A Hater's Workout: Lots Of Typing, Zero REAL Training Done

 I saw a lot of this with a hater of my own. Some idiot who barely does 10 Squats on a Youtube Video will write a Tolstoy like Novel of a post about my own form and say the dumbest things that make no sense, not to mention plagiarizing my articles to make up fake reviews for his so called Isometric Course (if you even want to call it that, mainly copy and pasted garbage with no originality or actual training structure). Hell, he couldn't post a video of a real hold to save his life.

It's funny how some of these people utilize anecdotes more than actual science and individual adaptation and only post what they believe is right otherwise anything else outside their messed up bubble is wrong. 

Let me tell you the truth.....

Pseudoscience isn't real science. That should be a painfully obvious "No shit sherlock" moment but most of these guys can't get that through their overly biased thought process. Realistic research starts with the actual work being done, I've shown things like my bands and even performing a full Deck Of Cards Leg Workout. All he really shows is dumb rants and small little "hints" of his superiority to things like Pull-Ups when he struggles to get 6 yet claims he can 25 like its nothing. Talk about bullshit. 

Anecdotes aren't evidence either especially when it comes to the most exaggerated claims. Things like losing 132 lbs in less than 6-8 weeks. How the bloody hell is that even healthy? Where's the science behind that and being able to function? Even losing that in 6 months would be pushing it. It's not true, sure he lost a lot of weight but it wasn't in that period of time unless he did some kind of liposuction and made sacrifices to maintain it like his sanity. Making up stories like being able to casually swing a 40kg Club in each hand. I've seen footage of several people doing this but its nowhere near casual, it takes a load of coordination and not only strength but to even get those damn things upright in the first place. If you're claiming crap like that while weighing less than 135 lbs soaking wet, you better put up or shut up and not just picking it up and actually swinging it, put it on a scale to see the actual weight. For the record, 40kg is 88 lbs.

What's their biggest tell?

The Obsession. I've never met a strong dude that spends his day bitching and moaning about other people's training style or doing everything possible to debunk them. Real men, spend their time training and doing things to make it better for themselves. Weak men, take more time to hate. It's practically a full time job: Scroll, Analyze, Debunk and repeat over and over. No training that means anything and stay stuck as a pencil neck twig with a grudge. 

If your training works for you, that's awesome. If you like pull-ups, do them until the cows come home, like swinging clubs, cool. Just make sure you write the accurate weight instead of some outrageous arbitrary number that makes people question your math skills. Don't tell me about my form in certain movements like Hindu Push-ups while you turn it into something overly inappropriate. What is wrong with these people?

Here's an idea: Put your damn phone down or put the laptop away and actually move your ass doing something. Spend less time writing your little pity parties playing the victim and actually train. I highly doubt you will since you seem to care about what I do more than what you can do for yourself. Quit the hating, click baiting and be a man. Actually do something productive in your miserable life. 

Damn that was quite a rant wasn't it? Sometimes you just got to get stuff out every once in a while. Keep kicking ass everyone. Be amazingly awesome.  

100 2 And 1 Sapates Workout

 Today was a hell of a test day. Wanted to see if I can do 100 of the 2 & 1 Sapate Exercise. Keep it at 10 reps per set, 2:30 of rest in between and go from there. Normally it takes me 5 seconds to complete 1 rep of this and on my HIIT days I can do about 6 in 30 seconds. Doing 10 of these in a row is actually pretty damn tough. 

I knew this wasn't going to be easy and it would get harder by the later sets. Even with the amount of rest I was taking, the reps were getting heavier by like set 4 or 5 and my breathing was feeling like I was doing sprints. There was even a split moment where I wanted to quit but it faded so fast that barely even remember which set I thought it. I was determined to hit that 100. 

This was really pushing my own limits and testing my conditioning and mental fortitude. It was Strength Training, Cardio, Agility and Explosiveness all in one shot. As time went on, the pacing had to slow down a bit because I was feeling the lactic acid build up. This is where the resting was a godsend because if I did any less especially for later sets, I would've felt like my legs were like jello and my breathing would've felt so damn unbearable that it would've been a miracle to get past sets 6 or 7. In later sets, think my timing per rep went up to about 6-8 seconds per rep which is still hard considering what kind of exercise this is.

Every time I walked it off to rest, I just did my route around the living room, calming my breathing as best as I could and think intently about making it through the next set cause it did get harder and harder. Felt like my heart was going to jump out of my fucking chest and it seemed like I was ready keel over and die, but I kept going. I kept fighting and even though I was soaked from all the sweat, it was very rewarding by the end.

I made it to all 10 sets, 100 total reps. 100 Push-ups & 200 Squats altogether. It's one thing to do them separately cause that wouldn't be much of a challenge for those who are consistent with bodyweight training but to combine them together like that, that's a whole other sport in itself. It's hitting so many muscle groups that its hard to fathom. This was a test beyond sanity or even physical conditioning. It was a test of what I'm capable of doing for myself and what the possibilities are to be able to do it moving forward. It was one of the hardest workouts I've done in a while and it made workouts like my 500-1000 rep band workouts feel like a pre-warm up before a warm up. That's how crazy it was for me.

Doing them in a HIIT fashion felt easier LOL. So, would I do it again? Never say never. Could be once a week or every other week, you never know until I write up about it. It was brutal, tough and a little fun. Care to give it a go? See how you do but I will warn you, this isn't for beginners so I don't recommend you do this without spending some time understanding the mechanics, the pace and the specific workouts to keep things flowing. Let me know in the comments what you think. 

The Things I'm Grateful For In My Training

 My birthday is sometime next week and I want to take the time to reflect on a few things and be grateful with what I'm able to do. I'll be 42 and I don't feel it whatsoever. My fitness has been getting better and better, experimenting with things and making sure not to push to where there's a possible injury coming on.

Yeah 42 isn't that old to many but I'm also not in my 20's or my 30's anymore either so there are things that I choose not to do these days that I did do back in the day but I'm grateful for those years and doing things I didn't think were possible. 

I may not be doing heavy barbell squats or pistols but the current stuff I'm doing for my legs is fucking awesome. Because of things like Step Ups, the 2 & 1 Sapate, Isometrics, Sandbags and playing with sledgehammers, I don't have knee problems and my hips are just as mobile as ever. I'm not a runner for certain reasons that I'm not going to bore you to death with that you already don't know, but I will sprint every now and then, go for walks with the weight vest or go on hikes so I do these over conventional running. I keep my joints healthy through a routine that I molded years ago using circular patterns, stretching & DDP Yoga moves and from 2024, I haven't had back issues, maybe stiff at times but I once I get things rolling, it's all smooth sailing from there.

Do I feel things from time to time, yeah duh LOL. My ankles feel tight at times and my shoulders hit up but not in painful entities. I've got no arthritis or tennis elbow which is a plus cause some have started in early stages around this age from all the crazy shit they put themselves through years earlier. My cardio is at a great level due to my dopamineo training, HIIT Workouts and other things. The fact I can still go at a solid level of intensity without risking injury is just mind blowing. Seriously, when I was in my teens and early 20's, I thought 40+ year olds were mostly down hill and not maintaining. It's awesome to still be able to do things like Step Ups for 30 min or longer if I want to or tackle a band workout for 1000 Reps or more (think my biggest total is over 1300 at this point in a session) and still feel energetic. 

I don't smoke, never have in my life and when it comes to drinking, I can go for extended periods of time without ever wanting one, may have a little something every once in a blue moon but considering some of the things I saw growing up involving Alcohol, just turned me away from it 99% of the time. I get to train anywhere I please without relying on equipment in the gym and I'm happy as hell I don't need a membership ever again. It was fun while it lasted but my true love is being outdoors in the woods, at home, on the beach, hotel room or in a fucking pool. I believe that those who have greater knowledge and application to workout with whatever is on on hand even if its yourself, a gym would be way more optional than feeling like a necessity. 

A great perk to have is that throughout my life so far, I've never been jumped or robbed and I've been around some tough neighborhoods where there has been violence, stabbings, shootings, robbery and worse things. I do believe it's due to my training and I haven't had anyone want to test me. It's not like you see a bigger guy and automatically think he's easy Pickens. People around me know I'll throw down if I have to but I'm not going to start anything and think I can take anybody. I'm not into fighting or going on the offensive when it comes to being around others in public. Publicly, nobody has ever wanted to fight or come up to me. Now online, some of it is just banter and guys shooting their mouth off but those are the ones that wouldn't know a wristlock from a wristwatch. Not saying I wouldn't ever get my ass kicked, it could happen but sometimes, I don't know what I would do to someone if it came down to me or him. For the most part, unless it's just dire and there's no other option, I don't go looking for street fights, quite frankly I'd rather have an old fashioned wrestling match and see who gets pinned or taps first and then shake the guy's hand win or lose. Guy can dream right?

Overall, I'm very happy with what I got going on and keep making it a part of my journey. But also, when I say happy, doesn't mean I stop at a wall or just stay in a certain place. I'm happy with experimenting, progressing, finding ways to build muscle and be at a solid level of conditioning. I'm happy that I don't tire out like many my age or even younger, I'm happy with maintaining my strength and being explosive if I need to be. I don't get winded hiking or climbing stairs and sure as shit don't feel my body is breaking down. My tendons and ligaments are still as strong as I was in my 20's and 30's. Maintained my weight between 228-235 the majority of the time in the last couple years and don't plan on going higher than that anymore. The lowest I'd like to be again is around 225 which isn't that much lower than when I graduated high school back in '03. 

Things are shaping up and I can't wait to see what's in stored. Be amazingly awesome and let's interact in the comments. What are you grateful for? What are you happy with? Let's hear it. 

Experience The Benefits Of The Goji Berry

When you're having fun, time just flies by as you hit that endorphin high. Get up, move around, sweat a little and afterwards, feel like you're on cloud fucking 9 man. I love that feeling, don't you?

Would you be willing to play around with something new in the kitchen that fits that whole vibe? Come and grab the Organic Goji Berry Powder from Lost Empire Herbs. To be honest, not everybody is a berry guy, you have your typical diet of meat & eggs, drinking plenty of water, keeping it simple right? These little red bastards however; have a reputation for a heavy reason. In the community of Chinese Medicine, some call it the #1 Herb, not for being some nutty stimulant but because of it being a gateway herb. Tastes incredible, easy to start with and packs a hell of an uppercut.

It is called the Happy Herb for a specific purpose. Not to mention it's THE King Of Antioxidents. Want to understand the nerdy side that can grab one's attention? The ORAC Value of the Goji is listed commonly at 25,000. For Blueberries which is a favorite for many only hits at 7,000. That might as well be a whole other sport when it comes to the difference. It's not just a numbers game, this stuff will actually help the body build up its own internal antioxidants such as glutathione and SOD aka Superoxide Dismutase. It's the defense system getting stronger. That matters when you're doing crazy workouts and the muscles are screaming. 

If you believe in magic, the realism of it is the LBP's or in other words: Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides. It's benefits include......

Anti Aging Support

Eye Function

Healthy Liver 

Metabolic Function & Blood Sugar

Immune System Strength along with Reproductive Health

The Nutrient Density alone is extremely powerful. Practically a Superfood packed with over a dozen Amino Acids, Vitamins like C, B1 & B2, E and trace minerals. There's far more but you get the picture. For a dose, 1-2 Tablespoons a day is simple enough. Put it in water, your favorite smoothie or mix it with tea. Take it everyday if you'd like, no need to cycle.

You may notice things within days. Have greater energy levels, better mood and not having that jittery feeling. Is it actually magical, fuck no, still need to put the work in but it'll make that engine run much cleaner. I would recommend that if you're on Blood Pressure meds or are Diabetic, I would talk to your doctor first. I wouldn't want someone having issues with this. 

Willing to give it a go? GET IT HERE!!! Hope this inspires you to test out something new for you and in how you recover with a smile on your face. 

For more information, look into this product further to see if it would be good for you to work with. It's important you know what you're getting into and how you want to move forward. Be amazingly awesome. 

A Perspective On Who Trains For Longevity And Those That Train To Win

GOOOODDDD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!

Hope you guys are having a bad ass Monday so far and hope you're already having success in your endeavors. So far today, I got in my Joint Loosening Routine and my 2 & 1 Sapate HIIT Workout. With the big workout, I added a couple rounds so it was 30/90 For 10 Rounds and managed 6 Reps each time. Totaled 60 Push-ups and 120 Squats in under 20 minutes. 

I was watching a podcast the other day from Stories With Brisco & Bradshaw that had Scientific Wrestling's Jake Shannon on as a guest talking about Karl Gotch and their book No Gas, No Run. It was a few months ago when the episode aired but I thought I'd get into it. Really interesting stuff about Karl and his philosophy on things while Jake was being realistic about his opinionated thoughts on things and his rugged interior. Worth the listen.

Towards the end, Jake brought up a distinctive outlook that caught my eye (or my ears since I was listening intently) and I wanted to share my perspective on the idea and accurate approach to athletes or those that want to be fit......

He had said there were two different people and the distinctive differences to how their bodies become later on in life. There were those that train for longevity and well-being and then there are those that train to win. From a fitness perspective, those that train for longevity tend to have a greater quality lifespan and work towards protecting the body from injuries as much as possible and be able to function for the long haul. The second was more talked about from a wrestling idea but this can apply to any athlete, it was about those who train to win. In this case, a person who's a pro or whatever athlete, have a specific duty to work on their sport and do whatever it takes to overthrow the competition. 

In more of the case of those that train to win, it's pushing the body to its absolute limit in order to formulate skills that help the person win in their chosen sport. Football players have specific positions and train for skills that make those positions their specialty on the field that correlates to working as a team. In the case of wrestling which is the roughest sport anybody can do, you develop skills by drilling and conditioning the body to withstand and control an opponent. Defending or going on the offense using takedowns, holds and pinning/submitting someone. It's extremely hard on the body and over time, the body eventually will break down. 

In many cases especially these days, athletes have shorter careers and accumulate more and more injuries. In baseball, it's almost become mandatory for a pitcher to have Tommy John Surgery or a football player sustaining concussions, torn ligaments, broken bones and knee/hip replacements before the age of 50. Bodybuilding has lost it's roots when it comes to health, the sport itself today has many men and women pushing beyond limits of what the body can take both physically and supplementally. Several have dropped dead before the age of 45 and many these days never see 60. Training to win has become a sacrifice to one's health and well-being. From a statistical point of view, way, way less than 1% of athletes ever come out of a career with very little injuries and live a long life. 

In the case of the episode I watched, Jake was honest about what guys like Karl & Billy Robinson had done to themselves to be the best catch wrestlers in their respective generations. They both sacrificed their bodies and although Karl was the fitter of the two old timers by the end, it's still a thing to look at that after doing so many matches, so many drills, so many hindu squats & push-ups that the road leading them to having several body parts replaced is a sad thing to look at even though there is great respect for what they have done in the sport. The philosophies and outlook between Karl & Billy were very different. Billy looked at conditioning by pure wrestling and building up the stamina, Karl took the approach from learning to condition the body through calisthenics and such from guys like Benny Sherman & the Wrestler that taught Karl the Hindu Style along with Club & Mace Swinging. Both weren't wrong in how they did things and were among the very best in the last 60 years. 

Winning does come with a cost beyond the physical and for many, it has destroyed their bodies and it's a miracle some have lasted this long. As we get older, the ability to adapt becomes something we don't have a choice in the matter. We can't train the same way at 50 or 60 from when we were 25 or so. When you go so hard for so long, it will come back to haunt you if you keep it up. Longevity is about patience, awareness, adaptability and individual reactions to certain methods. Training to win becomes a necessity to do whatever it takes and do what must be done to overthrow an opponent. Like I said earlier, very very few can walk away from that life maybe not completely unscathed but know what their body can do or can't do anymore and can consciously be able to understand what's more important in the moment than chasing fame, fortune and glory. 

This doesn't mean I don't respect an athlete's sport or doing certain things to win a game or a match. I may not like the methods and degrees of sacrificing themselves but I do respect how they perform in the sport. I loved watching guys like Sammy Sosa & Brian Urlacher do the things they did, it was incredible and pound for pound, Rickey Henderson was the greatest scorer and base stealer of all time. Guys like Kurt Angle & Brock Lesnar were phenoms in the WWE and had some of the best matches from a technical and even entertaining stand point. However; the things they did in order to make those things happen were beyond what a person's limits was able to do. Henderson out of the list of people I mentioned was one of those extreme few athletes that had a very long career and took care of himself. 

What would be your perspective on this subject? Let me know in the comments or DM me through email. Let's read your take on things. 

Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it everyone.      

Double Squat Sapate For Conditioning

 

Experimenting can be fun as hell. Testing out new things and even making little tweaks to make it work for you. It's all part of the journey right? Think I'm now on a third variation of the Sapate or Hindu Burpee and it's shaping up to be a favorite. The sequence is pretty simple, do a Hindu Squat, squat down again to get into a plank and then do the Hindu Push-up or Wave Push-Up. Did a HIIT Workout of this on Wednesday and doing it again today. 

Here's a Short Demo of how I do it. It keeps the old school style of doing 2 Squats & a Push-Up and build a different level of conditioning that keeps you lasting for quite some time. HIIT Style Workouts are best with this but if you want to test your reps and see how far you get, go for it. I do advise you to do enough that it doesn't become sloppy. Be efficient and let it be naturally smooth. 

You don't have to go completely crazy on this, just work it enough so it gives you the benefits of recovering well, conditions the body so you can effectively continue the rest of your programming and use it as a tool like anything else. I'm not sure many even do this version cause it's not everyday you see someone do 2 Hindu Squats + 1 Hindu Push-Up in a sequence, there's different squat variations you'll see all over Youtube or Insta but not always this one specifically. It's a great workout in and of itself taking the ancient formats of the Traditional Exercises Pehlwan Wrestlers do and just making a slight change to the classic.

Conditioning is the best asset next to staying as strong for the things that matter. You can be gym strong and conditioned but often times it only stays in the gym and not out in the real world. Some can pull it off and be successful doing gym work and things outside of the gym and I wish them success in that. It's not about adding variety or just mixing and matching weird shit together, it's opening up the mind to what's possible and taking bits and pieces that create your own puzzle to what makes you fit and healthy. That's the best thing you can do. 

Do you want to try out this version and learn what it can do for you? Let me know in the comments what you think of it and tell me your insights to your own Burpee type workouts. Let's learn from one another. Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it.  

Following Your True Path Leads To The Freedom You Were Seeking All Along

We all take roads that lead to somewhere. Sometimes we get forks in the road, often change routes and we may even need help with the directions. There isn't a GPS in the world that can truly determine the path you seek or even go in on. What is the true path anyway? Honestly, there is no right or wrong answer cause none of us go on the same path. We may try to follow someone else's path because we were taught to do so in certain aspects but something always hits you with a roadblock. You were never meant to follow another person's journey.

Some seek power, some seek freedom, others get dragged down a road that leads to misery and pain but there is always a road that leads to somewhere. Personally, I believe in the road or path to freedom. Not the kind of freedom where you can just do whatever and get away with dumb shit. The type of freedom I seek and/or want others to seek is to have the freedom to make the choices meant for you and the pathways that get you there. It's not meant to be easy, it's not meant to be rushed but it is something that takes patience, pace and understanding unexpected things will occur whether you like it or not.

The freedom we seek can be different for everybody. Me, it's about training and the ideals that lead to the choices I make in my life like in relationships, seeking knowledge and being with people that matter to me. To me, that's true freedom. The road I've been on in my life was not an easy one, it wasn't meant to be. If it was, I wouldn't be who I am and wouldn't know how to fight for the things I had to overcome. I couldn't speak a full sentence that people can understand until I was 6 years old. Before that, yeah I knew what I was saying but it came out gibberish (almost literally) and going to therapy in order to learn my speech patterns and pronunciations. It was very hard and I could remember hating it and just wanting to be heard. That's just one of the things I've had to overcome next to many things.

Freedom is seeking your own path and working around the obstacles along the way. Sometimes, it'll feel endless, sometimes it feels like a cake walk, but one way or another, you will find things about yourself you didn't expect. That's just part of the adventure. It's a constant learning curve and at times you'll hit potholes or get stuck in the mud but if you learn how to get yourself out of those things and keep moving forward, even if its windy and has sharp turns, you will eventually get to a place you were meant to be at.

The world has many roads to choose from and you can pick routes to go on but eventually, the road will take on a life of its own and lead you down a path you were meant to be on. It's part of the concept of "Everything happens for a reason", you were meant to be on that road because that's where you find those tests of your mental fortitude. You may not have always chosen it, it chose you because there's something there you were meant to find and that is who you were truly meant to be. 

Be amazingly awesome, be safe on your journey and hope your path leads you to the freedom you were seeking all along. 

Indian Wrestling: Two Powerful Souls Consisting Of The Akhara Vs The Olympic Stage

 Good morning everyone. Hope you all had a kick ass weekend. I was thinking last night what I wanted to get into for an article so I did some research into Kushti Wrestling or Pehlwan in contrast to Olympic Freestyle competition and training methodologies (among other things) so this is what popped up and holy shit this is fascinating stuff. Let's see where it leads and diving into a world that encompasses two styles in a region of the world where the two collide yet show patterns of fierce competition.

Two distinctive beasts that share the same DNA for devouring opponents from different sides of the same coin. On one hand, you've got the ancient entity of the Akhara: Red Earth that seems to look like something out of Mars, oil lamps that light up the competition and the Monkey God Hanuman looking down at worshippers as they prepare for practice and developing skills. The other side of this crazy spectrum, the Olympic rooms of the best of the best in Freestyle/Greco-Roman Wrestling: The lighting changes, timed intervals, diets that involve protein scoops instead of Ghee (Clarified Butter) and a mat that squeaks when going in for a single or double leg takedown. Both create monsters of epic proportions yet the way they're built is where the real interesting things come into play.

The Representation That Showcases The Nature Of Either Athlete

Pehlwans: Temples That Share Sacred Ground

When it comes down to it, the Akhara isn't a typical ground of training or a facility. It is an ancient tradition rooted in the life and devotion to the art of Kushti that dates back to the Mahabharata (maybe even further). You're not "going to practice", it is a lifestyle that involves words like discipline, diet and dharma in the same breath or treated as one formality. The sacred ground is the mud pit. It's not about medals, fortune and glory or even aesthetics, it's about the development of functional strength & conditioning that lasts for decades of Grappling. It's about becoming unbreakable.

Olympic Powerhouses: Out Of The Temple And Inside The Scientific & Time Tested Methods That Builds Championship Caliber Squads

The Olympic Style in this case is the bridge that goes from the mud to international glory. The two arts of Freestyle & Greco-Roman on cleaner mats, 6 minutes of pure explosiveness & strategy, near daily weigh ins and the goal to reach the podium. This takes on more of the lines of specialization that brings in scientific entities and prioritizing the maximum points of developing an athlete. 

The Akhara builds lifelong warriors but the Olympic rooms builds dates for a specialist. 

The Diet: Ghee & Almond/Breads Vs. Specific Foods & Hydration

Food is strength in the world of Indian Wrestling. Many wrestlers devour around 5000-7000 calories a day (if not more for larger athletes). Lots of Almonds, Milk, Butter, Bananas and Curd. Meats do come around but some skip it. 

Pros: More natural and Nutrient Dense food with almost no supplementation risks. Food that is heavily used to aid in recovery, build strength for tendons and bone density along with being able to utilize real world power in the muscular system. 

Cons: Several athletes have a higher percentage of bodyfat and there's very little weight cutting. Because of the constant training through thousands of push-ups, squats, club swinging, rope climbing and wrestling, these heavy foods tend to stick around longer in the system and more induced to bulking in order to stay within the grind. Almost no hydration protocols in order to make weight cutting effective.

Olympic Dieting: Balanced & Specified

Micronutrients such as Complex Carbs for energy, lean protein (Fish, Chicken, Eggs) that repairs tissue, fats that balance out hormones and making hydration one of the top priorities. It's almost a religion to drink water before, during and after. Pre-Competition meal prepping are timed out around a couple hours or more beforehand that eases the digestive process. It builds the science behind weight cutting because making weight is a lot more crucial (unless you're a heavyweight or bigger). More supplementation  are key factors as well like Whey Protein, Creatine and Vitamin D. 

Pros: More Precision and Strategy to hit specific weight goals, recover well and be able to go on command. Also creates greater output due to the higher Muscle Glycogen. 

Cons: Weight Cutting can be brutal and even one pound more or less can shatter dreams of making it through competition. Supplements do have a risk of being contaminated if used on the cheap and food must be cooked to specific needs for the bodies of athletes cause not all of them are able to eat the same types of foods due to allergies and/or digestive issues. 

The Training & Crazy Conditioning: Variables Vs The Heavy Volume

For the wrestlers in the art of Kusht, they train very early in the morning and would go for many hours doing extremely high rep exercise. Gama was said to do thousands upon thousands of Squats & Push-ups per day. Heavy gada swinging, running, rope climbing, bridging and spending time in the uneven pits. Traditionally, there are no time limits so you either devour an opponent or you get gassed out. Metabolic Conditioning that makes athletes go for hours. 

Pros: Base is about as unmatched as you can get. High repetition that recruits the nervous system to wrestle for extended periods of time even in compeition.

Cons: Greater risk of overtraining, periodization is virtually non-existent and doesn't have an easy transfer from Mud to Mat (although some athletes even at a young age have trained on mats that some gurus or coaches used). Heavy joint damage from endless reps is at a high level as well. 

Olympic Methodology:

Freestyle & Greco Roman Mat Based Wrestling requires greater demand on higher efforts of intensity. Strategically broken into energy systems such as: Simulated 6 Minute Matches, Explosive Shooting/Takedowns, Pummeling and Scrambling. The Strength Work is heavily more in tuned to Conventional Weight Training, Bodyweight Training in specific formats and Plyometrics to create explosive power. Conditioning is utilized in drills and technique building that's pretty fucking fast. Not to mention more sports specific and tactical. 

Pros: Greater Specificity. Training so you can go within the rule sets competed under. Manageable recovery and planned out peaks of gas tanks.  

Cons: Although Bridging is essential, it may not be as devoted and along with Olympic Athletes showing greater Aesthetically pleasing physiques that are strong and conditioned but function is a bit less on that end of the spectrum. 

So who's really better here? The real truth.....The best wrestlers in this part of the world have done both and utilized what they learned in the mud pits to transitioning into a world of specific methods that have brought them to places beyond their wildest dreams. Some made it to be the very best in the world, others hit their stopping points where medals were just in their grasp but couldn't reach the mark. They're still devoted warriors to the sport and should be respected either way. At the end of the day whether in the mud or on the mat, a wrestler makes the ground sacred and gives hope to those who have aspirations to become their country's best. There's history in those pits but there are also memories of blood, sweat and tears on the international stage that resides in the spirit of a wrestler. 

I hope you enjoyed and learned a thing or two. I sure as hell did and wrestling in that part of the world is an incredible subject. Be amazingly awesome, get your training in and kick ass today to kick off the week. Shoot me a comment or use the Linktree to send me an email. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Can't Always Take Life Too Seriously

 

There's a time and place to be serious in certain situations for sure but throughout many aspects of life, it's important to enjoy the little things and be as happy as you can. Some people don't know how to be happy or think its some kind of weakness when in reality, they're just bitter people with nothing better to do. 

Having fun doesn't always have to be being loose either, it's going about the journey and taking things in stride. Relax a little bit and get a perspective on what's possible. For me, it's my training where I can learn to do bad ass stuff and give whatever comes to mind a go. Doesn't matter if it's playing around with the Dopamineo Bands, messing with Thor Hammers or doing the Sapate, there's something cool to do and figure out what it can do for you.

Life is already hard for many and maybe the hard stuff is what makes them happy who knows but a lot just sink into this hole of because of how hard things get, that's all they know and being happy is some kind of luxury and wish it wasn't. Being happy in general is more of a mindset than anything but plenty fake being happy or think they need to act happy to protect an image or something. True happiness is an individual thing but I believe it's when despite the bullshit that goes on, there's a piece within us that can have the courage to smile genuinely and make the most out of it. That's just me but it may be different for somebody else. Some of my best moments of happiness is being with family or with the woman I love, other times are in my training sessions and just getting into it with passion. Like I said, it's an individual thing.

In certain cases, there are people who are envious of other people's happiness and are obsessed at what they have and weaponize it in order to suit their little pity parties. They even go as far as to rant about it constantly to an audience that really doesn't give a shit and will eventually die out because nobody wants to see someone bitch about another grown man for so long that it consumes what they're trying to promote. The trouble is, those people are just flat out bat shit crazy and think being happy and having fun is unmanly when in reality, they're just bitter souls with no hint of a life that means anything. 

There is nothing wrong with being genuinely happy. Cheering on another person's success, them cheering you on, making a PR, laughing with the people you care about and making a living that keeps things flowing. That's just some of the things to be happy about. Taking things way too seriously too often can bite you in the ass whether intentionally or not and it's a choice to become something that will never be able to crawl out, or blast through the fucking walls and see things for what they are without punishing your own mental health and even physical well-being for it.

Taking certain things too seriously ages you and will devour anything that can be good and overcome aspects of adversity. I understand what that's like. I know what it's like to be bitter about things but these days, I laugh them off and some are just so damn ridiculous and to a point where it's just noise and isn't affecting my life. I get to enjoy things that I love and don't take them for granted. Hell, I get to go to places for my birthday this year that I've never been before and don't know what to expect. It's exciting man and get to do it with my partner in crime. 

For real though, do what's possible to enjoy life as best as you can. This is the only life we have and it's important to not be so angry and overwhelmed with bitterness. Some are just so pissed off and blame others without taking responsibility for their own messed up situations or taking responsibility for their actions against people that want nothing to do with them. Their anger and obsessions are their own problems and using others as a shield of those problems will come back to haunt them. It's just a matter of time before they learn what others are truly capable of and realize they can't beat them and know that those who are truly happy can take things for what they are and win above all else while those who choose to rot in their own mind and body will continue to go down a black hole of misery and despair while slowly and painfully dying inside. Find happiness, it's better than the alternative. 

Be amazingly awesome and have a kick ass Friday everyone. Be sure to email me, shoot me a comment and/or sign up to get articles like these sent to your email. Make your weekend bad ass and fun.   

Staying Consistent With The Sapate HIIT Workout

 As of today, I've done 11 Sessions of the Sapate HIIT Workout. Keeping things consistent and seeing some small changes but there's till some time to go before anything truly show up. Many want that quick fix and want results like some wizard can wave a fucking wand and poof LOL. Doesn't work that way.

Did a slight change to the exercise by getting my handles and did the movement with them in the vertical position to get deeper and have a better flow sequence. It was still a challenge but I was able to work the reps very efficiently and as crisp as I can. Next Workout, the handles will be in the Horizontal Position. I'll Film both versions separately in time but for now, just feel the high and enjoying the journey man.

That is one of the missing ingredients in many people's training is that its the journey. They push themselves so hard it just wrecks them and the more they put themselves through that, the more its going to bite them in the ass. There's still that mentality of "No pain, no gain" and it's pure bullshit. Punishing yourself in a workout is a recipe for disaster and going extreme too often will have you most likely needing a walker or crutches sooner rather than later. Whoever tells you to go Extreme basically on a daily basis is a fake ass charlatan that only cares about their bank account, they don't give a shit about your health and well being. It's a marketing scam and they're fake as a person in general and never do what they claim they do. 

Be able to last when it counts and train to be as injury proof as possible. I'll admit, I understand the need to push yourself hard to the brink of injury; I've torn skin bending steel, My nose bled during workouts, had near concussions from falling into a bridge, had problems with my wrists and elbows when I was a shot putter in high school and wrecked my back a time or two. Now in my 40's, I like going hard some days, lighter on others but hit a certain threshold so I don't risk another injury yet also find things that are challenging or worth my time doing. 

Being consistent with this specific workout has been quite fun actually. It doesn't take up a ton of time and it works many muscle groups all at once and keeps things old school. The sapate has different variations like anything else but overall, it has a better flow than the typical burpee we see today. Nothing wrong with doing Burpees in and of themselves but you also want to have them be effective and not just an exercise where you do so many reps they become sloppy as hell. One man in his 70's that does them, makes them effective for him and doesn't go so hard it's going to wreck him. His channel is PieriniFitness, here he is doing 100 Burpees on his 71st Birthday. That's impressive as shit for a man that age and is inspiring. 

Conditioning is your greatest asset and this type of training will give you those qualities. It's not about how many you can do, it's about making the effort to make it a flow that seems effortless yet challenging. If you're training for a sport like wrestling, form isn't going to be the biggest priority because that's the nature of the beast in that sport, it's not going to have flawless technique so they do what's possible regardless of the situation. If you're training to be fit and have a better quality of life, form has more of a priority there. Some will blend between the two and some have pretty bad technique and either bend too far forward or swing a little too much doing a pullup. Seriously, some of their form is shit yet act like a hypocrite and say someone else is shitty and they're flawless. It's hilarious.

Keep at it, be amazingly awesome and even the smallest fraction of progress always leads to the bigger picture. You got this, kill it and have a blast. Shoot a comment or send me an email through the linktree.   

Conditioning Priorities

 Hope you all had a great 4th of July Weekend and nobody got hurt or worse during fireworks and BBQs. My weekend was pretty good, just getting in my typical workouts, playing around making random Youtube Posts from Song Lyrics to quotes from Comic Books/Movies and my own thoughts on things. Even went up into the mountains for a little while.

Yesterday, I got up and went to the park to do a Dopamineo Circuit Workout for 45+ minutes in the open air and just letting the rhythm flow. Great conditioning and keeping things mobile. Felt high as a fucking kite afterwards and went back home to chill out for a bit. Before the workout, I took some Hercules Pre-Workout Capsules with my Spark & Rehydrate mix of energy and hydration. Made the workout that much better and didn't feel a crash afterwards. Actually felt very energized.

After a while, we went up into the mountains to check some stuff out before a thing that's going on this week. Beautiful area and although I'm not the biggest fan of heights, I loved seeing the river/lake below and other mountain ranges along the valley. Being in the forest and mountains just gives off different vibes man. 

This morning, got up, had my mixture and did some Joint Loosening for a few minutes before getting into my Sapate HIIT Workout of doing 8 Rounds 30 on, 90 off. Don't know what the rest of the day will bring but I know it's going to involve some neck training with the Neck Flex. That's just part of the factors of making conditioning a priority. Being ready for what lies ahead and having the strength and stamina for even the small things. It's just the way I like things to go. 

Fitness is more than just developing a body, it's about learning your capabilities, being aware of how the body responds and letting things flow. Go hard at times, a little lighter on others and being intuitive. I never truly force anything, sure I push myself but I don't go so hard that it's going to bring a high risk of injury. I don't enjoy pain, I'm not like a Goggins or some exaggerated and baseless guru who enjoys hurting themselves in order to prove how fit they are. Goggins has some qualities when it comes to training like the admiration of seeing what is possible but what overshadows that is putting himself through agony and physical pain in order to be fit. I'm sorry but that guy is going to burn himself out or worse, be crippled in another 10 years if not less.

Conditioning should be a priority but it is also important to be aware of what your body can do. You can't be extreme forever, it's going to bite you in the ass and it may just kill you and nobody will ever really remember you, hell some aren't even that famous and act like they're better than everybody when no one cares about their fake ideals. They're just dust in the wind that comes and goes. In reality, make it a priority to condition yourself that not only makes you last but keeps you as injury proof as possible. It's one thing to try and kill yourself to see how far you're willing to go, it's another to find that balance that gives you a supply of attributes well into old age that gives you opportunities to continue the journey with vitality and enthusiasm. 

Prioritize your health, physically and mentally. Don't waste time and energy just poking the bear and scratching and clawing for attention. That's just going to bring misery, obsession and turn you into some kind of Gollum looking creature that will die a painful death in the end. Live with passion, youthful creativity and keep things simple but also fun as best as you can. There's a time and place to do what needs to be done and be serious when shit hits the fan but if you only live in paranoia, pain and living a narcissistic/bully existence, it won't end well. 

Keep at it, be amazingly awesome and never stop progressing because even the smallest fraction of it, leads to the big picture. Get a hold of me using the linktree or shoot me a comment and let's read your insights. 

One more thing, on top of being in condition, sleeping is also a priority and it's not always easy calming the mind so if you need a little help with that, come check out the Sleep Bundle from Lost Empire Herbs. Be able to recover well and be in that deep state that gets you to wake up and feeling like a new person. 

Animal Movement & Crawls: The Brain's Secret Weapon For Those With ADHD

 

Happy 4th Of July Everyone. Hopefully you're all having a blast with the BBQ's fireworks and spending time with great people. Today, I want to go over some key things about Animal Movements & Crawls that not only are useful but showcase that there's FREEDOM in being able to play while you train. Let's get this party going shall we?

Some of the advice people get in the world of those with ADHD (which I display some symptoms of but have learned to manage it without drugs or therapy) can be a circus and a pain in the ass. Just do this or that or go to Africa and see how the natives live and realize ADHD is a myth. Yes I've heard dumb shit like that and that's not how that works but then again many on Social Media think they're experts when they can't tie their own shoelaces without rambling on like the teacher from Charlie Brown. 

One of the things that actually is beneficial and gives off those relaxing vibes when the brain feels like it has dozens of tabs opened is to get on the fucking floor and move like an animal in the wild. I'm not joking man, dead serious here. Why are they beneficial? What are the reasons for them to work for those who do have focus issues?

For Starters:

For many of us and from a certain perspective, it gives what the brain craves: Input. It's not about just focus, it's the nervous system that is deeply and specifically overhyped or bored and needs stimulation. Crawling such as Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, Duck Walks and doing Jumps like a Frog dumps in what's called proprioceptive input into the joints. In other words for those trying to understand what that means, in a nutshell, basically its the deep pressure that informs the brain where the body is. 

The "heavy work" on display is what calms the system down. When you're in a relaxed state or have better focus, you're not having anxious moments like restless leg syndrome or playing the fast clicking game with your pen. You fed the brain what it needed and that's that input plus the structure. 

The Second thing is what's referred to as Training The Brakes and not just the Gas:

One of the major symptoms of ADHD is Impulsivity. It's like Doug from Up where he can talking and then out of nowhere, SQUIRREL. Attention spans are erratic so it's important to understand how we can find ways to control those impulses in order to deliver results. Take the Bear Crawl for example, learn to move, shift and be able to stop/pause on as dime. With practice, you can display Inhibitory Control which shows where you can focus in real time. 

This was figured out decades ago with kids but it also is important to help reduce the need to put those kids on medication. Because of the symptoms I displayed when I was very little from the meningitis, I was put on Ritalin until I was about 10 years old. If I was taught more how to use Animal Crawls and was taught it as play instead of just wearing me out, things may have gone differently. As an adult who has been doing this kind of training off and on since about 2008, I can tell you that although it's not 100% curable, it has helped me in ways that keep me going and helps me be focused on things that are important to me. It's not so much a disease but more of an aspect of the need for stimulation. It's one of the reasons why I love training all the time and why things change for me more frequently than those who consistently exercise. 

A Third Factor is utilizing Cross Body Movements That Cross Wires The Brain:

Movements like the Bear Crawl uses patterns of Opposite Arm & Leg. Crab Walks force greater stabilization cause variations have your hips high to look like a table. Either way, these patterns build strong connections between the brain's left and right hemispheres. What does this translate to or bring about outside of this? It helps you read better, can show greater formats of hand-writing and transition well among tasks. 

Number 4 is on Posture that Fixes The Fidgeting:

About half of the "hyperactivity" shows shitty Postural Endurance. What this means is that when the Core and Shoulders are weaker than Bob Ueker's Career Batting Average, its obvious why it's difficult to sit still. There's a lot of energy just attempting holding yourself upright. Many crawl patterns load the muscles that keep you having that strong posture. The stronger the posture, the less likely to be squirming. 

The 5-Count Pin. Chaotic Organizing....Many of those with ADHD LOVE THIS:

It can be mind numbing running on a treadmill, doing random Jumping Jacks that just make you quit after a short period of time, not because you can't keep going, but because the stimulation doesn't help much. What gives the formality of Hyperactivity being put into a container is moving like an animal. It's learning the rules while being a maniac. You have to learn to coordinate, be able to think on your feet (or on all fours) and burn all that energy since it will organize the brain all at the same time. 

Studies of Movement that even include 12 week programs showed massive drops in Hyperactivity scores when this type of training is thrown in the mix. It's not about "Just try harder" anymore. It's giving you opportunities to live life on your terms while managing something that isn't easily managed. 

In Conclusion:

Like I said earlier based on my own life and experiences, Animal Moves won't 100% get rid of ADHD. I can be an asshole and tell you to just go do 500 Hindu Squats or you'll be a pussy, but I'm not going to do that to you, what benefit do I get out of that? We may have different ways to handle this but I'm also telling you you're not alone and I want you to find the best outlet. Animal Crawls all in all, are just a tool like anything else but if you like swimming, hiking, working with a sledgehammer or go to the gym, fucking do it man. Take control of what benefits you. 

For more info on building Animal Conditioning, check out Movement 20XX by Vahva Fitness. One of the best courses around for not just building physical things like endurance and strength but to also help channel the brain so you can do tasks that are important and be able to work the capacity you need to to make a living. Most marketing scammers and "gurus" only play off courses (which are fabricated & plagiarized) to only show how to lose weight and think it's about being physical when they don't care about the mental side of it by helping others use it for mental health. They don't give a shit about that side of the fence, only to look good and have some inferiority complex. Courses like Movement 20XX show what it can do for your mental health and teach you patterns that are fun, exciting and enhance positive vibes. Also, I encourage you to check out Eero's Channel which has a lot of cool moves you can try. 

Shoot a comment here or use the linktree to send me an email and let me know what you think. 

Sometimes Going A Little Crazy Can Bite You Back A Bit

 When you get into something, it can be exciting but it's important to realize, sometimes that excitement can bite you in the ass if you don't pay attention. Guess I fell into that rabbit hole but not by much. I've been hitting up the Sapate Exercise for quite a few workouts, keeping the protocol of using it as a HIIT Workout for over a couple weeks doing 30 on, 90 off for 8 Rounds (inspired by the Sprint 8 Workout).

Yesterday, I figured I'd really test myself seeing what would happen if I did it 2 days in a row and holy fucking shit balls I paid a little price for it (50 cents maybe LOL). I did 100 of these bastards in sets of 10 with a minute rest between sets. Let's just say by the end, I wanted to keel over and probably needed an Iron Lung, that thing kicked my ass and nearly took me out. It was a wake up call on how tough this exercise can be despite the simplicity. Once everything died down and I can breathe like a normal human again, the endorphins were insane.

This is the lesson I learned: Don't push that hard and not expect to feel something. I didn't get injured or anything but there was a little feeling in my left shoulder I didn't like and I didn't want to aggravate it further doing this crazy move today. So for the next couple days, I'll be doing some prehabbing on my shoulder with the Dopa Stretch band, maybe the regular but haven't decided yet and do some Overcoming Isometric Training to keep my strength going without overwhelming the joints along with working my neck as usual. I'll be back on the HIIT train on Friday ready to kill it again.

Some of the things we learn in training is not always the victories and hitting those sweet spots, its what we learn by feel and at times we can go until our brain stops thinking and turning that Governor off in our minds. When that happens, there's a bit of unpredictability and you don't realize how far down that Rabbit hole you go until you feel either a pinch, internal bruise or a possible nose bleed (I've had all three happen on separate occasions) and you keep going without knowing what just happened. That can be the kind of thing that bites you in the ass. Some guys don't care if they get injured or not, going to extreme is like a drug to them and don't care about the consequences such as screwing up a knee or something. Don't do stupid shit like that, it makes you weaker than it does stronger.

Pay attention to what you're doing, feel that flow and keep focused on the task at hand. I'm glad I noticed it and didn't do anything to make it worse but shit happens and you do the best you can with it. Keep at it, be amazingly awesome and don't ever forget that the smallest fraction of progress still leads to the big picture. Have a great Wednesday everybody. Shoot a comment on this article my way and/or an email using the Linktree below. Let's interact. Tell me some of your experiences about possibly noticing something off in a workout.   

Like A Horse And Carriage.....One Without The Other Is Worthless

 It's one of those quotes that sometimes just can't seem to get out of your head. Karl Gotch once said this about wrestling and conditioning. It is true in a very definitive format that if you want to last, it is important to be in the shape needed not just for cardio purposes but to withstand the things that involve beyond takedowns and holds. 

In the fitness world, I take this to heart when it comes to the aspects of strength & conditioning. Not just sport but in life as well. Many focus almost exclusively on the strength part or in terms of what strength may look like from a muscular point of view. Having muscle is awesome and so is having strength, they're essential to having the quality of life that leads down a path to great things but many forget to add in the cardio aspect of those things. 

When people mention the word cardio; in their mind, its usually talking about treadmills, jogging for miles and aerobic classes. Usually from a gym stand point, you are supposed to do cardio before lifting weights and not the other way around. Not always how that works. Also, there's different types of cardio that doesn't involve a machine or a group of people doing some crazy sequence in sync to club/hip hop songs. What a lot think cardio is, its coming from what they read about or have some notion on in the gym, nothing else.

When it comes to cardio in my eyes, its things like....

500 Hindu Squats

1000 Step Ups

10-20 Rounds almost none stop of working with a resistance band

Lift & Carrying Sandbags

Swinging a Kettlebell for high reps

The Sapate for Continuous Reps or HIIT Style

Isometrics (Yes they can be considered cardio if you work it right)

Supersets with weights or bodyweight

Circuit Training

Sprinting For Explosiveness

Sledgehammer Training

All have aspects of cardio that most people miss. They go beyond what the mainstream textbook cookie cutters tell you what they believe cardio is. Cardio outside of a gym setting in certain parts are more primal and the things I listed, all have a cross over to things in real life situations. Hiking & Swimming are cardio based that have real life applications. 

Now, on the basis of conditioning....

To me and I'm sure a few might agree with me here is that it's an essential element to utilizing attributes that come together to showcase being able to last and endure situational aspects. In things like MMA, you need conditioning to last in a fight otherwise you're dead in the water faster than Quicksilver saving mutants at the Manor in X-Men: Apocalypse. In real life situations whether it's on a job or being a firefighter or cop, being in condition can be life saving and be able to get people out or rundown a suspect and be able to handle them for an arrest. 

Strength & Muscle is important, in the case of building a body of armor that can move efficiently while handling weight that is crucial. However; if your conditioning is shit, all that strength & muscle is worthless flesh. Why settle for one or the other when you have an opportunity to develop them all and sustain them for as long as you can?

Gotch also said "Conditioning is your greatest hold", in this case when it comes to workouts and utilizing real life formalities, "Conditioning is your greatest asset." Strength and Conditioning go together like a Horse & Carriage, one without the other is worthless. 

Be amazingly awesome. Get in the best condition possible in whatever endeavor and remember that even the smallest fraction of progress, still leads to the big picture. Keep at it everyone. Shoot me a comment to let me know what you thought of this article and give me your insights. Want to Email me? Go to the Linktree and you can go from there. You got this. 

New Workout Toy And Getting Some Swings In

Summer is kicking up and getting outside to train should be the norm. Doing plenty of work lately with the bands and Sapate HIIT Workouts but yesterday was pretty nasty in a good way. I got the new Haxe Fitness Slam Pad and wanted to test it out. This thing is bad ass as hell. Don't need to be hauling a half tire much anymore and it doesn't take up much space at all.

Training with a sledgehammer is about as old school as you can get and it fits into training for whatever sports especially wrestling and boxing. It even makes me think of Slim The Hammer Man Farman who was one of the last of the true old time strongmen that worked in a rock quarry for decades smashing concrete, levering hammers and bending tough ass steel. If anybody had a bone crushing grip, it was him even in his golden years. 

The Pad itself really isn't all that fancy or anything but its got tough rubber that can withstand a great beating and its not really that big so you really need to pay attention to the targeting when striking. I got a real kick out of it. The hard part wasn't even the workout itself, it was hauling the hammer and that from storage to the park, training and haul it back to the storage. My cooldown was walking back home, which isn't too far but once I got home, jumped into the shower and had a pretty awesome dinner later on that night. 

I love this shit and earlier that morning, I did joint loosening, some hip and core work on the floor and a Sapate HIIT Workout doing 30/90 for 8 rounds. Before going to bed last night, I even did my 400 rep Neck Workout with the Neck Flex. I was just on a fucking roll man. Slept hard once I went bed and woke up a little tight but didn't feel sore at all. You get out of what you put in and fucking hell it was glorious. 

People in the fitness industry has made things way too complicated and simplicity is truly the way to go. The trouble is, because something isn't shiny or overly themed, simplicity has become a lost art and it shows in these wacked out videos of influencers. Smashing a hammer on a tire or a slam pad is about as simple as you can get yet receive more benefits than doing a bunch of exercises to get a decent physique. Bodyweight wise, you don't need to go crazy, just a few exercises that you work hard on and you're golden. Fitness is about the journey and finding your place in what makes the workouts perfect for you and not trying to keep up with everybody else. We all have strengths and weaknesses, its what makes us unique and certain standards aren't meant for everybody and that's ok. 

I don't expect anyone to train like me, why would they? They have their own journey and some things are crazier and psychotic than mine is but others do far less than me and still get great benefit from it. I don't like to fucking try keeping up with anyone else. Why would I? I'm either going to surpass them, keep up or get outworked by them, but I'm not going to try and attempt to see if I could keep up with anybody, it either happens or it doesn't and there's always a lesson in there somewhere. You do what's best for you. Learn what is useful and drop what doesn't. Along the way, have a blast with it, even on days where you may feel like shit, you do what's possible in the moment of time. The only real competition is you vs you. If you're a competitive athlete, you do what's possible to beat an opponent with specific training methods for that sport but outside of that, it isn't that important to try and beat anybody just for the sake of saying "oh I'm better than you therefore you are a weak bitch" no, that's just an asshole take on things and shows how insecure you are. 

Kick ass in your endeavors. Be amazingly awesome and don't forget that the smallest fraction of progress still leads to the big picture. Have a great Thor's Day everyone.  

As always, shoot me a comment about your thoughts on an article and if you want to email me, use the Linktree below. 

What Grinds My Gears In The Fitness Industry: June 24th 2026

Every once in a while, it's good to get a few things off your chest and let loose a little. Most of the time, a rant is just a rant and it gives insights to what I think about sometimes. Well, let's see where we go and what happens.....

The fitness industry can be a complicated and overexaggerated entity and what many put out or claim can be as ridiculous as Adam Sandler ever winning an Oscar or the Colorado Rockies winning a World Series (the latter most likely to happen between the two). Anything that trends, will be a buzz for like a few days and then vanish. The problem with certain trends, many never let them go and act like they were the best thing since the invention of the lightbulb. It can be annoying as hell sometimes.

On the most ludicrous things people say/claim is hilarious at time, such as......

"You should be curling 100 lbs as a grown man"

I get sometimes guys like to ragebait but at the same time it does become repetitive. The idea to just put a random number of whatever and say you're either a man or not is just dumb as hell. If I bounced back saying "either you do 500 Hindu Squats or you're a pussy", what would that make me sound like? An asshole right? So what's the point of saying what a man is or not based on some lift or exercise? It makes you want to smack somebody upside the head.

"Drink 10-13 liters of water a day"

Do numbnuts like this care about their Kidneys? Apparently not and tries to convince people it's healthy when in reality unless you're dying in the fucking desert, you don't need to be drinking THAT much water. Guess they never heard of Water Intoxication or Hyponatremia where blood sodium becomes dangerously diluted. This also causes brain cells to swell up. So someone not only wants to put a person at risk, he doesn't give a shit if they live or die. People like this need serious therapy and should not under any circumstances be telling grown human beings to do this. 

Drinking water should be done when one is thirsty and have balanced hydration. Even the body needs a bit of salt to keep things at a level. Hell, even a gallon of water a day is pushing it unless you're an athlete or work outdoors consistently. 

"Sprinting isn't a form of Cardio"

This came from a supposed "National Athlete" who ran sprints and I'm sorry but this was pretty out there. 

There is a difference between Aerobic and Anaerobic Cardio where it hits areas of heart rating from 2 different perspectives that lead different paths to what is considered cardio. Aerobic cardio is the idea of bringing the heart rate to a working level where you can keep going for extended periods of time and utilizing oxygen (Running, Weighted Walking, Eliptical Exercise). Anaerobic cardio is utilizing without oxygen and going hard to hit heart rates at a maximum level for shorter bursts of exercises (Sprinting, Burpees, Explosive Jumping) that force you to breathe so heavily you're practically hyperventilating. 

Both of these entities target what is used for developing cardiovascular endurance and strength endurance. To say Sprinting isn't a form of cardio is like saying Community Theater isn't a form of acting, it's a moronic and dumb notion. 

Next up is bullying people to get you to buy products. What prompts someone to be such a dick to people in order to get them to buy something from you? What's the point of verbally abusing a customer to pay you for services? Trainers and wanna-be "gurus" do it often and it boggles my mind that people get sucked into it in order to get something out of themselves. It's a marketing SCAM to put these dumbasses up on a pedestal so they can live their sick fantasies and make others feel worthless. 

These are the same dipshits that if you don't buy from them you're a loser or if you question their motives and fucked up tactics they'll post countless videos that have nothing to do with fitness and try to bury you when in reality they're not only telling on themselves but showing how much hatred they have for themselves by self projection. Some of these same people also have no respect for women as well and will do anything in their power to verbally attack, emotionally abuse and a strong possibly to be physically violent towards women (telling people like grown men to smack women upside the head so they know their place), even making someone choose two very extreme things (something deadly and another forcing himself on another human being) that should put them in Solitary Confinement or treated as a risk to public safety if you have something against their so called standards. I'm not joking, there are people like this out there that have done this on of all places YOUTUBE. 

Bullying and Psychological Violence have no place in the Fitness Industry period. This isn't the mafia or if you don't do one thing it's going to affect your livelihood. This is what is damaging and making this business look weak. It's weak people like this that don't have a moral compass and shouldn't even be working in this field. They're disgraceful, mentally incompetent and above all pathetic beyond reasoning.  

There are way too many influencers that wouldn't know a curl from a curling iron let alone know how fitness and training works. They use way too many complicated notions of what they believe exercise is while these guys are juiced up to the gills or already on TRT by the age of 30 and thinking that's some form of health. In the majority, this does not bode well for them in the long run and are destroying themselves while teaching people how to look and be stronger. 

Simplicity has become a lost art in the world of fitness and even then, some of these morons take it to extremes while preaching about smoking not being bad for your health and you can be in such great shape by smoking two packs a day, drink 33 cups of espresso or something fake or made up like that or fast for up to 10 days or more at a time. They talk about extreme workouts like its going out of style when in reality, they can't post one thing that actually shows them being "extreme". It's because they can't do it and try to be so convincing that their word is their bond when they can't tie their own shoelaces without running their mouth about things that make you question their mental capacity. In truth, they cannot do just about anything they claim and they're all talk, no show and think they know how to put on muscle when they look like a twig that begs for attention.  

It won't surprise me someone that lame and weak will read this and post/film/write something about it and go on their own rant talking like the peanuts teacher from Charlie Brown and will be talking to nothing but air. I can be highly certain views for that will be stuck at less than 10, if it does go higher, cool, then more people will learn how bad he really is at his terrible ranting. People don't care about your little tantrum. Hell, many most likely won't give a crap about this article and that's ok. I'm just telling it like it is. When you have made so many rant videos that repeat the same things over and over, it shows how weak you really are and how you'd rather post about things you can't stand than actually be productive and do what you claim. You can't, it's not in your nature and it's going to bite you in the ass big time if it hasn't already. In most cases, these guys have nothing original to write or talk about. 

These are the things that really grind my gears and being open about certain things because this is real and it's not easy keeping stuff to yourself (believe me, one guy doesn't know the meaning of zip it and thinking he's this big famous hot shot when he's not even in the same league or shine the shoes of someone like Charles Atlas, Karl Gotch, Hackenshmidt or Zass). Anyway, if you took the time to read this and enjoyed it, I appreciate you. If you took the time to read it and took it too personal, well, you can always stop reading and just move along. If you didn't like it, cool, go read something else, there's plenty of other things out there that may tickle your fancy and clearly it wasn't meant for you. 

The people who read this blog and get something out of it, I'm thankful for you and I'm honored to give you options to things that could help you be better in your life. To the haters, the more you read and get pissed off, even to the point of making videos of how much of a terrible person I' am to your "audience", the more it reflects on you than it does on me and shows that if you really don't like what I post, all you have to do, is not read it. Not that hard. The trouble is, you keep making it harder for yourself and it brings out more of your self-loathing and throwing away any opportunity to better yourselves. Shit, you may even send me some sick comment that shows your obsession and living in a delusional fantasy world.  

For the rest of you guys, be amazingly awesome and remember....The smallest fraction of progress always lead to the bigger picture. Shoot me a comment or throw an email my way in the Linktree below. 

Some Of My Inspiration For Conditioning

 We get inspired to do things for all kinds of reasons, whether it's being a better athlete, business person, a coach or whatever. Seeing what people are capable of doing and being in awe of the possibilities that give us the courage and/or will to go after things for ourselves. When it comes to working out, I get a lot of inspiration from the old timers, some influencers today and those who have moved on from this world. 

From personal experience and knowing the man himself, Bud Jeffries will always be at the top of the list of guys that gives me the reason to go after what I love and making it work with a fucking vengeance. He was arguably the strongest drug free lifter of all time, right up there with Paul Anderson (One of the men he modeled after), Saxon, Grimek and others. Bud's conditioning for a man his size at the time is still a complete anomaly even to us that knew him well. The amount of Strikes he can do in a brief time with sledgehammers, his sprinting intervals, kettlebell swings in an hour, the amount of squats and push-ups he was capable of doing was not meant be done for a guy who at his heaviest was over 400 lbs and the lightest before he died just under 300. The man moved like a middleweight instead of a super heavyweight, his speed, flexibility and power was beyond most man who were drug free. A Superman for sure

Another one I was always inspired by is the reason for this article that you are reading at this moment and that's the legendary Kurt Angle. If the term superhuman had a name, it was Kurt. We all know the story of him winning the Gold with a Broken Freakin' Neck. I have read his book and learned many stories but one thing stood out in my mind the most was the way he trained starting with the World Championships around the time he was training with Foxcatcher and other areas. 

The type of training he did was something he picked on from Dan Gable in how he trained his wrestlers at Iowa. It was called Exhaust Training where you would just go hard until you were exhausted and that's when the training actually started. The sprints he did, his wrestling, bodyweight stuff, weights, bands and whatever to push himself to limits that is a mind fuck to what the human body is capable of. Shit, the way he trained makes David Goggins look like a joke in comparison. The explosiveness Kurt had and the ability to wear down opponents with incredible ease is jaw dropping. I swear if he was in catch wrestling and knew the hooks, would've dominated in the early 20th century and could've made guys like Frank Gotch and Ed Lewis think twice. In the UFC, nobody would've been able to touch him.

I get a kick out of listening to those stories on his training because it shows what you're willing to put in and become some kind of machine. In my own training doing 500-1000 rep circuits with the Dopamineo Bands, the 500 Hindu Squats, Sapate HIIT Workouts, Sprinting and whatever else I want to put myself through. Now I wouldn't touch Exhaust Training with a ten foot pole and it's not ideal to do that kind of extreme training over a long period of years but it is important to understand that when you learn what you're capable of at any age, there are things you test on and things you learn to adapt with. 

Kurt has said himself he wasn't the biggest, fastest or most technical in his time but he knew if he can outlast everyone, that was what mattered. I believe to this day that Conditioning is your greatest asset whether you're an athlete or not and from a wrestler's point of view it goes back to Karl Gotch's saying of "Conditioning is your greatest hold". I still love the story when Kurt went and trained with Dan Gable's team at Iowa learning about Exhaust Training and on a "Day off", Dan had the guys do one college match. Now for those playing the home game, a college match I think even today is 3 rounds of 3 minutes, 2 minutes and another 2 minutes. So, Kurt thought ok one college match with the greatest college wrestling squad should be fun. Several minutes go by, whistle isn't blown, 15-20 minutes in and something isn't right and these guys are going hard. At 30 minutes, whistle is blown and Kurt just in shock thought it was going to be one college match like Dan said. Dan kept his word but the match was going to be 30, 20, 20; 10 times the amount of time for a typical match. 

That shit alone makes you wonder how the hell that team even had guys that lost when they were in that kind of condition. Crazy right? That is some inspiring stuff. These guys were the cream of the crop when it came to college wrestling and up until the time Cael Sanderson came along (Wrestler & Coach), nobody could touch Iowa. This is why I enjoy doing workouts that may seem nuts but compared to these guys, it would kill me even now. Doing those Band sessions, lots of squats and step ups, it gives me a new outlook on high rep training than I had before. In my early 40's now, I love the training I do and being able to go out there and hammer out whatever and have fun with it keeps those inspirations alive and learning what I can do without putting myself at risk of major injuries.

Will I be doing the same stuff that I'm doing now 10-20 years down the road? Maybe not and will adapt if needed but the love I have for it will never die and if I can go and be able to train so I don't get winded for things in my own life, that's just the cherry on top of a kick ass Sundae. If you want to know what real conditioning looks like, look up guys like Kurt Angle, Bud Jeffries, Ed Lewis, Dan Gable and even guys like Rickey Henderson in Baseball, Walter Payton or Herschel Walker in Football. These were great men. 

Train hard, be inspired and get to a level that you didn't think was possible. You are powerful, you can be in great condition and more in the process. Be respectful to the old timers but also respect the training that you even put yourself through. You don't have to go to extremes but it is important you learn what your capabilities are even at the smallest fucking fraction of progress because it will still lead to the big picture. Keep being amazingly awesome.  

If you enjoyed the article, shoot a comment and let me know what you thought. If you'd like to get a hold of me, email me through the linktree below. 

Dopamineo Bands: Year-Round Awesomeness For High School Athletics

When it comes to High School athletes, they're built different. Some may go on to better things, others stick to the sport they dominated in by moving up the ranks and then there are those that just peaked never going anywhere. The thing is though, whether any of those occur, the truth of the matter is, when in season; you've got two-a-days, getting through classes, go after scholarships and push to the very limits. 

If you're a parent, coach or the young buck hitting the field/court/mat, you need to know that Dopamineo Bands will give you some extra insights regardless of the sport that transfers over that strength and conditioning needed. Any program would be luck as hell to have bands like these, especially if you want to evolve as a championship squad or build a new legacy getting an edge on becoming a winning team. These bands aren't your typical store bought tools that will snap within weeks if not sooner. They're made differently for real purpose. With silicone construction that delivers consistent tension, resistance that's variable and simulates the athletic movements needed for your sport. 

What makes them damn near perfect for Athletes at the High School level? The mere fact that they can be used all-year round so they can be approached as an entity for staying in top shape. In-Season, they can be used as warm-ups, finishers, on their own on off days but also be in tuned to training the athlete without beating them up solely through weight training that leaves them sluggish and sore before a game or a match. Some coaches run their athletes too hard to such a degree that injuries occur quicker and without warning. It's one thing to teach toughness, it's another to just put a kid through the ringer and expect them to just shrug it off and not act like he won't get hurt later on. These bands give coaches and athletes an opportunity to train/program smarter using specific drills without compromising recovery. Think how things like lateral shuffles, resisted sprinting, hip drives and jumps can accelerate their level of competitiveness?

Being able to transfer over to the sport participated in has perks beyond what most may imagine. In the Off-Season, they will shine brighter than those Lights on the Gridiron without burning that kid out. Those breaks in the Summer & Winter are prime time for developing that raw power, injury resistance and work capacity. The programming of Dopamineo gives coaches the tools to to create progressive overload that feels fun as hell and fresh. The resistance levels for both boys and girls mean you can scale it with absolute certainty for an entire roster. kids can have a band for their size instead of ones that could wreck them or untrained. 

What are some key aspects for these bands to be suitable for High School Programming?

1. Be able to train practically anywhere whether at the park after school, at home before getting homework done, on road trips or in between classes. 

2. The bands provide resistance that utilize what can be useful, the more you stretch it, the harder it will be. This also helps protect the joints so they can continue growing without being in pain. 

3. The carryover and of itself is worth the price at hand. Working drills that mimic real athletic movements and patterns from explosive pulls, rotations, presses and locomotion that build you up and not tear you down.

4. This is my favorite: The conditioning components that target heart rate, building a tolerance of the lactic acid build up and giving you those reserves that say "never quit" for those late game dramas and heroics. 

Give these kids the tools that build kick ass athletic ability without putting them in the pit of death that is injury prone and exhausted that they can't do anything well. Keep the program consistent and watch as these athletes soar to heights that would baffle scouts whole-heartedly. Be amazingly awesome and to all you boys and girls in the off season right now, you got this and new horizons are waiting for you to succeed. 

Get those bundle deals rolling for your roster and use my code POWERANDMIGHT to get an additional 10% OFF. 

Training To Utilize Reserves

On one side of the coin, fitness is about looking better and getting the most out of the quality of life and finding ways to be in better shape so people can see you. On the other side of the coin, there's the aspect of being fit even if you don't look like a model, bodybuilder or whatever and utilizing what makes being fit important. It's yin and yang, working towards common goals and aspirations. 

There are dark undertones to these two sides of the coin though. When most want to look better, they tend to forget that just looking good doesn't take into consideration of how healthy they can really be. You can look like a million bucks and still have a plethora of problems that at times can be damaging whether it's over supplementing and not using real food as fuel, being on drugs such as steroids or HGH, not understanding when to lighten up, going too extreme with your workouts and other stuff. 

When it comes to being in shape, it can be subjective and those that say they're in shape like they can run for miles on end or do 1000 squats a day or some arbitrary number when it comes to lifting and being in the gym 2 hours a day or something. Things like those are saying you're in shape but there's one to two important aspects of those that could reference how good of shape you're in such as, more like three:

How often do you injured or is your training making you as injury-proof as possible?

Do you get sick easily?

We are all different and our bodies will react to different things throughout life. Usually when it comes to the being sick part, it's when those who have little kids or are around many people during the day during a job that has that going on but also if you're training like a maniac but your immune system still has trouble keeping up with preventing illness as much as possible, there are factors there you may want to get into. If you get sick more than a few times a year, something may be off, if you only get sick maybe a couple times a year, that's not bad. We can't 100% avoid illness, that's just not how things work, we're not invincible but we can learn how to build a strong immune system as we train throughout our journey.

On the factors of getting injured easily or being injury proof as possible, people will often undermine what they think they're in control of and forget to be mindful about what they're body can handle, being aware of technique and expecting to just act like if they pushed themselves to the limit, it limits their chances of being injured which isn't always the case. The real truth here, is that whatever your goals are, be respectful to what is realistic and getting the most out of it without killing yourself and progressing with intentions and knowing when to go hard and when to lighten up or back off completely to build yourself up.

I love this shit and training is a very important part of my life and wouldn't trade anything for it. I've made mistakes and found myself in bad situations but also found ways to get myself out of them and learn to be aware of things. My style of training is to keep learning what is useful and valuable along with utilizing my reserves so my strength and conditioning is ready to use when they're needed. To a degree, I don't care what I look like, I don't need to be a model or bodybuilder to give anyone an impression that I'm fit or not, I just love doing stuff and putting out demos. In my own workouts, I will test myself but I'm also not going to go so hard it becomes a greater risk of injury, I've learned the hard way not to do that anymore. Some things have changed, others have remained the same but at the end of the day, it's about what can be done moving forward instead of being stuck.

Have a goal that is important to you but also listen to your body and if you feel the need to go extreme, just be careful and not hurt yourself, hell some have pushed themselves so hard that they claim to not have Cartlidge in one of their knees anymore (even though they most likely made it up to get sympathy and if it were true, they wouldn't be able to do what they claim) or make up some physical ailment to bitch about and others pushed so hard in their training and workload that they now have very painful arthritis and won't do much about it or they're too far gone. You can only do so much before it ends up biting you in the ass within the next 10-20 years. 

Be amazingly awesome and train with passion and intent. Use those reserves when needed and keep learning what you're capable of that keeps you living like a bad ass well into your later years. 

Be amazingly awesome