Blissful Hell Doing 1000 Reps With The Dopamineo Band

 This morning, I felt strong, energetic and ready tackle a good workout. Took my bag down to the complex gym, hooked up my Dopa Band & Strap and went at it. Everything felt right and with the exercises I was doing, they were flowing to the point where even at 7 Rounds, I knew today I could do 20. 

Why do I call it Blissful Hell? Simply put, even in a state where I can keep going, the workout still wasn't going to be an easy one. Why would it? Unless you've experienced it, it is a workout that challenges your sanity. After yesterday's 800 Rep Circuit of 5 Rounds, I was determined to get at least 10 with the Dopa Band but I just kept going and doubled it. For this workout, I felt invincible and nothing was going to stop me. 

5 Exercises for 10 reps each as usual, just going even further. The only rest was marking off the circuit which is only a few seconds in comparison. 

10 Chest Presses

10 Wave Pulls

10 Squats

10 Ski Jumps

10 Power Pushovers

In all....20 Rounds comes out to 200 Reps each for a grand total of 1000. Even when I was done, I felt like I could go maybe another 2-3 rounds but this was satisfying enough. One of these days, I might see how many rounds I can do in an hour, with a routine like this, I can probably hit close to 30-32 but I'm not going to make that assumption of myself until I've actually done it. 

This is one of the reasons why the Dopa Band is such an amazing tool. It adds resistance to practically any movement you do, even a smidge can make a difference. It's effectiveness is beyond description and it helps you stay fit for life. Another big perk is that unlike other bands, this fucker doesn't snap as easily, quite frankly, it's CLOSE to impossible to snap this thing. Since September of 2023, I have not had to replace this thing and I've put it through hell, stretching as best as I can, hitting it on gravel, wet grass, sand, concrete, in the rain, hot and cold weather and it still hasn't had scratches or tears. 

This band is addicting and I'd rather be addicted to training with this than to smoke, drink and party. Exercise has been my second language since 2005 and I can't find any reason to take a day off unless I'm in a full body cast or dead. I will find a way to train every single fucking day, not because of motivation but for the love and discipline of it. For me, without training, it's like not breathing. I can be laid up and in severe pain and I'll still do something even if it's isometrics. I do like pushing myself and it has bitten me in the ass a time or two but I don't give up, I adjust and do what's possible in the moment. Since about June of 2024, I haven't been in any pain, sore sure and a few scratches here and there but not pain and I feel grateful to do things in my 40's that will continue for as long as possible. 

I'm not the strongest, the fastest, the biggest nor do I look like I should be on a magazine but I do what's possible for me and do things that keep me going no matter what. The band is just another tool that has given me new ways to love training. It's not the ultimate training tool, nor is it the end-all-be-all like anything else, it's just a tool, like your bodyweight, weights, machines or whatever. You choose what works best for you and get the biggest benefit out of it. I don't settle for one method, I practice many and combine them to form my own ideals to what I want to accomplish. 

I do believe Dopamineo Bands should be a part of any program but I won't ever call you a loser or f@ggot or anything derogatory/negative because you choose not to do them. That's what Charlatans/Cowards do, they treat you like garbage when they don't do things their way and if you don't do what they say, you're nothing but a speck of dirt and someone who isn't worthy of a human being to them. Those type of people are unworthy of your time and have no business teaching others how to be fit since some of these guys look like they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag for one and make ridiculous claims that makes you ask yourself "Is this guy off his meds or something?" The truth is, these numbnuts come and go. Keep being you and find ways to be a little better and evolve. Make good choices, kindness isn't a weakness but don't be a pushover either, we all have our limits. 

Be amazingly awesome and be sure to use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF your order. You have the power to change, make it epic. 

500 Rep Deck Of Cards Workout With Dopamineo Bands

 Working on your conditioning is one of the best things a person can do for their health. The ability to last as long as needed whether for sports or for daily life is a gift as well as a necessity. There are a variety of ways to make it happen, while some methods can seem boring, others can be very interesting especially if you use specific things that can target various muscle groups in the blink of an eye. Dopamineo Bands are one of those things.

Some of the best wrestlers in the world train with these bands to keep their skills up and enhance their cardio to last in as many matches as they can. There's a reason why several wrestlers in the UFC like Khabib didn't know the word tired. The man was a machine and outlasted many opponents. These bands provide a level of resistance that takes stamina and long lasting strength into space where it may seem endless. It doesn't take a ton of time to train with these so no need to go as long as a marathon. 

Since September of 2023, off and on, I've used this band to amplify my own cardio and keep me in shape for whatever lies ahead of me. Done many workouts from circuits to HIIT to just a quick and simple session. Every time I put my hands on it, I feel like I'm learning from the most conditioned athletes in history and trying out various exercises at different speeds and technique. 

I took an idea from my own workouts using a deck of cards and wanted to see what it would be like to do it with the Band. Consists of 5 Exercises (Push, Pull, Squat, Jump & The Propeller Exercise) and do 500 Total Reps going through the deck. It's intense and simple. It's not easy and sure AF isn't for the weak at heart. It can be done as warm up for athletes, a post-practice cool down or it can be on its own and focusing on targeting areas you want to be better conditioned in. Here is how it goes.....

Hearts: Push Exercise (e.g Chest Press)

Diamonds: Pull Exercise (e.g Chest Pull Waves)

Spades: Squats (e.g Uppercut To Squat)

Clubs: Jump Exercise (e.g Ski Jumps)

2-10 As Is

K/Q/J Is 10 Reps

Aces Are 16 Reps

Jokers Are 50 Propellers

This particular workout hits many muscle groups that keep you on your toes. Focus on technique, let the speed come naturally (you're not trying to break world records here) and pay attention to your breathing. You can start with a few cards and work your way up over time or you can go through the whole deck and take breaks periodically and each workout you reduce rest time until you can get through with very little rest other than flipping a card and adjusting the exercise. If you ever wanted to experience what a wrestler or fighter may feel during intense training and not be a competitive athlete, this is pretty damn close. This is also a way to get fit without all the hassles of gym training and getting a good session in 15-30 minutes depending on how long it takes you to finish. 

Have fun with this one and let me know how it goes for you, love to hear your feedback from this workout. Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it in 2025. Save a few bucks using my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF. 

Interests, Goals & Pushing Yourself

 Realistically, training can be tough as hell depending on what you do but at the same time, it's important to understand the value of the work you put in along with finding the best ways to train suited to you and your goals. Learning new exercises can be exciting and with the way some ads like to appeal to a certain crowd whether they're everyday joes, athletes or training for specific feats, excitement can also be blinding. Remember Yoda's saying "adventure, excitement, a jedi craves not these things." Now, that shouldn't mean you don't look forward to them. I enjoy loaded carries, step ups, animal movements, sprints and Isometrics but it's not so much a craving to be excited or be adventurous, it's because they provide simplicity along with natural excitement or stimulus. 

If you're interested in something or learning something that appeals to you, it first becomes a curiosity and than it becomes something you're either going to continue doing or do something else that comes along. It has to naturally spark something in you that makes you want to continue on and if it doesn't create some form of natural stimulus, it's not going to keep you from continuing on. Some of the simplest exercises are tough but they're tough for a reason. If you'd rather just follow what the next shiny thing is, you're only going to leave your individuality behind and not learn the value of what it means to really train. 

Pushing ourselves is human nature, it's either going to be that fight or flight mode and doing something beyond our own reasoning to reach a certain level. We can't match everyone and not everyone can workout the same exact way, if that were the case, nobody would be different. We have certain strengths and weaknesses, we can surpass others and we may never reach a certain level but if you generate consistency with the idea of developing that stimulus whether physically or mentally, it leaves you wanting to learn more and create something for yourself. 

I've pushed my body at times where it ended hurt or had close encounters of blacking out but also pushed myself to other levels of strength from bending steel to doing more than 1000 Squats in a workout. I don't like the idea of pushing that hard and quite frankly, unless you're in a dire situation, training yourself to the brink of death is not the ideal way to consistently stay strong, it's a death sentence that will end up either faster or slower in the form of long term effects. It's important to find out what you're capable of and what you'll have to do at times to know what will be the determining factor of life or death but there's a difference between what your ego will do and what you can realistically do. I've pushed myself at times without being aware of it and that is another thing, we don't always know how far we go and when you're in that zone, it's like time stands still.

Goals are great to have and to achieve but at the same time, we have to be aware of the goals we are trying to achieve and what it will do to us later on. We can't 100% know the outcome of the goals we go after cause life will at times throw you curveballs and there might be days where everything just isn't there and we either push on anyway or back off a bit. We fail our goals at times, it happens but that doesn't mean we stay down and bury our heads in the sand, we get back up and try different approaches. When we achieve our goals, it's exciting and we celebrate the victory but more often than not, even if a goal is achieved, you still feel defeated somehow, the toll took everything out of you and you're mentally and/or physically drained. What is the sacrifice you're willing to make to achieve a goal, what's the endgame? What are the long term side effects? Was it worth the heartache and pain? Was it worth all the time and effort to only have it be something that lasts a few moments and then life moves on? Many don't look at these questions, some do don't get wrong but we don't always seem to be aware of the ratio of the consequences to achievement. 

Train to what suits you, be efficient in how you achieve your goals and handle the hits when they unexpectedly hit you the best way you can. Be strong and do what's possible. Times change, things that seemed impossible yesterday become possibilities today but we are still here doing the best we can even if it's so damn tiny a microscope can't even see it. Not everyone will celebrate your victories, most of the time nobody gives a shit or will criticize you. Most of the time, validation is just a thing to boost the ego and it can be intoxicating but remember to still be a human being and take your victories in as lessons and if something needs to change, do what you can to make it better. Keep being amazingly awesome everyone.     

A Simple Isometric Workout That Tackles Practically Everything

 Isometrics are not as complicated as some may think and they go beyond just holding positions and contracting. They're rehabilitating, they save time, give you strength in places you didn't realize needed strength and the amount of exercises you can do are virtually limitless. I've written before that my personal favorite form of Isometrics are Overcoming & Hybrids. Tried many workouts and have stayed consistent with some exercises where it's mainly in the 7-12 sec range at peak contraction for one set in multiple positions. Some workouts are just 1 set of 1 position but one in particular I did yesterday was a mixture of longer held Isometrics with 7-12 sec exercises which made me learn a different set of focus.

The first three exercises I did was a Push, Pull, Squat and than just do Core Exercises. The main 3 were done for 3x30 sec each and the Core Exercises were for one set each at 7-12 sec Contractions. It was actually a really good workout and gathering strength from different perspectives. I always do Core Isometrics towards the end of Isometric Training because they provide the ability to build my posture and I can hit the muscles with very few exercises to make them effective. Here's the workout I did....

3x30 Sec Hybrid Push-Up

3x30 Sec Deadlift

3x30 Sec Zercher Squat

7-12 Sec Dead Bug Crunch

7-12 Sec Side Plank

7-12 Sec Arch Body 

7-12 Sec Side Plank (Other Side)

7-12 Sec Hollow Body 

7-12 Sec Side Bends

This was about as close as to a full body workout as you can get and it gave me a hell of an endorphin high. The hardest was actually the Hybrid Push-Up because not only are you pushing against an immovable object but also fighting gravity at the same time and keeping a peak contraction for 30 seconds feels like an eternity and everything is working in order to also stabilize. It's like going to war and in order to stay in that position, you can't just use lower intensity like in a yielding exercise, it forces you to contract the muscles at a specific level otherwise the body won't stabilize as much. 

The deadlift was used with a dowel as a "mimicked" barbell and pulling at around knee high for about 50-65% of my strength. Still a great exercise for the lower back, grip and legs. The bigger the percentage of contraction, the harder it is to hold on. The Zercher Squat was around the same percentage of contraction but you're pushing against the strap while also making your legs work with such great force and intensity that you're giving the tendons and ligaments the fuel they need to withstand impact from other activities. If you want stronger knees to go up flights of stairs, hills or whatever, this is a great exercise and tackles the Core and Back muscles to strengthen the posterior chain as well. It's more than just a squat. 

For the Core Exercises, to me they're a key factor in how you maintain posture for all the other exercises beyond just the abs and obliques. To build incredible strength, it takes some form of aligning the body in solid positions to really kickstart the contractions. You have to flex everything while maintaining focus. If you're going for lesser intensity, the principle still applies to contract every muscle but not as hard....Point the toes and extend the arms overhead in the hollow and arch holds, press into the thighs with your hands or fists in the Dead Bug Crunch, utilize the whole body in the side planks whether on your hands or forearms, maintain posture as you extend and also flex in the side bends. Every exercise needs full attention otherwise you could throw yourself off and if you don't contract every muscle, the alignment may not be there and the results won't be as effective. 

If you can't do the full alignments of the exercises yet, do what you can and work from there. Isometrics are simple but they're not easy by any means. Some exercises are difficult to hold because the control isn't there yet and the practice of Mind/Muscle Connection needs to be practiced in the moment and with laser-like focus. Even a small percentage of not focusing can throw off the entire exercise despite not moving. If you're more advanced and want to do the first three a full 90 seconds than do what you can do (if you can hold a 90 second Hybrid Push-up, you got some serious strength). You can vary the time and intensity however you want just keep in mind that the higher percentage of contraction, the less time you'll be able to hold a position. To learn more about Isometric Training check out Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project and for some of the exercises in the book, you can use a towel, a sheet, Rings or get one of the best Isometric apparatuses around the Worlfit Iso Trainer.

Be amazingly awesome in your journey and make the most of what's possible and get stronger little by little. Don't forget that if you click on the link to Rings, be sure to add in my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout to get a cool 10% OFF your purchase. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Albizia Powder

New Year's Resolutions Can Go Suck It

 One of the biggest cliche's ever and it just never ends. Seriously, resolutions can go suck it more than Jenna Jameson & Linda Lovelace. It's really easy to just talk and say you'll do something to change in the new year and then 2-3 weeks later you're back to your old self. On the other hand, if you set goals for yourself and take it one day at a time instead of "I'm going all in and I'm going to kick the living shit out of my new year's resolution" you might actually stay a bit more consistent.

Don't just make a mark on a calendar, make it a point to set small goals whether it be fitness, getting more out of your job, walking more, being kinder to someone, be helpful or whatever. Little things pile up and before you know it, something big comes up. Don't talk about your goals or your resolutions if you can help it, you never want to jinx yourself and get caught up in the stress of it. New things can be stressful or feared because its unknown but it doesn't have to be. You get to choose how you proceed but be prepared for the unexpected because sometimes things don't always turn out as we hoped. Sometimes we fail but there will be success somewhere in there.

Have fun with your goals and turn them into little games. It's important to take some things seriously but not EVERYTHING. If you've never been to a gym but always wanted to, set small goals like starting with just walking or driving there, after a bit, take another step by walking in the door, next phase, go to the equipment than pick up the weight and go from there. Baby steps. If you're into writing, start with a word and gradually go to a sentence, a paragraph and build up to a chapter, before you know it, you got a book/blog going. Again, baby steps.

Fitness is the most common thing for resolutions and it gives it a bad name. You buy this kind of equipment or sign up for a gym membership, bust your ass for a bit and then up and get burned out faster than a campfire in a rainstorm. Take it easy at first, going all hardcore off the bat is like thinking an NFL team with 1-17 record will win the Super Bowl, it's not going to happen. Turn your goals into a puzzle, small pieces reveals the BIG picture.

Many people want you to fail, even ones you may be close to. Don't let their bullshit drag you through the mud, blast through the mud like Sonic The Fucking Hedgehog. Nobody starts out perfect, even Superman had to gradually understand and use his powers wisely to help others and himself otherwise he could've turned into the Blackburn kid. It takes some fortitude but you can do it and you got this. Learn a progression system and challenge yourself every now and then. 

I believe in you and you have it within you to make yourself better even by the tiniest microscopic fraction. Be strong, set little goals and keep being amazingly awesome.

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Also if you're interested, check up on the newest PDF from Red Delta Project called Push, Pull & Squat.. The undogmatic approach to strength and muscle building that include weekly training templets that fit your schedule and a freestyle approach so you can do the best sets and reps possible. Get it for less than $5 on Kindle. Also, take a look at some of the most powerful herbs from Lost Empire to get things rolling in your journey to awesome health and well-being.