Morning Workout And Feeling Those Legs

 Time can fly right on by when you're having fun training. It puts you in a better mood and the endorphin high is just fan-fucking-tastic. Working on my agility, strength, coordination and some cardio to really pump up the lungs and heart. The feeling afterwards is nothing short of bad ass. 

This morning's workout was a doozer but it kept me loose, strong and enjoying the playful aspects of it. Not to say it was easy, it was a bit challenging but I kept going and I never wanted to quit, I actually wanted to keep going but when you have projects to do in the day, you do what's possible in the moment.

Started out with my Neck Mobility routine holding and moving my neck in various positions to strengthen the muscles, maintain elasticity and move without pain. 

Next up was my Joint Loosening routine of doing arm circle style movements for the shoulders, moved onto the wrists and forearms. Worked the hips, obliques and groin muscles doing various circular movements. This was about about 3 exercises or so. Got into the Tai Chi Waist Turner which I learned from Matt Furey's Combat Abs book, working the spine and almost everytime I do this, my knees wake up a bit. Up until the TCWT, I would do 10 reps each move, with the Waist Turner I do 100. Move onto a bit more of the hips for maintaining health in those joints. A spinal stretch and dynamic move of the hamstrings were next. Knee circles to really loosen up that area and then stand on one leg and do circles with that leg, focusing on the knee and foot. Ankle Circles on the ground and then on one leg each. Finished off this routine with a calf raise and spinal stretch raising up on the balls of the feet until I hit my 5th rep holding for a 5 count, continue until I hit the 10th rep and hold for a count of 10. Very relaxed.

Next up were the animal moves or a style of them.....

First was what is called the Deer Posture which I learned from Furey watching and studying the move. Hell of a way to work the core using simple movements. Done something similar when I was in BJJ. By rep count, I usually end around 100 total. This really targets the core overall.

Second was a 1 Minute Bear Crawl. Focusing on coordination and the pattern.

Third was a combo move of a Bear + Crab Switch into a Over Reach to open up the hips and obliques. This was a total of 20 Reps. This is one of my favorite exercises. Learned this from Movement 20XX

Fourth was a Tiger Style Walk for 1 Minute. Utilizing tension in the Core Muscles and working the reach in the stride instead of just stepping little by little, this makes the move a bit harder and putting focus on keeping the spine as neutral as possible. Great exercise.

The final exercise was the Step + Squat Interval of 60 Seconds on, 30 Seconds off. I did 6 Rounds today instead of 5 cause I really wanted to hit the legs and have that little bit of progression. Every few days or so I may add a round until I can do 10. My quads really burn on this one and the pump is insane. Thick Thighs save lives as they say LOL. 

Sweating bullets after this and (especially after hitting the squats), it just felt like being on cloud 9. Great for getting the blood flow in the morning, ready to tackle the day and see what else unfolds. Isometrics is on the table today later but let's see how I can do with the projects I have. 

Hope you enjoyed this article and have an idea of what my personal training is like and hope it inspires you to get up and do something for you in the morning or whenever as well. Be amazingly awesome. 

Training And Developing A Healthy Neck

 One particular body part many don't realize that is crucial to a healthy life is the neck. It's not just a little bundle of muscles, it's a link between the spine and the brain that makes the big element of nerve function. Neck Training comes in different forms from using machines and weights to doing Bridges, Self Resistance & Mobility Work. I was never a big advocate to do weights or machines for the neck in my own training, I was doing bridges for years and off and on doing Self Resistance Exercises totaling as much as 200 reps a workout. 

Still do bridges from time to time and can still hold the front and back for 3 minutes each if I chose to but mostly these days, I'm geared towards more of the mobility style while adding an isometric component to it along with dynamic movement. I came up with a routine that was inspired by Matt Furey when he put out a video on youtube on how to thicken the neck and clear the cobwebs so do speak. He only put out 2 exercises for the left and right side each or so but I added in a few more and used the concepts of what he taught and made my own routine of it. It's a great routine which involves starting with an isometric element and then moving in the position in a 2 count fashion, move onto another exercise and same thing until I finish off with circles of the neck. Do a 10 count Iso hold and then 10 reps of movement, next exercise, same thing and then just do 10 circles each way for the finish. 

Been doing this routine off and on since May of this year and it's one of my favorites that helps clear my head and/or to strengthen my neck. It's a great alternative for those who can't bridge yet or if they're already bridging and want to do this as a supplement. For me, it takes about 6-7 minutes to complete the full routine. Not long but very effective. One of these days, I'll film it and show you how I do it. It'll be a full routine demonstration and not just little bits to do a 1 min demo. It can be done anywhere, anytime. It's a great routine to start the day and think of it as a routine to help rid of that morning brain fog we get at times after waking up. Nothing hardcore or anything, just a simple thing to help get your head in the game as they say. 

I did mention a little earlier that it could thicken the neck. That might sound a bit far fetched but after doing it for a period, I did gain muscle in the neck that was functional and mobile. It didn't make my neck look like Mike Bruce or anything like that but it did build the type of muscle that was strong yet elastic along with building strength in the nerves. It's not the same as building muscle like a Wrestler or Football Player, it's meant for health and elasticity. A strong neck goes a long way in how it can be life saving and how it could aid in your routine. 

As we get older, strength training becomes more and more crucial and it's not always the quantity of what we do or how much we lift and all that, there's a foundation there for sure but it's more about the quality and the control we have as we progress. We may not be able to do all we did in our 20's by the time we reach 40 or 50, but we sure as hell can slow down the aging process as best as we can to make the quality of life going on for as long as possible. Do what's possible and progress little by little. You don't need to do a ton of reps to make something worth while, sometimes, only a few is really needed to move things along. Stay healthy everyone and keep being amazingly awesome.