition, learning a sense of accomplishment, bring up self-esteem if you’re depressed, more relaxed if you’re hyper and create a better physical, emotional and spiritual state.

 Another component of training like a wild is something we've all striven to find, freedom. You’re out in the open and free to move and have fun while building your body to its natural state of muscular development and breathing deeply for a higher form of super endorphins. There are many ways to train like an animal, you can play tag, roll a dye, treat them as cartoons, train for 5 minutes or 1 hour it’s up to you that are true freedom. A key to freedom is to not analyze the workout hell don’t call it a workout call it going out and play, pick the way you want to do it and run with it, don’t worry how bad you are or if the other guy is better, just have fun and imagine yourself in the wild.

One of the beauties of being human is that we have a certain set of hormones. Men have Testosterone, Women have Estrogen and we learn how to balance these hormones for optimal results. As we get older, our hormones begin to go down by as much 5% a year by age 30, I still think its 25 but I could be wrong. In order to keep a balanced hormone levels we train according to our levels some people train hard and fast, others train mostly with for form and endurance but the principles still applies and because of Animal Training, it helps build those hormones we need to keep looking naturally young, have a spring in their step, live with confidence and happiness and if you’re looking to keep that spark with your significant other, it’s not a bad idea to train like an animal and fool around like an animal.

A lot of people look at exercise as a punishment or something they feel they have to or just don’t do it all. This type of thinking is why people hate to exercise and feel they won’t get results. Instead of thinking this way, shift gears a little just a little. Start with what you can do, instead of going through the motions like a robot, think as if you were that animal, you’re either running from a predator or catching your prey, picture as if you’re a gorilla defending your community, an ibex climbing the highest of mountains with ease, feeling graceful like a heron and one of my favorites a Mandrill just looking it was carved from granite with powerful washboard abs and the strength to break a man’s wrist if you grabbed it. Imagination is a beautiful thing to practice and using it with animalized training makes it that much more fun and exciting.

Last but not least about the great benefits of moving like an animal is that it’s very simple, just imitate as if you saw a wild animal at the zoo or on TV. Granted there are moves far beyond our limits but the ones we can use can give us strength that the average human can’t fathom. Never need to over analyze how you should move and which arm or leg goes where and if you can only move either straight or sideways, just do go with it, you’re learning to use muscles you normally don’t know that are there. Simple is better period. Give it a chance. Train with kids if you have them because whether they know it or not they crave structure and want to learn how to be better people and this can help that in ways that I can never explain. Have fun, be yourself and get your ass happy because nothing is more sacred than being happy.

Becoming A Monster

I don’t always lift barbells and dumbbells but when I do, I want to feel like one of the legendary Old-time Strongmen from generations past. Back in the day before cardio machines and the chrome and fern palaces of Cosmetic Bodybuilding, if you wanted to be fit and strong, you busted your ass in the gym or wherever you wanted to workout. Training in the gym like at York Barbell or sunny Venice Beach, you put in workouts that made you come back for more. Back then, you had guys that were monstrous not just in size but just as equaled strength and fitness.

 Today has become a billion-dollar industry where supplements roam wild, machines are cranking and some of the free weights are left to dust unless someone happens to pick up anything about 50 lbs. or less. It’s a bit of a shame that once was the pinnacle of developing super strength and fitness has just become not so super and hardly any real functional strength developed and fitness that just confuses everyone. If you picked 10 people out of a gym, and asked them who John Grimek, Otto Arco, Arthur Saxon, hell even maybe Reg Park, bet you dollars to donuts that not one of those 10 people know who they are. That’s the majority of fitness goers today, no sense of history and would rather look good without a shirt on than have that plus being super strong and healthy.

 One of the best things I love about Physical Culture is that you can learn to do things out of the norm and make it a habit to use and use given secrets that have worked for well over 100 years and still make great progress. Very few people you’ll find today that share that thread of knowledge and understand the values of historical training that can be used today. One of these few is to my knowledge one of the most powerful men on the planet that just by listening to him, you can learn things you never thought existed, and I’m talking about Mr. Super Muscle himself, Bud Jeffries.

 

 An idea that Bud brings to the table is not new but to most people today, they would think it’s from a different planet and that’s using weights in a circular fashion. Conditioning in circles is a relatively cool concept where whether with bodyweight or using a dumbbell, you learn to use exercise in a clockwork type fashion. This type of training from a different perspective can aid in your conditioning workouts, now I’m going to let Bud tell you about that because he’s got more in his brain on it than I do.

 You know that fishing line “Catch & Release”? What if I told you, you can do that same concept using a Barbell? Most people can’t fathom putting up a weight in the air and catching it, it just seems doesn’t it, but its fun. Being able to catch a weight takes balance, concentration, strength and agility and that’s just a few of things you need for Functional Fitness. Conditioning in this manner puts your mind to a different ideal and to train like this for a period of time takes up the whole body from your neck to your toes and that’s just the beginning.

 Another style of training to becoming a monster in the gym or if you’re a garage gorilla, is the concept that made many athletes back in the day including the Iron Master himself Arthur Saxon, was One-Arm Training. How would you like to have so much strength that while you can lift plenty of weight with one arm when the majority of people can’t do it with two would be awesome wouldn’t it? Another great strongman of the past who made One-Arm deadlifting an art form was Hermann Görner. This type of training teaches how to balance and coordinate your body into moving weight from an odd angle or position.

 You can learn all this and more from the man that has single handedly lifted more weight and conditioned his body Drug-Free than almost any other strongman to date and that’s my boy Bud. Monster Conditioning will change your way of thinking about lifting weights in a way you have never seen before and if you believe there are no secrets in weight lifting, guess again people. You’re in for the ride of your life and take your training to a level that makes most bodybuilders and pumpers look like chumps.

Vacation Training

I firmly believe that if you’re into fitness, there’s no such thing as a day off especially when you go on vacation. I was recently in California for a 3 ½ week trip, sleeping in 5 different houses for a week than going up to South Lake Tahoe for the other 2 weeks. Taking time off for your training is not always a good thing because if all you do is take time off than when you get back to it, it might make you a little rusty. No matter where you go, always find time to do some exercise whether it’s for 5 minutes or doing small exercises throughout the day, you always want to keep your body fresh and aware.

 Training while on Vacation can be a good thing because you’ll have some extra time to work on specific goals and possibly break new PR’s like I have when in I was in CA. There’s two types of training you can do while on vacation, you can do Hard training which you only need to do 2-3 times a week at best or you can do what I call Relaxed training, this doesn’t mean sitting on your ass and twit tiling your thumbs, no this type of training can be done whenever you want and do small things like working your wrist, push-ups on a park bench or even doing one-legged squats while you hold onto your chair or couch. Here’s an idea, do both, it gives you variety of what you can do each day and never making an excuse.

 Walking is a great exercise not only physically but mentally as it helps clear your mind and enjoy what you have. While you’re on vacation and going to a different place like a lake, being up in the mountains or going to a retreat, take a nice brisk walk and breathe new life into your system. I like to walk but going too long wears me out and I’d like to do things throughout the day so I brought along with me my PowR Walk Pro which you can find here. It’s a walking device that helps you burn calories, develop muscular and cardiovascular endurance and can do all sorts of exercises with it and it doesn’t take too long to feel the pulling of the cables.

 When I was in Lake Tahoe, I went to the gym one morning with my sister and her husband and although this wasn’t a gym I can ever relate to I still had the urge to do something out of the norm. While I was there I was doing presses with 85 lb. Dumbbells, haven’t attempted that in over 10 years, did some KB work and stretching but when I noticed the Power Rack and the Barbells laying around, I decided to just go for a new Deadlift PR and see how far I can go. I went all the way up to 405 lb. and got it up and a new PR for me. Now I’m not saying you should always go to a gym on your vacation but doing something out of your element with the free time you have will give you a new perspective on what consistent training will do for you.

 Swimming is one of my favorite exercises and got to do plenty of it out in CA. Its one of those forms of exercises that makes you feel like a million bucks and it’s impact friendly and develops Nerve Force meaning it gives your body that extra spark of life and endorphins that jut blast through the roof. Now I realize not everyone can swim but standing in water and moving your body will get you nearly the same effect as far as exercise is concerned.

 The last few years going to Tahoe, we usually stay in a cabin near the lake and right on the road where our cabin is, is a hill that Ilike to sprint on. Now I must warn you, Tahoe is at about 6500 ft elevation so it’s a bit tougher to breathe and it almost seems impossible to even do Sprints on a hill at that level. I mustered up the guts to do it and only doing a few sets but this few sets alone builds ultra high levels of natural Growth Hormone which helps keep you young, strong and vibrant. Now there are other options to doing some exercise at a high elevation and one of them is hiking. I’ve hiked a few times and talk about a lung developer and working the whole body, not just your legs.

 Being in shape for Vacation is one of the best things you can do for yourself because if you want to go somewhere where you’d like to do stuff it’s a good thing to give your body a run for it’s money. Not everyone is in great shape and I realize if you have children you want to keep up with them and have fun with them. Never fear as you can go to various places to find certain courses to be in the best shape even if you’re a total beginner and new to exercise, make it happen not just for you but for the people you want to keep up and spend time with.

 Give yourself the opportunity to learn what it’s like to be fit and do the things you’ve always wanted to do. It’s never too late and being on vacation helps give your body a chance to learn new things.

Train With Love, Not A Necessity

Feeling forced to workout is a sure sign you aren’t getting your mindset in the right place. Training by making it an adventure is a whole different experience and it’s never the same after every workout. Loving what you do instead of making it a necessity is a better understanding of what makes you get the results you truly desire.

 A lot of people who exercise feel obligated to train because they feel they have to instead of want to. They feel if they don’t something bad will happen and they’ll never get the results they want. In a way that’s true but the real truth is that, if you make it an experience that makes you happy and you bust your ass the way you want to do it than there should be no problem for you then.

 There is a difference between training for no apparent reason vs. just going through the motions, the difference between the two is that training without reason can be a good or bad thing by that I mean, training because you just feel like doing it is a better idea than training just for the hell of it and not really give a damn yet just going through the motions just makes you weak minded and not have all the right tools in place. Exercise is not about doing stuff and working different muscles it’s much more than that. It’s about freedom and learning to go beyond just the exercises, it’s learning to use all your potential attributes in your exercise physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

 Any one of us with half a brain can use a machine at the gym and although there are some pros to those things it doesn’t seem like the same as to actually go out and run your ass off or sprint like a cheetah catching its prey. Back when machines didn’t exist, you had to really work to get the results you wanted, if you wanted to run, you sprint, if you wanted to lift heavier, you lifted barbells and dumbbells, you wanted cardio, you either boxed or wrestled or played a specific sport and if you wanted beautiful looking muscles, you didn’t take pills or protein shakes you did Muscle Control and ate with a purpose. If you want the body you always dreamed of, don’t always look to modern high tech crap that can only do a fraction of real functional training can do. Look to basic exercises that are rich in history and that’s presses, pulls, squats and grip work which consist of barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, muscle control, push-ups, pull-ups and the squat either with or without weight.

 Some of us want to forget the past and move on towards the future but what if we took that from a different perspective? In exercise, the past was proven time and time again that basic elements gave you the most result producing methods that still stand to this day but lost in time. Some of the things today are good but if you added just a bit of old fashioned with its own modern day twist, you can make your workouts a very entertaining experience with real results and real functional muscle.

 Equipment has become a billion dollar industry and it’s usually the wrong equipment that is sold, not the ones that give you superior results. In reality, you don’t have to pay for a damn thing; training using just your body is really all you’ll ever need. If you truly want to get something that’s your choice but don’t buy a certain gadget that’ll cost you thousands of dollars and have it be in your closet the rest of your life. Certain equipment is good because there are methods that bodyweight, barbells and dumbbells can’t touch like the Indian clubs, the mace, Rocks, logs and sledgehammers all have qualities that will get you in shape much faster than a treadmill or a machine that only hits isolated muscles.

 Love what you do and make it fun, it takes one change in your mindset and your whole thinking will go into the stratosphere. Make it an adventure, never an obligation because if it’s not adventurous, it’s not worth doing.