A Conditioning Mixer

 You do various things to stay in shape not just because you're dedicated to it but also it's important to keep things fresh and interesting. Yesterday, I got a great workout in where I mixed in DDP Yoga + The Dopa Band Deck Of Cards Workout to work on not just cardio but adding in core strength, flexibility and mobility to aid in the development or maintaining of muscular endurance and explosiveness. 

You've seen what I wrote about DDP Yoga and how beneficial it is but it goes beyond the benefits, it's about training to feel alive and to be a part of something that is for you. Mixing methods together can have an interesting impact especially if it keeps you on your toes and raises your awareness of what's to come. That's what keeps me going and what I can do to maintain my health. 

Fitness is a journey, you never know where you'll end up. You can do the same exercises consistently but you can always mix them up or do variations that makes things harder or easier. It's up to you but don't forget that you are the one having the journey, it's yours and no one else's. You can look fit but appearances don't always show the whole story, it's internally that really shows. Not saying you shouldn't strive to look better, that's always a perk but don't mistake looks for what goes in your body. Are your organs healthy? Are you prone to injuries? Are you aware of when your body has had enough? These are things that are important to look into. 

As we get older, looks may not always be the biggest priority. It's about preserving the health of our muscles, joints, organs and getting the most out of what's possible. Some people get better as time goes on and can go with a vengeance, others need more time to understand what they can do and learn how to properly work things. Everybody has something going on whether they're starting out or not.

I'm a big believer in conditioning more than having big muscles and making myself look like a model. I sure as hell ain't no model and don't look like I should be on the cover of anything but I do love what I do and know that I can go and be able to do things consistently without getting hurt. I put things together to build myself from the inside, not just what the results show on the outside. Dedicate yourself to the practice, not always the destination. 

My training is not your journey, there are things I do some people don't like or think they're "gay" or dumb shit like that, so what? I'm not in competition with anybody and I do things according to what makes me happy and gives me purpose to share with the world. Create your workouts to get the most out of your goals, dedicate yourself to what keeps you going and gives you purpose. It's not your job to please or do things that others think you should do, practice the art, not the dogmatic approaches. Be in control of your fitness, be in control of your destiny and be in control in how you move forward. Mix it up from time to time but always look to the horizon. 

Be amazingly awesome and know that everything the light touches in your journey is your kingdom (to paraphrase Mufasa...RIP James Earl Jones) and know that you have opportunities to make changes, maintain and/or build something new that is within your reach. Don't just live to be fit, be fit to live. 

Creating A Flow

    This isn't how to build flow using energetic training (Chi Kung) but it helps. What I do want to tell you is, you can create a flow of putting exercises together whatever they may be, could be DDP Yoga, Squat Training, Muscle Control, lifting heavy weight or Farmer's Walk; you can put some of the most intense and even the toughest exercises together and create your own energy by how you move, your breathing and how you bring them together in sequence like a circuit or just resting than moving to the next exercise. It's a practice that develops not only great physical strength but building internal power. Most people believe in order to channel your energy internally you have to do training of that sorts, not always true.

 
    Finding that rhythm for you may not be easy or maybe it will, it's up to you to figure that out. Following someone else's workout is great no question but the other side of that is it doesn't always flow with you because you didn't come up with it, you're just following someone else. Some people don't like me saying that but you know what, I've learned from experience when you build your own workout and it flows for you, it is so much more worthy than just trying to "Keep up" with the other person. I love DDP Yoga it is one of the best systems in conditioning today and combines many elements I'm interested in but as I've said with every other program I like, I learn and study the exercises but I don't feel good about trying to keep up with that person's program when I can just come up with a workout of my own that is just as intense or more and I'm getting greater benefit out of it. "Make it your own" as DDP would say and I have been following that motto for many years nearly a decade actually. Find a rhythm that works for you.

 
    One of the most important aspects of creating your own flowing sequence no matter how intense or the tempo might be is pacing yourself. Most who buy those infomercial crap just want to jump in and not consider the consequences. In reality you are not meant to try to keep up with the people on the DVD, you are meant to build yourself up and keep up with yourself. If you just try to go as fast as they do or anyone for that matter, you're missing out on building your own style and doing your best to flow for you not to see if you're just as good as they are. Nobody is better than the next guy, some have more experience and their bodies can handle greater stress but they're no better than you. You are one person and you need to give yourself a chance to make something out of yourself.

 
    This is my favorite part about the article where I get to tell you about being creative. You can follow along with someone else and just be a mindless sheep or you can break the rules and just make shit up. Let me put it this way; you understand the basics of your program whatever it might be so now, just make up the workout, learn how your body flows through each exercise and follow your intuition about what to do next, follow your instincts, listen to your body and feel in your mind what gives you the most benefit. I rarely ever do the same workout twice in the same week because after doing the same exercises in the same sequence over and over it becomes boring to me real quick. I don't want to feel I'm stuck in this routine, I want to be free to make my own choices and go with how I move and exercises that give the freedom to breathe, stretch and just let my imagination run its course. That's the beauty of just making up your own workout is the use of your imagination and tapping into that power that resides within you and you don't even realize it. Build a flow that creates your own bliss, your own intensity and the only person you should be keeping up with is yourself. No one else has your body and your strength and/or weaknesses so why should you try to keep up with everyone else? Think outside the box and do something out of the norm that only you decide how intense it will be, what the tempo is and making it work for you and nobody else.

 
Have a great weekend everyone. Be awesome and train hard. Next Friday will have me writing my last article for the next few weeks as I will be in California for my 30^th Birthday celebration. You are the most bad ass people I've ever had the pleasure writing for. You all inspire me to do what I love. Keep reading and find the best resources for you or your friends/family.