Shoulder Health & Mobility

 It can be hard to adjust the way we do things as we get older. We can still do amazing things when we are consistent and listen to our bodies. The trouble is at times, we can get very cocky and become overzealous and anxious so we push ourselves and get hurt. It takes time to recover and it won't be easy getting back to what we are capable of or working around it. 

We pull muscles, put strain on the joints and lose our mobility in the process. It's great to be strong, it's another to be mobile and durable. When we learn to strengthen our joints and ligaments, it becomes a whole new ball game in the realm of living a quality life. That's one of the reasons why I enjoy swinging the Indian Clubs from time to time. Some light work but a huge emphasis on conditioning the areas that keep the body in tact and healthy. It's not a matter of strength, it's a matter of flow and control for a period of time. Some start out with 1/2 pound clubs and others work up to 2-3 pounders. The weight is not meant to be taken lightly (pun intended), it's meant to keep your body healthy and build resilience so less chances of getting injured becomes a priority.

Clubs have been around for many centuries from the time of ancient warriors to the modern day fitness enthusiast who shows classic exercises for health and durability in the shoulders, wrists, elbows, hands and even the core. Clubs can be done with full body workouts and it wakes up the brain as you flow through the patterns with smooth intention and focus. Some do them for time, others for a certain amount of reps, either way if you can control the club and utilize the patterns with efficiency, you can have a hell of a session. Some days I've done 500-1000 total reps with my clubs, other times just a couple hundred or less, it just depends on what I want to do and how I feel that day. It feels really good, gives off an endorphin high and it puts you into a different state of being. It's moving meditation. 

Injuries can be a bitch, some are worse than others and some are mild but we don't want to injured too often or at all because every injury can make or break a person no matter how big or little it is. That's the great thing about clubs as well, to utilize them for prehab or rehab to train those muscles and joints back to a good state of harmony and health. It's a superweapon for mobility conditioning. 

People like Zenkahuna are perfect examples of applying old school methods to keep your quality of life alive with positive affirmations, harmony through physical movement and playful creativity. Look him up, one of the most influential people with an amazing soul. 

Play around with Clubs, learn the movements and patterns, customize your own workouts and have fun. Be old school with a smile. Be amazingly awesome.   

The Realism Of Energy Levels

 It's not always easy to understand that sometimes, our energy levels vary from day to day and how our mind and body can take a certain amount of energy to use. In a fantasy world, your energy is constantly boundless, you can't get tired and you channel your energy anyway you want but in the real world, energy varies with certain people and it's never equal. Some days, your energy isn't always there and you force your body to keep going because there are responsibilities, things have to be done and you just have to suck it up; it can be draining as fuck. Other days, everything is there, the energy is just crazy and you can go and do many things with ease and just hit the right spots, we've all had some of those days.

I can be very energetic at times like during my training or being out with people, living it up and working on projects or doing certain things like snow shoveling, moving furniture or going on hikes. Sometimes, my energy just isn't there, even if I am training and use up what I can to get through it. I may not always feel up to things and weather affects me sometimes, mental drainage happens and not always in the best place. It's called being human and you do what you can on a day to day basis. Our mental capacity, our physical energy and effort does have limits and some just can't grasp the idea that there's no such thing as the perfect level of energy.

You can take all the pills, the energy drinks, the coffee, the pre-workout you want but eventually, certain things will happen and something will either kill you or put you in the hospital because you overwhelmed the system and the body needs time to heal. We forget that at times and we then run on fumes while making as much effort as possible and sacrificing ourselves to make certain things happen or getting this project done, making sure the kids are ok and if all the bills are paid; we sacrifice the energy we do have in order to fulfil certain tasks in life. In tough times, it can be difficult to have great energy because you have busted your ass with very little reward and your beating up the body in order to make life better for others such as a family, can't get any more real than that.

Is it possible to have more days with great energy than others? Very much so but it's more of an individual thing than just a general spreadsheet of how to incorporate your energy levels. In some cases, having a booster can do the trick like for some a 5 hour energy drink kicks in and you got into that level of being in the zone. Music can help too especially if it helps get into a rhythm to make things flow and your tasks become a little easier. Some people only have a specific type of energy due to brain chemistry and use it to pay attention to certain things because of what requires their time and capacity. For example, there are people with immense brain power like Mathematicians, Engineers, Physicists, those who have the energy and strength to solve equations with great focus; others like Laborers, Athletes, Farmers and Construction Workers who have the brains to channel into their physical body to do great tasks that do take up a ton of energy and use that body to move things, have the ability to operate machinery and control themselves as best as possible so they don't get hurt in order to make a living. 

Now, when you mix two styles of energy together, it can have 50-50 or more/less of consequences with the tasks you are given to do and using energy to get those tasks done. You won't see many physicists trying to move furniture or dig ditches for hours on end because not only do they not have the physical capabilities to channel that energy, many don't have the strength or the mental aspect to do those tasks. You're also not going to see much of a Laborer trying to keep up with the science and mathematic mind of a Neil Degrasse Tyson or Stephen Hawking because they don't have the capacity or specific energy and focus to do those things (unless there's a Will Hunting out there somewhere which can be possible). There's also the ability to channel the energy we need to do things even through we are exhausted and letting the tank run even though it's about to be empty. That happens a lot in life especially those who work hard for a living in order to build a life for themselves or raising a family. We channel what is possible through mind over matter and screw the consequences later. 

All in all, we do what is possible for us to use the energy we have on any given day. Sometimes we have to go the extra mile and suffer in order to get things done, other times our energy is so big that we have sharper focus and physical capabilities that we didn't think we had, tasks get done with ease and we just feel great and feel invincible. Realistically, we can only do so much and many suffer damage to years of being worn down through physical injuries, mental breakdowns, trying to ease pain with party favors and drinking among other things. Very, very few come out of it without ego or able to heal up certain aspects of damage whether mental, physical, emotional or all three. There's pride in how we use our energy and the outcome of it but there's also ego in the case where you force energy levels and there's no consequences or very little so you push on and things will be alright, that's an extremely rare thing. 

Make your energy count and use it as best as you can regardless of the situation but also remember that our energy will only go so far until it becomes crucial.     

Pain Is A Powerful Lesson

 Been one of the hardest months of my life physically as this Sciatica injury is just kicking my ass. All the stretching, the rehabbing and doing everything possible gets frustrating and full of doubt. This is quite possibly the worst injury that involves so much pain for so long since my accident with my legs. Talk about misalignment and the feeling down your leg feels like getting a mobster taking shots with a baseball bat. 

For small periods there is little pain but other times, might as well be debilitating. The reality is, I know it'll end sooner or later and what I'm doing is helping, it's just hard as hell to be patient and let it heal. I also can't give up on myself either and stop training because without training, I'm not me and that vow I made to myself a long time ago that the day I can't do anything training wise is either when I'm dead or in a coma. The pain is excruciating but I can't just stop. When it becomes so painful that putting on clothes or even standing to do dishes becomes a difficult task, there's something not right there.

I don't believe I tore anything or ruptured anything otherwise I wouldn't be able to walk at all but yeah, I have a fucked up joint in my hip that shoots down my leg. No I'm not looking for sympathy or want anyone to feel sorry for me, I did it to myself and I can't blame anyone. Facing it head on is hard enough and beating myself up comes with the territory with me. I don't wish this amount of pain on anyone, not even the ones I have issues with. Pain is a powerful lesson but it also gives you an opportunity to find out what you can do despite the pain. When you feel so limited, it feels like defeat even though it really isn't. Fighting to get back is a road that takes many turns and the paths can go anywhere. There are signs that point you in a direction but what you choose becomes a defining factor of when the destination hits a standstill. There is doubt, frustration, anger, thoughts of giving up, wishing you had morphine on hand and doing anything possible to not feel pain but you keep fighting anyway because the moment you give in to any of those things, you failed and I can't fail no matter how many times they're thrown at me. 

I don't deserve special treatment or deserve to be helped. A part of me wants to suffer and deserves to suffer because I let it happen. Another part of me understands that I can't control 100% of the time what happens to me because injuries can occur at any moment and no matter how good we are at training or how much knowledge we have about avoiding injuries, it creeps up on you and the moment it does, you're tested to see what is possible while you recover. You're hurting and beat up but like Rocky, you keep going, you keep fighting until you can't anymore. Even though it's painful, I'm still in the fight and as Captain America would say "I can do this all day" and do whatever it is you have to to get back to being your true self again. 

Even Batman gets hurt and with all those bruises, shiners, busted ribs at times and taking on tasks that most humans couldn't even do at 1% of their best, its important to realize we're all still human and we can't heal like a a Wolverine or Deadpool even though we wish we could. Pain is a bitch of a teacher, but every teacher gives us an opportunity to learn and grow. The struggle is real but the journey is part of that struggle and you keep moving forward inch by inch if you have to. 

Step Ups & Hindu Squats: A Leg Workout From Hell

I've written about my latest Deck Of Cards workout consisting of Step-Ups & Hindu Squats. This time, I actually filmed it in its entirety from start to finish with barely any rest other than than flipping the cards. It is literally a workout from hell that will have you sweating and breathing like a maniac. Some think I lie about my workouts especially one lame ass dude who talks everyone's ear off on his own channel while also trying to call me out or bash me to his cult-like email list using unoriginal high school trash talking as he "demos" his version of bodyweight training. That's pretty sad, petty and to be blunt very pathetic for a grown man to resort to that. Someone like that needs to seek professional help. Anyhow, this was something I have wanted to show for a while but was reluctant cause I didn't know if my camera would be able top hold out for the length I needed to do. Luckily, it worked and you can see for yourself that I did what I said I would do. 

That's the thing I learned later on in my fitness journey is that some guys are great at talking and demonstrating their craft, guys like Bud Jeffries, Matt Schifferle, Logan Christopher, Tyler Bramlett and bad ass ladies like the Scottish Super Woman Kirsten Tulloch and Ant Strong Rocker Melody Schoenfeld. I'm not one of those people and I learned that the hard way in my early days of filming workouts, feats and exercise demos. In the last number of years, I basically stopped talking all together and just went out there and did it. I let my physicality do the talking and yeah sure, I'm not perfect or flashy, I just run with it and if it's beneficial than I put it up. 

I rarely ever put up a full workout these days because for one, not everyone has the attention span to see workouts that last more than 5 minutes and two, I prefer to put up demos of various exercises so people can learn them and create workouts for themselves while I promote some of the best stuff out there. It's a better choice for me and it's gotten a lot of positive feedback. This workout however was special to me because I was already sore from the day before doing over 320 Hindu Squats. I haven't done that many in a while and just wanted to see what I could do, I felt it that's for fucking sure and also because it isn't some flashy and sparkly spectacle of cool moves and CrossFit style horror but simple and basic old school exercises that with enough length of time can be brutalized into some demonic, tough and physically demanding workout. 

The thing you'll notice about the video is that I don't really take a break other than to flip a card and do my best to keep my form as good as can be so I'm not bending over dying and ready to collapse. I keep going until that fucking deck is finished. By the end, I'm drenched in sweat, breathing like I just ran a marathon and raise my fists in victory. That's one of the things I learned from Matt Furey was after doing a workout with a deck, you celebrate and give thanks for a great workout and you accomplished something for yourself. It's hard and it's tough as hell but I'm grateful that I can do it and I'm happy that I can show you guys what I'm able to do cause the last thing I ever want to be called is a bullshitter and a liar, that makes it personal for me because anybody who truly knows me knows that not only am I the worst liar on the planet, I have no poker face and if I did lie, I would tell on myself faster than Clark Kent in a phone booth changing into Superman. Not only did I finish this workout, I did it in less than 30 minutes and never once felt like quitting. 

It's one of the toughest workouts I've ever put myself through and had no one to blame but myself if I failed. I love what this workout gives and the combination of unilateral movement with Squats is sure fire to kick your ass. Altogether I did 675 Total Reps (450 Step Ups & 225 Hindu Squats). It builds incredible muscular endurance, conditioning, long term strength and is a complete calorie burner. Want to know what it's like to have your lungs feel like they're on fire, see and hear for yourself. This can be done just about anywhere and the only equipment is a step stool and a deck of cards as your coach. If you can't do it at first, that's ok, do what's possible and build up from there. Once you get the hang of it, go as fast as you can without compromising your form or hurting yourself. I'm not even going complete Speedy Gonzales on this thing, I let the speed come naturally and be as smooth as possible. 

This will have you breathing heavy like crazy and there's no real way around that. You do the best you can to control your breathing but as you go along, keep as natural as possible. It's hard and it will test you especially the faster you go. It's intense and it'll feel like you're going to die but do what you can to get through it. Be mindful and progress to where yeah you're breathing like a maniac but your mind is strong and taking it one card at a time and not forcing yourself against the clock. Focus on the task on hand, not the clock or the random thoughts in your head, focus and utilize that 1000 mile stare. 

Take a shot at it if you're ambitious and see what's possible. Be strong, get some leg work in and keep being amazingly awesome. Here it is you guys, the full workout that delivers like an awesome pizza in 30 minutes or less. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Spartan Formula

BTW, here's a couple shots of my calf development that I took yesterday. Think they're coming in pretty good since I don't specialize in them.

Heading Back To My Animal Roots

I go through many phases of training to keep my mind wanting to try new things or experiment with combinations of methods but what draws me back more than anything else is the Animal Movements and the Free Flowing Combos. Hell, I did a 4 1/2 minute workout straight through to this song by Beasto Blanco on the spot and just let the exercises come on their own. It felt great and also felt like a splash of cold water water on my face waking my ass up. It was natural and instinctive. Included Crawling, Stretching, Mobility, Switches, Backward Rolling & Shin To Feet Jumps.

Training this way takes out all the stuff about set & rep schemes and just move. The practice of getting into a flow, breathing into it and let your instincts takeover isn't easy to do but once you get it, there's nothing like it. Sort of like Rickson Gracie going into a meditative state as he moves throughout a workout and let's his intuitiveness handle it instead of just thinking about it and analyzing everything. That's one of the things I'm drawn to, a few sets and reps of something is cool but to go into a place in your mind as the animal within takes over is a whole other ball game that many don't quite understand.

We rarely ever use our instincts and we are told by some that our instincts aren't valued and we need to pay more attention to detail in the sense of thinking too much and analyzing the way we go through life. The analyzing can be good to a degree but at some point we need to learn how to just let go. If you've practiced the mechanics of any exercise method long enough, it becomes a muscle memory and instincts can shoot up depending on the situation. You've done it so many times that it becomes automatic. That's one of the key aspects of Animal Movements and Flow Combos, you practice them until they become a part of you, to the degree where you become something else for a few brief moments and your mind goes blank but your body is flooded with all this Physical Memory (if that's the right term to use).

With the Animal Deck Of Cards, sure there's reps to do. I've gone through enough times to wear the reps or steps are just part of it but I get in tuned to it more than any other type of workout using a deck of cards. It's not just a conditioning type workout, it's not just to get a sweat going and it sure as hell isn't a workout for the sake of working out, it's to embody being animalistic and letting go of all the crap around you. Without the cards, I free flow and see where it leads me. I play and develop that meditative state of just letting certain things take over. That's the true art of physical exercise. 

When I went through that workout while the song played, something just clicked that I haven't experienced in a while. Everything felt right, didn't think about anything else and just had this drive to let the music in and help me in that state of mind. It wasn't like an out of body experience or anything like that but I was in the moment, in the now and get in touch with my inner animal. I was conscious but the thought process wasn't really there and just let the body take over. It was surreal.

When you can train like that, there's no other feeling like it. The world you live in for a mere moment doesn't exist and all that is is the connection to your body and mind, no more, no less. Animal Movements can give you that in ways other exercises can't (at least in my experience). Give them a chance and see where they take you. You don't need to do exercises so damn advanced that they seem impossible, work the basics and form a way to flow through certain things. Let it be fun, challenging and not so much a chore or something that bores you to death. 

Be instinctive, build that mind/muscle connection with the aspects of nature and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Here's a little Push-Up & Scorpion Combo Flow you can try out to get some mobility, coordination, strength and agility. Do this as many times as you like and it can be a warm up or cool down in your regular workout.

Pracitce Enlightening Yourself

    There is no bad reason to be helpful to people. When you choose to help someone for good reasons or no reason at all it's empowering and gives you a sense of spiritual strength that not many in this world have but yet you also can't help everybody. However you can always learn to help yourself. There are things we can't always control so we learn to focus what we can to stabilize that balance. The practice is not just sitting in meditation or unlocking some secret of happiness, it's channeling our energy to understand who we are from both the inside and the outside and making the choice.

 
    Give yourself a chance to relax from within. You may or not be up and about for long periods of time but if you don't give yourself time to just relax on a mental and emotional level it'll come back and bite you on the ass. Some people I know do so much for others and try to give them the love and/or help they need no matter what it might be but they don't take care of themselves emotionally and sometimes they can become bitter and negative, it's not a knock to them it's cold hearted facts whether they admit it or not. Being in enlightment doesn't mean learning a philosophy and try to imitate it or read a book about something and then be an expert on it because you seem to know everything and it sure as hell doesn't mean that you can be the sweetest person in the room then be a cold hearted prick or a bitch and talk shit behind someone's back. Enlightment to me means being in balance with who you are and how you present yourself from an emotional stand point that has positive influences regardless of the way life throws at you.

 
    It doesn't get easier but it can make life a little more interesting. I do my best to handle myself in a productive way; not fight (verbally or physically), be open, try not to get offended (although it takes a ton to get offended) and don't listen to negative bullshit. I'm not perfect and neither are you but together we can learn how to better ourselves on a deeper level and understand the true power of our own spiritual strength. I'm not religious and don't put myself through organized religion but I 'am however a spiritual person in the sense where I look to what makes me happy and use it in positive ways like philosophy, love and channeling my inner strength to have a brightened life no matter what but if you give me crap, you'll hear about it. It's that balance that makes us human, the yin and yang of our inner universe.

 
    One of life's greatest gifts is the power to learn (and this takes a lifetime of experience) to challenge who you are in all aspects but never let go of who you are. The challenge is to find what makes you balance those things in life that make you happy, strong, weak, sad, deepened positivity and the way you look at the world yet hold onto the best things about yourself because there will be others that will try to take that away from you and some don't have the strength to hold on and give in to those who are destroying them yet some will just find a way to overpower them with love, kindness or things that don't have any real meaning to them and let go of those people in general. You possess a greater power than you'd like to believe but in order to achieve it, it takes practice, it takes learning experiences that are out of your control and sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom to truly learn how to bounce back in all aspects physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Enlighten your being by choosing to learn how to better yourself from your perspective and build your own philosophy.

 
Happy Monday everyone. Be safe, be awesome and remember as a bonus for buying great stuff on the site you will get a free one-on-one coaching session with me. Look to the site on how to do this.
    

Connection & Individuality

           There’s always energy surrounding us. Sometimes we feel it more so than others, often the majority can’t even fathom or notice it but it is there, how we use that energy is up to us as a whole; physically, emotionally, intuitively, spiritually and mentally. Like the force, energy binds us, connects us and hits us from every angle even when we don’t notice it. It’s that universal power that creates the fire and emotion we all have.

            We are all connected but also have a single body. Our connection to others has different meanings whether you’re good or bad, part of a religion or a spiritual enthusiast, race, creed it doesn't matter what does matter is when something is off balance something always seems to hit us in one way or another. Connecting with others gives you the opportunity to learn and understand where they come from and what they mean to you but also as an individual it’s important to learn about yourself and how you see yourself having that connection.

            We strive all our lives to find who we are as a person and for some, they become something they didn't expect to be, others feel it’s their destiny to be apart of something and then there are those that are forced into becoming something they don’t want to be. Finding who you are is the ultimate challenge and it’s never easy but once it hits you, you never want to turn back and move forward with what you want to become. Loving others is another challenge and it’s just as hard as finding who you are but it’s simpler. Loving another human being is a state of mind in my opinion because no matter what they've done that may seem hurtful or even grateful, in your mind they’re still a human being and having some kind of love for them makes you nobler, caring, giving and having the will power to not give into the hate.

            There are different meanings to certain things but all have a common goal; being accepted. Accept who you are and accept who certain people are because the more you try to change who you are or someone else, it’s just going to be a bigger burden on you. Accept change. Not saying you should join a cult or become a mass murderer I’m not talking that kind of acceptance, I’m talking about acceptance that’s meaningful to you and it has a positive notion of how you want to see the world. Our mindset is different from each person and we all see the world in our own way but yet if you learned to shift your mind to a positive image and feel love no matter where you go, our energy changes, our emotions perk up, we find things that make us happy.

            I’ll tell you first hand that even around people I love and care about, some of them don’t accept me as a person because of some of the things I do or say, hell they can’t stand my sense of humor most of the time and it’s not a burden on me, it’s on them but it’s up to me to learn how to control my mind and see a more positive outlook from those who have no real positive objectives. What I’m pointing out is that even if you’re not accepted even by those closest to you, you must accept yourself. It’s one thing and when you learn to use it, the rest of the world don’t mean a damn thing except you made it a priority to love the world for what it is.

Muscle Control Journey

      Well where do I start? First to introduce myself I am Lewis Lindsey Jr. Well from the time I was young I had always admired the strength in others be it physical or mental. Throughout my life me along with my brother Jarell have always seen examples of both from different folks. One of the main ones my father Lewis Sr who was 5’6 and served in Vietnam had always shown signs of strength. 

     Lifting up my  mom who at the time was heavier and on top of that losing her ability to walk due to MS he was holding a dead weight but he made it look easy. In terms of their mental strength my father held on strong throughout the years even after having his Strokes and Heart Attacks he still maintained his sense of humor and will power until the end of his life in 2005. I remember this story my mom use to tell me at the time. She would talk about this story all the time where the ambulance was trying to pick up my mom who at this point is losing her ability to walk so their lifting dead weight.  

     My father wasn't a big guy by looks but while these pretty big guys were struggling to lift my mom up together he was able to do it singlehandedly.  I can believe that as I've seen him on the regular do things like this and that became my motivation to want to be able to gain that strength mentally and physically. So by the age of 10 I was already lifting my mom up who at the time was dead weight and around the high 200 range. My brother in law was also another man of great strength doing many feats of strength himself both in the mental and physical department. So I had those influences early in life. I also without realizing it was introduced to isometrics by my brother in law as he would have me sometimes do wall sits and push up holds then but years later when I would see my younger brother again I would be reintroduced to it like he was.  

    I would look up the likes of Bruce Lee one of my favorite fighters and philosophers and saw how he also incorporated isometrics in his daily routine from reading his books. My Jarell also shared with me 7 Seconds to a Perfect Body by Paul O Brien(now legally Batman O Brien) and got more into isometrics. I was definitely seeing that I was getting stronger but didn't have control of the strength which was pretty scary for people(laughing) so I had to first learn to control it. So then one day with my brother I learned about Maxick and Muscle Control. I learned the need to control my muscle well my body through the mind and I learned to not so much tense the muscles but rather to relax them.  

   I believe I started muscle control since April to now July 28, 2013. My muscles feel less tense and more rubbery and I notice I have a little more control of my muscles and though I haven’t yet gotten complete control I can see I’m on the pathway there and I look forward to continuing this journey and want to share that with others would want to get into Isometrics and Muscle Control. I have great respect for the likes of Benjamin Bergman, Batman O Brien and other modern strongmen who continue to keep this legendary culture alive and being willing to teach others. I can say my journey isn’t over and I only have more to grow and I indeed will.  

Animal Ability

           Do you want to have the strength, mobility & toughness of an action hero? Well let me tell you about my own method that I have used training myself (& others as a former fitness trainer) to work towards this goal. Let me preface this by saying if you want to be a powerlifter, bodybuilder, etc you need proper guidance for steering this toward your specific goal. Also if you play a specific sport you need to make sure you add in specific skill development.
     
        My methods will take you 80-90% towards anyone of these categories. If you want to be prepared to take on anything then this is a (if not the) style to use. Strength, power, speed, agility, quickness, mobility & flexibility are what this style will help you build.
   
       So let's jump right in & quit the yammering, the following is a guideline to the order I have found works well in most cases. Now when I say most that means it is NOT written in stone. Do not be afraid to experiment! Just don't hurt yourself doing something weird. I train six days per week, one day conditioning/cardio type movements, the next more explosive/strength/power oriented work. I use Monday – Saturday with Sunday being a free day.

       General Warm-up – I know, I know, boring, but it needs to be done. Take at least five (5) minutes of moving all or at least the majority of your joints. Do not just get on a bike for 5 minutes & think you have done good, because you haven't. Jumping Jacks or a variation are a good thing to start with, but you need some squatting/hinging, some reaching & twisting.

       Specific Warm-up – This is usually used mainly on  explosive/strength/power days as your body works best when your nervous system is stimulated. This usually (you may see this word a lot) consist of the first 3-5 exercises or movements simulating them. I even do this for explosive jumping/plyometric movements, I just do them without as much explosiveness.

       THE WORKOUT!
       Stamina/Conditioning/Cardio - I sometimes use a certain skill or skills I wish to learn at or near the beginning, but then I get into the meat. I use rounds/timed tempos with minimal rest between movements & rounds/tempos. I usually end the session with some odd work like muscle endurance in my feet, light resistance high reps.

       Explosive/Strength/Power – I usually (that word again) start with a jumping &/or sprinting drill. I try to make sure the combined rep total is 20. Depending on S/C/C day I choose drills that are not compromised from that training. This is important as it further stimulates the nervous system. This can allow stronger muscle contractions.

    Next I usually move to some high resistance lifts. I usually perform a squatting &/or hinging, upper body pull (vertical – horizontal), upper body push (vertical – horizontal), ofttimes I will follow with midsection or posterior chain work. I try to stick with certain basic movements & place specialized odd movements after basic heavier movements. Some people would choose to do it opposite, but in my experience the basic movements are so much heavier than odd movements that with focus it doesn't really matter that you have worked those muscles.
     
   A final comment before I go to the next part. E/S/P is not stamina/conditioning/cardio so take at least 0:30 or longer between movements. Having said that it is rare that I rest longer than 2:00.

       STRETCHING!!!! - This is the life saver. For the last five years I have been using http://www.yogabodynaturals.com/ method called Gravity Poses. I have no monetary interest in this company I just have found Lucas' Gravity Poses to work the best.
       RECAP:

       General Warm-up  5-10 minutes

       Specific Warm-up (especially on high resistance days) 5-10 minutes

       Stamina/Conditioning/Cardio 10-30 minutes

       Explosiveness/Strength/Power (jump, sprint, basics + esoteric) 15-30 minutes

       STRETCHING! 10-20 minutes

       Total Time S/C/C = 30 - 60 minutes

       Total Time E/S/P = 35 – 70 minutes

       You should always strive towards the lower end of the time scale. Most important take away is use the minimum amount needed to achieve your fastest gains.

       So if you wish to be prepared physically & mentally for any activity or sport try the Animal Ability style!

Having Fun With Your Brothers/Sisters In Physical Culture

            

           When you’re apart of a group that has great admiration for fitness and willing to help you in any way possible, they become more like a family sort of speaks. It’s that camaraderie that just has that special bond that you don’t get from other people in your life. It’s when some of us get together and you never know what’s going to happen. One of my best friends in this type of world is Logan Christopher and he’s one of the first guys that helped me shape up what I’ am today. Whenever I hang out with him, he always ends up putting me in some weird workout situation, one time he pretty much threw me into a kettlebell contest, he even got me on the rock climbing walls after kicking my ass in warm ups, even pushed me to get better at bridging. It’s all about making someone better and the right people will talk to you.

            Helping each other out is one of the coolest things in the world. Sometimes we struggle to make a goal or at times you doubt yourself, that’s when they give you that big slap in the face (figuratively and literally at times) to wake your ass up and make things happen. I had one of those experiences when I spent time with Bud Jeffries when he came around my town in Idaho. He helped me out by putting things in another perspective and from his knowledge and wisdom I learned a lot from him in a very short period of time. When you have someone or some people like that, it’s very rare to find and it be wise to be around those types of people. Even when they might try to hook you up with a couple girls at Wal-Mart (thanks Bud).

            There are people in your life that want to bring you down but they do what they can to hide about it and some are right in your face. When those people don’t believe in you, there will be people that will and they’ll go out of their way at times to tell you so and show you why they do. Being around positive people that share similar goals and want to help you in any way they can, those are the people you want in your life. There are plenty of men and women I've met and even more that I've chatted with more than being in person with but the principles are still the same. I love helping others because I had the opportunity to be helped out by those same people and want to pass that on. Doesn't matter what color your skin is, your background, religion, creed, passion you’re another human being like me who’s doing their best to make it in this world.

            In the world of Physical Culture, just like everybody else sometimes there’s a bit of chaos but in a good way, when you have a group of guys who train their asses off and then get together at a restaurant, its bound to get loud at times, telling stories, cracking jokes and even learn a few tips. Other times when you hang out with each other, they’ll push you like no one else will and at times there’s no remorse. You hear stories go around that are just plain strange and others are just funny as hell (Bud told me a story about Dennis Rogers that just made crack up). Even with all that shit going on, you’ll know when they have your back and give you that love and respect for one another even when one of them is a bit nuts but then again we’re all nuts in our special way.

            You are never alone and you’ll learn sooner or later who your brothers/sisters are in this wacky world because there comes a time when everything is in its place and you share things with other people that even your own family will never understand. It goes back to that bond you don’t see much in this day and age. Find them, learn from them and help each other out because eventually, success will be well in reach and you’ll soon find out how you got there.

Why Learn Your History

               In the world of fitness, you learn a few things here and there but not many want to learn where certain things started or how they got there in the first place. In just about every program there’s a historical significance to it. Say you wanted to learn about Barbells and Dumbbells so you can get strong and usually the first people they learn about is Arnold Schwarzenegger or a today’s Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler. There’s a difference between lifting strength and bodybuilding. If you really want to learn about those two pieces of equipment you could really learn from guys like Reg Park, John Davis, Doug Hepburn, Arthur Saxon and quite possibly the strongest of them all Louis Cyr. The more you glimpse of what lifting’s history the more you’ll want to take it up.

            Strength Training dates back thousands of years as far as ancient India with the wrestling sport of Kushti where you learned to wrestle, run, swim, swing clubs and the mace which were used as weapons during a period when battles required the utmost of strength. In the golden eras of Greece and Rome, they had to train harder than most can fathom today and especially as soldiers because they learned how to handle a heavy sword or shoot tough arrows so they used a style of Isometrics in order to increase the strength and speed of the arrows in battle. Here’s something you may not have known but in the time of Leonardo da Vinci at a young age he was quite the athlete and even had strength to bend horseshoes.  You see, fitness and exercise ends up in places you didn't think were possible. Some of these vary same things are what makes training today even though mainstream training has become a nuisance.

            We've all seen records broken right after another but there are records that most people don’t even know exists. We've all heard at one point in sports like Basketball where the Boston Celtics won what 8 straight titles but what about one man who went 15 years undefeated in weightlifting in three different decades 1938-1953, that man was the legendary John Davis. How about another record that most likely will never be broken, The great Gama won 5000 matches in wrestling and not lost once, you know what record is more popular than that, Rocky Marciano’s Boxing record of being undefeated. Records come and go all the time and whenever we see one today there’s not much of big thing about it but think about what record breaking was like back in the 20’s, even when the 1900’s rolled in, it was huge. How about this, did you know that back in the early 20^th century, pressing more than 350 lbs. overhead was unheard of and was the talks of the town, now imagine that weight being pressed overhead with one arm, got nothing to say now huh?

            No matter what you’re in whether its sports, music, weight lifting, Archeology or even certain types of science, learn the history, educate yourself. Continue to use your mind and you’ll soon understand why using the mind and body work together, not just in exercising but with everything. Something always started somewhere, learn where it came from and learn about the people that made those things happen. I just wish they can put the history of Physical Culture as an academic curriculum in schools such as High School and College. There’s a lot to be learned in this world and the more educated you are with the right tools of mind and body working together, you’re on the right path. 

Learning From A Physical Culturist

 I have doing exercise since I was a little kid in PE and first got a taste of Weight Training when I was an early teen. After High School I joined a gym and learned from a few guys here and there but never made a big impact with them and just didn't get it. After my accident back in 2005, I began learning just a few things from a book called Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. When I began walking again and was cleared to train, I dedicated myself to get stronger and healthier and it just happens that one of my good friends lived only literally a couple doors down, we call him the Duke but to a lot of people today you know him as the Garage Warrior Tyler Bramlett. He was the first guy that taught me real conditioning and mental toughness. This was my stepping stone into Physical Culture.

 One of the guys Tyler had me research on was Karl Gotch, the man who’s considered the God of Pro Wrestling in Japan, one of the first things I learned was how to use bodyweight exercises on a deeper level. I had already done some work on the deck of cards workouts but another thing I learned later on was “You think you know, you’re dead.” Getting that stuck in my head I understood that if you want to be great, you got to keep learning. Just because you know a thing or two doesn't make you a superior expert, you keep testing yourself and when you pass your knowledge onto others you want them to succeed more than you did, if you don’t than you’re not a good coach and you haven’t learned a damn thing.

 Another great wrestler of the old days was Billy Robinson who has quoted saying “You learn how to learn” by this he means no matter what you do in life or in training you keep filling your head like a sponge and although you could be a master later on, you will always be the student. Understanding this isn't easy because you've done so many things in your life and yet you feel there’s nothing left but only have touched the surface. In nearly 8 years of being in the Physical Culture world, I have learned more than most guys my age have learned in their entire life and yet I haven’t even peaked the mountain. Constantly learning helps you become more successful, doing things one day at a time.

  Taking foundations from different elements of training gives you variety and teaches you which ones to work with and not to work with. Taking from Tyler and other guys it is essential to build your style and learn how to maximize them with different parts from different people. If you just do the same stuff over and over and expect something different to happen you’re on your way to be insane (literally). The ability to find your own style makes you unique and although most people don’t like change it’ll make them think twice about what they do.

 A golden rule in the Physical Culture world that made me learn the hard way with a few guys is the level of respect. Respecting others who have made big impacts, small ones and even crossed in the middle should be respected. I’m not saying you should like everything someone puts out, hell I can’t stand some of the crap that’s out today but I give those men and women credit for doing what they think is best. There’s guys out there who hate weights but love bodyweight, some loathe bodyweight and embrace weights and then there’s guys who are caught in the middle like me, Tyler, Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher and many of the old-timers. We all have our own opinions of what works, what doesn't and what can be improved but in the end you learn respect not just to them but yourself because the moment you learn to respect that you are as a person and/or athlete, the bigger your opportunities will be.

 There’s always going to be debates on who’s the best of the best but in my opinion there’s no such person. Each Physical Culturist over the last 100+ years has had something that made them successful and they’re the best at it. I’m not going to compare who’s great at what and who’s the most successful because come on that’s just a waste of time and you’re not going to accomplish much. There’s a lot of great strongmen, wrestlers, steel benders, hand balancers, bodybuilders and others that are no different than you and me, just have something special about them that you can also find within yourself.

 To truly understand Physical Culture it’s a lifelong journey from your beginnings up until the day you die, there’s no real destination. You constantly learn, take things from different places and mold them together creating your own jigsaw puzzle so do speak. It’s finding who you are as a person physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Put Your Back Into It

Stretching the spine and back muscles is one of the most important aspects of Physical Training and that’s because the spine gives us that electric charge from the brain to the cord itself. You can get injured with a broken wrist, I’ve had my legs broken and had my ribs nearly crushed but having a broken back if worse a broken spinal cord, the chances of coming back are slim to none. Keeping yourself flexible in that area gives the rest of your body that power and supercharged.

 That electrical energy in your body is really at that cord that’s in the middle of your back and the stronger it is, the stronger your body is. It connects to everything from your muscles to your nerves, all the way towards the brain where it all brings the rest of the body together. There are many ways to stretch the back but there are those that actually teach the wrong way and don’t realize that they can get hurt doing some of these things. Do your own research and you’ll see what I mean.

 One of the best exercises you can do for your back is the Bridge. This exercise alone can help bring that powerful charge in the spine into a level of strength you couldn’t have imagined before, you can do this in the Wrestler’s Bridge (aka neck bridge) on the head or the Gymnastic Bridge (wheel pose for you Yoga maniacs). There are many ways to do the Bridge and you can even do certain athletic moves while in those positions.

 

 

Another part of the body that many neglect is your neck. Your neck is a series of muscles and tendons that help hold your head up and held up with the muscles of the back. You see everything has to work together otherwise we’d be pretty awkward looking. Too many people forget to work the body as a whole but you have these wackjobs as experts in the gym telling you to do this for this muscle and that for that muscle, it’s all crap. When you work on the whole body but focus on a specific part, you get a different perspective on what it takes to work the body as a complete piece.

 Quite arguably the greatest Catch Wrestler of all-time Karl Gotch taught his students that if you want to be a complete wrestler, you must first learn the bridge because it teaches how to work the body in unison and it’s one of the best forms of Physical Conditioning. Now you don’t have to be a wrestler or a world-class athlete to do this stuff, with the right instruction and the will to practice, the majority of people can learn this stuff. There’s even Bridging in Yoga if you haven’t figured that out already and Yoga is one of the most popular forms of training.

 Like I said before, you don’t have to be a wrestler, gymnast, Yogi or another type of Athlete to understand and learn how to keep your body specifically your back and spine in great shape and it’s a great time saver. You don’t need to do cardio or an hour of weights to get in awesome shape, you can if you want but I can assure you from personal experience and from a couple I’ve trained, working exercises that target the back and neck while using the while body will get you breathing harder than an asthmatic finishing a 10 second sprint.

 

 Your body will become a fitness machine and it doesn’t take more than a few minutes a day. At 240+ lbs. I can hold a wrestler’s bridge for three minutes anytime I want and can hold quite well on the gymnastic bridge and am in better shape because of these exercises than I ever did when I was training with weights in my teens. I’ve even become stronger in the weights through some of this type of training and I’ve kept getting stronger every time I go to the weights without touching them for months at a time. Not saying this can happen for you but with practice and learning different things, you’ll be surprised what you can do outside of that type of training. Keep your back strong and spine stronger, it’ll thank you in the end, I guarantee it.

There’s No Suffering In Exercise

Back in the early 90’s there was a baseball movie called A League Of Their Own and one of the most famous lines of that film was “There’s No Crying In Baseball.” If you ever get a chance, check it out it’s a great movie and one of Tom Hank’s best performances after Big. Now what does that have to do with exercise? Well, some of us do cry while training, sometimes if we get hurt and others when we accomplish a goal. Many people in fitness feel like exercise is torture and think its just another day in the gym, in the end they end up suffering and that’s something that should never happen. “There’s no suffering in exercise.”

 Most trainees put so much stress on themselves that they drain their emotional strength and mental strength to keep up with them. That’s one of the ideal problems with the fitness magazines and routines they put in there. Forget for one moment trying to look like a Ronnie Coleman or a Jay Cutler and try to realize how ridiculous these routines actually are. Almost every routine you’ll find has no realistic approach to progression and people don’t realize how painful some of are as well. I had bought a Iron Man encyclopedia when I was weight lifting back in the early-mid 2000’s and tried every possible routine to see which one worked and at one point one did work but only for a short time. I was promised that I would build strength and muscle if I did this routine often but yet one came, the other didn’t and I’ll leave that a mystery to you readers.

 You suffer because someone told you to do this for strength, that for endurance, the other for flexibility and some go awful crap for building big chests and biceps I mean seriously, who the bloody hell can manage all that let alone doing 30 min. of cardio before doing your weights and god forbid that if you can’t handle it, they’ll tell you you’re weak and shouldn’t train at all. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. To get out of your suffering, research what you want to learn, test exercises you want to do, work on the technique that suitable to your body’s structure and build your own routine. Everyone can be good at something, just because some trainer tells them their lousy and have no real strength tells me that they’re nothing but low-life scumbags. The real way to get results is to make a goal, find what works, work on technique and make the damn thing fun.

 Flipping the coin of suffering and enjoying yourself doesn’t have to be one or the other, your goal is to enjoy yourself, challenge yourself and master what you want to learn. Trainers come and go but your health is a life-long quest and if you want to make the best of it, quit seeing it as suffering and set your mind to looking forward to it and have a smile at the end. I have suffered just like everyone else at the gym and I hated training at one time and if you hate doing something you love there’s a major problem there. Mentally program yourself and you will find that if you make one little change, it can have a big impact not just building your body but building your life all together. Don’t suffer, be happy and make things happen for you.   

Ferocious With A Vengence

As of late there have been a few strongmen popping up around certain areas around the world. Some ain't very legit and those few that are legit are far and in between. I can tell you first one of those legit strongmen is not only out there but he's hungry and full of fire and passion for the world of Physical Culture. That one man is Matti Merzel.

He burst onto the scene not too long ago compiling feats of strength that need to be seen to believe from bending and breaking wrenches, ripping phonebooks, 6000 Kettlebell Swings and one of the most awe-dropping Snatch test of 304 KB Snatches in 10 min. He hasn't been in the game very long but has already risen through the ranks of one of the fastest growing strongmen in the world today. His passion is unlike any other before or since. He has come into his own using influences by the best modern strongmen today with the likes of Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher, Dennis Rogers, Brooks Kubik, Ryan Pitts, Pat Poviliatis and many more.

From the looks of him, he looks like the typical, athletic and not very muscular looking guy but that's where looks can be deceiving as underneath that type of physique lies one of the most powerful men today and has more will power than anyone thought possible. He is the personification of being an individual who doesn't need big muscles to be extremely strong and gifted in the Super Human Conditioning category. Because of this, he has developed a style of strongmanism that very have ever achieved and plans to break as many records as possible and quite frankly I have every confidence he will achieve those goals. I've talked to him on several occasions sometimes for more then 2 hours and I will say first hand he is one of the most knowledgeable young guys today and has tremendous wisdom for a guy in his mid 20's. He is without question an individual that will speak from the heart and will tell you what he really thinks and I admire guys like him.

Because of his passion for Physical Culture, he has developed a website dedicated to the strongest of the strongest individuals throughout the history of Physical Culture. He wants to help those who are need for guidence into becoming one powerful individual physically, mentally and even Emotionally. So I encourage you to be open-minded and come on over to http://ferociousstrength.com/ and learn all about the journey and well written articles of this up-incoming Strongman including guest articles by other athletes including yours truely. You will find very valuable information that you'll only find in very few places. I also encourage you to sign up for his newsletter where you'll get great info on health, fitness and history on physical culture plus when you sign up you will get a bonus report on how to develop Emotional Anchors, it is a must read and once you apply even a spec of that report, your results will skyrocket and if you apply all of the info I don't want to imagine how far it'll take you not only in your training but your life as well.

Jackie Chan: Hardcore Athlete

Bruce Lee changed the way Martial Arts films were made and was a pioneer in the quest for what being an action star and dramatic actor was in films throughout Asia and the U.S. If there was one man who would be a successor to Bruce Lee and take action/comedy to a whole new level would be Jackie Chan. Chan personifies the qualities of a martial artist, action star and comedic actor all in one body.

 Martial Arts films are a genre that is unique and different among other genres. When you add comedy in the picture with awesome chorography, you have a blend that is a style all on its own. Chan’s skills are second to none as he doesn’t just know how to kick, punch and maneuver from many angles but the plethora of strength, agility and flexibility is one of the most surreal aspects that not many people realize. Growing up and training in a school for academics, athletics and theater, he took on a life most kids at that time was the norm unlike a child growing up in the U.S where you have school, do some form of extra-curricular activity and do homework, there was a guy who went to a school of hard-knocks as some of the training he was into was grueling and insane to western society.

 At a young age, Chan would go to the Theater and watch on the big screen, the legendary physical comedian Buster Keaton of the Silent Film era. Watching the actor became a passion and made the young prodigy love the world of acting and physical comedy. Although loving acting, Chan’s regimen in conditioning was legendary even at a young age doing hand balancing, various horse stances, high kicks, variations of extreme push-ups and sit-ups, fast pace punches that only a few including Bruce Lee ever achieved I mean it goes on and on. When it came to Abdominal Conditioning, Chan is far above than the majority of people in most cases. When you look at some of his films, the muscles on his abs are not just cool looking but they’re extremely powerful and can withstand quite a blow. When you have powerful abs like that, your whole body is powerful because training the Core is training the center of your strength and conditioning.

 Speed is another one of his phenomenal traits and I can think of only two other guys that have speed faster then the average person, those are of Bruce Lee and Jet Li, maybe Donnie Yen. You know you have phenomenal speed in a movie when the crew tells you to slow down by a huge margin; Bruce Lee was a perfect example of that when he was doing the short lived Green Hornet TV show. When you get good at going at a fast clip and with good form, your body’s nervous system will shift into overdrive and your growth hormone will ring up faster then any other attribute which means you can look young,burn fat, gain muscle and have energy unlike anything else.

 Jackie Chan has done countless movies throughout his career from Supercop to the Rush Hour trilogy but if there was one movie that is a must see that’s not only funny as hell but awe-dropping training methods at the same time with awesome Kung Fu to boot is one of his early films from the late 70’s called Drunken Master. I won’t give away too much of the film but there are certain scenes where his chorography is just incredible from a scene in his father’s Dojo to the grueling exercise regimen with his uncle doing horse stances, push-ups, sit-ups, crushing walnuts ect. It’s one of those films that have lots of comedy, awesome fight scenes and awesome messages about training.

 Chan is now in his late-50’s and shows no signs of slowing down and still has the grapes to do most of his own stunts which only an extreme few actors at that age can muster. He truly is the Bruce Lee of our generation and only a few after him can remotely have that type of status but there can be only one Jackie Chan.

The Forgotten Lift

Before anyone said “How much can you bench?” Before there were cardio machines reigning gymnasiums and long before the testing powers of Power lifting, there was one lift that gave you the most praises for your test of strength and that was the overhead press. This was the lift that told you how you belonged in the Physical Culture world and the two variations that became the stuff of legends were the Bent Press and the Two Hands Anyhow which means lifting 2 objects any way you can.

 In this day in age it’s very difficult to find almost anyone doing these lifts. The closest would be doing them with a kettlebell, rarely a dumbbell and almost never with a barbell. Why have these lifts fallen off the radar? Good question. Olympic Weightlifting has dominated the strength world and so has Power lifting and the Strongman competitions and have other tested feats of strength. However, these two lifts alone are one of the very pinnacles of what true lifting strength is and it’s also one of the most difficult to train. Yeah I can understand there are safety rules and injuries that can accrue but really, there are more dangerous lifts then these two bloodhounds.

 The man that not only made these two lifts famous but owns records that haven’t been broken in over 100 years was none other then quite possibly the greatest one-handed lifter of all-time Arthur Saxon. Saxon was a lifting god among the average man back in the old days of vaudeville and stage lifting. He and his brothers Kurt and Herman was the trio of strongmen acts that were unlike anything then and now. Their feats of strength were the talk of the world at that time and trained in very unusual ways. They drank beer, lifted, ate enormous amounts of food and trained day in and out for many, many years. In Germany, weight lifting and beer were the biggest draws and no one team of individuals did it better then the Saxon Brothers (aka Henning Family).

 When you talk about records you might think 762 career homeruns, 33,000+ career points in the NBA, 56 straight baseball games hitting 1 ball a game, Bret Favre’s consecutive games played in a NFL career, 100 points by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962 and even Wayne Gretzky’s most goals in a season, Saxon’s Bent Press should be right up there with them. His record of pressing 370 lbs. with one-arm stands the test of time and is a record that could never be broken. Think about that for a second, 370 lbs. with one arm. The majority of men can’t pick that much weight with two arms and yet one man defied the odds. His record of Two Hands Anyhow is 448 lbs, also an unbroken record.

 Those that have attempted to break these records have been on the receiving end of a failure. No one has come close and if it does get broken, I want to see it happen and I can probably see one guy I know do it and he’s determined to do it hell or high water in the coming years. It really is one of the ultimate challenges in the world of strength. Majority of men can lift something with two arms but to lift something with one-arm is a test of power, grit, world-class ability and the strength of a lion.

Cables For Building Strength For Strongman

In the last century throughout Physical Culture we've seen many strongmen perform great feats of strength such as bending nails, driving nails through boards, rip phonebooks in half, lever sledgehammers, bend and break odd objects, lift ridiculious amount of weight and in some cases do some crazy hand balancing. Yet with all of these things what did some of theses men used to build those levels of strength that would seem impossible to the average person? Well for starters most of them just practiced the feats just themselves and doing tons of isometrics for those feats but believe it or not some of the most famous names used Cable Training to enhance their strength.

The type of Cable Training I'm speaking of is not the pully machines that were in gymnasiums at the time but something more closer to home and thats what we call today the Chest Expander. Back then it had metal springs and would stretch as far as 12-16 inches compared to the rubber cables that can reach up to 18 inches or more. Men like Charles Atlas, The Mighty Atom, Thomas Inch, Eugene Sandow, John Grimek and Earl Liederman all at one point used cables to strengthen their bodies from various angles that weights and bodyweight exercises didn't hit and what happened when they used this device? Well saying they were damn strong would be an understatement.

The beauty with Cable Training is that you can hit angles in the shoulders, arms, chest, abs, back and the legs that many other systems can't and at times you need that type of strength and flexibility in order to keep yourself healthy and strong. Today Cable Training is more popular then ever with Lifeline USA and other companies using cables for just about every gym in the country. You can use them for just about anything, strength training, sports training, rehab injuries and even for endurance training.

Now there is some controversy in the fitness world and saying you can can't build strength and endurance in the same workout. Well I have friends that defied those odds and have done it myself and yes it is true that you can do this but with the right type of training. One way in this case is to do presses with a light cable and once you hit a high number you switch to a heavier cable and do low reps and you can do all sorts of exercises with this but with proper training you can create Strength & Endurance in the same workout.

One of my personal favorites of this type of training is mimicking certain feats of strength such as ripping a phonebook or bending nails or if you're a weightlifter mimick the one-arm clean & jerk/press. As a strongman I have to be in top condition for consistant strength in my feats so I use cables to help strengthen the muscles and tendons I need for the feats I want to perform.

Whether you're a Strongman, Athlete, Housewife, Hard Laborer, Businessman or just the average joe, cables can give you a really great workout in a much shorter time it takes getting the gym. You can have your gym right in your own bag. All you need to do is make a little effort and make a small commitment to becoming stronger, healthier and more durable with vitality and a powerful body.

My Review Of The Legacy Of Iron Series

Iron Game Author Brooks Kubik has been writing great stuff over the last 15+ years about how to build and develop natural muscle, strength and power. He has written countless articles about the greats of the past and how their methods excel over many of the top training ideas of today. For the most part since Bob Hoffman in my opinion he is the leading authority on muscle building books and teaching others how to use the basics for weight lifting, odd object lifting and fool-proof training programs that have made weak boys into bonified muscle men with no steroids or useless supplements.

Over the last few years he has written a series of novels that has never been done before. Publishing the stories of the old-time bodybuilders and strongmen of the 30's and 40's and creating certain characters that follow the programs and shenanigans of the weightlifters themselves as if it was happening in real life. This series is called The Legacy Of Iron which is now in its fifth volume and who knows what Brooks has been coming with on his new ones. To me everytime I read these books I feel like i'm right in the middle of the men and women of strength that i've read about ever since I began doing Physical Culture.

The books start right in the thick of one subject right after the other and just when you think one guy is about to get outlifted or is apart of the second world war something else just jumps right at you when you turn the page. These books have great rivalries, fighting, courage, conflicts, determination and plenty of beautiful girls to make Harry Paschall go nuts. Never has a series been this taught to the public and have 2 fictional characters learn from the same men and women who have helped millions of strength-infected young men and women to become strong, vibrant and powerful just like their heroes in the real fitness magazines of the time.

I don't want to give away any of the stories in the books but they do make you think of who these guys were whether their stories are fictional or not they will captivate your attention and have you believe as if you were sitting right next to them as if they became your best friends. Learn what true brotherhood means to the people in these books. Yes they did push each other and had a few rivalries but it was all for the same cause and thats to help the other get stronger and give him a chance to prove his metel.

I'm very honored to apart of the Physical Culture movement and I get to sit with the old-timers whenever I pick up one of these books and listen in my mind what they're gonna do next and teach me the true ways of being strong and not always whether its weight lifting or not, its the motivation that gets me everytime. Brooks has made it possible for me and many others to love Physical Culture the way it was meant to be and thats a source of being with your brothers and learning the true value of strength and pure feirce determination to prove to yourself and not others of what you can truely become if you just start putting in a little effort and progress.

Tendon Strength In Steel Bending

Building the tendons with steel bending takes focus, hard work and knowing which ones to start and where to advance. When I first started bending I tried out 40D Penny Nails and some of the Iron Mind white and green nails. Those started becoming too easy so what did I do to get better? I bought steel bars, flat, rounded and re bar. I began bending them like crazy into all sorts of shapes and made some art out of them. Now why am I telling you all this? Its because like me and a lot of up-coming strongmen you want to progress through different levels of difficulty and experiment with what you can and can't do.

As you progress through your training and building solid steel tendons you want to find certain pieces of steel whether short or long and its strong enough to where you can't even budge it. This type of training is a key ingredient to successful training in Bending Steel and that's Isometrics. With Isometrics you learn to hit various points of a bend kind of like a partial lift in weights. Learn to focus your power on a certain point so when you get to bends that you had trouble with before now can be very easy.

Now contrary to popular belief in some circles certain people believe that strongmen use the same style of bending whether braced or un braced (using the legs and not using the legs) which the opposite is actually true. The Mighty Atom for short bending used whats called an Under Hand grip style which during that time was the only thing people knew until his Protege' Slim The Hammer man said once he tried it and didn't feel comfortable to him so he puts his hands on top of the spike and then bent the spike with full force.

Another key about bending is to find your style of bending that works for you. My style is the reverse hand grip which is where one hand is in front of the other. Having your own style will make you unique in how you present yourself in that form of Strength Feats. In Logan Christopher & Bud Jeffries' new DVD set on Feats Of Strength, you will find and learn what bending can do for you as far as strength and endurance is concerned. They will teach you the right and wrong ways of bending because if you're not careful you will get hurt.

These 2 men along with a few others they have learned from are the real experts on Strongmanism. When you learn from a real strongman and learn the correct way to bend, tear and just manhandle anything you can get your hands on you will build a level of strength and fitness that makes commercial gym goers look like wimps. I have learned from both men and without question I immediately got better at what I thought what I was already doing right. This is where you need to have an open mind to learn from rugged and powerful trainers.

Now that you've made it this far LOL....I will tell you first hand that if you apply the techniques and principles of whats on this DVD set you will be one powerful strong wo/man and this course will help you find your nich whether you're an athlete, trainer or just the average person who wants to become strong, this will help you with the best of intents.