Baby Baby Tell Me More Of Your Lies

 Ever done a workout that was so intense and powerful that when it's all said and done you just think to yourself "Holy fuck, did that really just happen?" Like it wasn't supposed to be THAT good but you come out of it not just smiling but feeling like you can take on the fucking gods. It has happened to me a time or two, those moments where everything is in place, you're locked in battle and when it's over, you're left standing with something beyond yourself.

Some workouts take us to another realm of what we can possibly achieve, others at times are just getting through and then walking out without thinking twice about it. The moment where it becomes epic is when in that point and time, it becomes an entity you didn't know existed. That rush of adrenaline, the feel of power surging and the awakening of strength that makes Zeus think "Glad he's on our side". We all have a power residing within us that we haven't let out yet. Could we achieve it on our own? Absolutely, it takes practice and guidance but once we understand where to unlock it, it opens the door to another world.

Certain things can trigger this power; it can be a memory, that voice in your head, your imagination, training with a friend or a group of people, listening to music, it can even be triggered by strong emotions. Unlocking it isn't the hard part, that's just the first step, the hard part is to consistently do it and be in control of it to the point where even in certain times of life, it's like flipping a damn switch. 

 It's like music, it creates vibrations and moves your mind. Not everyone is going to be hit with the same music, we all feel things differently. I'm an eclectic, I enjoy and feel things from different genres of music from metal to classical to 60's soul and/or rock and even Mongolian Folk Rock like The Hu. Now when I train, there are specific genres I put on or specifically songs that fire me up like from Miracle Of Sound, Ozzy, Godsmack, Peyton Parrish and others, closer to hard rock and metal. I don't put on things like ABBA or Hanson for that matter, I don't feel anything from those other than "switch to something else for the LOVE OF GOD". Some might be into them and get something but in my opinion, even Bud Jeffries has said to me while we were training that ABBA is the unmanliest music to work out to LOL. 

When I don't have music on, I can still go like crazy but something just hits me differently putting on a kick ass song or a playlist. I feel even more alive and have hit PRs listening to certain songs. The times I don't have a playlist or a song to start with, I use my imagination and think of either people beside me and telling me to keep going, or I picture something with the exercise I'm working on and make a game out of it or something epic to strive for. It works very but for me, music enhances all of those things. When I used to train with Logan Christopher from Lost Empire Herbs, we didn't use much music to do stuff, we had each other to push ourselves and learned things from one another that made us better in our sessions. Sometimes we used music and killed it with the things we did. Shit, his hand and thigh lifts at his height and weight were fucking unbelievable. The way he juggled a kettlebell was a sight to see, I can do a flip or two but he was doing things with as heavy as 70 lbs like it was baseball. 

You see, music brings vibrations that fires the neurons and takes us to places that we may not be able to do without it. I'm not saying you can't do great things if you don't listen to music while training, you sure as hell can, many have but a lot of us love music and use it to make our sessions look like we can take on the world by storm. Whoever tells you not to listen to music at all because it's distracting or just background noise while you train hasn't felt the true power of it and doesn't have a clue what it can truly do in a session. It's great that you don't and still have the power to make something incredible but don't you dare tell someone they can't and not experience something that can unleash something within them that turns a workout from going through the motions to something wild and epic. Music is power, music is a part of life and music can charge a person's strength to new heights. 

Be amazingly awesome and use that playlist you love or start off with a song that fuels you more than a Pre-Workout. Just an FYI, the title of this article is lyrics from a song I started listening to recently that is just beautiful, has a classic 80's rock vibe and gives me goosebumps. Although the story is about something else entirely but it still has a bad ass sound, great riff and vocals that are banging. 

Training For Whatever Comes

I wrote this in another Group that my friend Garin Bader created to teach about aspects of CoreForce Energy. Thought I'd share it here as well.

Adding music to my videos is something I love to do and it takes on different meanings yet one thing remains the same and that's putting my passion into it.

When you're in that state of being able to do things that you either haven't done in so long or even doing them for the first time, it becomes something more than what we as a society are led on to believe.

There's always going to be people out there that will tell you, you can't do this or that but you still find a way to prove them wrong not by showing off but to stay the course for what you want to achieve in your journey.

Some of the things in this video I rarely ever do but I make it explosive and work with what's in my imagination that leads to the physical. You have power in you that is just itching to come out. Let go and FEEL what you think and find out what some of your true capabilities are.

This was written to give others an opportunity to see how music affects the body when you're training. I don't use music all the time when I train, when I do, something just hits differently and am in a completely different state of mind. Some never music at all which is great for them and if it puts them in a state that works, great. When I don't put music on, I can still get in a great session, however; I do program my thinking differently and don't always just go through the motions of an exercise and think analytically. I put effort into making an exercise beyond an up and down or side to side thing, I make it seem 3D at times. Like with my Fingertip Push-ups video, it wasn't just going up and down, I felt as if I was effortlessly crushing the earth with my whole body, not the fingertips by themselves. As if I was weightless even though that exercise is hard to do. It's not everyday 235-240 lb guys can do that compared to someone who's a buck 40 or something. 

Other than putting music on to work out, I add music to my videos for a purpose. It may not make sense to some but to others, it gives perspective to what happens when you mix music and exercise together to create something inspiring, motivational and fun. In truth, when I film, there's no music playing, I just throw in a tune to make it interesting. Sometimes it's a random song I like but other times, I like finding ones that have a beat, a powerful set of lyrics or rhythm of the instruments that shake the very core of one's soul. Music is powerful, it can make you stronger, it fires neurons in the brain and it makes you feel the vibrations through sounds. That's one of the big reasons why I love listening to music, it doesn't make exercise easier in and of itself, nor does it take away what the mind does without it, it helps build vibrations and energy so when you do train, it feels like you can conquer Mt. Olympus or something. Music is energy. 

Be amazingly awesome and let me know what your playlist is like when you work out. 

One of the comments I got from this is from a lady in the group that said "This is where genius begins." I don't know if I call myself a genius, it was something that popped into my head that I instinctively was thinking about. It was a great gesture and thanked her for it. The true inspiration for writing it and putting thought into it was from Garin himself. One of the most underrated guys in the strength world that has mastery in many things beyond exercise and music. Has a mind that may seem out there but once you feel what he's saying and understand the meaning behind his words, it makes sense.   

Taste In Music Throughout My Life

 This won't completely be fitness related but it does give you a glimpse into certain things about me....

Growing up, when it came to music, it was quite the learning experience to when it came to songs, bands and other aspects of music I was exposed to. My parents are baby boomers so being teenagers and 20 somethings of the 60's and 70's, their taste varied from the Beach Boys to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jan & Dean, Boston, Kansas and many others. I remember as far back as the late 80's listening to my mom's mix tape in the car listening to 80's rock, Roy Oberson, the Temptations, Dire Straits, The Beatles and others that it just filled my head with music from many corners of various eras. 

I still listen to that stuff to this day, I'm mostly known for putting up metal, hard rock and their sub genres but that's just a piece of where my taste comes from. As a teenager listening to 102.5 KDON in Santa Cruz, CA, it was pop and rap from artists like Britany, Biggie, Michael Jackson, Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, Backstreet, Tupac and the likes. When you're in that phase, figuring out what you like and don't like. I got teased for my taste quite a bit which is something I rarely ever talked about.

By High School that was wear my metal and hard rock became a focal point in my life and it was Ozzy, Disturbed, Metallica, Godsmack and others throughout that time. I still liked some forms of rap like Eminem, Snoop, Ice Cube, Mater P but something about metal just hit me differently. When I got out of high school, I was going to concerts frequently at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, watching my friends Archer (the drummer was Tyler Bramlett, my neighbor at the time) doing Battle Of The Bands, doing covers and their own stuff. Just being in that atmosphere, head banging, having a good time and either going home or hanging out with them after shows, went up to SF a couple times and helped set up the equipment. Did a night of bouncing for the bands and that was interesting. Even got to head bang and rock out with an American Idol contestant before he did all that.  

I didn't really use music as a tool to keep my adrenaline flowing during workouts until I was in my 20's and learning the aspects of Physical Culture. As the years passed by, some bands I enjoyed came and went, found others to listen to, go back to 80's and 70's rock. Expanded my taste to metal from other countries like Mongolia, Ancient Europe and others, some of my favorites these days is Peyton Parrish with his Disney Covers, The Hu, Alestorm, Hammerfall, Iced Earth, Norse Style bands and more. 

 There were aspects of music I missed out on growing up, like seeing my older brother play. Heard clips later in life but he was a traveling musician and did some really cool gigs. His band produced an album which he sings and plays on a couple songs. Played opening acts to some big names back in the day. Did a lot of Bar stuff and because I was too young, I couldn't go in to see him. When you got to two brothers from 2 very different generations (we're nearly 13 years apart), some things came around but we didn't get to be brothers the way we wanted even though we hung around from time to time. These days, he casually plays blues and does songs on his computer, got into bluegrass and plays small local gigs out in Oregon. When we went up to see him recently, we reconnected in a massive way that we both needed. Listening to his stories, hearing him play and built a relationship that meant a great deal to both of us, it's something that holds dear to me. He's talented and can do some pretty funny but also beautifully played songs. 

Music has always been there from the time my mom played those cassettes, to listening to stuff that had me in tears (both sad and happy) and just having a blast with Car Karaoke or getting pumped during a training session. Music is a kick ass part of every culture and we all have different tastes. Some things I just can't stand but others are like "holy shit, this is awesome." Even did Choir as a kid in middle school and traveled around Santa Cruz performing in various places like the Coconut Grove next to the Boardwalk. Because of Music, I got to meet the Surf Juggernaut Jack O'Neil when I was 13. Did musicals in high school, wasn't the best singer but it was fun doing choreography and being a part of the shows. 

So yeah, my taste is vast and the stories of bands I've heard and seen are priceless and although some weren't always pleasant, I had fun even for small moments.  

Hope you enjoyed this and have an amazingly awesome day.

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Sally Could Use A Pick Me Up

 Finding interesting ways to train is part of the journey in fitness. It could be in tribute to someone, it can be for a cause, hell in this case it comes in the form of music. Music has a way of being part of our workout routines by pumping us up, feeling stronger and accelerating those endorphins to hit that "happy hormone" and many other ways.

In this particular manner, music comes in the form of a challenge. It has been around a few years and it has mainly been used as a push-up challenge and it's Bring Sally Up, Bring Sally Down by Moby Flower. Some have used it as a Squat Challenge which to me is a bit better. The way you do it is you start in the low position of the squat and when the singer says "Bring Sally Up" you return to the top position and when he says "Bring Sally Down" you go low again and hold it until the lyrics are repeated. 

It's an interesting Micro Workout since it combines movement and isometric holds. The song is over 3 minutes long, so holding a position for a period of time repeatedly between exploding upward and going down again can really hit some muscles there. One of the first times I tried doing an exercise where I held it during a song was the first time I held a Nose To Mat Wrestler's Bridge while listening to Black Sabbath's Paranoid which is just under 3 minutes long. I had a friend turn on the song as I held the bridge. Another time was doing a quick "warm up" of hitting the tire with my sledgehammer while the Song "Make A Man Out Of You" (Covered by Peyton Parrish) played. 

Certain songs can add an interesting element to a fitness routine or you can just do an exercise while a whole song played. Holding a Horse Stance while Metallica's Mercyful Fate plays would be brutal if you knew how long that song is, I think that would be worse than Bringing Sally Up LOL. It brings a certain unique aspect to what you can accomplish or even attempt with certain types of music. Now some music can be a little weird when you go hard, ABBA is not one of those bands to workout to as Bud Jeffries once said to me "It's the unmanliest thing to listen to while working out." Just before the wedding, we went out in the backyard to do some kettlebell stuff (you can find it on his Instagram) and let's just say another member of my family wanted to get some line dancing in and blasted ABBA, we shut the screen door and only heard whispers of the Swedish Group while we trained. It was pretty funny. There's your unintentional Bud Jeffries story.

If you want to give Bring Sally Up a shot, go for it and I hope you succeed. I did it a couple times and it wasn't too difficult but it's not easy either. Use music as a tool and see what you can do with it. Have fun and be amazingly awesome. 

Music That Just Enters Your Soul

 Throughout my life, I've listened to all sorts of music from Louie Armstrong to Peyton Parrish and whatever else in between. I did choir back in junior high and even performed some concerts with the group, wasn't that good but I did ok. We did songs mainly from the 60's and 70's and they were fun to do. Later on in High School, I did musicals such as Brigadoon, Wizard Of Oz, Once Upon A Mattress and Singing In The Rain (the last one was only in two scenes and had the only speaking role of in my entire time in the Theater). Music has been a part of my life ever since I was little. My own brother is a musician and had stints throughout the years in his own career doing mostly rock and blues music, he has a gift.

In my fitness career, music has been a part of that off and on listening while training. Sometimes I just go at it without it and other times, I put on my Spotify with either headphones or speakers depending on where I 'am and just get deep into it. Some of my best workouts were with music playing and it'll vary but mainly go with hard rock and metal. If you ever seen my tik tocks you'll find out quickly what kind of music I'm into. With this sciatica shit, I would put on music from time to time and just put my focus into it. I' am getting stronger again and I'm doing more walking and being more physical with my movements animal style (building my speed back up). Still have trouble sleeping but I know this won't last forever.

One of the biggest moments I've had during this process was something that is hard to explain. I was anxious to move around and do something quick to calm my body down. My wife was reading a book on the couch and I put my headphones on and put on a song and something crazy happened; I was so into the song, the riffs and the vocals that my body just went into this auto mode of moving and it almost felt like an out of body experience. I knew what I was doing physically but mentally something else came over me and I was flowing through the animal exercises like they were nothing and I was moving fast, strong and agile. I felt like myself again for a few moments without pain and when it was over, I started crying not because of sadness but because I felt happy and had a sense of hope that I knew this is almost over. I felt it in my soul and it was just beautiful. That song that got me into that state of mind was a Journey cover of their song Separate Ways by Eva Under Fire, the girl's vocals and the music behind her is just incredible and imo, is probably the top 2 best versions of that song. 

I'm sure others have had experiences like that with their own taste of music when they train but for me, it was an experience that I can't get out of my head. It almost seemed similar in a sense when Rickson Gracie got in tuned with his body with the Ginastica Training he learned from Orlando Cani and went into such a meditative state that he couldn't hear or see anyone and just moved with such agility, power and grace for nearly an hour. I was only in a state for maybe a minute or longer but once I looked back on what I did, my brain immediately went to that story about Rickson. Whether he was having music going is neither here nor there, I just know that for a brief time, I got to experience such a state of meditation that it was my way of slowly getting back to where I want to be again. Music gave me that.

Some believe that music is a distraction, from a certain point of view it can be but on the other hand, when you become in tuned with it while training and the syncing of mind and body through the instruments and/or vocals is at that right spot whether for a minute or more than an hour, it puts you into a state that potentially brings out the very best in you and makes you the strongest, fastest and the most powerful you've ever felt. Hell you may break personal records or just so far gone that your body goes into automatic pilot and you're just along for the ride. It courses through your veins, your brain, your nerves, your internal being and letting into your soul and trusting what it's doing for you to be in the zone. Music is that powerful and some never see it that way which is understandable to an extent but in the end, if it works and it makes you that much stronger and feel more alive, why question it? 

Whatever your taste is, I hope it brings you positive results in your endeavors and you get to experience things that others have trouble processing. Let the music flow through you and get in touch with your strongest self. Keep being amazingly awesome.  

Mixture Of Training Using Different Styles

    Last night I was watching an episode of Young Indiana Jones where Indy was watching and learning about Jazz in Chicago. Although the story folds more on how Jazz creates improvisational sound it also had to do with a murder that involved a young Al Capone. Back to the Jazz, it's important to know it's not just a few instruments blended together, it's the feeling of creativity and harnessing the rhythm when they just make it up as they go. Culturally it involves different styles of music flowing together to have that sweet and fun sound. When Indy learns to play the Sax, he learns a tune but the tune is generic at first. He had to learn to talk as he played, using music as his voice. Although the song he plays is twinkle twinkle little star, it becomes more alive when he infuses his mind with the rhythm and puts a twist on it that just sounds incredible even for a kid song.

 
    When it comes to training, creativity is endless when you put your mind to it. There are so many programs you can blend together to create that unique style of exercising, just like old school Jazz, using the basics and adapting to a creative sound that just shoots out of nowhere and picking it up right away. You create something out of the norm. If you got the basics, you can find ways to use them in any way you want. It's also important to progress to a harder form of training but the basics is your foundation for a powerful way to say something without ever saying a word. The way you move and express it with passion and intensity can make the basics look more fun than usual.

 
    In exercise it's important to build your own style, use what you already have down and mix them to your liking. I like to combine certain programs because they not only interest me but they challenge my mind and they teach me what to use next, where to go and how it can be effective for me. The last few days I've been doing DDP Yoga and Animal Flow together and moving from one exercise to the next and finding my way to move with power and agility that just has that blend of grace and strength. It's not easy and I don't always know where I'm headed in the workout but that's the beauty of it, finding your own way. Some exercises I blend in come from other courses like certain leg exercises in the Pan Program based on the god/deity of the same name and put together exercises from that and add Gymnastic Abs. You make it your own. I love when certain people like DDP say things like "Make It Your Own" or my friend John Peterson would say "Becoming Your Own Best Personal Trainer" its things like that, that give me the freedom to find what is interesting and creating something out of it. You can do the very same things just in your own way.

 
    The late Karl Gotch once said "You must adapt and improvise." It is one of the most powerful quotes I've ever heard because now you find yourself in certain situations where not everything is a straight line so you have to adapt to things that come out of nowhere. Of course he was talking more about wrestling and conditioning than anything else but this applies to anything else you do. If you got the basics down that's the starting gate but you won't always be using the same things in every situation (workout in this case), you learn to channel your body's ability to move and sometimes pick things out of nowhere so you have to improvise sometimes. If you have a goal to get better that's awesome and strive to achieve it however, there can be "forks in the road" so do speak and you won't always go straight into what you want to achieve, sometimes you have to curve or change a direction in order to keep moving forward. It's like Jazz, it's not always the same tune, tunes can change in different directions and the way the sound is blended with the band to adapt and even come out of nowhere to hit that right note that just fits. Be willing to change directions that could create better results not just physically but mentally as well.

 
Be awesome guys, have a great weekend and have fun.

A Great Workout Is like Writing A Great Song

 Some of the greatest music in history is not even written by the artists who sing them. I get that some Record labels have lyricists to help certain groups or an individual who doesn't know good song writing but come on. You’re in a band and you’re doing the best to your ability to make it big, a key factor is to do well to great songwriting. It’s the same with exercise, if you want to unlock your potential; you learn to create your own style.

 What do Black Sabbath, Lady Gaga and Metallica have in common? They write their own stuff and it’s made them legends. When you write a song that works not only does it make you feel more alive inside but to share it with the world is a phenomenal experience in itself. Sure you’ll get haters and people trying to shoot you down but in the end if you can create something that are worth it, nothing people can say that will make you feel less than larger than life.

 In the realm of fitness, people will try to sell you what’s right with certain things and what is wrong, there’s good stuff to use but if it doesn't work to you specifically than you need to change that. I've seen a lot of people come and go and how they want results but expect too much of themselves or the program that’s written for them is what they really want. It’s not wrong whatsoever to learn the principles of how an exercise is used but the order and structured way to do them should be up to you not the person training you. Being trained is one thing; training for you is a very different experience. Most of my adult training life has been on my own, looking at exercises from different courses and DVDs and mixing them together for one complete program, its never the same.

 Like writing a song, you want that perfect sound, that melody of each instrument working in harmony and raising the level of not just the lyrics but the emotional content that goes into the lyrics. The tune that just hits you and pulls you back in at the same time, it’s not just you making magic it’s building inspiration for others. It’s the same thing with an exercise or a series of exercises, you want to be able give your body that great shape, doesn't have to be perfect but you do want to build a foundation, play with the basics, progress and use your imagination. The movement is great for your structure, it’s fun, its exciting and gives you a reason to shoot for a certain goal.

 Granted in some cases in music there are terrible songs, lyrics don’t go well with the riffs or beats and sure as hell there are some bands you have no clue what the hell they’re saying. Exercise has it’s fair share of some pretty horrific ways to train, bad routines, injuries occur, too much too soon and the ultimate sin of all, using the no pain no gain bs. It’s important to challenge yourself to progress to a higher level but you don’t have to be better than everyone else, hell I can name at least 5-10 guys that are far smaller than I’am in both height and size and I have no aspirations to do the certain things they do, its out of my reach and I’m good at what I do. Learn to use your imagination, build something for yourself that no one can match no matter what size or shape, you created it and nobody can take it from you.

 Music and Exercise have many similarities, they both share creativity, they build foundations, they have harmony when everything flows and they both have a sense of magic that can’t be explained, they have their flaws sure but in that moment where everything comes together, there’s a twinkle in your eye, your body feels invincible and you know right then and there it’s just perfect. Moments like that don’t always happen, but its fun to practice finding it and building up to it isn't easy but it’s worth every single second of what you put into it. 

Whether Music Or Exercise Its Got To Breathe

I was watching Eddie & The Cruisers 2: Eddie Lives last night. For those that don’t know or remember it’s the sequel to the cult classic Eddie & The Cruisers. This became a cult classic as well and for good reason. The music in the film is just unbelievable and whether Michael Pare was lip syncing or not or played the guitar it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that his passion for music and his struggle to regain his life is just out of this world.

 In one scene, Eddie was showing a lead guitarist how music should be played. You see the young guitarist play and although very good and can riff like Randy Rhodes or Kirk Hammet he was missing a key thing that can be used for everything in life and that’s breathing. He was going off so fast he forgets that the music has to breathe and live. Eddie tells him what he thinks and shows him how the guitar should be breathing with rhythm and passion and deepness. If you ever saw the movie you know what I’m talking about. It’s a very momentous part of the film in my opinion.

 Now that is out of the way what the hell does that have to do with exercise? Well everything my friend. Like life you have to breathe and feel the true power inside you. It’s not about muscle or how big you are. It’s about heart, passion and the love for what you do.  If you just play right through without being passionate about it then you won’t find the real results you want. Like Eddie Wilson is about music I’m about exercise. It’s in my blood and nothing else matters (no pun intended Metallica lol). I don’t care about having my head on a magazine or wanting so much publicity its stupid to me its all about going out and move with my heart and soul. That’s where true strength & conditioning comes from. Training with your heart and soul is a far cry then to just not think and just go through the motions.

 The fire inside of you will take you beyond what you think your abilities are. Most people who train don’t know a damn thing about heart and passion for what they do. For those that do most avoid because a true man of exercise doesn’t talk or listen to others and he competes with himself not against others. When I train whether for 5min. or an hour I put everything aside and compete against myself and see what comes out of it. I’ve had good days and bad days training but no matter what I’m going to give whatever I have. Does that mean I’m going to push beyond my limits everyday? No. You will find deep down what works for you.

Anyone who is passionate for what they do deserves respect. Those are the ones that go past when no one else will, those are the men and women that take what they do for themselves when most want appraisal by others and those are the ones who truly fight for what they believe in.

I know a couple of real musicians that do what they do with fire, passion and heart. One of them is a concert pianist that goes beyond just your typical piano player and entertainer. He flies overhead on a silk curtain, he’ll play other instruments that are just as powerful as his piano playing and he’ll do a few tricks every now and then that will blow you away. His name is Garin Bader and he’s the creator of CoreForce Energy. A system that will give you super strength and speed fast and you won’t need hours of training or steroids to get big or better yet this system can even take what you love to another level. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete, musician, entertainer or carpenter for that matter this course has something for everyone. I consider him one of my idols for what he does. I’ve seen first hand what this man can do and it’s just surreal.

Find your true passion whether its exercise, music, athletics, business or hell being a teacher and when you really love it the most everything will fall into place. It reminds me of Jack Palance in City Slickers when he told Billy Crystal the secret to life “Just one thing. When you stick to that the rest of the world don’t mean shit.” Think about it.