The Realism Of Energy Levels

 It's not always easy to understand that sometimes, our energy levels vary from day to day and how our mind and body can take a certain amount of energy to use. In a fantasy world, your energy is constantly boundless, you can't get tired and you channel your energy anyway you want but in the real world, energy varies with certain people and it's never equal. Some days, your energy isn't always there and you force your body to keep going because there are responsibilities, things have to be done and you just have to suck it up; it can be draining as fuck. Other days, everything is there, the energy is just crazy and you can go and do many things with ease and just hit the right spots, we've all had some of those days.

I can be very energetic at times like during my training or being out with people, living it up and working on projects or doing certain things like snow shoveling, moving furniture or going on hikes. Sometimes, my energy just isn't there, even if I am training and use up what I can to get through it. I may not always feel up to things and weather affects me sometimes, mental drainage happens and not always in the best place. It's called being human and you do what you can on a day to day basis. Our mental capacity, our physical energy and effort does have limits and some just can't grasp the idea that there's no such thing as the perfect level of energy.

You can take all the pills, the energy drinks, the coffee, the pre-workout you want but eventually, certain things will happen and something will either kill you or put you in the hospital because you overwhelmed the system and the body needs time to heal. We forget that at times and we then run on fumes while making as much effort as possible and sacrificing ourselves to make certain things happen or getting this project done, making sure the kids are ok and if all the bills are paid; we sacrifice the energy we do have in order to fulfil certain tasks in life. In tough times, it can be difficult to have great energy because you have busted your ass with very little reward and your beating up the body in order to make life better for others such as a family, can't get any more real than that.

Is it possible to have more days with great energy than others? Very much so but it's more of an individual thing than just a general spreadsheet of how to incorporate your energy levels. In some cases, having a booster can do the trick like for some a 5 hour energy drink kicks in and you got into that level of being in the zone. Music can help too especially if it helps get into a rhythm to make things flow and your tasks become a little easier. Some people only have a specific type of energy due to brain chemistry and use it to pay attention to certain things because of what requires their time and capacity. For example, there are people with immense brain power like Mathematicians, Engineers, Physicists, those who have the energy and strength to solve equations with great focus; others like Laborers, Athletes, Farmers and Construction Workers who have the brains to channel into their physical body to do great tasks that do take up a ton of energy and use that body to move things, have the ability to operate machinery and control themselves as best as possible so they don't get hurt in order to make a living. 

Now, when you mix two styles of energy together, it can have 50-50 or more/less of consequences with the tasks you are given to do and using energy to get those tasks done. You won't see many physicists trying to move furniture or dig ditches for hours on end because not only do they not have the physical capabilities to channel that energy, many don't have the strength or the mental aspect to do those tasks. You're also not going to see much of a Laborer trying to keep up with the science and mathematic mind of a Neil Degrasse Tyson or Stephen Hawking because they don't have the capacity or specific energy and focus to do those things (unless there's a Will Hunting out there somewhere which can be possible). There's also the ability to channel the energy we need to do things even through we are exhausted and letting the tank run even though it's about to be empty. That happens a lot in life especially those who work hard for a living in order to build a life for themselves or raising a family. We channel what is possible through mind over matter and screw the consequences later. 

All in all, we do what is possible for us to use the energy we have on any given day. Sometimes we have to go the extra mile and suffer in order to get things done, other times our energy is so big that we have sharper focus and physical capabilities that we didn't think we had, tasks get done with ease and we just feel great and feel invincible. Realistically, we can only do so much and many suffer damage to years of being worn down through physical injuries, mental breakdowns, trying to ease pain with party favors and drinking among other things. Very, very few come out of it without ego or able to heal up certain aspects of damage whether mental, physical, emotional or all three. There's pride in how we use our energy and the outcome of it but there's also ego in the case where you force energy levels and there's no consequences or very little so you push on and things will be alright, that's an extremely rare thing. 

Make your energy count and use it as best as you can regardless of the situation but also remember that our energy will only go so far until it becomes crucial.     

Do Binaural Beats Work?

 

First off, what in the bloody hell are Binaural Beats? It's the perception of sound we create in our brains. If there is two tones we hear each at a different frequency and each in a different ear, our brain creates a third that we can hear. That third tone is a Binaural Beat. Our tolerance for various frequencies depends on the individual but the idea is to promote relaxation and be put into a deep state of meditative like format. Whether for a few minutes or for several hours, massaging the brain can have a profound affect positively on our psyches. That doesn't mean we should overdue it. Like training the body, we have to progressively build up and keep a balanced level of tolerance in order to strengthen the brain. 

I've been listening to a lot of these lately and varied the volume I use on my headphones and my speakers. Ranging from meditative music for increasing dopamine (the happy hormone) to testosterone/HGH and even attracting unexpected money from sales. I don't go all day listening to these but depending on what I want to do or to keep my energy levels up, I listen to different tracks. I would loop one track over and over for about up to 15 minutes or so since some are just over 2 minutes long while others may be over 5-10. During my Dao Zou Training (meditatively walking backwards), I would listen to Becoming Happy which is over 10 1/2 minutes long and would listen to this three times. This is supposed to help with ridding the mind of negative thoughts and energy and strengthening serotonin and dopamine while increasing positive thoughts and energy. Yeah it sounds very "New Agey" but hey, it's far better than popping pills and taking loads of muscle relaxers. I listen to this at night before going to bed and so far it has worked and I sleep like a rock, calm and relaxed. 

These kinds of beats have been around a while and has roots in ancient shamanic rituals where music and surroundings put you into a deep state of meditation where you relax the mind and body to heal or have some other worldly type of experience. Almost like those who have taken LSD or Shrooms to go somewhere else in their mind. This has been taken to extremes and yes drugs are bad (in my bad Mr. Mackey voice) but we all want to escape reality at one point or another. With listening to these Beats on YouTube, this is a safer option but you do have to be careful so you don't have volume up so high it could lead to some hearing loss and create headaches. Keep them to a volume that you can hear but are comfortable with and immersing yourself in it. 

With regards to the Testosterone/HGH frequencies, there are some things to be skeptical about especially when it comes to the description of what they do. Some sound a little off the rails but I give it a chance and just listen and do my best to naturally feel the vibrations and what gives the brain a reason to send those neurons to the areas where Testosterone and HGH lead to which is mainly in the sex organs. Creating blood flow and having that surge of masculine energy and sexual vibrancy. Again it sounds weird and there's a reason to be skeptical. Nothing wrong with giving it a shot just to see how it feels. It may not always work instantly but in my recent experiences, listening to them a few times a day on loop like maybe no more than 3-4 times (time can go by fast with these) for a week may give you some insights to how the body feels. One of my favorites to listen to is called Unleash Your Masculinity- Super Testosterone Subliminal For Male Potency, Muscle Gain & Confidence. Talk about a mouth full, it's around 10:40 long and has a lot of vibrational sounds along with using some kind of synthesizer which at times really hits you but it feels good and energetic. I listen to this track once, maybe twice at a time and always come out of it feeling great and feeling like a weight has been lifted and ready to go. 

There are many other styles of frequencies used to target many things for the mind and body like healing certain areas, bone strengthening, recovery, getting rid of cobwebs, enhancing your focus and concentration, sleep, losing weight, gaining weight, attracting wealth, attracting soulmates, stronger estrogen for women, various testosterone building frequencies, helping migraines, brain strengthening and a hell of a lot more. Whatever you may want to work on or enhance, give these a try and see what could work for you. If they don't and you just don't see them doing anything for you, than it doesn't work for you. That's ok, we all experiment with something and sometimes certain things don't work. I find them to be very powerful and helpful. I mainly use them to keep my energy up especially for training and when I'm ready to go to sleep, I have one or two videos to listen to for a period and feel ready to fall asleep. 

Here are some of the channels to look up on Youtube. You don't have to watch the videos, just listen and feel, that's it. On some of them, you can multi-task like doing dishes or writing or even working out. Just don't listen to these while driving or operating heavy machinery. 

Good Vibes Binaural Beats 

Positive Vibes

Inner Peace

Vastu- Meditation, Brainwaves & Healing

Binaural Beats Frequency Wizard

There's tons of others and all have their pros and cons but quite a few are powerful and potent. Last time, being skeptical is very understandable and reasonably so, shit I never thought of listening to stuff like this but I gave it a shot and they work very well for me. Just the feeling of my brain relaxing and getting thoughts and negative crap out of head was the start of it. This is a hell of a lot better than turning to drugs or drinking to stun your sorrows. Be safe, listen with intent and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Having Too Much Energy Can Be A Bad Thing

 Among things like Restless Leg Syndrome and other hyper-active formats, the energy we expand or don't use enough of can bite us in the ass and could lead to other issues. I've been known to be hyper-active and need to move around and be stimulated in some way. Often, it's one of those things where when I do try to sleep, my head is telling my body to go to sleep but my legs fight against it and will at times might as well say "fuck you" and want to keep moving around. 

I've been a night owl as long as I can remember at least since I was about 10-11 years old and unless I'm so fried that day, I don't sleep a ton of hours. At one point in my life the longest I slept was 15 hours but most of the time, 5 would be the most on an average basis. Sometimes I would work out just so I can exhaust myself in order to sleep but it doesn't always work out in my favor (see what I did there?). 

It's not easy when you're both hyper-active and have a brain that won't shut up. You try to read, watch a movie, listen to a podcast, listen to meditative sounds or in cases like mine, you train until you're ready to fall asleep. Yeah it sounds contradictory working out in order to sleep because after some workouts, you're at times more energized than ever. Believe me, I've been on both sides of the coin to where some workouts had me sleeping like a baby within about 20 minutes after but some others took longer to kick in in order to pass the hell out. 

I have at times took doses of melatonin which rarely ever did anything, I've taken muscle relaxers but didn't want to become addicted or rely on them, never once took sleeping pills which quite frankly is tempting but I've heard enough horror stories in my lifetime and knew people who were on them. If you've read enough of this blog, you know I despise and hate with a passion for medication. I'd rather be an insomniac than rely on chemical bullshit that has a risk of being highly addicted to. 

When I do sleep, I'm pretty good and maybe not completely alert in the first couple minutes after waking up but once the energy kicks in, I'm off to the races. It's a struggle but you do what you can and not everything is a 100% guarantee. Sometimes your body will do what it wants to do and your brain will have battles. I understand what it's like to worry too much, overthink, anxious about whatever, songs stuck in your head, needing to keep an eye out for anything that could go wrong in the house or having to be there for someone when they have a nightmare. It's at times overwhelming but alas we do need to sleep. 

It's hard for many and it's important for you to know you're not alone. Some people can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, others not so much. I have fallen asleep watching a movie but that tends to screw up my sleep later that night, I'd be totally relaxed for a period but the next thing you know, I'm wide awake needing to do something. Being bored or forcing boredom in order to sleep doesn't work for me, never really has. Do I take naps from time to time, yes and maybe I need to do less of them in order to get proper sleep. It is what it is and you learn by trial and error. 

We do need to find that balance where we use the energy we have productively in order to have optimal rest. On the other hand, some people need more energy cause they're tired constantly and don't have energy to be productive. There's got to be middle ground somewhere. Do what you can for you and make the most of the energy you have. Keep being amazingly awesome and get the best sleep you can. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Ziziphus 

Maintaining Testosterone As We Age

As you know, testosterone is a steroid hormone that's necessary to maintain a healthy body in both men and women, far more so for us guys. It helps us keep our bones strong, our libido enhanced and strengthens our immune system. As we get older (35+), it starts to drift downward little by little each year, sometimes faster depending on our lifestyle choices or the body's inability to produce over time. Some people have a very healthy lifestyle and have solid levels of testosterone but also for others, even if they tried living with healthy choices like foods and exercise, it can still drift. It happens and the body can be unpredictable to how we react to certain things.

We mostly have this major increase in testosterone when we hit puberty. Remember those days, where even a kiss on the cheek from a pretty girl can make the soldier salute or if the wind blew a certain way? When it starts to go south, that's where a number of problems can occur like low sex drive, so tired consistently it's almost like you want to go into a deep sleep like Briar Rose from Sleeping Beauty and worst of all; losing our strength. Low testosterone can also increase chances of obesity.

We want to maintain it and keep it as high as we can regardless of how old we are. Now there's such a thing as having over-kill levels of testosterone which can make us either too aggressive to near violent and it can put us in dire strait on our body's system. It's about balance and hitting a solid high mark. Numbers can vary but we need to produce just enough to stay healthy. 

Certain factors beyond aging can develop low levels of testosterone such as negative stress, over-inducing alcohol, smoking (this includes Vaping), lack of training and use of steroids over an extended period of time. If changes need to made, do what's possible. Utilize High Intensity Interval Training 1-3x a week, be in fresh air more often, make dietary changes to where you're developing a greater form of eating protein in natural foods like meats, chicken (personally, T-Bone & Bison are awesome) and other foods. Training formats such as Sprint Training, Isometrics, Circuit Conditioning & Carrying Heavy Objects boost spikes of testosterone. 

Sometimes, guys need or could benefit from Supplements as long as they maintain healthy habits. It's that small extra push to drive into a touchdown of scoring levels of testosterone. Herbal Supplements such as Pine Pollen, Tongkat Ali & even something like Alpha MAX Test . With supplements utilizing as natural ingredients as possible, we can build on giving our body's it's natural release of testosterone without having to resort to steroids or Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Be mindful and keep an eye on your health especially in your sex organs. We want to keep that drive going and have powerful libidos, strength that lasts and energy that keeps us going for a long time. 

Be healthy guys and stay strong. Keep being amazingly awesome. 

Circuit Training & The Benefits That Come With It

Circuit Playouts go beyond just moving from one exercise to the other and moving as quickly as possible. The ability to train the body through different tempos and form is a top quality to acquire but at the same time, it's critically important to be aware of breathing and the speed to push through with the best intentions. It challenges your conditioning but it also challenges how you breathe and move throughout a single circuit to multiple rounds.

I have mostly done circuits in the 6-9 range of exercises and do my best to get in 5-10 rounds depending on my mood, the shape i'm in at the time and the difficulty the exercises are. If you're an athlete training for a sport say like MMA, Wrestling, Football, Hockey; you want to be able to move as quickly as possible with limited rest periods between circuits and be able to withstand even great stress. What this teaches is that if you can push through a tough circuit multiple times with very little rest, you can handle extremely well in a competitive environment. However, not all of us can have that luxury because for the average person, pushing that hard can lead to many physical problems and your oxygen levels become more depleted than accustomed to over time.

I believe circuit training can be very beneficial but for the sake of health purposes and a goal to build up strength & endurance over time, its important to focus on the 3 main factors to take on high levels of conditioning; breath control, muscular control (solid form) & tempo. If you move too fast too quickly, your body will shut down in a negative way and you'll need more time to recover, if you move too slow or the playout isn't quite right or not enough you won't make the progress you want. It's like the Goldilocks & The Three Bears concept, there's too much, not enough and there's that one that fits you perfectly. This is where experimentation and focus on how your body operates and is leveled to a particular easy or advanced playout.

Everyone is different so build up to what works best for you and adjust according to your level. On some days it's good to back off and do lesser rounds but on your energetic days you can go for as many as 10-20 rounds if you wish. I also believe in how your energy plays out in this type of training. Pushing to the absolute limit can really deplete your energy levels and you won't be boosting hormones at a great rate; matter of fact your hormones and testosterone levels can drop if you do too much. When your energy levels are leveled to where you can be energized during and after a circuit playout can have a great deal of benefits when done correctly. Circuits can be a powerful way to surge growth hormone, testosterone, strength endurance & energetic properties that lead to greater recovery and accumulate amazing muscle definition & natural muscle mass. It wouldn't matter if its weight lifting, bodyweight, cables or whatever; if you can use the energy to your advantage and use the right form of leverage to where you can be as strong going in as you are coming out of it you're still having a great deal of power throughout your circuit training.

Bodyweight circuits are the best in my opinion because not only can you do them practically anywhere but you learn the sensitivity at a greater rate of your body moves freely than by moving weights because with weights eventually you're moving with the weight instead of moving freely on your own. Be simplistic using pushing, squatting, ab play and some grip to get the most out of your training. You can supplement other exercises but stay with the fundamentals and you'll never go wrong.

Why I Don't Train To Failure

In the past, I have pushed myself in gym sessions and even during certain bodyweight training sessions to the point where I couldn't move anymore in a particular exercise so in other words trained to the brink of failure. I looked at that as a sign of knowing what it's like to have that warrior mentality and pushing through pain and giving it all I got. All it really got me was in fact pain, not sore muscles but actual pain and still feeling the effects of some of those sessions to this very day in places like my right shoulder, ankles & even my elbows.

Going to failure basically means you do so much until you can't move anymore in an exercise like the bench press, deadlift, push-ups, squats or whatever. You keep going until that last rep is so freaking tough, ever inch hurts and its the ultimate struggle. Many take this as a sign that it means you'll get stronger next time around. Don't get me wrong this is true to a degree but for overall development from my own experiences and being around others who've done it, it can actually weaken you because when you go that hard, you're not just stressing the muscles, you're also putting even more stress on the joints and ligaments and the chances of anything tearing are greater when you do go to failure workouts.

Going to failure depletes your energy both mentally and physically afterwards or even during on some occasions and when your energy is depleted, this can lead to a series of problems and can take you out for often times weeks for complete recovery. The type of training ought to be giving you or help conserve energy regardless of how strong you are. This mentality for going to failure is usually by hardcore fanatics either in sports or the gym or whatever it is they're training for. Me personally I can't afford to get injured or something worse because I do have a job, a house I take care of and need to pay for things to help stay afloat when its needed. When you're injured, you can't do the things you want to do, recovering from injuries can be unpredictable and if you have a job where if you're injured and can't do the tasks, you're not getting paid.

I don't train to failure because I need the energy to stay focused in what I need to do. I hate not being able to train and when you don't have the energy to play with your kids, can't squat without feeling some form of pain, not move with efficiency; it'll make you miserable. You need that energy from beginning to end so the very things that are important in your are possible to accomplish.

There is a fine line between a few aches but severe pain is a miserable thing to have. Training to failure breaks down the muscles way too much and the recovery time can take longer than you'd like it to be. I play with exercises every single day and have for nearly 12 years ranging from 5 min. to well over an hour and still have energy to do things with the people I care about. Be smart when you train and train to conserve energy whether you're a beginner or advanced do what's best for you and make the most of it without suffering the consequences of overtraining and putting your body at risk. The body can only take so much regardless of how you set your mind to. The idea is be as pain-free as possible and have strength during and after your playouts.

Playout, Don't Workout.

Does Your Energy Lack These Days?

Have you struggled just to get your ass out of bed in the morning?

Ever feel a slump in the mid afternoon or just after lunch?

Lack the energy at night because of sitting and binge watching?

The truth is, this a very sad reality for many people.

Because of this we take in way too much caffeine from coffee and other drinks just to fight this off. Don't get me wrong, its nice to feel a buzz but after a while but that tends to slip and drop hard and makes things worse for you than you realize.

Plus you're doing this just to get some form of energy going and feel like a young kid, all full of hyped up spring in the step and have that feeling like you can take on the world.

Sadly, this isn't really that normal as you'd like to believe.

Our bodies are meant to have a plethora of energy regardless of our age.

What gets it to disappear and decrease throughout time? There are more than just a single factor and here they are......

*Over-Stressed
*Lack Of Sleep
*Hormones Are Imbalanced
*Problems In The Immune System
*Not Getting Enough Real Food
And so much more....

In Chinese Medicine, they talk about an idea of using Tonic Herbs. Unlike most medicine or other herbs for that matter, which the main purpose is to treat symptoms, these tonic herbs are meant to be designed for your health and support it in the best ways possible.

Your Root Energy & The Power It Contains

This amazingly POWERFUL formula can be taken everyday and the benefits just grow as you take it over time.

For that well-rounded approach that supports you deeply into the body, giving you energy that is packed with strength, check out the Phoenix Formula.

A mighty set of herbs packed into it such as Ant Extract, Pine Pollen, He Shou Wu & Shilajit work together synergistically to get you running and on the go.

What would it feel like to you to have energy that is 10, 50 or even a whopping 100% better than you can imagine and use it to get tasks done, play sports, be with your grandkids or better yet having that kind of energy with your spouse in the bedroom.

You don't need to take my word for it, just take a look at these amazing reviews on the formula that gave others something awesome


“I took this a few times off and on before realizing how much better I felt when I did take it. Six years of midnight shift up until my retirement left me exhausted and badly burned out, and this formula has helped my recovery more than any other sup I’ve tried.” – JC

“It’s like an energy shot. Working great for me.” – Inderjit

“I am on my second bag now, the results have been excellent…more energy and focus, better sleep and a nice libido boost.” – Bryan

“GREAT STUFF KICKS SOME MAXIMUM BUTT A LOT MORE REPS, A LOT MORE WEIGHT, STAMINA,PUMP, RECOVERY, WHERE’S THIS STUFF BEEN?AND LIBIDO WELL WE WON’T GO INTO THAT, MY WIFE IS VERY HAPPY I CAN SAY , THANK YOU” – Alfred

“Love this stuff. Gives me the power I’ve been envisioning myself with in a balanced, holistic way. Def some valuable stuff as in incorporates all the right herbs in a good mix. Tastes awful but love the effects.” – Ryan

Forewarning, very much so it doesn't have the best taste in the world but only because it's not loaded with Sugar or Artificial Ingredients. All of that crap tends to create issues in the root as it is.

Just pure and wholesome awesomeness.

So why not join these 5 men and literally hundreds more that are living with universal energy full of abundance. Go HERE NOW!!! 

Tough Keeping A Positive Attitude

    It's not easy being a positive person. We're all human and we have our moments of having that part of us wanting to strangle somebody or just say something to them just to get it out. It's very easy to let loose on negative bullshit because when someone you know or don't know dumps on you and throw all their crap at you it can be very stressful, frustrating and even painful. They may not direct their feelings of draining energy from you personally but it can still be a pain in the ass to deal with. One of the toughest things to do as a human being is having an attitude that is just beautiful, energetic, powerful and a feel good personality. Some are just born with it and have developed a unique way but for the rest of us it's not so easy.

 
    A powerful positive attitude caters to how your personality comes into play. Some look like they're attitude is great until you see how full of themselves and judgmental they are and that changes the game completely. Your attitude is one of the pure definitions of who you are as person both inside and outside. The way you smile and radiate your energy towards a certain goal, the way you treat people and how you see yourself from within. I've known plenty of people in my lifetime that have a somewhat positive attitude on the outside but inside they're egotistical, self-loathing, hypocritical assholes and they're in pain when they realize it or not. I've always been a nurturing guy and I may not always speak my mind towards certain people and have in the past had a negative attitude towards things but it's all about learning and finding what gives me a reason to be happy and positive. Like I said it's not easy whatsoever.

 
    Let me put it to you this way; the way you train, exercise, workout, move whatever; it is important to know that if you do these things with intention and mindfulness it changes your mood in a whole other way. It doesn't matter if you lift weights, do handstands, be like a wild animal or go swimming for that matter your mood is going to change whether you want it to or not. The changes you'll notice is when you put in great effort and jump starting those endorphins, your body begins to shift into a spiritual realm where your structure becomes different, your thinking is a little clearer and your hormones are firing. Why does this happen? It's because when you exert enough of your mind and body's energies physically, mentally and anything else you just want to feel like you're at your highest and for a split second you are at your happiest and you don't know why.

 
    Building a positive outlook takes practice, just like anything else you're interested in or want to accomplish. It's also not one of those 3-6 week courses you do and then be done with it, it's a lifetime of practice that will be filled with experiences, hardship, overcoming spiritual blockage and how you look at things from a certain perspective. When I officially turned 30 almost a month ago, I had this idea in my head that I'm not that old and not just feel younger but wiser and happier, I'm 18 with 12 years of experience and I have been asked what kind of experience I'm referencing and the truth is I've experienced heartbreaks, losing a few friends from my past, nearly died a few times, learned to deal with not being able to walk for nearly three months, people in my family that have died and I've learned hard lessons in relationships, building myself up again and again and many more things so yeah I've dealt with a ton of shit and yet still here laughing my ass off and learning new things that keep me interested. They say you only live once but to me I say live every damn day and live with purpose, love, kindness, happiness and living with who you are and screw the rest who try to bring you down.

 
Glad to be home to share my love of life, training and philosophy with all you bad asses. As a man in his 30's now, iy's going to be one hell of a ride and I'm just warming up. Be awesome and have a kick ass Wednesday.

 
    

Creating A Flow

    This isn't how to build flow using energetic training (Chi Kung) but it helps. What I do want to tell you is, you can create a flow of putting exercises together whatever they may be, could be DDP Yoga, Squat Training, Muscle Control, lifting heavy weight or Farmer's Walk; you can put some of the most intense and even the toughest exercises together and create your own energy by how you move, your breathing and how you bring them together in sequence like a circuit or just resting than moving to the next exercise. It's a practice that develops not only great physical strength but building internal power. Most people believe in order to channel your energy internally you have to do training of that sorts, not always true.

 
    Finding that rhythm for you may not be easy or maybe it will, it's up to you to figure that out. Following someone else's workout is great no question but the other side of that is it doesn't always flow with you because you didn't come up with it, you're just following someone else. Some people don't like me saying that but you know what, I've learned from experience when you build your own workout and it flows for you, it is so much more worthy than just trying to "Keep up" with the other person. I love DDP Yoga it is one of the best systems in conditioning today and combines many elements I'm interested in but as I've said with every other program I like, I learn and study the exercises but I don't feel good about trying to keep up with that person's program when I can just come up with a workout of my own that is just as intense or more and I'm getting greater benefit out of it. "Make it your own" as DDP would say and I have been following that motto for many years nearly a decade actually. Find a rhythm that works for you.

 
    One of the most important aspects of creating your own flowing sequence no matter how intense or the tempo might be is pacing yourself. Most who buy those infomercial crap just want to jump in and not consider the consequences. In reality you are not meant to try to keep up with the people on the DVD, you are meant to build yourself up and keep up with yourself. If you just try to go as fast as they do or anyone for that matter, you're missing out on building your own style and doing your best to flow for you not to see if you're just as good as they are. Nobody is better than the next guy, some have more experience and their bodies can handle greater stress but they're no better than you. You are one person and you need to give yourself a chance to make something out of yourself.

 
    This is my favorite part about the article where I get to tell you about being creative. You can follow along with someone else and just be a mindless sheep or you can break the rules and just make shit up. Let me put it this way; you understand the basics of your program whatever it might be so now, just make up the workout, learn how your body flows through each exercise and follow your intuition about what to do next, follow your instincts, listen to your body and feel in your mind what gives you the most benefit. I rarely ever do the same workout twice in the same week because after doing the same exercises in the same sequence over and over it becomes boring to me real quick. I don't want to feel I'm stuck in this routine, I want to be free to make my own choices and go with how I move and exercises that give the freedom to breathe, stretch and just let my imagination run its course. That's the beauty of just making up your own workout is the use of your imagination and tapping into that power that resides within you and you don't even realize it. Build a flow that creates your own bliss, your own intensity and the only person you should be keeping up with is yourself. No one else has your body and your strength and/or weaknesses so why should you try to keep up with everyone else? Think outside the box and do something out of the norm that only you decide how intense it will be, what the tempo is and making it work for you and nobody else.

 
Have a great weekend everyone. Be awesome and train hard. Next Friday will have me writing my last article for the next few weeks as I will be in California for my 30^th Birthday celebration. You are the most bad ass people I've ever had the pleasure writing for. You all inspire me to do what I love. Keep reading and find the best resources for you or your friends/family.

 
    

Thinking With Power

           What if you can create a world internally and have it become your greatest ally in the quest for health, strength & fitness? How would you create it, what would sound like and feel as it vibrates your body from within? The power we have in our minds is far greater and mysterious than we care to understand. We have scientists who have studied the brain and still have many grounds to cover that haven’t peaked yet and we also have masters in various Internal Arts that have such great power even though they’re small in reality. The world you can create has limitless possibilities if you believe in it.

            The power you have can go far beyond the outside. When you train whether it’s for sports, competition, to be healthier, gain strength, lose weight whatever the case may be it is important to know you can do many things and you have the power to do them. I like to do sprints because they raise my testosterone like crazy, when I go out and sprint I don’t just look t the distance and how long or fast I need to get there but I imagine in my mind I could be a superhero or a wild animal with lightning speed. When I think like this, my body changes, my muscles start to fire on their own and when I take off I’m zooming down the path. If you like to lift weights, don’t just lift and go with it, think differently, change your breathing and feel as if you are able to tackle the weight with effortless power.

            To unleash your strength, it’s not always physical. Unlocking that super strength within you takes great focus and how you think. When you change the thought, your body reacts to it, don’t think like “ok I’m going to try to lift this and see if it’s possible.” Change the thought, think how would a god like say Zeus would pick up a weight, would he say he’ll try to lift it and see if he can, hell no, he’s Zeus and he’s a mighty god of superhuman quality and he knows he can lift it just by how he breathes, how he grips it and what’s already within the power of his mind, he believes so greatly it’s undeniable. Now I’m not saying to think like this and Bench Press 1000 pounds or something like that but this is a prime example of how you can think differently and excel past your plateaus and go as far as tripling your strength and speed or more.

            It takes practice to learn this kind of thinking and feel it with intensity and focus. Like with anything else, you progress and train your mind and body as if it they were one and the same. Little by little you’re edging your way up and building strength you never thought was possible. Nobody has a giant amount of strength in the beginning, we all started out weak in some shape or form and in order to get stronger, we progress even by a tiny fraction that can lead to a massive amount later on. Believe you can get better whether by a speck or more and you’ll start to realize where that true strength lies, it’s not how big your muscles are or how much you can lift off the ground or rack, it lies deep within your soul and the way you empower the internal entity that is your mind.

Be awesome guys and have a wonderful Spring Weekend.  

Absorbing Energy Both Positive And Negative

          Like Obiwan says in Star Wars “The force surrounds us, it penetrates us and binds the galaxy together”, the force in reality is surrounding energy. Some look at the force as some blasphemous evil and it’s not even real but yet it very much is. We absorb energy from the moment we were born to the day we die, day in and day out we surround ourselves with some form of energy. The energy that surrounds us has both positive and negative effects. The positive as an example would by energy that has happiness, warmth from within, the negative would be the surrounding energy of gloominess, sadness, fear, anxiety.

            Why do we absorb it? Sometimes it just happens whether we ant it to or not. Think of it this way, you wake up one day feeling happy and gitty, then you turn on the morning news and you watch it for a bit then all of a sudden you start to feel sad and stressed, it’s because you absorbed the negative energy coming from the news and your feelings change. Now I hate the news and prevent myself from watching it because I don’t want to feel those negative effects. Another look at how energy is around us is when you walk into a place and you sense something is up and you can't quite put your finger on it, you’re aware of it but you can't figure out whether it’s good or bad. At times you can sense something great or bad but its all how you absorb it. Sometimes we don't always feel it but also we absorb so much its overwhelming and can have an explosive effect so like anything else, if you do something too much, it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass.

            The energy surrounding our bodies can be our best friend or our worst enemy and from experience I've had both and one or the other has hit me hard, to use the energy to our advantage we ought to use a strategy for both offensive and defensive. The offense is like having an all-star team that just seems like they're unbeatable and can score and power through obstacles like it’s nothing; the defensive is when you have another all-star team that just seems like whatever crosses their path nobody can get passed them, like your own version of Fort Knox with the highest level of security. Picture in your mind what you want for your all-star squads and they can be anyone you want or you can choose to put up barriers it’s up to you. You can use the energy to block out anxiety and stress and you can use energy for how you move and creating powerful spheres that can help you with your strength.

            Use your energy strategy wisely. Sometimes energy whether good or bad can come at us without being aware of it and it can hit us harder and hurt or feel good more than anything physical. Learn to be aware of certain energy and use your imagination to create a powerful team or barrier and use them to your own endeavor. Whether you're an office worker, athlete, fitness enthusiast or whoever you choose to be and going through life in general, you have powerful energy and you can absorb its strength but how you do it is up to you and developing awareness is a key. 

Super Strength In A Flash

           

            When many people go to the gym or train at home whatever, they believe that having an exterior body would make them happy and that if you have a great body you must be super strong and fit. Not always the case. You may have a fantastic body or striving to make one but strength most of the time comes from within. When you develop both a body internally and externally you are achieving more than what most people will accomplish.

            To develop an internal body you must harness your Chi or in other words Life Force. This can be achieved through meditation, qi gong practices, Tai Chi, or the 21^st century of Chi Training called CoreForce Energy; the system that helps triggers the body’s movement and mindful entities to achieve super strength in an instant. Sure if you can lift a heavy weight you're strong, you can bend steel or hold a planche you're strong but how you think into those things with certain “torquing points” and speed at exact timing can turn them into a moment of instant power.

            The way to bring it out is by training your mind where to put certain things, how you think beyond what you see and where your focus points to. You can move in any direction you want and still have great strength to use. From my experience it’s using what are called imaginary spheres around certain points on my body that give me the strength for whatever I want to do whether it’s an exercise or opening a door, even carrying furniture to help someone move. It’s not just a strength and physical element, you can use it on how you talk, how you think differently and the way your body language is used.

            We all have this power from the day we were born to the day we die. Some of us achieve it at a high level only in like emergencies or the fight or flight concept but either way, we have super strength within us and we can harness it if we learned its direction and intent. What would it feel like to become 2-3 times stronger with only a few minutes of learning how to do it, would you want that? Most of us believe that our bodies cannot go more than 5% of what is normal strength at the highest peak but what if we moved that by even 1%; it would be astounding and surreal. No matter how old you are whether 10 or 100, you can bring out levels of strength that just boggles the mind and be able to do it without injury or having to think a whole lot and just in the snap of your fingers.

            It’s fascinating to learn and it’s fairly simple and yes it takes time to learn it just like everything else but even you have mastered even a small percentage of it, your strength and power will skyrocket, learn a bit more and you'll be begging to find out what you can do more but if you learn all of it and consistently the possibilities are limitless. Don't just learn all of it; take bits and chunks of it for whatever you want to do. The strength you have now will become a thing of the past and if you really master it, you can turn it off or on any time you want. 

Building Your Mental Powers

            Without question, the mind is far more powerful than the human body. When you open up your mind, you open a door to a whole new world. A world filled with possibilities, opportunities and creative ideas that make the planet look like a green pea. When you are closed off and narrow minded, you’re a little more rigid, more cautious, question too much instead of letting it flow. I’m learning this myself every single day because even though I have a strong intuition and I’m open minded, I tend to fall off the wagon so do speak as we all do and it makes us human. To strengthen your mind, you have to be willing to let go and create new adventures for yourself.

            A big key in developing mental strength is how you project your self-image. The self-image is how you see yourself in your minds eye, the attitude and habits you portray are attributes to your self-image. I have read a book or 2 on this subject and even taken on different techniques to enhance the image I want. This isn't one of those voodoo religious type stuff or even a spiritual thing, it’s how you live in the way you see yourself. For example, if you’re living with the image of being broken down and you feel there’s no way of getting out of it and you whine and you complain about your appearance and/or how people or how you see yourself, that will project how you have created that attitude and letting those habits grow. On another hand, if you see yourself as confident, relaxed, poised, building yourself creatively without outside negative energy and you build ideas and run with them, that’s the attitude and habit of having a strong image of yourself. The way you see yourself can make you or break you depending on how your energy manifests itself to the things that surround you.

            One of the most powerful tools of developing mental strength is using your imagination. How you see things no one else does, the wide open plethora of another world that only you can create. You see things that give you strength, give you a reason to shoot for a goal and pointing you in the direction of getting there. I have a vivid imagination and sometimes I have to stop myself if I’m in that state of mind where it’s just frustrating and upsetting, so I go into a place where I let my imagination run like a madman and point out what can work and what needs to be erased. Whether you want to create instant strength or enhance your self-image, resistant-free to run your business and/or build an energy defense system where you block negative vibes; your imagination will help you build it if you apply yourself with the right tools.

            Last tool I like to use every now and again is what’s called Theater Of The Mind. This technique is incredible where you breathe powerful energy into your body and go inside your mind where you’re in your own movie theater with a big screen and a seating area where you can view it any way you want. You use this to create what you want and how you can rehearse it as you see it on that big screen. I don’t want to give away all the details of this technique but I can tell you, if you want something or want to create something, you view it as if it has already happened and it’s giving you little steps to get you there. Try it out and you can create anything you want that is within the limits of your imagination and how far you’re willing to go productively and with strong intentions. 

By The Beard Of Zeus

            

             Sorry I had Anchorman man on the brain this morning. If you’re a fan of Will Ferrell or Awesomely Stupid Comedy watch Anchorman & it’s sequel. Whenever Ferrell (who’s character is Ron Burgundy) is in shock or whatever he says a random set of words instead of holy shit it’s like “Sweet Odin’s Raven” or whatever comes up. I find it funny but I still like the god himself.

            Funny things aside, you can harness the power of Zeus if you apply the thought, your action and your imagination of super strength and speed by using simple techniques that can create strength by three fold. It’s teaching you to harness your strength that you already possess within you that just needs a key to unlock the door. Believe me I was skeptical at first too and I've been learning all kinds of stuff for years but I decided to put my skepticism aside and just test it, see if the guy who was teaching it was bluffing and full of shit, I was dead wrong and was in for a whirlwind.

            I was shocked when I incorporated the sounds, the imagination and the target points to what I want to do and my strength shot up like a damn cannon. I've literally done hundreds of exercises in my lifetime and even with the most difficult ones felt at ease. It’s called CoreForce Energy; a system proven to combine different elements to surge your strength in less than a few minutes if not seconds. Imagine if you’re an athlete being able to run a little faster down the field, knock the ball out of the park, have laser eye coordination while shooting a basketball have a faster and more accurate slap shot, have a better golf swing and do it all without steroids and/or PEDs, would you want that kind of power and speed?

            This isn't just for athletes but for people from all walks of life from the business man to the martial arts, to the entertainer and opera performer, to the awe strength of Circ Du Soleil to the motivational speaker who wants project a greater voice. When you get your hands on CoreForce Energy you’ll learn in small chunks how to peak your performance at the maximum level with step by step simple but effective elements of training, philosophy and the internal arts.

            Zeus is a fundamental component of the course and you’ll find out why when you hear the sounds of power and music, to feel the surge course through you with breathing patterns that give you strength instead of draining it and you’ll find the deepest secrets of Einstein’s vision of standing on the tip of the light traveling at the speed of light at 186,000 miles per second and how this one technique can increase your speed within an instant. Unlock the power that’s already within you and harness your strength like you've never seen it before. No matter how big or small you are, there’s something there for everyone and my friend Garin Bader will show you the deepest secrets of unlocking your power, your undeniable speed and the strength that is just edging to be unleashed. You have the power my friend, make it happen and perform at a level that you have been dying to have.

Gods And Deities That Teach Us About Fitness

           For countless centuries, we have worshiped many gods and supernatural figures that give us power and love over our lives. Not all have used them that way and have pushed the boundaries what is good and what’s evil about worshiping a god, king or supernatural force but when it comes down to it, it’s important to know that we hold some of these forces and beings in our hearts and can learn from them. In this case in the world of fitness, they’re just as important to learn from in that caliber if not more as we see them as a driving force to believe in.

            Building fitness using the very figures that have conquered World Literature and Mythology is a great way to look at how we can create the human body to a degree of strength and health that we all strive to find. For all intents and purposes, there’s no need to do drugs, steroids or any of that crap to build solid, functional strength that can carry over to everyday life. Here are a few figures in Mythology that can grasp a hold on our fitness training and how we can use them to find what works best for us.

Zeus: The All-Mighty Greek God (or Roman’s Jupiter) is a great way to look at fitness because he is that powerful, nerve forcing god that gives us the strength that we can grab a hold of and harness that force inside us to create that superhuman strength and speed that scientists say we only use 5% of at best. Think of having the hands of Zeus, grabbing something or taking in energy that surges throughout your whole body and puts you in a state where it feels like you can take on any obstacle and laugh at your challenges.

Pan: The Satyr half-man half goat that is the spirit of sexual energy and the way we harness our power and strength from our legs. When you build powerful and strong functional legs, you create that balance of testosterone which in turn gives you great health, burns off fat, powerful muscle all over and it aids in making you feel younger, stronger and more in tuned with your inner child of play and man/woman of loving energy.

Hercules: The man of Superhuman Strength. This is more in tuned with bodybuilding but more importantly, to truly understand the fitness side of Hercules is to learn to build your body that is not only powerful and solid but having nearly equal strength to go with it. The old-time strongmen had built solid and mighty physiques but at the same time, their strength was even more impressive. Men like Reg Park, John Grimek, Eugene Sandow and others that had incredible bodies but even greater strength that was just unbelievable. Don’t be a Tarzan and fight like Jane kind of Bodybuilder, harness your strength and power naturally as you build your physique. Basic lifts and basic programs are key.

            To go beyond what you’re taught, you have to think outside the box. We are taught certain things from different people but in order to be truly successful you have to look within yourself to find the best possible way to be fit, healthy and crazy strong. This goes as much for women as does men. Women do train differently because their bodies don’t have as much testosterone as men however, it’s important to know that you can build a beautiful body that WON’T GET BULKY because unless a woman is using testosterone pills or steroids that’s really the only way that’ll happen. Work with what you learned but also find what works best to your abilities. Just following someone isn't quite enough and the way you follow them isn't always in your best interest. Think for yourself at times and remember to be yourself.

            Putting your body and mind to the test has been the standard for all things for as long as mankind has been around. The Gods and their stories gave us a reason to use our bodies and our brains to think and look for what works and how we create certain things that gives us hope, strength and endurance to move forward. Some of us just think there’s an end-all be all of following and not having a right to think for ourselves. I take bits and pieces of people’s advice and methods and mold them into my own, it’s called becoming creative. Some people don’t know how and it’s sad because they have so much potential but only work with what they’re told to do. Quite frankly I hate being told what to do but I’m not opposing to listening and modifying what works for me. Become more of you and challenge the way things go.

            We may have been created by the Gods or whatever you choose to believe but the reality is that once you are born, you grow up and you learn. No one has your body and mind so what makes you think you aught to be somebody else. Find what guides you and learn to harness the power within you, not someone else and become a more powerful being. 

You Are Your Best Trainer

            Over the last 8 years or so since I've succumbed to the Physical Culture bug, one thing has stretched in my mind more than anything else in my search for great training and that’s being your own best personal trainer. What does that mean being your own trainer? Simple really, it’s not allowing those who tell you to do something and go with creating your own way of training, being self-reliant. It’s not very easy to do because there is so much info out there that you don’t know what works and what doesn't.

          We have a plethora of programs to choose from, like bodybuilding, strongman, 8 days a week, the super programs of crossfit, the next gadget in the infomercials, how to build bigger arms, getting 12 pack abs, grip strength you catch my drift. The secret is finding what works for you. Experiment, do different programs at the same time, piss off the establishment who don’t know a lift even if they had a gun to their head (exaggeration I know but it’s a good metaphor though). Those who try to tell you what’s superior, what’s the coolest trend, how to build a program that has nothing to do with your progression; they’re the ones who keep you from making something of yourself on your own. Trust your instincts, be bold and question things.

            Nobody really just trains and has fun anymore, to quote the joker “why so serious?” We pay to go to the gym and do all these crazy programs and eventually after a few weeks we just give up and quit. It’s not how hard you push yourself, its how much fun to do something you love to do. If you don’t love training but just keep running through the motions, sure it’s better than nothing but you won’t find the results you want. Train and have fun with it, focus on what you want, use your imagination and create something for yourself. Yes I believe if you have a goal you should be focused on it, be determined and willing to go beyond it and strive to excel at your challenges but don’t become a mean asshole to get there, play a little and make it an adventure.

            There’s always someone that follows specific programs and for some it’s the end-all-be-all for others it’s temporary and the rest think outside the box. Mix things up, draw outside the lines. Here’s an example, I’ve learned from many different guys and even some women and yet I don’t worship their craft and take all of them as a god/goddess of the fitness world. I respect what they do but I don’t agree on everything they do, if you agree with everything then you might as well not have a brain of your own. I love some of these people, some as if they’re my family but I also love being creative. I take chunks out of their craft and mold it into my own thing, kind of like Michelangelo carving out David; I take chunks of concrete to create a masterpiece.

            Love what you do, be creative, feel what you want to do. Think outside the box, be weird, be a dork whatever you are who you are and should train according to who you are as a person. Be safe but don’t be lazy, progress at your own pace and train smart. If you happen to get hurt, then you need to change things around and don’t ever stop learning. Think and Grow because eventually, you’ll find something someone doesn’t like or does but only you will love it the way it is and no one can take it away from you. That’s the heart of being your own trainer. 

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. 

Connection & Individuality

           There’s always energy surrounding us. Sometimes we feel it more so than others, often the majority can’t even fathom or notice it but it is there, how we use that energy is up to us as a whole; physically, emotionally, intuitively, spiritually and mentally. Like the force, energy binds us, connects us and hits us from every angle even when we don’t notice it. It’s that universal power that creates the fire and emotion we all have.

            We are all connected but also have a single body. Our connection to others has different meanings whether you’re good or bad, part of a religion or a spiritual enthusiast, race, creed it doesn't matter what does matter is when something is off balance something always seems to hit us in one way or another. Connecting with others gives you the opportunity to learn and understand where they come from and what they mean to you but also as an individual it’s important to learn about yourself and how you see yourself having that connection.

            We strive all our lives to find who we are as a person and for some, they become something they didn't expect to be, others feel it’s their destiny to be apart of something and then there are those that are forced into becoming something they don’t want to be. Finding who you are is the ultimate challenge and it’s never easy but once it hits you, you never want to turn back and move forward with what you want to become. Loving others is another challenge and it’s just as hard as finding who you are but it’s simpler. Loving another human being is a state of mind in my opinion because no matter what they've done that may seem hurtful or even grateful, in your mind they’re still a human being and having some kind of love for them makes you nobler, caring, giving and having the will power to not give into the hate.

            There are different meanings to certain things but all have a common goal; being accepted. Accept who you are and accept who certain people are because the more you try to change who you are or someone else, it’s just going to be a bigger burden on you. Accept change. Not saying you should join a cult or become a mass murderer I’m not talking that kind of acceptance, I’m talking about acceptance that’s meaningful to you and it has a positive notion of how you want to see the world. Our mindset is different from each person and we all see the world in our own way but yet if you learned to shift your mind to a positive image and feel love no matter where you go, our energy changes, our emotions perk up, we find things that make us happy.

            I’ll tell you first hand that even around people I love and care about, some of them don’t accept me as a person because of some of the things I do or say, hell they can’t stand my sense of humor most of the time and it’s not a burden on me, it’s on them but it’s up to me to learn how to control my mind and see a more positive outlook from those who have no real positive objectives. What I’m pointing out is that even if you’re not accepted even by those closest to you, you must accept yourself. It’s one thing and when you learn to use it, the rest of the world don’t mean a damn thing except you made it a priority to love the world for what it is.

Breathe While You Train

             I've said it before and I’ll repeat till you get it through your thick skull, learn to breathe while you train. It is the single most important aspect of physical and mental conditioning. It is the one thing that keeps us alive more than anything else. You can go days without water, weeks without food but a few minutes without breathing is killing you. The power of the breath is essential as it can help you stay in the game far longer than if you just started hyperventilating in the first couple minutes.

            Breathing helps you conserve energy and the more you practice it, the more energy is reserved. Its power can be used any way you want if you know how to use it. It can be used to help you in a strength exercise or it can help your endurance over a period of time. Different athletes use different breathing patterns for how they stay in their sport but the principles stay the same, if you can’t conserve your energy, you won’t last very long. Learn to breathe and learn when to use it to your advantage.

            Deep breathing is an awesome way to keep your energy intact and granted sometimes if you’re in a fight or in a match against another opponent or team your breathing tends to be tested which is a good thing because you learn how to handle it when it’s time to make it count. Even in a training session in the gym or your home workouts, you want to learn how to breathe while you exercise and while you’re in between sets because after a while it takes a toll on you so you learn to keep your breathing as best as possible to keep going.  It’s the reason it keeps you focused no matter what you’re doing.

            There are tricks to help your breathing while you train. When I do my deck of cards training, sometimes once I get to a certain part of the deck I have to keep my breathing intact because it becomes so intense you have to take in as much air as you can. After you do a set of push-ups or squats for example, although you want to keep going without much rest as possible there’s that other part you can use where you take in as many breaths as the number of reps for the next set, that way you’re not taking up too much rest and you’re conserving your energy. You can use this method for different exercises and different areas of fitness. Another great trick I learned to keep your breathing at bay is what I learned called the Hoffman Walk which was termed in Brooks Kubik’s books on the adventures of the old-time strongmen Legacy Of Iron series, after you do a set of an exercise, you walk and breathe deeply till you’re ready to tackle the next set, you’re not sitting down and you keep moving without stopping so this helps with your endurance.

            Get the concept of breathing and how it can help you in any endeavor and it doesn't always have to be training, it can be how you prepare for meetings or conferences in business, or how you handle shopping without tiring out before you get to your car (this happens with a lot of people believe it or not) and it can help you stay in the game in your sport so you can keep up that reserved power to stay driven and help your team keep going. Breathing is life and life is breathing. 

Developing Real Jedi Powers

 As you can probably tell I’m a huge fan of Star Wars but I’m more interested not just in the Space Opera but its true meaning and that’s the ability to use the Force as a means to become stronger physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. It’s not always what you see in the films but yet what you don’t see is the real importance. I’m not saying you’ll be able to move objects by making them float in the air or you’ll develop magical powers and ignite a light-saber, what I will tell you however is what is real about the Force and what you can do to develop realistic Jedi Powers.

 Miracles happen all the time but what if we learned to harness certain levels of our own power to do certain things that leaves a mystery to the untrained eye. One of my favorite Jedi Powers is the ability to heal and recover much quicker. A known factor in the realm of Physical Culture that has been almost lost today is the way you breathe. Your breath is a big source of your life if not the biggest source. If you learned how to breathe in such a way, you can learn the ability to put yourself in a state where your body heals itself from certain diseases or wounds. Legendary Catch Wrestler named Martin “Farmer” Burns wrote in his 1914 mail-order course which you can get here stated “Deep Breathing exercises alone can make many a weak man strong and many a sick man well.” This statement is as true as you’ll ever get. Healing using this fashion can reap rewards in ways you can’t imagine. I have had bruises, cuts, scrapes and open skin wounds from bending some of the toughest steel you can imagine, once I learned how to harness my breathing to heal, I healed much quicker and gotten stronger every time I did this. How is that possible, it’s something you got to find out for yourself.

 What if you learned to harness the power to create super strength and speed at a moments notice? This Jedi ability isn't that far of a stretch. Scientists have said that with all the strength and speed we develop, we’re only using 5% of our brain at max level. I believe you can achieve this with a few percentages higher and do so without years of training or getting frustrated because of its difficulty. It’s a lot simpler than you may believe. Is it easy? No, it takes practice and patience but if you put your mind to it and learn to infuse your body at the same time, you achieve levels of strength and speed that can practically triple it within a short period of time but again everyone’s different, it can happen within an hour, a few days, couple months who knows but the principle still applies

 Meditation is a very powerful tool once you understand how it works and not always what a book or a guru says, it’s the ability to understand it for yourself and how you harness it. A lot of us Westerners have the notion that meditation is just sitting or standing and trying to bring in positive energy and block out bad stuff, doesn't always work that way. The power of meditation is the ability to create energy by infusing the mind and body together through different factors including breathing, thought, visualization, at times movement and other things. Some people have trouble finding a way to meditate when they sit or stand, I happen to be one of them because its very difficult for me sit or stand still so I use moving meditation, using my body to connect with my thoughts and my breathing. This way helps me be more centered and be more connective spiritually and when I use a certain thought to connect my breathing, things happen in ways I can’t explain, things like calmness, positive attitude, my strength is higher, my thoughts are more clear and my imagination becomes a reality. Others are better at standing or sitting and building greater energy that way, its all about what works for you.

 A great Jedi ability is learning to increase your instincts. Developing this can be used in meditation but as good as it is, there’s more into it than you might think, instincts is using your intuition, being aware of your surroundings, sensing certain things by feel, touch emotional connection and your reflexes. One of my favorite movies is based on a book by Dan Millman called Peaceful Warrior. Having met the author and seeing the film I get a sense of what transpired during his time as a gymnast trying to find his place and learning from an old man named Socrates. Socrates taught the value of learning to use everything around you as a source of finding your own abilities and building them. The mind is a very powerful thing and if you don’t practice using your instincts, it can play tricks on you and may even deceive you. In one scene of the film Socrates puts his hand on Dan’s shoulder after the boy says “There’s nothing going on”, the moment that hand touched his shoulder, Dan began to see things differently and noticed certain sounds, his sight heightened and felt things more than usual like the wind blowing and many other things all in the glimpse of a few seconds, after that, he turns to Soc and the old man says “There’s never nothing going on.” Think about that for a minute.

 Still don’t believe there are some form of Jedi’s out there, well wrong again because the closest I can think of who have the ability to harness instincts, strength, speed, reflexes and spiritual power are the Shaolin Monks. When it comes to athletic and mindful abilities, these guys rank at near top of the list. They don’t just train to be strong and powerful, they train with love, peace and acceptance just like a true Jedi. They teach how to harness your inner power through Chi or in other words life force. Harnessing your Chi can bring wonders to your health, athletic abilities, strength, flexibility and many other things. One way to look at harnessing this Power is to learn what’s called CoreForce Energy by a man I highly admire, respect and recommend named Garin Bader. Remember when I talked about harnessing your Strength & Speed at a moments notice, this is one of the biggest topics this course goes into detail.

 Another look at a Jedi are the Samurai, they didn't just practice living and dying by the sword, they practiced poetry, painting, combat, powerful movements, meditation and a plethora of other things. The man Socrates Dan learned from had a saying in the film “You practice Gymnastics, I practice everything.” Just like the Samurai, Soc practiced not just one thing because if you only put yourself to one ideal and not look at other things in life, you’re limiting yourself. Another look at it is if you believe in one thing and it gives you meaning and teaches you everything else, the rest don’t matter. In the movie City Slickers with Billy Crystal and Jack Palance, good old Jack tells Crystal’s character “You know what the secret to life is? One thing, just one thing, you find that out the rest of the world don’t mean shit.” It’s how you look at things from a different perspective.

 Now out of all things philosophical about Jedi and having great powers, what about the power of the Dark Side? In reality the Dark Side is the other side of the coin, it’s learning too soon and taking it for granted, using your powers for personal gain, anger, hatred, lust for power, all the things that a true Jedi practices to avoid. In spirituality there’s God and there’s Satan, the foundation for good vs. evil and overcoming unexpected obstacles when you’re being overpowered by something or somebody. Really, no one is born a monk, a murderer, a sadist, Christian, Jewish, Islamic or even a lawyer or a cop, its developed overtime who we become from different influences, background, history and Creed. The Dark Side clouds the judgment of everything around us and it’s a factor of taking the easy way out, cheating and bullying others to get to the top. A real practice is to look at things from various perspectives, how to build a positive and productive outlooks. Some fall to this side of the coin too late, picked it up early in life or got caught in the middle and had to make a choice.

 Don’t fall for what you can make a real impact on and believing in the good of others and being happy with yourself. Avoiding the Dark Side isn't easy, it’s a constant challenge and the real power is within you to find out where you go and what you’re willing to do to get there.