Swing Away With A Mace

            One of the oldest tools of the ancient warriors is the Mace or Gada of Indian Culture. It was a soldier’s prominent weapon for combat which he also used to train sufficiently with. When he swung it, it was beautiful but also powerful. A Mace can range in weight to well over 70 lbs. and an expert of the Gada took no exception to master its intimidating look. It’s come into prominence lately in the last few years even though it’s not as popular as the clubs; it’s still an effective exercise.

            In wrestling, circular movements are the foundation of mastering the art like the Hindu Squats & Hindu Push-ups, the Gada and the Clubs. These things build a level of strength & endurance that works the whole body from head to toe and give you a workout that will have you begging for mercy. In its heyday, Indian Wrestling or Kushti was the dominant sport and nobody made it more feared all over than the Great Gama. He used these very same exercises and tools to become the only undefeated man in his sport with a record of 5000 matches won. Using the Gada in a circular fashion works your body like very few can compare.

            There are many ways to use the Mace, the main one is what’s called 360’s where you put one hand over the other, push up and let the Mace swing over the shoulders as you keep a tight grip. I love this exercise as it works your upper body like crazy and the heavier it is, the more balance you’re going to need to do this with ease and that’s where great strength and coordination come into play. Other exercises like spearing, chopping, shoveling, curling and others work the body like I said before that very few can compare. Karl Gotch also used this and can be do well over 100 reps with a 50 lb. Mace and did it with ease even into his 60’s. A workout just with this can help you gain flexibility in the shoulders, hits your obliques, strengthens the arms and works your back to give you that muscular look but have the strength to go along with it. Never underestimate this.

            I've always emphasized old school training because quite frankly it works but more than that it gives you a chance to feel like you’re back in time to a place where training was not that huge on society and fitness was more of health and natural strength & conditioning. Take into consideration that at this point in History, if you wanted to get in awesome shape you used basic weights, odd objects if you were in a job that required that, trained outside climbing, swinging clubs and a mace, plus diets back then didn't exist. To get the most benefit, think old school training and eating because when you come to grips with this, it gives you a perspective on why it’s so much better for you and less confusing than the crap being thrown around today. Give it a shot and be shocked on how simple real exercise can be without the wear and tear of isolating every single thing in your body.

Why Old School Is Superior

             Back in the old days of the early 20^th century, you had workers in mining towns, quarries and other places where things needed to be dug up, barreled out and transport heavy equipment or rock/stone that weighed more than you can imagine. These men were extremely strong from this back-breaking work and can topple just about any modern strength athlete today. You want to talk about hard times, try being underground for 10-12 hours a day, cutting, toppling and carrying out rock, stone and coal for a living. It’s a point to learn what real strength is like.

            In my opinion Blacksmiths are some of the most underrated artists in their profession. There are paintings in Paris that are as beautiful as a smoking hot woman but when you assemble a weapon or a crafting tool by your very own hands, the labor, the grip strength, the mind and precision is just off the charts. Blacksmiths are very rare today because you have machines that cut down the object making to a 1/3 of the time. These guys were very good at what they did and the strength of their hands was second to none. I wouldn't doubt some of those guys would be able to bend tough steel or crush your hand by shaking it or squeezing it. There’s a lot we can learn from them.

            If there was the type of athlete we should strive to learn from is that of the ancient athletes of the remote past especially the original Olympic athletes of Greece and Rome long before the modern games came into play. You had guys that can most likely destroy athletes of today. In India, wrestlers were the best soldiers the old empire had because of the discipline, the conditioning and the level of strength that came when they were called upon for war. Milo of Croton would lift and carry a calf everyday, as the calf got older and bigger, Milo would still pick it up and carry him on his shoulders, when the calf matured into a full-size bull, Milo was still at it carrying this massive animal. This was one of the first documented ways to progress to a heavier weight. In the middle ages, you had to be tough as a knight because of the armor you wore was pretty damn heavy and still had to have precise accuracy and strength to fight in battle.

            How can we learn and use to create certain methods for old school strength and fitness? For starters, want to get an idea of what it’s like to work in a rock Quarry, get a tire and a sledgehammer and hit that tire for as long as you can. To simulate moving and carry something heavy, lift odd objects and/or sandbags and carry them a certain distance. Learn the ancient traditions of Indian Wrestling by swinging the Clubs and the Mace, when you’re doing them right you’re carrying on a legacy that has lasted for centuries. Don’t have equipment, learn how to handle your body in awkward positions by moving like an animal in the wild, or learn how to use natural movements that the very first men had to learn; sprinting, jumping, crawling, lifting/carrying kind of like moving like Tarzan. Push-ups and Squats are great foundational movements if you’re in a closed-in space or learn how to handle your body similar to a gymnast or wrestler. These modern fads in fitness today really cannot compare to those who actually had to bust their ass back in the day, training can be fun as I've always emphasized but to really get to what you want, it’s training hard and smart that gets you the best results. 

Whats With All The Damn Links

As many of you have seen, I have banners and text links on the right-hand side of the blog because I'am apart of the affiliate programs and whatever one buys from one of my links I get a certain percentage out of it. Now am I in this for the money? I don't think so, if I was I would need to do far more work to promote them. Unlike wanting just money out of it I want to spread the word on them as well because I have personally used the various products and they work wonders without needing to say it twice. What you see is what I have used and go by. For bodyweight exercise I practice Bridging, squats and Animal Exercise very often & its never boring for me and it shouldn't be for anyone else.

I cannot express enough how awesome most of these products are and the athletes who work these products to me are the best of the best in their profession. Take Logan Christopher for example. A man at 6'2 and 180 pounds can juggle weights that the average man can only dream of. His strength is that much greater then some heavyweights. I'm 250 pounds and there are some things I would never attempt to do. That tells you size doesn't matter if you put yourself in a state of mind where you can be powerful no matter how big or small you are. His flexiblity is just as incredible as his strength as he's got some of the most controlled flexibility i've ever seen....Being able to fall back into a bridge then kicking over and standing up all in one fluid motion is not easy at all let alone being able to do it at 6'2  thats how controlled he is over his body. Anything he has to offer I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. He can take a weak individual and turn him into a athlete and not just on building strength and power but can teach you how to tap into your mind and bring out power within you that you never have done before. He is that damn good.

Bud Jeffries is another individual who has tremendous power. He is the exact opposite to Logan as far as size and strength goes. At 5'11 and 275 pounds he can take 100 pound dumbbells and make them look like 3 pounders. He's one of the strongest men on the planet hitting weight that would make the average man want to run for the hills. He has lifted half a ton in the squat starting in the bottom position, he's been able to lift heavy logs, carry large rocks and move kettlebells like they were lightweights. Regardless of his strength he is also one of the most flexible superheavyweights as well, able to do the splits, get into a bridge (both wrestler and gymnastic) and can stretch further then most men 20-30 pounds lighter then him. If you want to combine the best in weights, bodyweight and odd objects he is your man and if you feel he isn't then get the Twisted Conditioning series and see for yourself how much you can develop for overall strength and pure ferocious power.

Ryan Pitts would be the next guy on this list of athletes because he has helped bring back an old-time physical culture tradition and thats the Indian Clubs and The Mace. These weapons of exercise destruction has taken wrestlers to the very brink of the sport in Europe, Asia, India & Iran and everywhere else inbetween. You think you know conditioning, you haven't seen a damn thing until you have used the Clubs & The Mace. Once you get your hands on these bad boys you'll start to feel more powerful and more agile. Plus if you're a real stud get some sledgehammers and take the Mace to a whole new level of superior strength and power and work the grip unlike anything else. Even if you're not a wrestler these peices of equipment can be used by anyone who is willing to take the challenge and even has light weighted clubs and maces to help you get started or as an advanced athlete you will learn how to move your upper body in various directions to build shoulder and wrist agility that can help recover joint pain and carpal tunnel.

These guys know what they are talking about and are willing to help anyone who is up to the challenge and take his or her first steps to becoming a superior athlete and a rugged human being. Give these guys a chance and take your rightful place in Physical Culture. Spread the word of exercise and health and get rid of weakness and fear. Theres an old saying...

"Weakness is a crime...Don't be a criminal."

Getting Back To Basics & Why

Isolated training is really only good for one thing and thats rehabbing. The muscles and tendons were designed to be able to do multiple things while doing a single act. Push-ups for example are not just a chest exercise, it works the wrists, chest, arms, abs, shoulders and legs. Why would you need to work one specific muscle when you can get the whole shabang. Say you're in manual labor and had to dig ditches, stack bricks, break concrete blocks or move heavy objects....all of these do not require just one type of muscle group, they work multiple muscle groups so you're getting quite a workout in and of itself. That was just an example but it doesn't matter if you're an athlete, average joe, laborer or what, yes it takes some specific muscles to work something but for the most part you want to be able to use as many muscles as you can because if you work a specific muscle group too long you're prone to injury. Exercise in working multiple groups adds more benefit then just isolating.

Working out doesn't always mean you have to work the same muscles all the time, change things up make it interesting, instead of doing lateral raises why not do presses, instead of leg extensions do squats, why not take out the pull-downs and actually try pull-ups. When it really gets down to it, basic exercises are the way to go. Ask any strongman or look at and read of the old-timers and you will find the same thing. Isolation sucks because the body was not made to function that way it was meant to move and use multiple muscles to work that movement. Even in weightlifting, basic exercises like presses, squats, curls and dealifts are really all one needs to get in awesome physical shape. If you want to add variety why not add a sandbag or a few rocks and kettlebells to the mix. Practice performing basic movements whether bodyweight or weights either way they work like a charm and can build wonders beyond your imagination.

Want to learn the best in basic exercises and take a look at the banners and texts of guys like Logan Christopher, Bud Jeffries, Ryan Pitts and Pavel. Check them out and never look at isolation exercises again.
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Old School Training With A New Twist

A lot of people think these days that training methods back in the day are outdated and have no place in the gyms and are not for strength and flexibility and if you're doing them they would laugh or be confused or better yet have that "what the hell are you doing these for. Those arn't traditional." Well in some ways they're right, they arn't traditional, they arn't your typical modern exercises and most of all they don't belong in the gym today because they're TOO GOOD FOR THAT CRAP!

I really hate to offend these people but you know what, pull your head out of your asses and look at the big picture here. The old school methods are not only better then today's training styles but they're more simplistic and are far more creative. When you trained back in the 20's, 30's, 40's, even the 50's you learned why basic exercises like olympic weightlifting and push-ups, squats, clubs, maces and simple dumbbell and barbell training can turn you into a superhuman. I would bet you if you took a bodybuilder today up against a bodybuilder of yesteryear you would not only see a massive difference in size (not bloated yesteryear's BB) but also in strength. Take John Grimek for example. He was without question the Ronnie Colman of his day, winning competition after competition and was the only man in history to win the Mr. America title 2 years in a row. His training was basic dumbbell and barbell training and every now and then would drop and do push-ups or pull-ups, free hand squats and muscle control. His muscle control at the time was unbelieveable and not many men his size (heavyweights back then were under 200 pounds for most of them, he was no more then 185 at 5'7) were that solid and powerful and can move his muscles in ways that were unmatched.

Its one thing to criticize the old school methods its another to not realize that these methods worked and I may be a bodyweight only trainee but if I was around in that era I wouldn't have minded training the way those guys did. What they did was unique and brought a hell of an outlook on how training should be done. Not just for size and strength but for health and longevity. Yes back then people died younger then they have today. If you were born in 1900, chances were slim if you lived to be 50 but yet if you look at the men and women who trained in that era beat the aging process by a huge percentage. Bernarr McFadden died at 88 in 1955, Farmer Burns died in mid-late 1930's at the "ancient" age of 86-88, Bob Hoffman 1898-1985. What was their secret? How could any of these men lived to be at an age in a era where you were considered to be an old man at 50 or 60. It was their ability to take that govenor in their brains and find a solution to live longer and not only found a way but beat the aging process by a mere 25-30 years longer the average age at the time.

Are you seeing what i'm getting at here? Old methods may be outdated but thats actually a good thing. They worked, they gave the pioneers of physical culture a reason to keep on living, keep being healthy and strong into their 80's, 90's, even 100's. Learn how to take old school methods and put a twist on them for today's methods. Under this article, you will find methods of training that not only are sinple to do but can probably save your life in more ways then what you read in the magazines today. Learn the secrets of the original bodybuilders and athletes of true era of physical culture.

Massive Functional Muscle

Training with Partials

Odd Object Lifting Series

Advanced Bridging Course

Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups

Indian Clubs

Mace Training

The Russian Kettlebell Challenge
Xtreme Fitness for Hard Living Comrades

Beyond Bodybuilding
Muscle and Strength Training Secrets for The Renaissance Man

Hand Balancing & The Power Of Inverted Training

However you look at it Handbalancing is by far one of the most difficult methods of self mastery over the human body. When you're upside down it seems like a whole different world and its mysterious and very unusual feeling of not always knowing whats going to happen or how you are suppose to stay up. For the most part it takes awareness and strength to a whole new level and with enough practice you can do things that not only will it amaze people but you will have control over your body not many people in the world can do.

To get a glimpse of modern hand balancing take a look at the men and women of gymnastics or Circ De Solei, the requirement for their sport/profession is to be master hand balancers because of a lot of the stunts require to be on the hands. It is amazing and breathtaking to see some of the best athletes at what they do. I've seen a gymnastic event and seen A Mid-Summer Nightmare which had acts of Hand balancing and tumbling and martial arts and just about every time I saw a scene I was taken back by it by how it it just engulfs your mind on how these people are so strong and coordinated they are. Now not too many of us in our adult years have the luxery of joinging a gymnastics class and becoming a good hand balancer/gymnast so is there a betterr way to learn?

As a matter of fact there is and one guy that I know of has some of the best knowledge on Hand Balancing there is. He is a good friend of mine named Logan Christopher. His background is on Gymnastics, Old-time Strongman, Kettle Bell Instructor, Personal Trainer and is on his way to being one of the strongest men in the world for the thing he performs. I've trained with him and this is no joke he's one of the strongest guys I've ever met and seen him hold some pretty awesome handstands. So its safe to say this guy knows his stuff and anything he just about puts out is a gold star in my book.

Not only is Logan promoting the Art Of Hand Balancing he's helping spread the word about it as some of the best Physical Culturists in the world did many moons ago back in the days of Vaudville and Circus Acts of the early 20th Century. Some of the biggest names did Hand Balancing in their training. Men like Otto Arco, Maxick, Sig Klein, Bob Jones, John Davis, John Grimek, Bert Azzerati, George Hackenschmidt and believe it or not the living legend Jack Lalanne. All these men have done some form of hand balancing and were some of the strongest men in the world before the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs. That should give you a clear idea of what you can accomplish with pure will, practice, patience and amazing power.

I'm not a Hand Balancing expert but I can tell you from my own experiences its hard and not easy at all (redundent I know) but I have held a handstand for a period of time thats pretty good for a guy my size at well over 235 pounds. So whether you're big, small or inbetween, this form of training can teach you what it truely means to have control over your own body. Even holding a position is pretty darn impressive but when you get to walking on your hands or doing push-ups thats in the realm of dreams and it can be yours if you practice it. Check out Legendary Strength or Lost Art Of Hand baancing websites on the right side of the screen and learn the Lost Art Of Hand Balancing and believe me they are worth every penny many times over.

Legendary Strength

Lost Art Of Hand Balancing

Aerobic Isometrics!!!!!

When it comes to building strength, there are many different to build it and nothing is really new about that but if theres one peice of training that takes strength training to a whole new level of mental focus and concentration is isometrics. Pick any angle and push/pull as hard as possible up to 7-12 sec. max. Doing this takes laser-like focus and the ability to contract the muscles you want to work and hammering them into submission. Its been used for thousands of years and not only does it strengthen the muscles more importantly it strengthens the tendons. Tendon strength in my opinion is more important then muscle strength because if the tendons arnt strong enough to lift a weight or hold an object you're not going to last too long no matter how big your muscles are.

 Isometrics is also another form of muscle control that was perfected by some of the greatest bodybuilders in early 20th century. Men like Maxick, Otto Arco, Eugene Sandow and even Charles Atlas (CA did not put isometrics in his course but he did learn muscle control to master his poses in competition and shows). The first big name to use the term muscle control was by a man named Alois P. Swoboda. His physical culture course Concious Evolution talked about how energy can be used by internal power. In lamins terms you learn how to contract the muscles at will through focus and learning your own physiology through a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint.

 Isometrics can be used in just about any angle a joint can handle and strengthened. When you learn to hold an isometric for a good period of time you can even decrease the amount of strength you use and add time into a hold. Say you pressed your hands together but only use about 30% worth of power and hold that for a minute. Thats quite a long time but its very beneficial because a lot of things come into play, your body begins to heat up, your mental awareness is increasing your muscles are quivering and your muscle fibers are kicking into overdrive. Aerobic Isometrics means you hold a certain position at less then 50% of your power for 30 sec or longer.

Who Are The Best Conditioned Athletes?

Sports.....Its our culture and our drive to compete to be the best. We see some of the greatest athletes in the world. We see heroes like Hulk Hogan, Walter Payton, Barry Bonds, Dan Gable, Otto Arco, Frank Gotch, Babe Ruth ect. These men are the best at what they did/do and how they got there (minus the steriods from a couple of the guys on this list) is no accident and pushed themselves to levels no one can fathom. Their conditioning is without question amazing and unreal but is it the best? Lets face facts athletes in any major sport at the highest level are well trained and can do things average folks can never do. Smack a homerun 500+ Feat, run well over 10,000 yards in a career, Win a gold medal without allowing a single point in a tournament, Slam a 500 pound giant and retire undefeted as a world champion. All those men achieved those goals because in order to achieve those things they have to go through many hours of training but again are they the best conditioned? Truth is their amazing conditioning is due to their sport. The training they go through is through that sport and in it alone.

We all strive to be the best we can be and become great when it calls apon us. I feel the best conditioned athletes are not the ones that are most conditioned for their sport no. I feel the best conditioned athletes are the ones that strive to master many different endeavors. In the early 20th century some athletes in the physical culture world were not only conditioned in their respected field but were conditioned in many other areas. Example would be Otto Arco, he was a hand balancer, wrestler, gymnast, weightlifter and strongman at a bodyweight of no more then 150 pounds at 5'3. To me the greatest athletes are men and women that are the master of multiple sports. Take another example would be the great Jim Thorpe. Arguably the greatest athlete of all-time. He was a great football player, a decathlete in the olympics and if I read correctly he played some baseball. So lets count here he was an athlete in about 12 different sports he perticipated in and nearly excelled in all of them. Thats a defenition of a well conditioned athlete, being able to transfer different movements at will and be incredible at it.

All in all there really is no greatest athlete but the athletes that excel best are the ones that can transfer from sport to sport without letting up and brining 100% a good portion of the time.

Legendary Strength On The Rise

I had an opportunity today to train with one of the strongest men pound for pound at his new gym. His name is Logan Christopher. I was checking out the space he had for his gym and its pretty well done considering the finishing touches it needs but it has a serious amount of potential and if anybody can make it work its Logan. I put it in a little work with cables, push-ups, stretching, joint loosening, hammers and a some exercises on the pull-up bar while Logan did some Kettle bell work, weighted pull-ups, Kettle bell Swings, Isometric L-Sits using Chinese Block Weights and other things that came into his head.

We trained for nearly an hour and it was fun and very rewarding. I've been friends with him since 2005 and seen him do some of the most unreal forms of conditioning around, for a guy his size he's extremely strong and he's just going to keep going up. He's seen me in doing some of my first as a strongman myself, my first phonebook ripped, first 60d Penny Nail bend, first fall back into a bridge then kicking over and back ect. He is a really cool guy and he doesn't bring any bull into his training and just hammers the basics while also having.

I first met him while he was a roadie for an upcoming band named Archer which the drummer was a mutual friend of ours. He's really come into his own in becoming a strongman, entrepreneur and a well rounded athlete. If you guys ever read this blog check out my bud's stuff on the banners on the right side of the blog writings. He has vast knowledge in bending, lifting, body weight, gymnastics, strongman, Hand Balancing, tearing, kettle bells and many other forms of strength and conditioning. Taking from some of the best trainers in the world he is one lucky guy and he is one of my inspirations.