The Importance Of Conditioning Using Animal Exercises

If you look in nature, the wild beasts and creatures that are animals in the jungle, the water, swamplands & deserts are in amazing condition; they have strength lasting them long periods of time, some have amazing stamina like the wildcats & primates, others have insanely powerful joints and tendons to stay tough during battles and for survival looking for food. In our society; endurance, strength & conditioning are dramatically specialized and too concentrated on one or the other. I'm here to tell you, too much concentration on one particular thing without bringing the others into play can be more harmful than you realize.

In order to even move in some animal exercises it takes strength. As you progress, you go a little longer and your stamina builds up but even then you still need the strength to hold yourself and be able to move fluidly because if you become sloppy and your strength diminishes, the rest can falter as well. Strength isn't everything yet it is a key attribute but endurance can also be the defining factor and that can determine your level of conditioning. If you're an athlete, you need to be in shape for your sport. Granted in some sports being in shape isn't everything but in most cases if you get tired early in a game/fight you are pretty much useless to the people on your team or against a particular opponent. 

Conditioning is the best asset whether in sports or in life. The beauty of animal exercises, it doesn't utilize just strength or endurance; both are valued and are the essential elements of what makes them superior to many other systems of exercise. They force you to adapt to any direction you're put in; it's not the typical up and down exercises like weights & push-ups and squats. Unlike other bodyweight exercises where you are stationary (staying in one spot of space), they have you move from point A to B, C, D. up, down, left, right, sideways, forwards, backwards, diagonal, horizontal, vertical, front ways, long ways, north, south, east, west you get the picture. When you move your body in all sorts of directions and gain strength from awkward angles, it creates a dynamic point of view where just like in sports, you're going somewhere at some point you never noticed before. 

The importance on conditioning utilizing this ancient style of fitness remains one of the most powerful yet a nearly forgotten aspect of what brings us closer to nature. Animals are by far in greater shape than any of us humans can even dream of. You can be the fastest man alive, the strongest woman, running a marathon like its nothing or go the distance in a wrestling match but none of us will ever have the universal power, speed, stamina, intensity of a wild animal. Emulating them brings us closer to what our DNA gives us the abilities to do amazing things. You can have a great physique yet have amazing functional strength, legs that can go the distance, flexible shoulders, steel-like tendons & have the lungs that would make a marathoner blush all by imitating a wild animal. Become conditioned, fast, coordinated and crazy strong.  

More On The Animal Dice Game

No matter what program or playout I end up doing, sooner or the later the bug (pun intended) will bite me to say "go back to the animals, they're your favorite." One of the things I have observed in MMA or Wrestling (the real kind) is that you never know what to truly expect from an opponent, the random things that could happen in their strategy can strike you at any time. Randomness can be your best friend or your worst enemy if you never expect the unexpected. Your brain is going a million miles an hour and what you may not know may end up hurting you in the end. That's what I love about doing Animal Moves and playing the dice game.

If you know how to move like a wild animal, whenever it comes up you're prepared to do it but another animal can come up at any time and if you don't know the moves, your instincts can go in the wrong direction. That's the reason why I made the best decision to learn about Animal Movement, it can be very unpredictable because you may not even know which direction to go but if you have practiced enough of the movement and it becomes a second language to you, you have conditioned your body to move that way and you're prepared for it even at the most random moment.

The dice game goes beyond taking random steps of an animal and I have personally have journeyed my mind and my body to be ready at all times whenever an animal comes up and I know all the animals I have learned like the back of my hand. Although it's a game of physical movement, it challenges your brain to be quick and strong to the point where you know what animal to go with but because the game is never the same twice, you're on constant alert for what comes next. It teaches you the unexpected. Just like in sports you don't always know what's going to happen but if you have programmed yourself to expect the unexpected, it gives you an advantage over your your opponents and when you add the conditioning into the mix, you're a monster among men.

It has taught me to use my instincts on another level, create a greater sensitivity of what can be applied next and has made me physically stronger than practically any other program I have done before or since. With animal moves, you can go in any direction; up, down, sideways, backwards, forwards, diagonal, horizontal, create shapes as you move and so on. Many people believe they're only good as a warm-up when they don't realize it can be the most challenging playout of their lives if they opened up their mind and see the other side of the coin. I challenge anyone to play this game and see how they feel after 20-30 min. I have gone nearly an hour doing this and I was done, many won't go 10 min. and 20-30 sounds like forever. If it's too easy, double the reps or triple it; if you can go for a half hour tripling the amount of steps per animal, that's impressive. It's a deadly game but that's the point, it makes you deadly.

How Long Should Animal Playouts Be?

People in fitness tend to give a general ideal of the amount of timing someone's fitness is at. Some say 10 min. is a good start, 15, 20,30 even sometimes an odd number like 13 minutes but for me it ought to be much lower. When someone starts out, they don't know what the hell they're really doing and just going through the motions. I say once you have them getting used to certain movements, start them off with 5 min. to start. Why 5? Isn't that a little short and very easy to start? Well, you want to build up an individual's stamina and strength and for health purposes, 5 min. is more than most can handle.

Once their consistent, build it up minute by minute. I started out with barely 10 min. before I gave out and wanted to die LOL. Everyone is different so they can't always go by the same protocol and plus, some take longer than others to get used to the movements. Depending on your fitness level and coordination for the animals you're good at, start with what's right for YOU!!!

When you're at a level where 10 min. is easy, do 20, then 30 and after that if you're in world class shape you can go 45 min to an hour or longer. Because animal moves are very intense, it won't really take that long to get really winded, even the greatest athletes in the world have fallen prey to short and intense playouts of the animals. Now really when it comes down to it, you don't need to go more than 20 min. to be in awesome shape. That's the main reason I love the animal dice game; after a while the numbers can get boring and you need a challenge; how do you do that? Double the reps on the dice, too easy? Triple them and so how you really do.

It makes me laugh that people say bodyweight exercises or animals are only great for warm-ups; if you tripled the reps on this dice game alone; you'll be begging for mercy within minutes if not seconds. I once did a total of 1000 reps worth of animal exercises within 45 min. to an hour doubling the reps on the 20-sided dice. It was exhausting and packed full of whole body movements that many consider easy, keep going and overtime, the exercises get harder and it becomes more difficult to jump, crawl, walk and hold certain animal postures. Play the dice game long enough and tell me how easy it was; I guarantee it'll make a world class athlete humble after going beyond double reps. I once did about 10-12 rolls tripling the reps of the movements and I was spanked.

The animals (pun intended) become second nature after practicing the movements so that's when you test out your stamina and conditioning by doing the dice game or picking and choosing certain animals for time or as a circuit. They can be done in some many ways its not even funny. They can turn a weakling into a powerful human being within weeks with solid practice. They don't build bodybuilding muscle because when applied correctly, animal moves utilize the body as a single unit and have you using practically every muscle. Many are so intense that a minute or more moving would spank most people in a heartbeat. They build insane conditioning for anyone, even the very best in sports have done them; some are used in gymnastics, wrestling, MMA, Football, the military and other factions of law enforcement for the sole purpose of targeting the entire body and strengthening it from all angles even areas regular bodyweight and weight training can't touch.

Go as long as YOU see fit, build up and see how far you can go. The most I will ever do is an hour but at times i'll be so into it time flies by. Amazing source of functional fitness, hormone builder, testosterone booster, getting excess energy out, lung enhancement, heart strengthening, tendon builder & provides insane stamina for your daily life.

Animal Kingdom Conditioning 1 & 2
Wild Animal Fitness For Kids

Why It's Important More So These Days To Be In Better Condition Than The Average Person

We live in a society where junk food runs rampant and not enough exercise is instilled. Sure there are many that go to the gym but the biggest purpose for the majority who do only want to look like a pretty boy in a magazine and to have many women show off their ass more than doing real training. It's good to have a goal to be in shape but at the same time you'd want to learn to strengthen more than just muscles but also have some level endurance and flexibility.

Don't get me wrong it's cool to want aesthetics but if you can't be strong, enduring & flexible/mobile what the hell can it really do for you. It doesn't matter how good you look, if you can't go long in the sack or able to move freely as possible, looking good isn't going to help your cause. However, with the right form of training and the ability to eat as healthy as possible, aesthetics can play a great role and will come the way it is meant to.

In this day and age, looking good is not enough anymore; being in real shape and handling life situations is more valuable than having rock hard abs and biceps bigger than the Black Pearl's Cannonballs. If you took maybe 100 people that look like greek gods and goddesses, how many of them are in real shape and can go along with decent levels of strength? Most likely maybe 20% or less. Even more so with the obesity epidemic, staying and maintaining shape is a must. Kids barely even exercise in most schools these days because you have too many written notes, there's no real structure or fun in how exercise is applied; many P.E classes only shoot for teaching specific sports which isn't bad by any stretch but it doesn't teach the fundamentals of kids learning to do Push-Ups, Squats, Sit-Ups, Animal Moves, some form of lifting; hell make them carry a bucket of water if it makes you have them working a little. You know where many kids find exercise; on Youtube. It's cool they found something but nothing compares to learning the real thing and having a coach show you how to apply the exercise with control and able to breathe properly.

Any exercise is better than nothing but it's important to teach the values of understanding your body before moving onto weights or what thereof. Some people go their whole lives not touching a weight and that's awesome yet to get an overall picture its good to have a knowledge and understanding a solid amount of exercises that purely basic and effective.

Circuit Training is very valuable because it's time efficient, doesn't need to be in a huge building and has you building more than just pleasing muscles; it builds strength, stamina, conditioning & flexibility. When you learn to control your breathing & form plus resting as long as needed not what is typically ideal, you can be in incredible shape. Now when it comes down to conditioning i'm not talking Crossfit because that has more flaws than I care to explain but conditioning is being able to withstand stress throughout a playout and it helps you stay in the game even when you might feel shot to hell. Just yesterday I put myself through a Circuit playout that had me doing a total of...

100 Hindu Push-ups
200 Hindu Squats
100 V-Ups
200 Mountain Climbers
100 Hindu Jumpers
200 Side Bends
100 Push-ups
100 Pushing (Jumping Jack Variation)
100 Lunges

Totaling all together 1200 Reps in an hour or less.

You can do lesser reps if you're short on time so it's important to intuitively make the best time for you and do so with intent and making it interesting and challenging. This is a high level playout so for a beginner, cutting it in half would be a hell of a start. You can create your own and not always rely on playouts pre-made. You can adjust the exercise, tempo and time however you wish.    

Spheres And You

   

      In the CoreForce Energy Course, there is a section as you follow forward with the course that talks about Sphere Training. This section to me is worth the entire course in itself because it teaches you where to put these powerful magnetic and electrically strong spheres around your body to enhance your movement and gain strength/speed. What can you visualize to make yourself stronger and more fluid? When you think of something, a result comes into play. Our thoughts are more than we perceive to be. As you come to understand in how to create the sounds and where you put the spheres, you'll see how you move with such power and using the muscles in precise moments. Think what it would be like to move with great strength in your sport, walk and talk with a great energetic presence.

 
    As you learn the spheres and bringing emotional content with full power and belief, you'll start to notice you're not fighting to be fluid and strong, you'll be feeding it. It doesn't matter where you put them and where you want them to go, if you practice with great intention and utilizing your imagination you can create movements that can amp up your heart rate that can burn off fat, learn to move and hold in awkward positions and still be strong enough to throw a punch and/or kick. The true strength relies in our imagination, to be congruent with our muscles and spring into action just by using a thought and following that with movement. This isn't some mumbo-jumbo magic trick or the thought that you can't possibly be strong from different angles, I've used this method enough to know that when I turn it on and bring my imagination into play, I walk more fluidly, I feel stronger in my Yoga poses and move much quicker without the tension that would normally come around. It's still a practice to learn and not just creating sounds or trying to see where to put these spheres; it's adding emotion, raw power through your thought. If you just make the sounds, put the spheres somewhere and not put any emotion or thought into, you won't have that power and fluidity that comes up.

 
    Just because something isn't physically there doesn't mean it's not real to you. I'm very visual person and have a vivid imagination so I can pick up rather quickly the images but some people aren't. For some they have to physically see something in order to understand it and it can be tough. So in order to look at this from a certain perspective, it takes practice but it doesn't need to be a drag. Make it fun and interesting for you, see what you want to see in order to feel and letting the strength come. You can't physically see the spheres but they're everywhere in your mind, it's just a matter of where you want to put them to get the biggest benefit of the movement(s) you want to accomplish.

 
    To get the biggest benefit of this type of training is to not only see them in your mind but you have to believe they're there. When you believe and it becomes so powerful, the next step is taking action and you create what you want out of it. It doesn't come easy but it's worth learning. Imagine being able to carry heavy suitcases, fight without fatigue, run down the field and no one can catch up with you, hit the ball out of the park with intense but fluent strength and think what it would be like to walk up stairs without putting strain on your knees; be pretty awesome huh?

 
Happy Monday everyone and Be Awesome.

Could Arthur Saxon Be A Vampire?

 
    It's not every day you find one of the greatest strongmen in history in the most unlikely source, a Vampire Book. A current book I'm reading called Fangs: Everything The Modern Vampire Needs To Know which I find fascinating so far shows the ins and outs of a Vampire in the current scene. Now for the most part I would rather be like Blade (Daywalker) than some dumbass from Twilight. In a chapter about Vampire Powers there's superspeed, strength, magic, flight, shapeshifting and things that make a Vampire; out of all things they happen to pick Saxon for Strength. Why is that? They had artistic pictures of other vampires and demons but yet chose to have a real life figure for Strength. They could've chosen a more mainstream person but yet got Saxon and why, because he is one of the true kings of the modern century in strongmanism.

 
    In my opinion (and theory at that) they picked Saxon because they wanted to find a man of incredible strength and power but yet look to what strength was in a certain time where if you were very muscular chances were you had equal or more strength to go with it. Saxon was ahead of his time when he burst onto the scene in circus acts with his brothers and to this day holds the record for the most weight lifted with one arm in the bent-press. Although that was his most famous lift, it wasn't just that lift he was good at, he was incredibly strong in other areas and was a man who seemed invincible (hint Vampire).

 
    The power he possessed was far ahead than nearly every single strongman of his era. He used intelligence and put into practice the energy that would give him the strength to lift more weight with one arm than 99% of the population can't with two arms. You have to remember, strength in those days came in the form of very few athletes, unlike today there are strongman competitions all over the world but back then, you'd be lucky to find a strongman show that didn't involve a circus or a vaudeville show whether it was in the U.S, Canada or abroad in Europe. Saxon in his time was the man everyone aspiring strongman wanted to duplicate because today no one has beat him and this has science in the form of steroids, performance enhancers and yet still no where near him. Giving the fact that almost no one does the Bent-Press or the Two-Handed Anyhow anymore unless you're in a small circle of athletes who continue a tradition in the Old-Time Arts.

 
    So think about this, one of the strongest men to have ever lived happens to be in Vampire Book that displays what strength is to the undead. Could it be that Saxon may have had some supernatural entities to have been chosen out of countless strongmen even the best of today? No one knows, maybe the stories of legendary beer drinking was really blood and it gave him superhuman strength. Think about that for a moment.

 
Be awesome everyone.

Enhancing The Natural Abilities In Your Body

             

               Although we are born with certain abilities and learn either faster or slower than others, it’s still noted that we find something we are strong or weaker in no matter what it is. To enhance our abilities, we must practice what is in our imaginations, how our body is congruent with our thoughts and how we apply certain techniques to create the super strength and speed that we desire. Yes I realize we can’t be the X-Men or have the intelligence of Batman or even have the uncanny supernatural abilities of a Vampire; however, we can jump start our bodies to run a little faster, jump a bit higher and highly emphasize our strength levels without the need for steroids or performance enhancing drugs.

                        

                I find Vampires fascinating not because of the way they look or how charming/evil they are; I’m fascinated by their enhanced abilities at a supernatural level. Once a human is bitten, he/she is driven into darkness without warning or choice but on the other side of the coin they’re given a gift and a curse of powers that generate more than any human; the ability to fly, see, hear, touch, smell and given greater strength, speed and ascended physical attributes. What if (minus the flying part) we could generate our bodies abilities like that even by 1% to save someone’s life, jump higher out of hazardous ground, run faster out of danger and have the strength to carry your family to safety. Most of the time, we can only enhance our natural abilities for a short time because of adrenaline and the reaction to a situation in that time frame.

                

            There’s energy all around us, in the words of Obi Wan “It surrounds us and penetrates us and binds the galaxy together.” Sure he was talking about the force but it’s practically the same thing just in a different format. The energy we all have can be greatly higher if we use our mind and body as if it were the same thing. Although they’re different yet in unison, it can greatly enhance your life by 100 fold. The way you make certain sound can make you stronger or weaker, the way you visualize and move with it can either make you very flexible or very stiff. When you create a thought, a result comes into play. I’m not if you think you’re going to lose 20 pounds in less than 2 days it’s going to happen, what I ‘am saying is that if you think differently and open up your mind, your results can come much quicker. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how strong or how you think your brain works, just to have one thought and put into action can have the greatest impact. Internalize your energy and let it flow through your body using certain techniques and you’ll find that you can generate greater abilities than you already have.

                Nowadays especially in athletics, drugs are the main course for the competition. Men and women use Steroids either by injection, pills or whatever to greatly ascend their natural abilities to crush their competition. Hit more homeruns, run faster to tackle or score a touchdown, kick a ball further into the goal post, jump higher to grab a rebound and see the basket clearer to make a jump shot; these are all the things athletes can do but it doesn’t need to be that way. With the techniques you can learn from CoreForce Energy, there won’t be any side effects that can have you deteriorate later in life, matter of fact it can help you stay young, vibrant and crazy strong and supple if you practice it. It’s not just athletics drugs are involved; its academics, business, losing weight, law enforcement and even kids are doing them and it’s stupid. You have more power in you than you can imagine. You can create greater strength and abilities if you apply yourself and your body will greatly thank you for it. When you take those drugs and your abilities take hold, remember it’s only for a small time and in order to keep it up you need to keep taking them and before you know it, you’re an addict. You can be smarter, stronger, faster and have better senses if you practice things that don’t require things that can kill you. Be better than that and know that you can be better. My drug of choice is CoreForce Energy.

Happy Monday guys. Be awesome and have a great start to a new week.

Get Them Legs Moving

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

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

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

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

Weapons Of Strength

             In Mythology, there are specific weapons that can wreck havoc but at the same time, they define the strength of the person that holds that weapon. Zeus’ Thunder Bolt is one of the all-time mightiest weapons and it puts destruction into wherever he throws it but it gives him the ultimate power over all the gods. Thor’s Hammer is the muscle weapon of Norse Mythology, like the Sword of Excalibur; only one person is deemed worthy to hold it in his hands and it gives him strength that excels over anything else and brings manly power in its grasp. Poseidon’s Trident is just flat out surreal when it’s been used at it’s maximum power, it can devour oceans, destroy ships within a snap and puts you at a stand still to how it is unmatched by just about every other weapon.

            One of the most underrated stories in American Folklore is that of John Henry and the Epic Sledgehammer. In a time where race was feared and those of different color got the shaft just for what their skin holds brought a lot of hardships, hard ache and the struggle to live among other people. Henry brought struggle to light by the use of his mighty hammer and taking on an obstacle that is practically impossible to do, he turned it into triumph and the will to fight for what he felt was the right thing to do. With the swing of his hammer, he symbolized what the weight of the world felt like and fought with every breath of him with swing after swing; he built hope and internal strength that has been long forgotten. Although he was physically gifted and was a might of man, he used the strength of his heart to conquer the demons that roamed in that time.

            The most powerful weapon is nothing physical, nothing you can see with your very own eyes and it’s certainly not a weapon that is to be underestimated and that’s the power of your mind. How we use our minds determines our strength on another scale. The way we think creates a chain reaction that pits you against the ultimate opponent and that’s YOU!!! We build thoughts, emotions and solving/creating problems by how we use our minds, the stretch of the imagination is limitless and with practice; we can devour obstacles, conquer challenges and fin solutions that have logical correction. By understanding who you are and how we perceive ourselves and change how we think we can build success and live the life that was meant for us. By projecting your Self-Image, you learn to create success that brings you happiness, love, protection from negative energy and can even create financial success with the right attitude and using your imagination.

            It’s not something to just jump in and think it’s an instant snap of your fingers. If you want to build your weapons, you need to step up and take it step by step by finding what you want to do whether it’s to build strength, lose weight, build functional muscle or even just want to build a better income; project yourself with a thirst for a positive attitude, be organic, don’t be afraid to fail and be responsible for what you want to accomplish. Nobody can create success for you; no one has your body, your health or your dreams. Be bold and look to things that give you guidance, learn what gives you purpose and how you can make yourself into a happy and high self-esteemed person.

            

       Watch the movie Field Of Dreams sometime and look to the biggest quote of the movie “If you build it, they will come.” What that truly means in my eyes is that to truly be successful, you need to build yourself from within and they (meaning the universe and your imagination) will come to you and guide you but it’s up to you to make the effort. 

The Spirit of The Gorilla

          When you come across a powerful creature of immense strength, mighty spirit and tremendous power in the tendons, the Gorilla or Mighty Ape is what comes to mind in my opinion. It is extraordinary to think of the Ape as a true king of the vast Wild Jungle. As heavy as 500 lb. can still climb trees and truly wrestle the very best the animal kingdom offers in it’s surroundings. It’s spirit is so powerful it takes hold of what we as human that have evolved from stand the test of time as one of the strongest animals ever.

            We all have an animal spirit within us, it’s called our Animality. Some of us hold a special animal in our hearts, not so much the domesticated but a wild creature that has grasped our imagination, the ability to use our instincts and be able to move with grace, power and speed. When you hold onto that Animal Spirit it becomes the embodiment of what we truly strive to become and that’s a strong, mighty and powerful being and could become superhuman if we truly submerge ourselves into a deep state of mind.

            Our imagination is what binds us to create the reality that dwells within each and every one of us. We can create similar things but there’s always something different and unique to it because we think differently and channel our energy differently. What we think tends to become a reality if we truly believe in it. The world is huge and dangerous and powerful natural occurrences but it’s also very beautiful in many areas of life and we tend to overlook this concept. Our Animal Spirit is a driving force for which our imagination runs with. You can’t create something without thinking of it first. It’s that whole world inside all of us that helps us find what we seek and where we want to go. Follow your Animality and see where it leads you.

            For me my Animality is the Gorilla, that ferocious strength that courses through my veins, being able to strengthen my body from the teachings of this mighty but beautiful animal. My ability to hang with the strength of my hands; walk on my knuckles and fingertips that will bring intense power in my tendons and muscles. My love for strengthening my body from awkward positions and turning my tendons into cords of Vibraniam, not steel or iron but Vibraniam you know the element from Captain America’s Shield that is far stronger than steel. You also have an Animality that is waiting to be unleashed, giving you the strength to do what you were meant for and the surge of strength and power coursing through your body. Helping you find the best way to build your body the way you were meant to have.

            It’s that natural instinct that is now fading away because we have forgotten how to harness it’s power that doesn't come from big muscles or an ego the size of Texas but it comes from what we see from within, the spirit that dwells in our minds and our hearts that reach out to us. Listen to it and you’ll realize how beautiful it is when it speaks to you and helps you in ways you couldn't have imagined before. Listen to your Animality and when you unleash it into the world in a positive and healthy way, it becomes a reality that has been hidden far too long. 

Happy Veterans Day!!!!

           Wanted to wish all those kick ass men and women that are/or have fought for our country. You guys carry the banner and fight the battles that we never could. We do fight in our line of the country but nothing compared to the people who take down some of the biggest baddest dudes on the planet. Keep up the awesome work and to you Veterans, I salute you.

            Some of the training the military boys and gals go through is practically superhuman. It doesn't matter if you’re a ranger, SEAL, Marine or a Pilot, it takes more than guts to even mince through obstacle courses, the 3-4am wake up drills, the push-ups and the combat techniques it still pretty damn spectacular what these people go through.

            Although he’s fictional I consider this particular hero a run for this article and that is Captain America. He’s a man of principle and fights for the other guy. He brings heart and soul to his cause and he’s uncanny ability to take down even the toughest of bad guys. He’s a symbol of hope and what you can do when you put your heart into what you want to do. I believe without question he’d salute to each and every one of you that gave their lives.

            Whether you’re a veteran or already in the Military, from the rookie Private to the legendary Admirals, it’s important to be in tip top shape no matter how old are you. You don’t always have to do boot camp like training but maintaining your health and fitness should be a priority to all those who serve or have served. Exercise can improve moods, natural growth hormone and keep you strong and vibrant for life if you do it right. One exercise that gives you that profound upper/lower body strength is the Tiger Crawl, you’re ready to pounce on the enemy and take down the vicious beast that’s trying to overthrow you. Animal Training is a lot of fun to do and can keep you young and super strong. If you’re a lifter, you’d want to keep be strong and build natural functional muscle and put an end to those that drag you down and don’t want to see you succeed.

            Train hard, be strong and keep being you because as they say, heroes can be remembered but legends never die. Training the right way can help destroy depression and live your life even after those grueling missions and those death-defying tours. Be healthy you guys and those who are shipped out, come home and stay strong no matter what. You may be a soldier but also an incredible human being, never let that go. I salute you all and kick ass wherever you are.

The Journey To Super Muscle

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

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

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

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

Lift Odd Objects

Practice Isometrics

Do Hard Bodyweight Exercises

Learn Muscle Control

Be Flexible

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

Self Resistance Exercise

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

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

Functional Fitness: Sometimes Lost In Translation

In 1998, the year of my 50^th birthday, I decided to quit my comfortable but unfulfilling sales rep job and become a fitness professional. After getting certified (just means legal) I started working at a popular local fitness and tennis center as a trainer. It didn’t take long, about 6 months, before I knew their corporate centered business model was not what I envisioned for myself. So I left on good terms to open my own personal training business, Functional Fitness, in 1999. I thought my business name was so clever and unique at the time I birthed it. Soon however, everything I read was functional this and functional that, and I sensed a dilution of my “unique name.”

The concept of functional fitness still captures the essence of what I think fitness programs should be aiming for and that is the ability to perform our daily activities (ADL’s). Western culture seems to demand a “what’s new and exciting” approach to all things we consume, including fitness. For example, we have all seen various types of group exercises classes ebb and flow over the years. We started with aerobics, then step aerobics, Tae Bo, core classes, body pump, spin classes, Pilates and the list goes on.

I support anything that gets people up and moving. My point is the fitness industry keeps trying to redefine what fitness is, how to achieve it, and then put a full court marketing press to get people to buy into it. Originally, group exercise classes were led by highly energetic charismatic instructors with microphones, prompting everyone to follow along. Fortunately there have been some improvements in instructor education so that safe progressions are now usually offered for those unable to keep up.

Probably one of the most pervasive myths around these types of classes is that the longer and harder you work, the more pounds are going to melt off your body. The religion of “cardio” was born and anointed as the ultimate fat burning tool. The truth is as one of my mentors says: “You can’t out exercise poor nutrition.” We as fitness professionals need to be honest with people about the relationship between nutrition, exercise, and weight loss. Frankly, we have done a very poor job of physically educating the public when it comes to what fitness is and how each person might achieve it.

Over the years, there have been many systems of training offered but the ones that make the most sense to me have four components in common. I believe I first heard this from Paul Chek and later Mark Verstegan as a template for training. We call these the Four Pillars of Human Movement. There are other components that should be part of a training program but the bare essentials are: (1) Gait/locomotion, (2) Level Changes, (3) Pushing/Pulling, and (4) Rotation.

In essence every healthy human needs to be able to perform these movements at some level to complete their activities of daily living. Whether we are talking about the senior population or high level athletes, the only difference is in the training variables of: intensity, frequency, loads, volume etc.

Let’s look at exactly we are talking about with each pillar and some examples.

Gait/Locomotion:

Using our two ends of the spectrum, seniors need to be able to walk efficiently and safely at a minimum. Athletes may need to be able to run, sprint, change directions, and jump to meet the demands of their sport. I also include as locomotion anything that takes us from point A to point B (under our own power), to include: cycling, rowing, swimming, etc. All programs (for healthy people) should have a form of this component present appropriate for the population and goals of the participants.

Level Changes:

This includes any movements that change the level of our bodies such as: Squatting, split squatting, lunges, hip hinges, deadlifts, step-ups, jumping, etc. Comparing our two ends of the activity spectrum, seniors need to be able to squat onto and off of a toilet or chair (at a minimum). Athletes may need to develop more strength and power to improve their running speed or jumping ability. Because of our cultural bias towards sitting so much, we have almost universally, tight hip flexors, and weak glutes throughout most populations. Obviously appropriate progressions are necessary to meet the needs or demands of different populations. Ultimately all healthy individuals need to be able to perform level changes efficiently and safely.

Pushing and Pulling:

We will combine these two opposing movements to keep our model (Four Pillars) simple. There are basically only three directions we tend to push and pull things: (1) High push overhead or a high pull like a pull-up; (2) Horizontal push, as in a push-up or horizontal pull like a body row, and (3) Low push, as in pushing up out of a hole or a low pull like bringing an object from the floor to a counter. Considering our senior population they need to be able to put something overhead on a shelf (high push), push a lawn mower or shopping cart (horizontal push), or push into the arms of their chair to help them get up. The examples for athletes are more obvious, pressing weights overhead, doing push-ups for training, pulling a weighted bar from the floor during training.

Rotation:

This movement pattern isn’t often regarded as necessary but any activity that requires, swinging something (bat, racquet, club) or throwing activity (baseball) requires rotational capability. Conversely, there are movements that when performed, require that the body stabilize and NOT rotate. So training rotation involves both the initiation of rotation and prevention of rotation. Most of the time when people tweak their backs, the mechanism of injury is some type of rotation with flexion. The key to using rotation effectively and safely requires proper alignment throughout the kinetic chain.”  This usually means we are in an upright position, using our legs/feet to push into the ground, transferring that energy through a stable trunk (core) and out through our arm as in a throwing or swinging motion.

There is a phenomenon known as the “serape effect” (described by Logan), which observes the diagonal arrangement of the core muscles as they cross the torso. There is a direct relationship between the shoulders and the hips to facilitate or prevent rotation. If for example you are throwing a ball with your right arm, you are pushing through your right hip and your left shoulder rotates quickly to allow your right arm to follow through. Gait/walking/running is another example of the relationship of shoulders and hips. We walk/run in a contra-lateral fashion with the right foot forward, left arm forward, producing forward motion via rotation.

There are times when we are asymmetrically loaded i.e. carrying a suitcase on one side. The core muscular needs to stabilize and actively prevent rotation/flexion to protect the spine. The examples given also remind us that the “core” musculature is reactive in nature. Yes, we can do some core isolation exercises during training but ultimately it’s when we are using our arm/legs that the core muscles react to both complete the movement and prevent excess rotation to protect the spine.

Thus the Four Pillars of Human Movement can serve as a template for guiding your training. If you can integrate each pillar into your training you will go a long way towards maintaining your ability to perform your particular activities of daily living efficiently and safely. There are other elements of fitness that can be considered as well depending on the demands upon your body. Additional elements like: balance, agility, coordination, endurance, flexibility, joint mobility, and power are critical to optimize the Four Pillars. Many of these can be included in your warm-up. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss all the possible elements of fitness. It is my hope that you will consider structuring your exercise around the Four Pillars and sprinkle in some of the other elements mentioned. One other consideration is to vary the plane of motion you are level changing, pushing/pulling, and even running in. Most people only think about training in a linear fashion. Try mixing in some lateral and rotational variations to your pillar movements i.e. lateral split squats, rotational lunges, standing single arm cable presses and pulls, lateral shuffle runs.

Finally once you are comfortable with working the Pillars in all planes of motion, look for ways to integrate as many Pillars into one exercise. Typically we call these compound movements i.e. Squat and press (level change and high push), Split Squat and row (level change and horizontal pull). How about incorporating three pillars in one exercise? Try a walking lunge with medicine ball rotation (gait, level change, and rotation). Another example:  Squat with a single kettlebell, touch the floor, clean the kettlebell to the “rack position,” then press overhead rotationally by pivoting your same side hip/foot as you are pressing with. Wow that’s got a level change, a low pull (clean), a press (high push), and rotation! A senior might perform this type of movement naturally with a small box on the floor, picking it up (squatting/pulling) and then pushing overhead up onto a shelf.

I hope this article has sparked your curiosity to explore bodyweight movements and resisted exercises from a fresh perspective. Once you have mastered some of the bodyweight basics like squatting, push-ups, body rows, and planks you can start exploring the use of bands, cables, dumbbells, kettlebells, suspension training etc. You see it doesn't really matter what implement you use, it’s all about the movement (pillars). While not specifically stated here it is strongly suggested that most of your training be done in a standing position (that’s where life happens). Typical exercise machines are not going to train your pillar movements like free standing exercise where balance, core stability, proprioception, and gravity are waiting to challenge your body.

If you are uncertain about how to start this type of program I encourage you to consult with a local fitness professional. Talk to your friends or gym members about who they would recommend. Be sure to interview them (you are the boss). Make sure that they understand what you want to accomplish and ask them to explain how they would progress you. If possible find a professional that has a Functional Movement Screen certification. This seven-movement screen is what many fitness professionals use to determine how and where to start you on your path. Any exercise program needs to be first and foremost safe and effective and that is facilitated by proper progression. Don’t ever be intimidated to ask your instructor questions or tell them that something doesn’t feel right or hurts. You need to be responsible for your experience so always communicate accurately what you are feeling.

I welcome your comments, thoughts, and questions. Please feel free to contact me at: mailto:ken@zealcenter.com

If you would enjoy learning more I put out a weekly blog that includes an exercise of the week and random information and thoughts about living in Ecuador. The blog can be found at: http://www.zealcenter.com/blog

Be Well…Be Fit,

Ken

Real Reasons To Be Super Strong

           So you lifted a heavy weight and/or bent some steel & can do pretty gnarly bodyweight exercises, big freaking deal. Sure it’s cool to do those things but what do they really mean? Becoming strong isn't always about how much you can handle, it’s about building the strength that you can use in certain situations when troubled or being needed is called for. Have you ever been in a situation where you might need to save someone’s life or help your friends & family when they move? I’m sure the latter is more common for you but the first one is a real eye opener. Let me give you a prime example of this….

I went to a concert once with a girlfriend back in the day, it was fun even though everyone around us was having a bit too much weed and the room was hot as hell. All of a sudden out of nowhere she just passes out right in the middle of the crowd and I panicked like any guy would but I had to do something, with little to no help I picked her up off the floor and this is dead weight I mind you. She was fine after catching her breath and I helped her out the concert doors so she can call her mom somewhere.

            It’s those things where being a strong person is most crucial. Am I saying this to scare any of you or give you a big wake up call? In some ways yes, sure I can be all fun, have a kick ass time but I can also tell you how scary life can be when someone’s is at risk and you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

            Be prepared to have unexpected times being called upon you and one of the best ways is build a foundation that will have you stay functionally strong and aware of certain things. Helping someone move or working your body in different environments such as construction, carpentry, mining, being a blacksmith, military, law enforcement or whatever is important to keep a good strong body intact.

            One thing I've learned for nearly a decade is one of the things you hear like in Captain America from Dr. Erskine “A strongman, who has known power all his life, may lose respect for that power, but a weak man, knows the value of strength and that’s compassion.” There are a lot of strong guys out there but very few know their strength’s true value but there are also the average Joes who have a power that can express extraordinary abilities when you or they least expect them. Don’t go looking to save someone just for the spotlight that just makes you an asshole in the end; learn to use your strength when you need it the most, that’s one of things training is all about.

            The next time you train, sure have fun with it, use your imagination and have a kick ass time but at the same time, in your mind you’re doing these crazy things for a good cause because you never know when the time comes to use what you have built. In your life you may never have to use your strength but you never know don’t you? Train hard, help each other and be safe.