Lions & Tigers: Hybrid Isometrics To Develop Awesome Strength

Now I know what you're thinking, "What the f*ck do two different wildcats have to do with Isometrics?" Good question...You've heard of the Liger right? The offspring of a Lion & Tiger? They do exist along with nearly a dozen other animal hybrids. A hybrid can take on features and combined levels of that wild strength to develop exceptional DNA that is rare and off the charts powerful. 

Hybrid Isometrics may not have the same realistic comparison but it is a style of training that is a little more advanced than your typical Isometric Exercises. They're the combination of Overcoming & Yielding Isometrics; the ability to go against gravity while also trying to push/pull through a immovable object at the same time. Both styles of Isometrics have their pros and cons like anything else and have used both many times doing Horse Stance Holds, Fist Planks, Curls, Deadlifts, even Arm Wrestling. Combining the two is a whole other level level of Holy Shit.

I first learned about the Hybrid when I read Matt Schifferle's Overcoming Isometric Book. Quite frankly it's one of the best books ever written on the subject and the idea of Hybrid Isometrics fascinated me. It takes the best qualities of the two styles and promotes strength and muscle on a different scale that does take practice to truly understand. The way he puts it is actually pretty simple and not very complicated which I like because in many cases through the fitness industry and social media plague of trainers, complicated explanation and training seems to be the norm and it shouldn't. 

One of the best exercises that targets practically everything is the Hybrid Push-Up which simply enough, you take a strap long enough to wrap around the upper back and be able to give you that stopping point in the pushup with the arms bent and hold it. Even 30 seconds of this can feel like forever and you're shaking like a leaf. Some want to give the idea that the yielding version of the mid pushup plank will develop a harder body and build that mental toughness to create strength which in reality it can but sometimes, once you reach a certain time, what the hell is it really doing? The Hybrid version here builds strength on a different level by fighting both gravity and staying at a sticking point at the same time. The longest time I've ever held this was just over a minute and it just took me down. It's very hard once you understand it and it tells you where your weaknesses are. Here's a 40 second video of me doing it. 

Another great Hybrid Isometric is something you won't find in the Overcoming Book and it's something I thought of that takes the traditional Horse Stance with a Push Press. In Martial Arts like Kung Fu or Karate, the Horse Stance is a staple of many benefits to build strength and endurance in the legs and the longer you hold it, the more the body comes into play. At times to make it even harder to fight gravity, they'll use heavy rings on the wrists and hold the arms outward at chest length. Another idea from this is how football players hold the blocking position and push the Blocking Shields as hard as they can. My Isometric Exercise combines the Blocking Position while Pushing The Dummies basically. I didn't invent this obviously but it was just a thought of in my head and went with it. I held this for about two minutes and it hits so many muscles and really tackles the tendons and ligaments in the knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists and ankles. 

These exercises will give you a different set levels of strength that can be used for real life and harness a different level of the mind/muscle connection that puts things in perspective. I said before, they're an advanced level of Isometrics so learn the mechanics and holds of both Overcoming & Yielding. I've written that Overcoming Isometrics are basically the Game Genie Of Fitness and Yielding is like a secondary cousin but together, they'll skyrocket strength levels you didn't think existed. It's helped my strength in many areas but I'm also just learning more about them and testing exercises that are not in my normal state of training so my analysis isn't there yet. Grab the book from Matt and his other books like Micro Workouts, Grind Style Calisthenics & his new book Suspension Calisthenics.  

It's Not A Chore...It's An Adventure

Exercise was never meant to be easy because if it was, we wouldn't understand the meaning of the words Progression, Strength, Perseverance & Physical/Mental Conditioning. That doesn't mean it can't be fun or made interesting. Have we lost our sense of imagination to get the most out of our training? I don't think so, many have really just suppressed it and locked it up whether they knew it or not and don't know where the key is. When we do find it and use it to as much of its potential as we can do, it becomes in a sense "effortless" to reach for as high as we want to go. 

Take into consideration what gives us the greatest benefits and proceed to make it the most kick ass thing we can do. Training, in a realistic sense, teaches us to hone skills and build strength within ourselves to be the best we can be. Sure we go through phases and follow certain programs or protocols but in the end, it's up to us to make the most of it. Yeah we do stupid stuff sometimes but going through the stupid stuff helps us grow and understand what not to do yet for some, doing stupid stuff is all they know and don't know any better and that's a damn shame.

The adventure part is when we don't know what's out there on the horizon, but there is something out there for us to find. There's a buried treasure hidden and when you find it, utilize its contents to your desires or you can hang onto it for dear life and find a way to make the most out of that treasure. We all have a chest of precious gold and jewels hidden away somewhere (e.g, the best programs in our arsenal) but we can't always use them the same exact way as everyone else, there's spending and trading which is common but in this sense, it's about investing in what gives us great benefit to thrive and get back more in our investment. 

We may make mistakes on our adventure but we also learn what makes us work hard and play harder to have the time of our lives. Exercise really is an adventure but we must find it in ourselves, no one is going to do it for us. Be adventurous and be on the lookout as the sun sets and/or rises because you never what's out there in them open waters. 

Sprint 8 Protocol

Grind Style Calisthenics

Thor's Hammer Herbal Package

Overcoming Isometrics

Regardless Of Your Age You Can Do Animal Exercise

From the time we were little, we are taught to use our imagination, reach for the stars and learn to use our brain and body for the adventures lie ahead. As we get older, we drift away from the adventures and start following everyone else; fall off the beaten path, take life way too seriously and suppress our child-like qualities by doing what is told of us, there's no room for imagination only the results someone else wants. We even get so caught up with information that most of the time is completely useless yet it overwhelms us and we become confused, disoriented and downright screwed up.

The funny thing about animal exercise is its ability to bring us closer to nature and closer to what our bodies were meant to do regardless of our age. A 7 year old can do it and play with friends; run around and get that energy out, a man in his 30's can do it to maintain shape, be healthy and stay strong, a man in his 50's can do it to strengthen bones, have strength that would make most men half his age envious, a woman in her 70's can do it to slow down the aging process and have healthy bones and strengthen her brain. It is a powerful form of exercise no matter how old or young you are, its like baseball; it is a form of activity that has been past down from generation to generation and brings others together whether it's for competition or just a friendly outing.

Due to the movements that get you going in all sorts of directions, it helps strengthen muscles that aren't normally used and teaches you how to balance your body no matter what direction you're positioned in. It can make you explosive, enduring, strong from many angles & powers up your tendons. You can start from the very beginning and build a foundation or you'll be able to advance very quickly and reap benefits many never get to achieve. You can go fast, slow, it can can condition your reflexes, calm you down from having excess energy, it increases metabolism, harnesses your Growth Hormone, enhance brain activity which can lead to greater memory and sharpened focus, it can even make you stop within 10 minutes or have you going for more than hour because you get so into it your body just can't get enough. I've had major injuries, tennis elbow, bumped knees, burned skin & even busted my head open all before the age of 21 yet in my near mid 30's I have far less pain, stronger than ever when I was in my teens or even early 20's and kept in awesome shape for my size all due to doing animal exercises.

It has healing properties that can only be described by experiencing it and it can possibly take you out of your funk with depression, hypertension, being lethargic and low testosterone. Many in fitness see it as a warm-up and nothing else; that's all great for them but to take it a step further creates a chain reaction that changes the course of the entire process of being in shape both inside and outside. It changes lives, creates endorphins, teaches self discipline and lengthens the quality of life.

Animal Kingdom Conditioning 1   

Animal Kingdom Conditioning 2

Wild Animal Fitness For Kids

The Challenge Of Everyday Fitness

    One of the most challenging things in life is to do something everyday; in this case exercise. The biggest issue is being burnt out and whether you have time to get what you want done. That's why most trainers and general fitness standards say do this three times a week or that for a day and take a day off and repeat. It's not for everyone and certain people have certain goals and it doesn't always require training everyday. How do I know this, it's because I live this challenge every single day and have been since Aug. 1^st, 2005.

 
    The way I look at it and observed my own experiences and others is that people believe to train is to train hard all the time, beat your record the next day or go a little harder the next workout but truth to be told, your body can handle only so much until something either bad happens or an injury occurs (I know it's happened to me on an occasion). I love to bust my ass and just go for the raw beating of a record set or reps but I also feel like chilling out on some days and do what I call "easy" workouts. I put that in quotes because it's not always easy but it's not enough to where I'm not pushing my body but recovering and letting myself take a small break. I've put myself through some of the toughest workouts you can imagine but I also let myself recover by stretching, meditate and healing myself both in and out.

 
    I love training but I will tell you it doesn't get easier. The more days in a row you train, the harder it is to keep going but if you use your imagination and take a few days at times doing only 5 min. of exercise it becomes more fun. Not many people can say they workout and have done so every single day for nearly 9 years in a row. My secret is not always willpower or fighting myself to do something, it's to listen to my body and let my mind guide me. I don't always know what I'll be doing on some days so it could be on a whim and want to do push-ups or hanstands and that's it. Some days (like a lot lately) I do DDP Yoga or I go out for a few sprints 2-3 times during the week and stretch my body on the weekends. It's all about what you want to do. You don't need 30 minutes of exercise everyday and you don't always need to lift all the time; be resourceful and if you need to take a break, do a couple minutes of just standing and meditate it still counts.

 
    The day I took my vow to train everyday without fail was the best decision I've ever made in my life. I didn't tell myself to train for a month straight to start or go a whole year, I just took it one day at a time. Do something different on some days, change the pace a bit, don't worry so much if you can't do the same things everyday, it can get boring so use your brain. It has not just become a thing for me, it's given me strength I never knew I had, it has built my mind to be creative to challenge the norm and create something out of my imagination. I've said this before, when something interesting hits me, I'm like Walt Disney my imagination scorches with burning ideas and how it can help achieve my goals. You have your own goals but do a little something everyday one day at a time even for 30 seconds; it puts a whole new meaning to the words stamina and endurance.

 
Be awesome everyone and have fun wherever you are.