A Push-up Workout For The Ages

    

      Most people know what a push-up is, it's one of the most basic forms of conditioning and can get you into supreme shape. There are literally hundreds of variations of the push-ups and each advanced style is just as beautiful as the next when mastered. I have seen and done many types of push-ups, my biggest workout using different variations came to a total of 600 reps. You are about to learn a really cool style of push-ups which I will show in a video soon so don't miss out.

 
    One of the ideal aspects of physical strength and conditioning is to create a style that is suitable to an individual. No workout is the same for everyone so we must learn what we can do to better ourselves. You can learn the most basic principles but the mind must also be in play in order to get the workout you're striving for and practice. Simple training doesn't mean easy, it's just taking basic points of exercise and not making it complicated. I'm about to give you an idea that will change the way you think about push-ups.

 
    I saw Bud Jeffries do a video on his Push-up Matrix series and it showed how to move your body in the push-up and finding certain movements that give it another perspective of building strength and agility. He did a couple letters and I thought to myself that'd be interesting so I took that idea and it became this. Write in Push-ups. Think about it, how cool would it be to do letters while in the push-up like for starters writing your own name. Here's how you do it, get into a push-up position and move your body as if you're writing a letter in the alphabet. Sounds weird huh? But that's the idea, training in a very unique way and making it challenging. I've tested this and wrote the first three letters of my name in the push-up and was breathing heavily after that. Most trainers would say that push-ups are only good for endurance, well try it Sherlock and see how you do. My full name is Benjamin Justin Bergman; that be a hell of a workout alone.

 
    Use your imagination, do something out of the norm and screw the rules (in a positive way of course). This type of training has a new meaning to the term Mind/Muscle Connection because you need to think as you are moving and this can build brain power and it charges up the neurons in the brain. It's a crazy idea but all great ideas started out skeptical. Give it a whirl and see how you do. Start with your name in capital letters whether short or long it's up to you. Make your push-ups interesting, if you can do letters, try numbers and if you're a stud (or bad ass woman) do push-ups in cursive, talk about strength and brain building.

 
Have fun guys be awesome and use your imagination, it's the greatest nation ever.
     

The Very Best Physiques?

           When you look back on the legendary facets of Physical Culture, you’ll notice that some of the classic bodybuilders of their era had some of the greatest physiques even by today’s standards. These men didn’t just rely on bodybuilding, they also relied on their strength as well that was unheard of in that time especially since quite a number were strongmen.

            One of these very exceptional specimens was the great Eugene Sandow; he looked like he was carved from granite. Others that were like him had mighty biceps, powerful torsos and as some of them were also had narrow waists. In that day and age they were the object of perfection.

            A great way that some of these guys did to achieve that muscular, rugged and chiseled look was by bending tough steel, in this case; long bar bending. They took these lengthy pieces of steel and mold them into designs with their very own hands doing such shapes as a fish, paper clip and even clover leafs. It was jaw dropping for most people to believe that a man would have the guts to take steel and make it something into a form of art.

            This type of training alone required very intense pushing and pulling while the body moved in different directions during a particular bend. It is also one of the most intense forms of isometric contraction so the fatigue factor in the muscles is often equaled to at least an hour long workout although it would take as short as 10-20 min. to complete a bend.

            Jedd Johnson one of my friends in Physical Culture has become quite the expert in the art of Steel Bending. Although he has dabbed in conventional weight lifting, muscle building and strength workouts, he loves to bend steel with a passion. Here’s a list of the things he has bent over the years that would blow your mind and I’m not kidding you these are tough, rough and hard steel to even budge let alone complete….

-Frying Pans

-60D Penny Nails

-Horseshoes

-8 inch adjustable wrenches

-10+ ft long steel bars

Here’s a pic of Jedd himself doing what’s called a Scroll.

            He has also just released a powerful 2 DVD course that teaches you The Art Of Scrolling. These DVDs will show you the inside secrets to how the old-time strongmen were masters at this art. He shows you how to make beautiful designs with your bare hands and with strength you cannot get anywhere else.

            Along with fellow strongman and strength giant Bud Jeffries, they bent 6 different pieces of steel on this DVD series and donated them to a benefit for the daughter of of of Jedd’s old high school classmate who’s got a severe form of brain cancer and it was a huge hit. If you want to challenge yourself in a different format of strength training, this could be exactly what you’re looking for.

            Wouldn't it be awesome to feel the steel in your hands as it gives way in your wrath? Even if you have no desire to be a strongman you can still forge your body into a modern day Sandow filled to the brim with mighty muscle and iron cord-like tendons. Click Here To Find Out More.

            Remember now, this was just released so the price right at this minute is the lowest it’ll be for a short period of time. If you happen to live overseas you can get the course immediately by getting the digital download without the hassle of shipping costs or any of that customs stuff. Get The Art Of Scrolling today and never look at training the same way ever again.

Get Them Legs Moving

            For most of us guys, our legs were meant to be strong, powerful and muscular, not look like a bird. I've seen guys in the gym, at parks and other places where their upper bodies look like they were made out of granite but from the waist down, they look like a flamingo on a bad day. Granted I understand for some people, muscle isn't built that easily but yet some have pretty damn strong tendons and a body that is more ripped, defined and looking like iron cords but yet at the same time, they’re still strong in some form or another.

            To get an understanding of how the legs are vastly important, when done right and at a certain pace that’s built up, the legs are the very core to our fertility and our growth hormone levels that help burn fat, build muscle, recover faster, burn calories and balanced increase in Testosterone. Ever heard of the Satyr Pan? He is one hell of a god (or deity whatever stories you read). He can teach us more on leg training than most care to learn but for certain reasons, we would rather give him crap for his lust, uncontrollable sex drive and for “looking like the devil.” In the stories I've read, he has a passion for life and loves the ladies (in this case Nymphs) but he also teaches us how to be free and explore our true selves while being happy and living with gusto and virility. In my opinion, when it comes to leg training, he shows more on how to gain “Our loins” than anybody else by dancing, having a zest for life from within and building our testosterone levels that can go to great lengths without the need for drugs or any of that crap.

            Powerful legs go a long way (literally and figuratively) because we follow them wherever we go, we walk, we run and we even them to exploit our “Assets” in the media. Think about it, for women, legs are the very foundation to get someone’s attention, beautiful and lithe legs with a great waistline and a beautiful butt. For guys, our legs are the key to gaining virility, super strength and boost in natural growth hormone that builds muscle, loses fat, gain strength and testosterone that shoots through the roof more than any lethal injection combined because it gives that natural balance in muscle and tendon strength.

            Think of the energy you can possess if you used real, basic leg training that gives you a meaning to your life, be able to run, jump, squat, dance and be able to live with strength, unimaginable endurance and a love from within that has you smiling without thinking twice about it. Real physical power comes from the legs and it can open the door to health and fitness like you've never had before. Build up patiently and you’ll see the many wonders of health and strength from using your legs.

Starting Out With Sledgehammer Training

            

          A friend of mine asked me the other day he was interested in working with Sledgehammers and wanted to know what exercises and weight to start with on the hammer? I gave him a little bit of it because that was what I could figure out to say at the time. To me, it’s a lot of fun and has many benefits in terms of muscle building, strengthening the tendons and building great lung power; but it’s also very demanding and when you start out too fast or too much weight it’ll hit you hard.

            To give you some ideas; I've worked with different types of hammers, the ones you get like at home depot, the Epic Sledge, Thor’s Hammer and others so each one has a different feel or a different set of ways to move with the hammer. Just the basic swing on a tire is crazy enough as it is but there are other exercises that don’t always require striking. When you work with a long implement, the leverage factor will be a bigger point to look at because the weight shifts and you have to move your body to where the weight is in order to move it.

            Some people like using the Mace and although it’s very useful in many ways, I like using a sledgehammer better because it has a better interest in what you can do in terms of lever work and working with weight at a more odd angle. The Mace has more of a rounded ball so it has a smoother way of moving, the Sledge has more of a 4 sided shape like a rectangle or square as the head of the hammer. When you start out, you want to feel how it works in your hands, how your body shifts with the weight and try different things and no matter what you try, your grip will be a factor. If you don’t have a good grip you won’t last too long.

            Start out with a good 7-10 hammer to get the feel for it. There’s a DVD you can get from Bud Jeffries that is part of his Monster Conditioning Program specific to Sledgehammer Training. If you don’t have a tire that’s fine you can still get great benefit from sledge training. The exercises you can do are nearly the same as if lifting a barbell or dumbbell but the weight is shifted to one side so you have to work the stabilizing muscles and your grip needs to be strong and tight. Here’s a website that shows certain exercises although done with a Mace you can do the same with a sledge. Play and experiment with various reps and sets.

            I highly recommend the Sledgehammers from Stronger Grip because if you want to add weight to the hammer; you can put in shot led or steel shot otherwise if you use a hammer like from home depot, it’s expensive to buy more hammers and prices vary depending on how heavy the hammer is. I also recommend you do get a tire because once you get the ground work for non-tire exercises you’ll eventually want to strike it. You can find tires at a junk yard that no one wants anymore or you can get Half Tires that take up less space and have better strikes to work on.

            When you work on getting good with the sledgehammer, your body will begin to change, your muscles will have more definition, your tendons will become stronger and your breathing will skyrocket because it takes strength to use the hammer the way these guys can show you and the heavier the hammer, the more your breathing becomes a factor. Your grip will become much stronger and have that crushing strength. Take your body and mind to Super Muscle level and watch your strength skyrocket in ways you haven’t had before.

Taking It To New Heights

           You my friend are far stronger than you believe. It’s within your DNA to have great strength whether it’s physical, mental, emotional or spiritual but yet you can have all of those if you apply to your goals and admiration. Strength is not always being tough and macho or one upping anyone, real strength comes from your attitude and your character as a human being. Being physically strong has its benefits but it’s the strength of your loving soul that endures more and grows.

            When you progress in your training whether for fitness, health, strongman, lecturer or whatever you choose to do, do it at your own pace. People assume when you start a fitness progress it’s push and push as hard as you can when in reality that can get them more set up for injury than to get fit. I understand the feeling of wanting to push someone to do their best but yet you need to let go of that ego trip and be giving and sharing info. Basics are key to training and they lay the foundation but if you’re going to push it, do it when you’re good and ready and at your own level. We all have different bodies, progression levels and strengths/weaknesses, if we were to create the strength we want, it takes time, patience and the will to build from the ground up.

            A key note to strength is the value of it. There are a lot of strong men and women in the world but very few know its value and shares compassion and wisdom to how to use that strength. There’s a scene in Captain America: The First Avenger where the doc is sitting with then a small, weak and skinny Steve Rogers and says “A strong man who has known power all his, may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength and that’s compassion.” It’s a very powerful scene and it’s true, if you want to become strong, you must understand the value for which you have built on it.

            It’s a lot of fun being strong and fit but it’s more important to use it wisely. I do like to show off every now and then for fun not because of one-upping anybody or make them feel weak, I do it to show how far I've come in my life because in my early years, I was weak, I was feeling like I was unworthy and didn't understand how to do it. I didn't grow up in poverty or anything like that but I was skinny because of what I was taking as a child and once I went off it as a pre-teen I shot up like a cannon with a few years but I became fat and hardly any muscle to call worthy. Ever since I was 18 years old, I made it my mission to become strong with positive and natural intentions. Enough of my bullshit but you get the idea. Becoming strong is a test of your character, where do you go from a certain point? When you develop strength in ways some people either admire or envy, you still make it a habit to use it for something that is bigger than yourself. You become a greater human being with heart and compassion for others. That’s the real fun part.

Ideas From A Traveling Strongman

            There are strongmen around the country who travel to schools, churches, prisons and occasional corporate offices upwards to 300 days a year. Some travel all over the world, some just in the U.S like my friend Bud Jeffries does. Now what they do is not always the same, I've witnessed first hand two very distinctive differences in their performances. Some do what’s called Junk Feats where they’re feats that seem legit but really are as fake as you can get, an extreme few are legit. The other is called the Real Deal where they take certain objects and although the feat may seem like a fake it’s really a legit one like bending steel, tearing a deck of cards right out of the package, hammer levering and so forth. A traveling strongman has to be creative and learn their distinct patterns for a performance. This can be ideal for your training.

            Some strongmen perform the same feats in a show where there’s a pattern or routine for them that sets their mind to think automatically to do the next feat. Some others perform certain feats on a certain day either to change it up a little bit or because they got hurt doing a certain feat that it’s tough for them to perform at their best. It’s like a fitness program, you set your mind to specific exercises and you follow a routine that is suitable to what you want to accomplish. I have literally seen some off the wall feats but also I look for a specific type of routine that has meaning and can be used in a creative and fun way. Although I change my workouts frequently, I still find certain exercises that go hand and hand with my mind and my body that works for me.

            One thing many people ask about strongmen who are on tour is how they get themselves motivated? How do they go day after day finding that inner strength to show their positive side and their will to teach and show these incredible feats to other people? Well, in my opinion, they learn to pick up things from a certain place, program their minds to set a certain tone that gives them that “Winning Feeling” of putting themselves out there to the crowd and learn to use their own story and share it with the people their performing for. Quite frankly I don’t know how the hell they do it but that’s my take on it.

            Last thing I want to point out is that there are certain strongmen who perform just for the sake of performing and don’t have anything else to give back to the people other than some arrogant prick who can bend a silly bar just to make certain people inadequate; however there are some guys and gals out there that give back to the people they’re performing for, sharing their story of how tough it was for them and how they’re just like the rest of us only in a different format. My friend Bud happens to be the latter because underneath all that muscle and smiling persona, he’s really an awesome and sweet guy who wants to make a living helping out the other guy. Show that you are a special person and that you have a brighter future where you don’t need to be macho to get what you want. It takes a man of character and a man of great heart to tell you that there’s no need to bully anyone, no need to be afraid of whom you are. You are an awesome person and you can go places if you apply yourself with the right mindset and the right tools to get you there. He is truly a one of a kind strongman and an incredible human being. 

       If you want some good ideas on how to be creative and how to apply your training in a certain way, talk to a strongman, they're very creative in what they do (at least some I've heard of) and have some wonderful motivational tips that can jump start your training and how it applies to you like how certain feats are to a strongman performing, they're there for a specific reason. 

Everyone Started Somewhere

             When you see a great looking athlete or a powerful lifter, most automatically assume he’s been that way all his life when in reality he looked completely different and didn't always seem to have the strength or genetics to be that great looking. We all started at someplace in our lives when we began training. Some started at a young age; others began when they’re much older. I for one was never the muscle guy or someone that believed one day could rip phonebooks and bend tough steel, I was once very skinny as a preteen and also the fat kid when I was a teenager and didn't have much muscle to show for.

            To most who have rarely if ever trained, it feels discouraging sometimes seeing people who can do things rather easily and yet you can’t even fathom being able to do them. The thing to do is to create building blocks. Learn to find an exercise or fitness program that you can do that gets you on the path to becoming fit and healthy/strong. It doesn't take a genius to realize that if you’re at the starting gate, you need to build yourself up and keep it consistent, challenge yourself every so often to keep things interesting and fresh. Starting out isn't always fun but that shouldn't stop you from becoming one mighty human being.

            One of the first things I learned after I learned how to walk again when I began my own rehab was start little. There was no way in hell I could do 100 Push-ups or 100 Squats and hold a bridge to save my life at first. I had to build up and work brick by brick. It’s like building a house, you start with little things that lay the foundation and you progress to heavier things and put them in certain places that keep the house up an held; same thing with exercise, you do little things that turn into big gains later on.

            People in the fitness world tell you, you should be able to do this or that exercise by this time and if you haven’t then you’re not doing it right. Go at your own pace, your body isn't meant for someone else’s pace and the timing you do is what incorporates your body and mind to do. Progression is another look at starting with the little things and work up to the bigger ones later. I would've never thought I’d be able to do Handstand Push-ups at my size (I was 230 lbs. when I started) so to build up I had to learn how to hold a Handstand, then dip down a bit for an isometric hold, then do quarter reps, then half reps, be fore I knew it I was doing more 20 reps touching my head to the floor and back up with locked arms. It took me nearly 5 weeks to do that, but I went at my own pace. This is just an example of what you can do in other exercises and/or programs. Build up and have fun with it, we all started somewhere but it’s up to us how far we want to go.

The Ultimate Beast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Journey To Super Muscle

           We all share a certain journey in our lives, our journey starts usually when we’re born but also there is a journey where it’s not always where you’ll go in life, it could be something you want to go after. In the case of strength training, some of us in the Physical Culture world are on a journey to create Super Muscle. What is Super Muscle you might ask? Is it having a big burly body like a Mr. Olympia? Is it having the body of a Powerlifter or is it having a body that can do all sorts of things? That is entirely up to you and what your goals are. To me, Super Muscle is having a strong, powerful and enduring body and learning to use it in many ways like lifting heavy weights, doing tough bodyweight exercises kind of similar to a Gymnast and doing high octane conditioning using various tools and programs that keeps you functional and channeling your inner power.

            There are people who say because of a certain age or genetics; they can’t build a great deal of muscle mass. Not true. Sure you may not look like another Arnold Schwarzenegger or Ronnie Coleman but you can build good solid and mighty muscle. Back in the golden age of Physical Culture there were men and women who at first were sickly, weak, overweight, and thin down to the bone but somehow managed to build crazy amounts of muscle and this was long before steroids and high level supplements became the stuff to build muscle. To give you an example, a man named Maxick who was a sick kid, didn't have a chance in hell in his youth to live a long and healthy life yet persevered and became a legend in weightlifting and bodybuilding by becoming one of the first men in his weight class (145 lbs.) to lift double bodyweight in the overhead press and was able to control the muscles in his body to move any which way he wanted. No matter what your age or by genetics big or small, you can create great muscle.

            In my opinion, Functional Muscle is far superior to today’s Bodybuilding type muscle. By functional I mean using your body to levels where it’s useful and can be used in a variety of everyday situations. Bodybuilding muscle is isolating specific parts of the body and not being able to use it in most everyday situations. Take for example my friend Bud Jeffries, one of the strongest men in the world (drug-free I might add) who’s around 6’1 and over 275 lbs. yet when you first look at him he doesn't look like the functional type of strongman but yet he’s extremely agile for his size, very agile and one of the most conditioned athletes of any size. He is one of the embodiments of Super Muscle.

            On your journey to develop Super Muscle, remember to work with other attributes because just building muscle isn’t always going to cut it. Learn to be agile, work on flexibility, build your balance and very importantly exercise your tendons an ligaments, they are the very foundation for your Super Muscle development otherwise you’re building useless muscles that can bite you in the ass. Here’s some ways to build Super Muscle…..

Lift Odd Objects

Practice Isometrics

Do Hard Bodyweight Exercises

Learn Muscle Control

Be Flexible

Do Thick Bar Lifting (Fat Gripz are optional to put on the bar or dumbbell)

Self Resistance Exercise

            All of these are very useful and you don’t have to do all of them, pick what works for you and run with it. Building Super Muscle isn't some thing you can get overnight, it takes time but you don’t have to punish yourself. Have fun, use your imagination and be creative. Your results will come when you make progress a little each time to make big gains. Do what works for you and have a blast with it. It’s only a matter of time before you achieve levels of strength you never believed at first but now are in your grasp.

            Picture yourself getting there, be mindful and get into the habit on never giving up what you want.

Thoroughbred Legs Are The Driving Force

            They say if you have strong legs, you have a stronger body. When it comes down to it, our legs are the driving force for superhuman conditioning. In football, you need strong and fast legs to run down the field, in basketball, you need quick footwork in order to defend or move with the ball, in Baseball; your hips and legs help hit homeruns and steal bases and also running down the ball for a diving catch. If you’re in the military, we need our legs to carry our comrades, our equipment and to run down the enemy in combat. Law Enforcement needs strong legs to take down suspects in the toughest of situations. Let’s face it; our legs are our best weapons.

            In mythology, one of the strongest deities is the Satyr Pan. Although he has a reputation for having a crazy sex-drive and having courting many nymphs, he’s one of the strongest and most agile creatures in the stories. His entire lower body is that of a goat which gives him a distinct advantage in running down his enemies but also defend himself with powerful legs. He is a symbol of virility and superhuman leg strength. Our legs give off more energy than just about everywhere else in the human body because it is the center of our hormones.

            Our legs are the center of our hormones. If you do it right, we give off natural growth hormone which helps us in health, vitality, strength, stamina and an increase of testosterone. For men this is crucial and it’s important to put in good amount of time dedicated to leg training. Our bodies shift into overdrive when you use our legs. One of the key ingredients for mighty legs is to do sprints. For up to no more than 30 seconds we run down somewhere as fast as we can muster. Marathon training is good in some cases but if you want lean muscle mass than you better move fast. Like the Satyr, Animal Training is very good in increasing your testosterone levels to a great degree, say like doing frog jumps, duck walks, running like a bear or sprinting like an Emu, these will create a shift in the body that will develop powerful muscle but increase your conditioning at the same time.

            The foundation for powerful legs is the Squat. You don’t need to lift weights to get an awesome leg workout but with the right tools, you can have that option and is just as powerful. Bodyweight Squats however give off more hormone induced energy in my opinion because there are many ways to do a squat but if you do them in high numbers, a Satyr might have some stiff competition. Another great form of training to get your legs going is doing Isometrics. When you do Leg Isometrics, you’re working the body from all sorts of angles and strengthening the tendons and ligaments that keep the body together. Imagine being on the gridiron and pivoting, running and moving in a diagonal direction on the field and never getting injured because of your strong tendons.

            How many injuries can you count where an athlete or the average person got injured and it was due to torn muscles and ripped tendons in the legs? Countless. I definitely share some ground with this from my injury back in 2005. I had to rebuild my body from scratch and constantly had to work my legs to where it was pain-free. To this day I still have some discomfort because of the rod and pins holding my bones together but can still knock out over 100 squats without batting an eye and maintain great flexibility in my legs that I could never do when I was in my teens. Take the time to work on your legs. For women, you want those sleek and toned but strong legs, squat and get in some leg work because strong legs create a strong person. If you got legs, make them super strong, fast, agile and powerful because it becomes crucial when you need them the most. 

The Mighty Strength Of Hercules

           A god caught between two worlds; Mount Olympus & Earth. Mythology’s strongest hero is one of the greatest stories ever told. In the training world, it’s the pinnacle for us guys to try to emulate (At least the strength). We are so amped when we develop our strength in many areas but building physical strength comes with a price. Like the 12 labors of Hercules, we too must conquer our challenges even as they get tougher. Unlike the Labors, it’s never ending and sometimes we suffer to get what we want but we should never give up on what can be ours.

            Although we can never have the strength Hercules possesses, we can however channel our energy to create super strength and power by how we use our imagination. Our strengths are different but we have similar goals and although we think differently generally a certain outcome will remain the same. How we breathe can generate or destroy our strength, how we move and think can lead a path of strength or have it be given away. Building strength just by lifting or doing certain exercises may be good but it’s not quite enough. Think big, dream hard and make the impossible possible. Hercules also used his intelligence to help his strength; we too must learn this concept for it is the very key to creating results fast and powerful.

            What do you want; do you want to lift heavy weights, build more muscle or do you want to become super conditioned? Why not all three and more? You don’t have to settle for just one thing, that’s like saying if all you had for dinner the rest of your life was steak, you’d lose your damn mind and just get tired of it. You can develop great functional super muscle by applying the thinking of Hercules along with what you want to achieve. We won’t always look like a Mr. Olympia but we can create strength and muscle using techniques that can help our breathing, our movement, the way we think and going beyond the very essence of our strength and add even 1% of what scientists say about the amount of strength we use.

            To produce results fast, we have to think differently and we also need to use things differently. Grip strength is one of the most important keys in strength development and there are many ways to do it, one of my favorites is using sledgehammers particularly Thor’s Hammer to enhance my grip strength and overall body conditioning. Another is thick bar training if you want to lift great weights; this cuts your workouts in half maybe even a 1/3^rd because it takes a lot of strength to move a weight when it’s more than 2 inches in diameter like a barbell or a dumbbell. Some people can’t afford the thick bars so what can you do, use Fat Gripz or Fat Gripz Extreme, these alone can enhance your strength in ways that you never imagined possible.

            Think about getting strong in pull-ups, add thickness to those crazy machines and turn them into strength enhancers. Slap a Fat Grip onto your barbells and dumbbells and instantly turn them into one of the most difficult lifts around. Hercules was a man of superhuman strength and was built like a house but he does teach us the value of our strength and how we can apply it to create strength that all of us want to achieve in some form or another. When you think differently, your body reacts differently. The next time you lift or do a certain exercise, don’t look at it as just an exercise, think as if you’re the mighty Hercules and you have a powerful body, mighty hands and you have the strength and power to make the impossible happen. See how you react and the way your body moves with your thought. 

Bouncing Back Progressively

            Being sore from training is part of the fun. When you are so sore it feels like a crowbar hitting you it’s best to step back a bit, not a whole lot though. It takes discipline to keep going even when you don’t always have the strength to do something the next day. Be mindful and listen to your body.

            There have been guys that got so sore from a workout it takes days sometimes weeks to recover but that shouldn't stop you from doing what you love. Little by little do something till you recover. Recovery is a priority because if you believe you’re going to challenge yourself during every workout till you drop you’re setting yourself up for injury. Do little workouts while you recover, this helps keep the blood flowing and might help you recover quicker. You want to let your muscles rest so they can build themselves back up and help you be stronger next time around. If you’re used to big workouts and don’t get sore that easy that’s one thing but the majority of people need quality rest and food to bounce back.

            As you recover, take the time to reflect on your next challenge. Those little sessions during that cycle can make all the difference when you give your mind the chance to figure out what you can do next. Mental strength is a must otherwise you’re just bouncing around like an idiot and just doing physical work without any real discipline. Be tough but don’t be like a smart ass, be mindful and endure it because once you recover and you’re at your best again, you’ll be far stronger. Meditation practice is a great way for recovery. One other form is channeling your energy during those little workouts, do them right and you’ll feel like you just got an adrenalin rush and your body is surging with strength. What I like about CoreForce Energy is that it teaches you how to use your strength at anytime even when you’re sore because the power within you will give you that surge with intense focus and it can never be broken. It is also one of the greatest recovery tools I've ever encountered bar none.

            At the next challenge you might end up being crazy sore again but also you repeat the cycle. Reflect, do little workouts that keeps your blood flowing and learn to channel your energy. There will be times where you won’t get sore at all and your strength is just uncanny and powerful that recovery is merely instant. For most of us, we need to recover after a big session and build ourselves back up. Take your time but don’t slack off. Sore after a big lifting session? Do some flexibility work, build your energy and eat plenty because the right foods will help you in ways you can’t imagine.

We all get sore after some kind of big workout whether it’s....

Animal

Odd Objects

Bodyweight

Partials

Training For Martial Arts

    Whatever but that doesn't mean you stop training all together. Do something that isn't that vigorous or do a percentage of your challenge workout every few days or so, listen to your body. Magazines or Infomercials will tell you to do this after a big workout or only X amount of days to recover, it’s all really bullshit because that’s just a generic look at what they believe you should do. Do what works for you, listen to your body and recover when you need to, to get yourself back in the game. 

Absorbing Power To Increase Strength

            We all have a power within us in some form or another that can give us the strength we need for everyday life. To harness it takes practice but eventually it becomes second nature and no matter what goes on in your life, you can channel your energy to create the strength you want. Scientists say we use no more than 5% of our strength capacity, what if we can upload that to even 1%, would you like to know how?

            Everything we do starts with a thought. We think about stuff all the time but what if we took the time to use our thinking to increase our energy, to increase our movement and to create super strength in the snap of your fingers. How we think creates different actions, different energies and different processes. If you have a thought of happiness, your body’s energy tends to have you move with better breathing, you’re smiling, you’re focused and using less tension. Got a thought about being stressed out and needing to do a bunch of things, your body tenses up, you scrunch your shoulders, your focus is off balance. These are examples of how we think and how our bodies react to that thought. A different thought creates a different action. You can create strength and power just by using your thought with focused intent and trajectory and having certain points that will allow you to move any way you want.

            Think of a kid. As kids we had great imaginations, we made stuff up and created sounds for them, seeing things that aren't there except in our minds. Our breathing was congruent with the way we move and it was fluid and fun. We've lost the ability to use our imaginations and become more analytical. We think too much and don’t really just let things be. Be like a kid, picture what you want to happen, move the way you want to, your breath will be congruent with the way you move.

            Unleashing our chi is simple but it works with our focus and intent with our breathing. It doesn't matter if you’re a strength athlete, a business man/woman, trainer, entertainer or whatever, you can increase your power no matter what you are. If we can increase our power just by a small percentage and have it be consistent, it would help your life in ways nothing else could. Take your strength into the stratosphere and never look back. Take your imagination to places no one can take and be fluid and cunning. Shoot for the stars and beyond the planets and expand your universe. 

Ask With Intent & Mindfulness

           In the fitness world, there’s always something to learn, the next big gadget, a new bodybuilding routine, how to develop superior grip strength, get bigger arms or legs, tight abs, lifting 500 lbs. of a specific lift like the Bench Press. We get excited and eager to learn so we ask a million questions but we don’t always get the answer we were hoping for and why is that? Getting so amped up then you find out certain things you didn't expect and often times you find yourself disappointed but how you can you change that around?

            Some of us get asked a bunch of different questions on training or something specific like Muscle Control for example, or how to increase your push-ups, what’s the strength difference between a barbell bench press and a dumbbell bench press hell even about a specific athlete that you love. I don’t get asked a million questions often like some of the other guys like Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher, Ryan Pitts, Dru Patrick or even the legendary Dennis Rogers but when I do, I do my best to give the right answers but sometimes I’d like to ask the other person what they’re intent is, do you have a specific goal or do you want to know just for the sake of knowing? Knowledge is a powerful tool; it’s how you use it that creates what you want.

            Some of you guys out there are very eager to learn, you want answers and things explained but I’d like to share with you a quote from Master Catch Wrestler Billy Robinson, he says “Learn how to learn.” What does that mean exactly? In my way of putting it it’s learning by following your intuition, you learn certain things and ask about more but in order to find the answer, you have to participate and being mindful about what you want to learn. Ask yourself in your mind, what do you seek, where do you want to go in your training, you picture what you want to do, after that you do it. The questions you seek will come by experimenting, getting someone’s take on the subject and what they’re ideas are, take them in like a sponge but have the intention to go with your questions.

            Some guys like to run their mouth and like a machine gun just asking a bunch of questions without looking at the big picture. Their excitement is great and wants to find out as much as they can but yet don’t always hit the target. If you ever see someone at a gun range, watch how some of them take a shot at the target, they can shoot off all they want but if the bullets don’t hit the target they’re not aiming properly and clearly don’t know how to use a gun but they’re excited to learn and want to hit that target. Asking questions is the same thing, they’re like bullets but you need to have a target otherwise you’re just shooting all over the place. Focus on what you want to target, be mindful and fire at the points you’re looking for. When you look at it like this, you’ll find what you’re intentions are and what you want ask, sometimes it’s not the answer you’re looking for but yet it could be the one that was there all along. 

Superhuman Fitness

            Training has a meaning for different people and most of the time; they never take action to drive for what they really want. They want results fast but never put in the effort to put in the work it takes to get fit and strong. Some use aerobics as a workout and if that’s what they like more power to them but that’s not the kind of fitness I’m talking about. Others have used Crossfit to get in awesome shape; I’m all for pushing yourself but again not the kind of fitness I’m talking about. So what kind of fitness am I talking about?

            Taking fitness to a superhuman level requires not just effort but the will to progress by mastery. When you go to the gym, how many people do you see going from exercise to exercise like it’s a supermarket? They pick exercises and throw them in without looking at the big picture. Like a grocery list, you want to get what’s on it and not subject yourself to getting more than you have to. Take that concept and put it into training. Find the exercises you want to master. The fewer you want to master the better because it teaches you how to focus on what you’re doing and progress to a higher level of the exercise whether it’s more sets/reps, a more advanced version, changing the speed and tempo whatever. Mastery is a key to reaching superhuman potential.

            The biggest key is your imagination. Without it, you’ll just strolling along, not making any real progress, you might get some results but no where near the results you’re looking for. When you’re training, think into your exercises, picture yourself in a certain situation. Lifting Odd Objects like a keg or log for example; picture as if you’re in a place where it’s crucial for those things to be lifted. You’re in a big warehouse and those kegs of beer or whatever you see in them need to be carried onto a truck and sent out, time is of the essence and if you don’t make your quota you’re going to lose your job. Random I know but if it’s your job to make a certain quota wouldn't you want to keep it?

            You can use your imagination for anything you wish. Got a Sledgehammer and a tire, picture yourself in the woods, chopping down some lumber to take home and either built your home or bring in firewood to help keep you and your family warm so they don’t freeze to death. Each time you hit that tire, there’s more wood to put on the fire place, more wood to build something. Like Isometrics, push against the wall and picture yourself as if you’re in ancient Egypt and you’re moving blocks of heavy stone to help build the pyramids, or picture yourself in a secret chamber where gravity really takes you down (for you Dragonball Z fans) and the only way to stay up and move is by Muscle Control that gives you the strength to do any exercise you wish. 

            These are just examples but whatever you’d like to come up with be sure to focus and never let go of it. It’s like being able to fly like Peter Pan; sprinkle some pixie dust and think happy thoughts so in real life it be your feeling and energy as your pixie dust and your imagination is your happy thoughts, bring them together and magic happens.

            A food for thought if you want to become superhuman is to be challenge yourself at the right time and know when to back off but never being satisfied. When will you know to challenge yourself? It’ll come when you feel the need for a challenge, push yourself a little harder, do a few extra sets and reps, and test a new variation whatever it might be but sooner or later it’ll happen. Stepping back after a challenge doesn't mean you’re giving up, it means you want to get better and you need to rest up but again it doesn't mean you’re done. 

         Progress your way up, take a step back if you need to and challenge yourself often. A Superhuman doesn't prance around like a pretty boy, he challenges himself, he rises above those who don’t have the drive but also help those find that drive and show them how they can rise themselves. Want to be Superhuman; you have the power to be. It’s within you.

Finally My Opinion On Crossfit

           I tend to be opinionated about certain things every once in a while or I may make mention on certain things. This little trend of Crossfit seems to be the talk of fitness these days and I do have something to say about it. I have family who does Crossfit and they’re 2 of my cousins by marriage, they’re serious about it and when I don’t have any issue with that I do care about them, one of them is a cop. Well you’re about to get my uncut, uncensored and thoughts going to my mouth about this thing people want to do these days. You ready, because here it comes baby.

            Crossfit is not all that new; this type of thing has been around for ages and believe it or not it was a staple for wrestlers in ancient India & Middle Eastern tradition for the sport of Wrestling. These guys would move fast during exercises and go from one to another, they’d swing clubs, maces, do crazy push-ups and squats plus they’d have to dig the pit which was their wrestling mat and prepare it for the day. Imagine what their workout of the day was, nothing like crossfit makes up I guarantee you that.

            Being in great shape is great and I’m all for people who want to do that but what I can’t stand is people getting hurt and bruising themselves up because their stupid enough to not make the effort to learn the actual lift or exercise. Calluses is one thing which we can’t control, you’re bound to get scrapped every now and then and I know, I have had my fair share of getting my hand blistered from pull-ups and kettlebells. To train with efficiency, learn the actual lift and/or exercise and do a weight you can handle because if you can’t you’re going to get problems that will last long periods of time.

            I’ve heard about those Workouts Of The Day and although I love the idea of changing things up to avoid doing the same shit over and over, it gets to me that those workouts don’t have any real structure on pace and having a specific level to start out with, if you’re advanced that’s one thing but at the same time if you’re new to the damn thing, you don’t need to be Speedy Gonzales to catch up to somebody. There are days where you can challenge yourself and try to beat your best record but not 3-4 times a week, that’s just plain retarded and it leads to getting injured. A specific WOD should give you a way to make your own pace, have more technique involved and work on things that doesn't lead to injury; you can do things that won’t put you on a back burner.

            I've seen the videos on youtube of these Crossfit gyms that have people doing some outlandish and dumb shit that I've ever seen in my life. I realize that YouTube isn't the best resource but I've literally seen one of my cousins have plenty of bruises on her that looked like she got her ass kicked by somebody and acts like it’s not a big deal. Fuck that dude lol. I love how someone can push themselves but not to the point to where they’re looking like they got their ass kicked literally. Training is about having fun and giving your body tools that will give you long lasting health, strength and vigor. If you like getting bruised, that’s your business but don’t expect your life to be one happy picnic when down the road your joints will be crackling and you’re not going to move because it hurts so bad, trust me I did that when I was as young as 19 and 20 years old, literally 10 years ago that was happening to me because I thought I was this big shot weight lifter and throwing stuff around like it was a blast but I paid the price for it.

            Technique is one of the most important factors of training, you have bad technique you’re going to suffer the consequences. In my opinion, I can’t stand kipping pull-ups, unless you’re climbing or something it shouldn't be a pull-up, you’re looking at your joints feeling like shit and tendinitis like a motherfucker. Regular pull-ups are far better for your health and way better on your joints and muscles because when you control your body through keeping it tense or by muscle control and use the muscles at work, you have a better chance of building a great powerful back and strong ass arms and abs. The lifting in most of these gyms are ridiculous and you have some shmuck that doesn't know a clean or deadlift for the life of him you’re better off learning from an old timer and reading about that old school style that leads to great strength, power and efficient muscle building. Actually learn the lift and you’ll be surprised what comes up when you become stronger, fitter and have greater tempo.

            Not all crossfit gyms are like this and there are some guys that want to give you ways to be strong, fit and healthy as best as possible, one in particular ran by a friend of mine named Frank Dimeo and one of his guys who help him Dru Patrick have a gym that’s dedicated to bringing the best out of someone and keep them strong and fit with as little injuries as possible if any. You want to be creative and they have plenty of that.

            Creativity is essential for success and when you create a workout that gets you fired up I’m all for that. I don’t believe in doing someone else’s creative workout unless it has a challenge that’s fair enough for you to take on, like Bud Jeffries’ Outlaw Challenge Series, it has challenges that may look messed up but they’re challenges that have great value to them. Most Crossfit gyms have these random workouts that are named after women and I’ll never understand that. I’ve seen some of those things have exercises and timing that is just plain dumb and beating the clock is not going to get you anywhere in the long run. Create your own thing, use your own tempo and speed and work on your technique, use a progressive system that’s suitable to your goals and never be afraid to start at the very beginning because you don’t have to be great to start but progress to become great.

            You’re probably thinking, “If you’re giving that much shit about Crossfit, why do you promote a company like Rogue?” Good question, the answer is because as much as I don’t like some of Crossfit’s ideals I still feel it’s needed in one way or another. I like the idea of doing things that are crazy and challenging, not to the point of hurting yourself but to do lifts, use hammers, have racks that you can do some crazy lifting doing partials. I like that it’s become a sporting like event where you have men and women pushing themselves through different obstacles that have that Rocky type feeling. I firmly believe the Crossfit Games should be in the Olympics, it gives people a chance to see the very best tackling exercises that have been around for ages. Do the technique right, have efficient control and balance yourself right with speed and power, I don’t see why not do them. 

Train To Be Effortless

           Too many people try so hard to make things easier in their lives. They work hard for their family, they push themselves to the brink of exhaustion in their exercises to build their body and they just shove so much stuff it becomes more of a chore and a punishment than an effortless series of tasks. It’s not a shame to work hard for what you want but there are ways to tweak things and use your mind to channel your attitude towards certain things.

            One of the greatest quotes in my opinion is from Yoda “Do or do not. There is no try.” You either do something or you don’t it’s that simple. However, you can focus your mind to make things seem effortless by relaxing a bit more and letting things flow and letting the universe take it’s course. This does not mean stop doing what you’re doing and letting things just happen for you, it takes effort but it doesn't have to be so dramatic and emotionally and physically exhausting. Let me give you an example…When Luke was using the force to pull the X-Wing out of the Swamp, in his mind the damn thing was heavy as hell and with all his might he couldn't even get it out of the water. Exhausted and breathing heavily, he sat down and Yoda looks at him with such disappointment. Luke gets frustrated and walks away thinking that even an old dwarf like Yoda couldn't pull that chunk of metal out of the water. Yoda makes it look effortless and not only gets it out of the water but even makes the damn thing fly back onto shore.

            We all have to pull our own X-Wing out of the water in our lives and sometimes it can be extremely difficult. When you learn to channel your mind and believe with action that everything will flow the way it should, things will become effortless for you and even our metaphorical X-Wing will fly out of the water and we’ll carry it in our mind towards shore without any effort at all. Like the late Bruce Lee once said “Be like water”, you’ll flow with power and effortless strength in any endeavor you do and it all starts in the mind and once you learn how to use it, everything will come together.

            A lot of things can be challenging and we sometimes can’t stand it because it can be so freaking hard your head might explode but what if we can shift things around. When an obstacle comes across us, how about we make the challenge a little interesting; have a little fun with it. You’d be surprised how things can seem less of a challenge if you don’t struggle with it so much. It could be just about anything and you can conquer your challenges with fierce vitality and strength that nothing can stand in your way, you’ll find a way to beat it and do it with a smile on your face. Love the challenge because if you don’t it’ll walk all over you, you don’t have to enjoy it or look forward to it but when it comes knocking you’ll love it but also beat it’s ass to a bloody pulp. Learn to shift your mind and see what happens, you never know until you do it, not try it but do it.

Choosing Your Own Path

            On our path to our very own individuality we are influenced by different people like family members, best friends, athletes, confidante, maybe your boss in a good or bad way either way somehow we are influenced by what is around us and what we watch, listen or that energy that just feels right. We learn from our influences who we become and what will be our destiny. Don’t try to be like your idol or anybody because they’re already taken, make a habit to learn from them to develop your own way to be who you truly want to be.

            The one thing nobody can ever teach is discovering things for yourself. In the Disney 90’s classic Hercules; Herc is becoming a rising star in the town of Thebes because of his heroic efforts to slay everything that crosses him, he’s got merchandise named after him but Zeus his father tells him that’s not the path or the secret to becoming a true hero. Herc must discover something within himself in order to a true individual and heroic figure. In the Fitness world, the general population looks to the biggest trend of weight loss, faster strength gains, quicker results and doing it with less effort when in fact it’s not real. To make things happen to build your body, it takes effort but not always physical strength but by the strength of your will and discovering what works best for you.

            Heading more towards building your body, people believe that in order to achieve that they need to be in a specific place  (Gym for example) where there are specific instructions to do this weight or this cardio machine or lifting up this heavy or light barbell or dumbbell. In reality that’s just one place where you have really more than enough places to go to make gains. Make your surroundings your strengths. When I was in Lake Tahoe earlier this month, the nearest gym was miles away and we pretty much stayed near the lake and the cabins so what could I do, I improvised by going swimming and swim hard, climb on the rocks using MovNat type training to shift, push, pull, grip and squat in many directions, lift heavy rocks by pressing, deadlifting, carrying and tossing them. That’s a hell of a workout and you never know what’s going to happen. Make the effort to be creative and use what you have around you to make the greatest benefit. The art of discovery is only something you can do, nobody else can do it for you.

            One of the greatest discoveries you develop when broadening your horizons and going on a path that is of your own choosing, learn the art of being flawless in everything you do. It’s very difficult to do and it takes time and patience but when it starts to happen, everything changes for the better and you’ll have that magnetic attraction towards people and you will find within the strength of your heart that no matter what happens, you will seem to feel alert and being at ease even in the toughest of times. You can have your own path and do anything you want in your own life. People will make you choose and steer towards something that’s more for them than it ever will be for you. Don’t let them because if you do, you’ll lose sight of who you really are and what will become of you. Walk on it, run it, play hackysack  on it whatever but find your own path and let no one stop you.

Hints Of Conditioning From The 60 Min. Men

           Back in the old days of Professional Wrestling, if you were the world champ and you had a main event, it was common for wrestlers to go for an hour or more draw. Now just being physically gifted is one thing, you also needed the mentality because wrestling for that long would give the average person a stroke if not kill them. Men like Lou Thesz, Vern Gagne, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Jerry Brisco, Harley Race & the Funks all at certain times in their careers had what was the called The One Hour Broadways where commonly if there was running feud, they’d have matches that went to an hour draw or drew from 2/3 falls. Ric Flair was considered the 60 min. man because he constantly went that amount of time with whomever he wrestled when he was the main guy.

            Granted, this was around the early TV era to about the late 80’s, nowadays, hour long matches are rarely seen, mostly in the indies or every now and then Ring Of Honor but long before the TV era, matches sometimes lasted more than 2 hours. One match where Ed “Strangler” Lewis and I believe Joe Stecher went at it for more than 5 hours. I couldn't sit through a match like that and I’m big on technical/scientific wrestling. To be prepared for a match of an hour or more is insane, the conditioning is beyond its peak and you’re mental capacity is taken to the limit.

            To even get to that point, your training has to be at the top of your priority, even back when wrestlers fought for real and entertainment wasn't a factor yet except in the carnies you had to be in the best shape of your life otherwise you’re out of a job or if you couldn't handle it, your pay was cut short. One of the best in the game who didn't have the charisma but the physical and mental attributes to be tireless was the late Karl Gotch. He emphasized the importance of training your musculature from every possible angle to get the best benefit for a match or to stay in peak physical condition. Squats, Push-ups, Bridging are key ingredients but keep in mind the supplemental exercises that become a factor.

            One of my favorite forms of conditioning is training like an animal in the jungle where you learn to move in awkward positions, think about it in wrestling (not WWE crap), you’re going to be in a position that isn’t always natural and might need to get out of a hold or keep your opponent at bay. Training with basic elements using multiple muscle groups keeps you in shape for the long haul. Barbell & Dumbbell Exercises are great for moving weight but they don’t have that same awkward positioning you have to make say like from lifting Odd Objects or moving with weight on your back.

            In India where wrestling was the sport of all sports, athletes worked in many different aspects and most likely Physical Culture developed. They used exercises in a more circular fashion (Hindu Squats, Hindu Push-ups, Clubs & Mace) so they can get great benefit for when they did Jor (aka Wrestling). Their matches in tournaments would commonly last an hour or more and the better man was usually the one in more condition and would end up beating the opponent by a throw or a pin or even took him by surprise when the other man was exhausted. These guys were some of the most feared in all aspects of wrestling; the most feared of them all was the great Gama to a degree that even American Champ Frank Gotch wouldn't want anything to do with him. Gama’s conditioning is the stuff of legends and although most of his matches rarely lasted more then a few minutes, he most likely could go easily in an hour or longer bout if he wanted to, he was that well conditioned.

            You don’t have to be a wrestler to understand conditioning but it wouldn't hurt to learn how you can keep your endurance up in other sports say like the Ironman, Basketball, Football, Gymnastics, even Soccer & Rugby. Every sport has specific conditioning programs to them but if you want to be the very best, you have to condition more than the other guy, not to compete against him in a training session but to keep you as less tired and fatigued as possible. In the UFC, conditioning is a tool you need more than anything else. You can punch, kick, slap a hold on or takedown as many times as you can but if you can’t keep it up in the later duration of the fight, you will get your ass kicked. If you want to be in serious condition, train like you can go an hour or more without blinking an eye.

            Nobody knows conditioning more than a wrestler does. He/she has to go through training that breeds a special kind of athlete, to understand conditioning to the highest level, turn to a wrestler and they’ll tell you how easy you have it made. You don’t have to be a wrestler to be in crazy condition but it’s important to learn the aspects of conditioning from a wrestler that’ll give you the competitive edge over your sport and training in general. Even if you just want to get in great shape and high levels of energy, a wrestler can give you the best tips.

            If you know the fictional legend of Tarzan, he is the embodiment of the ultimate athlete. He climbs, runs, swims, wrestles wild animals and can move through the jungle like nobody’s business. He’s one of my favorite characters and I strive to train the best I can to be like that, maybe not to the extreme like he does but to keep in awesome life-long shape. Want to know a certain way to in touch with your inner Tarzan, look to Erwan Le Corre, the founder of the Physical Education system MovNat that teaches you to unleash your inner spirit for natural movement like when you were a kid. Keep in condition, stay healthy and have a kick ass time doing it.

It’s Crazy, You’re Stupid, You Can’t Do That

           It’s funny how certain people define training ideals. When you do something different or even “traditional” you’ll find how people see you, sure they’ll ask what you’re doing but they’ll always go to the “Wish I can do that” comment. In fitness there are many ways to get in shape, you have crossfit, animal training, Functional Movement, even that P90X or Insanity crap but the one thing to remember is that no matter what you’re doing someone will always give you a hard time and 99.9% of the time they’re the ones who don’t have a clue what real training is.

               

            In Commercial Fitness; you know the lame ads about the new gym in town, the deals of a lifetime, home workouts that you see in the infomercials and don’t get me started on those idiotic ghostwriters in the overrated Muscle Magazines, all of these don’t give you any real benefit of how to be successful in your training. They don’t give you in-depth details about starting from scratch, how to progress at your own level, teach you the value of self-discovery and relying on your own intuition to what can work for you.

            If you plan on using a gym, use equipment that’ll give you the most bang for your buck and that’s being as basic as possible, Barbells, Dumbbells, Racks, pull-up bar and keep the amount of machine work to a minimum if at all. Don’t research on the latest gadget or what machine can give you but instead look to the strength giants of olde, look to how they made their progress and became fit without the use of drugs, heavy supplements or protein shakes. These pioneers used basic formalities to create simple, progressive and useful functional strength and health. There are very few of these guys left and many of them never seem to get the credit when it’s due.

            I firmly believe in the power of intuition, having a sense of feeling through your energy and mind. In order to practice this, it’s best to think outside the norm, using your mind and body together to create an effortless affair of sensing what works, what’s wrong and how to use it to your advantage. Some people can learn fairly easily, others have a tough time and then there are those that have it but can’t accept it because it feels like you’re a crazy person and people will misread the difference between psychic energy and intuition, trust me they’re two very different things. You can follow along with these mainstream fitness fads all you want but in the end, you’re only hurting what’s really inside you, the gift of feeling what gives you the sense of what is useful to you.

            I've gotten looks and even some in my own family give me a hard time about my intuition and make it sound like I’m nuts. When you feel something, there’s energy to it, to me intuition is a version of the Force like in Star Wars. If you learn to believe and listen, you can hear your intuition speak to you. I’m not saying there should be voices in your head or believe in paranoia but what I’m pointing out is that there’s like a Jiminy Cricket, letting your conscience be your guide, telling you and your body what seems right or wrong and how to use it to make yourself successful in anything you want in life. I’m no expert on this and have no clue the science behind it but I really believe when something comes to you and it might be random at times or there’s a sense of energy you’re having don’t just knock it out and move on, listen to it, let it help you. I've learned for nearly a decade that if I want to build on something whether it’s writing, training or even listening to my favorite meditation, I listen to my intuition, it doesn't always have a voice but it gives energy that can be good or bad and I pay attention to it and when that happens, it hasn't failed me yet and whether I like it or not, it’s helping me find my true calling and what works for me in my own training.

            What do you really see? When you train, what feels right to you, what pushes you, what drives you to do the very best or put your best effort? To understand this stop listening to others and learn what you can do that works best for you.

            Want to know a secret? When you watch a DVD of a guy training and ask you to follow along, sure it’s great to get a workout in but in the end it’s just a man or woman working out on your TV, that’s it. To follow the same pace as your DVD trainer is just tedious and boring because you don’t have the same body type, the same speed, the same tempo and don’t always have the same height, the only person you should keep up with is yourself. Learn a technique or two but use your own pace to make your progress. Learn your body’s energy, create your own speed and tempo because you shouldn't need to be as fit as some other person, they’re already taken. See yourself getting fitter each day, learn to be effortless but at the same time make the effort to use what works best for you. Now go do that voodoo that you do so well.