Studying Your Own Mind And Body

            It’s important to study certain aspects of life but it doesn’t always come in a textbook, a paperback, a movie or watching something on TV. The art of experiencing these certain aspects is essential to how we want to live our lives. I love learning not just my own physiology but my mental capacities as well. When you learn to experience and find out what both parties are capable of, it opens up more doors than you can imagine.

            A key ingredient to be in good health not just physically but mentally as well and that’s learning about your inner self. Meditation is great for this but why not go beyond that. Tapping Into Your Imagination and picturing a whole other world where you are the king or queen, kind of like having the power of the Gods of Olympus within your very own mind. Finding your inner self is not just going into your body from a mental perspective but to find out what other aspects of who you are that defines your personality, your actions and behaviors. It’s the experience of finding the true power from within.

            If you want to get in awesome shape, you experiment with certain exercises or methods that give you results you want to strive for. Granted most people want that quick fix or the magic pill that will super health, a beautiful body and great strength. It takes time and patience to come into the results you want. However, don’t bring yourself to doing workouts that are a chore and feeling like a punishment otherwise it’s not going to come the way you want it but don’t also just jump into a program so hardcore you’ll end up burning out the first few days or less and not want to do anything else. My idea is to play around, research, find what interests you and build your own way of getting in great physical shape.

            In the process of being in great condition and health is like using the right pieces to a puzzle. This isn’t just for physical exercise but developing your mind power as well. Finding the right pieces comes from experimenting, learning how your body works towards certain methods or exercises because not all workouts are created equal (wink wink Crossfit) and what do you picture in your mind that brings those pieces together to make complete. Learn to create your own puzzle.

            It’s a constant state of learning. I don’t just study exercise and programs I find interesting, I also study things that make my brain work like reading, writing, how the nerves work in my body, my awareness of my surroundings, thinking in different patterns because when you do mental training it could save your life from developing dementia, Alzheimer’s, doing the same things over and over. Keep things fresh, learn new things, and find what makes you happy. Study who you are both physically and mentally but make it interesting and fun so you can find the best qualities of who you are and what you want to become.

Be Awesome my friends.

Striking Into The Heart Of Your Goals

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

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

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

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

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

Mixing Muscle Control Into Your Workouts

            The Art of Muscle Control was a staple for many of the old time physical culturists such as Otto Arco, Maxick, Sandow, John Grimek, Saxon and also the mighty George Hackenshmidt. When you think into the muscles and learning your own physiology, you’re finding out how your own body works in ways no one else can. In your workouts where you’re lifting maybe heavy weights, pull-ups, kettlebell snatches and/or working with Sledgehammer; mixing in Muscle Control can give you that extra edge in the flow of blood moving into the muscles and keeping them fresh and going just a tad longer.

            I've been experimenting with this lately because I want to find out how I can last a little bit longer or flow better in my workouts so after I do a set of an exercise say swinging the mace 100 times; I would superset it with a muscle control exercise. There are many ways to do Muscle Control but my style isn't just flexing and relaxing it’s moving through an entire range of motion, this style is called FMT a.k.a Focused Muscular Tension kind of the Charles Atlas Tension exercises. There are a series of exercises in FMT and all of them require a focus on the muscles being worked so not only am I building certain muscular power in my training but also keeping my mind focused and breathing deeply so that when “Resting” I’m really adding more flow to my muscles by giving them oxygenated blood. This is one way to look at building your Chi or life-force in your body so you can keep your body going more smoothly, more focused and not just resting the muscles.

            Deep Breathing is a key factor in any exercise because it can make a huge difference in how weak or strong you are. Correct Breathing with natural flow of your body’s movements creates a much more complete image on how you build muscle, utilizing the stabilizers and where you’re focused in. If you plan on doing this, experiment with your own style of muscle control, mix things up to get a feel for what has you flowing and keeping that “Strength/Endurance” factor that helps you down the road to burning fat, building natural and functional muscle and tendon strength.

            When I say mix up I mean keep doing what you've always planned on training but after each set do a Muscle Control Exercise and mix those up and try different ones. This is after you've mastered the Muscle Control Exercises in and of themselves because if you haven’t you’re not going to find that same effect that controls the flow of your muscles and the blood you want flowing. At first these exercises may be a bit unusual and feel a bit weird but keep practicing, find the ones that keep you interested and fresh.

            This is the beautiful part of Physical Culture where you learn how to listen to your body and find different exercises that build a puzzle of how you want to build your body without the need of those crappy supplements and steroids that eventually destroy your body more than give you that life-long process of health, super strength and crazy vitality. Be bold, be different, utilize what works best and throw out what doesn’t. It makes life interesting, more open and more beautiful. Take it in and experiment with it.

The Spirit of The Gorilla

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

Ask With Intent & Mindfulness

           In the fitness world, there’s always something to learn, the next big gadget, a new bodybuilding routine, how to develop superior grip strength, get bigger arms or legs, tight abs, lifting 500 lbs. of a specific lift like the Bench Press. We get excited and eager to learn so we ask a million questions but we don’t always get the answer we were hoping for and why is that? Getting so amped up then you find out certain things you didn't expect and often times you find yourself disappointed but how you can you change that around?

            Some of us get asked a bunch of different questions on training or something specific like Muscle Control for example, or how to increase your push-ups, what’s the strength difference between a barbell bench press and a dumbbell bench press hell even about a specific athlete that you love. I don’t get asked a million questions often like some of the other guys like Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher, Ryan Pitts, Dru Patrick or even the legendary Dennis Rogers but when I do, I do my best to give the right answers but sometimes I’d like to ask the other person what they’re intent is, do you have a specific goal or do you want to know just for the sake of knowing? Knowledge is a powerful tool; it’s how you use it that creates what you want.

            Some of you guys out there are very eager to learn, you want answers and things explained but I’d like to share with you a quote from Master Catch Wrestler Billy Robinson, he says “Learn how to learn.” What does that mean exactly? In my way of putting it it’s learning by following your intuition, you learn certain things and ask about more but in order to find the answer, you have to participate and being mindful about what you want to learn. Ask yourself in your mind, what do you seek, where do you want to go in your training, you picture what you want to do, after that you do it. The questions you seek will come by experimenting, getting someone’s take on the subject and what they’re ideas are, take them in like a sponge but have the intention to go with your questions.

            Some guys like to run their mouth and like a machine gun just asking a bunch of questions without looking at the big picture. Their excitement is great and wants to find out as much as they can but yet don’t always hit the target. If you ever see someone at a gun range, watch how some of them take a shot at the target, they can shoot off all they want but if the bullets don’t hit the target they’re not aiming properly and clearly don’t know how to use a gun but they’re excited to learn and want to hit that target. Asking questions is the same thing, they’re like bullets but you need to have a target otherwise you’re just shooting all over the place. Focus on what you want to target, be mindful and fire at the points you’re looking for. When you look at it like this, you’ll find what you’re intentions are and what you want ask, sometimes it’s not the answer you’re looking for but yet it could be the one that was there all along. 

Strength Is Nothing Compared To What’s Within

          Too many of us use what’s outside of ourselves to make us stronger physically, we lift weights, do weird cardio, hell we even do Crossfit from time to time. The strange thing is at least to most people is that strength really comes from your mental power and not so much your physical power. When you break it down mentally, your body will perceive it to follow and that’s where your true strength comes into play.

            Everything starts with a thought, when a certain thought occurs, sometimes action takes place. We all think about something every single day but we can’t take action for ever thought we have otherwise we’d be burned out, exhausted and just flat out torn up so we use specific thoughts to create action later. What the mind sees is not always what we believe to be unless you have a strong intuition and something within you sees something that involuntary focus on that, your body reacts. This is one of the basic subjects of the Mind/Muscle Connection, what we see in our minds; our bodies react in certain ways.

            One of my favorite Superhero movies to watch is the origin story of Dr. Strange. A man with a lot of guilt for the death of his sister became bitter, cold and dark yet became a great neurosurgeon. Don’t want to give it all away but the point is, because he needed his hands to help people, he couldn't and he nearly gave up until he met a Tibetan Monk who made him learn how his mind perceives certain things and not all things are what they seem when it comes to the Physical. How you perceive something is not always what they seem for example, doing a certain feat of strength, most in their mind see this as too much and most likely won’t be able to do it, however if you shift your mind to believing it’s not and you feel your body infusing with great power, you can do it pretty well. Not saying it be light as a feather and you can do whatever you want but using your mind with a connection to the body, you can do things you never thought were possible.

            To really unlock the secrets of great strength and superhuman power, you must learn how to focus your Energy with pinpoint accuracy. It’s not easy by any means but you can harness great energy to do your bidding whether it’s strength training, talking to people, being in a sport or activity, hell even if you’re an entertainer you can still create something that’s already inside you. You can unlock this energy in different ways, it can be through meditation, seeing yourself doing something extraordinary or better yet infusing your breathing with certain sounds and torquing points that will make you so strong at the snap of your fingers you won’t know what hit you.

            Be open to unlocking your mind to limitless possibilities, progress with great intention and focus on what you want to happen and you’ll be surprised what you’ll find. Most won’t do this because they’re too damn scared or rather listen to some shmuck tell them that they don’t have it in them. You have far more power within you than you perceive it to be, let it go and unleash it with vigor and great admiration because nobody can give you that power more than you can. 

Opening Your Own Pandora’s Box

          

What are you really afraid of? Are you scared of finding your true potential, something holding you back or do you have something to hide and you don’t know how to come out of your shell? Many people have some of these and some have all of them but in the end it’s all about what you want out of it. Your true potential is within yourself and whatever influence got you to open up it gets you into a world you didn't realize was out there.

            In your mind there’s a million things going on but what happens to the most important thing that you forget to use, your ability to use your mind as if it will give you opportunities you didn't think had. It’s really all in the mind, we all have it, some of us overuse it, some hardly use it and some just know how to use it and make it work for them. If you stay in the same spot, you won’t move forward. It takes practice and progression, it’s not like you go from a weak runner to a marathoner overnight or go from someone who’s afraid of heights to climbing Mount Everest. Open up gradually.

            To really unlock your true potential, you have to go outside of your comfort zone but again be gradual, give yourself time and push it and give yourself a chance to go a little further each time and before you know it you're doing things you didn't realize you didn't know you could do. I know what it’s like to be afraid. When I broke my legs, for a period I never thought I'd walk again, I was scared and felt depressed for a bit but I went out of comfort zone and slowly changed my thinking and built myself up without having a thought or care in the world, I fought my way back even when I didn't want to because if I stopped completely, I would be like most people who didn't care anymore. The true secrets are within your soul and not from a book/cd/dvd or always a seminar.

            The real secrets to unlocking your own Pandora’s Box are found within all of us. We have levels of potential that even ourselves can’t grasp but how we choose to use it is up to us and if you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it work for you and have it work for the rest of your life. It’s a box full of things you've never thought were there and if you knew what was in it, you most likely kept it hidden and tossed the key somewhere and never wanted to come back. It could be anything, your past, your development to becoming strong, your style of writing or ability to handle stress whatever is in there, you can use it in a positive manner and learn from your mistakes and take control of your life on your own terms.

            Give yourself a chance to become the person you want to be, nobody knows your body, your soul, your livelihood and the way you think more than you do and when you have a hold on it, nobody can take it away from you and you have more power and fierce strength than you've ever had before or since. See what’s inside or keep it locked up, up to you but you always have a choice.

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.