My Conditioning Was Tested

 Doing the DDP Yoga Workouts for nearly a month now has reaped many rewards in my recovery and getting back my strength, flexibility, mobility and coordination. Most days, I would do the workouts in stages with their Core Workout, Beginner & Intermediate and other days, I'll go a little bit further and longer like up to 45 minutes or so. They can be brutal at times but they're fun and it's helping me further along. I'm practically at my best again but still need to be mindful and listen to my body.

I do have flare ups in my hip from time to time, not to the point of debilitating or very painful but it only happens when I get stressed out about something. It is getting better though. Next step is getting better sleep, I still struggle with it and doing what I can. When I do sleep, even if its for a few hours, I'm out like a light. 

One workout of DDP Yoga I did yesterday really tested me in a way I needed especially if I want to have solid conditioning again was their Double Black Diamond Workout that lasted for an hour. Took breaks here and there for like 30 seconds at a time when Dallas called for it but those were very few and kept going about 95% of the entire workout. Modified what I needed to, felt awkward at times yet I got through the entire workout without quitting. Some of the holds especially for the legs were long and doing slow count push-ups made me shake like a leaf. My flexibility has increased rather quickly, my strength is right back up there and because of getting through that nasty bitch of a workout, my cardio and lung capacity is back in full force. I also use the DDPY App a time or two to get some workouts in that aren't on the DVDs. One was a live type workout where Dallas had a large group of people training at his Performance Center.

This was a major step for me as I'm a big believer in conditioning. You know from my past articles that having solid strength is great but if you don't have a good level capacity in your cardio to back it up, then you're missing out on some very important factors. Doing sprints, step ups, squats, band work and even weights can build your cardio if you know how to apply it. DDP Yoga is no different and because of the combination of Bodyweight Exercises, Muscle Control, Yoga Positioning & other things, it creates an interesting workout that makes you sweat like crazy, testing your levels of control and balance along with building your lung capacity. I've shown some muscle gains and fat loss because of doing it for a while now. You saw my recent pics...Slimmer waist, more defined muscle and my back is a hell of a lot stronger now.

When you put in the work, things will start to happen for the better and as long as you stay consistent and listening to your body, certain miracles may even occur but that may vary from person to person. I've had a lot of soul searching to do while I was laid up and certain things came across my mind which I mentioned in one of my previous articles and that it's not a desire anymore to try and compete with anyone but myself. Some guys have this obsession that you have to compete against EVERYBODY and need to be better than them because it's a fucking war out there. What kind of war are you really trying to win? What's the endgame? I know what it's like to try to one up somebody and at times I won the battle but at other times I got my ass handed to me and at the end of the day, what was it really worth? Plus, unless it's friendly competition, what do you truly expect to happen in the long run?

My biggest desire right now is to be a bit healthier each day, have the strength when it calls for it and be able to go when I need to. I'm not in competition with anybody, I have nobody to try to compete with. Some people are far better than me in certain things and I'm good at what I can do that a lot can't but that shouldn't make me superior to them or make them feel less of themselves or feel less to myself. Your biggest competitor is who you see in the mirror everyday. There are some things people will compete for whether it's for a sport, in business or whatever because there's a specific need but on the other end of the spectrum, when you compete more with yourself in what you want to achieve whether it's big or small, to me there's greater reward in it because you learn to be better than who you were whether it was an hour ago, yesterday, last week, last year or in the last few years. 

Train to be a little better even if it's so microscopic it makes Tardigrades look big. That's the true beauty of making things happen. Even the smallest hint of progress is still progress that leads to the bigger picture. Be more encouraging, don't bully and for the love of the damn universe, do your best to have more compassion for people. At times, you may need to be vocal and call people out on their shit and stand up to those who prey on the weak but if you can keep the majority of your being having compassion and empathy, that other side of the coin would balance itself out. 

A Month In Hell

 It has been a minute since I wrote anything here as of late and for a reason. My sciatica came back and I've been dealing with it just over a month now. Don't know exactly what caused it to come back, maybe a factor of things but it did happen and the pain was so severe that I could barely even stand up, let alone able to walk.

Couldn't sleep in my own bed for weeks and had to sleep on a soft mattress on the floor. Not going into gross details about using the restroom so I'll leave that out. Couldn't sit upright to even eat or drink anything so I had to lay literally on my back or on my side to do those things and needed help getting supplies in order to brush my teeth or even shave. I didn't have anybody lift me up to walk because let's face it, it's not something I want people to attempt with me. When I did walk, every step felt like pin needles and a crowbar hitting my lower back and my right leg like Babe Ruth swinging a baseball bat. 

You know shit gets bad when you can't even sit down to do anything. I' am very grateful for the help I did get and made a vow to myself and to them that when I'm 100%, I'm making up for those things as if my life depended on it. For exercise, I was barely able to move my legs to stretch without feeling pain. I had to fight for every inch of movement just to even get some in. In the beginning, I focused mainly on stretching and using my Iso Bow for Isometric Training so my upper body was still strong enough to move around. A lot of crawling took place and couldn't go up a flight of stairs for at least 2-3 weeks. The pain was so horrible I didn't want anybody around me at times because I would've just been a terrible person to be around. 

I ended up losing some muscle mass in my legs because the pain was so bad I couldn't walk a couple feet without collapsing. Even the last time I went to see a chiropractor I was in such bad shape walking in and out of the building felt like an eternity. I didn't take a bunch of pain killers or heavy doses of muscle relaxers, for supplantation I took Vitamin B, some Ibprophen and a pain reliever throughout the day every few hours, a couple capsules for Nerve and blood circulation, Zinc, Potassium & Magnesium. When I did take relaxers, I took a small dose (or at least to me it was small) of them at night but that barely even helped at all as most nights I wouldn't be able to sleep. Lots of Heat & Ice as well.

One of the worst feelings other than the pain was having no appetite. I would barely eat once a day and that was just so I can take the supplements so they can kick in. Little by little as time went on, I did start eating more and ate mainly eggs, bacon and toast. The only things I drank was mainly water and liquid IV to get some extra hydration in. I would never wish this on anybody, no one should suffer like that and it did feel at times that I wanted to die because I practically knew nothing but severe pain. Because of the loss of appetite, I ended up losing 11 pounds in less than 3 weeks (roughly 18 days to be exact), it was that bad. That's not a healthy way to lose weight I don't care who you are.

Once things started to die down, I would move around more, able to stretch out as best as possible and kept up with my Isometric Training with the Bow doing Bow & Arrow Pulls, Pull Apart, Chest Squeeze & Bicep Curl. Each exercise was done with 3x10 countdown. That's really all I did for my upper body other than the crawling. I started doing DDP Yoga again, making up my own routine or what I could do. It was an instinct and researching every single fucking thing I could on how to fix myself as naturally as possible without being on a bunch of drugs. I could barely even stretch out with most of the moves at first, all the moves are embedded into my memory from doing them years earlier but getting back into it was like being in a fight with Mike Tyson. I kept up with it and ordered the DVD's to fully work them, I'm not the biggest fan of following along to a video but I needed to do something and because I was able to modify the moves, I was able to work around the workouts. The first week or 2 back into it, I made up my own routine and just worked moves as best as I could with the limited mobility I had. Shortly later, I'm able to do a good portion of the moves, modify a few here and there but my flexibility and strength was slowly coming back. After more than 2 weeks straight of doing this, I'm now able to do full on workouts without taking a break or having to pause. It's only been three workouts but those three really got me going again and my endurance is coming back as well. The third workout which I did yesterday was one of their main Leg Workouts called Below The Belt which lasted roughly 40 minutes, I pushed through it modifying only a couple of the moves and did it in its entirety without stopping (unless he said to take some water and wipe off some sweat which at times was only a few seconds). That was one of my biggest moments.

I set little goals for myself and my wife gave me daily goals to accomplish and I did them all. I'm not looking for sympathy, I did this to myself and wanted to do whatever was possible to get out of it on my own, I did have quite a bit of help on a number of things but I wanted to keep fighting and was doing things I didn't want to do and/or feel embarrassed to even talk about because I was and still am ashamed of myself. Only a few people knew what was going on other than the people with me. I didn't want to talk about it until I felt I was getting better to even attempt to write it out and was comfortable to say what I needed to. 

I'm almost completely healed, I have no pain in my back and only feeling discomfort in the nerves in my leg. I'm able to cook and do dishes again, able to bathe without collapsing or having to lay on the bathroom floor to ease the pain, able to walk down the street and back, hold a deep squat without being in agony, walk around with little limping and able to work around things I couldn't even attempt when this started up again. I'm not taking anything for granted and will be smarter about training and making things I normally didn't an asset. I'm not going to push myself the way I used to, I'll still challenge myself but not be gung ho as much and only go hardcore when I'm absolutely confident enough I can get through it unscathed. If I'm doing high reps of anything anymore it would be the Dopa Bands for circuits and Step Ups for leg conditioning, other than that, keep things just enough to be healthy and strong in the long run with better mindfulness. I'll still do some stuff with kettlebells, bands, hammers and bags but not go as crazy, just enough to feel good. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I appreciate all of you and if you're ever in a situation like I was or worse, get the best possible help you can and take care of yourself the best way you can. Be grateful and understanding and know that there are people who would have your back, those are the real people that make the world a better place. If you want to do your best to avoid this type of thing, get DDP Yoga, its worth it. Do what you can with it and make it a part of you, it's one of the best things out there and am very blessed I'm able to do it again. 

Here are pics I took yesterday to show the progress I made. I may look whiter than Casper's head and because of the weight loss, I' am a lot slimmer than I used to be. I'm currently at around 237-238 lbs at the moment. Have an amazingly awesome day and do your best to be positive even in the toughest moments. 

Resting And Recovering: A Realistic Look At Training

Often times during our training, we will push our bodies to limits we never have gone to and it gives us that feeling of accomplishment. But what about the next day? Do we just chill out and slack off as we recover and rest like we have the flu? That's not what you do or should do. The truth is, it is important to do something everyday or as often as possible. That doesn't mean you go hardcore or beat the shit out of your body everyday, that's not practical or realistic. 

There are going to be days where everything isn't always there and your body needs time to heal, what can you do in that time as you heal? Instead of sleeping all day and not do a damn thing (unless you're so beat up and/or in the hospital), you can do a few minutes of stretching or doing less intense exercise. If all you can do is go for a walk or do less intense Isometrics than do so. You never stop training, you just adapt to what your body is capable of for that time to recover. Some say recovery is just a gym term, that's complete bullshit, yeah your body can adapt to many things but if you don't take the time to heal the body, in some form or another, you can end up being very useless in the things you do in your life. 

Some days I'll do my deck of cards workouts or some other form of intense training either in one shot or throughout the day, other days I'll do small things like basic animal moves at a slower pace or stretch my body out and focus on something that doesn't require being a maniac or a sadistic fitness enthusiast. Some days (on a rare occasion) I'll be sore as hell either from training, shoveling snow or whatever and do things to keep myself moving but not to the point where I'm ready to die. It's awesome to challenge yourself but it's not worth your long term existence if you beat it to a  bloody pulp just to prove how tough you are.

I believe in recovery training to keep things flowing, keep up with maintenance and be able to "rest" until my body can go hard again which at times takes a day or two, other times it takes a week but I always feel the need to do something. Doing joint loosening sessions is great, Isometrics are great, flexibility work is great, all these things are useful when you apply the realistic approach to training the body. For joint loosening, it's to keep the body healthy so you don't become so brittle and full of aches and pains. For Isometrics, it's for maintaining strength without moving and being able to do some intense training without the need to compensate. Flexibility training is like joint loosening or mobility work by maintaining the body's ability to flow and keep going without putting so much stress on the nervous system and putting the muscles and tendons/ligaments at risk. 

Too many people like to throw in how hard they can go and doing everything possible to prove that they can harder than anyone else. It's the trend of social media influencers that think they know more than the old timers and/or understand that you can only push the body so far. Most of the time, they don't give a flying fuck about your recovery or rest, all they care about is going until you possibly end up in the ER because you did this many kettlebell swings or lifted this much weight you weren't meant to do or hell do 500 Push-ups, Run 10 miles, Sprint 600 Yards, 1000 Squats and Deadlift 300 lbs 100 times in the span of an hour or less and doing that 5 times a week. You train according to what you can do on particular days, that doesn't mean you stop training, it just means to some things to recharge and other things when you're at your peak level. 

I haven't taken a day off since I was 21 years old and I've pushed my body hard on a lot of days but I've also gave my body some time to recharge by doing things that still had me moving but not to break down so much that I can't move at all. I've done rough sessions in BJJ, I've gone through killer strongman workouts, dozens upon dozens of decks of cards, sprint training, gymnastics, nasty cardio and conditioning and yet still managed to work on mobility, flexibility and less intense training when it weas needed. You DO what you CAN every single day, you don't have to sacrifice your body in the name of fitness. 

Don't try to prove how hardcore you are, prove to yourself that you can come up with things regardless and what is possible. Listen to your body and not the bullshit influence that has wrecked many people. Be amazingly awesome. Be smart about your training.

The Nerve Pain, The Muscle Spasms, All Gone: IT'S OVER!!!

Just the feeling of bruising but the sciatica injury is finally over. Merely keeping up with maintenance and being slightly more cautious is what I'll be doing for a while but this long ass episode has reached it's finale. The pain was enough that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies and being so damn limited made me frustrated, irritable and drove me crazy. 

What made me notice that it was gone? I had an idea in mind that was risky but my intuition was telling me it was going to work. I tested myself in a Bear Crawl Sprint Workout that was 10 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 5 minutes. Aside from feeling a little tension, I busted through that workout with ease without a shred of pain, not even a little bit. How's that for irony: A sprint workout told you you were injured and the next sprint workout tells you you're healed. Funny how the universe works.  

I'm back and it feels fucking glorious man. I still believe in my heart that if I wasn't in good of shape before, this injury would've been far worse and the healing would've taken way longer. That's the thing, if you train with intent to help prevent injuries as much as possible and be able to heal quicker when you do makes all the difference in the world. This one didn't heal as fast as I wanted to (I' am edging close to 40) but it did heal when it was meant to. I felt my flexibility coming back and my strength was right there when I needed it. Conditioning is really a life saver and in my mind, the fountain of youth.

If you've never experienced Sciatica, I really hope you never will. I feel so grateful not just for what I had to do but I'm grateful to my wife and my mother for being there for me even though I was a royal pain in the ass and feeling so damn guilty that I didn't want to burden them. Putting them through that especially my wife was something I never want to do again, neither one deserved to see me like that. I owe them big time and I will always take responsibility and heat for what I did to myself. I can't and will never blame anything or anyone other than myself. Life is too damn short and you do what's possible to make the best of things. 

This was probably one of the most humbling experiences of my life and part of it is starting to show on my age and my ability to heal but in a weird and twisted sense, I needed to go through this in order to understand how important certain things are in life and that it was another one of life's tests where you learn and figure out what you have to do in order to rebuild yourself inside and out. This put another perspective on why I love to train and why it continues to push me even in tough times. The majority of the time, all I did was stretching which to me is still training, I never once led up or took a day off because if I did than I would be giving up on myself and the people who need and I wasn't going to let that happen.

Even on days where I had doubts this thing would ever heal, the voice in my head told me to keep fighting and battle the demons from within. Trust the process, do what needs to be done and be humble and grateful for what you have around you. It goes back to that old notion "With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility." Be safe, kick ass and keep being amazingly awesome. 

The Deep Squat: A Powerful Exercise For Sciatica

As of right now, my sciatica injury has been more of an annoyance than just being in pure pain. From wearing a belt to ease the painful nerves to stretching and other exercises, heat/ice, hot and cold showers it really is almost over. For the most part it just feels like a punch in the ass more than anything (if you got to make jokes, just get it out of your system, will they see the light of day will remain to be seen) along with getting stronger. 

I started doing Suspension Training again doing only a few exercises mainly hitting the muscles of the back and stretching but two of my favorites that I noticed really easing up on the tension and alleviating pain is the Bodyweight Row and the Assisted Deep Squat. I took the Worldfit Iso Trainer out for a spin at the park the other day doing rows, curls, deep squats and hanging. It was one of the best workouts I've had in weeks and it made me feel so incredibly good that when I walked home, it felt much easier than when I was going to the park and having to squat down every now and then to ease some of the pain. 

If I had to pick one exercise that has made a difference in this whole process has been the Deep Squat. Whether assisted or just going into the position anywhere, it has given me some of the best relief I've ever had during this time of recovery. It has given me a greater appreciation of how important Squats really are. Yeah sure doing hundreds of them is awesome and helps with conditioning (although I prefer step ups most of the time), holding the Squat or the ATG Squat gives off a lot of great benefits that we sometimes ignore or don't notice. First off, just getting into the position for many is a chore and depending on your flexibility, it's not fun in the beginning. Second, once you get into it, holding it a few seconds is all you can do and getting back up can be humbling. Third, once you can hold it for time, there's more to what is happening than just what you're seeing. It creates that natural positioning where it can relieve back pain and open up the hips along with building a relaxing spot for the body and mind.

We all know what squats do but do we appreciate and understand the true magnitude of them even if its just sitting there? There's a huge difference in knowing how to do them and understanding the importance and gratefulness they provide. I'm not saying I'm going to go back to doing 500-1000 squats anytime soon but having the strength, flexibility and mindfulness to be able to hold the position or even the horse stance for that matter has a far greater importance than just repping them out repeatedly for an extended period of time. Not everyone is going to knock out hundreds of squats when they're 70 or 80+ years old but if you have the ability to hold that position at that age and still able to get up and be springy, to me that's far more impressive. 

The Assisted Deep Squat using a counter top, chair, sink or whatever as leverage to go so damn deep that you're ass is literally touching the floor is so fundamentally awesome it's not even funny (unless you're into some sick twisted shit than you do you LOL) but in all seriousness, the Assisted Deep Squat exercise is not meant to do hundreds of reps but to allow your body to sink into a natural position comfortably and essentially give you the ability to stretch and strengthen the low back and lower body. It is not a conditioning exercise even though you can go that route but a strengthening exercise to utilize the body to what it was meant to do. Think about all the people who can garden, pick fruit, play games and meditate without feeling pain and being able to get up with ease; it's incredible. What sounds better long term: Holding a Squat for more than 10 minutes or doing 500 in less time? Doing both is quite a feat especially at an older age, but as we get older, sometimes holding a position gives you a better sense of strength and having that spring in your step. I'm not saying reps don't hold merit, they very much do but in reality, getting down and up even one time can make a huge difference in the world in certain situations. 

Practice the Deep Squat as often as you can even if its a couple minutes a day to start and just being able to hold for 10 minutes or more without hurting and standing back up like its nothing. Do reps if you wish but think about the strength and power you'd have just holding a squat in a meditative state that has you oozing with energy. Start with assisted squats and progress to just squatting without holding onto anything and hold as long as you can.  

Closing In On The Home Stretch

 Not 100% out of the woods yet but my recovery is near its end. I can feel it drifting away little by little. I still have moments where there's little shots of pain down my leg but it's becoming less and less. It has been a very slow process, far slower than most injuries in the last number of years and I'm just itching to get back to my old self again. 

At times the pain was so great that it made me irritable and lash out which by all accounts I hate doing to anyone. I also hate taking stuff to numb the pain and part of me needed to suffer in order to punish myself for what I put myself through. Didn't take enough stuff to become addicted which is a good thing. I wasn't popping pills like they were fucking M&Ms, just a thing or two to relieve some of the pain in order to go about my day. Got this one thing called Nerve which helps with circulation and gives the nerves in my body an extra boost to help me recover since some of the pain was shooting down straight into my ankles and feet starting at the hip. Only take the recommended dose. 

Seen a Chiropractor half a dozen times now and most likely need a couple more adjustments to realign this sumbitch and the guy that has been working on me is really damn good at what he does. Like I said it has been a slow process but I know it's almost over. I've been slowly getting back to strengthening and lengthening my body doing stretches (mainly), cables, isometrics, Sandbell training and loaded carries with a lighter weight. I have also been using my foam roller which at times does feel painful but I'm getting that bad alignment readjusted and you just take it for what it is. 

Over these last, I think it's now almost 6 weeks, there's been lots of ups and downs, restless nights, moving like an 80 year old man ready to die and struggling mentally to keep my sanity. To distract myself, I got caught up in the fight against those who have been so extreme against those who are LGTBQ and the things these people put up to justify them as a whole has just burned a hole in my brain. I have friends and knew people in that community and it breaks my heart that all this hatred towards them because a few bad apples made their way into the news. Believe me, I'm totally against grooming or forcing kids against their will but from a statistical standpoint, nothing compares to the grooming and sexually exploitation of kids in Beauty Pageants and those in religion who've taken advantage of young boys. All this shit with Trans folks is an extremely small number in comparison and yes whoever is hurting kids should be punished but not all Trans or gay or whatever are like this. 

Throughout this whole process and the pain, it boils down to keep fighting because you want to get better and there will be days where it feels hopeless but you can't give up because there are people who need you. I have strong feelings about what I do in order to build myself up mentally and physically. It's not meant for everyone and some will say I'm an inspiration and others will say I'm a pussy and have no value to anyone but whatever my beliefs are training wise or in my thoughts about the news and hatful/fear being spread around, I see things from a different angle and at times only I'll see it and that's ok. Once this shit is over, I'll be seeing my training with a greater appreciation and determination.  

Let me end this with a bad ass Disney Song with that fires me up every time and sung not by the original singer but by an up and coming artist who's expressive, has a voice that pumps up the blood in your veins and makes you never hear your childhood songs the same way again. Have an amazingly awesome day and be good to one another. Don't give into hate, that leads to the Darkside. 

Updates On Sciatica

 It has been a rocky road to recovery from my sciatica injury that started nearly a month ago and although the pain comes and goes, it still pretty damn shitty that I can't do what I love to do at my best. Got no one to blame but myself for having it happen and it hasn't been easy trying to do even basic things like walking and standing. There were times where it took me longer to put my clothes on than I normally would. What injury is ever easy? 

Trying different things at a lower pace and even doing beginning stages of certain exercises to help heal. Some things do ok, others not so much and the pain levels sometimes reach excruciating heights that it hurts to put on my socks and shoes. With all the things that I've tried, the two things that seem to bring any comfort training wise is Isometrics and Joint Loosening exercises. Even the most basic animal moves hurt except maybe the Bear Crawl which I only do a minute each day. While we were at the Hot Springs in Montana earlier this month, I did mainly go in the hot and cold pools which temporally helped ease the pain and do Isometrics in the room. 

The Chiropractor is helping to an extent but it's so damn hard to not want to push myself. When I go a little further, that's when it really acts up. I have pushed myself to the point where even climbing stairs feels like an eternity and I really need to listen to my body and stop being so damn stubborn and full of pride. I really don't like it when people have to help me even for the easiest things and sleeping has been a nightmare. 

My sciatica is about as inflamed as you can get and the pain in my nerves shoot all the way down my right leg that ranges from a 3-9 on the pain scale. I haven't felt pain this bad since my leg injuries back in '05. I'm not giving up on myself, I'm still training just in a much smaller capacity and I'm just so damn ready for this thing to be over with. Sometimes I want to see what I can still do but get in my own head and push myself beyond what my own ability is right now and end up suffering for it which maybe is a lesson I need to learn in order to understand how I can find a way to keep doing things but not at full capacity or even half. By my own observation, pain tolerance and the way I can move, my best capacity level of what I know I can do is right now at best 20-25% of what I normally can do and that's stretching it. For me that's just downright horrible but I need to just let my body do its thing and give it time. 

When injuries happen, the biggest fight is with ourselves and at times we'll just barely do anything because we either give up or don't know how to deal with it, other times we fight so damn hard to come back that we overestimate our abilities and can make things worse. We do need to find that balance but the one thing that should always be there is the ability to keep going but work on the progression and doing our best to know our limits but go above them little by little even if it's microscopic. I know damn well that there are people out there who have it far worse than me and they hold their pain in better than I ever could but that's why I also fight to come back because I know this is not going to last forever and it'll give me a better appreciation that I can beat this and that it's important to be thankful I'm still able to do things even in a smaller setting. It's hard but it's not forever. I will be back hitting hammers on a tire again, I will have my agility and strength back doing crazy animal stuff and I will dominate the step ups again because that's one of the exercises that has kept my legs in great condition in the first place. 

If you're injured, don't give up on yourself, fight back and make it your mission to be better again. Strengthen yourself but also listen to your body even when that part of you wants to push beyond, we can only push so much but it doesn't mean we have heart. Keep being amazingly awesome and keep on keeping on. 

Healing Up Well

 Training to get back to your full strength is never easy and can be frustrating because you're at limited capacity. Some of the simplest tasks can be difficult but you push through because you don't to just lay around and not do a damn thing. With the way my hip has gone, it's healing up pretty damn well. Been seeing a chiropractor and going for a few more adjustments and had a massage yesterday which really loosened everything up.

Little by little I'm doing what is helping with recovery like the Isometrics, Stretching, Step Ups, some Crawling and other things. Yesterday, I did some sledge striking for the first time in a while with my 31 lb Giants Hammer, getting in 120 reps. Could easily do more but didn't want to push it any further than I had to. I felt it for sure but I wasn't in pain (merely discomfort). I expect things out of myself and not to prove how tough I 'am or trying to hide the pain but to progress little by little while being aware of what I can and can't do. Sometimes we push ourselves beyond what we know is right to do and rarely it comes out good, most of the time it ends up biting us in the ass.

It's not just knowing your limits either, it's about understanding them and finding ways to adjust so you can maintain or get better as time goes on. It's easy to act all macho and that pain is temporary and keeping that "pain is telling you you're not dead" mentality but unless it's under severe circumstances, for normal everyday life, there are ways to make the pain worse and add time onto it and not get rid of it completely. Learn the difference between pushing through pain as if your life depended on it and recovering so you can be efficient. 

My hip is getting better to the point where my flexibility is coming back and it's not shooting down my leg so much along with not being able to sit right. When you know things are working, it gets better as time goes on. When it's not working, you need to reassess so you can find the right "formula" for you to recover. Experiment and be aware of what feels right and what doesn't. We all recover differently and it's not a good idea to push the same direction of a method because some things don't work for certain people and injuries and pain tolerance is different. Work with your own style to get back to your strongest again without pain and suffering.

Train to be efficient, don't train to suffer more pain than what you're already dealing with because that could lead to problems not just in the physical but the mental as well. I know what it's like to be in pain but also take the frustration with that pain onto others which is never a good idea cause you might say things in the heat of a moment that can never be taken back. Pain can do a number on us and no matter how much we deny it, it can put us on a path that hurts others along with ourselves in the end. So train to get yourself out of pain so it doesn't cost you more time later. 

Keep being amazingly awesome and have a kick ass day.   

Isometrics As A Recovery Tool

When we push ourselves, more than likely we will be sore the next day or feel less than 100% of what we can do the next day. Many of us have experienced this and sometimes it's because we do things our bodies weren't ready for yet or just went a little bit further than we should've but it happens. At least being sore means you're not dead but very often, being sore also means you pushed more than what you needed to progress. In reality, you just feel slightly worn down but not out. 

There are different kinds of soreness but the most common one is the muscles aching and you're feeling it the next day or have trouble sleeping. I've been so sore that when I was a teen, I couldn't get out of bed and felt like an 90 year old man just wanting to die. I've also been sore that although I can feel it everywhere, it didn't stop me from training and doing something else to stay active. Funny how things are as you get older and wiser.

Recovery is as important as the training itself and we sometimes forget that. It's the yin and yang and we need to find that balance. I do believe in doing something everyday even if its for 5 minutes regardless if I'm sore or not. Most days, I can just go and not feel sore at all but every now and then, one of those workouts that just rocks you and tries to tear you down. Recovery should be about resting, lower impact training and time to work on keeping the joints healthy as the body repairs itself. This is where Isometrics can be an incredible recovery tool.

Using Isometrics as a method of recovery is essential and we don't always understand that. It doesn't have any impact on the joints, doesn't take up much time and they can be just as cardio based as they can be strength based, just need to know which buttons to push for that. Overcoming Isometrics are amazing for this. Yielding can be just as good but Overcoming (from my experiences) harness a level of strength training without the fear of pushing so damn hard you'll be out for a week. Whether using a wall, a strap or yourself, Isometrics can work the body without overlapping what you're recovering from fitness wise. If you get injured, that's a whole other thing and it isn't the same as having sore muscles for a day or two.

Most days, I never feel sore and can go pretty hard but every now and then, one of those workouts that just knocks you on your ass and you need time to repair happens but it shouldn't stop you from training. That's what I love about Isometrics, I don't have to push myself hard to get in a good workout and I'm still getting quality recovery. They're a go to whenever I want to do them and get some awesome cardio benefits from doing 45 sec to 1 minute holds. Most of the time I don't go beyond a minute because mainly of my attention span otherwise it's just a boring hold and testing the "endurance" side of it. A minute may not seem like much but if you truly understood how Isometrics work, it can be the longest minute of your life (just try the hybrid push-up). 

You don't need to bust your ass every single workout. Some people can get away with it but if you push beyond the soreness, it can lead to injury. I'm not saying you shouldn't challenge yourself but to be efficient in your training and everyday life, you need to have quality "rest" and being active to the degree where you're giving yourself proper recovery without going gung ho all the time. Stay as active as you can but don't overexert so much it puts you in bad positions where you can't work or do what you need to do. The older we get, the more quality of training we must be able to maintain and at some point, Isometrics would be a godsend to have in your arsenal. 

Recover well guys and get the most out of your training with quality exercises and tools to stay in shape regardless of your age or sex.  

Rest Periods: How Long Do You Need Before The Next Set?

In my time of learning different forms of exercise, Playouts, programs & styles I have found that when it comes to rest periods, there's something bigger than you haven't completely seen yet. Most trainers would tell you that shorter rest periods are the key to developing muscles. In reality, its not good to generalize how often to rest between sets and not take into consideration what effects it has on the Central Nervous System.

You've heard of the tabata style HIT that is one of the biggest rages in fitness today or resting for no more than 30 seconds between sets. I'm going to tell you a hard to hear truth that will piss off a lot of people and hard to convince public on actual rest between sets or exercises......

Your body can only push so hard during an exercise and if you're told to go hard and then rest for an equal or shorter amount of time, that can create greater harm on your body than you can realize. That no pain, no gain line is bullshit plain and simple. If you're in pain during your training, you are doing something very wrong or you are forced to keep going even though your body can tear a joint or even worse break a bone in the process. If you're highly conditioned and your body can handle the stress, sure shorter rest periods can be ok but you at some point need to let the body recuperate. This isn't the military or training for competition and that's where many trainers are so damn stupid that they have convinced people to use this mentality.

Let me ask you something...Have you ever thrown up in a workout, passed out, bled, felt dizzy or felt that your energy is flat out gone somewhere between when you started and ended a session? I have done at least 4 of these things in my lifetime and its not worth your life to be in those situations. Its really about how an individual can truly recover and be efficient in their next set of exercise because here's a fact, if you're sloppy at any time during your session and you keep going, your body will give you a hard lesson in what its like to feel pain in places you didn't think pain existed in. If you rest too early, your energy can be depleted and you can lose the ability to recover at an optimal rate, however if you're too late to recover you're not giving the body the fuel it needs to feel the muscles. There has to be a balance there.

Here's an example of what i'm talking about; Hill Sprints: A powerful exercise where you run up a hill as hard as you can and then walk down the hill and repeat until you have done the allotted amount of sprints. The recovery process aught to be enough to where your breath is at a solid level and breathe deeply and calmly; if you haven't recovered enough, your run will deplete your energy levels and your speed will become way too slow and nowhere near the level you want it to be. Your recovery is what brings in highly oxygenated blood to your cellular tissue and builds up your hormone levels. Think of it this way, when you swim and come up for air, if you're not breathing effectively coming up and back into the water, you will be depleted and you can drown; same thing with exercise, if you can't recover you won't be efficient and you can get hurt or worse end up in the hospital with heart problems, kidney failure, floppy limbs and your chest will feel like a crowbar is hitting it every time you take a breath.

Rest is needed to get the most out of your session, the more conditioned you are, the greater your capacity is and resting at times mean just taking a few breaths and you're good to go, its all in determining what your level of fitness is at. When I do sprints, I use to do the 30/90 protocol which is better than the 30/30 or less concept in my opinion. There were times where I needed about 5 minutes or more to get into another set and be effective, others it could mean just a few breaths but I never truly bought into what someone else said because I'm very intuitive and have an understanding of my body and what I need to do to be great in the exercises I perform. Somebody can give you ideas and give you tips but in the end, it should come down to how much YOU need to be at your best. When it shoved down your throat, you can rest (no pun intended) assured that they're not looking out for your best interest. Most trainers today don't really know what the hell they're talking about and when you teach something you read out of a textbook more than teaching them to be intuitive they're not a real trainer. Through trial & error, mistakes & learning from others in the last 2 decades of being around fitness I can tell you first hand is that the more intuitive you are, the better.

A trainer ought to help students learn to rely on themselves and pass on knowledge that will give them a greater outlook that teaches about how to avoid injuries, utilize the ins and outs of being at your best from start to finish and teaching the value of recovery. I have exercised everyday for nearly 12 years, fought a few minor injuries and pushed myself in ways many can never understand but because of those experiences I have learned how to use my rest periods and be at my best whether it was for 5 minutes or more than an hour. Your rest is the key to how you perform at an optimum level. However long you rest is up to YOU not someone else.

Herb Of The Day: He Shou Wu

He Shou Wu is taken in order to slow down ageing, nourish Jing, strengthen knees, lower back, bones, muscles, tendons and fortify the blood.

What To Do On Days If You Are Sore

When you've been roughed up in the gym or have gone through a particularly tough workout, you'll feel sore for a period of time whether it's a few days or over a week it happens. I've put myself through nearly 3000 Reps worth of exercise over the course of the last few days or so and yeah being sore at the moment is an understatement. Being sore isn't fun but it is a lesson and it doesn't mean you take a complete day off. With me there's no such thing but how do you handle yourself when this happens?

First off, being sore is a sign that your muscles have broken down and the muscle fibers need the chance to reproduce and grow with greater muscle density so for your next training playout you'll be stronger. Sore however is not the same as pain, that's how a whole other sport basically, it takes longer to come back from pain than it is being sore. Now what options do you have? Unless you're a professional athlete, being sore means you need to lay off the typical intensity you use and focus on taking in some good stretching, deep breathing, some Isometrics and practicing very low impact exercise.

These are just ideas but to get the full benefit you must find that form of recovery because not everyone recovers the same way. When I have sore days, I like to do Animal Flow, where the intensity isn't very high but I do feel it and I'm getting stretched. DDP Yoga is another great option, don't need to do a full hour of ass kicking training but do enough to where it feels really good, your body is being lengthened and you're getting your heart rate up. If you do or attempt the same intensity while you're sore, you're risking breaking up more muscle tissue and not giving it a chance to grow and you'll end up more than just pulling a muscle, you could tear something or worse. Your body needs a chance to grow muscle and letting it do it's job. I've gone through days where I was sore and just kept pushing and I paid the price for it, I ended up with a minor injury to my shoulders and wrists because I didnt allow my body to do it's job.

Many people believe being sore is like having a badge of honor, it's not fun at all and on days where you're so sore you can barely get out of bed there's something wrong there. Some have gone to such extremes (crossfit anyone?) that being sore means nothing but something to push past and get that through the session; when that happens, your body can only be pushed so far until you finally end up in the hospital over stupidity and paying out the ass for torn muscles, a ripped tendon or worse a broken bone regardless of where it is (I've had broken bones so don't even try to argue with me). I do believe however that being sore doesn't mean you should stop training, just lower the intensity and letting your body heal and repair itself so when you go hard again, you'll be at a higher level than the last time.

Many times when I was sore over the last 12 years or so, I practiced Chi Kung; doing different styles, holds, hand movements and loosening the joints, this gave my body the ability to recover faster and always came back stronger and had a greater mindset and will to reach a goal or at times go beyond it or close to it. Recovery is the opportunity to give your body a chance to bring it to optimum levels of intensity, endurance and strength. Sore does not mean give up, it just means back off a bit and letting things breathe and rest.

Be safe while you train and always have a blast. Recover with the best intentions and be on a mission the next time.

Today's Herb, Titan Post Workout Formula

Bouncing Back Progressively

            Being sore from training is part of the fun. When you are so sore it feels like a crowbar hitting you it’s best to step back a bit, not a whole lot though. It takes discipline to keep going even when you don’t always have the strength to do something the next day. Be mindful and listen to your body.

            There have been guys that got so sore from a workout it takes days sometimes weeks to recover but that shouldn't stop you from doing what you love. Little by little do something till you recover. Recovery is a priority because if you believe you’re going to challenge yourself during every workout till you drop you’re setting yourself up for injury. Do little workouts while you recover, this helps keep the blood flowing and might help you recover quicker. You want to let your muscles rest so they can build themselves back up and help you be stronger next time around. If you’re used to big workouts and don’t get sore that easy that’s one thing but the majority of people need quality rest and food to bounce back.

            As you recover, take the time to reflect on your next challenge. Those little sessions during that cycle can make all the difference when you give your mind the chance to figure out what you can do next. Mental strength is a must otherwise you’re just bouncing around like an idiot and just doing physical work without any real discipline. Be tough but don’t be like a smart ass, be mindful and endure it because once you recover and you’re at your best again, you’ll be far stronger. Meditation practice is a great way for recovery. One other form is channeling your energy during those little workouts, do them right and you’ll feel like you just got an adrenalin rush and your body is surging with strength. What I like about CoreForce Energy is that it teaches you how to use your strength at anytime even when you’re sore because the power within you will give you that surge with intense focus and it can never be broken. It is also one of the greatest recovery tools I've ever encountered bar none.

            At the next challenge you might end up being crazy sore again but also you repeat the cycle. Reflect, do little workouts that keeps your blood flowing and learn to channel your energy. There will be times where you won’t get sore at all and your strength is just uncanny and powerful that recovery is merely instant. For most of us, we need to recover after a big session and build ourselves back up. Take your time but don’t slack off. Sore after a big lifting session? Do some flexibility work, build your energy and eat plenty because the right foods will help you in ways you can’t imagine.

We all get sore after some kind of big workout whether it’s....

Animal

Odd Objects

Bodyweight

Partials

Training For Martial Arts

    Whatever but that doesn't mean you stop training all together. Do something that isn't that vigorous or do a percentage of your challenge workout every few days or so, listen to your body. Magazines or Infomercials will tell you to do this after a big workout or only X amount of days to recover, it’s all really bullshit because that’s just a generic look at what they believe you should do. Do what works for you, listen to your body and recover when you need to, to get yourself back in the game. 

Putting The Super In Superhuman

       Becoming beyond the realms of human abilities in fitness isn't as far fetched as most people want to believe. Sure you won’t always be someone who can deadlift 1000 pounds, run 50 miles, do 100 pull-ups or swing a kettlebell 10,000 times but you can however push the very brink of your natural abilities to become something more than yourself. Being superhuman doesn't mean you’re just a physical specimen and do whatever the hell you want; a superhuman has physical gifts using his emotional content to define his spirit and conquer him/herself in their own endeavor.

            To reach certain levels, you must push yourself out of your comfort zone naturally and with reason. Don’t be just jumping into something already advanced and think you won’t be sore or get hurt, that just makes you a moron. Instead focus on the progressive elements of what you’re capable of and little by little keep pushing. Testing your limits are tests of your will power, how far you’re willing to go. There is a bit of a price but it’s worth everything you've put your heart into. Some people go so deep it might end up crippling them, others keep edging and finding what they’re capable of and in doing so learn the value of your mind and body’s strengths and weaknesses.

            To become superhuman is to follow simple and basic rules or you can come up with ones suitable for you but the most basic ones are as follows:

1. Never be satisfied with your training, keep learning.
2. Train hard and smart, use your mind and body as if they’re the same thing.
3. Sleep & Recover, very important in building the body and resting the mind
4. Push yourself progressively, never take a short cut or you’ll end in a way you won’t like
5. Value your true friends in your field for they’re the ones who give you the best advice and keep you motivated either through a conversation or just a few words.

            One of my favorite teachings to become superhuman is to follow your own path. This is one of the toughest things to do and I’ll tell you why; people want to follow someone else because they see how they do things and want to follow along but never go beyond that. I realize some people like to do that P90X or Insanity type programs and I’ll admit it’s better than nothing and if it works for them awesome but they’re missing the big picture. You’re watching the DVDs and you follow along as best as possible and if results come great, however, DVDs tend to wear out or get scratched, stolen, ripped and whatever could happen how will you do your workout? You going to pay another couple hundred bucks to get them new? Think about it.  I have my own opinions about them but let me tell you something, just watching and following along is really only good for techniques and tempos.

            To have life-long results is to follow your own way of doing things, not what someone tells you what you shouldn't or should do. If you learn to do things right for you and your body, you can do them however you want. Self-Reliance is a major key and we all have different needs and our bodies don’t always react to the same ordinary or even extraordinary programs. Be sufficient to who you are and become Superhuman in ways that’s geared towards you. 

Being Sore Doesn’t Mean You Get A Day Off

           Training is apart of life no matter what. It takes guts to keep going day after day, week after week, and year after year but in the end its all how you make it be. People assume because you’re sore you overdid it and you need a break when in reality that’s where the fun begins. You've worked out hard and you wake up the next day and you’re aching what do you do? You can either rest or not do any type of training or you can adjust and focus on something else to train on till you’re fully recovered.

            The late Karl Gotch once said “you must adapt and improvise” and what does he mean by this? From my point of view and personal experiences, you learn to adjust your training by how you feel and how you can switch things around. In this case of being sore, you don’t have to go hardcore but you can change things up like for example…Say you exercised with a deck of cards and all you did was push-ups and squats, you’re very sore the next day from going through that whole deck, instead of moaning and bitching just do a little bit of stretching and work on little exercises throughout the day to keep your blood flowing and keeping the body loose while you recover.

            You can always do something. I've seen a lot of guys in the gym who go all out one day and the next they don’t show up because they’re sore, give me a break. I've also seen other guys who have pushed to their limits and the next day came back looking to do something else to help them recover. Taking a break from your regular routine is a good thing but it doesn't mean you’re out of the woods. Focus on something that keeps you active, ride your bike if you have one, take a nice walk around the neighborhood, do some deep breathing to open up the lungs and work on other muscles and tendons that didn't get worked. Have a little fun with it. Go out and move like a wild animal even if it’s a few steps, juggle kettlebells who knows, make something work for you till you’re ready to go full blast again.

            Recovery is very important, there’s no question about that. Sure you get it that muscles get torn down and need some down time but its also important to stay active, keep on your toes, keep your blood flowing, your body is like a machine and can go more than you can expect. Your body will heal itself and the better shape you’re in; the more you can keep active without being so sore. Keep that in mind and rest if you need to but don’t just lay around like a chump, do something that makes you happy, have fun and get in the habit of improvising your exercise. Be smart, train hard and keep at it. 

How To Deal With Minor Injuries

Anything can happen in a workout especially when it comes to injuries. You can break a bone, sprain an ankle or you can pull muscles. One little minor injury however happens often in the strongman world and at times its common in gymnastics and that’s tearing of the skin. You get a cut or a bruise and you automatically think your training is done. Well hate to burst your bubble but you can still train while you heal but might need to cut back (no pun intended) a bit.

 I went for a personal record this past St Patrick’s Day weekend and ended up having my skin being torn in two different places in my right hand. Now I’ve dealt with this before and have had big time bruises from bending and tearing stuff and I can assure you it’s no picnic but that doesn’t give me an excuse to stop training all together. Taking a little time off from certain training can do you some good but you should also focus on another realm of training.

 When you get a cut or a bruise from a workout its not a laughing matter if you just left it alone. If you want to heal faster you have to treat the wound and if it’s at a point if it’s too severe then you need to see a doctor. Other than that is sure to treat your injuries with ointments and stop training at a hardcore pace and let yourself heal. Healing is just as important as building muscle and from recovery. I stopped some training because my hand is not in the shape to be in but I don’t stop training. I can train my legs more, do qi gong, practice muscle control without gripping my hand as a fist, all sorts of varieties I can do till my hand is back in the shape I want it to be.

 Switching things around for healing purposes can be a great and rewarding experience. Practicing Internal Training is a healing method of training just as it can be used to train the mind and your whole body. As you begin to heal, you’ll notice that as you get stronger, your mind becomes stronger because you’re learning how to handle different things for different situations. We’re all different and do our best not to get injured but it does happen in the most unexpected ways and no matter what the injury is, we should treat it well so when we get back, we can learn certain lessons on how to prevent that ever happening again.

 Some people take it too far and get injured more often then they should be healing. Now a scratch or a bruise is one thing but certain severe problems can arise and it can haunt you and bite you in the ass. Believe me from personal experience, you don’t want that and never push hard when you’re making a recovery. When you’re healing, take some time out of your training and think into your body, learn to electrify your body and practice building strength from inside the body like the organs and tendons. When I got hurt from bending steel and cut my hands, it was not pretty and it looked like it will be a long time before I get back to doing what I love, but in a two day span of using some ointment and very bandaging along with internal training, I’ve seen major improvements in my hands and now it just feels bruised more then a cut but less painful and the healing process is incredible. Now that may not sound true but let’s face it, I’m a terrible liar. Some people don’t heal as quickly as others which is understandable and it takes longer to get back from certain things but if you learned to harness the power of your mind and practice building your body from the inside, that’s where real strength and healing come from and you’ll be surprised how quickly you can heal from doing these kind of practices.

 Some say that the little things can make a huge difference. I believe that with just about anything. Doing big things all the time can lead to a downfall and you won’t know how to develop little goals of challenges. When I learned about the injury Paul Levesque (WWE Legend Triple H) had with his quad tear back in ’01, he said during an interview that if you want to get back into something, you set little goals for yourself. Small goals can create a monster positive outcome not just as a recovery and getting back to something but it’s the journey that makes all the difference to make one big explosion and you’re back stronger, hungrier and more determined then ever.

 Never believe the training is ever over. It’s just taking a break while you learn and experience the type of training you can take on and conquer so when you get back to regular training, you’ll have a new found respect and appreciation of what you can accomplish. It’s not always about pride or ego; it’s about becoming a stronger individual no matter what the obstacle is. I never want to see any one of you guys out there getting hurt but if it does happen to you, do what you can to get back and learn the best and safest ways to do it.