Falling For The End-All Be-All Crap

             For the most part in fitness, you read in the magazine about this workout or in sports you hear about this or that way to throw, shoot or kick a ball but in the end it all boils down to the individual. We don’t have the same structures and our bodies handle things differently than others. That one size fits all bullshit is just getting you to pay up for their little schemes.

            Who can you trust when it comes to your goals? I like to believe that we can always use a coach, a friend, mentor or someone to show us the ropes. We learn and we get to see in action what is being done, however; once we learn a thing or two, it’s up to us to figure out how to put into action according to our own feeling and how we see things for ourselves. I have been trained by some of the strongest and athletic people in the world and learn a ton from them but I don’t always do things their way because if I did, I’d just be a guy that follows yet I rather build my own style from the things I learned from them.

            I've come to learn that there is never one way to do things. A lot of what we see today is generic and not very imaginative. You learn certain things and you get a feel for how they work for you. There is always something different and it’s important to understand that but not many accept it. I love certain methods like Hindu Style Conditioning, Animal Exercises, MovNat, Gymnastics and Grip Training for example but I don’t always go by what I’m told to do and for some it pisses them which I’m fine with. Once you get to a certain point in your training or whatever where you’ll begin to see things from a different perspective, some might see it very clearly right away for others it takes a while. You are one person, you don’t have the same strength as another, you don’t have the type of injuries or setbacks they've faced and you certainly don’t have the same capacity to try and keep up with them. The only thing you should keep up is yourself and what you want to go after.

            There’s always a challenge in training and in life no matter what. If everything were easy it be (in the words of Danny McBride in Your Highness) tedious and boring so find the right challenges for you and don’t try to compete with anybody else. Be creative and utilize what you have learned into forming your own personal quest and not following someone else’s. It can be demanding at times but it’s more rewarding when you set something apart from the general population. There are things I've seen friends do that I would never attempt to do but there are things that I can do that they can’t, that doesn't mean either one of us is better than the other, it just means that we have different views on our goals an we set them to what can be achieved just for us.

            If you have practiced a variety of methods, you’re on the right track to expanding your mind and learning how body handles itself in certain situations. If you just focus on one thing and that’s all you know and ever want to do more power to you but you’re also narrowing your mind set and you’re shrinking the plethora of knowledge that is out there. Some people are just full of themselves and think only their style is the best and everything else is crap. Be objective and expand your horizons. You’ll be surprised what you might find. 

When Is It Time To Change Things Up?

          People in fitness like to hang onto a routine, having a routine in the first place feels comfortable. Having one is used mainly as a goal, if you’re a beginner or more advanced and it’s in your comfort zone and you’re use to it. The trap however is if you keep doing the same things over and over again eventually your progress begins to die out, results aren't coming in, you’re frustrated but also those who have a routine and stuck with it for a long period of time also eventually begin to only know that routine and don’t know how to change it.

            I know what it’s like being burnt out, your body begins to take a toll on you and it’s time to make a change because your mind needs to be fresh, your body needs to re-energize and your exercise routine needs to bring out a bigger and exciting challenge. I was on a routine for about over a month doing mostly push-ups,squats and bridging using a deck of cards. What I've noticed lately is due to the excess work over 3-4 times a week is that I've gotten stronger and have more endurance but my shoulders and knees are breaking down on me and need to stop. Most likely I’ll change it to 1-2 times a week because with the cards you’re looking at a minimum of 388 squats and 238 push-ups (I make it 400/250 to make certain goals) and the bridging is hard enough as it is.

            When your body begins to hurt more than it should from a routine, change your pace, use less volume or learn to exercise the joints, tendons and ligaments so you don’t get an injury. Find something fresh and fun to do because if you overload the body without using multi-directional exercises you can get hurt and you will be in pain. Also being burnt out means your mind isn't there anymore and if you keep it up, your mind just goes dead and you’re going through exercises like a zombie, it’s not fun and you’re getting the results you want and it’s bad for your health.

            There are people (I happen to be one of them) who has a bit of ADD which means they can’t always pay attention to what they’re doing and they change things up frequently. This has been a bit of a habit for me because quite frankly I hate routines; aside from doing the deck of cards and some of the bridging for the last month and a half I’m constantly doing different exercises. This could also mean people like to go by feel, what they’re in the mood for. Some days they’ll do odd object lifting, other days gymnastics and even every once in a blue moon they’ll just hammer out whatever energy they have and try to go as far as they can go. Be careful how you do things but at the same time have fun and learn to use your imagination.

            Here’s another reason to change things up; boredom. I've been there and seen plenty of guys in the gym do this and that’s being bored as hell with what you’re doing. If you’re not having fun and your routine is dull and what I like to use from the movie Your Highness is what Prince Thaddeus refers to as “It sounds tedious and boring” then you need some serious changes my friend (watch the movie and try to say it like he does, you’ll perk right up). You should never be bored with what you do. Want to know what boring is, look in the magazines and the routines they have, most of that shit is boring to do and who the hell can finish them in the amount of time it needs? Find a way to train that gives you freedom and challenging. Find what gives you a reason to train, make it interesting and use the power of being happy with what you do. An exercise program is supposed to make you feel good, not terrible and hurt; it gives you energy and happiness not dark and un-eventful. 

            The ultimate reason to change things up is to create a new challenge. If you can do a deck of cards doing push-ups and squats in full within a period of time after a while, it gets easy, how do you make it harder? Double the push-ups and/or squats and see how far you get. That’s an example, how about doing animal movements? Eventually you’ll get the exercise down and you need a change of pace, to make it more challenging, move slower to the point where you hold a position isometrically and then take a slow step.

            Everything needs a challenge so we can learn to grow mindfully and get stronger physically because when you challenge yourself, you learn new things, how to make the exercise a bit more difficult or the tempo and timing of the workout. Maybe you’ll do a challenge once a week/month/year whatever but do it and find new ways to make it interesting and learn how to handle yourself in certain situations. Growth is a natural part of life so what makes exercise any differently? Get to it and change things up, you may find certain things more fun to do than others.

Going Back To The Bridge

              Lately I've switched my training around to Bridging and Sprinting to gain some agility, speed and awareness along with burning off bodyfat which has helped a great deal in a short amount of time but the Bridging however is the toughest of them all. A bridge routine can either make you or break depending what your level is at. To understand bridging, it really goes back to Karl Gotch’s DVD Conditioning For Combat Sports where I first learned about Bridging Gymnastics from a visual stand point. The amount of Agility you gain from it is insane and being able to handle your bodyweight in a manner most are afraid of.

            The key component of Bridging whether it’s on the head or hands alone is that it stretches the body in ways not many other programs can give you. The ability to stretch the spine to give that curvature in the spine is essential to lifelong health and functional fitness. Granted it’s not for everyone especially if you've had bone spurs in the neck or have had a mess of injuries to the spine but with the right training, most people can learn how to do the bridge, if you’re brave enough you can take it to the next step and that’s falling into a bridge and progressing kicking over and back while in the position.

            One of the all-time greats in the realm of Physical Culture George F. Jowett once said “In both man and the other male beasts, the neck has always been the true indication of the quality and quantity of his concentrated nerve power. A strong healthy man always has a powerful neck, and he always will have one.” He was right because if you look at how strong a man’s neck is that is congruent with the spine, it gives a whole new meaning to the term superhuman. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you have a flexible and strong spine, the rest of your body feeds off that power and energy.

            Our spines are like the electric cord of the human body, it sends nerves into the brain that feeds us our way of thinking and how our body is able to move. If your spine isn't strong enough it has a bigger chance of making you paralyzed everywhere. Give your spine the fuel it needs and your neck should be right along with it.

            Karl Gotch always figured Bridging is a major key to getting in serious shape and I’m not making that argument because I've done a lot of different training methods and Bridging Gymnastics always cooks me in the shortest amount of time because you’re working every single muscle in the body and you’re working your spine and neck to a degree where the stronger you get at it the stronger you’ll be overall. I always admired the way how Bridging works and it takes quite a bit of guts and some serious awareness to do some of the things Bridging Gymnastics offers.

            I've had the great opportunity to learn it from a couple guys and taught it to a few people myself plus being one of the heaviest guys to fall back into a bridge, kick over and kick back at a bodyweight of 238+ pounds. It’s exhilarating and exciting to do something most people can’t. Even if you’re a lighter person and you’re able to do it is still amazing in itself. It’s also fun as hell once you get it down and doing some crazy stunts. If you got the guts to take your training to another level, learn the kick ass ways to bridge, it is one hell of a way to get in shape and it gives you benefits you wouldn't believe.  

Warming Up Like A Warrior

            You know those miracles that happen often in this world? Some people come back after major injuries, horrific experiences and yet they still find a way to fight to keep living. One of my dear friends has done just that and beyond. In our group of friends he’s known as Duke but as of late he’s gone by another nickname that has become a hit in the undergrounds of Physical Culture known as the Garage Warrior, his name is Tyler Bramlett.

            After getting injured by getting hit by a car, Tyler wanted to find out how to get back into shape in ways he never thought of before. I've known Tyler going on for well over a decade and when he sets his mind to something he’s going to find the best strategy to make it work. He’s done the bodybuilding thing at a time, lifting weights like the great builders of yesteryear and buying the crazy supplements and doing workouts from the magazines, but something wasn't working.

            During his recovery phase being in pain that was excruciating at times, he tried a few different things like Kettlebells, Bodyweight, Gymnastics, Odd Object Lifting and some of the oddest training methods you can think of, believe it or not they worked. He began combining different elements of training instead of just picking random exercises, plus testing out nutrition strategies. He gained some muscle and came back stronger than ever. The lethal combinations of workouts he devised became practically fool proof strategies that transformed him into a near superhuman warrior.

            We all have the warrior spirit within us, it’s our nature but very few of us know how to unlock it from within and release it for strength, health, power and wellness. It doesn't matter if you’re a male or female the principles still apply while learning our own styles of how to bring that spirit to life. He has created one of the most unusual ways to train to help fight with that warrior spirit and no name is more perfect than the Warrior Warmup. It combines different elements of exercise that gives your muscles a run for their money whether it’s for strength, endurance, flexibility or just to get in shape either way you’re going to get them all in one complete package.

            You know they say you warm up before doing a really big workout, well it won’t be long before you start noticing a few things from the Warrior Warmup, hitting muscles you didn't know you had, progressing a little easier in some of your other workouts and your body will change for the better because you’re giving the muscles the fuel they need for the hard stuff later on. Another great thing about this is you don’t need to use it as a warmup, you can use it for a workout in and of itself. You can choose however you want to do it but with the advice and legit expertise of the Duke here, you’re in for the ride of your life and your body will love you for it. You will never look at a warmup the same way again.

            Last thing before I make this Father to be blush is that he’s not one of those guys that just takes programs and tries to rip them off as his own, he gives credit where it’s due and he’s one of the coolest dudes on the planet and I have enjoyed being friends with him. I’ve trained alongside him many times from doing hand balancing to gymnastics, from lifting heavy weight to using some gnarly ways to do Kettlebells and he’s the first guy that got me into this crazy world of physical culture. Changing my life because of him would be an understatement.

            He’s practiced a numerous amounts of things and is literally one of the strongest guys on planet earth. He embodies the warrior spirit and will do whatever he can to help others achieve a level of potential they've never seen before. If there’s one guy to that knows his stuff it’s my boy Tyler. Now that I've made him blush, have fun and let him help you, it’s what he does best.

Ultimate Kings & Queens Of Bodyweight Exercise

 Usually most people look at bodyweight exercise as a waste of time and don’t hold any real value for fitness. Even many trainers would say that if you want to get strong you advance onto weights and machines. The problem with this notion is that many people don’t know how to handle their own bodyweight. When you learn the real styles of Bodyweight Exercise, you’re learning how to use your body from multiple angles, work more muscles one exercise at a time and you burn more fat. Those who tell you it doesn't do anything either can’t do it themselves or they’re trying to make a buck and don’t really give a damn who they hurt to get by.

 To be a stronger person physically, you can and should learn to build strength from multiple angles, the more muscles you work at one time the better. In Gymnastics, strength is built all over the place from your neck to your toes. Now I never said you needed to be like a gymnast to have that kind of power but learning certain basics won’t hurt very much either. It does take practice but with time, your strength can skyrocket to levels you never imagined before. Think about it, what it would be like to hold a perfect handstand, be able to switch from exercise to exercise without pain or fatigue or better yet, have the strength to hold even the most basic positions and still look good doing it. It could happen if you just believe and take action.

 Gymnasts and even Acrobats have the most fluid and graceful movements that are strong and cunning. Even a ballet dancer is very strong once you start paying attention. The power of a movement even in basic positions isn't how it looks; it’s how it’s presented, straight and tight. The best way to describe those straight and tight movements is how you are flexed in that position. In other words, you’re looking at Isometrics. Think of a guy on the Rings in the Iron Cross or in a Handstand, that is a form of isometrics. Isometrics is the form of strength training where you’re throwing all your strength in a fixed position.

 Have you noticed that one of the key components if not the key component to a gymnast is their powerful abdominals? It has been said that Gymnasts have the strongest abs in the world, why? Because without strong and powerful abs, they can’t move or better yet hold the most powerful looking positions. A lot of us look to having strong abs, but the majority just want abs to look which is not a bad thing but I’ll say it won’t look good on your resume if you’re trying to do certain things. Your Core is the center of your whole body, the key that holds everything together, from the lower chest down to near your pelvis, that’s the Core that holds it all. Building strong abs= A strong body.

 Every time you watch Gymnastics, Acrobatics, Ballet or anything that has nothing but their own body moving through the air or holding some pretty awesome positions, you’re in awe and think “how the hell do they get like that?”, besides years of training, they all started somewhere, some of them had natural ability, others were terrible but with practice got better and better. We all start somewhere, I didn't get into Gymnastics till I was in my 20’s when that’s the retirement age for most gymnasts, a good friend of mine didn't start till he was in his mid 30’s when most would say he was too late and won’t be able to withstand those exercises. No matter how old you are or what your current fitness is, beginning an exercise program is a great way to go up that latter, it’s like learning math, you start with arithmetic and work your way up to calculus. Start with where you’re at and progress to the best of your abilities.

 One of the coolest ways to look at training with Bodyweight Exercises is that it doesn't take up a lot of time, hell no more than 15-20 minutes a day is all you need and if you don’t have time, start just doing a few seconds, work up to a minute. You can even do separate exercises throughout the day. It’s all about making it work for you. Those who say you need 30 minutes of cardio and an hour of weights don’t know a damn thing about your lifestyle, the majority don’t have that amount of time to do all that but its not impossible to do something during your day. Doing a few minutes of training is really all you need, you used many muscle groups, you don’t need to do more than a few exercises and best of all, you can make them fun and exciting, not dull and used as a punishment. Do what you can, your body will thank you for it.

 Getting stronger is not far out of reach but you got to want it bad enough, not to the point where you’re taking short cuts that’s the cheating way. The true value of being strong and healthy is practice, practice, practice. Consistency is a key and whether you exercise for one minute or one hour it still counts. Make it happen for you, you can think all you want and nothing will come of it, it’s the action that gets the job done. Your body is what you make of it, don’t let certain things or people get in the way of what you want to do. You can have a beautiful, powerful and strong body if you believe in yourself and find the right resources for you to develop what you want to achieve. It’s not that far away but it’s up to you to reach out and grab it by the horns and run with it. 

The Difference Between Believing & Not Believing

 There are a lot of skeptics out there who don’t believe in certain ideals or they do believe in certain things but it’s by tradition and rules when in reality they don’t have the slightest notion of how to be open minded. For those wondering, when I speak of this article, I’m talking about fitness and health not religion or politics, that’s way out of my league and have my own views of what they are. Back to the task at hand, many skeptics are the ones with their guard up and never want to take it down and that’s not a good thing because they miss out on many things that they can work on.

 One of the best quotes I've learned since I was 13 was “For those who do believe you don’t need an explanation, for those who don’t believe no explanation will do.” Want to know where I learned that from? Believe it or not a pro wrestler named Jeff Jarret on the Unreal Story Of Professional Wrestling, talk about weird. A lot of people sometimes including myself feel like we need to explain our beliefs and what they’re all about but in the end, people need to figure it out for themselves. Its one thing to throw something at a skeptic but it’s a different ball game on how they figure it out themselves.

 One of my biggest peeves is people who do believe in something but only because they listened to someone’s word and not use common sense or research. The traditional belief in fitness is do a half hour of cardio and an hour of weights to get strong, eat less to lose weight, do push-ups for warm up and do bench presses to get a big chest and my all-time favorite, bodyweight exercises are only good for endurance once you reach a certain number of reps and than you don’t build strength. I’m sorry but tradition has never really been my style and going on someone’s word is just (excuse my language) bullshit. If I want to believe in something I’m going to try certain things out, do a little research and experiment a little to see what works and what doesn't.

 For you skeptics out there, drop your guard a little, not all the way but a little and try certain things, you never what you’ll get out of it. I know what it’s like to be a skeptic, I've been there many times before and still a skeptic to certain things but with a purpose and not just because someone says something and that’s it. Opening your mind is like opening a new door to a world you never seen before. To give you an example, I was skeptical about being athletic and agile as a big man, these guys told me try gymnastics and try hand balancing and all these different things but I was just so guarded about who I was that I can’t do all this stuff but the moment I dropped my guard just a little, I opened up a whole new door and kept an open mind and gave a shot at few things I felt I could do but get better at and low and behold, I got stronger, more flexible, more agile and more durable than ever before and never looked back since. Dropping your guard a little can be a big impact on how you do things. It’s up to you to do it, no one can really do it for you.

 To me the true meaning of believing is not by someone’s word and just believe because they said so but believe in your heart that it works for you and you've done some things to find that belief. A true believer is someone who wants to find what he’s looking for and believes in oneself and not from this or that, he/she believes this does work and it does give me something to do. Fitness wise, you can be a sheep and follow everyone’s word or you actually do something about it and find your own belief and create something out of the norm and make it your own tradition. Like before you don’t need an explanation as a believer, it’s there it works, you understand it from all angles and you learned how it works for you. Believe in yourself and trust it. It took me many years to figure that out but and I’m still learning a thing or two but it’s a journey and that I believe will go a long way to make me better at what I do and so can you. 

The Unknown Benefits Of Handstand Training

In the world of Physical Culture, a lot of things come and go, some things work, some don’t and others just have a way of taking things to a whole new level and one way to look at is looking at the world upside down. In training of the handstands, this teaches you to look at things from a different perspective and I mean this literally, when you hold a handstand either up against the wall or free-handed, you have to teach your body how to use it from a very different light. Think about it while you read this.

 It’s not easy at first to get into a handstand, believe me I know how you feel. At first it seems scary, like waking up in a different place and don’t understand where you’re at. With practice, you learn to shut that off and become comfortable in your new surroundings. Eventually when you hold a handstand, you will find out right away that you can’t be very loose otherwise you’ll fall. Keeping the body tight is essential to your progress. Holding the position isn’t just an exercise, it’s a test of will.

 Tighten up the body in a handstand is the foundation for Hand Balancing and when you hold it for a period of time, you’ll find out about the benefit of increased blood flow to your body especially in the brain. Flex your body in every position, point your toes, flex the calves, squeeze the legs together, tighten your torso and press your hands into the ground as if you’re going right through it. What this teaches is to use the body as a complete unit, powerful, strong and tight like a steel rod.

 Practicing on the wall is a start and whether or not you aspire to be a gymnast or an acrobat but the most important thing is to keep your body relaxed while in a flexed position. I realize that sounds like an oxymoron but yet you will soon understand the concept that holding the position itself brings great benefits to your body, making it strong and shrinking fat and building muscle while increasing strength in your tendons and ligaments.

 I’m giving you this tip not to progress to handstand push-ups which you should eventually progress to but to teach you the value of Internal Power meaning you’re strengthening the body from the inside out. Isometric Handstands bring blood flow into the body meaning stronger organs, increased flow to the muscles and strengthening the very things that help hold the body together meaning bones, tendons and again ligaments. This is what I like to call Isometric Practice, fusing the mind/body connection to build strength in every form of your body both internally and externally.

 I realize I have repeated a few things here but a lot of people don’t see how certain things work and a lot of people think that if you want to get stronger, lift weights, ok let’s test this theory, you picked a few barbells and dumbbells and you worked them hard, now test yourself in the handstand and see how strong you still are. I bet you, you won’t last more than a few seconds. Strength does not always mean picking up the most weight or how big your guns are and it certainly doesn’t matter how you look. Strength in different arenas gives the body variety of what it can do, it’s not just meant to pick up a weight, hell even in the old days of Physical Culture men and women didn’t just lift, they wrestled, did gymnastics, were circus performers, entertaining strongmen all these things and yet were strong and many different areas and sometimes lifting weights had nothing to do with it.

 It’s all about looking outside the box and using your body in ways that other things can’t transfer over. If you’re interested in Hand Balancing, practice it not just to hold a handstand but hold it and move it with intense will from your mind and your body together, you will see things from a new light you never thought of and find some unknown benefits that they didn’t teach in the course. You’ll know once you experience it, it’s a feeling you can’t get from anything else.

The Astounding Strength & Grace Of Acrobats & Gymnasts

 

  Ever seen Cirque De Solei or something similar and even Gymnastics, than you know how cool it is to see these world class athletes fly through the air with grace, power and beauty. Just having the speed and the strength to pull off certain moves is just incredible and you never know what comes next. To me Aerialists are one of the most powerful people pound for pound in the realm of Acrobatics.

 There have been debates who have the strongest this or the strongest that, you got big arms than you have some serious upper body power, powerful legs you can either squat a lot or run like the wind but yet the Core is what separates the men from the boys. Your torso carries the most power and strength in your body next to your legs being the strongest. When it comes to athletics, gymnasts have pretty much the strongest core in the world. Think about it, how do they fly through the air, hold hand balances so perfectly and move around on their upper bodies as if they were legs?  If they didn’t have strong torsos, everything else would be gone in a snap. Now some people think Bodybuilders have strong abs but in reality, it’s just the opposite, not all of them but most have very weak torsos to do anything basic let alone incredibly superhuman. The stronger your Core is, the rest of your body is strong, this doesn’t mean do nothing but crunches and sit-ups and leave everything else out, it takes the whole body to work together.

 

 

 One of the most kick ass shows I’ve ever witnessed was in Las Vegas where there was a vampire show called Bite. This show featured smoking hot and beautiful women, jaw dropping dancing & acrobatics and heavy metal that was just as powerful as the performers themselves. During one segment, a man who was pulled from the audience gets bit by a vampire, turns into this incredible monster with a shredded body that you need to see to believe, becomes consumed by the powerful bite and begins to take hold of a chain hanging down, wraps around his arm and begins to fly and twirl in the air like a madman and reaches down and with one arm picks up a woman and bites her as well. I can’t tell you the rest of the show but I can assure you that same actor has powers in real life that even he can teach you how to grab a hold of.

 

 

 An important aspect to keeping the body fit and ready for anything is to keep the blood flowing throughout the day. Doing small little exercises can have a huge impact on your level of strength and power beyond belief. Even the most experienced gymnasts and acrobats do some form of exercise throughout the day because during practice or even rehearsals, they have to be in top shape otherwise they can lose their spot on a team or worse be out of a job. Learn to use your time for these little things and big changes will come. “You don’t have to do much, for doing a lot” Karl Gotch.

 

 

 Practicing Hand balancing is the most basic component in both acrobatics and gymnastics because what some teach Bridging in wrestling, Hand Balancing is one of the first things taught in those areas of sport and entertainment. Hand Balancing isn’t for everyone I understand but there are those who want to learn it and get good or even great at it. At the same time, how cool would it be to have the strength to hold yourself up in Handstand and move around just like a gymnast or an acrobat? You don’t have to be a either one to get great benefits from this type of training. If you want to practice it, than look no further from my friends Logan Christopher and Ed Baran.

 

 

 In both acrobatics and gymnastics, the number one rule is to keep the body strong in every movement and by that I mean the whole body from your head to your toes. You will learn how to keep the body tight and strong because being loose anywhere can spell disaster or you’ll just not be able to do even a basic exercise. Learning to use your body in complete unison builds awareness and strength in ways nothing else can match. Anybody can lift a weight one way or another but you can’t hold yourself up in certain positions without the whole body working together.

 You may never aspire to be a Gymnast or an Acrobat which is perfectly fine, yet you can still have the great benefits and a strong & powerful body once you learn the basic elements of using your body as a whole package and become stronger than the average person. You don’t have to be a world class athlete to find world-class or even superhuman results. All that matters is you make your exercise fun and enjoyable and if you have children, let them exercise with you or teach them to exercise; this builds power and confidence within and helps build character. Have fun and make it worthwhile, even if you have only 5 minutes in the day.

The Olympics

 I watched a little of the Olympics a few weeks ago and from most of what I watched was the majority of Swimming & Gymnastics. The female gymnasts just destroyed opponents left and right and in my humble opinion none of them shined as much as Gabby Douglas. She embodied what a gymnast should have, grace, power, strength and above all fierce balance. Gymnastics is by far one of the toughest sports there is, both Male & Female competition, the training is fierce and it gives you a whole new perspective on Animalistic Bodyweight Training. The closest to Gymnastics would be the Animals although you won’t see a Tiger on the balance beam or a Gorilla on the Pummel Horse but the resemblance is uncanny and like an animal in the wild, you have to be quick, fast, coordinated and extremely strong.

 Swimming was the other sport I couldn’t take my eyes off cause our American squad just took over with a  vengeance in just about every event both men and women. Michael Phelps was the dominant king but the dominant queen in my opinion was Missy Franklin who was no more than 17 and won many gold medals. Just to swim at an incredible pace takes conditioning to a level you can’t even imagine. Like Gymnastics, Swimming takes up your entire body from head to toe and each event looks more grueling than the other the toughest being the Butterfly I think. That sport became a favorite to watch and wasn’t much of a swim fan in previous Olympics but after learning many forms of exercise and conditioning I had a new found respect for certain sports.

 We all know that some athletes have used steroids in the Olympics to increase their performance and chances of winning but it comes with a price. Steroids for personal gain is just plain stupid and there were at times when some of them didn’t realize they were on it because Roids don’t always come with a needle, comes in creams, pills and all sorts of stuff and it’s just plain dumb to even put athletes on it. I realize there is pressure among coaches, families, teammates and the organization to an athlete that they are expected to do great things and many of them are duped into being as perfect as possible even taking serious health risks for seeking that perfection. It’s really tough to avoid that kind of thing when you’re a world-class athlete whether an Olympian or a Professional so to really avoid it, do your research, learn alternatives that bring you more health instead of decreasing it and find that power within you that gives you the strength, speed and endurance naturally and show it that you don’t need Steroids or P.E.Ds (for those playing the home game that’s Performance Enhancing Drugs). This is a suggestion not a general way to do things.

 Training at the highest level of Competition takes practice in ways you can’t imagine unless you’re in your specific sport. One of the greatest amateur wrestlers of all-time Kurt Angle was an Olympic champion, World Champion, NCAA Champion and a profound man on his intense level of conditioning. While he trained for the Olympics, he ran hills as far as 200 yards, lifted weight in very high numbers, once he went to the University Of Iowa where Dan Gable was still coaching and once had a match with one of his wrestlers, this wasn’t your typical hardcore 4-3-3 minute rounds, this was a 40-30-30 minute rounds that made you realize how far you’re willing to go to keep going. That’s not hardcore training, that’s pure insanity and the will to fight to keep up with yourself. I have been in a wrestling room and for a 3 day period, it was till this day, the longest 3 days of my life as an athlete. It’s not just wrestling, it’s every sport you’re in, if you want it bad enough, if you want to be the very best, than you got to train harder than anyone else, you won’t always be the strongest, biggest or meanest cat in the gym or in your field but the will to bust your ass in practice makes you an athlete with the highest of honors and that’s fighting for what you love and smiling while you’re doing it. The hardest part isn’t the training, training actually is the easy part, and the competition is your toughest part because the training you already bled sweated and gotten through, now you got to put that to the test.

 Out of everything you do for a sport, no matter how many opponents you won or lost to, there’s that one opponent that will always come after you and that’s the same one you see in the mirror every morning. The other guy is just another athlete that you’ll face time and time again or face him/her only one time but fighting yourself is the one thing you face every single day. If you can learn to grapple yourself and overcome the challenges you face every day, the rest is a cake walk. After watching some of the Olympics and reading about the other athletes, it’s safe to say with every up and down, won or lost, defeated and conquered every single athlete down to the very last place did everything they could to make it to the highest level of competition but many of them still need to find that one thing that brought them there and make it consistent otherwise, they will become just another athlete with the word Olympian attached to their name.

Spiderman & Bodyweight Exercise

I recently saw the reboot of Spiderman and I got to say I was quite impressed with the cast and the unknown Andrew Garfield taking on the role of the Web-Slinging hero. Each character played their roles with gusto and there were unexpected actors in the film I did not really think would be in this type of movie.

 What really impresses me about this particular superhero is that he’s one of an extreme few comic book heroes that has a more natural and sleek physique unlike the very muscular heroes like Hulk, Superman, Wolverine and guys like Captain America. Spiderman’s built like a functional athlete like a classic running back or a Charles Atlas type athlete. He doesn’t look like he’s on roids or a overbearing weightlifter, just a natural looking athlete who uses his bodyweight throughout most of his fights.

 He reminds of one animal in the jungle that just seems to fly through the air and just swings through the trees like Tarzan and I’m talking about the jungle gymnast the Gibbon. As a matter of fact, I have a comic book I bought a while back that features Spiderman and other Marvel superheroes as if they were on the Planet Of The Apes and Spiderman’s Ape-body is the Gibbon. The gibbon is the gymnast of the Animal Kingdom bar none, other apes and monkeys are good but the way the Gibbon brachiates just can’t be matched by grip agility, strength, flexibility and coordination. If you want to learn to develop this ape-like power check out what one of my buds has to show you.

 In one scene in the film, Peter (Spiderman) is learning to use his jumping and web-slinging abilities. While on top of building in New York, he holds an awesome free-handed Handstand while using only 2 fingers. I know it wasn’t real but it was beautiful nonetheless and that particular handstand reminds me of the Shaolin Monks and the kick ass performers of Circe De Soilie. Handstands are one of the most kick ass forms of not only upper body strength but just to hold one free-handed is a beauty in itself. Back in the early 20^th century, athletes from all walks of life have at one time attempted Hand Balancing, gymnasts, wrestlers, strongmen, weight lifters, bodybuilders, boxers and even Trapeze artists; all had a hand in doing some form of Handstand Training.

 Spiderman’s Grace and Fluidity is just mind-blowing and the closest to Spiderman I can think in terms of athletic strength and power is either the athletes of Ninja Warrior or Bodyweight Extraordinaire Brad Johnson, these guys just tear it up in workouts that are only seen to believe, the finger strength is just phenomenal and only can be explained by experience. Experience real bodyweight training and you’ll get a sense of what it’s like to have superhuman abilities and reaching beyond the norm. If you’re a fan of superheroes, check out The Amazing Spiderman.

Kids & Exercise

When you’re a baby, everything is new to you and you explore all sorts of things. Babies are the most observant at this stage of life. As things progress, you begin to crawl, stand, take a few steps than before you know it, you’re off and running. As we get older, we lose sight of being observant and wanting to explore and new things.

 “The world is a mighty big place” which was said by great author and Physical Culture specialist Brooks Kubik. As we get older, the ability to learn increases but the will to learn is very different. Exercise should be one of those frontiers that needs to be explored as much as possible to see what works for us and what doesn’t, gives us the best results, helps us recover after a hard workout and what to use to make our bodies stronger. Wild animals are no different except for the fact they don’t know or even realize that they’re training. A young cub or ape learns its environment through movement and observing the surroundings plays with its own kind to train them for survival.

 Getting older is something we can’t control but we can also grow younger by using the right mindset. Taking a lesson from Peter Pan who never grew up (Unless you saw the movie Hook), he gave us the chance to see what it’s like to have fun and smile with the best of intentions also fighting for what we believe in. My best friend’s dad is the ultimate grown up kid in my opinion and although he lives a responsible life helping his wife and having raised 4 kids, he still treats everyday as if it were a kick ass day (most of the time).

 Training like a wild animal teaches both kids and adults how to have fun and not worry of just exercising but making it worth while and get to explore new ideas of movement and wonder. Kids today need more of that structure than ever before because of the rise in obesity and children not getting enough exercise in both school and out of school. When I was a kid going to daycare, I ran around all the time and playing with the other kids and doing wild and crazy imaginative stuff, I still get to do that for myself now in my late 20’s and still wanting to explore and shoot for new ideas to play around with.

 Kids deserve to be healthy and strong and teaching them a structured form of exercise is not only to keep them from getting diseases like heart problems and diabetes but exercise has been shown to increase the strength of the brain which means they can grow smarter in certain cases so the blood flow is just right. You don’t even have to tell them its exercise it’s more like play and adults can learn this too. Play tag, race, and create an obstacle course or whatever you’d like to do but also do it with them. Family exercising is a great thing to do not just to help you get in shape but for your kids as well and only needing a few minutes before they play video games or watching TV. There are kids however that have certain issues like a disability or are hyper even at a low self-esteem and exercise can help balance those things out.

 Nap time is crucial for a child’s development when it comes to growth and giving the adult some time to relax, put the kid through a little animal exercise by helping him pick out his favorite animal, play with him and sooner or later he’s going to want to sleep whether he likes it or not.  Children need structures but it doesn’t need to have corporal punishment or as a way of torturing the kid but to help him enjoy his disciplines and giving him/her the chance to learn responsibility in a safe and fun manner. It’s all about giving them what they deserve without them ever knowing it.  

Abdominal Training For Superior Strength

When you think of Ab training, you mostly hear about crunches and little side bends and mostly isolating the Abs with little rockers and machines. This is not real world Ab strength training. Our body’s core is all the muscles of the Abdominals from below the breast line all the down just to the top of the sexual organs.

 A lot of people think if you want six pack abs you need to do this many crunches, eat less, do 100’s of side bends and whatever crap that others come up with. Not saying a six pack isn’t a bad thing but really what does it really matter when you have a washboard stomach that can’t take a punch and your organs aren’t strong enough to hold off diseases? Karl Gotch once put it that there are two types of muscles for an athlete or bodybuilder and that “Conditioned Muscle” & Counterfeit Muscle.” These two variations have obvious statements but let me clarify a little, conditioned means that it’s strong, can take a lot whether in a workout or a fight, it’s useful, functional and the organs are strong, counterfeit means basically it looks awesome but than no further than that as you can have great development but that won’t amount to anything if you’re prone to injury.

 Real Abdominal training comes from training the entire body as a unit while keeping a major focus on the Abs. If you look back over 100 years ago, the old-time strongmen had some of the most powerful Abs on the planet. Men like Otto Arco, Maxick, Sandow, Farmer Burns and others all had what would be called punch-proof Abs. Their developments were off the charts and this was long before machines and gadgets. They developed this kind of strength and power by utilizing Muscle Control, full body training, Gymnastics, various sit-ups and Deep Breathing. They became so strong that would be able to handle certain feats that were beyond their own bodyweight. This type of training didn’t take hours a day and never isolated yet some of them had muscles that are still better than the bodybuilders of today.

 One of the true kings of Muscle Control was Otto Arco of Poland. A master of abdominal training that had the ability to wrestle, lift heavy and was one of the purest acrobats in the world at that time. Many came after him but there is only one Otto Arco and unlike bodybuilders today, Arco not only looked incredible but had pure strength and power to back it up. For one of the first 3 men in history to lift overhead double bodyweight it was a real feat to be reckoned with. The ability to control any part of his body was a sight to be hold and very few then can match and chances are slim to none no one can match him today.

 Another facet of phenomenal Ab Training is the Bridge. To most the bridge is either a neck, back or a shoulder exercise but really it is an exercise that works the core to a level unlike any other. If you don’t have good solid strength in your abdominals, the bridge will be difficult to do. Holding a posture is one thing but to do lethal and acrobatic maneuvers is a whole different ball game. Ever heard of the burpee? I’m sure you have, it’s a staple of conditioning that’s practiced in many areas but what about the Bridge Burpee? This makes a regular burpee look like a cake walk as you fall into a bridge either on the hands, head/hands or head alone and you kick over and back, if you’re really athletic you would do this then stand back up. A good bridge builds functional and powerful abs and with power of deep breathing, your core will be difficult to hurt.

 A key ingredient in all of Physical Culture is one of the most neglected forms of modern training and that’s learning to breathe. We today take our breathing for granted but what if I told you that your breath is the source of all your power and strength. Breathing gives us life. We can go long periods of time without food or water but we can only hold our breath for only a few minutes before we start to give out and die. The number one secret to true core strength is in how you breathe.

 You don’t need the skills of a gymnast or the body of bodybuilder and neither do need to have the skills of a wrestler, all you need is a few minutes a day of working your body as a unit and focus on the abdominals. Muscle Control is a healthy practice as it teaches you how to use your mind and body’s connections and with basic gymnastics that anyone can learn from a humble beginner to an advanced athlete. The stronger your core inside and out, the stronger your whole body will be. Learn to take control of your body and your strength & fitness will skyrocket to levels you can’t imagine.

Fire, Passion & Powerful

Three words that I can describe this guy whose come right out of the bushes and began a journey of strength & health unlike anyone I’ve seen before. I’m talking about my man Matti Merzel. He’s one very unique individual that you only see once in a generation. A man who’s come so far in a short period of time that one can only wonder how far he’s going to push the limit. This is the same guy who was in the army in Israel and became a mean, fighting machine.

 There’s a lot of great qualities about him but one thing that gives him away more then anything in a good way is his intensity for becoming strong and powerful at a small size. One would not think of him as being strong but that’s where ignorance is bliss. I’ve seen and talked to some of the strongest people on this planet but Matt has that aura of him that takes on a whole new meaning to the words “holy f*cking s*it.”

 He’s a warrior by nature not only being in the military but in his specific feats of strength he performs. I’ve seen him break wrenches, rip phonebooks, held handstands and whatever the hell else he does and in every feat, there’s a fire in his veins that just never seems to wear out unless he wants it to. It’s hard to believe that strongmen have that much intensity and love for what they do but within Matti it’s a little different like with every living breathing strongman. The power he posses should not be human and most likely isn’t but nonetheless, like they say “with great power comes great responsibility.”

 There’s John Cena in the WWE who’s the face of the company and is a living, breathing athlete. The reason why I chose Cena to compare to Matti, not because of athletic ability, not for being a wild character but because like Cena, Matti has a passion for what he loves the most and he lives, breathes, eats, talks, thinks it every single day of his life and he believes nothing will get in his way of succeeding. It’s that passion that you only see once in a lifetime, it’s that passion that you can’t fathom unless you experience it but it’s also that passion that puts you ahead of many others and your only way is not to climb down but climb up and in the words of Rocky Balboa “Its not how hard you hit, its how hard you get hit and still willing to keep fighting.” You can’t teach that in a school or a gym or in an office, you learn it by fighting through it with heart and will power more then any average person. It’s that fine line between ordinary and extraordinary.

 Want to see the passion, fire and love for Physical Culture? Head over to Ferociousstrength.com and look at the already plethora of articles he’s written that are just over the top with info that not many this fast has accomplished. I encourage you to read this man’s story and find what makes me a real fire-breathing athlete in our realm of Physical Training. Give him a chance and he’ll make it worth your while and then some as he will help you take your training to a whole new level. This is a dawning of a new Era and it will be an Era all will never forget.

Gymnastics For Super Bodyweight Power

There are athletes that are very strong at what they do. Wrestlers can take down the best of them, some basketball players are very strong down the line, football players are extremely strong when it comes to tackling and pushing past the defense in the running game, shot putters can throw with power but one breed of athlete stands out from the rest when it comes to Bodyweight. The Gymnasts. The way they move and the way they have to use their body is just incredible and its all in their own body.

Their abdominal strength is off the charts and that's because its a major factor and piece of the puzzle that not many people realize. When you have the abs of a gymnast, you are strong everywhere. Strength in the core requires focus, concentration and power.

Most acrobats are originally gymnasts and one of the requirements to be an acrobatic is to learn Hand Balancing. The reason why that is it's because Hand Balancing carries over to a lot of other gymnastic stunts. Being able to stand on your hands is quite an impressive feat because you're not just using your hands but you're whole body. You're in a different state of mind and your body needs laser-like focus to even hold a handstand let alone walking or doing stunts.

Now do you need to go to a gymnastic school to get the best for your buck? Not really because certain schools charge way too much money and if you're willing to pay for it you'd be lucky to even find a good coach and teach you the progressions you need. I went to gymnastics in college and I didn't progress that much especially in hand balancing because you had a coach that had to teach more then one person and it was hard to get real one-one training. You don't need to be a gymnast to get the great benefits of this kind of training. Using basic principles and learning the secrets of the handstand is really all you need to get in great shape for whatever you want to do.

This isn't just for men but women as well. Male gymnasts are strong as hell for what they do but ounce for ounce I feel women are the stronger and faster gymnasts. Yes their feats are different but I see it more impressive a woman holding a handstand then a guy. The cost for a couple courses in Gymnastic Conditioning is far lower then a school and you can have even better progress as they take you step-by-step and give you everything either as a beginner or advanced athlete. If you're a fan of gymnastics but are below the beginning phase and need something to work with don't look no further then here at Basic Bodyweight Building Blocks.

If you're a woman and want to get that beautiful toned figure and be stronger then most guys then get your hands on this Body Sculpting Bodyweight Exercise For Women as this takes the best of basic gymnastics and other methods and can mold you into the woman that's within you and take your fitness to levels that most women envy and without the fear of bulking up because it won't let that happen.  Never get bored with your workouts and learn fun, progressive and powerful ways to become strong, athletic, powerful and flexible. 

So it doesn't take a gymnast to become strong and flexible like one. No more spending thousands of dollars on gymnastic schools. Because of this type of training, you can take it anywhere you want. You can train in a hotel room, house, cabin, at the park, your backyard just about anywhere you want and can still have the workout of your life. Start off doing only 5 minutes a day of exercise. You can squeeze in 5 minutes of your day can you? When you get up in the morning or before bed. If you have kids that are taking a nap, use that time to train. There's no excuse so make an effort and not procrastinate. Training a few minutes a day saves you 2 hours of regular training getting to the gym, changing and trying to find an empty place to lift or use the treadmill. Plus it saves you time for the things you want to do during the day. At best if you have kids, get them to work out with you as this helps build bonds and to challenge each other.

Whats also great about this kind of training is that it doesn't take much time to do and it strengthens the joints and ligaments and doesn't compress the spine like heavy weight lifting does. Learn it and go through your own pace. Give yourself time to do them right and once it gets easy, move on. Progression is key and having fun is a must. If you're not having fun then you're not doing it right. You can do all the exercises you want but if you don't smile and just go through the motions you won't see the big picture. Keep track of what you do and find what works for you best.

Bodyweight Exercises: Putting The "Fun" In Functional Strength!!!

In many circles around the web you'll hear quite a few people giving Bodyweight Exercises a bad rap and thats just not right on so many levels. First off whoever thinks bodyweight sucks is their business and their opinion but lets get the facts straight here. This type of training has given many people the world over an awesome body, great strength, surreal flexibility and insane endurance. I say this as a point with the right amount of training. Am I saying weight lifting sucks? Hell no man I just prefer bodyweight because it saves me money, time and I can do it anywhere I want.

The real keys to having a solid program is using your imagination, being creative, find goals and mastering basic exercises. Just like weight lifting, work the basics and soon enough you'll find thats all you need to build a solid foundation for sheer strength, muscle-building and all the good stuff that comes with them. It does piss me off sometimes when these morons don't know the real side of a good solid training program. Example would be some people think that bodyweight training is only good for endurance and doesn't build muscle or strength but it can give you flexibility. Ok in some cases they're right it does build flexibility and can give you great stamina but heres a kicker here folks. For those that don't know i'm 5'10 and 242 lbs. My main training is pretty much all bodyweight and so I have built strength from this type of training um lets see....

I can hold a handstand on the wall for more then a minute

I have Deadlifted nearly 400 lbs. without almost any training on it in the last 5-6 years

Easily can press a 88lb. Kettlebell

Bend Steel short and long

Held a 125 lb. Dumbbell w/ a 2 inch thick handle for 10sec.

I think I've made my point here. Will this type of training do the same for everyone like it did for me? No theres no way not because i'm dissing your abilities its because I chose to try these things and my structure is different then others. That shouldn't mean you can't take a shot at them or whatever you want to do but with a good structure and leverage with your body-to-weight ratio you'd be surprised how strong you can get. So I really don't give a flying you know what about people who say you can't be strong on this type of training.

Man I sound like an a**hole right now don't you think? Sorry guys I tend to do that every now and then. Back to why it puts the "Fun" in Functional Strength. Its fun in my opinion cause you get to be free to do what you want for exercise. When they say the best things in life are free I'd put exercise right near the top of the list in my opinion. You get to be creative and try things at different angles and for the most part you're always isolating muscles.

Working the whole body as a unit is far better then doing a ton of other exercises for specific muscles. When you work the body as One, you're putting on more muscle, burning more fat and your muscular strength & endurance go through the roof. It also saves you time from going to the gym and training in your own home, how many people at the gym can say they trained while they played video games or trained while commercials are going instead of their favorite tv show or better yet train with the music they want to listen to with no one around. That's one reason why I find Bodyweight Exercises fun.

I feel that when Jack Lalanne pioneered his fitness tv show way back in the 50's and 60's he wanted you to get up and start your day with a smile, laughing and feeling good like you were a little kid. He was the guy in my opinion that made exercise fun and enjoyable instead of being hardcore and rough and making you feel that exercise is just horrible. He wasn't just a pioneer in the fitness industry, he was also one of the most intelligent men of his generation because he not only made you bust your ass but you enjoyed it and kept coming back for more with a smile and a thirst for life. That was his true genius and no one should ever forget that.

One of my favorite forms of bodyweight training is being out in the wild and being an animal that is strong, powerful and graceful. This is where another form of freedom comes into play. You don't feel like working out but playing and having fun moving around. Theres something for everyone that can do bodyweight exercises, you can be 10 or 100 and still find a way to do great exercise to keep you young, vibrant and healthy.

Back in the early eras of Physical Culture of the 20th Century, many strongmen on the vaudville circuit, circuses and competitions actually did Bodyweight Training to help gain an advantage for what they did as performers. Many of them were wrestlers, boxers, gymnasts, acrobats and just flat out very powerful men. Otto Arco for example was a superior acrobat who can not only do great hand balancing feats but was one of the first of three men to lift double-bodyweight overhead in the clean and press or jerk if I said that right. John Grimek who has been known as the greatest bodybuilder in the non-steroid era of the sport who can vouch for bodyweight exercises as part of a token of his successful career as a bodybuilder and Olympic Weightlifter. Those 2 were examples of among many others that have used bodyweight with sucessful results.

Heres one final thing about why bodyweight exercises are fun to do for functional strength and that's being able to play with your kids. Children start the first few years of their lives doing bodyweight exercises, whether they're running, jumping, playing on the monkey bars or climbing up to go down the slides they're using nothing but they're own Bodyweight and some of them are very strong for how small they are. Makes you think doesn't it? When you learn to train like a child it can give you a whole different prespective about training. As adults we may not have the same energy as a young child but we can adapt and learn to enjoy being there and playing with them. When you train as a family, you create a certain bond and learning from each other. I want to be able to do that with my own kids one day and be able to have fun with them.

If you're looking for some awesome courses on Bodyweight Exercises then look no further then below.........

Gymnastic Abs

Animal Kingdom Conditioning

Advanced Bridging

Body Sculpting Bodyweight Exercises For Women

Pain Killers

Gymnastic Handstands

Ultimate Guide To Handstand Push-ups

Hand Balancing Mastery Course

Animal Kingdom Conditioning 2: Call Of The Wild

Wild Animal Fitness For Kids

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning-Squats

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning-Push-ups

Missing Ingredient That Could Save Your Life

In the US alone some reports say that at least 10,500 have suffered spinal injuries and over 1.8 million people a year suffer a concussion. Are there ways to prevent this from happening to YOU!!!! Yes there is and it can even save your life while gaining a great amount of strength, flexibility and improving your health. Our spines are the most important parts of the human anatomy. They are the electricity that resides within us and has an important connection to the human brain.

If you’re not in good shape, chances are your spine isn’t in great shape either and you will find how you can reverse this. I’ve hurt my back a few times in my life lifting things and landing on it a time or 2 and have even tweaked it a bit while I was a shot put and discus thrower in high school. Once I learned this secret to great spinal flexibility and health I have never looked back.

Its time you took advantage of the work that has been proven by many to be one of the most important realms of physical culture. Yet at the same time its also one of the most feared exercises. Is it for everyone, no but I think I high majority would be able to learn this secret and that is the Bridge.

My friend Logan Christopher has put together the most comprehensive course on the bridge and so far I haven’t really found another that tackles the subject of this magnitude. Picture for a moment having thick columns of muscle on your neck and back and not feeling stiff as a board. Be able to move around like you were a little kid a long time ago. Learn the time tested method that can give you power and explosiveness not just in your spine but legs as well.

Most people think of a bridge as in either wrestling or yoga. Ones on the head and the other is on the hands. These are the wrestler’s Bridge and the Gymnastic Bridge (Wheel Pose for you Yogis). These 2 exercises in Advanced Bridging Course can have you build and develop greater mobility and stability in your shoulders, back, neck, legs and your abs. Just one workout with the various exercises in the course can wear down the toughest of men. It can be used by anyone who is in a good amount of shape and it even works on heavy weight people (yours truly at 240+ lbs.). I’ve done a few workouts and every time I do them I end up sweating like bullets and breathing more then usual and that’s just within a few minutes.

I can tell you first hand an from personal experience that it takes practice and its going to take patience because unlike most courses this one is bent on (pun intended) moving in ways you normally don’t and there are many progressions to learn from. Once you start getting the hang of it you will find ways to bend yourself in places that would amaze your friends. This isn’t for gymnasts and wrestlers anymore. It’s your turn now. Learn to create your own set of workouts that can be done in less then 15 min. You don’t need more then a few exercises to get your ass whipped.

Like I said before the bridge has been known to be a fearful exercise so Logan here has taken the liberty to teach you how to do these exercises safely and shows you certain signs if you need to stop and how you can prevent from hurting yourself. Follow the guidelines and I guarantee you, you will be doing moves that would impress a few people. Imagine you are falling back into a good solid bridge whether on the head or hands and kicking over and kicking back. It may not feel like a reality now but when you get your hands on the Advanced Bridging Course you will get results you’ve never seen before. You will burn fat, build muscle, gain enormous flexibility and add in a bit of agility you will be one awesome Bridger and have one of the best conditioned bodies around.

Building Strong Tendons

Unlike muscle building, if you want to increase the strength in your tendons you need specific type training. Wrist curls and things of that sort will not cut it unless you have a thick bar but not too many commercial gyms have them so what do you do? Well for a weightlifter you might want to consider Training With Partials. The reason why I say this is because with partial lifts you’re hitting the body from a certain angle and the tendons actually go into play more then muscles do plus with partials you can lift heavier and heavier weight then you can with full range.

Now we all heard that building a great body means you need to build/tone muscles but nobody really talks about the tendons and if they did, most of the time the exercises to build them aren’t really good for you (trust me I’ve been there). One thing I learned from York Barbell Hall Of Famer Slim The Hammerman Farman in his DVD was that exercising the tendons are a key to developing great strength. Muscle building is great in many ways but building muscles may not be quite enough. Slim’s mentor The Mighty Atom was an avid explorer in building tendon strength and for good reason. He was and still is the World’s Strongest Little Man.

If you want to build great tendon strength, there are many ways to do them and a favorite of mine is through isometrics. Even though I love doing that I still need specific type work on them and I want to feed the energy in my hands in order to accomplish my training. When you can do that and build a solid foundation your tendons will be supple, strong and healthy all at the same time. However you do not want to do exercises that can damage your hands. There are exercises out there that do more harm then good in your hands because of the way angles are made and how many repetitions and all that crap. You want to have vital strength and vibrant health in your tendons because the more you develop it the healthier your hands will be and it can even save your life.

One such guy I know has been building his tendons since he was a little boy and now is one of the best pianists the world has ever seen. His name is Garin Bader and seeing him up-close I can tell you first hand he is one of the strongest dudes I’ve ever met. At his size of 6’ over 200 lbs. he can do 2 finger superman push-ups and that’s just an appetizer of what he can do. Because of that he has developed a system that not only works but has kept him from getting injured because some of the stunts he does are extremely dangerous and he has no safety net if he fell doing certain things. That’s where Finger Gymnastics come into play. It’s a simple system that can help you turn your tendons from jello to solid steel with a touch of flexibility. We all have suffered carpal tunnel in our lives at sometime.

Its no fun wearing those casts on your wrists and not being able to move your hands without them hurting. I’ve been there a time or 2 and I’m younger then most people who have/had it. With this system you don’t have to go through complicated exercises or do this or that to get results, the results come from working what you can and making a little fun out of it. You learn to use energy and relaxed strength to build a solid program of building the strongest tendons possible. I may look big at 242 lbs. but I don’t rely on my muscle building training to get where I want to be, I rely on my tendons and when I have built them up to a degree, my muscles will come in automagically (sorry had to go biz Markey on ya). The same can happen for you and it costs far less then a doctor’s visit. Have Garin share his story and how you can develop strong and supple wrists and lower to the degree where if you’re a martial artist, your grip will go through the roof, if you’re a musician your playing will become much greater and if you’re a strongman (like yours truly) you will be doing things far better then you ever thought before. Get yourself some powerful tendons my friend.

Tumbling Your Way To Greatness

Becoming a gymnast takes years of practice and conditioning is at its best for bodyweight exercises. Now what if you didn't need all those years and learn some gymnastics faster and get in condition quicker and get healther all at the same time. My man Logan has a course called Tumbling Illustrated. You will find that tumbling can be a fun and interesting fitness program. Remember as a kid you used to do rolls while playing and it was just fun to do? It be fun to do that again huh?

Learn how to take control of your body and live your childhood dream. Theres no need to spend a ton of money on gymnastic classes. Not to knock gymnastics, I practiced a bit myself and I loved doing tumbling training and handbalancing. The training was incredible but it does get expensive so why not find a better way to train without going through so many fees. Some people believe you can't get started without being a gymnast. Hate to burst your bubble its a myth and you can even start at this very moment.

Some tumbling exercises can even help people with back issues and can work the spine to keep you healthy and strong. With a great variety of moves you will never find a boring workout in this manner. Like with every program start with the basics and work into them to build up to the difficult ones. If you work them too fast that can lead to injury so learn the right speed and form to get the most benefit.

Here will be what you'll find in the course.........

5 Roundoffs

24 Handbalancing moves

8 Combination Rolls

12 Hand Springs

55 Novelty Stunts

8 Dives

6 Cartwheels

& Many More..........

Learn to train like a gymnast without needing to be one.

Tumbling Illustrated

Squats & Push-ups....The Foundations For Superior Bodyweight Conditioning

When you learn bodyweight exercises the first 2 types anyone should learn and master are the Push-up & The Squat. The reason why for these is because they lay the foundation for total body conditioning. There are many variations of them but only a few surpass the true monument for superior exercise. In the early days of Physical Culture, men and women of either bodybuilding, weightlifting or gymnastics trained in Squats and Push-ups because they knew how much power they can build to help assist their training. Some of the biggest names did these exercises such as:

Charles Atlas

John Grimek

Otto Arco

Maxick

Alois P. Swoboda

Steve Stanko

Earl Liederman

Great Gama

Ect......

At one time or another all these men performed push-ups and squats. At high reps they combine a great deal of strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. High Rep Squats performed correctly build ammense lung power and superior conditioning and they know it gets them in high regard when it comes to competition. It takes a great deal of mental awareness and strength to do great reps. Whether its 100 or 1000 you will take your physical and mental game to the next level. I for one have done over 300 reps a day for a while and I once went over 1000. Regardless of your fitness level, if you learn to work and adapt you can become strong and vital. Once you reach a certain level you can increase your HGH Levels which helps boost testosterone and helps you stay younger.

One guy that can help get you there is considered the world's strongest man drug-free and thats the big 'ol southern man Bud Jeffries. In his time of training he has recorded the following.....

1000 Pound Squat (Starting From The Bottom Position)

2000 Push-ups

3000 Squats

2000+ Kettlebell Swings

Pulled A School Bus

Bends & Scrolls Long Steel Bars

Those are just a few to mention but no matter how you slice it the man knows conditioning and has done it as a super-heavyweight at a BW of 380 Pounds. He now is at just under 275. He still performs as a strongman all over the country. Yet inspite of all this he still uses BW Squats and Push-ups. He's put together a series of the two exercises in DVD sets and both Videos have multiple variations that can be suited for any need and adaption. Bring you level of conditioning to new heights and be on the look out for more muscle, more stamina, more mental power and great physical strength waiting within you. Are you up for the Challenge.

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Squats

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Push Ups