Bodyweight Training can be very interesting when it comes to certain aspects of it. The pushing, pulling, squatting and all its variations can have an impact on how you apply things in everyday life. It's really one of the GOATs of Exercise you can do anytime and anywhere next to Isometrics.
A solid form of doing Bodyweight work is through Suspension Training or Suspension Calisthenics where you can hook or hang a strap and do many more exercises than if it was just you alone. It opens a gateway to another realm of fitness and conditioning. For Strength Training purposes, its important to note that like with weight training, Suspension work is most effective when you can control the movement and utilize tension or in other words Muscle Control to target certain muscles. Because it's bodyweight, you're the true engine and driver as opposed to moving a inanimate object like a Barbell or Dumbbell.
It's interesting that with a Suspension, you can switch from one exercise to the next by placing your feet in a certain position or lean back a bit more to make certain exercises harder or easier depending on what you're shooting for. For instance, targeting the biceps and forearms in this format would be to lean back enough to where you can have a good grip on the handles, turn the palms towards your face and Curl the arms until the full movement reaches eye level like so here.
Working the arms this way gives off different vibes of control and technique despite it being a low-skilled movement. Within your control, put the tension into the biceps as you move and feel as you pull into the handles. curl your wrists as well which can also target the forearms as well. Now remember, although you're specifically targeting a body part, you still need to stabilize yourself within your foot placement, keeping your core and back tight and bring the hips within alignment in order to make the movement as bad ass as possible.
Will this movement give you cannonball 24 inch pythons? Most likely not but you can build some solid natural strength and muscle doing this particular move. Because of movements like these along with rows and pull-ups, you can have some powerful arms that are not only functional but can keep your joints, tendons and ligaments strong as well. You don't even need to do a ton of reps to get results. As a matter of fact, don't focus so much on the number of reps themselves unless you have a specific goal in mind, focus on the tension you put into it and work the technique. Don't even go to failure, once you hit a certain point where you may have 2-3 reps left in you, hold the top of the movement in an isometric fashion for a few seconds to end a good set. 1-2 sets is more than enough. Train to stimulate, not annihilate.
Strength comes in many forms and when you can control your strength, you can control other aspects of your being. Have fun with these, check out Suspension Calisthenics and be amazingly awesome. May your journey bring you much success and keep killing it. Have a great Sunday.
The desire to be fit is more than just creating something within time, it has to spark a side of you that burns within the psyche. Training programs will always come and go, some don't need to have a ton of skill to get results but there's always that plan. Being your own architect so do speak. You make the designs, the structure, the foundation and the map of where things go. You lay out the dream on paper or in your mind, then you take action and start building.
Sometimes, a program takes on a life of its own, it consumes you because of your time and investment in the project you want to see come to fruition. It's one of the things I like about Suspension Calisthenics; its not very difficult to understand what exercises work, but in order to make them work, you need to lay the ground work. You can possess the knowledge, but its the application that pieces together brick by brick.
Doing things like Push-ups, Squats, Pull-Ups, Dips and even Curls for that matter may not seem all that simple when in reality they're the keys that unlock the doors to what can be accomplished. From a Suspension Trainer like the WorldFit Iso or even a typical Suspension Setup , you have the most basic tools that can be put into a bag. Multiple Variations that are like the rooms in your floor plan, each room may have similarity but it has its own character it's own personality in the designs you made. Even something like the Pull-Up can be constructed by doing a move where you start with a certain progression that has on your feet and the only muscles you're working is your grip, the back, arms and shoulders. Learning to create tension and master before going to a harder progression.
Too many people in the fitness industry make things complicated and that's really by design because simplicity doesn't sound flashy or extreme. Those who want you to be flashy and extreme are the ones who don't give a damn about you, they only care about convincing you that what they're selling is the only thing that works when in reality, it's cheap knock offs that don't deserve anything more than a fuck you to the person who thinks they're better than anybody else. Simplicity, utilizing tension, train the muscles to stimulate, not annihilate and be in control.
Doing hundreds of reps have their perks, shit you've read enough about my Dopa Band workouts or my 500 Squat Sessions or 1000 Step Ups. It's not that they don't work, they absolutely do, but they're only a part of the puzzle. Doing very high rep workouts have their place yet some only care about that and that alone which is why they don't build muscle very much yet they think they look like Bruce Lee or something. Bruce was as shredded as they come and despite his small size, the amount of muscle he had was incredible compared to those who believe in their own hype and look like they could barely carry grocery bags. If I had to pick an athlete that remotely had a build like Lee, it was guys like Maxick.
Back to the task at hand, using greater tension to stimulate the muscles has perks most don't realize. When you can program the idea of Muscle Control into movements in a Suspension Style Workout, you're putting in work that has a much better capacity to put on muscle. You may not look like a Bruce Lee or a Mr. Universe but you can pack on natural muscle that not only brings out a great physique but also puts real strength on the tendons and ligaments. Combine that with Isometric Training and you got yourself some insane Strength & Muscular Development. That's one of the main ingredients to getting bad ass results.
There will be people who will try to convince you otherwise because it doesn't suit their narrative or vision for what they want to sell you. They'll try to sell you some stuff that seems promising and talks a good game, but in the very depths, it's nothing more than desperate attempts to make you believe everyone else is full of shit and they're the ones that can't do anything wrong. It's manipulative tactics that show that they're in it to take your money and don't care whether you get hurt or not. It's stupid and makes them look weak to such a degree that regardless of their claims, an 11 year old can beat them in Arm Wrestling.
With something like Suspension Calisthenics, there's no manipulation, there's no dark secrets hiding behind the exercises or making ridiculous claims. It's in your face and direct to the point but using words of encouragement and making you the star of your own program. Sure it has routines and all that to give you something to look into, but it doesn't have that "I'm better than you" bullshit antic and Matt Schifferele doesn't treat you like you're a loser if you don't follow his style, he wants you to succeed, he wants you to become a greater version of yourself and shows with enthusiasm and preaches about using simple tools to build strength you couldn't have dreamed of that lasts a lifetime with consistency.
Bodyweight Training is a powerful asset in your fitness arsenal and when you can use things that could fit in your pocket, you have a whole new world of knowledge at your disposal. I never want you to feel and neither does Matt, that's why we want to give you the resources you deserve and want to create something for yourself. Be amazingly awesome and get cracking. I leave you with these words from one of the best Journey songs:
If you’ve spent any time digging through the pages of Power and Might or other old-school training archives, you know the greats didn’t mess around with fluff. They wanted exercises that built real-world strength, endurance, and joint integrity in one shot. Enter the Hindu Pushup — also called the Dand — the backbone of Indian pehlwani wrestling for over a thousand years. This isn’t just another pushup variation. It’s a full-body conditioner that turned generations of Kushti wrestlers into broad-backed, barrel-chested powerhouses long before the barbell was popular.
A Quick History Lesson
The Dand traces back to ancient India, where it was part of the daily vyayam, or physical training, of pehlwani wrestlers. The most famous practitioner? The Great Gama, undefeated wrestling champion who reportedly performed 2,000-3,000 Dands and 3000-5000 Hindu Squats daily. By the later part of the 20th Century, Physical Culturists like Karl Gotch and Matt Furey brought the Dand stateside, preaching it as the antidote to stiff, barbell-bound physiques. The old-time strongmen understood: you don’t need fancy equipment to build a body that can perform.
The Influence on Modern Training
You’ll see the Hindu Pushup’s DNA all over modern fitness if you look close. Yoga’s Sun Salutation? The downward-dog to upward-dog transition mirrors the Dand’s flow. Even some military calisthenics drills borrowed from it in certain variations. Why? Because it works. Unlike a bench press that locks you into one plane, the Dand forces your shoulders, spine, hips, and ankles to move through a loaded, dynamic arc. Old-school coaches called it “active flexibility under tension” — strength that doesn’t make you stiff.
How to Perform the Dand
Start with the hands and feet on the floor, hips high, head between your arms like a downward dog.
From here:
Swoop: Bend your arms and dive your head forward, skimming your chest just above the floor.
Scoop: As your hips drop, press your chest up and arch your back, ending in an upward-dog position.
Return: Reverse the motion by pushing your hips back up to the start.
Here's a visual demo....
That’s one rep. The movement should be smooth, almost wave-like. No pausing, no jerking. Breathe in as you go down and into the arch, breathe out as you push back.
Here's a demo of doing the exercise with added resistance using the Dopamineo Band.
Benefits That Build a Battle-Ready Body
Shoulder Health & Mobility: The sweeping arc takes your shoulders through full flexion to extension under load. This is prehab and strength in one. Old-time lifters swore it kept their rotator cuffs bulletproof.
Spinal Durability: You get thoracic extension, lumbar control, and hip hinging every rep. It’s decompression and strength for your spine — something crunches and planks can’t touch.
Work Capacity: High-Rep Dands build serious muscular endurance. Lungs, triceps, chest, lats, and quads all fire together. Gama’s 3,000-rep sessions weren’t for show; they built gas tanks that didn’t quit.
Posterior Chain Wake-Up: Unlike flat pushups, the Dand loads your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back as you drive the hips up. It ties the front and back of your body together.
Let’s be clear: this is a traditional wrestling exercise taught to youth worldwide for a very long time. Anyone who twists that into something inappropriate is telling on themselves. Matt Furey even illustrated it in cartoon form for Combat Conditioning so kids could build healthy habits. Don’t let bullshit "gurus" steal proven training from the next generation.
Why It Still Matters for Health & Strength
Most modern trainees are desk-bound, chest-tight, and hip-locked. We bench, we curl, we sit. The Hindu Pushup is the reset button. It opens the chest, pumps blood through the shoulders, and restores that athletic “flow” the old-timers had. You can do it anywhere — no gym, no worries. Add 50-100 Dands at the start of your day or do them in sets, as many as you can in a row, in a HIIT type format or on your off days from weight training. Either way, these are awesome for keeping things intact and staying in shape for the long haul.
The iron game has come full circle. Fads come and go, but the Dand remains. It built champions 100 years ago, and it’ll still be building them 100 years from now. Put away the gimmicks. Get on the floor. Do the work. Be amazingly awesome and wish you success in your endeavors.
Reflecting on this past week has been a great one. We were going to go up camping a second time around but nature told us otherwise (Fires, Thunder Storms) and better be safe than sorry. Made the time though with just being together, enjoying the sun, sitting in the pool and listening to some great tunes. Wife got some vacation time so we made it as fun as we can make it. Went floating up near the mountains with friends and family, went Huckleberry picking this past Saturday and went down to the lake. Just got to soak up that last bit of summer man.
Throughout the little festivities, I was training on not just Isometrics but also getting into Suspension Training. Got myself a new door anchor (The EverStretch) that could hold up pretty good, attached the Iso Belt and was testing out various exercises doing rows, curls, pushups, slow assisted pullups, one legged squats, knee pull ins and others. It's been a while since I've done Suspension type training, the most recent was testing out pullups with the belt at a park and before that was maybe a couple years. I figured getting into it being inspired by Red Delta Project's Suspension Calisthenics book which is pretty damn awesome BTW. Figured I'd snatch up the rest of the series which you can find on the right side bar on the blog.
Although I don't have a ton of experience in Suspension Training, it is enjoyable and right now, my main focus is working on technique and balance. Don't need to rep out a ton yet and even then just get into the habit of controlling the body and utilizing tension while doing technique reps. If there was ever any consistent suspension workouts in my time was doing the rings in gymnastics in my mid 20's. Didn't do the Iron Cross or anything, just keeping form and tension while doing pull-ups and worked on improving little by little. With the Iso Belt and door anchor, the basics are where it's at and taking the belt to a park and wrap it around the monkey bars to work on other exercises. When it comes to Isometrics, I want to test my strength in the Hybrid Pull-Up and see what I can do with that. The Hybrid Pull-Up is taking a strap and tightening the cross between the two poles on the pull-up bar and then you pull-up or chin-up until you reach that stopping point on the strap hitting both that Overcoming & Yielding Iso combo.
Training is an adventure and should be something you're excited about. Even taking the most basic exercises and turning them into something fun and interesting is where the ultimate goal should end up. That's what I love about Red Delta Project; it's runner Matt Schifferle, has this amazing attitude and enthusiasm for training that's awe inspiring. No question he's one of the best trainers around today and part of the new generation of Physical Culturists but his positivity is where many are drawn to. He doesn't shame anybody and doesn't go for that "my way or the highway" type of attitude, he's relatable, fun to listen to and utilizes his knowledge in a sense where whether you're a complete beginner or a veteran athlete he gives you a rundown that makes you want to do something no matter how small. His ideas may not be completely brand new but he takes old school exercises and tackles the classic formats of muscle control and balance to develop workouts that although low in skill, create the best versions of muscle building and conditioning training.
Check him out and his YouTube channel. Be safe, be strong and be amazingly awesome.
Circuit Training is a great method for developing a level of conditioning or overall fitness that reaps a lot of benefits. Off and on for years, Darebees workouts have been awesome in testing my endurance and mental strength to push through workouts that may seem simple on paper but once you do it, it becomes a big wake up call. I've written about some of the Superhero Themed Workouts they've put out and have substituted some exercises that suit me and the way I want to get through those workouts.
I'm not a fan of air squats so most of the circuit workouts I do, I substitute them for Hindu Squats or Step Ups. I wrote in a previous post about what was better; 500 Hindu Squats or 500 Step Ups? The truth is, I don't necessarily put those exercises on a pedestal like others have but also doing one particular exercise for hundreds of reps at once does seem boring to me but for some reason, I enjoy them doing a certain amount of reps in sets such as in a circuit. My fastest 500 Hindu Squats was around 12 minutes, fastest 500 Step Ups was around 22 minutes and the funny thing is, I got more out of doing hundreds in a circuit more than doing them all at once. Variety is more my style.
Darebee has more than 1800 workouts to choose from. Some are easy to do, some are very difficult and others are just plain insane but they provide awesome assessments and help you reach a certain level of fitness. Some workouts go for 3 rounds, some 5 and many have you reach for a goal of 7 rounds. My goal in circuit workouts is to reach 10 rounds as fast as possible with little to no rest. That's the real test of one's conditioning and mental fortitude. Some workouts I finished within 15 minutes, others have taken as long as 45 min but when it comes to circuits, I want to test myself to see how far I can go and hit that finish mark with gas left in the tank.
Yesterday, I made a Darebee Circuit that consisted of mainly leg work, Pushups and Punching. I don't believe it's right up there with elite pro athletes but it was pretty good and it kicked my ass since I'm feeling it today and it's built on testing your cardio and maintaining a pace where the the only rest period is marking off the set and immediately get back on it. Here's the workout....
20 Step Ups (10 each leg)
10 Lunges (5 per leg or alternating)
20 Punches (Alternating for 10 each arm)
10 Pushups
10 Turning Kicks
Finished 10 rounds in 20:58 which comes out to a total of 200 Step Ups, 100 Lunges, 200 Punches, 100 Pushups and 100 Turning Kicks (700 Reps all together)
Sweat like Niagara Falls and listening to some tunes, couldn't get much better than that. These workouts can give you plenty of ideas to come up with your own and not just follow the routine made for you. Doing a workout made for you is awesome but there's a greater opportunity to create your own style and do workouts you choose that challenge you but also making it work for you as well.
Is it good to train circuits everyday? Maybe not the high level ones which for the most part doesn't need to be more than 2x a week but if you want to do circuits with less intensity and are relatively easy on certain days, moderate on others and push yourself a couple times, that can make a hell of a program. Some of my favorite workouts are the Combat ones where it's like training MMA but also get into the workouts that are more strength and conditioning based like Push-ups, Squats, Step Ups, Sit-Up Punches and others. Sometimes I'll come up with a combo of the two.
I like doing superset workouts where I can go back and forth without thinking twice about it but circuits every now and then are a real doozer and put you into another state of mind when it comes to conditioning. You get more variety to work different muscles groups. My circuits are always bodyweight based and I can do these workouts anywhere I want. They're free and go beyond just a workout; there's programs, daily goals, diet plans, specific entities of workouts such as Combat, Amazon, Soldier, Playground, Anime Themed or Sports. These will get you in shape and provide you with resources many pay thousands of dollars for.
The numbers game in fitness and Physical Culture for that matter has been a standard for more than a century sense the time of the Mail-Order Courses. Setting a goal to hit a certain number in an exercise or set of exercises has worked for many but others got stopped in their tracks for whatever reason as well. When you hit a certain number, what's next after that? Going for more sets, more reps, greater tempo, what's the endgame here?
One of the gold standards for numbers in exercises (Push-ups, Squats, Powerlifting) has been the number 500. Who in their right mind came up with that specific number? Why is it a gold standard in powerlifting to have a 500 lb Bench or Deadlift or Squat? What about 500 Push-ups or 500 Hindu Squats? Why does that number have significance? It isn't a knock to it or anything, more of a curiosity in something so arbitrary that was made up by someone or a group of people to sell the idea that it is the real number to tell someone how strong or fit they are.
The number 500 is a good number and many people have done far more than that in many exercises especially in Powerlifting. After all, isn't it just a number? Does it have any real historic significance especially since that number has been surpassed more times than I care to count. One of the first guys to Bench 500 was I believe the legendary Bodybuilder Reg Park whom by all accounts was one of the last generation of Bodybuilders to train as naturally as possible before Steroids became the staple of Bodybuilding. When Hindu Squats became popular around '99-2000, 500 Hindu Squats was the gold standard to test a person's conditioning. Matt Furey popularized it but the standard itself was "patented" by Karl Gotch that set the tone for a wrestler's test of stamina and physical/mental conditioning which gave the idea of doing 250 Hindu Push-ups, 500 Hindu Squats and a 3 min Bridge to even get in the door as a wrestler.
Don't get me wrong, I've done 500 Hindu Squats many times from doing a countdown based method, to the 80/20 Protocol (80 Squats, 20 Jumpers) for 5 sets without a break and doing it using a Deck Of Cards that I picked up from an article I read where Catch Wrestler Billy Robinson mentioned the idea of using cards to help with reps. Unless you're a fan of the exercise or want to stay in relative condition for daily life or in sports, it isn't that magnificent of an exercise. It has it's perks and I'll do reps from time to time but after doing 500 so many times, it became boring and it didn't have that spark of excitement to do that many anymore. A few hundred sure, but I don't need some standard to tell me how fit I 'am. If you don't feel a spark or excitement when you exercise, you're just going through the motions and it becomes typical and tedious.
Now on the idea of 500 Step Ups? When it comes down to it, the exercise itself is just like any other that has its perks and drawbacks but for some reason I'm far more drawn to it than the Hindu Squats. Do I think it's better than the squats? Both yes and no. The yes part because I've gotten more out of it than I ever did with the squats and it gives me an opportunity to work one leg at a time which the squats don't. The no part is because in reality, it's just an exercise that I happen to like better, it's not mystical or magical, it's just different. Personally, I'd rather do 500 total reps with Step Ups because it just feels right and gives me a better sense of cardio. I've done 1000 on several occasions (fastest time being 50 minutes) and after hitting that number, it just got boring so whenever I do circuits, I add in those in substitute for squats and would total in most workouts around the 200-300 mark and I'm good. I would also just go for time (10, 20, 30, an hour whatever) and work on sets of 10-20 per leg.
In reality, 500 of anything is really just a number and it's a great one to set a goal for. If you're into numbers like that, that's awesome and if it makes you happy and keeps you strong and fit, keep doing it. What suits you better, 500 Squats or 500 Step-Ups? The real question is, which one better suits your goals and needs? They both work very well and either one will get in you amazing shape so it's not like one or the other are terrible for you, one just suits better than the other according to a person's fitness and possible interests. With the Squats, you can virtually do them anywhere you want cause all you need is the ground. With Step Ups, since it's in the name (no shit sherlock), you'll need something to step up on like a stool, a log, stairs, rock or whatever but you can find those in most places so it's not like you can't find a place to do them. There's also no reason you can't do both, I've done a workout or two using both myself.
Use what works for you and harness the enthusiasm and love for them. Sometimes you may hate them because they're tough to do but yet very simple exercises but in the end, love your exercises even if they're hard because the real benefits is what you get out of them both physically and mentally. Train awesomely everyone and have fun. Training is meant to be an adventure, not a chore or something that will make you feel bored.
Many playouts can be challenging and having variety brings a great element of using your brain and your nerves to take in strength & endurance you didn't realize you had. To me such a playout is using a simple deck of cards that can be done in a variety of ways; you can go fast, go slow, do holds, modify and utilize different variations to your advantage and fitness levels.
A awesome playout with the deck of cards is just doing Hindu Squats & Hindu Push-ups. Just these two alone can get you in awesome shape and give you a level of conditioning second to none. The idea of this one is to beat the deck and go a little faster beating it each time but unless you're a pro athlete (Pro Wrestler or someone in Combat Sports specifically) you can only go so fast until you start to lose form and stop focusing on the breathing, the technique and paying attention to the body inside and out. At one point in time for a while I was doing 400 Hindu Squats & 250 Hindu Push-ups at a time with the deck and that wasn't always the best thing for me and ended up hurting myself due to over excitement and adrenaline not paying attention to my body. It's a learning experience and doing that high of reps is a great accomplishment but there's more to it than just hitting those numbers.
You can put any exercise you want with your own deck but don't just do repetitions and thinking that's the best way to get stronger; there is a line you don't want to cross and it'll either make you or break you if you don't pay attention. The deck I like best is the one made for students of Matt Furey and the exercises are Hindu Squats, Hindu Push-ups, V-Ups & Tablemakers. These 4 are the foundation for Combat Conditioning and can be done in great ways that don't always require speed. There have been playouts with this deck where I didn't go for reps but counted breaths or seconds with each card and that becomes a whole other ball game. Doing them in Isometric Fashion develops strength from another universal element and creating power you didn't think existed. It gives that extra spring in your step and puts you in a state of mind that is blissful, peaceful yet excitingly challenging.
You don't need the Matt Furey Exercise Bible to do these 4 exercises, you can put them on any deck you choose but how you apply them for the best intentions is up to you. I mean just the other day I did a total of 300 Hindu Squats and 100 Hindu Push-ups, V-Ups & Tablemakers each and felt like a million bucks. It never gets easier but it does get more interesting once you're consistent with it. You can make it the most challenging Playout of your life or make it to where its not that difficult but yet still feel great. Make it play for YOU!!!
If you can't get your hands on that specific deck, here is a place where you can pick your own deck and have at it.....My personal favorite deck is here.
Out of the many classic superheroes, Spiderman seems to be
the most athletic in the sense where he doesn’t have the weightlifter physique
or the bodybuilder look but he moves like an athlete should. He has the most
control in his body to weight ratio and moves with unbelievable grace and power
at the same time.
In
Bodyweight Training, you learn to control your body through movements that
require no equipment (unless you do pull-ups). For the most part when people
begin lifting weights they don’t realize that mastering your own bodyweight ought
to be more important before even touching a weight. I’ve seen guys in the gym who
can lift more than double their bodyweight but can’t hold their own in a single
push-up or pull-up. Handling your own bodyweight goes a long way in learning
how to contract and extend the muscles with fluidity and great power. Some use
Yoga to do Bodyweight Training, others learn how to master their body through
Handbalancing or Gymnastics.
Mastering
your body in various directions can give you strength that weights can’t touch.
Think of it like this, a man can bench press 400 lbs. but most likely can’t do
400 push-ups; the two exercises are different but one uses more muscles than
the other. I’m not saying if you could do 400 push-ups you’ll automatically
lift that same number but yet you have mastered an exercise that requires deep
concentration, working more than the upper body and there are many variations
you can do. To master your bodyweight, you work from as many angles as possible
using as many muscles in a single exercise. Karl Gotch once said “you don’t
need to do much, for doing a lot.” You can have ultimate mastery when you can
control your body in very difficult movements or holds like a free standing handstand,
one-legged squat, finger pull-ups, front levers with one arm, the iron cross on
the gymnastic rings, the various planch positions these are all examples of
what great mastery can achieve.
When
most learn bodyweight training, they usually go through the motions and just
learn an exercise. Now here’s a small tip to create bigger results; learn to
use your imagination. Creating a vision in your mind and applying it to your
exercises can generate even greater strength because a different thought
creates a different result. When you do squats, instead of just counting reps
and thinking of just squats, picture in your mind something cool that makes you
do squats like if you have to duck from a hazardous object like Indiana Jones
did in the Last Crusade or doing Hindu Squats and imagining you have to row a
boat where you squat down and rowing the oars, think of the result coming out
of that and how much fun it can be and not dreading just the exercise. Thinking
differently with feeling can give you far greater results than just going
through the motions. Picture yourself
being superhuman and training to save your city from evil.
Spiderman
is one of those superheroes most can relate to, sure he has super powers we don’t
have but like anyone else, he can be hurt or worse get killed. He doesn’t have
that overpowering physique most heroes have; full of muscle and all that, he
just seems like a regular guy when he’s not being a superhero. Don’t forget,
some of the ordinary looking people can have extraordinary gifts. Don’t judge a
book by its cover.
Be awesome everyone, have a badass weekend and have fun.
First day of summer is tomorrow, the longest day of the year, make it a blast.
I've always advocated since I was 20 years old to not
believe everything that is said in the muscle magazines especially with a
celebrity on the cover. I've never done pro wrestling or even trained to become
one but I have put in a lot of study, trained in the old-time strongman game
and looked into a lot of athletes and the way they trained so that’s why it’s a
theory. Don’t believe all the training you read about a wrestler in a magazine
because you may not realize that it’s not all there.
For the
most part when you read about a wrestler’s routine in the magazines or on the
net or whatever, you've got to look at another angle from what you're reading
or listening to. For the most part I’m not doubting those guys bust their ass
day in and out but they're not telling you the whole story. When you read a
routine you automatically think that’s exactly what they do, not all true.
Think about it, for a full-time wrestler, they travel up to 300 days out of the
year at best, they get if they’re lucky a good hour or so of training at the
gym or so and eat, than get to the arena for the night’s show to cut promos,
tapings and do a 10-30 min. match. There’s no way in hell they can train that
hard nearly every day or up to 4 times a week and not be completely exhausted.
Most of those guys train pretty simple while on the road and I’ll talk about
that in just a bit.
Back in the
old days when the bodybuilding craze was just for those who were actually into
it, athletes who traveled a lot like wrestlers did, gyms weren't that popular,
you'd be lucky to find one in a few cities in the entire state. Most of those
guys relied on what they can find useful but for the most part did bodyweight
training and wrestled. Let me give you an example: Lou Thesz, one of the
all-time greats who can go an hour with just about anyone who can keep up with
him, he probably lifted a few weights here and there but mostly Push-ups,
Bridging and Wrestling were his mainstays on the road. Ric Flair; 16-time world
champ and the king of hour long broadways, carried a deck of cards with him and
at the studios where promos and most of the matches occurred, he would put
himself through Push-ups, Sit-ups & Squats, if he happened to find a gym on
the road he used it to the best he could. Karl Gotch did practically nothing
but Bodyweight exercises on the road and it kept him in phenomenal shape.
Superstar
Billy Graham was practically the first wrestler who took the bodybuilding look and
made it the focal point of today’s wrestlers such as John Cena, Batista, Triple
H, Scott Steiner and others. When you train like that plus are on the road for
practically a full year with only 7-10 days being at home, it puts a whole new
level of perspective and how really all that contributes to the way they eat,
rested and what have you. Simplistic Training for a Pro Wrestler is doing
enough exercise for both strength and endurance that are at a very different
level than most athletes and using compound and full body exercises.
Today, gyms
are practically in every damn city in the entire country and provide training
for every type of sport or athletic endeavor there is. Most wrestlers today can
go to a gym for a little while before heading to a show and be ready for the
night’s matches and promo cuts. I'm not putting these guys down because they’re
awesome of what they're capable of and plenty of them are in pretty damn good
shape but they don’t share their true training ideals because a lot of the
public really only looks at the hardcore stuff they do in the gym and think
that they have a lot of time in there to stay fit and read about the routines
in the magazines or what they might say on WWE’s Websites but the reality is, they
do train their ass off but not as extreme as some might put on paper or an
online interview.
Take away
the drugs, pills, injuries or whatever those guys endure and take and you have
an athlete that trains by a necessity and has to be efficient in their training
to stick to be able to matches that can go as long as an hour and many of them
can’t unless you're a Antonio Ceasaro or a Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Ric Flair,
Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and guys of that caliber. They really do in my
opinion do pretty simple exercises but I'm not doubting they do the isolated
crap either yet in the end, they can't afford to spend 3 hours at the gym and
muster up enough muscle and all that to go into a match or cut many promos in a
single and not feel like collapsing. They train when they need to, to be in top
shape and keep their build as long as possible.
So the next
time you want to be inspired by a pro wrestler and want to train and be like
them, be a little more realistic, use common sense and think about what could
be going on with them if they actually 100% trained like they write about in
those magazines because you'd be surprised what they go through if it was
remotely true. Although I stopped watching Wrestling on TV, I still have DVDs
that have wrestlers talk about the real side of how they trained, got into the
business and what they put themselves through on the road for that long period
of time. I admire some of these guys but I love realistic, no bullshit and fun
old school training for any sport or just being in awesome shape as well.
Its fun when you combine things together and make them
unique but not many people think they’re that creative and just follow others’
movements and just don’t learn how to use their brain. Not saying training isn't
a bad thing, whatever works is cool but when you bring certain things together
because it’s what you’d want to do, it’s a whole different ball game.
When you
create certain workouts, sometimes you need a place to do them. A park with
benches, swings, bars and walkways make up for a very unique training
experience. Another example would be your backyard or garage if you have room,
building and setting up your own style of training. Say you want Kettlebells in
one corner, Maces/Clubs in another area & a pull-up bar or rack in the back
and you've got it made, maybe you’d like to have some Odd Objects laying around
and picking them up at random moments in the workout who knows. For you
Bodyweight Practitioners, you can do things just about anywhere and have just
as much fun without ever spending a freaking dime. Here’s an example if you’re
up to the task….
Do a kettlebell snatch for a minute or two
5-10 reps of Bridging Gymnastics
Lunge to the furthest odd object you have and lift it
Do a couple rounds and finish off with some stretching
Now that workout might seem a bit advanced but it’s very
random and it’s unique. Pick exercises and combine them into what works for you
or try something different and see how it turns out while understanding how
your body reacts.
The best
thing you can do for yourself is go outside the norm. Make things work for you
that others can’t fathom of doing, not to prove anything towards them but to
prove to yourself that you can step outside the box and have fun with what you
have. Be resourceful, learn to see things differently. If anyone knows how to
make oddball exercises work its Steve Justa, he just finds things and works
with them in unique ways like lifting up a tire off a 2000 pound truck or
holding an isometric for an hour straight hell he’ll even circle around a 500
pound stone or barrel just for kicks. The more you learn to do things outside
the box, you begin to understand the limitless potential to become super strong
and crazy fit.
One
of the things I learned in my years of Physical Culture is to “learn to be your
number one self instead of being a second rate somebody.” You are one person,
one mind, one body and everybody else is taken. It’s great to have idols and
learn how they do things but in the end it’s up to you to become just yourself
and not try to be someone else otherwise you’re missing out who you truly are
as an individual and as a human being. Own it and be quirky because most other
things are just sound tedious and boring.
It doesn't matter if you’re locked in a cell or have the freedom to run around outside,
you can find a way to adapt to training any way you want. A lot of people look
at exercise as a closed minded ordeal that you have to be in a gym in order to
get results. There are guys in prisons that have very limited space and yet
some of them do some basic training methods like push-ups, squats and
Isometrics yet are pretty damn fit. What about those who have an outdoor lifestyle,
they don’t use smith machines or leg extensions, they use trees, the water, the
playgrounds and benches. Imagination is a key to developing the type of fitness
you want.
Anybody can
move some kind of weight but if they can’t move their bodies well and handle
awkward positions it’s going to bite them in the ass one day. To move with
power and grace is essential, you don’t have to move like your instructor
exactly to the T but you want to be able to move your body naturally according
to the realms of your structure, moving like a wild animal is a great example
of this . Move the way you can handle and if you need to progress in certain
stages than do so but the more your body moves in a natural state, the stronger
and healthier you get.
A key component
in developing your fitness is to find ways to gain that positional strength to
help with your Range
Of Motion and nothing
does that better than Isometrics. When you’re in a locked position, your muscle
fibers fire off harder than anything else and because you’re pushing/pulling
against an immovable object, your body’s nervous system shifts into overdrive
and it causes the fibers to shoot at a higher rate, thus building strength in
various positions and building muscle from odd angles that you can’t get
anywhere else.
No matter
where you are, you have the world as your playground, in your imagination, you
can create anything you want. Believing what you can do can accelerate your
progress by 10 fold. If you live on a beach, your imagination can run wild,
if you happen to be in prison, it’s a bit tougher but you can still be fit and
strong so use what you have but make it count no excuses. Your imagination can
work wonders and help you unlock the powers of your potential. There’s no
excuse for finding some form of training but the more natural the exercise, the
better off you’ll be.
Many people get discouraged about the use of daily exercise
because in their mind reading from the dumb-ass magazines, it has to be hardcore
and the go big or go home attitude but most can’t deal with that and they just
leave it alone. They don’t see the point but what if we shifted that mindset,
instead of telling them and showing them the hardcore style; let’s show them
how to progress on their own.
Others
might say they don’t have the time to exercise. Unless you’re working 24 hours
a day, I think you can put in a little time to train. Doing a set of push-ups
really quick doesn't take that long. You’re sitting at your desk, typing away
when every few minutes or so, do a few simple exercises that take about what a
few seconds on your counter-top How about when you get home, you’re tired and
worked a hard day, do some deep breathing exercises to help keep your energy
up. There are many ways to make time yet you keep that negative mindset of not
making the time. Do it.
Daily
exercise is beneficial because it helps release stress and builds up hormones
in the day with the right amount of exercise but its tough to find your
starting point. If you’re new to daily exercise it’s important to ease into it
and build yourself up. Starting with a minute of exercise is very simple to do,
if one minute is too much, start with 30 seconds. I want to encourage you to do
what you can and make it a habit to have fun with it. The benefits of training
helps your body function better, you’ll be happier because of the amount of endorphin's released, your attitude will change for the better and you’ll glow
even more.
The key to
successful daily training is to have fun. Go to the park, play in the snow,
throw the football around, be a wild animal. There are many ways to have fun.
Jack Lalanne first emphasized this when he did his show way back in the 50’s
and it’s still being used today.
One of the
things I've modified lately into my training is what’s called Animal Flow, it’s
combining different elements into one program like Animal Exercise, Yoga and
others but in a sufficient and safe manner and can be done anywhere. Another
style of training I highly recommend is the use of Isometrics. There are many
versions of this method but I can only think of a couple guys who have
practiced just about every style possible on Isometrics and that’s Bud Jeffries
and Steve Justa. If you’re really into wanting to build strength from every
possible angle, Isometrics can help get you there and they’re crazy fun to do.
With your
daily training it’s important not to worry how well or bad you are, the
important thing is to adapt, keep your body moving and do what you can. One of
the most important figures in Wrestling was Karl Gotch who once said “You must
adapt and improvise.” What this means is that you don’t have to do the same old
routine all the time, to get the results you want, get fixated on what works
for you and disregard what doesn't and adapt to how your body works into
it. There is no right or wrong on how
you exercise, learn basic principles and learn how your body fits that
exercise. We all have different body types and we all have to adapt to what our
bodies can handle so don’t try to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jack
Lalanne or whatever, be yourself and learn to take things one day at a time.
You have only one life, use it to your best advantage and be happy.
I knew a guy that hated going to Baskin Robbins for ice cream. If you're not familiar with the place the idea was they had 31 different flavors. This guy hated it because he didn't know what to choose. He'd rather go to a smaller ice cream place that only had ten flavors.
Well with these workshop videos you might be feeling the same. There is something for everyone, but there just may be too many choices.
This includes from the massive and massively strong Dru Patrick:
8 Day a Week Program for Massive Strength and Muscle
Bench Press Secrets from the Raw World Bench Press Champion
Pulling a Monster Deadlift
For you bodyweight guys Logan Christopher taught his most complete info ever on:
Front and Back Lever Training
The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups
The amazing Bud Jeffries covered what he does best…stuff no one else is talking about
Extreme Power with Isometrics Volume 2
Myofascial Mobility: The Next Evolution of Mobility Training to Unlock Your Body
The Mind Force Training Behind Big Bending (which largely futures his son Noah Jeffries)
And then Eric Guttmann showing you how to stay young and healthy by going outside the box
Agility and Explosiveness Workout
Moving Freely for Life: Full Body Mobility
There is something for everybody and that’s the great thing.
With workshops in the past they’ve only released the whole set. Either buy it or not. Those where your only choices.
Now Logan has told me they’re trying something different.
You can pick up any one course (complete by itself) you want. You can get two, three or five if you want too.
You can also get the whole shebang for a substantial discount.
Not only that but for those of you who like DVD’s they’re available. For those that want to pay less and be able to download the videos to your computer there’s that option too.
There’s a lot more details over here so check out this page.
Some people teaching it are great. Other not so much.
Logan Christopher fits into that first category. In this new video from him you’ll get to see him do advanced back lever exercises and more.
But more importantly he teaches you have to use different variations of the lever (including one dynamic movement that can be done by people of all levels).
Plus there’s a handstand pushup variation that I’ve never seen anyone do before!
You know those miracles that happen often in this world?
Some people come back after major injuries, horrific experiences and yet they
still find a way to fight to keep living. One of my dear friends has done just
that and beyond. In our group of friends he’s known as Duke but as of late he’s
gone by another nickname that has become a hit in the undergrounds of Physical
Culture known as the Garage Warrior, his name is Tyler Bramlett.
After
getting injured by getting hit by a car, Tyler
wanted to find out how to get back into shape in ways he never thought of
before. I've known Tyler
going on for well over a decade and when he sets his mind to something he’s
going to find the best strategy to make it work. He’s done the bodybuilding
thing at a time, lifting weights like the great builders of yesteryear and
buying the crazy supplements and doing workouts from the magazines, but
something wasn't working.
During his
recovery phase being in pain that was excruciating at times, he tried a few
different things like Kettlebells, Bodyweight, Gymnastics, Odd Object Lifting
and some of the oddest training methods you can think of, believe it or not
they worked. He began combining different elements of training instead of just
picking random exercises, plus testing out nutrition strategies. He gained some
muscle and came back stronger than ever. The lethal combinations of workouts he
devised became practically fool proof strategies that transformed him into a
near superhuman warrior.
We all have
the warrior spirit within us, it’s our nature but very few of us know how to
unlock it from within and release it for strength, health, power and wellness.
It doesn't matter if you’re a male or female the principles still apply while
learning our own styles of how to bring that spirit to life. He has created one
of the most unusual ways to train to help fight with that warrior spirit and no
name is more perfect than the Warrior Warmup. It combines different elements of
exercise that gives your muscles a run for their money whether it’s for
strength, endurance, flexibility or just to get in shape either way you’re
going to get them all in one complete package.
You know
they say you warm up before doing a really big workout, well it won’t be long
before you start noticing a few things from the Warrior Warmup, hitting muscles
you didn't know you had, progressing a little easier in some of your other
workouts and your body will change for the better because you’re giving the
muscles the fuel they need for the hard stuff later on. Another great thing
about this is you don’t need to use it as a warmup, you can use it for a
workout in and of itself. You can choose however you want to do it but with the
advice and legit expertise of the Duke here, you’re in for the ride of your
life and your body will love you for it. You will never look at a warmup the same
way again.
Last thing
before I make this Father to be blush is that he’s not one of those guys that
just takes programs and tries to rip them off as his own, he gives credit where
it’s due and he’s one of the coolest dudes on the planet and I have enjoyed
being friends with him. I’ve trained alongside him many times from doing hand
balancing to gymnastics, from lifting heavy weight to using some gnarly ways to
do Kettlebells and he’s the first guy that got me into this crazy world of
physical culture. Changing my life because of him would be an understatement.
He’s
practiced a numerous amounts of things and is literally one of the strongest
guys on planet earth. He embodies the warrior spirit and will do whatever he
can to help others achieve a level of potential they've never seen before. If
there’s one guy to that knows his stuff it’s my boy Tyler. Now that I've made
him blush, have fun and let him help you, it’s what he does best.
Going to the gym can be fun, exciting and learn a few things
about fitness but most people don’t have time for it or since gyms these days
don’t have real world-class training and instruction for lifelong health and
fitness it’s better you find alternatives. There are those who also don’t have
much money since the economy has become a bit of a downward spiral what can one
do to get fit? I’m a fan of old school bodybuilding and I’m talking about long
before the Arnolds and the Lou Ferrignos, I’m talking of guys like Bill Pearl,
John Grimek, Reg Park, Otto Arco, Maxick and the likes.
There have been decade(s) long debates about building muscle
and how to acquire it, some say you need to lift weights, some say do
bodyweight exercises and others have certain things in between. I feel from my
own experience you don’t need a gym to get in awesome shape and certainly don’t
need weights to build muscle. One of my all-time favorite methods is what’s
called VRT or Visualized Resistance Training. This is a system where you mimic
lifting a heavy weight using the mind/muscle connection and use tension to move
through the exercise. This is another look at Muscle Control, being able to
move individual muscles however you want. In bodybuilding today and yesteryear
this is a look at posing.
Using your own tension and resistance creates blood in your
body hence forth the pump you get from an exercise. Think of a curl that
targets the biceps, you do a certain amount of reps and blood rushes to the
muscles and builds a pump, you can do the same exact thing without ever lifting
a weight. You can create any exercise you want with this program, you can
visualize lifting a car or pulling on the toughest of cables. It’s all about
using your imagination while flexing the muscles in a dynamic movement. This is
effective because not only does it build muscle but it protects the joints and
can give you a bit of a cardio workout from breathing hard after doing an
exercise.
This was created by one of the most underrated Physical
Culturists of our time named Greg Mangan who discovered the way to a better
alternative from weightlifting. Not saying weights are bad this is just another
option you can use to get a quick workout in anytime, anywhere. Infusing the
mind/muscle connection is the key ingredient to this program and Greg will show
you how that works. In his course he even states you don’t have to do the
routine layed out for you, you can create any type of routine you want. I once
tried some bodybuilding programs from the champions in Joe Weider’s Ultimate
Bodybuilding book and they wiped me out and I didn’t have to switch stations,
just stand or sit where you are and have at it.
Muscle Control is one of the coolest and mot effective ways
to build muscle and did you know that when Arnold was winning his 7 Olympia
titles, he would stop lifting 6 weeks before contest to work on his posing to
build that definition and symmetry and it worked, that’s another look at Muscle
Control, forget the steroids and all that crap this was done back in the early
20th century, Sandow did the same thing and one of the greatest
artists of MC was a man named Maxick who looked like he was carved from
granite. Lifting weights is fun to do I get that and whenever I do hit the gym
once in a blue moon I want to hammer out as much as I can get my hands on but
at the same time it does get expensive and gym memberships are crazy expensive
and only less than 5% of those who do go to the gym actually do it the other
95% quit after a while because they get burned out and are tired of driving,
changing and god forbid wait for some douche to get off his set so you can do
your thing.
You have a choice and you have more options than you realize. Don’t
get frustrated trying to get fit, find alternatives that suit your lifestyle,
this could be one of them and you don’t need to do 2 hours of training for this
to be effective, 20 minutes a day is really all you need and if you don’t have
that amount of time, start with just a minute and work your way up. Make it
happen for you.
Usually most people look at bodyweight exercise as a waste
of time and don’t hold any real value for fitness. Even many trainers would say
that if you want to get strong you advance onto weights and machines. The
problem with this notion is that many people don’t know how to handle their own
bodyweight. When you learn the real styles of Bodyweight Exercise, you’re
learning how to use your body from multiple angles, work more muscles one
exercise at a time and you burn more fat. Those who tell you it doesn't do
anything either can’t do it themselves or they’re trying to make a buck and
don’t really give a damn who they hurt to get by.
To be a stronger person physically, you can and should learn
to build strength from multiple angles, the more muscles you work at one time
the better. In Gymnastics, strength is built all over the place from your neck
to your toes. Now I never said you needed to be like a gymnast to have that
kind of power but learning certain basics won’t hurt very much either. It does
take practice but with time, your strength can skyrocket to levels you never
imagined before. Think about it, what it would be like to hold a perfect handstand, be able to switch from exercise to exercise without pain or fatigue
or better yet, have the strength to hold even the most basic positions and
still look good doing it. It could happen if you just believe and take action.
Gymnasts and even Acrobats have the most fluid and graceful
movements that are strong and cunning. Even a ballet dancer is very strong once
you start paying attention. The power of a movement even in basic positions isn't how it looks; it’s how it’s presented, straight and tight. The best way
to describe those straight and tight movements is how you are flexed in that
position. In other words, you’re looking at Isometrics. Think of a guy on the
Rings in the Iron Cross or in a Handstand, that is a form of isometrics.
Isometrics is the form of strength training where you’re throwing all your strength
in a fixed position.
Have you noticed that one of the key components if not the
key component to a gymnast is their powerful abdominals? It has been said that
Gymnasts have the strongest abs in the world, why? Because without strong and
powerful abs, they can’t move or better yet hold the most powerful looking
positions. A lot of us look to having strong abs, but the majority just want
abs to look which is not a bad thing but I’ll say it won’t look good on your
resume if you’re trying to do certain things. Your Core is the center of your
whole body, the key that holds everything together, from the lower chest down
to near your pelvis, that’s the Core that holds it all. Building strong abs= A
strong body.
Every time you watch Gymnastics, Acrobatics, Ballet or
anything that has nothing but their own body moving through the air or holding
some pretty awesome positions, you’re in awe and think “how the hell do they
get like that?”, besides years of training, they all started somewhere, some of
them had natural ability, others were terrible but with practice got better and
better. We all start somewhere, I didn't get into Gymnastics till I was in my
20’s when that’s the retirement age for most gymnasts, a good friend of mine didn't start till he was in his mid 30’s when most would say he was too late
and won’t be able to withstand those exercises. No matter how old you are or
what your current fitness is, beginning an exercise program is a great way to
go up that latter, it’s like learning math, you start with arithmetic and work
your way up to calculus. Start with where you’re at and progress to the best of
your abilities.
One of the coolest ways to look at training with Bodyweight
Exercises is that it doesn't take up a lot of time, hell no more than 15-20
minutes a day is all you need and if you don’t have time, start just doing a
few seconds, work up to a minute. You can even do separate exercises throughout
the day. It’s all about making it work for you. Those who say you need 30
minutes of cardio and an hour of weights don’t know a damn thing about your
lifestyle, the majority don’t have that amount of time to do all that but its
not impossible to do something during your day. Doing a few minutes of training
is really all you need, you used many muscle groups, you don’t need to do more
than a few exercises and best of all, you can make them fun and exciting, not
dull and used as a punishment. Do what you can, your body will thank you for
it.
Getting stronger is not far out of reach but you got to want
it bad enough, not to the point where you’re taking short cuts that’s the
cheating way. The true value of being strong and healthy is practice, practice,
practice. Consistency is a key and whether you exercise for one minute or one
hour it still counts. Make it happen for you, you can think all you want and
nothing will come of it, it’s the action that gets the job done. Your body is
what you make of it, don’t let certain things or people get in the way of what
you want to do. You can have a beautiful, powerful and strong body if you
believe in yourself and find the right resources for you to develop what you
want to achieve. It’s not that far away but it’s up to you to reach out and
grab it by the horns and run with it.
In the world of Physical Culture, a lot of things come and
go, some things work, some don’t and others just have a way of taking things to
a whole new level and one way to look at is looking at the world upside down.
In training of the handstands, this teaches you to look at things from a different
perspective and I mean this literally, when you hold a handstand either up
against the wall or free-handed, you have to teach your body how to use it from
a very different light. Think about it while you read this.
It’s not easy at first to get into a handstand, believe me I
know how you feel. At first it seems scary, like waking up in a different place
and don’t understand where you’re at. With practice, you learn to shut that off
and become comfortable in your new surroundings. Eventually when you hold a
handstand, you will find out right away that you can’t be very loose otherwise
you’ll fall. Keeping the body tight is essential to your progress. Holding the
position isn’t just an exercise, it’s a test of will.
Tighten up the body in a handstand is the foundation for
Hand Balancing and when you hold it for a period of time, you’ll find out about
the benefit of increased blood flow to your body especially in the brain. Flex
your body in every position, point your toes, flex the calves, squeeze the legs
together, tighten your torso and press your hands into the ground as if you’re
going right through it. What this teaches is to use the body as a complete
unit, powerful, strong and tight like a steel rod.
Practicing on the wall is a start and whether or not you
aspire to be a gymnast or an acrobat but the most important thing is to keep
your body relaxed while in a flexed position. I realize that sounds like an
oxymoron but yet you will soon understand the concept that holding the position
itself brings great benefits to your body, making it strong and shrinking fat
and building muscle while increasing strength in your tendons and ligaments.
I’m giving you this tip not to progress to handstand
push-ups which you should eventually progress to but to teach you the value of
Internal Power meaning you’re strengthening the body from the inside out.
Isometric Handstands bring blood flow into the body meaning stronger organs,
increased flow to the muscles and strengthening the very things that help hold
the body together meaning bones, tendons and again ligaments. This is what I
like to call Isometric Practice, fusing the mind/body connection to build
strength in every form of your body both internally and externally.
I realize I have repeated a few things here but a lot
of people don’t see how certain things work and a lot of people think that if
you want to get stronger, lift weights, ok let’s test this theory, you picked a
few barbells and dumbbells and you worked them hard, now test yourself in the
handstand and see how strong you still are. I bet you, you won’t last more than
a few seconds. Strength does not always mean picking up the most weight or how
big your guns are and it certainly doesn’t matter how you look. Strength in
different arenas gives the body variety of what it can do, it’s not just meant
to pick up a weight, hell even in the old days of Physical Culture men and
women didn’t just lift, they wrestled, did gymnastics, were circus performers,
entertaining strongmen all these things and yet were strong and many different
areas and sometimes lifting weights had nothing to do with it.
It’s all about
looking outside the box and using your body in ways that other things can’t transfer
over. If you’re interested in Hand Balancing, practice it not just to hold a handstand
but hold it and move it with intense will from your mind and your body
together, you will see things from a new light you never thought of and find
some unknown benefits that they didn’t teach in the course. You’ll know once
you experience it, it’s a feeling you can’t get from anything else.
Ever seen Cirque De Solei or something similar and even Gymnastics, than you know how cool it is to see these world class athletes fly through the air with grace, power and beauty. Just having the speed and the strength to pull off certain moves is just incredible and you never know what comes next. To me Aerialists are one of the most powerful people pound for pound in the realm of Acrobatics.
There have been debates who have the strongest this or the strongest that, you got big arms than you have some serious upper body power, powerful legs you can either squat a lot or run like the wind but yet the Core is what separates the men from the boys. Your torso carries the most power and strength in your body next to your legs being the strongest. When it comes to athletics, gymnasts have pretty much the strongest core in the world. Think about it, how do they fly through the air, hold hand balances so perfectly and move around on their upper bodies as if they were legs?If they didn’t have strong torsos, everything else would be gone in a snap. Now some people think Bodybuilders have strong abs but in reality, it’s just the opposite, not all of them but most have very weak torsos to do anything basic let alone incredibly superhuman. The stronger your Core is, the rest of your body is strong, this doesn’t mean do nothing but crunches and sit-ups and leave everything else out, it takes the whole body to work together.
One of the most kick ass shows I’ve ever witnessed was in Las Vegas where there was a vampire show called Bite. This show featured smoking hot and beautiful women, jaw dropping dancing & acrobatics and heavy metal that was just as powerful as the performers themselves. During one segment, a man who was pulled from the audience gets bit by a vampire, turns into this incredible monster with a shredded body that you need to see to believe, becomes consumed by the powerful bite and begins to take hold of a chain hanging down, wraps around his arm and begins to fly and twirl in the air like a madman and reaches down and with one arm picks up a woman and bites her as well. I can’t tell you the rest of the show but I can assure you that same actor has powers in real life that even he can teach you how to grab a hold of.
An important aspect to keeping the body fit and ready for anything is to keep the blood flowing throughout the day. Doing small little exercises can have a huge impact on your level of strength and power beyond belief. Even the most experienced gymnasts and acrobats do some form of exercise throughout the day because during practice or even rehearsals, they have to be in top shape otherwise they can lose their spot on a team or worse be out of a job. Learn to use your time for these little things and big changes will come. “You don’t have to do much, for doing a lot” Karl Gotch.
Practicing Hand balancing is the most basic component in both acrobatics and gymnastics because what some teach Bridging in wrestling, Hand Balancing is one of the first things taught in those areas of sport and entertainment. Hand Balancing isn’t for everyone I understand but there are those who want to learn it and get good or even great at it. At the same time, how cool would it be to have the strength to hold yourself up in Handstand and move around just like a gymnast or an acrobat? You don’t have to be a either one to get great benefits from this type of training. If you want to practice it, than look no further from my friends Logan Christopher and Ed Baran.
In both acrobatics and gymnastics, the number one rule is to keep the body strong in every movement and by that I mean the whole body from your head to your toes. You will learn how to keep the body tight and strong because being loose anywhere can spell disaster or you’ll just not be able to do even a basic exercise. Learning to use your body in complete unison builds awareness and strength in ways nothing else can match. Anybody can lift a weight one way or another but you can’t hold yourself up in certain positions without the whole body working together.
You may never aspire to be a Gymnast or an Acrobat which is perfectly fine, yet you can still have the great benefits and a strong & powerful body once you learn the basic elements of using your body as a whole package and become stronger than the average person. You don’t have to be a world class athlete to find world-class or even superhuman results. All that matters is you make your exercise fun and enjoyable and if you have children, let them exercise with you or teach them to exercise; this builds power and confidence within and helps build character. Have fun and make it worthwhile, even if you have only 5 minutes in the day.
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