Train To Play: Our Body, Our Breathing And The Earth Beneath Us

A rigid regimen has its place and we learn the value of control, but other times, we feel the need to express ourselves and not act like robots just given a task and not feel like we have any control. As kids, we didn't know what the value was when we played. It just came natural to us, the imaginative things we thought of, how we expressed them and made up some weird scenarios that became our game. 

We moved with expressive detail, let go of what was normal and formulated our own style to what made us want to run, jump, crawl, putting things in perspective without understanding the words we were using. In a twisted way, we taught ourselves to train. The sad thing is, as we grew up, playing became less and less. We became analytical, we stopped what made us have all these ideas and only took into consideration what we thought we can control yet took away our ability to play.

We breathe everyday, we have to in order to live. But our breath was compromised in many aspects because we are taught to breathe this way or that way, our breath becomes shallow when we panic, we live in fear of what is natural and attempt to take control of what others made us believe which in fact is not controlled by you, it's being conditioned to think we are. The body becomes rigid or soft, it stops being expressive because we stopped using our natural functions for imagination so we can express it outwardly. 

Fitness is more than just how we move our bodies through various planes of motion (weight training, gymnastics, push-ups, pull-ups, bodybuilding), it's what it also gives us mentally. The fitness industry has both good and bad points that comes with greed, self loathing and the ability to manipulate those that are convinced this person or that person is the answer to their problems. We as individuals slowly lose our own abilities to express what was already natural to us.

Within a couple ticks shy of 30 years of practicing various forms of exercise, very few can match the ideals of what it means to move and let go of the rigid mentality of you have to be this way in order to get results. No matter what you do when it comes to training, results will come but not in the way you always think they're going to go. Results vary from person to person, we build our bodies for whatever purposes but we can't look the same otherwise what's the point of your own individuality?

First and foremost, the best equipment we have doesn't come from a machine, a dumbbell or a barbell, hell not even rings or straps; it's the earth. We can jump on it, crawl, run, flip, roll and whatever can make us have it be the platform for self expression. The grass, the dirt, the feeling of our bare feet. The second, some of the best exercise is not pre-set moves like numbered squats, push-ups and weights; it's moving like a wild animal or combining elements that are the successors of putting yourself in a series of moves that are creative and full of life. The ability to switch from one thing to another in the blink of an eye, the idea of learning on the fly and controlling your own destiny within every step. It's bringing back what was already there but amplifying it with even more enthusiasm.

In one of my recent videos of doing various animals and other moves, I just wanted to express myself and not care that it looked weird, not graceful like Ballet or Circ Du Soleil and just let go. Make shit up and combine moves I normally don't do. I don't roll very much yet in one video I'm going backwards and forwards without giving it any real thought. Just an idea and go with it. It was the need to play with what was possible. 

Training to play is more than just learning moves, it's enhancing the ability to be creative, to give yourself the gift of movement and not necessarily use it to make it your identity but to use it as a tool to show what you're capable of. It takes time and practice. Yeah I do Isometrics and other things and they're a part of who I am but the practice of moving freely hits different. It's putting you into a different world altogether. A form of individualism that ties many things together, a family of exercises that forms your being. 

Courses like Movement 20XX teaches this and not just in the exercises themselves, but to give a person the freedom to express themselves. Yes you learn how each exercise works but you also learn about yourself, how to tie the exercises and moves together for your own goals and what you want to accomplish. Not just physical results but the mental aspects as well. You'll see things differently, you'll move in awkward positions yet it'll feel like nature, it's enhancing your brain to think outside the norm. You let go of things for a while and reevaluate what was great as a kid doing things that showed personality, being bold and making a game out of something. 

Train to play. Use the body as a tool, breathe into the earth and find the value what makes fitness amazingly awesome. It's not childish, it's child-like and you get to go back to a place where life is simple and fun. Find your creativeness, use your imagination and learn things that were part of our lives before we became overthinkers and self sabotaging our own individuality.   

When Working Out Becomes Playful

Simplicity is the key to all aspects of fitness and Physical Culture but also the concept of Creative Movement opens up a new door to a world where you get to roam free and move your body in a more natural setting. The act of animal movements is nothing new but developing combos and switching from one thing to another in the blink of an eye, puts a new perspective on how you use your imagination.

Hard work is the idea but it's putting that hard work into an art form where it becomes practically effortless and it creates the illusion that it looks easy. This morning, I decided to just roam and move doing various movements switching from one thing to another using the concepts of Vahva Fitness, Animal Flow & Ginastica Natural. Granted I'm no where near the level of the creators of these awesome methods but it's not my job to be better than them, it's my job to be better than yesterday. 

I like to call it Playful Movement which gives the idea that it's something exciting, adventurous and learning things about yourself in the physicality of the moves you come up with. Just a few moves in, I feel stretched out, breathing like a madman and working my brain to control everything I do. It's not easy by any means and it's not to poke at other methods, it's the way to form self expression through the physical. As kids, we create games and pretend what we see, are and do is out of this world and different, venturing into the unknown and doing things you didn't know you were capable of doing. As adults, we lost sight of this because we stopped using our imaginations, we are told what reality is and that we should stop acting childish before we hurt ourselves because adults get hurt much faster as they age right? 

Yes if you had previous injuries and need to adjust that's one thing but to be told you can't be creative or use your imagination because it's a child's thing is pure bullshit. As humans, we were meant to create, we were meant to move and we were meant to imagine incredible things and act on them to become the best version of ourselves. Mickey Mouse didn't appear out of nowhere; he was drawn, made up in the mind of a man but that drawing became iconic, expressive and had CHARACTER. That's the beauty of Playful Movement, you develop a character and make up things that become reality. 

We all have abilities inside of us that we haven't discovered yet and can do things that can change the course of our lives or the lives of others. We have powers beyond our own beliefs and have been locked away because we were told this or that and this or that is how it is and being creative gets us nowhere. I would bet if we let go of the bullshit, this world would be a better place and you have the power to create what you desire and take things to levels others told you were impossible. Our imagination can turn into reality if we fully embrace it's power. 

Playful Movement goes beyond animal exercises and weird looking moves, it's the high rise to Self-Expression and forming patterns that generate strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, balance, conditioning and all the mental aspects as well. It's like Dancing Gymnastics or Interpretive Dance. You may not be graceful at first or for a period of time, but once you start forming moves that become effortless through practice, you become something more than what you started out as. They say practice makes perfect? No, it's the practice to become effortless. Nothing is ever perfect, but becoming effortless means you have made the effort to make something happen that looks beautiful and incredible to do. If you ever want to see someone that made things look effortless, watch highlights of Bo Jackson.

Get up and move, be creative and be amazingly awesome.  

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.
     

Follow Your Fitness Destiny

           I believe that no matter who you are, you aught to follow your own destiny. It’s important to learn who your true self is and that nobody aught to tell you who you should be and that you need to live by a higher standard according to society’s standards. Fitness is really the same thing. The truth is, if you are passionate about something and it helps you in your life than that’s where you aught to go. There are many methods you can learn and my hope for you is take bits of pieces of what you learned and apply them to what makes you happy. For real fitness and getting real results find and use what brings you those results.

            In almost 20 years in fitness and health, I’ve learned a great deal of things, some work, some don’t. In that time I’ve also seen a great many people who tarnish certain things because it doesn’t suit their standards, they want to drive you away from your destiny and teach you only their methods and if you’re not on par than you’re going to fitness hell. Open your mind to different things, challenge your body and brain to what yields them a great learning experience. I have fallen to the “one true method” mindset and it nearly killed my expansion to be able to understand different ideals. Some people do only one method and for them it’s the end all be all and that’s fine but last time I checked there are 7 billion people in the world, not all of them are going to follow you.

            I want you to find what you love to do. If you don’t like something and it doesn’t help you much, that’s a clear sign that you aught to look into something else. I’ve seen countless people bicker at each other what they don’t like and tell people that because they don’t like it, it’s not going to work others as well, bullshit. If you’re a fan of kettlebells and they do well for you, then you go get whatever kettlebell course is out there and you bust your ass on them because it’s what you love, if you don’t like kettlebells, don’t buy them and don’t give others crap about it because it’s not for you.

            There are a lot of things I love in fitness like cables, hammers, bodyweight, ropes, isometrics and other things so I take bits and pieces of these things and mold them in my own unique way. That’s the true beauty of fitness is the ability to be unique and creating the best way for you to get what you want for your body and mind. Don’t let assholes who tell you that because of what you do, you’ll get injured, you’re depriving to train like a man or better yet because of what you preach and love, they’ll come up with any lame way of what is terrible about it.

            I’m not an angry guy, as a matter of fact I’m very happy about what I do and I get to learn from very amazing people; however I do get a bit irritated when I find out about people who over criticize about another person’s methods and tell them their an idiot or that you’re not an animal you’re a man, train like it; just makes me want to slap those people. Be unique, if you like doing just one method that’s great for you but I believe in learning multiple methods and taking different parts that you find suitable to your needs and goals.

            Build your own destiny, find your calling and passion and run with it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a woman or a man, we all have something unique about ourselves and it’s important to find what our true self is and grasp it by grabbing it by the horns and create something out of it in an awesome, positive and beautiful way. Help others find their creative side and give them the power to fulfill their own destiny, you don’t have to like what they do but if they’re important to you make them feel important and guide them.

Take care and have an awesome day wherever you are.

Travel Training

             I love to travel when I have the chance, sometimes for an extended period of time over a few weeks. If you're into fitness or learning and doing certain things it’s important to remember that when you travel, you may not have the same luxury in a different town or state so don't be limiting yourself. Many people believe that to get in shape you need to be in a gym and hitting the iron or the machines but believe it or not it’s not always that possible to do so. I have a friend that travels constantly and needs to be in shape for what he does but he uses his imagination and realistic approach that gives him the tools to travel in awesome shape no matter where he is. Don't limit yourself.

            Expand your horizons. If you can't get to a gym or your hotel doesn't have what you need, do things a little differently. Instead of focusing on what you need to lift when you travel, think of moving your body around, do push-ups and squats in your hotel room, hold certain postures, travel with a chest expander that works your upper body like crazy yet easy to travel with.

            Here’s a little tidbit for you; when I was 25 I went to Disneyland with someone in my family. When we were there we went on rides and stuff but we also we went out on our own at times, I was going to do The World Of Tomorrow where in order to get in you stand and the ground rotated to get to the entrance, I decided on a whim to do a free standing Handstand while the thing was rotating and I actually held it for quite a bit. It was awesome and that was the only exercise of the day that was it. When you travel, be creative and have fun, don't rush things.

            If you're going to travel with something to workout with, travel light. It’s not easy carrying a dumbbell or a kettlebell in your bag so why not cables like the Chest Expander or the PowR Walk Pro; they're easy to carry around and they’re there when you need them. I like to travel with some cables and an Isometric Belt that I have that’s about 14ft long and practice my isometric training. One of the best ways to train is to do it in nature. About every summer my dad’s family goes to South Lake Tahoe for about a couple weeks and get a couple cabins, go to the beach and chill out. When I go, that’s the perfect opportunity to do some great swimming, lift heavy rocks, crawl, balance and climb on the rocks as well. Training in nature is just different, exciting, and spontaneous and you never know what you're getting into.

            I emphasize this with great intent that no matter where you go whether it’s in a big city or the Fiji Islands, utilize your imagination and use the environment to get an awesome workout in. I get more out of creating something than trying to find something that can be too far away or whatever. When you learn to channel your mind and being aware of your surroundings, you can create any type of workout you want. I've been in some crappy places and even some gorgeous and beautiful places too and still found how to train without an excuse. If you want to stay in shape bad enough you will find a way to do it. Create opportunities and take advantage of them. A gym is just a gym but why not use the world as your gym. 

Unleash Your Creative Potential

           As long as I've been training since I learned to walk again in 2005, I always believed in finding a creative way to train. It’s been my mission to find certain exercises that are unique and out there because when you do the same old boring crappy workouts that these magazines or infomercials are telling you do, it’s diminishing your right to find what works best for you. I have no problem doing basic movements but I also wanted to add an element of fun to them.

            The best way to use your creativity is to use your imagination. The way you think into your exercises will define how you believe the workout to be. One of my favorite exercises as of late has been what I call being a Thorsmith; what that is just basically taking a heavy Thor Hammer and hitting a tire with one hand. Now to most that just seems pretty boring but not if you think differently. The way I look at it as, I’m not hitting a tire and my hands are bigger in my mind than they normally are, plus I'm imagining I’m in an awesome place where strength is instant, I’m building my body from within and I don't imagine a tire being there but something that I'm building from scratch and it’s not a sword or a wrench but my muscles and my tendons. This is one example of how to turn a simple exercise into a super charged workout with just your thinking.

            Although the word workout may have a different meaning to some people but to me whenever I hear the word work-out two things cross my mind; one being if you don't have a positive thinking process and are too serious you’re just working and not getting anywhere. On the other hand if you feel alive and just effortlessly train without thinking harshly you're really playing and having a blast and getting results out of it. That’s where your imagination comes in and the way you apply yourself to your training.

            There are a number of dumbasses out there that tell you that they're way is the best and whoever is different doesn't know any better and being different makes you weak. Screw them. You are one person, you train however you want and if it’s different than everybody else so be it. I'm encouraging you to be unique and different because you can’t do the same things everyone does. You will always be stronger in something that someone else isn't; it’s not yours or anybody’s fault and being different is a gift not a curse. Don't let anyone tell you that you can’t do something great. If you have a vivid imagination, use it it’s yours and you have the power to make yourself successful. Whoever tells you different and gives you crap about it, they're jealous of what you have and they don’t look at you when they say it, they look at themselves and hating that they can’t do what you’re capable of. Show who you truly are and share it. 

Make Your Own Ingredients

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

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

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

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

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

I Refuse

           I've been in fitness for more than 15 years and learned many things in that time. My journey has made me bleed, sweat, hurt, recover, learn valuable lessons and triumph over those that said I couldn't do it. One of the things that made me develop into the athlete I've become today is my ability to rebel and utilize my full potential by finding the very best that interests me and my goals and refuse to work with what doesn't. Here are a few things in the fitness industry that I refuse to do…

I refuse to isolate my muscles when I can use my full body towards a specific exercise.

I refuse to do the workouts the magazines sell when there are better options to optimize my creativity.

I refuse to listen to those who don’t have a damn clue to what they’re talking about and find the people who are the real deal and take bits and pieces to create my own style from them.

I refuse to be told what works and what doesn't when I can discover it for myself and not for the sake of anyone else.

I refuse to hear those who never exercised a day in their life yet they try to advise me on it.

I refuse to give up exercising every single day because someone told me I had to workout no more than 3-4x a week. I listen to my body and work with my intuition tells me to do and my recovery is my problem and I’ll come back stronger than ever.

I refuse to read about the latest gadget that promises 6 pack abs or stronger arms or whatever is advertised because the only way to get real results is to put in real effort and make the best out of your training.

I refuse to see exercise as a punishment because I see it as a blessing, something worth while and something that is interesting and fun. If it doesn't put you in a state where you feel invigorated and give you a challenge you want to conquer then it won’t work for you.

I refuse to listen to those who doubt me, are jealous and give me crap about what I love to do. They don’t have my body, they don’t see my journey the way I do and they don’t push the way I do so what gives them the right to have any say.

I refuse to be beaten down. I’m constantly growing and finding what works best for me and what I want to accomplish. I will conquer my challenges on my own terms. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.

      Creativity is very important in every aspect of life, adapting to certain places, finding the best exercises that will help you reach your potential and utilizing your mind to its full potential. There are those who refuse to lead their own journey and instead just blindly follow some quack with a piece of paper on their name. You learn certain things and the right people will give you powerful tips but they can’t do the work for you, you have to put in the effort in order to be successful.

      The positive side to rebelling is learning who you really are as a person and the people that care the most and want to see you succeed. How do you do that? You observe, take notes mentally or on paper. Be creative, find what drives you and gives you a positive outlook on life. Find a way to express yourself and have fun and be around those that give you something to look forward to or help you. There are so many stuck up and stiff people in this world that hide in their own world and refuse to let anyone in that doesn't agree with them. If that works for them great but at the same time I love those that have given me the drive to use the best of my potential. I want to see those who have drive put effort into showing who they are and believe in themselves and be true to who they are and help others find their spot in this world.