Building Your Mental Powers

            Without question, the mind is far more powerful than the human body. When you open up your mind, you open a door to a whole new world. A world filled with possibilities, opportunities and creative ideas that make the planet look like a green pea. When you are closed off and narrow minded, you’re a little more rigid, more cautious, question too much instead of letting it flow. I’m learning this myself every single day because even though I have a strong intuition and I’m open minded, I tend to fall off the wagon so do speak as we all do and it makes us human. To strengthen your mind, you have to be willing to let go and create new adventures for yourself.

            A big key in developing mental strength is how you project your self-image. The self-image is how you see yourself in your minds eye, the attitude and habits you portray are attributes to your self-image. I have read a book or 2 on this subject and even taken on different techniques to enhance the image I want. This isn't one of those voodoo religious type stuff or even a spiritual thing, it’s how you live in the way you see yourself. For example, if you’re living with the image of being broken down and you feel there’s no way of getting out of it and you whine and you complain about your appearance and/or how people or how you see yourself, that will project how you have created that attitude and letting those habits grow. On another hand, if you see yourself as confident, relaxed, poised, building yourself creatively without outside negative energy and you build ideas and run with them, that’s the attitude and habit of having a strong image of yourself. The way you see yourself can make you or break you depending on how your energy manifests itself to the things that surround you.

            One of the most powerful tools of developing mental strength is using your imagination. How you see things no one else does, the wide open plethora of another world that only you can create. You see things that give you strength, give you a reason to shoot for a goal and pointing you in the direction of getting there. I have a vivid imagination and sometimes I have to stop myself if I’m in that state of mind where it’s just frustrating and upsetting, so I go into a place where I let my imagination run like a madman and point out what can work and what needs to be erased. Whether you want to create instant strength or enhance your self-image, resistant-free to run your business and/or build an energy defense system where you block negative vibes; your imagination will help you build it if you apply yourself with the right tools.

            Last tool I like to use every now and again is what’s called Theater Of The Mind. This technique is incredible where you breathe powerful energy into your body and go inside your mind where you’re in your own movie theater with a big screen and a seating area where you can view it any way you want. You use this to create what you want and how you can rehearse it as you see it on that big screen. I don’t want to give away all the details of this technique but I can tell you, if you want something or want to create something, you view it as if it has already happened and it’s giving you little steps to get you there. Try it out and you can create anything you want that is within the limits of your imagination and how far you’re willing to go productively and with strong intentions. 

Tips For Boosting Testosterone Without Steroids

          Many athletes today use those dumb and overwhelming dangerous steroid methods to boost their career stats, recover quicker, heal faster yet it’s slowly killing them. This isn't just for athletes but with men and women, who want to look better, feel like their invincible and will help them get noticed quicker because of its “anti-aging” affects. Why rely on something that is dangerous to your health when there are ways to boost yourself naturally and more safely.

            Your Willpower is like a steroid if you learned how to use it right, when you put your internal strength at a level that gives you that boost of adrenaline, fire and the desire to create instant magic. Imagine being able to create thoughts and make them into actions that can help you be successful in just about every endeavor you desire. As an athlete, you want to boost better running, jump higher, recover quicker, hit more homeruns, score more touchdowns and even win a medal at the Olympics. In fitness, being strong and fit is a major desire for just about everyone but some prefer one over the other. To be strong and fit, you think into what you want, use what’s called Theater Of The Mind to picture yourself as if you were watching your own movie, a movie that has a story to tell, that breaks into the very core of what you want to achieve. If you learn it right for you, you can create just about anything you want.

            One of the key ingredients to successful testosterone boosting is using the strength and power of your legs. Your legs are the very foundation for a youthful body that strives to become not only fit, but crazy strong. When I talk about leg training, I’m not referring to jumping up and down on a Taebo or a P90X video; I’m referring to building strong and powerful legs through basic elements that give you strength, stamina and flexibility. Squats are incredible and with certain ones especially that fit to your interests and your structure, you can boost levels of natural growth hormone you never expected to get.

            For men, picture having strong and mighty legs that can go distances, have strong tendons that can carry over to lifting and/or carrying heavy objects, climbing with ease and have endurance like crazy, for women, picture having sexy and head turning legs that are lithe, beautiful and strong that can make you outrun most men if you’re in danger, having great flexibility that even gymnasts would be impressed by. It’s all within your reach if you want it bad enough, to develop that mind/muscle connection internally without ever needing something dangerous can kill you more than help you in the long-run (pun intended).

            For some, people use cardio to get fit, others use high intensity training. I feel both are essential but yet the shorter the better. They each have pros and cons but each one has more to offer than you realized. I’m not talking about walking on a treadmill or running 10 miles a day, what I want you to know is that cardio can mean different things for example, if you’re doing circuit training for say like 30 min. and it keeps your heart rate at your peak levels, that’s cardio.

            High Intensity Training is a bit different, your workouts are shorter and you bring more of the muscle fibers into play that normally won’t work in the cardio sense. An example of this would be Sprints, you run at a high speed for a certain short period of time say like for no more than 30 seconds. You won’t be running at full 100% of your speed because that can last only for a couple seconds because everything that is fired in won’t have that long to tangle with. Doing sprints at 4-10 sets is great and you don’t need to do them everyday, no more than 2-3 times a week and this alone can burn fat faster, boost metabolism, raise your growth hormone up to 10 times more than the latest steroid injection or pill.

            My last tip for now is the use of Cold Showers. This method has been used for countless centuries and for good reason. You see, hot water back in the old days was more of a luxury than anything else because unless you found a place that has hot water like in the springs or something, you would most likely have used cold water. Let me rephrase the first thing here sorry, I meant to say Cold Water Therapy. Cold Showers is more or less than a couple hundred years but Cold Water like Ice Baths or being under a waterfall or jumping in a cold lake/ocean is more likely to happen. This method helps your body in more ways you can imagine.

            It sucks jumping into cold water or has it poured on you but it builds mental strength just as much as it could help you in a physical sense. When you’re cold water, your body heat shifts into overdrive and unlike hot water which hits the skin more, cold water hits the skin but your body heat shifts more to the organs to keep you warm. When you feel like you’re having a heart attack and you’re breathing heavy, that’s what the heart and lungs are doing to keep you warm. When this breathing happens, it feels like you’re going through hell and like a workout it puts you into another state of mind. Deep breathing in Cold Water brings a whole new way of thinking into your body, letting it work for you and feeling like you can take on the world. Cold Water can help you burn fat; lose weight, build definition in the muscles because of the involuntary muscle contraction and it teaches you to build your body internally. It’s very relaxing afterwards and it gives you a sense of clarity and peacefulness, also it wakes your ass up quicker than a slap in the face.

            Treasure these tips, not many want to reveal these to you because they feel if they keep it to themselves they’ll feel like they’re better than you and you’re inferior to them. I don’t want to do that to you, I want to help you and give you ways to help yourself and build strength in as many ways as possible naturally and without doing anything dangerous or put you in a state of fear. Be smart but also be tough and have fun.

Visualization And Why It Helps Increase Your Strength

           What you see is far different from how you feel. We usually begin things by a thought. How we see that thought is different for everyone but a common entity is that if you see, feel it and give into its power, it can generate your strength in ways you have never imagined. In the field of strength and fitness, most people just go around cutting corners, dragging their sorry asses along and don’t give any real thought to how they can find within themselves the power to generate what they want to happen. There’s a whole other world in visualizing what you want.

            To really understand the power of visualization, you can’t just think of something and just act on it in my opinion; it’s really digging deep into the very core of your soul. To see is to feel, to see is to dream it, to see it, it consumes you and you control what you want to see. It’s not easy because not everyone can see inside themselves. When you see something, what are you doing, where are you and how do you want to achieve it? The basics of Visualization is to go into a near trance-like state and you can do this with your eyes open or closed whatever you prefer but also when you’re in this trance, learn to block out the outside world and focus on what matters most.

            One of my favorite Visualizations is what’s called Theater Of The Mind; it teleports you into a movie theater that can be as big as you want. It gives you freedom to see whatever you want to achieve no matter how big or how small, it’s your time, your movie and your own endeavor. Some people see just themselves in the theater, watching themselves at their best and they’re by themselves without anyone around. For me, it’s a little out there. When I walk into the Theater Of My Mind, I actually sit next to someone and it’s not just a random person. I picture sitting next to someone that may have passed on that I admire or more frequently it’s one of the gods or goddesses of Mount Olympus or Greek/Norse/Irish Mythology such as Zeus, Hercules, Thor, Pan, Aphrodite and whoever shows up. They help me on my journey and channel my intuition. In Greek or Latin stories of the gods, it is said that the gods visit mortals in their dreams.

            Very few can see but the rest don’t know how to use their imagination and look into the very heart of what they want. When you look into your mind what you want whether it’s to be stronger, more athletic, win a game, score a touchdown, hit a homerun, break a world record or whatever it is you desire, feel it as if you were there at the front lines, people cheering you and you are the king/queen of your own arena. Sense the atmosphere, feel the surge of energy that makes you victorious, see the smiles of your loved ones as they congratulate your successes and your peers admiring your courage and strength. These are all the examples of what you can create in your visualizations, you have the power to create whatever you desire and no one can take that away from you.

            Go beyond what you see, feel more powerful in that moment in time, destroy all your obstacles and turn yourself into a person you want to be the most, see yourself at your best and see how far you can push it in the future. There are no limits, there is no darkness in the tunnel, you are shining bright and it burns those that stand in your way. Throw yourself into the stratosphere, beyond the stars, shoot through planets, become a universe of strength and vitality that makes everything you desire become simpler, easier and more powerful. You have it in you and it’s waiting to be unleashed.  

Bouncing Back Progressively

            Being sore from training is part of the fun. When you are so sore it feels like a crowbar hitting you it’s best to step back a bit, not a whole lot though. It takes discipline to keep going even when you don’t always have the strength to do something the next day. Be mindful and listen to your body.

            There have been guys that got so sore from a workout it takes days sometimes weeks to recover but that shouldn't stop you from doing what you love. Little by little do something till you recover. Recovery is a priority because if you believe you’re going to challenge yourself during every workout till you drop you’re setting yourself up for injury. Do little workouts while you recover, this helps keep the blood flowing and might help you recover quicker. You want to let your muscles rest so they can build themselves back up and help you be stronger next time around. If you’re used to big workouts and don’t get sore that easy that’s one thing but the majority of people need quality rest and food to bounce back.

            As you recover, take the time to reflect on your next challenge. Those little sessions during that cycle can make all the difference when you give your mind the chance to figure out what you can do next. Mental strength is a must otherwise you’re just bouncing around like an idiot and just doing physical work without any real discipline. Be tough but don’t be like a smart ass, be mindful and endure it because once you recover and you’re at your best again, you’ll be far stronger. Meditation practice is a great way for recovery. One other form is channeling your energy during those little workouts, do them right and you’ll feel like you just got an adrenalin rush and your body is surging with strength. What I like about CoreForce Energy is that it teaches you how to use your strength at anytime even when you’re sore because the power within you will give you that surge with intense focus and it can never be broken. It is also one of the greatest recovery tools I've ever encountered bar none.

            At the next challenge you might end up being crazy sore again but also you repeat the cycle. Reflect, do little workouts that keeps your blood flowing and learn to channel your energy. There will be times where you won’t get sore at all and your strength is just uncanny and powerful that recovery is merely instant. For most of us, we need to recover after a big session and build ourselves back up. Take your time but don’t slack off. Sore after a big lifting session? Do some flexibility work, build your energy and eat plenty because the right foods will help you in ways you can’t imagine.

We all get sore after some kind of big workout whether it’s....

Animal

Odd Objects

Bodyweight

Partials

Training For Martial Arts

    Whatever but that doesn't mean you stop training all together. Do something that isn't that vigorous or do a percentage of your challenge workout every few days or so, listen to your body. Magazines or Infomercials will tell you to do this after a big workout or only X amount of days to recover, it’s all really bullshit because that’s just a generic look at what they believe you should do. Do what works for you, listen to your body and recover when you need to, to get yourself back in the game. 

Is Everything A Competition???

           Many of us have that competitive spirit, the will to not give up until we have accomplished a goal or try to beat another person or group of people. Why do we become so competitive that it overshadows our way of being a good sport? I’m not saying competition can’t be positive, it is but to a degree. We compete to be the very best over something else (mainly sports) and beat our rival or over run a team.

            You don’t always see the smallest sides to competition and most of the time they don’t always matter at all but on the other hand, competing against something else that truly matters and not always competing just for the sake of competing. We all find something that we want to beat or just make a note of it whether it’s in business, sports, culture, exercise or whatever and we want to find that edge that trample over what we have to overcome.

            In m opinion, you can find fun in competition. It’s not always trying to over rule your opposing man and finding a way to hurt them whether physically or mentally that’s not fun at all. I understand that it sucks when you lose but also it’s not always pleasant being a winner. Learn to value that you fought through it and still came out alive. I get it that there are certain things at stake but you made those odds or you got caught in the cross fires and now have to deal with certain modalities. Having fun with certain forms of competition can give you a sense of no matter what the outcome you’ll either learn a valuable lesson or you use strategy on how to be better and not so much bitch about it and make it the end of the world.

            When it comes down to it, there’s one competitor that you have to deal with no matter where you go, who you’re with or whatever happens in your life from the time you’re born to the day you die, it’s YOU!!! That very same person you look at in the mirror is your ultimate competition and how you handle it is up to you. You cannot compete with anyone else because everyone else is temporary but you’re still there.

            I know what it’s like to fight myself and beat myself up in my own mind and there’s no such thing as a perfect record. To this day, yes I have issues but I’m not going to let that part of me take over what I truly want in my life because if you let your personal issues, demons whatever you want to call them get in the way of what you desire and what you want to accomplish, than you haven’t learned how to face them and make them your personal bitch. We all have issues and problems no matter what but that doesn't define us unless we choose to make it.

            Learn to love who you are, have fun with what you have, become what you desire and giving you a reason to keep living with vigor, vitality and great health. You are more than you ever think you can be and there’s no reason why you can’t be truly happy and climb that ladder of success because you have the power to do so. Be strong, be happy and use that competitive spirit to overcome the very things that try to tackle you down. 

Connection & Individuality

           There’s always energy surrounding us. Sometimes we feel it more so than others, often the majority can’t even fathom or notice it but it is there, how we use that energy is up to us as a whole; physically, emotionally, intuitively, spiritually and mentally. Like the force, energy binds us, connects us and hits us from every angle even when we don’t notice it. It’s that universal power that creates the fire and emotion we all have.

            We are all connected but also have a single body. Our connection to others has different meanings whether you’re good or bad, part of a religion or a spiritual enthusiast, race, creed it doesn't matter what does matter is when something is off balance something always seems to hit us in one way or another. Connecting with others gives you the opportunity to learn and understand where they come from and what they mean to you but also as an individual it’s important to learn about yourself and how you see yourself having that connection.

            We strive all our lives to find who we are as a person and for some, they become something they didn't expect to be, others feel it’s their destiny to be apart of something and then there are those that are forced into becoming something they don’t want to be. Finding who you are is the ultimate challenge and it’s never easy but once it hits you, you never want to turn back and move forward with what you want to become. Loving others is another challenge and it’s just as hard as finding who you are but it’s simpler. Loving another human being is a state of mind in my opinion because no matter what they've done that may seem hurtful or even grateful, in your mind they’re still a human being and having some kind of love for them makes you nobler, caring, giving and having the will power to not give into the hate.

            There are different meanings to certain things but all have a common goal; being accepted. Accept who you are and accept who certain people are because the more you try to change who you are or someone else, it’s just going to be a bigger burden on you. Accept change. Not saying you should join a cult or become a mass murderer I’m not talking that kind of acceptance, I’m talking about acceptance that’s meaningful to you and it has a positive notion of how you want to see the world. Our mindset is different from each person and we all see the world in our own way but yet if you learned to shift your mind to a positive image and feel love no matter where you go, our energy changes, our emotions perk up, we find things that make us happy.

            I’ll tell you first hand that even around people I love and care about, some of them don’t accept me as a person because of some of the things I do or say, hell they can’t stand my sense of humor most of the time and it’s not a burden on me, it’s on them but it’s up to me to learn how to control my mind and see a more positive outlook from those who have no real positive objectives. What I’m pointing out is that even if you’re not accepted even by those closest to you, you must accept yourself. It’s one thing and when you learn to use it, the rest of the world don’t mean a damn thing except you made it a priority to love the world for what it is.

Fitness Of The Mind

           When it comes to training, some people look forward to getting their ass kicked because they're getting something out of it and they've earned what they put into it but others feel it’s a punishment because they didn't do it the day before or something that makes them feel it’s something they have no choice to do and they hate themselves for it. It’s really all in their thick ass skulls and whatever reason they have it’s either going to happen or not.

            The mindset that can make you or break you really all comes down to just one person and that’s who you look at in the mirror everyday. You can have people train you, you can watch all those dumb ass cardio dvds like hip hop abs or that really annoying Insanity crap and you can even drive to the gym and run on a treadmill (really idiotic I’d say) but nobody really tells you what to do unless you get yourself doing it. If you really want to enjoy what you do, you have to change the way you think because if all you're going to be is miserable it’s your own fault because you thought it was going to be that way. Being happy in what you do means you make things happen, you make the effort and you even push yourself without bitching or complaining. See the difference?

            My philosophy is if you want the best learn from the best but make it your own. Following others all the time won’t make you reach your potential to where you want it to be. To be the best you can be, learn how all the things you were taught and create something for yourself. I know what it’s like, I've read the magazines and tried to follow what they do and guess what happened, minor injuries, sores, back pain, pulled muscles and even couldn’t move out of bed at times so I switched things around after my accident. I learned a few things but I did not follow exactly to the T what they said, I made up 90% of the stuff I learned because I wanted to create something for myself. So I say this, you can be the sheep for a little bit but eventually you'll want to be the Shepherd and build your own following and teach them to be the Shepherd.

            In the wild, some animals travel in packs, some are solo and some are in between but for the most part they do what they can to survive, they don't listen to the latest trend or what’s been studied, they do what they need to do because their mind is programmed that way. Make things happen by learning and finding how things work and run with it. Be happy with what you have but don’t ever be satisfied because there’s so much more you can do but do it one at a time.

            Find what you want to do. Learn from the best and learn to venture out on your own to build your own thing after mastering the basic things you want to do. We are all different and have different needs and goals we want to achieve so master the foundation and progress on your own after because no one knows your body like you do and you know what functions well and what doesn’t. Be who you are and be a first rate self and not a second rate somebody because the majority of people end up being the ladder and are too damn scared to discover something in themselves.

Where Do We Go

            People tend to ask “What should I do and how do I get there?” that can be asked about anything and in the fitness world its one of those daunting questions that doesn’t have the simplest answer. You want to be fit but how do you plan on getting there, by watching a few videos or reading a book or posts by other people? The truth is, what are you looking for?

            It’s difficult to give someone a straight answer because you don't always know what their intentions are. Some just want to look good, others want to be really strong and some don't even know what the hell they want. When I was going to the gym and lifting weights, I had somewhat of an idea of what I wanted but I didn't have a whole lot of patience of how to get there so I just went through the motions, never really had a coach, just diddling notes about some exercises and half-assed a lot of a routines. Unlike today where my patience is far better, I've discovered that if you want the best, you have to put in some thinking of what you really want.

            You don't need to put in a lot of time to find what you want and where you want to go but you do however have to find out what it is you want, a healthy body, a powerful physique or just want to be in awesome shape whatever it is. Research, find courses that are suitable to your goals and use progression to build your foundation in whatever program you choose. There are a lot of quacks out there that just rather take your money than help you, others deem themselves as “experts” when half the time they have no clue what they're talking about but the ones you do find will help you reach your goals in ways you couldn’t by yourself. In the last 8 years I've gone from being in a wheelchair to being a pretty decent conditioned athlete and I still have no idea where I'm going but I'm always willing to learn which should be apart of your mindset by growing mentally. Learn from other people, study how your own body works and functions and what training ideals suit you best.

            When you discover how you understand certain aspects of training in your own way, you develop strength internally that can carry over to anything else in life. Make it a habit to learn, put in the time and effort to make your goals happen, write them down if you have to which is always a good idea. Find who you are, if something clicks for you, use it and take advantage of it because not many find their best ways to do things. Where do we go? Who knows but every one of us has a journey that must be used in our own way to find our true path in whatever we do. 

Legendary Strength's House Sale is still up for a few more days. Get your hands on some kick ass deals including a Handstand Course that's only $7. Everything is 20-80% off and this will most likely never happen again so get cracking and spread the word.

Pull-ups: Can Women Do Them Or Not?

October 25, 2012, 12:01 am
Why Women Can’t Do Pull-Ups
By TARA PARKER-POPE
This column appears in the Oct. 28 issue of The New York Times Magazine.

While the pull-up has been used by everyone from middle-school gym teachers to Marine drill instructors to measure fitness, the fact is that many fit people, particularly women, can't do even one. To perform a pull-up, you place your hands on a raised bar using an overhand grip, arms fully extended and feet off the floor. (The same exercise, performed with an underhand grip, is often called a chin-up.) Using the muscles in your arms and back, you pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar. Then the body is lowered until the arms are straight, and the exercise is repeated. The Marines say a male recruit should be able to do at least 3 pull-ups or chin-ups, but women are not required to do them. In school, 14-year-old boys can earn the highest award on the government's physical fitness test by doing 10 pull-ups or chin-ups: for 14-year-old girls, it's 2.

To find out just how meaningful a fitness measure the pull-up really is, exercise researchers from the University of Dayton found 17 normal-weight women who could not do a single overhand pull-up. Three days a week for three months, the women focused on exercises that would strengthen the biceps and the latissimus dorsi - the large back muscle that is activated during the exercise. They lifted weights and used an incline to practice a modified pull-up, raising themselves up to a bar, over and over, in hopes of strengthening the muscles they would use to perform the real thing. They also focused on aerobic training to lower body fat.

By the end of the training program, the women had increased their upper-body strength by 36 percent and lowered their body fat by 2 percent. But on test day, the researchers were stunned when only 4 of the 17 women succeeded in performing a single pull-up.

"We honestly thought we could get everyone to do one," said Paul Vanderburgh, a professor of exercise physiology and associate provost and dean at the University of Dayton, and an author of the study. But Vanderburgh said the study and other research has shown that performing a pull-up requires more than simple upper-body strength. Men and women who can do them tend to have a combination of strength, low body fat and shorter stature. During training, because women have lower levels of testosterone, they typically develop less muscle than men, Vanderburgh explained. In addition, they can't lose as much fat. Men can conceivably get to 4 percent body fat; women typically bottom out at more than 10 percent.

So no matter how fit they are, women typically fare worse on pull-up tests. But Vanderburgh notes that some men struggle, too, particularly those who are taller or bigger generally or have long arms. This is related to an interesting phenomenon: if you compare a smaller athlete to an athlete who has the same exact build but is 30 percent bigger, the bigger athlete will be only about 20 percent stronger, even though he has to carry about 30 percent more weight.

"We're a combination of levers; that's how we move," Vanderburgh said. "Generally speaking, the longer the limb, the more of a disadvantage in being able to do a pull-up. I look at a volleyball player and wouldn't expect her to be able to do a pull-up, but I know she's fit."

Ok, what’s wrong with this picture (or words)? This article suggests that women are pretty much incapable of doing pull-ups. As I do agree to a certain peak about the levels of strength compared to men and women, it still pisses me off that this article doesn't really know a damn thing about Pull-up training. First things first, if you're going to do pull-ups what do you do, you do pull-ups dumbass. Can't expect someone to lift weights using arm and back exercises and have them do pull-ups for a test. I’m sorry but that’s just flat out dumb.






Yes it’s proven that women aren't as strong as men and our testosterone levels are much higher but that doesn't mean a woman can’t be strong at something. To overcome this notion that a woman is incapable of doing pull-ups, you don't listen to bullshit like this and if you really want to do pull-ups, do them and make it happen for you, the mental game is just as important as the physical. Its people who wrote this article don’t know the real capabilities of both men and women. Don't ever feel that as a woman you are weak and not worthy to become strong. You are more than just a beautiful person, you’ve got heart, will and brains to become something that nobody can use against you. You have 2 eyes, 2 arms, a torso, a neck, 2 legs, 2 ears, hair, 5 fingers, 5 toes and 2 feet, what makes you think can’t do some of the same things as a man can? I've seen women overpower men much bigger than them and are stronger in some cases than they are.






My personal take on it is that out of all the scientific crap thrown in this article they messed up on more than 5 different things one of which is about doing what you need to do to do pull-ups. He talks about how they used weights and Isolated the arms and back, hate to burst your bubble pal but crap like that doesn't carry over to pull-ups, if you want to get strong in pull-ups you do exactly that, common sense don't you think? Another is how he talks about men struggling as well, you can't do pull-ups very well if you're this big or have long arms and this and that. I'm more than 240 lbs. This article suggests that because I'm too big I’m not capable of doing many pull-ups but yet I've surpassed 10, where is your logic now? Structure has some factors but if you trained in pull-ups with the right amount for your level of fitness you have the capabilities of doing plenty of pull-ups and it may take you a long time or a short period but in the end, if you are willing to pull yourself (pun intended) you will do one or more pull-ups.






Don't ever fall for crap like this. I realize this was a test for schools and such but if you can't train someone to actually do pull-ups how are they suppose to be able to do them in a test? Women aren’t very capable to do pull-ups, please, look at Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, whether it was her or a stunt woman, a woman was doing pull-ups or the other chin-ups. One other thing this moron talks about is that pull-ups are a back and arms exercise…Wrong it’s Back, Shoulders, Abdominals, Arms, Grip and Chest in other words the entire upper body, an exercise of that caliber needs multiple muscle groups to even stabilize the muscles let alone pulling yourself up.






Women are more than just beautiful people; they are more than capable to pulling off strength feats. I firmly believe that pound for pound, ounce for ounce women in some cases are stronger than men. I once saw a woman press up more than half her bodyweight with a kettlebell with one arm. Even if a woman can do more than one pull-up or chin-up that still proves that crap wrong that women are more than capable of doing pull-ups with the right training instead of isolating them. This is an article that is incapable of showing any real logic or common sense and still tries to put women down. Women are strong in more ways than people like this give them credit for. Testing on something while training a completely different thing isn't going to help your cause, that’s like asking a baseball player to train for football in baseball season; he’s not going to get any better at baseball and might even diminish his levels, so why test a woman on pull-ups if you're training them in weights? To do well in pull-ups, you train in pull-ups plain and simple.

Help Each Other, Don’t Bully Each Other

In life there are many things that we cannot stop from happening and one of them is bullies. There have been organizations around the country including one my friend Bud Jeffries is apart of. Behind one good there’s always a bad guy and bullies just happen to be there. In the fitness world it’s no different, sometimes it’s worse and sometimes it’s just a pain in the ass. Being a bully doesn’t get you anywhere.

 I have been through it just like every other kid as a teenager and even before that and trust me when I say this; I have had certain issues about it that I can’t mention here. Some punk who thinks the world revolves around him makes up his own rules and doesn’t give a damn about the people he hurts. I’ve seen guys in the gym give a few kids a hard time because they can’t lift or pick up the same amount of weight they can. Stealing a kid’s bike or beating them because they can’t defend themselves doesn’t make you a real person, just makes you look like a punk with no morals. Overcoming your experiences with bullies isn’t the easiest thing around but with the right encouragement and support, you can a great person overcoming a traumatic experience(s).

 Ever heard of the story of Charles Atlas, some dumbass comes up and he’s all chiseled and macho as it can get, kicks sand in this kid’s face and walks off with his girl. That’s one way to look at a bully. The kid vowed to make it right and went home and began an exercise program and within a few short months went from a scrawny teen to a bonified muscle man and came back to the beach and just knocked the living hell out of his tormenter. Now I’m not saying violence is the answer because it isn’t but you can turn yourself into something beyond which you use to be. The key thing is to not change who you are as a person but to bring up the volume of whom you are, once shy but now a confident individual.

 We all have had a bully in our time whether we want to admit it or not and we all need to have that little support to teach us how to be there for others even when we hit rock bottom. Doing some training no matter what it is can build your character and your life the way it was meant to. Some people like to train so they’ll look better and look down at others and tell them they can’t do it or it’s not worth their time helping them, I’m sorry but that’s one definition of an asshole. Helping each other get past bad experiences means showing love and support and helping them cope in their own special way. For me it was becoming stronger both physically and mentally, I hit the gym and I became bigger than I ever thought but than I learned from a special group of people that taught me how to help others and give them a reason to become something more than themselves. If it takes one person, you have done right, take a group to help, you’re golden, take a community and you are reaching the mountain top.

 Bullies are really no better than we are, in my opinion, there’s no such thing as a random bully, every single one has a tragic story behind them and sometimes you can’t help them and other times it takes more than one person to straighten them out. For those guys and girls that pick on or giving that other person shit, think about what you’re doing, do you really know what they’re going through to give them that much hurt? Don’t be that person, you’re meant for more than that and that don’t mean you’re the king or queen, it means you’re meant for certain things that can make you the person beyond who you think you are. Hurting someone never has a good outcome and it doesn’t take too many words to trigger a certain amount of emotional pain let alone physical pain. Look inside yourself and find out the real reason you’re tormenting someone.

 Role models are a sketchy topic; we have role models in sports, entertainment and in our community but do we really understand the term Role Model? A Role Model is a person you look up to and want to establish yourself as because they give you hope and a reason to do the thing you love to do. In my opinion, there are very few role models out there that are as important to that person than who they really are. I have had role models my whole life starting with the sports I use to watch, I wanted to be like Michael Jordan or a Barry Sanders and even wanted to be like Dr. Dre believe it or not because I was going through a Rap phase at the time. As I got older, I started understanding who my true role models are and they are the very same people I mention in article after article after article, these are the men and woman I want to mold myself after and build myself in a way that is similar to what they preach.

 Being helpful goes a long way and it’s important to establish that presence of strength and being there for the people that matter most. The first to remember though is in order to help others you must establish by helping yourself and learn from people that support and love you for whom you are not what they want you to be; who you want to be is up to you. Once you have conquered this, than you take your first steps by helping those who need that support and love, that doesn’t mean spend your whole life trying to save everyone but help out every once in a while, build a foundation. Find your way to help someone and teach them strengths you have created and teach them to build their own. That’s a real person, not some punk who wants to make everything his, it’s not ethical and it’s not right.

 

Off Topic: There are still tickets available to the Wizards Of Strength Workshop in San Diego, CA and we have a new book waiting for you by the Nebraskan Wildman himself Steve Justa.

Muscle Reminders, Vampire Strength

Here's the second Guest Article for the week by my good friend and former European, World & Olympic Gymnast Cees De Kok giving you the chance to find your inner Vampire. Enjoy everyone....

Hi,

My name is Cees and I am the creator of Muscle Reminders.

All my life I have been a gymnast and as Dutch National Gymnastics Champion I competed in many competitions, including European, Worlds and Olympics. After gymnastics I became an entertainer and traveled the world showing of my unique skills as an aerialist. I have always been conscious of my body, shape and condition. It has been and still is a big part of my life. Being fit is so important to a person. For the last 7 1/2 years I have been working in a vampire show in Las Vegas where I play the role of a flying vampire.

For those interested, here is a little clip.

http://musclereminders.com/evp/?seed=ceesflying

 It involves playing a drunk guy that gets picked out of the audience and is bitten and turns into a vampire, I fly, I act and also have a fight scene where I have to tumble twist and swing big sticks and fire around. I am so absorbed in my role that I “become” the animal vampire I am portraying. Every small little movement I make is controlled and full of energy and passion. As a vampire you are always alert and you always know what is happening in front and behind you. You are ready for anything. Your body is ready to jump up, make a flip and land comfortably back on your feet ready for your next move.

 And that is the way I am behaving myself during my normal life in the daytime as well. While going about my daily busy life and constantly doing my exercises my body does not sink in. I perform small effective exercises that keep me alert and awake. At the end of the day I have done a full body workout, am energized and still ready for more action.

 Look at the world we are living in and the hectic lifestyle we lead,.... trying to get or stay in shape comes with a lot of hurdles. Our lives are being made comfortable and convenient and society is pushing us in the direction of the easy way out. Remote controls for everything, escalators, electric toothbrushes, etc, etc. And on top of that are we are so busy with everything that our good intentions of going to do a workout are being placed on the back burner. We delay our healthy plans and promise to go the next day, but have to reschedule again and again and finally we give up. There is just not enough time in the day to get to it.

 Vampire Power is known as electrical power consumed by electrical appliances while they are switched off.I use this Vampire Technique to develop Vampire Strength with no gym in minutes a day.While my work-out mode is switched off or on standby I activate the Vampire within me and suck out little bits of energy at a time to do small but effective exercises. The energy used does not drain nor fatigue me. Instead it will feed my Vampire within and generate the used power into strong and powerful muscles without interrupting the course of my daily routine. Many of my exercises are about engaging and controlling my muscles in a way that fit in my daily life but will ultimately give me the strength of a vampire.

 Even in this hectic world we all have an enormous untouched wealth of time that we can use to get a full body workout without changing a thing we do. I use this method already for years but did not know the importance and impact it made on other people. So, I decided to share my experience and expertise and created this series of DVD's. Small effective exercises make my body strong, tight and ready for everything. It does not drain me but instead gives me extra power. Physically and Mentally.

 Do you have a Vampire inside?

Think You Don’t Have Time, Tell That To Slim

A lot of people say they want to get fit and strong but they tend to have this “I don’t have time” mindset. I understand that some of you have children, work at certain stressful jobs and need to take care of your family, I was raised in a day care when I was young and saw the woman that became my second mother get up every morning at five and kids would roll in around six and some would go to school but the majority stayed, there were between 7-11 kids at a time not including the 4 she has of her own and by the time kids were gone it be almost 7 o’clock at night. That’s a hell of a schedule and doing that for over 20 years takes a toll on you.

 I’ve learned to make time everyday even on days that I don’t feel well because I’m determined to get something done. That’s a cake walk compared to a living legend like Slim The Hammer Man. This man alone starting as a teenager worked in the Rock Corry and smashed rock and stone with a sledgehammer for 12-14 hours a day up to 7 days a week. Why am I telling you this, yes he busted his ass and you’d think he didn’t have time to do a workout? His job alone was a workout in itself but the point I’m making here is after this long and grueling hours at the Corry, he’d still come home have a little dinner and go down to his basement which became legendary as The Dungeon and bent nails, bars, broke chains and worked tirelessly on his trademark and that was Hammer Levering which you can learn about going to legendary strength and look into the feats of strength section on the site.

 No matter how tough your life is or how grueling a schedule you have, if you want it bad enough you’ll find the time to at least some kind of workout. One strongman I highly admire is named Steve Justa and during his early days he worked on hay bailing and worked construction. After long hours he’d still come home and train like a madman because he wanted it bad enough and made an effort. Some of that training even helped him bail hay faster in a shorter amount of time than he did lifting weights and you can learn what type of training he did from my man Bud Jeffries’ DVD set on Isometrics.

 Find something you want to make a goal, start small, and do a little exercise here and there. Taking a walk on your lunch break is a start, when you have had a rough day and need some time alone, before you go to bed, take a few deep breaths to calm down, do a few stretches that should take no more than a few minutes and there you go. Morning workouts are the best in my opinion because you can get up before everyone else does, do some deep breathing and stretching, if you’re into Yoga that’s awesome. Every little effort can make a huge difference in your results. More importantly, have a good attitude and learn to tell yourself that when you do exercise, make it fun and enjoyable. Who knows, your kids if you have any might want to join you, encourage them, it helps bring in more positive energy and gives your mind and body a healthy dose of great motivation.

 I feel that if you keep making excuses to not exercise, you’re setting yourself up for jail from a mental standpoint and not just a cell, you’re solitary confinement where you’re locked up, chained to the wall and you can’t do a damn thing to break yourself free, do you want that to happen, being stuck with the same things over and over and looking at the same boring and unhappy life? One little change and you can make a whole turn around. I never said give up what you have in your life just to exercise, that would make me sound like a prick but what I’m doing my best to help YOU with is that if you want to get in shape, do what you can to make the time to do even if it’s for one minute. Yes you read that right; you can start doing exercises that will take only a minute to do. You can even do certain throughout the day, make it happen for you.

 Having the need to go to the gym is way overrated and it sucks getting there, being stuck in traffic, parking, dressing into gym clothes then you try to find a place to workout and someone else has taken it, you’ve just wasted precious time and I would bet my bottom dollar that at times it takes you as long to get to the gym, park and dress as it is getting the same amount of time as the workout itself. Home workouts are the most valuable places to train because you can listen to whatever you want, use what you have and if you don’t have equipment than check out my buds Matt & Ed’s stuff where you can do exercises anywhere at any time and take as much time as you want and no one would be hassling you and never feeling pressured about using a machine and having some dumb ass give you a hard time cause he needs it too.

 If you can get to the gym, great, do what you can and make it an effort. Small steps can reach big heights and only you can choose to climb the mountain or stay at the bottom, believe me it’s not easy but it’s like what Tom Hanks said to Genna Davis about Baseball “It’s suppose to be hard, if it wasn’t everyone would do it…The hard is what makes it great.” Don’t push it but create a challenge and start easing into it and build from there. You can do it, I believe in you and so does everyone that I’ve worked for, with and trained with do to.  

Never Feel Small

Have you ever walked into a certain place or been around a group of people and all of a sudden you feel small (mentally) and felt like being towered over? I have a number of times in my life, in the gym, school mates and others. Feeling short in a negative way debunks your ability to overcome your obstacles, say for instance you were told you can’t be a good parent or you were told that it’s impossible to bend a bar because you aren’t strong enough or even that “there’s no way in hell you’re going to be successful” crap. Being towered over sucks and it’s about time you stepped up to the plate.

 There are those that you tower over physically but for some reason at some point you’re going to look smaller than they are because they got into your head. Being tall or short physically shouldn’t ever be a stressful thing for you, if you understood how to mentally defend yourself against those that take away your energy like a vampire that sucks blood; you will see what it’s like to be a strong individual inside and out.

 Now lets let go of height for a second and look at other parts of the body that are small from the outside and let’s be adults here no below the waist jokes. I’ll admit for a big guy I have relatively small hands and an average size wrist, from the looks of it I shouldn’t even waste my time developing hand strength because come on where are small hands going to get me? Here’s the kicker, I mentally picture myself as if these small hands of mine are not small at all, they’re enormous and can crush anything in their path, because of this one simple little thought of mind, it’s helped me bend steel, rip phonebooks, grab a hold of a heavy weight and lift it off the ground. With a simple thought you can change how your body is moved and how big do you want to feel. Dennis Rogers is another example, for his size he shouldn’t be anywhere near above average strength let alone have superhuman abilities but yet for the world’s strongest man he takes objects and destroys them with ease and how does he do it, by picturing himself being strong and block out that governor within us that tells us to stop before we get hurt.

 In order to mentally tower over your obstacle you have to think as if you were something beyond who you are in a human type form, maybe that’s stretching it a bit but the idea is to put a thought that says “I’m taller, bigger, and stronger and nothing will stand in my way.” You can apply this to just about anything. This method in one way is used by Garin Bader which he calls it “The Power of Zeus” which enables from a strength training standpoint to strengthen your mental powers to generate super strength in a matter of seconds. You breathe with it, you feel it as if it consumes you with power, vigor and vitality. This doesn’t just apply to strength, it can be applied how you talk, how you find that powerful presence that people automatically take notice of and have an aura of vigorous energy. The emotional side can be used as well as how you present yourself with your voice, body language and your emotional content of that power.

 It doesn’t matter if you’re 7’ or 4’  you have the power to channel your thoughts and make yourself feel bigger, larger and more powerful and you can apply it anyway you want but use it as a purpose and not to personally bully somebody, that’s just not cool. Funny thing, I have what I call a second mother who’s one of the most awesome women on the planet and she’s no more than 5’3 so the majority of people (except children she takes care of) towers over pretty easily including her own kids and I tower over her with ease but yet she just has this presence and it’s scary sometimes how within a split second make you feel smaller than a pea. In the end she’s one of the sweetest and inspiring people I’ve ever known but damn she’s good at getting people to her level, it was a wake up call when I was a kid and still true to this day.

 The way you present yourself can make you or break you in any situation you’re in. You put too much or too little of a good or bad thing it’s going to bite you in the ass. Finding that balance is a practice that takes time but the rewards are endless. Your imagination is where it’s at and your body language combined with imagination and action will make the difference between feeling small and feeling larger than life.

Opening Your Mind To A Whole New World

When it comes to mental strength, people look at certain methods that help open the mind but not enough to walk through the door itself, very few methods do this such as some meditation, chi kung, postures in yoga or even muscle control can be a form of mental training. I have practiced this type of method and it’s given me a new look of the world both reality and imaginative and that’s coloring Mandalas. Mandalas are the different shapes and sizes of patterns that can have many angles and never knowing which one’s come next. To me it’s the adult version of a coloring book.

 Coloring in a Mandala takes practice but it’s a fun and healthy practice as you look inside your mind and see which colors go with certain patterns and shapes. Sometimes depending on your mood, you will find colors to draw in based on that particular mood and you won’t even realize how you did it. The best way in my opinion from personal experience to color mandalas is to use big bright colors that sparkle throughout the patterns and each color represents what you have brought to life. The beauty of this is, there’s no right or wrong and you don’t need to think too much about it. After good practice and finding what colors suit you, you can make your own masterpiece and turn it into your own Picasso or Degas painting that just captures the human eye and opens up a world only you possess and feel as your own.

 As far back as ancient Asian and Egyptian cultures, developing patterns and drawing was a form of meditation to teach the mind and body how to see the world through their own eyes. The Samurai are famous for this type of meditation because they weren’t just trained for battle and the life of the sword but were trained in many arts to view the mind from many angles and from different backgrounds of the mental side of the martial arts.

 One of the very keys to practice while coloring mandalas is to not concentrate so much on what colors go with what pattern, it’s to just learn to be calm and instinctive and opening up your imagination. Just choosing a color to go with a certain pattern isn’t going to help you be calm and instinctive, you choose the colors but the colors will do the work for you as you instinctively color in that pattern that gives you inner comfort and gives you the power to create what you want. This is one of the best ways to be creative because when you look at various patterns no matter how big or how small, you will find one way or another to use your imagination and see the colors in your mind. Even better is to come up with your own patterns and coloring them in. There are pre-made patterns you can find on the net and print them out so you can do what you want with them.

 The great end to coloring mandalas is what comes to life after whether 10 min or 1 hour of drawing it. Bringing a mandala to life is one of those moments that just give you a rush of pure unbelievable happiness that only happens when you make it happen. One way to look at it is, breathing is essential in all forms of training whether physical, mental and spiritual and when you breathe into your mandala, it almost seems like as if reading about God breathing life into Adam and becoming this awesome being with feeling, a body and a soul that is born innocent and pure. Not that I’m religious or anything but for those that are, drawing mandalas is one way to look at different aspects such as that notion from the bible. Find your own mandala, create it the way you want, not how it should be but what you make it to be.

 As kids, coloring was fun to do and saw different drawings of animals and designs of cartoonish delights, as a painter, you see the color and picture beforehand and you grasp it as if you can reach out and touch it with your very own hands, sculptors have that exact same passion and mandalas are no different. At the bottom you’ll see a mandala I colored in over a year ago and it’s still as beautiful today as it was being colored in at the time I did it. It’s fun to see something you can appreciate not just as a person but a creative individual.