A Conditioning Powerhouse: DopamineO Bands As A Tool For Lifelong Strength And Health And How Would It Do In The Bronze Age Of Physical Culture

That's quite a mouthful of a title don't you think?

This isn't about some trendy little gadget. I’m not here peddling the latest gimmick or some gym membership. No way bro. I’m all about tools that build the kind of rugged, unbreakable body that lasts a lifetime—the kind the old physical culturists may have used if they had access to in their time. Right now, in 2026, that tool is the DopamineO Band.

You've been reading about the crazy workouts I've done with these. HIIT Style within 30 minutes, Circuits for up to as many as 20 Rounds, even knocking out reps using sometimes two decks of cards in a row because why the hell not? These aren’t your cheap rubber tubes that snap mid-set and leave you with a welt across the face. These are engineered silicone tubes—solid core, not hollow junk—with a formula that laughs at heat, water, sweat, and time. Lifetime durability with proper use, a full one-year warranty, hypoallergenic, and they come with lifetime access to over 300 training videos. Five resistance levels from Fly (perfect for kids or rehab) all the way up to Heavy that’ll smoke a 220-pound beast. Whether you’re 80 pounds or 250+, there’s a Dopa Band built exactly for you.

I want to get into the conditioning benefits, because that’s where these bands separate themselves from most pieces of equipment on the planet. Traditional weights are great, don’t get me wrong and they can be beneficial when done right and without ego lifting, but the resistance remains the same. Dopa Bands give you variable resistance: easy as you move closer to it, brutal at the peak contraction when you bring it further away. That means your muscles are under tension exactly where they need it most, building strength-endurance like little else. You’re not just moving; you’re training the way wrestlers and old-time strongmen actually moved—explosive, full-range, never stopping.

Throw a Dopa Band around a tree at the park or anchor it to your door at home and you’ve got a full gym. Pulls, pushes, squats, rows, face pulls, core crushers, wrestling-specific drills—you name it. The constant tension fires up your stabilizers, improves mobility and durability while packing on functional muscle. I’m talking real-world power that carries over to the mat, the job site, or just chasing the kids around without blowing out your back.

Now, long-term fitness and health? This is where the Dopa Band becomes potentially a lifestyle weapon. Most guys train hard in their 20s and 30s, then their joints start screaming by 40 and they quit. Not with these. The elastic resistance is joint-friendly as fuck, no heavy iron crashing down on your spine or knees. You can train daily, even multiple times a day, because recovery is faster and injury risk drops through the floor. I’ve used them for micro-workouts when I need a pick me up, five minutes here, ten minutes there and the conditioning compounds like compound interest.

Your heart gets stronger through high-rep circuits and HIIT. Next to bodyweight training in this manner, this is the next best thing. Blood flow improves. Grip strength benefits as well (especially if you pair it with the Gi Simulator Trainer for specific work like BJJ or Judo). Hormones stay optimized because you’re moving heavy resistance without the cortisol dump of marathon barbell sessions since some gym goers feel the need to train for more than 2 hours. And mentally? There’s a reason they’re called DopamineO—the endorphin rush from crushing a band circuit even within 15 minutes flat is addictive in the best way. Consistency becomes effortless. You train everywhere—hotel room, backyard, airport lounge—and that consistency is what builds the body that lasts decades, not years. It can even be a phenomenal finisher to your gym routine.

I’ve said it before and I’ll scream it from the fucking rooftops man: conditioning is king. You can have all the raw strength in the world, but if your engine craps out after three minutes or less, you’re done. The Dopa Band fixes that. You build incredible stamina while building muscle that won't look like something out of a comic book but a real world functioning physique. Long-term health? Lower blood pressure from the cardio effect, better posture from the pulling movements, stronger bones from the progressive overload, and a nervous system that stays sharp because you’re constantly adapting to new angles and tempos. This isn’t hype, this is what happens when you use the right tools every single day.

Now here’s the part that gets me fired up every time I think about it: imagine if the old timers, the legends of physical culture and catch wrestling from the early 20th century had these bands.

Eugen Sandow, the father of modern bodybuilding and physical culture. The man popularized Free Weights and other things of that era. A portable Dopa Band set would’ve let Sandow train on the road during his world tours—hotel rooms, backstage at theaters, anywhere. Variable resistance perfect for his “muscle control” routines. He could’ve isolated every angle of the chest, shoulders, and arms with band flies and presses that hit harder at the top where it counts. Sandow preached health and aesthetics over pure brute strength; these bands deliver both without the joint tax of heavy iron. He might’ve lived even longer and influenced an entire generation to train smarter, not just heavier.

Frank Gotch 

Joe Stecher 

Ad Santel

Lou Thesz

All of them. These were mat-tough legends who built their bodies through labor, conditioning drills and basic training. No fancy gyms. A Dopa Band would’ve been perfect for them: little equipment needed, unlimited workouts, and the ability to train specific weaknesses on the fly. Stecher’s famous scissors? Band-resisted leg curls and adductor work to make them even deadlier. Gotch’s chain wrestling? Band drills for explosive hip escapes and bridging. They traveled constantly, bands fit in a suitcase and never break. Injuries that sidelined them for weeks? Rehab with the Feather or Light band and they’re back in days (possibly).

The old physical culturists were geniuses of will and volume, but they were limited by the technology of their time. No portable variable resistance. No lifetime-durable tools that let you train every day without wrecking yourself. If DopamineO bands had existed in 1900-1920, these men would’ve been even more dominant, it's not even a debate (unless you believe it to be). Their conditioning would’ve been off the charts, their careers longer, their influence wider. Sandow might’ve written an entire book on “Band Culture.” And the rest of us would’ve inherited an even richer legacy of functional, lifelong strength.

Look, I’m not saying drop the barbells or your regular gym work. I'll still hit the weights a couple times a week myself. But for pure conditioning, portability, and long-term health—the Dopa Band is unmatched. It’s what the old timers would’ve killed for. It’s what we need right now. Bodyweight Training is the foundation, there's never been a doubt or even a debate about that, bands like these are the next evolutionary step where they work the body in aspects that Bodyweight and Weights can't hit. That's not a knock down, it's part of the journey. 

Grab yours today at Dopamineo.com and use the discount code POWERANDMIGHT for 10% off. Military bundles and other discounts available too. Whether you’re building the body of a modern wrestler or just want to move and feel strong into your 70s and beyond, these bands deliver.

Train hard, stay consistent, and keep being amazingly awesome. The old timers are watching. Make ‘em proud.

If you wish to get in touch with me, send me your comments (FYI, Anonymous Comments are automatically deleted) or use my linktree that you can click on the right hand side of the blog where it has my email and social media. I no longer have the Contact Form up. Subscribe & Follow to get posts sent to your email. Have a great day everyone. 

HIIT Workout In 30 Minutes Or Less With The Dopamineo Band

 One of my favorite workouts to help my conditioning is working the Dopa Band in interval fashion with heavy emphasis of resting very little. This is a way to keep going and as you rest, you're only able to change the position of an exercise and then work with what is possible. 

This is more of an advanced form of training so if you're new to it or experience at an intermediate level, start with doing it only a couple times and then build up. The way I like to do it is to take 5 exercises, do each for 45 seconds and then 15 seconds rest. A couple of rounds takes only 10 minutes at best. Once you start getting in better shape, start adding rounds like 2-3 every 3 weeks or so. This type of training is really only to be done 2-3x a week tops. If you're training for a sport like wrestling, maybe 4x a week tops. It's harder than it seems and it isn't some just little cardio session either. It tests limits, makes you work not only your physical capacity but your mental as well. You will sweat, you'll be firing your lungs and it'll be a full body blast.

Once you can hit enough rounds of this type of Interval timing, it should be no more than 30 minutes for the entire workout. If you wish to go longer, that's up to you but for me, 30 minutes is the sweet spot and have gotten results from this. I don't do it all the time like I i have with the circuits and cards lately since I have other training going on that if I go too hard without backing off a bit, it can bite me in the ass. When I do it, I keep the pace at a clip where it's kicking my ass but I'm not going so fast I burn out. What my true goal is when I do this, is to control my breathing as best as I can so in the later rounds, I still have that gas left in the tank to where I can finish strong and not feel like I'm about to collapse from exhaustion. So usually a day after this workout, I would do a circuit but with longer rest periods in between and my pace is slightly slower than doing the intervals. This has worked for my recovery and avoid getting too fatigued.

This type of conditioning works well to keep your mind sharp and have that long lasting strength and endurance. Some people can go for 15-20 minutes and that's their sweet spot, wrestlers would do this kind of training possibly as a post practice finisher to work on certain drills for less time so they can get that last bit of endurance training as they prepare for a match or tournament. For the sake of training with the band on its own, keep in mind that it is a taxing workout and not something that should be taken lightly, You will feel it so let things naturally come, don't force anything and progress according to your level as you ascend. For a 30 minute workout, it's only 6 rounds and even in solid shape, around the 3rd or 4th round, things will have you mind bending shit to find out what you're capable of. 

I would believe because of the use of cables and bands wrestlers have used since Russians have been dominating for a number of years, when it comes to our American style (Catch, Freestyle), old timers like Lou Thesz and Billy Wicks would get a kick out of these bands. Maybe even kept Ed Lewis leaner who knows but these Bands are unique, durable and fun as fuck to do. Seriously, with the kind of conditioning Ed Lewis had, one can only imagine if these bands added even 1% of what he was capable of in his prime. If you knew how long that guy can go on the mat, it would blow your mind just on that principle alone, get an extra 1%, he would have given someone like Gama a hard time or even beat him.  

Be amazingly awesome, get in killer condition and do what's possible for you. Go get it and see you later. Get bands here at Dopamineo.com and be sure to use my code POWERANDMIGHT. Join the family and help support these great athletes. 

Micro Workout For The Legs To Wake Up The Body

 

One of my recent articles was talking about a good routine of animal crawls to do in the morning to wake up the body and even the brain. Here's another option you can work on if you'd like especially when it comes to leg strength, hip mobility and getting the heart rate up for a few minutes to start the day.

Getting the legs going to start the day can have incredible benefits especially if you plan on going for a hike, move around at work or climbing stairs. Having conditioned legs go a long way and as we get older, it becomes more crucial in being able to stand up without help and move with as much ease as possible. Nothing wrong with wanting strong legs from weights but that's only a piece of the puzzle if you do that kind of thing. When it comes to squatting with weights, my main form of it is doing squats with a sandbag, hammers, maces, kettlebells or a 45 lb plate. I don't do barbell squats whatsoever anymore and haven't done it in roughly 15 years. 

Bodyweight Squats are a different story, the multiple variations you can use at your disposal have their place. Shit I do 100-200 squats with the band everyday lately and it keeps things rocking and rolling man. It's more than just doing a typical squat, it's being able to control your body and move with power, explosiveness and even durability. Stationary Squats like Hindu Style, Sumo, Air, One-Legged all work and are beneficial for those who do them consistently. Sometimes however, it's fun to play around with certain aspects of exercises. 

One routine I like doing is what I call the Step + Squat where it's basically walking and squatting at the same time. For those who want an idea of how this goes, check out the VIDEO here from the Bioneer. It's a great micro workout to get the blood flowing and play for a bit, you can do this anywhere and do it in intervals, in a row or in sets. Whatever works for you. For today, it's about doing it in a interval fashion. If you're new to it, get the feel for it just by taking a step, squat down, come up, take another step and repeat to get the technique down. Pay attention to your form and control. Once you get an idea, start timing it. You can start with 20-30 seconds of work and 30 seconds to a minute of rest for a couple rounds. Work up to maybe 5 rounds and then add time like 10 seconds and then reduce the rest to 45 seconds. Over time, work up to going for a minute or longer and rest for 30 seconds or less. For a micro workout, 3 rounds is great. This is roughly 4 minutes total, if you want to add rounds, go for it, personally, I never went past 7 rounds which is a total of around 10 minutes for the whole workout. 

Micro Workouts are awesome for anyone who is short on time and wants to get something quick in or help get their energy levels up during the day in increments. For more info about this check out Matt Schifferle's book Micro Workouts. They're bad ass time savers and can get you jazzed up whenever you need a pick me up. Push-ups, Squats, Isometrics, Intervals, whatever you'd like to do for a few minutes at a time. They can even be used as a finisher to your regular routine to spice things up. 

For more on Squat Walking, check out this VIDEO as well.

Be amazingly awesome and get your body going so the blood flows with strength and power. You got this and wake up springing into action. 

A Morning Routine That Takes 3 Total Minutes

Many will often wake up groggy, wanting to go back to sleep or just do whatever they need to in order to get themselves out of bed. It can be a pain in the ass at times and there can be so much going on the moment you get up. Here's a micro workout you can do to help fire up the neurons and get some good movement in the morning.

I've always believed Animal Movement is one of the best ways to train, not for the sake of working patterns but to play and have that positive energy while getting the body flowing. Mimicking animals in the wild gives you a sense of being with nature and learning to control the body that will function in ways that can be lifesaving especially as we get older. It can be treated as fitness but it's better to treat it as a formality that brings back to a time where we just played and have that free-spirited energy. 

A good routine to do is to pick 3 exercises or crawls, do them for 1 minute each to start the day. You can mimic the type of animals you like and work on waking the muscles and waking up the brain at the same time. For me, I like to do Bear Crawls, Gorilla Hops & Tiger Walks to get things going. Since coffee is out of the question for me (I absolutely hate it), this is better in my opinion and it doesn't take long. Even after doing one of the moves, I'm already waking up quick and feeling good. 

It doesn't have to be the three animals I mentioned, if you like Duck Walks, Crab Walks or moving like a Lizard, go for it. Keep the basics, follow patterns of opposite arm/leg and don't move so fast you'll crash on your face LOL. We may not always spring up in the morning but with a routine like this, slowly getting ourselves moving to fire things up, it could put that spring in our step after and feel like we can take on the world. 

Set your watch or timer for 60 seconds, do a move, take a brief rest and repeat 2 more times and that's it, there's your morning routine. Productivity that works cognitive function and blood flow to your system while stretching and moving at the same time. You can go longer as time goes on but this is a good start to your day. If you really would just like to start for 1 minute, that's fine too but 3 minutes is really the stepping stone here. You don't have to go Sonic The Hedgehog on the moves or anything, just start moving and feel your body.  

For more info on Animal Moves, come check out the bad ass course Movement 20XX that has all sorts of exercises, flows and routines that will help you build strength, flexibility, mobility and brain power. If you're on a budget and would like something a bit more affordable, check out Animal Moves by Darryl Edwards who's great motto is to "train like an animal, to move like a human." You always have options. Be amazingly awesome and get moving, your life depends on it and get that grumpiness out of your system in the morning, wake up with fire in you and jump start the day with energy. 

Shoot me a comment or use the contact form to email me. I no longer read anonymous comments due to HARASSMENT and DISTURBING notes that include abusive threats and sexual fetishes. Please use real names and be respectful. Thank you.  

Rest Periods Or Not During Dopa Band Workouts?

One of the unique things about the Dopa Bands is how you can keep going just by increasing or decreasing the tension. The more you stretch it, the more tension it creates which in turn increases the difficulty. So the more you are away from the anchor point, the harder the exercise will be, the closer you are, less tension and the exercise becomes easier. If you start to fatigue during an exercise, move a bit closer to the Anchor Point and keep going. For many, this is a great indicator of building cardio. 

The question at hand here is, do you ever take a rest period? Well, it depends on your goals and what you're willing to work with. In many workouts I've seen from those who practice with the bands and from the experiences myself, rest periods most of the time are very little. One workout would be if there was a rest period was doing HIIT training for 45 Sec On, 15 Sec Off. The rest period really is just changing or getting into a new position. You're working more than you're resting which keeps things flowing and testing your cardiovascular conditioning.

Could you do rest periods like in weight training? Absolutely, doesn't matter if you're a beginner or not. A couple or so of my circuit workouts lately have been doing the exercises in a row and then walking it off for a brief period after marking off the set. This is determined at the pace I would use, with the heavier band, I would treat it like a sprint where I would move as fast as I can with solid technique, rest for a little bit until I caught my breath and then go at it again. This helps with recovery and still able to perform the exercises well and as smooth as possible. In other workouts like the Deck Of Cards, I would just flip a card and get into it, repeat that until I've done the deck at least once or at times twice in a row. The technique isn't always going to look pretty but I do what's possible in that moment in time.

It's really not as complicated as many would make it out to be. When you have a goal, you set certain standards for how you pace, rest, perform the exercise as fluently as possible and get into the mindset of what you're trying to accomplish. It's very simple but sure as fuck isn't easy. 

How long should a rest period be? Well, that's an individual thing because sometimes it takes longer for some to recover, for others, 30 seconds to a minute is more than enough to get back into another set. Some workouts with me, I'll rest enough to be ready to tackle a circuit but in others, my goal is to rest as little to almost none at all. If I need a "recovery day", I'll do rest periods, when I'm in that zone and going after it like wrestling an opponent, I'll fight until it's over. It's a matter of what you're shooting for.

Like with weights, rest periods help mainly to build muscle which is never a bad thing. When you rest very little, that's more on par with cardio and building up that heart rate. Circuits work well cause they can do both help develop muscle, burn off fat and build cardio at the same time. Plus, it doesn't take up a ton of time. With my 500 Rep Workouts, if I'm doing rest periods, the workout lasts around 30 minutes, with little to no rest depending on certain exercises, it ranges from 15-25 minutes or so. Either way, it's still under an hour. With my 1000 Rep workouts, I would go at a pace where I'm hardly resting at all either to flip a card or mark off a circuit, that's really it and that still takes me less than 45 minutes to complete. Think my longest circuit of 1000 total reps lasted just over 37 minutes so there's still a ton to get done without spending a ridiculous amount of time. 

Yesterday when I went to the gym, I did a circuit as a finisher and didn't take much rest and this was already from being exhausted from walking 45+ minutes to the gym, get in a session with a sandbag, barbell and dumbbell. After the finisher, I walked back home. Here's the full routine including the Walking....

45+ Min Walk

10 Sandbag Carries

BB Shrugs x 245/20, 275/15, 315/7, 335/4

DB Curls x 50/10 Each Arm, 55/6 Each Arm, 60/4 Each Arm

-Dopa Finisher (10 Rounds)

10 Chest Flys

10 Wave Pulls

10 Uppercut To Squat

10 Skis

10 Propellers

45+ Min Walk Back Home

I did a weigh in before heading out and said I was 235, took another look when I got home and it said I was 231.6. It was also freezing (literally like upper 20's, low 30's) walking to and from lol. Simple routine but it was hard as hell but it was fun to do. 

One of the guys there saw me doing Shrugs and asked if I used straps to help my grip, I told him I didn't and had good tendon and ligament strength to handle the weights especially the last set at 335. Said I had awesome grip strength which was a great compliment to me since this guy looked like a bodybuilder and even said that if he tried that, his grip would give out faster than mine. Just a fun exchange and I gave him props for working the exercise he was doing and told him he was killing it.

Back to using rest periods. If you want to do rest periods using the Dopa Bands, go for it and hope they help with your goals, if you're more ambitious and go after testing your cardiovascular abilities, have at it and hope you build some insane stamina. Make use of the knowledge you have, learn some techniques, find what works best and kill it with a vengeance. You got this and be amazingly awesome.

 Use my code POWERANDMIGHT to shave off a few bucks on your order if you're interested make the bands a part of your routine or use them on off days, your pick. 

Strength In The Gym Vs Strength Everywhere Else

In most cases, being controversial may get you noticed but there's always a line drawn and some overstep that line and act like they're better than everybody or a better expert. I'm not one to cause controversy or have an opinion that is controversial but sometimes it happens without being intentional about it.

Some cause controversy because they're attention seeking jackasses or just don't give a shit about the consequences and believe they can get away with murder when in reality, they're really a joke and have no real value. For instance, for a guy who looks like he needs to eat sandwich telling other people how to get jacked while struggling to do a few pull-ups yet claims to do 25 in a set and never once proved it just talks out of his ass, that's a red flag in my book or those that believe smoking like a chimney yet are in better health is a flex, it isn't.

When it comes to strength in the gym, more often than not, many people's abilities only stay in the gym and struggle to be able to do other things outside of it. It's rarer than people lead on that gym training carries over to other aspects of physical activity. There are guys who can squat hundreds of pounds, yet have a hard time going up and down flights of stairs or able to haul furniture. I've seen jacked up guys deadlift crazy weight but can barely do a few push-ups that have a lockout. It's not so much sad or shameful but it's more on the lines of being conditioned mentally to believe that if you can do whatever in the gym, it transfers over to everything else, not necessarily true. It's not an opinion, it's pretty damn factual.

It's not to say you shouldn't go to the gym to get strong, but it is important to understand the concept of certain logic and knowledge that one thing may not help the other but sometimes, it's the other way around. Some are very strong outside the gym and can do some pretty gnarly stuff if they rarely or ever been in one. Laborers for example aren't always going to look like the Hulk but some of those guys are stupid strong in the areas they work in and make bodybuilders and gym goers look weak in many things. However, you're not going to see a ton of laborers doing 400 lb deadlifts or Benching 500 lbs. It's a very different type of strength and there are some laborers that have this thing about bitching and moaning about people in gyms not being strong in the real world when in reality, it's not all that black and white. 

Personally, I believe in the idea that whether you train in a gym or not, having strength no matter where you are should be practiced and have knowledge on. In truth, the gym is everywhere, a building is just part of an idea. That may sound like I'm knocking gym fanatics but I'm not, strength has its merits in many forms but if you're just choosing the gym, unless there is equipment that holds meaning for outside situations or able to build strength that can hold its own outside of it, you may get a wake up call that your Dumbbell Presses aren't always going to save you from hauling awkward boxes all day. 

Dumbbells, Barbells and Machines have their place in building strength, have been for decades and have helped many people but if all you focus on is those things and not see the value of other equipment or yourself, you're closing off knowledge and application that can one day save your ass or someone else. Many of the old timers learned not only to lift a Barbell, but to do things that required strength beyond the Barbell, for some it was a big part of their development, for others, it was another cog in the machine that was building a physique that had not only strength but can go as well. 

If you're only strong in the gym, there will be things that won't help you deal with other things in life. However, if you have the knowledge of both gym training and outside formalities, that bolds a better way of handling yourself if it was just one or the other. Many people will never need the gym at all and that's awesome. I for one, don't NEED the gym to make myself strong and conditioned, I go because it's something to do and have fun with, making it part of the journey, not relying on it. I've gone years without walking into a gym and made progress in my training career, you've seen the demos and the results of what I can do. I don't love the gym but I don't hate it either, for me it's just a place. 

What I do understand though is that many think they need the gym for whatever reasons when in fact, it's more of finding a stepping stone to becoming something more of what they were before. It's not a bad thing at all but if the gym is your only sanctuary and don't utilize things outside of it, than you have become conditioned to believe that you need to rely on the gym itself in order to make yourself a better person when there is a whole other world of possibilities. 

Become strong in the gym that has carryover to the real world if you choose to do gym training. If it doesn't carry over to the outside world, it's going to bite you in the ass one way or another. If you do things outside of the gym, that's bad ass and can rely on that particular knowledge alone but if you added the gym to those things, you're also gaining knowledge of what can be useful to you. There are many ways to build strength but it's up to you to find that balance and rely on what is useful versus one concept over another. 

Be amazingly awesome and stay strong and healthy for as long as you can. If you're a gym goer, keep at it and hope that strength carries over to other aspects of your life. If you don't go to the gym, build your strength so that it can be helpful to others and yourself. 

Workouts That Are Kicking My Ass

Damn, I can't get enough of these Dopa Band Workouts. The Deck Of Cards Training again has been ass kicking but fun. Some days, I'll do a full deck, other days I'll do the deck twice in a row. The sweat, the adrenaline and the high afterwards is nothing short of fucking awesome.

Been at it since Jan 1st of 2026 so far and yeah I have my days where I feel like I may need a break but then I remember how great it feels once I really get into it and because its a deck of cards, it's never the same workout twice. Even exercises get switched around so I don't even do the same ones. I switch the Green & Black Bands on certain days to work on speed and mobility with one and power with the other. Solid trade off I say. 

That's the beauty of some of these workouts, I can do other stuff part of the day and then go do a band workout later, some days the bands are my first workout or only big workout of the day. Go to the gym 2x a week to lift and play around, off days I'll do Isometrics, DDP Yoga (which really helps me stay flexible and limber) and some bodyweight but I'll always do a band session at some point. That may be extreme to some but I don't go so hard that it's affecting too many things much. I will say it builds up an appetite that's for sure but I'm still within the 230-235 lb range. 

Fitness doesn't always come from doing boring shit that leaves little to the imagination. Yes, it's important to keep things basic but in your mind, those basic moves can seem like you're in some kind of scenario. When I lifted that 295 Dead Stop Press w/ the Fat Gripz, I didn't just see a weight, I saw an opportunity to feel as if I was pushing a beast off of me in a match or in a fight and he couldn't handle the power I had. I felt like a Super Saiyan. Even when I curl the 55 lb Dumbbells, I picture having electrical spheres in my hands and fingers, using an energy technique that you imagine an invisible tractor beam propelling you at a certain point during a lift. There's more to it than what I can tell you, that's just an idea that I had picked up from my friend Garin Bader on CoreForce Energy. 

If you haven't figured it out yet, I use the bands for conditioning purposes and working towards a goal that I'm now a quarter of the way through which even right now is the most I've ever done in a consistent point in time. I've used the bands off and on for years now but never in this capacity consecutively. They say if you do something 10,000 times you become an expert or is it 10,000 hours? One way or another, when it comes to the band, I've nearly tripled the amount of reps I've done using it. Each workout is a minimum of 500 total reps and don't go further than 1000 in a session. Whether it's a circuit or it's a deck of cards, there's going to be something going on.

Train to what you want to achieve. Make it work for you and adapt whenever you can. For me, it's being in the kind of shape that when my strength and condition is called upon, I have the ability to turn on that switch and do what's possible. It's a battle most days and it's becoming more and more of mental warfare with myself. Physically, I've done these workouts so many times now it's like brushing your teeth but from a mental POV there are days where I don't want to do them and have to fight myself to get into it but once I'm in it and that band moves and the music is playing, everything else around me becomes a blur. I've had people ask me what it is I'm doing and some even told me how crazy I' am doing these workouts and that I can move pretty fast. 

I'll get comments on SM about how much leaner I've been and even got one comment that was new to me on my video I did on the Propeller. He said and I quote...."I feel sorry for whoever he ever clotheslines. That's some serious wax on wax off chi right there." Think this is the smoothest I've done with this move but as always, there's room for improvement.

Be amazingly awesome. Shoot me a comment or use the Contact Form to email me. Have a great day and keep killing it. Don't forget to use my code POWERANDMIGHT when you order a Dopamineo Band. 

Dopa Deck Of Cards Training 2026

 Man, can't get enough of these workouts with the Dopa Bands. The last couple days, I switched from circuits that I've been doing to doing it with the Deck Of Cards. Saturday, I just did one deck that was 500 total reps, yesterday was doing the deck twice in a row totaling 1000. 

The energy, the sweat and the only rest is flipping a card and getting back into position. These workouts are great cause it's never the same one twice and you can change up the exercises however you like. I usually keep it to Pushing, Pulling, Squatting, Jumping & Core Work. You never know what you'll come up with. Since I'm a collector of decks of cards, I don't always need to use the same deck. One day, I can do a deck with Pirates on it, Back To The Future, Marvel, DC or Animals. Endless combinations 

A key point in doing the Deck twice in a row for me is to instead of doubling the number for each card and doing a deck once, do a complete deck and then reverse it. So if the Jokers are more towards the end, when it's reversed, they start practically at the beginning but that's only if you shuffled them that way otherwise, things can get very interesting. I don't time myself doing this so my thing is to just keep going without much rest at all instead of focusing on the clock. 

It's a whole other realm of physical and mental conditioning. It teaches you how to be prepared for the unexpected and that just when you think it starts to get easy, a joker or some other card may pop up and you'll have to work your reps hard and do quite a few of them. The pacing isn't the same either, you can go pretty fast for a bit but then those higher reps may slow you down a bit. Jokers in this case are 50 reps of the Propeller Exercise so if you get those towards the beginning (for the 500 total), you can do pretty well with the rest of the deck but if they're towards the end and you're doing the deck twice, it's going to test you with a vengeance. I do my best to keep a good clip going and since I have the Chosen Higher Band, the speed is a lot higher compare to the Black Band which is meant for heavier guys so the resistance will have a much greater difference in how you work a deck. 

Conditioning is a person's greatest asset and decks of cards workouts are a top of the line test for that. You'll sweat and you'll feel fatigued but it's a test of wills to push through. This is also where your breathwork comes into play cause if you can work your breathing doing stuff like this, it'll give you hints on how much stronger your lungs can get. Your breath can determine whether you start to wear down or not so learn to control your breathing just like in a wrestling match, a fight or whatever sport you play. Whether you're a student of the mat, a warrior on the gridiron or a strategic player on the diamond, conditioning will be the ultimate assurance. This is why having Bands like these are powerful cause they're not just things that stretch, they help you with technique and can be added to any routine. 

Temporary strength is a good thing to have when it's needed but too many rely too much on how they can lift instead of how long they can last. Long term strength is more suited to certain things because even when you're tired, you can still have strength left in the tank to do some amazing things. Having both however, is a deadly combo because when you have the ability to call upon your strength whether it's a few seconds or several minutes, it tells you what kind of athlete you are. As General Patton has said, "Fatigue, makes cowards of us all" it is important to be in the best condition regardless of age and to be able to have reserves that could be life saving whether your own or to help someone else. 

I highly recommend you grab a band and make use of it whether on its own or as part of your current program, doesn't matter if its weights, bodyweight, sports or just weekly fitness sessions. You don't even have to pay full price for them when you can use my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT to shave off a few bucks. Unlike other bands, these won't snap as quickly, matter of fact even Goku or Vegeta may have trouble snapping these fuckers and those fighters are freakishly strong. My black band, I've had for years, put through some hardcore workouts and not one scratch or tear in it. They're pretty damn close to being indestructible. The Chosen Higher Band, I've already done thousands of reps with it already and still going strong. When you get one, let me know how I can help and tell me your feedback with it, I want to know your progress and how you do them. 

Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it.   

FYI...The Black Band is on Pre-Order at the moment due to the popularity and being out of stock. It will be available again next month so if you wish to pre-order it now, go for it, my discount will still apply to the order. If you rather wait until it's available again, there's nothing wrong with that either. Believe me, this is far better than those who put products on Pre-Order that go on for YEARS and never coming around and just swindle you out of your money. I feel sorry for those people who have to wait for something that will never show up. Nobody deserves that. Don't waste your time and hard earned money on people like that. This company is way more professional, honest and will help you in any way they can. You deserve the BEST!!!

Leaning Out Little By Little

 

My journey continues as to becoming a better version of myself. Training is going just as strong as ever and making the most of what's possible around me. These Dopa Band (10% OFF Code POWERANDMIGHT) workouts are kicking my ass, having fun in the gym lifting stuff like the sandbag and doing pullups for strength along with playing with Barbells and Dumbbells. Right now, I'm roughly under 235 last time I checked like around 233ish which I'm happy with. Slow process to get lower again but hey it's just part of the process and weight fluctuates from time to time. Still way fucking better than when I was closer to 300 lbs at 275. 

When I'm in the gym, I don't go as heavy as I did in the past which is awesome. Think my only ego lifts were the near 300 lb Pin Press with the Fat Gripz and the 500 lb Leg Press for reps. Lifting weights has its perks and I can still move some decent weight. Can still lift my bodyweight in several lifts but the majority of the time unless it's shrugs or something, I don't go past maybe 250-260. I don't even do deadlifts or barbell squats anymore, it's not my style to train for. 

The majority of my training right now is doing conditioning stuff with the band with a goal in mind which by now I've completed around 20% of. I'll do bodyweight and Isometric stuff which has always been a go to when I need it and have reduced to going to the gym 2x a week instead of 3x lately. I can go, do upper body one day, lower the next one and then the rest of the week do whatever else I love to do. I don't have a particular routine except the Dopa Band and I don't even do the same exercises with it all the time either, I switch them around some days but still get in 500-1000 Total Reps whether with the Heavy Band or the Lighter Band doesn't matter, one of those numbers will be accomplished. No days off man.

My true goals is to stay consistent and avoid injuries as much as possible while hitting my workouts hard but not so extreme it's going to burn me out or worse. I feel great, I might get stiff in some areas but some good stretching from DDP Yoga and some animal crawls usually do the trick. Some days I'll throw in push-ups and squats to keep things in check and/or do 500 Step ups or more to keep my legs from having imbalances as much as possible. I'm pretty good training in the morning but my best form where I'm like energized to the gills is usually around late morning or early afternoon which is where I feel way more at my best. In the early morning, yeah I can do stuff but rarely ever feel like I'm at my true best. I was never that much of a morning person anyway LOL.

Everyday is a new chapter in my journey and seeing what I can do. I've said before, I don't go so hard I can't walk or move well for hours on end after, I do just enough that I still have gas in the tank and say "fuck you I still win" to whatever I do training wise. My food intake is better little by little. Usually I eat about 2 big meals a day and snack on things here and there but not a ton. My first meal is something with chicken or steak, sometimes eggs up to 4-6 at a time whether scrambled or fried, might have a homemade burger or make nachos. On occasions I might grab a Subway or order some BBQ or a big burrito packed with steak, rice and veggies. My second meal the majority of the time is whatever dinner is, sometimes I'll cook, sometimes my wife cooks and we'll either have Burgers and Fries, Chicken Breasts with veggies, Quesadillas, Tacos with turkey meat, Pasta or bake a frozen pizza one night. Simple things and limiting my soda intake. I'm a sucker for Coke. I'm doing my best to drink up to 100 ounces of water a day, most of the time it's about 80. With the Liquid Death Sparkling Water, that helps with Soda Cravings.

I'm not strict about what I eat but I'm a lot better than what I did use to eat. I was really into sweets like Cookies, chocolate (Dark & Milk) and pudding but I've cut those down by maybe 85%. I'll still eat them but I'd be lucky to have one of those things a couple times a month instead of multiple a week. If I do overeat at times, I'll just fast until I'm hungry again and even though I can still eat quite a bit, I don't push it like I did in the past, like with tacos, I use to eat sometimes 12 in a sitting but these days I rarely go past 5. Tacos are the fucking bomb man. I eat for fuel, it's the way to go.

There's always room for improvement and as time goes on, I get a little better about what I eat and train on. Be smart about what you do, be consistent and keep being amazingly awesome. Hope you enjoyed this one.     

Why Conditioning Should Be A Top Fitness Priority – And Why I Believe In It

How's it going everyone? Something has been burning in my brain as of late. We live in a wild world of fitness where everyone's chasing the next big lift or that shredded six-pack, we've got it all backwards sometimes. Strength is and always will be royalty in the quest for longevity for sure, but without conditioning, you're just a castle built on sand, waiting for the tide to wash it away. Today, I would love to dig deep into why conditioning training needs to be one of the top absolute priorities in fitness. Not some side dish – the main course. And I'll share how I've made it happen for me, because let's face it, talking the talk without walking the walk is bullshit.

First off, what the hell do I even mean by "conditioning"? I'm not talking about some off the wall cardio class where you're prancing around like a gazelle on caffeine, it's great if that works for you. However; conditioning is that beast mode endurance – the kind that builds your engine so you can go harder, longer, and recover like a fucking superhero. Think high-rep total circuits, explosive band work, hill sprints that make your lungs scream, or even those grueling bodyweight sessions that leave you in a puddle of sweat. It's the stamina that turns a one-set wonder into a multi-round warrior. Conditioning isn't just "cardio"; it's the foundation that lets your strength shine without crumbling under pressure.

Why prioritize it? Let's break this down, because number one: longevity. I'm in my 40s now, and I've seen too many guys my age blow out knees, tweak backs, or just quit because their bodies couldn't handle the load. Conditioning builds that resilience. It's like prehab on steroids – improving joint mobility, firing up those fast-twitch fibers for explosiveness, and torching calories without the joint-pounding punishment of endless heavy lifts, lifting has its perks especially with Sandbags but that's not the name of the game here. Take my obsession with Dopamineo bands (shoutout to those indestructible beasts – if you haven't grabbed one, what are you waiting for?). I hammer out 500-rep circuits daily, sometimes 1000, mixing pulls, pushes, and rotational stuff like the Propeller exercise. That shit doesn't just build muscle; it conditions your heart, lungs, and connective tissues to handle whatever life throws at you. No more feeling like a zombie after a workout – you're electrified, ready for round two or three.

Here's a take on performance. If you're an athlete, weekend warrior, or just someone who wants to dominate pickup basketball without wheezing or giving out within minutes, conditioning is your secret weapon. Remember Henry Cejudo? That UFC champ used resistance bands for his conditioning, turning him into a machine that could wrestle, strike, and outlast many of his opponents? I've channeled that vibe in my own training. Those 20 Rounds with the Chosen Higher Band have been brutal. By the end, I'd cranked out 1,000 reps of blissful hell, feeling like Goku powering up like a Super Saiyan. My explosiveness went through the roof, and recovery? Flawless victory, Mortal Kombat style. Without prioritizing conditioning, that strength plateaus. You hit that wall where reps feel like molasses, and gains stall. But flip it – make conditioning the priority – and suddenly your lifts improve because your body's efficient at using oxygen, clearing lactate, and staying in the fight.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying ditch the weights entirely. Hell no. Strength and conditioning go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly. But if you're building a pyramid, conditioning is the base. Too many programs out there glorify the "no pain, no gain" bullshit, pushing extremes that lead to burnout or injury.

How do you make it a priority? Start simple, but commit like your life depends on it – because in a way, it does. Assess your current state. If a 10-minute circuit kicks your ass, that's your baseline. Build from there. Little by little down to the smallest fraction of progress still leads to the big picture. Even bodyweight circuits are fantastic because you can do them anywhere. Do them on your off days from the gym. I'll be going 2x a week to play around with the weights and then work on the other stuff the rest of the time. Do what works for you. If you're looking for some fun bodyweight workouts, check out Darebee.com. Thousands of workouts for FREE!!!

Here's a kicker: making conditioning a priority isn't just physical; it's mental. In a world full of distractions – social media, endless scrolling – fitness is your anchor. Prioritizing conditioning builds discipline, that instinctive drive to push when you want to quit. It's like speaking a second language of grit. I've seen it in the Dopamineo Community: folks using the dopa bands for family workouts, kids building explosiveness for sports, elders staying mobile. It's inclusive, not elitist. Unlike some bro-science out there, this isn't about destroying yourself; it's about evolving. Be passionate about it – let that fire burn, add gasoline if needed. The rewards? Endless. You'll move better, live longer, and crush goals you didn't know you had.

Wrapping this up, because I could go on for days: if you're serious about fitness, make conditioning your priority. It's your greatest asset – the engine that powers everything else. Start today: grab those bands, hit a circuit, feel the burn (be sure to lock in my code POWERANDMIGHT to get a few bucks off your order). You'll thank me later when you're killing it at levels you never imagined. Be amazingly awesome, keep evolving, and remember, train smart, train hard, and let's dominate.

Going Green Kicked My Ass

On Saturday, the Chosen Higher Dopamineo Band came and the moment, I opened it, I was ready to head down for a workout with it. Quite the experience if I say so myself. This band specifically (resistance wise) is much lighter than the Black one I have. This is Dopa's One Size Fits All band where just about anyone can work with, even little kids would get a kick out of this thing. It can be used in so many ways whether you're a beginner just getting into it and learning techniques, to advanced specimens that use it for explosiveness, conditioning and speed. 

I did a circuit like usual of 5 exercises, 10 reps each but did 20 Rounds instead of the normal 10. I wanted to work on my speed and quickness. Had to stretch it a bit to get a feel for it but once I got going, holy shit it felt like sprinting. I was cruising through that workout and like always, rested only to mark off a circuit and kept going. I was breathing hard and it felt incredible. I was moving at a much more rapid rate and exploding on some of the exercises that it seemed powerful. 

The workout was 1000 Total Reps. At about round 15-16, I was starting to slow it down a bit cause I was already getting exhausted from how fast I was going. Those last few rounds weren't so slow I looked like a turtle but it was a vast difference than going Sonic The Hedgehog on that thing. I even had to readjust the band at times cause of my sweat, my hands would slide but it wasn't too bad, never let up. This fucker was no joke and to move at the pace I did, I was shocked I could still walk out of there without looking like the Walking Dead. 

It kicked my ass that's for sure and that shower afterwards was the best feeling ever. Having it being green is awesome cause it's my favorite color and it look lit up when you're training with it. Never underestimate the power of resistance bands. It's a great add on to your routine or can be done by itself like I do with it or even a finisher. Play around with it and see what it can do for you. If you're into weights going to the gym or have a home gym, you can do a band workout as a warm up for your current routine, you can do it between sets of your push-ups and squats or other bodyweight exercises, superset it with pull-ups and chin-ups, do sprints, lunges, take it out to the park or in the woods while you camp to keep yourself mobile and energized from Chopping Firewood, pre or post practice sessions in MMA or Wrestling and so much more. 

It's a great tool to have in your arsenal and it's great for kids to get that excess energy out. They can use it as resistance for their youth practice, doing animal crawls, jump, skip, whatever gets them going. Kids deserve to be healthy and this is a great tool to help them get there. Got a band for you, your son/daughter and wife, it's a workout for the whole family and get to bond together building strength and positive minds. Great for youth programs to get ready for any sport and not to mention with the type of training you can do, it builds up a hell of an appetite from burning calories like a furnace.

I'll never get over how awesome these bands are and those that do them are some of the best in the world, so it's worth something right? Get a glimpse of this band below and see if you're interested in getting one. Being able to do this stuff in my 40's is helping me stay in shape for the long haul and remember, conditioning is your greatest asset. Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it guys.

Dopamineo.com (Discount Code: POWERANDMIGHT)

15000 Reps With The Dopa Band

Well, the first month of 2026 is close to an end. This past month has been a great part of my journey especially with my Dopa Band Training. Every single day so far, I have done 500 Total reps of my Band Circuits. Some days I change up the exercises or work on ones I know and I love to do but also been giving new ones a go. Some of them work well, others are more for those who have better experience than me. 15000 Reps has been done with this thing and I'm just itching to do more of it.

No matter what whether I was in the gym or not, I made the time to do a circuit a part of my daily training. Even did one as a finisher after a gym session. That was brutal and really tested my conditioning. Quite honestly, I don't know why I'm not sore from that. With the new addition of the Chosen Higher Green Band (which I've had my eye on for weeks), it's going to be a crazy ride to keep at it with this style of training. Think my first workout with it will be either a circuit totaling 1000 Reps or do a Full Deck Of Cards twice in a row with it which is also 1000 rep total. I'll have to flip a coin on that one. Yes I' am that crazy. There is no third option LOL.

Seeing great athletes use it keeps inspiring me and seeing folks in their 50's and 60's use it to keep themselves healthy and in shape is incredible. These bands have made led many wrestlers to medal in both the Olympics & World Championships. One of the best wrestlers that also went into MMA, Henry Cejudo credits Dopamineo Training as a go to for enhancing his conditioning and technique. You can hear the man himself HERE!!! Seriously, this dude won Gold in the 2008 Olympics, 2x gold and 1 Silver winner in the U.S National Championships, 3x Pan American Champion, UFC Bantamweight & Flyweight Champion and won his first 10 Fights in MMA in a row. That's a Hall Of Fame career man. 

It feels great to be a part of this community. I ordered the Green Band along with their anchor strap from one of their champions, a BJJ prodigy named Helena Craver who has been named the #1 No Gi Women's Grappler pound for pound by FloGrappling. If you ever find some of her videos on her training, you're going to find a lot of them have a dopa band in her possession. I wanted to support her journey in Grappling because at her age, she's already reached levels most women don't in their whole career. She's only 19 years old and and has potential that may even hit Ronda Rousey status, who knows where this kid will go but I'm proud to have at least contributed something that will help her along the way. 

When you add your current routine or even do it in and of itself on days off from your regular training with the band, there's going to be some killer benefits that will be in your corner; Stamina, Mobility, Conditioning, Flexibility, Technique Building, Coordination Skills, Explosiveness, Recovery and more. It can be used for rehab or prehab, a warm up or a finisher, you can go slow or fast if you want and it's virtually indestructible. It's like the name it was given, DopamineO with the O being "Oh shit, that was great".  Build new skills, breathe new life into your fitness and be able to take it with you practically anywhere. 

I will be continuing doing these workouts for a while since I've got something cooking that I can't share with you just yet. Be amazingly awesome and be sure to grab a band at Dopamineo.com and use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF your order. There are bundles, add ons and discount plans for those in the Military. 

Being Passionate About Your Training Has Its Own Rewards

In those moments where time seems to stand still but you're doing what you love and having a blast, it becomes more than what is taking place. There are days where things may not go so well but you push through anyway and do what you can and still get that work in. Sometimes we're not always mentally there or get frustrated and our focus shifts that it isn't the right time to be motivated to train. On Tuesday, I was having set up issues that I had to fix from putting the band together with where I was setting it up and had one of those frustrating moments. After a few attempts and trying to do what I went there to do, I wanted to see some exercises I can give a go for the circuit, a couple exercises just didn't feel right and after maybe 2 unsuccessful rounds, I switched to exercises I knew well enough to work with that I liked and it was off to the races completing those exercises and my 10 Rounds (500 Reps Total).

Sounds petty but there is a point to this. Out of frustration, it can be difficult to shut off once it hits you but when your instincts kick in and you still have that drive to do what you are passionate about, it rewards you later with the fact knowing even you don't always have the motivation and you have something fixated on your brain that doesn't leave you right away but you don't let it stop you from getting back up and keep going. After that workout, yeah I was still pissed off at myself still fighting inside my own head but I also knew that doing that 500 Rep workout needed to be done for me and I made it happen. My mind wasn't all there but I was still willing to go through it because it is who I am, someone who puts in the effort everyday regardless of what's going on in my life, even the little things. The passion was still burning.

Yesterday however, I wanted to film some stuff just seeing what could be fun to do, did several takes each of the things I was doing and it became kind of a warm up for me before I did my workout with the Band again. The end result of what came out to a demo is what you see below. The workout however, just doing simple exercises for my circuit and starting up my tunes, the fire wasn't just burning within me, it was like something poured gasoline on it. I was pumped, energy was electric and I was cruising through that fucker with a vengeance and felt invincible. It was like the day before was a blur and something not only kicked in but made me think I was superhuman. I love moments like that. It may not happen 100% of the time but when it happens, it shows that if you're consistent and you keep at it, you will have those moments when they're meant to. No one was around me, I never talked to anyone or even go into some meditative state beforehand, it was right there and my mind & body were connected in that moment in time. I want to have that feeling again and again.

Sometimes your training won't always make your day better but you can make things happen that will have an impact on you that makes your day interesting. There have been days where my workouts seem to drag on but then something kicks in and it just goes. Other days, I have that fearless and take charge kind of thinking and those workouts turn into an epic session. It happens at times when you've done some kind of a workout every single day for 20+ years straight even if it was for 5 minutes. Certain things will come and go but when you always have that passion, that drive, that fire, every workout will do something to you whether you're having a bad day or whatever. It's one of the reasons I call it my second language, it's instinctive and fluent. 

Training with a passion comes with its own rewards, there are pros and cons to doing something every single day but the pros far outweigh the cons and when you do something, it may not seem like anything at first but the more you get into it, it turns into something beautiful and practically spellbinding. I can give you small hints of what the rewards are but in order to understand them, you have to figure them out yourself by experiencing it. You don't get benefits from looking at words, you get them by feel, by moving, by discovery of what you're capable of. With passion, you will feel things that you don't get with other things. Don't wait around to find out, get after it and be fucking amazingly awesome. 

A New Addition To Dopa Conditioning Is Going Green

 Training is about discovery and learning how to handle certain methods not just in research but also in what your capabilities are. You've seen enough posts of the Dopamineo Band I use since I enjoy it so damn much but something within me decided to step things up a notch.

Last night, I made the decision to order their newest band that may or not be around much longer which is the Chosen Higher Band. It's the same material, same length but the resistance is much lighter and it's suited to just about about everyone since it's a one size fits all type of band. The reason why I got this wasn't to replace the black one I have, it's to utilize another approach to my conditioning with the bands by working technique, control and some power/explosiveness with one band and really hammer out my speed, reflexes, quickness and agility with the other. 

I look at it as doing one or the other on certain days and if anyone is up for training with me and doing a workout with the bands together, I'll give you the green band whether you're advanced or just a beginner with this kind of training and we can tackle a kick ass session together. It's a win-win in my book. The band is great for adults, teens and kids who are looking to stay fit and build up their condition and stamina. 

This particular band is awesome for working techniques in various sports like Wrestling, Boxing, Judo and even Football. College level athletes use bands like these to drill and work on moves that can be used in regular games. Some of the best wrestlers in the world work with bands like these as high up as the Olympic & World level and quite a number have won medals in the process and credit these bands for developing their technique, leg drive, speed and durability. Little kids can even use this thing for youth sports training and even get excess energy out that can be a part of doing bodyweight and playing on the playgrounds. 

One of the best perks of having bands like these is that it's virtually indestructible. They've even had contests from various practitioners on who can snap the band. As far as I know, none of them were able to do it and these bands already can be put through the grind. If I venture to guess who can possibly snap a band, maybe Brian Shaw or a strong wrestler with insane grip and shoulder strength. Other than that, this thing has been tested in ways 95-98% of other bands would snap within seconds of even on the first use. Myself, I have pounded this band on concrete, dirtied it up, stretched it to the best I can from sprints and explosive training and still don't see a scratch or even a tear in this fucking thing. These bands, make chest expanders and even ones powerlifters use for training look weak. 

Working with the band has helped my training outside of it very well and strengthens my mobility and flexibility. At 41 and seeing many athletes my age already having knee replacements, hip replacements, ankle tears, joint problems and are in constant pain, I feel it's my duty to help those minimize those things to living pain-free as best as possible along with my own training. You've heard enough of my story and some of the things I've been through and you know that I've had enough dealing with pain that I wouldn't wish on anybody and don't want to experience it again. I don't believe in going to such extremes anymore of doing things that challenge the risk to reward ratios. With the band and even bodyweight I'll do high rep work (in total) but not make it my whole existence, I want to walk out of a session with gas left in the tank, not feeling so sore I can't move well hours or even a day later and also don't need to push it to the point of feeling pain. That whole "no pain, no gain" thing is bullshit, it may be something bad ass you want to think of in your 20's, maybe 30's but 40 and beyond, it'll be harder to heal up again and injuries are at a greater risk of happening. I'd rather have a brutal session that makes me feel great and alive than to go so hard that my bones are tested to see if they snap. 

Conditioning is your greatest asset along with long-lasting and temporary strength but that's for any age. As we get older and priorities change even by the smallest fraction, the ability to get up off the floor, being mobile, limber and agile becomes assets that you'll want to have moving forward. That doesn't mean you can't have insane sessions, as long as you can keep at it without needing to go to the ER or be sore that it takes away certain aspects of your daily life for a period, do what's possible. I have believed in since I was 21 years old that daily training is valuable and in part necessary to have a long and quality life, but it is important to understand when to go hard and when to back off a bit and focus on things that keep you moving. 

Made many mistakes along the way but as of right now, I'm where I'm supposed to be at this point in time and I'm loving that I don't live in pain, able to climb stairs with ease, walk for miles with a vest on and workout anywhere I want. This band will be a great addition (not supplementary) to my arsenal of continuous training and building knowledge of what I can do as time goes on. Come and grab one before it's gone at Dopamineo.com. Use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% off the order, that's $8.30 from the full price so nearly 10 bucks off just using my code. What have you got to lose? 

Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it in your journey. Live pain-free and own your workouts. 

Baby Baby Tell Me More Of Your Lies

 Ever done a workout that was so intense and powerful that when it's all said and done you just think to yourself "Holy fuck, did that really just happen?" Like it wasn't supposed to be THAT good but you come out of it not just smiling but feeling like you can take on the fucking gods. It has happened to me a time or two, those moments where everything is in place, you're locked in battle and when it's over, you're left standing with something beyond yourself.

Some workouts take us to another realm of what we can possibly achieve, others at times are just getting through and then walking out without thinking twice about it. The moment where it becomes epic is when in that point and time, it becomes an entity you didn't know existed. That rush of adrenaline, the feel of power surging and the awakening of strength that makes Zeus think "Glad he's on our side". We all have a power residing within us that we haven't let out yet. Could we achieve it on our own? Absolutely, it takes practice and guidance but once we understand where to unlock it, it opens the door to another world.

Certain things can trigger this power; it can be a memory, that voice in your head, your imagination, training with a friend or a group of people, listening to music, it can even be triggered by strong emotions. Unlocking it isn't the hard part, that's just the first step, the hard part is to consistently do it and be in control of it to the point where even in certain times of life, it's like flipping a damn switch. 

 It's like music, it creates vibrations and moves your mind. Not everyone is going to be hit with the same music, we all feel things differently. I'm an eclectic, I enjoy and feel things from different genres of music from metal to classical to 60's soul and/or rock and even Mongolian Folk Rock like The Hu. Now when I train, there are specific genres I put on or specifically songs that fire me up like from Miracle Of Sound, Ozzy, Godsmack, Peyton Parrish and others, closer to hard rock and metal. I don't put on things like ABBA or Hanson for that matter, I don't feel anything from those other than "switch to something else for the LOVE OF GOD". Some might be into them and get something but in my opinion, even Bud Jeffries has said to me while we were training that ABBA is the unmanliest music to work out to LOL. 

When I don't have music on, I can still go like crazy but something just hits me differently putting on a kick ass song or a playlist. I feel even more alive and have hit PRs listening to certain songs. The times I don't have a playlist or a song to start with, I use my imagination and think of either people beside me and telling me to keep going, or I picture something with the exercise I'm working on and make a game out of it or something epic to strive for. It works very but for me, music enhances all of those things. When I used to train with Logan Christopher from Lost Empire Herbs, we didn't use much music to do stuff, we had each other to push ourselves and learned things from one another that made us better in our sessions. Sometimes we used music and killed it with the things we did. Shit, his hand and thigh lifts at his height and weight were fucking unbelievable. The way he juggled a kettlebell was a sight to see, I can do a flip or two but he was doing things with as heavy as 70 lbs like it was baseball. 

You see, music brings vibrations that fires the neurons and takes us to places that we may not be able to do without it. I'm not saying you can't do great things if you don't listen to music while training, you sure as hell can, many have but a lot of us love music and use it to make our sessions look like we can take on the world by storm. Whoever tells you not to listen to music at all because it's distracting or just background noise while you train hasn't felt the true power of it and doesn't have a clue what it can truly do in a session. It's great that you don't and still have the power to make something incredible but don't you dare tell someone they can't and not experience something that can unleash something within them that turns a workout from going through the motions to something wild and epic. Music is power, music is a part of life and music can charge a person's strength to new heights. 

Be amazingly awesome and use that playlist you love or start off with a song that fuels you more than a Pre-Workout. Just an FYI, the title of this article is lyrics from a song I started listening to recently that is just beautiful, has a classic 80's rock vibe and gives me goosebumps. Although the story is about something else entirely but it still has a bad ass sound, great riff and vocals that are banging. 

Flawless Victory

 2 Words 90's kids love to hear when they played Mortal Kombat. Yesterday, I was messing around with Push-Ups and wanted to find out how my technique stood out doing just regular style, no handles, no PUGS, no fists, only the classic. Turned out better than I thought.

Push-Ups in general are weird for me since I'm a bit more one sided than the other so it wouldn't matter the variation, it was going to have some balance issues even if it's not noticeable to the naked eye. Yeah sure I've done plenty of them over the years and continue to do so but in ways that suit me and not what I've been told to do. In some sessions I'll do 100-200 and can do quite a few in a row without struggling much but I get just as much out of the Isometric versions without always going for reps. The Hybrid Push-Up variation from Overcoming Isometrics is my personal favorite and it's tough as shit as it builds strength from another perspective.

Before my 500 Rep Band Workout, I figured I'd see how my form was and do 25 in a row. I didn't focus so much on speed although I could explode up well, I rather focused on my control and balance. Safe to say it was one of the best sets I've ever done in quite a while. Were they completely flawless? Maybe not, there's always room for improvement but they were pretty fucking strict as best as I can make them and utilized tension in my back, legs and core while moving down to my chest to the floor and back up. 

See below.....

They weren't anything special, after all, they're just boring push-ups right? The truth is, if one wants to do 100's of them a day, that's awesome and it works for just about about anybody (emphasis on Just About) but for someone like me who likes to move things along and not spend a ton of time on them, I like to put my attention on creating the stimulus by performing them in a slower fashion, using as much tension as possible to move but only able to get 12-15 reps and I'd be spent for that set. Some like to do them in a partial format going as far as to only the mid point and back up doing Time Under Tension that way, I've done as many as 50-60 in a row doing that and it builds a hell of a pump. Guys like Mike Bruce do that and he's shredded while being in his 50's. It all depends on what you want to do.

Push-Ups is always going to be a classic and it's important to know them as a foundational and part aspect of strength training. If there was anyone that was the true GOAT of push-ups it's Jack Lalanne in my opinion, others like Herschel Walker & Mike Tyson were phenoms with them but Jack was in a class all by himself with the incredible things he did along with his inspiring training modalities. 

Use little progressions to build solid levels of strength but as long as you stick to the basics and focus on the technique and control of the movement beyond the numbers, you can go far. Here's a free guide to multiple variations from beginners to advanced with workouts and little challenges you can go for. Doesn't cost you an arm and a leg that some try to scam you on and don't have any real progressions that mean something. Some courses don't even give you a starting routine or how to progress to being able to do more, they just expect people to do whatever how many push-ups and determine how weak or strong someone is with no context other than calling them losers or worse. It's stupid and degrading.

Progress in your own time, once something becomes easy, do more or do a harder variation. A key thing to remember is, you always have room to grow, don't go to such extremes where the risk to injuries becomes greater. Train so you can minimize injuries. Some tend to push so hard themselves it's like they're asking to injure themselves on purpose. The hell kind of way is that to train? That's just needing to be on meds man. 

Be amazingly awesome and drop down and give me a few. See what's possible to build real world strength, not chase numbers to prove how above you are someone. 

Unleash The Essence Of A Fighter Dinosaur Style: 100 Strength Training Tips For Combat Athletes

 Do Dinosaurs fight? In this case, it sure as hell does. A legendary section from the Dinosaur Training course that first roared to life as a two-part article in The Dinosaur Files newsletter. We're talking way back in the late 90's, when the world was still chained to fluffy fitness fads and dumbbell curls for show. But, it has been seen that the mighty have risen! This wasn't just ink on paper; it was a thunderclap that shattered the status quo, and the echoes? They're still shaking the foundations of training halls worldwide.

Back then, The Dinosaur Files was the underground bible for those who craved real strength – not the polished, pretty-boy kind, but the primal, beast-mode power that turns men into legends. That two-part series on the "100 Tips"? It exploded like a keg of dynamite. Hands down, it may have been the most popular article ever to grace those pages. Feedback poured in like a tidal wave – letters, calls, smoke signals from the trenches. Trainers, fighters, and everyday warriors hailed it as the gospel of grit. Why? Because it wasn't about chasing mirrors or pumping for selfies. It was about forging unbreakable bodies for the real fight – combat, survival, dominance.

Fast forward through the decades, and watch the transformation unfold like a epic conquest. Those ideas Brooks unleashed? Once labeled "pretty far-out" by the skeptics – the keyboard critics and the barbell benchwarmers – they've clawed their way into the mainstream. Dinosaur methods aren't fringe anymore; they're the gold standard for combat athletes grinding it out on mats, in rings, and under the lights. Some of the best grapplers and strikers of all stripes adopted these secrets and ascend to glory. Hell, at least two World championships in grappling arts have been claimed by athletes who trained Dino-style. Think of it, a fighter wrapping his hands around gold, his body sculpted not by machines, but by the raw, unrelenting principles of old-school power. That's the Dinosaur roar echoing through victory!

But it doesn't stop in the cage or in a dojo. No fucking way, this revolution has stormed the fields, courts, and pitches like an unstoppable horde. Football players at high school, college, and pro levels? They're Dino devotees, bulldozing through lines with that unbreakable core strength. Rugby beasts? Charging like rhinos, thanks to the same brutal basics. Basketball phenoms? Leaping higher, enduring longer, all fueled by these timeless truths. One NFL head coach – a titan in his own right – was so fired up by these workout ideas and philosophy that he bulk-ordered copies of Dinosaur Training for every single player on his roster. How bad ass is that, an entire team of gridiron gladiators, each clutching the manual that turns potential into powerhouse. They didn't just read it; they lived it, pounding the iron with purpose, emerging as champions forged in fire.

And let's talk rugby royalty – the legendary All Blacks. One of their top strength coaches, a master of might, weaves Dinosaur methods into his programs like threads of steel. Those warriors from Down Under? They're not just playing; they're dominating with the kind of functional ferocity that only comes from embracing the basics: heavy lifts, grip work, odd-object training that mimics the chaos of battle. It's no coincidence they're perennial powerhouses. Then there's the NBA angle – a famous strength coach, back when he was molding the Chicago Bulls, was working with none other than Michael Jordan – the GOAT himself – and he credited Dinosaur Training for elevating their game. Picture MJ, soaring through the air, his explosive power amplified real-world strength over gym gimmicks. That's the ripple effect, brothers – from the hardwood to the end zone, Dino principles are the secret weapon.

Now, for those who think this is just sports fluff, let's crank it up a notch. Dinosaur Training isn't confined to arenas; it's infiltrated the front lines of real-world heroism. A man who specialized in tactical self-defense for Canadian law enforcement – yeah, the Mounties themselves – was a die-hard fan. He didn't just nod along; he integrated these methods into his curriculum, teaching officers how to harness raw power for survival scenarios. A Mountie, red serge and all, drilling Dino-style: sandbag carries for endurance, thick-bar pulls for unyielding grip, abbreviated workouts that build unbreakable resilience. In the heat of a takedown or a pursuit, that kind of strength isn't optional – it's life-saving. Yes, the guardians of the North train like Dinosaurs, proving these secrets transcend games and enter the realm of duty and defense.

What makes these 100 tips so enduring? It's the purity, the primal essence. We're talking about ditching the bullshit: no endless sets, no fancy machines, just heavy basics done right. Squats that build legs like tree trunks. Deadlifts that forge a back of steel. Presses that turn shoulders into boulders. Grip work that made the hands into weapons of destruction. Odd lifts – stones, barrels, anvils – that prepare you for the unpredictable grind of life. Mental toughness drills that turn doubt into dominance. Nutrition that's straightforward: fuel like a warrior, not a dieter. Recovery strategies that honor the body's roar, not its whisper. These aren't trends; they're timeless truths, drawn from the old-time strongmen who lifted before science tried to sanitize or even complicate strength.

Many have seen the evolution firsthand. In the '90s, folks scoffed at abbreviated training – "Too short? Not enough volume?" Now? It's the smart path for busy athletes who want results without burnout. Grip training was niche; today, it's essential for grapplers locking in submissions (Imagine trying to get out of a Double Wrist Lock when the guy applying it is like a vise). Functional strength over isolation? Combat sports live by it. Even periodization with Dino twists – waves of intensity, deloads like a beast in hibernation – has become staple. And the community? It has exploded. Forums buzz with Dino stories, gyms echo with the clang of real iron, and social media warriors (the good kind) share their triumphs.

Don't just read about these incredible tips – embody them! Whether you're a weekend warrior, a pro athlete, or a first-responder honing your edge, these principles are your forge. Start simple: Pick three basics, hit them hard, recover smart. Build that Dinosaur mindset – relentless, unbreakable, ever-evolving. I've done a few things in honor of this course because I believe in the power of the primal. From those newsletter pages to world stages, the proof is in the pudding.

As we charge into the future, remember: Strength isn't given; it's seized. These are your arsenal. Grab 100 Strength Training Tips For Combat Athletes, apply the fire, and watch your world transform. Are you in? Drop your Dino stories below, I want to know what it did to help you in your journey. Be amazingly awesome.

Here's a powerful song to amp you up that makes Pre-Workout look weak. WarChants man. Hear the Goblin War Drums....

He Walks In Flame

 Sometimes, we need to dig deep into ourselves to find the energy it takes to train and do what needs to be done or even put ourselves into a state of bringing that fuel to the fire that burns within. It's not always going to be motivating to workout, neither is it going to be easy to get through one when we don't have the mental strength to do it. The truth is, we all have the power in us, the question is, how do we bring it out?

From a short perspective of how CoreForce Energy works at least from my experiences is that it's not about being motivated and it certainly isn't how energetic or possibly lethargic you are; it's about what you bring into your mind that translates into the physical. Not what you think from an analytical POV, but from a vibrational POV. There's vibrations all around us, some of it isn't felt right away, other times it's painfully obvious where it hits your nervous system, the goosebumps you get, the sensations that can't always be explained. What if we were able to create something out of that using the mind/muscle connection and build that energy within even if we're tired as fuck? It's not the same thing as adrenaline, it's focused intent to utilize the brain to fire the neurons that goes into unleashing levels of strength, speed and agility that pops and gives off that electrical essence.

Motivation isn't always what people think it is. It's behavioral, an act using reasoning or a series of reasoning. We need a reason to do this or that in order to motivated to do something. Being able to channel our energy into thinking differently isn't through reasoning, it's through vibrating our bodies and putting effort into bringing out something that was always there and using it to give us abilities that have been chained up or locked away. We can do this through meditation, using music, recreating a feel from a strong memory or even through exercise. 

One of the reasons I've always found CFE fascinating is because it teaches you to see into another world, to have or the imagination of a child, to look into things beyond what you see with your eyes. You learn to listen to sounds, move with fluidity, create strength that many scientists say we don't use, all through the power of how we synchronize thought and feeling. 

I can't put all of how it works on here cause that would just take forever, but what I can tell is that with practice, it is possible to rewire your thoughts and vibrate at another level that has you doing things that look effortless, as if you've done things for decades when you may be doing them for the first. That's not luck, that's power. 

In the case of exercise or training in general, when you think differently and program your mind to feel things through the course of range of motion, it won't seem like you're grunting and grinding, it be as if you can work an exercise with flawless precision and moving as if you can go on forever. Grinding out an exercise has its perks, pushing towards a goal and busting your ass like your life depended on it. Many do that and believe that's the only way to achieve results when in fact, you can make many exercises look effortless even though they're tough to do. Garin Bader, the creator of CoreForce, uses it to work levels of strength that are actually pretty phenomenal to witness. The way he knocks over a 300 lb Boxing dummy is bad ass. His 2 Finger Superman Push-ups seem so surreal that he makes it look like someone doing regular push-ups a breeze. He showed me a version of the Hindu Squats using CD's as a tool to showcase how to move in another plane of motion with the arms. 

In the case with the Dopamineo Band, putting a different thought into a movement where to the naked eye, it's just a move but to the person working the exercise, there's electrical spheres on the body, there's hitting a point in space that zaps you with greater speed, there's follow through with powerful light. For the record, yes these are all imaginative and not real but when imagination runs as if it was real, you're creating a whole new oulook of what natural movement looks like. 

It all sounds pretty nuts huh? Trust me, I've been there, I know the feeling many have when it comes to this stuff at first. As adults, we have been taught to look at things right there with our own eyes and where to go this way or that way. To the thinking of a child, it defies the laws of physics and being able to transform, zig zag on a dime without warning, be able to have super powers and walk through walls with incredible intensity. Einstein had certain things going on that were not the norm through the scientific era of his time. He was seeing and writing down things people thought couldn't exist, he saw himself standing on a beam of light, traveling through space and time, his mind was complex and difficult to interpret. He had symptoms of Dyslexia yet he was able to come up with the formula of E=Mc2 that many scientists today utilize what is believed to be the laws of the universe. Like a child, he let his imagination open the door to possibilities unlike at any other time in history. He saw himself traveling at the speed of light, he helped reshape what physicists see as what time and space formulates and built a legacy that next to greats like Newton & Tesla, found what is now truth and continued evolution of mathematics and scientific breakthroughs. 

Getting a little carried away with this but it's exciting to me. Being able to see things from another perspective and build vibrations that enhance our strength and power. Hard work has its purpose, but when you stop and think with a different mindset, you can find ways to do things that look like it's not hard work at all but as if you make it as easy as flipping a switch. A key aspect is to not view it as "I got to work harder, I need to be faster, I have to....." whatever it is, it gives off the vibes of taking that area of thinking out of the equation and putting effort into doing things that can be hard to do but you make it look like it's a fucking cakewalk. It's one of the coolest things you can look into and find out what you can truly be capable of. Check out CoreForce Energy. What took you years, can maybe be accomplished in days or even hours. You never know what you are able to do. 

Be amazingly awesome and bring out that fire within you, walk with strength that turns heads and set ablaze the very power you always had.