Always Experimenting: The Type Of Training That Keeps You On Your Toes

 When you're a student of the game, it's important to not only find what gives you the most benefit, but also figuring out techniques, routines and different methods that keep you on your toes. The perfect routine for the general population doesn't exist. It does however, become something for someone when it comes to their individual goals. It is important to know the basics, that's a given, once you understand them after a period and applying certain things, build your foundation and what helps you achieve what you want.

I've been experimenting with stuff for decades and pick a few things here and there or switch things around to give myself something to work on. I've probably experimented with more variations of squats and push-ups than I care to count, many positions of isometric exercises, thousands upon thousands of step ups and made circuit training with the Dopa Band one of my specialties. It's not a brag or anything, it's the truth but also just continuing to find ways to train that makes things outside of exercise awesome within life itself. 

If you haven't figured it out by now (or those new to this blog), I'm not the most stable guy to stick to a particular routine. I'll work on one for a bit but not as long as others might like a specific schedule with these many exercises for this rep/set scheme set up. I like switching things up often cause that works for me. If I did have to pick specific routines that I've somewhat stuck with more often than others is my Joint Loosening routine or one of my circuits with the band, 5 exercises for 10 reps for 10 rounds with as little rest as possible if at all. I don't do the same exercises in those circuits in the same order either, those change up to work on various muscle groups while keeping it as full body as possible. 

One exercise I was practicing today and yesterday was the Mishra Dand Exercise which in Laymen's Terms is an old school exercise based in India that is like a short burpee that includes being in a squat, jump back into doing a variation of the Hindu Push-Up, jump forward into the squat and repeat. Yesterday, I was really working on getting the technique down which I picked up on pretty quick but still have some improvement to do. A few sets of it and it was fairly interesting. It's quite a whirl to learn an exercise that has been used for centuries to help condition wrestlers in the art of Kushti. Today, I did 100 of these in sets of 10, resting as long as needed between sets plus focusing on form more than anything. I did speed it up partially but that was just part of the groove I was getting into. 

Conditioning is always a priority in my book but having strength that lasts is also a perk you don't want to sleep on. Whether it's doing bodyweight, weights, bands or all the above, strength is the cousin to conditioning and it's important to not just be able to do something temporarily, but also to keep at making it last. High Rep, Low Rep, Small Amount Of Sets or Larger or one big set of doing as many in one shot all work but it also depends on where you're at and what you want to achieve. If you're one of those extreme fanatics that tries to break a record every workout, cool, hope you don't kill yourself in the process but don't be telling everyone that have to do the same thing, that's not how this works. We all have a different journey, a different way of training and have different goals. Maybe I'll bring back a post about What Really Grinds My Gears when it comes to people telling others they have to do this or that because their way is the only thing that matters. Then again, someone might steal the idea and make another fake review out of it, who knows, who gives a fuck right?

Experimenting has its perks but also has draw backs. Not everyone needs to experiment with EVERYTHING, some are better off doing basic things and keeping the fundamentals in their arsenal, others may have other ideas and want to work on things that are beyond the basics and do crazy shit very few are doing at all. When I look at experimenting with things, I look at it like what can I formulate that enhances my imagination and keeps me injury/pain free as possible and then create a mixture that works in my favor. Does what I do benefit every single person? Maybe not, do what works in your favor. Giving you ideas and thoughts on the basics and a few others is easy, what you do with the knowledge is up to you and I'll always help out in any way I can. If I were to train somebody, I'd observe how they move and find things that can be improved on based on their body language and then show what could be useful in this format or in this direction. It's like we're experimenting together and working towards the same goal and that is to make you better for you. 

Be amazingly awesome and keep experimenting. Create your own formulas and thrive with fierce intensity. You got this.   

Keep A Good Head On Your Shoulders And Happy New Year

 A year has gone by and a new one begins. A fresh start for some, for others, it's a continuous grind that never stops. It doesn't matter what your ambitions, goals or resolutions for that matter, what is important to you will come and if you have the will, you'll make it as bad ass as you can. We all have something we want to accomplish but is it realistic and better yet, will it benefit you as an individual? 

There those who will tell you flat out what they're goals are or what they plan on doing. The truth is, talking can be very convincing to another's ear yet where is the heart of the person saying it. I sure as hell have goals in mind but I'm not going to talk about them because most of the time, I'll end up talking myself out of them later so instead I shoot for what I want to do and then talk about it another time. It's a process for me but it's also part of my journey as a person.

I have talked about showing the Neck Flex after doing some workouts with it which I have and filmed a demo......

Obviously it's a demo and not a full workout, I wanted to show the exercises I've been doing and the form of control I'm using to give you an idea of how I work this thing. A big workout for me is doing 2x25 Reps per exercise with the six exercises shown here which is a total of 300 Reps. The other times, I would do a 10-count hold and then a 1-2 count for reps until I reach 10 reps with these with an added exercise of doing circles. 

As you can see, I don't have a small neck and for good reason. Off and on for many, many years I've trained my neck to the point where I've done Bridging Gymnastics where I've fallen back until my head, kick over and back, held the front and back for as long as 3 minutes or longer (My longest in the back bridge is 7 minutes), Wall Walks, Gymnastic Bridge, even bent a 6 inch spike in the back bridge several times, even performed this feat in front of an assembly of kids when I was with Bud Jeffries when he came around here the first couple times. 

As you read in one of the recent posts, I've never worn a harness until this came and even with getting a feel for it, I'm enjoying it cause it's another tool in my arsenal to building a strong body that lasts. It feels great afterwards and it has even helped me sleep a little bit better at night and I'm a night owl. Training the neck is one of the most crucial elements in physical training yet it's one many don't do out of fear when in reality, they're not shown the true aspects of Neck Training that can be tailored to those who aren't wrestlers, fighters or football players.

I don't have any plans at the moment to use weights with this, it's not my style. Doesn't mean I won't try it one day but for now, I have plenty of exercises to choose from that don't include a plate or hooking up to a machine. Using the band even for the majority is more than enough because it's a teacher on how to control your movements. If you jerk your neck the wrong way during training, things can go south. We can't avoid injuries 100% of the time but we can choose to find ways to prevent them as much as possible and that starts with being in control. The reps will come but it's not about how many you can do, it's about making each rep or hold count for something that will lead to greater strength and condition. 

Hold your head up high and make the New Year great for you. Keep at it and if you fall, get your ass back up, it's either going to happen on your own or someone may lend a hand to get you back on your feet. You never know what's on the horizon. Set goals, be amazingly awesome and welcome to 2026.

2000 Step Ups In Under 100 Minutes

 Today, I wanted to challenge myself and see what I was capable of. Testing stuff and messing around lately and a challenge seemed a good idea so I went for it.

First workout was O2 Training for 30 Reps, Neck Mobility & Joint Loosening. Went for a small break and handled some things. Then I went for probably one of the longest workouts in ages. Went for my 2000 Rep Challenge Of Step Ups. This was fucking brutal and sweat was pouring out of me and my mental capacity was tested. I used 2 Decks Of Cards to do this and finished in 99:16. 

It became a mental game about maybe 35% to about halfway in. It just kept going on and on, needed to keep my pace the way I could effectively, focus on my breathing, staying relaxed and stay sharp at the same time. Wasn't easy and I'm still feeling the high as I write this. This is my new Personal Record and a new level of mental & physical conditioning.

I can now fully understand to having an idea of what Bob Backlund did even for a moment in comparison. Doing this many in one session, it's incredibly mind blowing that Bob would go even longer than this and still be sharp by the end. He'd blow me out of the water and I'm 41 years old. This really made me humble and respect this exercise at a new level. He was a machine, shit I could hold my own but Bob, he's a whole other animal and to even get a glimpse of what his capabilities were, it makes you appreciate things in a whole other perspective.  

I did want to quit, it was in the back of my mind for a good period. After a while, the noise went away and all I could even do was just focus on one card at a time. I didn't need to go Speedy Gonzales on this, it wasn't a sprint, it was a mental and physical marathon. Was feeling stiff in my lower back and was feeling it in my hips and knees but I kept commanding my body to relax and make the up and down as smooth as possible. My mind went into the woods so do speak and didn't come out until it was over. 

As time went on, my breathing was at a damn good pace, I wasn't hyperventilating or feeling like I was out of breath, it was just right. The only things that were important in those moments, was one card at a time, breathe and be as smooth as can be. Wasn't hurting, wasn't in pain, I was just being. It became meditative, outside of this workout, nothing mattered cause I couldn't even think straight than what I was doing. I felt at peace. It was a challenge, but it was mine, I took it on and had no one to guide me. 

The world felt different, there was purpose, there was a goal and all I had was myself. I'm fucking proud to be able to pull this off, but I'll tell you one thing, I don't plan on doing it again anytime soon. Doing 500 is comfortable for me at this point and I'm happy with that. When you have a goal that tests your limits, it makes you learn things about yourself you didn't know were there. When you achieve a goal even if it's microscopic, you are successful and you can make things happen if you put yourself into it. Be amazingly awesome and you got this. 

Happy New Year 2024

 A new year has begun and things will change but will you adapt to the change or come up with something that will be an excuse not to change? This is the time to take your world by storm by taking small steps leading up to large footprints in your journey. 

Resolutions suck, period. Instead, set goals to create a new and better version of yourself. Learn new exercises, test out workouts you've never done before and be aware of what you strive to become. For me, it's to be in even better shape than the year before because not only do I want to get better, I want be better by the time my birthday rolls around in which I will turn 40. Make the workouts count and keep them alive by making them interesting. 

Things are constantly moving, always in motion is the future as Yoda would say. Training is no different, you train your body in various ways but you're always finding a way to do them. Fitness is not always about looking good, that's merely secondary, it really is about self discovery and creativity. There will be days where you won't have the energy to do all the things you want to accomplish so you do what you can. Do micro workouts, don't push so hard that you end up hardly able to move the next day and find your balance to achieve your goals.

Not going to reveal what my actual goals are but I do want to get better at certain methods like Dopa Band Training and be a bit more consistent with Isometric Training. Be able to play with movements that don't take up a ton of time and write a bit more often. That's the idea for the moment. The Dopa Band will be one of my go to systems of exercise where I can develop my conditioning while maintaining muscle and it can go with me anywhere I can hook it up. Although it's a mainstay for wrestlers, football players, MMA Fighters and other forms of athletics, this thing took me to places in my training that I haven't had in previous years. The only limit is the imagination. 

Look to the horizon when you go for the goals you want to achieve, it won't be easy and sure as hell won't happen overnight but taking small steps and being progressive and adaptable, you'll achieve things this year you didn't think were possible. I believe that for you. Make things happen and do the best to your abilities to create what you want for yourself and those around you. 

Happy New Year everyone and make this one the best yet because life is too damn short to waste what isn't worth doing. Get your hands on some of the best bands on the market today and achieve levels of fitness that aren't the norm and developing a conditioned body that lasts. Get 10% OFF your order when you punch in the Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT. No harm saving a little to achieve something massive. Be amazingly awesome and continue to grow. 

Interests, Goals & Pushing Yourself

 Realistically, training can be tough as hell depending on what you do but at the same time, it's important to understand the value of the work you put in along with finding the best ways to train suited to you and your goals. Learning new exercises can be exciting and with the way some ads like to appeal to a certain crowd whether they're everyday joes, athletes or training for specific feats, excitement can also be blinding. Remember Yoda's saying "adventure, excitement, a jedi craves not these things." Now, that shouldn't mean you don't look forward to them. I enjoy loaded carries, step ups, animal movements, sprints and Isometrics but it's not so much a craving to be excited or be adventurous, it's because they provide simplicity along with natural excitement or stimulus. 

If you're interested in something or learning something that appeals to you, it first becomes a curiosity and than it becomes something you're either going to continue doing or do something else that comes along. It has to naturally spark something in you that makes you want to continue on and if it doesn't create some form of natural stimulus, it's not going to keep you from continuing on. Some of the simplest exercises are tough but they're tough for a reason. If you'd rather just follow what the next shiny thing is, you're only going to leave your individuality behind and not learn the value of what it means to really train. 

Pushing ourselves is human nature, it's either going to be that fight or flight mode and doing something beyond our own reasoning to reach a certain level. We can't match everyone and not everyone can workout the same exact way, if that were the case, nobody would be different. We have certain strengths and weaknesses, we can surpass others and we may never reach a certain level but if you generate consistency with the idea of developing that stimulus whether physically or mentally, it leaves you wanting to learn more and create something for yourself. 

I've pushed my body at times where it ended hurt or had close encounters of blacking out but also pushed myself to other levels of strength from bending steel to doing more than 1000 Squats in a workout. I don't like the idea of pushing that hard and quite frankly, unless you're in a dire situation, training yourself to the brink of death is not the ideal way to consistently stay strong, it's a death sentence that will end up either faster or slower in the form of long term effects. It's important to find out what you're capable of and what you'll have to do at times to know what will be the determining factor of life or death but there's a difference between what your ego will do and what you can realistically do. I've pushed myself at times without being aware of it and that is another thing, we don't always know how far we go and when you're in that zone, it's like time stands still.

Goals are great to have and to achieve but at the same time, we have to be aware of the goals we are trying to achieve and what it will do to us later on. We can't 100% know the outcome of the goals we go after cause life will at times throw you curveballs and there might be days where everything just isn't there and we either push on anyway or back off a bit. We fail our goals at times, it happens but that doesn't mean we stay down and bury our heads in the sand, we get back up and try different approaches. When we achieve our goals, it's exciting and we celebrate the victory but more often than not, even if a goal is achieved, you still feel defeated somehow, the toll took everything out of you and you're mentally and/or physically drained. What is the sacrifice you're willing to make to achieve a goal, what's the endgame? What are the long term side effects? Was it worth the heartache and pain? Was it worth all the time and effort to only have it be something that lasts a few moments and then life moves on? Many don't look at these questions, some do don't get wrong but we don't always seem to be aware of the ratio of the consequences to achievement. 

Train to what suits you, be efficient in how you achieve your goals and handle the hits when they unexpectedly hit you the best way you can. Be strong and do what's possible. Times change, things that seemed impossible yesterday become possibilities today but we are still here doing the best we can even if it's so damn tiny a microscope can't even see it. Not everyone will celebrate your victories, most of the time nobody gives a shit or will criticize you. Most of the time, validation is just a thing to boost the ego and it can be intoxicating but remember to still be a human being and take your victories in as lessons and if something needs to change, do what you can to make it better. Keep being amazingly awesome everyone.     

New Year's Resolutions Can Go Suck It

 One of the biggest cliche's ever and it just never ends. Seriously, resolutions can go suck it more than Jenna Jameson & Linda Lovelace. It's really easy to just talk and say you'll do something to change in the new year and then 2-3 weeks later you're back to your old self. On the other hand, if you set goals for yourself and take it one day at a time instead of "I'm going all in and I'm going to kick the living shit out of my new year's resolution" you might actually stay a bit more consistent.

Don't just make a mark on a calendar, make it a point to set small goals whether it be fitness, getting more out of your job, walking more, being kinder to someone, be helpful or whatever. Little things pile up and before you know it, something big comes up. Don't talk about your goals or your resolutions if you can help it, you never want to jinx yourself and get caught up in the stress of it. New things can be stressful or feared because its unknown but it doesn't have to be. You get to choose how you proceed but be prepared for the unexpected because sometimes things don't always turn out as we hoped. Sometimes we fail but there will be success somewhere in there.

Have fun with your goals and turn them into little games. It's important to take some things seriously but not EVERYTHING. If you've never been to a gym but always wanted to, set small goals like starting with just walking or driving there, after a bit, take another step by walking in the door, next phase, go to the equipment than pick up the weight and go from there. Baby steps. If you're into writing, start with a word and gradually go to a sentence, a paragraph and build up to a chapter, before you know it, you got a book/blog going. Again, baby steps.

Fitness is the most common thing for resolutions and it gives it a bad name. You buy this kind of equipment or sign up for a gym membership, bust your ass for a bit and then up and get burned out faster than a campfire in a rainstorm. Take it easy at first, going all hardcore off the bat is like thinking an NFL team with 1-17 record will win the Super Bowl, it's not going to happen. Turn your goals into a puzzle, small pieces reveals the BIG picture.

Many people want you to fail, even ones you may be close to. Don't let their bullshit drag you through the mud, blast through the mud like Sonic The Fucking Hedgehog. Nobody starts out perfect, even Superman had to gradually understand and use his powers wisely to help others and himself otherwise he could've turned into the Blackburn kid. It takes some fortitude but you can do it and you got this. Learn a progression system and challenge yourself every now and then. 

I believe in you and you have it within you to make yourself better even by the tiniest microscopic fraction. Be strong, set little goals and keep being amazingly awesome.

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Is It Possible To Keep Up With Yourself Or Your Goals?

There are aspects of the fitness world that we try to emulate such as being so inspired by someone else that we do our damndest to be like them, train like them and follow their style. The truth is, being somebody else takes away your own individuality and rely on other forms of settling into your aspirations. Now, we can try to imitate them and pretend we are them but can never be exactly like them. 

We have trouble keeping up with ourselves so we're going to completely switch gears and become someone else completely? Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with wanting to change in order to grow and evolve. Sometimes we have to switch things up in order to become better versions of ourselves. Do we even know how to keep up with ourselves? Do we always know the direction we're going? No. We hit forks in the road, we may pick up someone along the way and there might be a new destination along the horizon we don't know about.

Setting goals is always admirable whether in the long term or the short term. We make goals such as PRs, certain length of time of a program, a number of pounds to lose or gain or we go for a number of reps or sets in a given workout. Are those goals sustainable and able to match up, or are they so unrealistic that we can't keep up with the demand? Sadly, very few go the first way and the majority go the second route and they don't even know it. It doesn't make them gullible or weak either, at times it's so demanding on us from others that we just simply can't do it and end up paying a price for it. 

I did have aspirations to train like the greats and had set goals but once I understood how unrealistic they were, during certain periods it was too late and I either got hurt or came close to blacking out. I can't be exactly like a Bud Jeffries or a Eero Westerberg, hell even a fucking Matt Furey but I can be me the best way I can and continue to learn. I admire these guys especially Bud, he was the real deal and if there's anyone worth being like (personality wise), it's him. The goals and demand I made for myself with intention but progressed methodically and intuitively paid off in more ways than one. I can go hard but not get injured, move well but not go to extremes like an acrobat and practice what benefits me, not what someone tells me what benefits me.

We have our own aspirations, our own goals, our own individuality and demands that concern our long term payoff as a person. We can't always keep up the demands of someone else, we take things as best as we can and not try to sprint during a marathon, it'll just wear us down and tear us apart in the end. 

Going To The Movies In Your Mind?

Visualization isn't the easiest thing to learn but it can be a really fun experience and shift gears towards what you want and how you apply it to your life. I'm constantly learning this and seeing my goals from a different perspective that is unique and something that I get excited to do. It's more than just meditation, beyond just visualizing something and more so than just watching a flick in your mind's eye. Theater Of The Mind is a technique that has you seeing yourself achieve your goals as if it was happening on the big screen, watching yourself triumph over your obstacles, making things happen and projecting yourself into another realm of positive and amazingly awesome things.

Picture yourself in your own movie theater, sitting in your chair/row/balcony and watching from a 1st person point of view what it would be like to see your dreams become a reality. What would it feel like, what would it sound like and what would your emotions be? As a practitioner of this, it is very powerful and has helped achieve things I didn't realize at the time were possible. I have used it to lift more than 400 pounds in the deadlift, used it to achieve a solid level of sales and survive in sparring sessions of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You can do this anytime, anywhere that is quiet and you can concentrate.

There's more to it than just looking at your goals; it teaches you what to look for, how to turn up the volume, step by step markings of what to visualize and how to plant your goals onto the screen themselves. What are your goals? What do you wish to see and what will bring you your greatest strengths, will and imagery that is powerful?

Get Theater Of The Mind and learn the deepest details of seeing your superhuman self on the big screen.

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Striking Into The Heart Of Your Goals

            To really shoot for something, it’s not going through the motions; it’s not taking it easy, it’s taking the time to make things happen. Hammer your way to what you want and not just strike with a few dings, take down the damn door like you own it. Sometimes it takes a few days, some have goals that go on for months and others slowly work up to building years of a goal but it’s still within yourself to take down what you want to do.

            For most when they start out, it’s tough, it’s not something they’re use to and when they can’t handle it, it wasn't there at the right time or they just give up. Sometimes in life not always, you got to be aggressive and fight for it. It’s not always just training for something or getting motivated, it’s a feeling that you crave and you are eager to get something done come hell or high water. When I broke my legs, I didn't want to spend the rest of the year in a wheel chair and hope and pray that it will get better; I had to fight with everything I had and set my mind to saying “You’re fucking walking sooner than anyone expects you to.” When I was cleared to walk again, I was determined to make something happen, not just walk but become far stronger than I ever was in my teens. I hated some of those workouts but I pushed myself. If you want something bad enough, you got to do it for you otherwise what was it really worth?

            When you take on certain challenges, some look at them as a prison sentence and if you do your time you’ll get out of it, I say bullshit. Real challenges take you out of your comfort zone and challenge your mind more than your body. You have the power to make your mind say “You know what; it’s tough but god damn it’s fun as hell.” Very few get that mindset and that’s where you learn to be at your toughest. You may not always like it but you want to make that goal bad enough, you’re going to hit some crossroads. Sometimes you may end up failing and you know what it happens. You can’t not fail all the time otherwise where is the challenge, where’s the excitement? Challenges can be overwhelmingly fun but you got to put that in your mind, no one else can do it for you.

            I personally believe that if you want to do something great, something that is worthy for you to accomplish, it is your responsibility to make it your personal mission and don’t be afraid to fail if it happens. Never attempt to fail on purpose, it just doesn't seem right. I have failed on many things in my life but each time it happened, somehow I both came back and won or I switched to something else and I got it done and was proud of it. None of us are perfect and our goals will always be different but it’s our ability as an individual to find that spark, that thing we want to accomplish no matter what it is, we have the power to define what others say is impossible. For years I never believed I could deadlift over 400 lbs. I even trained for it at one point and it never came, one day it did and it just lit me up like only those who have experienced it understand.

            You want it, you go get it and do it for you, don’t do it for anybody else otherwise you sell yourself short. Strike into the very Core of your goals and make them happen in the best way possible that’s positive, confident and challenging who you are to become better.

Time For A Fresh Start

            Hope everyone had a great Christmas and had tons of fun, food and love from relatives and friends. To me this was one of the best holidays yet; got to spend time with the people I love and spend time with the most kick ass friends. The holidays is not always about finding gifts for the kids or getting something you've been wanting all year, it’s about connecting and giving back to the people in your life that gives a beautiful meaning. Now that it’s over and the New Year is just a couple days away, it’s time to reflect and build new chapters, learn different things.

            A common thread of the New Year is what people call Resolutions or better yet, change or create something huge that will only last you less than 2 weeks. To me, Resolutions is complete bullshit. In the fitness world, most really put it out there and believe just because they can jump into something it’s going to stick with them like going to Crossfit when you haven’t even done any technique yet nor do Insanity/P90X workouts instead of building up and progressing. I like to look at it as New Years Goals. Start small, if you’re new to exercise for example, do little things here and there. Start at 1 min. of exercise and build up to it, find exercises you’re interested in and have fun with them. Too many people want to jump in and try to lose 20 pounds like it was that easy.

            It’s about progressing and building a mindset where it’s not a punishment, it’s an adventure and exciting with knowing how to set your limits and challenges. When people jump into advanced type training, it’s exciting that they get to do all these cool things but when they actually do them, it will hit them like a strike of lightning and they’ll realize how crazy it is and that it can cause pain or even worse an injury. Think of it this way, in math would you jump from arithmetic to calculus just like that? No, you need to go through certain steps, like climbing a ladder; you don’t just climb 4-5 steps at once, its one thing at a time. It’s the little things that create the biggest gains. Sure it’s fun to be hardcore but you got to earn it and experience a small struggle to get to where you want to go.

            For some, exercise may not always be a priority, you might want to add something to your business as a goal, make little changes in your household and find what you can improve on as a family. I have a few goals but it’s important for me to not jinx them, I’ll tell you this though; A goal of mine is to save money and buy an Epic Sledgehammer because as an athlete and a Physical Culturist, I’m always looking for ways to improve my body by conditioning it in different ways using something heavy or light or even just my own bodyweight. I find things that interest me and create new ways to have fun with those interests, it keeps my mind sharp and it helps me focus on what I want. Another would be to increase my intuitive powers through meditation and being aware of what’s around me by feel and more.

            You may not get any of my goals and nor will I mostly get yours but one thing is for certain and that we strive to be better at certain things in our lives and it could mean anything. Make this New Year your bitch, take it one day at a time and before you know, you will have accomplished something you've never one before. Find things that interest you, experiment, have fun and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. 

Up Keeping Your Conditioning

            When you find different ways to condition your body, it’s important to keep them going until you move on to the next method. However, some of us like me can’t always keep up with what we want to do or get bored easily so now what? We improvise and become creative. When I say upkeep I don’t always mean tuning your exercises or routine but my way of up keeping is to train as daily as possible whether for 5 min. or 1 hour. It keeps you on your toes and you feel a sense of accomplishment.

            Make your goals interesting, don’t always be a straight arrow and generic with “I’m doing this to lose weight or doing that to build strength” and my personal favorite “Just to look good the season.” Those are great goals to have but there’s more to them than meets the eye. Go after your goals but put in a little extra something that keeps your goals interesting like adding an animal exercise for fun or slap in some isometrics that you always wanted to learn. I always believed in the value of having fun and challenging yourself with a smile because most look at it as punishment when in reality it’s all in their head. If you’re not having fun then your goals won’t be that satisfying or worth it.

            Whether you practice one method or many, it’s important to keep yourself progressing. The upkeep of exercise is not always what you have to do on a certain day or you have to do this or that at a specific time. Make it a habit to keep up with yourself, that’s the secret to up keeping your conditioning is by up keeping yourself. I practice a lot of things so I have many ways to keep up with my mind and how my body reacts to what I want to do. For some they focus on one method and believe it’s the end-all be all which is great for them but that’s only part of the puzzle. Training is like a puzzle, in your mind there are either so many pieces to put together or you have chunks of pieces and you have only a few to put together either way there’s something to put together. You can create your own puzzle, no one can build it for you, the question is what do you want to put together that creates what you want?

            There are 24 hours in a day yet most people don’t realize they can get in a kick ass workout in under less than 10 minutes, why because they don’t have the ambition and the motivation. It’s sad because if only they knew that even one small workout or spreading your exercises throughout the day can have a profound effect even on the toughest of schedules. Learn to remind yourself that it’s OK to not have a hardcore workout and train 4-5 hours a day, that’s impossible for most people, hell to me that’s way too much, put in a few minutes here and there; on a break, do a few push-ups and squats, got kids, play with them that’s a lot of exercise in itself and before you conk out on your bed do a couple minutes of stretches, it’s about working on what’s best for you. Make the time even if it’s a small chunk of your day.

            Start with 1 min. if that’s all you have, build it up by 30 seconds each time you train and before you know it, you’d have done 15 min. worth of exercise throughout the day. It’s not complicated, make it work for you and you will find it easier to get things done. Now get to it. Want to know what’s funny, if you read this, you can certainly do a few exercises. Watch your favorite TV show and do some exercise during the commercials, doesn't have to be a lot of reps, do what’s comfortable. Keep up with yourself, don’t try to keep up with everyone else.

I Refuse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Biggest Critic

 We learn as we get older who we are and what we become, sometimes it’s early sometimes late and very rarely at the right place at the right time. The bad thing about that is people will tell you what you can and can't do to be successful but in the end it’s up to you how your life is made.

There will be people who want to bring you down yet those same people should be your biggest motivators. You have dreams and goals and you either don't accomplish them or you do, one way or another the one person who’s going to criticize you the most is the one you're looking at in the mirror. Those same people who want you to fail not only got you to fail but made you fall for the things they said about you. They didn't really make you fail; it was you who failed yourself.

It’s not easy being motivated to go after something you want to accomplish. No matter how many excuses you come up with or how many people tell you can't do something the one person holding you back is you. If you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to get there with or without someone’s encouragement. In fitness there are as many critics as there is in Art, Sports, Business and Politics, when you want to accomplish something, there will be some people who will hate you for it not because of your ambitions but because they're too damn scared or can’t understand so they radiate negative energy towards you. Never let this happen to you.

 I've had many setbacks in my life, I've cheated death a few times, didn't understand how my body worked when I was recovering from meningitis and I was told I wouldn't be able to very athletic and strong. It happens to all of us but the point I'm making it is if you want to go after something, you do it period. I can tell you stories about some of the guys who have overcome major obstacles in their life but it’s all just words, actions speak louder than words and it’s up to you who you want to become. Are you going to sit there and let people give you all the crap and let you fail, or you going to make things happen and show them that if you're going to fail or succeed, you're going to do it on your own terms?

 You've been told either your whole life or at some point in your life that you're either going to be successful or you'll fail so when is it enough for you? You are your biggest critique, not them not anything else, you are the one who will take a stand or just plummet like the others who just let themselves go and not get anywhere. Criticizing yourself can make you or break you which one is it?

 Look to where you want to go, feel that power of accomplishment before it even happens then set it to action, listen and learn how to make yourself better little by little. Build a foundation for what goals you want to accomplish, don't forget that 2 sided coin of those who encourage you and those that want you to fail, believe it or not they're both important because when you do accomplish something the ones who did encourage you will help you even more, the ones that wanted you to fail are the ones kicking themselves and feel even more crappier then they did before and might even give you a bit of a clap because you triumphed over your obstacles and did something they didn’t believe you could do. Get in the habit of making yourself successful no matter what the challenge is, I believe in you, there are others that believe in you, don’t let your goals and dreams die, they’re a key to making your life the way you always wanted.