Ben's Power And Might Writings: Simple

Showing posts with label Simple. Show all posts

Monday, January 29, 2024

A Sandbell Leg Workout That Is Simple But Brutal

I like to test out different things when I train, find a creative way to do things or get ideas and mold them to my liking. One such idea was combining an animal movement with squats using the 70 lb Sandbell. The idea is to duck walk with the Sandbell for distance and then without putting it down, do squats.

I tested this out by doing a 5 yard Duck Walk with the bell and then do 5 Squats, rest and repeat. Managed only 3 sets before I just wanted to die, it was that nasty. It's one thing to bear hug and carry something like that like a "normal" person but to be in a full squat and walk in that position and do squats immediately after is a whole other level of crazy. The sheer burn or lactic acid in the legs along trying to breathe with a sandbag to your chest. This type of leg training builds some serious strength and muscular endurance. Add this to your arsenal or just as a stand alone and you'll feel it right away.

Start out with a lighter weight like a 20-25 lb bag and work your way up, it's not as easy as it looks, the less weight, the more sets you may be able to do, once you get past 50 lb or more, it's going to work you with incredible prejudice because you're not just fighting gravity, you're also trying to coordinate and stay balanced while handling something awkward. It's both a strength and cardio exercise. Not to mention trying to hold the damn thing with your arms and your grip will make you stronger too so you're getting a full body workout.

Give it a go, use a Sandbell or just a heavy sandbag and see how you do. Workouts don't have to be very long and when you do something like this, rest well between sets. If you can do this with a heavy bag without stopping the entire workout, you may not even be human. It's a good challenge if you got the grapes to try.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Simple Supersets Aren't Always Easy

The overwhelming amount of information out there today have made fitness routines look and seem so damn complicated that it turns many away who are doing what they can to better themselves. Very few people even teach and preach the simplicity of exercise anymore. Even when it comes to calisthenics, they often show the more advanced exercises that aren't sustainable for realistic health and strength. It really is a pain in the ass.

Why make exercise so damn hard to understand? Mostly due to marketing and catering to a specific audience that is gullible enough to buy into the crap that many try to pan off as the ultimate program and you'd be a fool to not get your hands on it. The truth is, many "influencers" today don't have a fucking clue what real simplistic training is, hell I can guarantee that more than 95% of people who "teach" fitness today care more about how their ass, arms and abs look in comparison to knowing and understanding the training principles of past strongmen and women. For men, look to guys like Brooks Kubik, Arthur Saxon, Otto Arco, Maxick, Bill Pearl, Reg Park and a few others. For Women, the list might be a bit less but if I had to pick one woman of the old timers that represented strength, femineity, power and grace it be someone like Peggy Stockton. In today's world of women's fitness, less than a handful really have the ability to showcase realistic strength and the three I can think of are Kirsten Tullock, Melody Schoenfeld and Tera Scott.

Now, when it comes to simplicity and a good routine, a favorite of mine is doing Supersets or doing exercises back to back and continuing that for a period of time instead of just sets and reps schemes. It's a different dynamic to formulate a workout that doesn't take a ton of thinking but it does take a certain mentality and the ability to harness a good level of conditioning that's foundational. In this case, it takes inspiration from one of the greatest pro wrestlers and that's Bob Backlund. I've written about him a time or two so I'm sure you can find those. This routine is based on his foundational exercises; the Step Up & the Ab Wheel. He would do hundreds of these exercises a day sometimes more than an hour each in the same session and it made him one tough son of a bitch and one of the most underrated conditioned men of his time.

You can do different formats of training with these exercises but some of my workouts lately have been just doing a few reps of each back to back but I keep going for an extended period of time. This is by doing 10 Step Ups per leg and immediately do 5 reps of the ab wheel. Sounds too damn easy right? After all that's really a pathetic looking superset meant for beginners but I can assure you, it's anything but. It's one thing to do a few sets, it's way different when you continually do it without taking a break for up to 20 minutes straight or longer. When you're going that long, the reps not only add up but you're testing your strength and conditioning as well. They become more than just a few reps each, they become a brutal aspect of a session you wouldn't expect to be hard to do. Give it a go, try for ten minutes and see what's possible. The objective is to keep going without a break or even with as little rest, for this case, if you need a rest, you only have 10-20 seconds per set. Work at a pace that isn't Speedy Gonzales but enough to get the heart rate up and keep going. Speed will come naturally but the longer you go, tougher it can become.

There you have it, no complications, no need to think too much on what to do, you just do it and see what you're capable of. You can do more reps of each per set if you wish but also keep your form as smooth as possible so you don't hurt yourself. The faster you do these exercises, the greater risk to becoming sloppy, it's not a sprint. Again, let the speed come naturally, form doesn't have to perfect but it does make a difference in how you apply the tension and the awareness of the exercises themselves. If you really want to take it to another level, take a deck of cards (Black Cards for Step Ups, Red For Ab Wheel Rollouts) and do these until the deck is done. Try to do a total of 500 Step Ups & 250 Rollouts, that's really going to test you.

Have fun and keep being amazingly awesome.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

A Dinosaur Style Thanksgiving Workout

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd get in a workout that will build a serious appetite later when me and the wife will visit family tonight. Not just a typical workout I do but one that's in the style of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Training. It's nothing special but it's brutal, nasty and really hard. It hits every muscle in the body and all it takes is 3 exercises. You don't need to do tons of exercises that only hit a one or two muscles at a time, just pick a few that hit multiple groups at the same time and go at it hard. In this case, it was using only one implement; the 50 lb Sandbell.

50 pounds may not seem like much, hell it's just a few pounds over a barbell plate right? The main takeaway, this is live weight and it shifts so this isn't just a solid implement, it makes you bust your ass in more ways than one. Sandbag training has been around for ages and has been used by the strongest athletes on the planet. When you work a bag hard, you're hitting the body in places that most conventional training can't even touch. Some guys work with up to more than 200-300 lbs (that's for truly elite powerhouses) but 50-100 can be just as beneficial and tough when you get after it like a madman with a thirst for hardcore training.

This workout consists of the Clean & Press, Bear Hug Squat & Bent Over Row; it is done in a Tri Set which means you do one right after the other and then rest. Do 10 Reps each exercise and then walk it off getting as much rest as needed for the next set. It'll get you breathing hard quick so you'll want to catch your breath just enough to be fresh for the next round. The more sets you do, the heavier that bag will start to feel. It's very simple but sure as hell isn't easy. I managed 10 full sets of this workout and it was so thrilling for it to be over. I wanted to quit around the 6th or 7th set but something in me wanted to just keep going and really test my mental toughness. If I had to pick an exercise out of the three that made me rethink things, it was the Squats for sure. Around the 4th or 5th set, my legs felt heavy.

Once it was over, instant relief, a much felt endorphin high and a high level of gratitude for it to be over. What are the benefits of this type of workout? A full blown level of strength and power, a good string of cardio because of doing three exercises back to back, Testosterone and HGH booster, great calorie burner and some serious muscular strength & endurance. Keep it simple but never underestimate what it can do especially when exercises like these with a sandbag has some real carryover into areas of regular life.

I' am thankful for today, to my readers and to my friends and family. Have a great and wonderful Thanksgiving, eat well and train hard, earn that Turkey and those amazingly awesome sides.

Monday, February 13, 2023

Why Hybrid & Overcoming Isometrics Are So Damn Effective

The bulk of my training, at least 70% of it is Isometric Training working exercises from all sorts of angles and using my bodyweight, a strap, a hand towel and a wooden dowel as equipment. The rest of the time, I just pick and choose various things like step-ups, loaded carries, hammers, mace and resistance bands. When it comes down to it, Isometrics is the most versatile form of Physical Culture. You can do them practically anywhere and just about a limitless variety of exercises that can stretch the imagination.

My favorite forms of Isometrics are the Overcoming & Hybrid variety. For those wondering what these are, Overcoming Isometrics are exercises where you push/pull/squat against an immoveable object such as a strap, a wall or using your own bodyweight. A Hybrid is a combination of both Overcoming & Yielding Isometrics where you do an exercise such as a Push-up, Pull-Up or Squat that tackles the immoveable format while fighting against gravity. To learn more about Hybrids, check out the book Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project. These forms create what I call the Game Genie of Strength Training (In other words a cheat code) to develop strength that not only can be utilized maximally but also doesn't put wear and tear on your joints while also developing a powerful physique.

The results you see above are just part of the journey of my fitness career and one that has helped me heal injuries when needed and to build strength in the tendons and ligaments to sustain a strong skeletal structure. Isometrics are so damn effective because of the intensity you can put into it and create workouts that are short and to the point without needing to do hundreds of reps of anything unless that's your choice to go for. They provide a structure of being utilized as a warm-up to get the muscles ready for dynamic movements but also as a cool-down or finisher to keep yourself strong and energized after a hard workout. By themselves they're incredible for those days where you don't want to do a whole lot but can get plenty done and depending on the intensity, you'll feel it almost immediately when done right.

I try to keep the exercises to a minimum working as many muscle groups as possible without tiring out. Hitting the arms hard with curls and Hybrid Push-Ups, work the back doing mainly deadlifts and various rows, shoulders are bow and arrow pulls and overhead presses, legs are wall sits and Zercher Squats, Chest are also done with the Hybrid Push-up & Hybrid Plank along with The Crossover using the Iso-Bow and the Core is pure Bodyweight doing Gymnastic type Isometric Contractions such as the Hollow & Arch Body Holds, Side Planks, Dead Bug Crunch & the Side Bends. All in all, a workout varies from 5-20 min depending what I want to do that day. To make the intensity effective and efficient, I do the classic "SSSS" sound on the exhale for the 7-12 seconds or until the breath is completely done.

I like the Yielding Isometrics which is basically fighting against gravity and just holding a position with less intensity which I do from time to time such as Fist Planks, Horse Stance, Iso Pull-Ups, Lunges and the Gymnastic/Wrestler's Bridges. They're awesome for building strength and endurance in certain positions and sure as hell are great for flexibility but the Overcoming versions always made me feel tighter, faster and gives me greater focus on what I want to work on. When I really focus on them, I always also feel lighter and leaner. You do have to be careful however because if you go too hard for too long, they can wipe you out and tax the CNS so be sure to recover when needed. You can do them everyday just vary the intensity.

They're also very effective because it doesn't also rely sole on strength, they can have a cardio effect too because you can blast through a ten minute workout and feels like you ran sprints because of the jacked heart rate. When you contract hard and put as much as you can into it, you can be breathing hard after just a few seconds and need to recover. With less intensity, you hold for let's say a minute or more and slowly but surely your heart rate goes up and the lactic acid builds up after a bit (try doing the Hybrid Push-up or Squat for a minute and see what happens). I've done a Hybrid Push-Up for a little over a minute and was breathing hard like I just ran a 10 second sprint, it is that intense.

In Overcoming Isometrics, the author throws in the scientific analysis along with the compartments of the various chains (Push, Pull ect) that equip the level of intensity and strength needed to make a workout effective. Now many know that Isometrics have been around forever yet is still so underrated because it's not fancy or so complex like with other Mainstream Fitness Formats. The real key here, is the simplicity in how you train the muscles to contract along with low-skilled exercises that just about anybody can do.

When it comes to equipment, there isn't a whole lot you need but if you want to add variety to get the most out of your Isometric Training, you can use the Rings, The Worldfit Iso Trainer, The Iso-Bow or the Swisses Pull-Up Handles. Just these few alone can provide more exercises than you can name. BTW, when you click on the rings and pull-up handles, there's a special discount in it for you when you punch in POWERANDMIGHT at checkout, just FYI.

Get the most out of your training with little equipment and build incredible strength and power that gives you explosiveness, agility, endurance and mobility in your other endeavors such as sports or other recreation. Be amazingly awesome and keep the journey going.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Reishi Mushroom

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

The Challenge Of Everyday Fitness

    One of the most challenging things in life is to do something everyday; in this case exercise. The biggest issue is being burnt out and whether you have time to get what you want done. That's why most trainers and general fitness standards say do this three times a week or that for a day and take a day off and repeat. It's not for everyone and certain people have certain goals and it doesn't always require training everyday. How do I know this, it's because I live this challenge every single day and have been since Aug. 1^st, 2005.

    The way I look at it and observed my own experiences and others is that people believe to train is to train hard all the time, beat your record the next day or go a little harder the next workout but truth to be told, your body can handle only so much until something either bad happens or an injury occurs (I know it's happened to me on an occasion). I love to bust my ass and just go for the raw beating of a record set or reps but I also feel like chilling out on some days and do what I call "easy" workouts. I put that in quotes because it's not always easy but it's not enough to where I'm not pushing my body but recovering and letting myself take a small break. I've put myself through some of the toughest workouts you can imagine but I also let myself recover by stretching, meditate and healing myself both in and out.

    I love training but I will tell you it doesn't get easier. The more days in a row you train, the harder it is to keep going but if you use your imagination and take a few days at times doing only 5 min. of exercise it becomes more fun. Not many people can say they workout and have done so every single day for nearly 9 years in a row. My secret is not always willpower or fighting myself to do something, it's to listen to my body and let my mind guide me. I don't always know what I'll be doing on some days so it could be on a whim and want to do push-ups or hanstands and that's it. Some days (like a lot lately) I do DDP Yoga or I go out for a few sprints 2-3 times during the week and stretch my body on the weekends. It's all about what you want to do. You don't need 30 minutes of exercise everyday and you don't always need to lift all the time; be resourceful and if you need to take a break, do a couple minutes of just standing and meditate it still counts.

    The day I took my vow to train everyday without fail was the best decision I've ever made in my life. I didn't tell myself to train for a month straight to start or go a whole year, I just took it one day at a time. Do something different on some days, change the pace a bit, don't worry so much if you can't do the same things everyday, it can get boring so use your brain. It has not just become a thing for me, it's given me strength I never knew I had, it has built my mind to be creative to challenge the norm and create something out of my imagination. I've said this before, when something interesting hits me, I'm like Walt Disney my imagination scorches with burning ideas and how it can help achieve my goals. You have your own goals but do a little something everyday one day at a time even for 30 seconds; it puts a whole new meaning to the words stamina and endurance.

Be awesome everyone and have fun wherever you are.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Test Your Mettle With This Workout

I’m always looking to try new things, keep things fresh, fun and interesting. A lot of people do workouts that they end up hating, ones that feel more like a chore than an adventure and even ones where they jump right into so advanced they end up hurting themselves and quitting after that. Progression is a key but also there’s testing to see how you push yourself productively and safely without injuring or severely hurting themselves.

This workout that I have picked out was on a whim and it requires only a couple pieces of equipment which is: A long rope (25-100ft) and it can be as thick as you can handle and a Lifeline Power Push-up Plus. It is cardio at it’s finest in my opinion and the objective is to move from one exercise to the other taking as little rest as possible. The two biggest factors is form and breathing. Speed is important to but nothing like form and the breathing. This workout should be done preferably outdoors where there’s fresh air and getting Vitamin D to help boost the hormone levels. The exercises for the Power Push-up Plus are at 10/8/6 reps. Here’s how it’s broken down: