Why It's Important To Master The Art Of Training Anywhere

 Mastery, is a word that people carry around at times and not only believe it, but indulge in it to the degree that they make it sound like they're better than anybody else when in fact they're not a master at all. It takes discipline, time, patience and observation along with the obvious application at the thing you are striving to master. 

Now when people say they've mastered something, listen to how they say it. The tone in their voice, the expressions, the way they may even write about and the personality behind it. Some treat it like it's a gift and something that they cherish and want others to work at it too. Others, are just plain arrogant about it and treat it as if they're some kind of emperor/king/duke or whatever and act like they can talk down to people and that they can't do cause out of 8 billion people in the world, he/she is the only true master. Quite the bullshit way of them don't you think?

Learning from several masters of their craft that range from strength athletics to concert virtuosos to bodybuilders and powerlifters, you begin to pick up on things that aren't always seen. One of the true masters of Strongmanism, Bud Jeffries, was cunning and methodical in how he did things. He didn't lift and do things the same others have. At first glance, it may look ugly to the untrained eye but once you understood his positioning, the way he conducted himself in workouts and the way he spoke about it, you were seeing a rare breed of a human being that was in a class by himself. He was doing things outside the norms and it wasn't just squatting a 700 lb barbell or sprinting with a tire behind him, he made his training look like a unique blend of practicality mixed with nutty formats of unbelievable strength that will never be duplicated. 

The point for this article however, is to see how you can possess the knowledge to train no matter where you are because if you truly want to understand the world of physical culture, you need to learn about the old timers and how they were able to do incredible things before supplements, steroids, PED's and (ironically) without going to a gym on a consistent basis. Back in the day, a gym was very different; there were no machines to work your hamstrings or to pulldown with a metal bar, no treadmills to run on for cardio and sure as hell there weren't rubber tubes to pull. There were Global Barbells & Dumbbells, Indian Clubs, Hand Crafted Racks, Pulleys that were strung together on walls, gymnastics equipment and of course Mats made for those who practiced wrestling, Japanese Jiu Jitsu and other arts that were part of the era. They weren't even called Gyms, they were called in most places, Health Clubs or a club named after an instructor or someone famous of the time or a YMCA. 

The old timers, had to be craftier than those of today. Many of them were laborers, farmers, miners or whatever and needed an outlet to work their bodies outside of those insane jobs of the time. Some worked in the Carnival and would train to take on all comers in either lifting or wrestling. There were strongmen who didn't even see a barbell until they were in their early-mid teens or older. Compare that today when you have 10 year olds doing things with a barbell or dumbbell. Back then, they relied mainly on the things they worked with or used sports such as Baseball, Wrestling, Boxing or something else to get their cardio going. They had tons of sparring partners or others to lift with because since there were no cell phones, tvs or the internet for that matter, the distractions were far less. 

Having a mindset like this is a key ingredient to mastering the ability to train anywhere. You learn to blend the old world with the new using bits and pieces that suit your goals. Yes it's true, bodyweight training is the Michael Jordan of anywhere, anytime exercise but it's only a piece of the puzzle. If all you do is bodyweight, awesome, that's your style. It was my style too for a long time. I believe in variety and applying ways to train that go beyond bodyweight training, it's another tool in the box that's part of your journey. Now when it comes to variety, yeah it's important to know what you want to do and how to utilize them in ways you'll see fit. Obviously we can't travel with barbell plates, a bar and a dumbbell rack in our suitcase, but we can use that old school aspect by finding things like rocks, logs and other things on our travels. Yes there's a gym on just about every corner in every major city, but we must learn to not rely on the gym itself to make ourselves strong and healthy.

Gyms provide things that we don't always have at home or on the road like camping for example, they have uses that are beneficial, but too many rely or are stuck into believing equipment is the only way to train. That's where certain things like building a home gym can be beneficial. It saves more money than you'll believe than a regular gym but it's also important to know what equipment to have so you can get the most benefit. Some hotels have a gym but not all and some areas don't have a gym around for miles on end. When it comes to equipment, find things that are easy to travel with that can be put into a backpack or suitcase. For me, I'll take my WorldFit Iso Trainer, My Dopa Band and an ab wheel or my other Isometric Strap and I have all the equipment I need when I travel. If it's too much for you to travel with things other than your clothes and essentials, that's great, you still have bodyweight training to count on. 

True mastery in this case is that you have built a mindset, the knowledge and the awareness that no matter where you are, you can always find a way to train. You won't always be able to get to a machine or do power lifts, but you can still build strength and fitness that matters. In this pursuit of knowledge, learn exercises from a bodyweight point of view first and foremost, that's your foundation. Whatever comes next, be resourceful and find things that are practical and can easily carry around. At times, I'll grab my half tire, put my hammers in my backpack and walk to the park that isn't far so I can train with them, it's not fun carrying those things cause it goes up to 100 lbs overall with those fuckers but the reward is to do things out in the open air and train your ass off using things that matter to you. Carrying them back after kicking your ass can be a bitch though. You do what you have to do. 

Master these ideals and you're on your way to having a journey that will take you on many roads. Share your knowledge with enthusiasm and do your best to share it without being an asshole. There's too many of those in this world, kindness isn't a weakness but don't be a pushover either. Hold this mastery sacred but don't be like Gollum with the ring, that can get you into the fires of Mordor (talk about geeking out for a moment) or in other words, it can bite you back in the ass. Be a badass in your mastery and don't stop being Amazingly Awesome. 

Studying Your Own Mind And Body

            It’s important to study certain aspects of life but it doesn’t always come in a textbook, a paperback, a movie or watching something on TV. The art of experiencing these certain aspects is essential to how we want to live our lives. I love learning not just my own physiology but my mental capacities as well. When you learn to experience and find out what both parties are capable of, it opens up more doors than you can imagine.

            A key ingredient to be in good health not just physically but mentally as well and that’s learning about your inner self. Meditation is great for this but why not go beyond that. Tapping Into Your Imagination and picturing a whole other world where you are the king or queen, kind of like having the power of the Gods of Olympus within your very own mind. Finding your inner self is not just going into your body from a mental perspective but to find out what other aspects of who you are that defines your personality, your actions and behaviors. It’s the experience of finding the true power from within.

            If you want to get in awesome shape, you experiment with certain exercises or methods that give you results you want to strive for. Granted most people want that quick fix or the magic pill that will super health, a beautiful body and great strength. It takes time and patience to come into the results you want. However, don’t bring yourself to doing workouts that are a chore and feeling like a punishment otherwise it’s not going to come the way you want it but don’t also just jump into a program so hardcore you’ll end up burning out the first few days or less and not want to do anything else. My idea is to play around, research, find what interests you and build your own way of getting in great physical shape.

            In the process of being in great condition and health is like using the right pieces to a puzzle. This isn’t just for physical exercise but developing your mind power as well. Finding the right pieces comes from experimenting, learning how your body works towards certain methods or exercises because not all workouts are created equal (wink wink Crossfit) and what do you picture in your mind that brings those pieces together to make complete. Learn to create your own puzzle.

            It’s a constant state of learning. I don’t just study exercise and programs I find interesting, I also study things that make my brain work like reading, writing, how the nerves work in my body, my awareness of my surroundings, thinking in different patterns because when you do mental training it could save your life from developing dementia, Alzheimer’s, doing the same things over and over. Keep things fresh, learn new things, and find what makes you happy. Study who you are both physically and mentally but make it interesting and fun so you can find the best qualities of who you are and what you want to become.

Be Awesome my friends.

Where Do We Go

            People tend to ask “What should I do and how do I get there?” that can be asked about anything and in the fitness world its one of those daunting questions that doesn’t have the simplest answer. You want to be fit but how do you plan on getting there, by watching a few videos or reading a book or posts by other people? The truth is, what are you looking for?

            It’s difficult to give someone a straight answer because you don't always know what their intentions are. Some just want to look good, others want to be really strong and some don't even know what the hell they want. When I was going to the gym and lifting weights, I had somewhat of an idea of what I wanted but I didn't have a whole lot of patience of how to get there so I just went through the motions, never really had a coach, just diddling notes about some exercises and half-assed a lot of a routines. Unlike today where my patience is far better, I've discovered that if you want the best, you have to put in some thinking of what you really want.

            You don't need to put in a lot of time to find what you want and where you want to go but you do however have to find out what it is you want, a healthy body, a powerful physique or just want to be in awesome shape whatever it is. Research, find courses that are suitable to your goals and use progression to build your foundation in whatever program you choose. There are a lot of quacks out there that just rather take your money than help you, others deem themselves as “experts” when half the time they have no clue what they're talking about but the ones you do find will help you reach your goals in ways you couldn’t by yourself. In the last 8 years I've gone from being in a wheelchair to being a pretty decent conditioned athlete and I still have no idea where I'm going but I'm always willing to learn which should be apart of your mindset by growing mentally. Learn from other people, study how your own body works and functions and what training ideals suit you best.

            When you discover how you understand certain aspects of training in your own way, you develop strength internally that can carry over to anything else in life. Make it a habit to learn, put in the time and effort to make your goals happen, write them down if you have to which is always a good idea. Find who you are, if something clicks for you, use it and take advantage of it because not many find their best ways to do things. Where do we go? Who knows but every one of us has a journey that must be used in our own way to find our true path in whatever we do. 

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Learning From A Physical Culturist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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