The Uppercut To Squat Exercise

 One of those exercise combos that comes along that is interesting and tricky at first to try out can become a great move to add to the arsenal. You don't need to do a ton of them to get the benefits but just to practice it and learn the mechanics has perks in itself. One of them is the Uppercut To Squat Combo using the Dopamineo Band.

When I first learned this move, it wasn't easy to pick up on and the coordination with the movement of the arms and the band working with you can be stingy but I wanted to learn it since it's one of the staple movements with that system of exercise and physical fitness. I've seen wrestlers, Judo players and boxers do it and the effortlessness is unbelievable. For wrestlers, it's to utilize a blocking technique or part of pummeling which is a basic practice for wrestling drills. 

The way to do it is to uppercut the arms like in boxing but at the same time, coordinate to underhook the band so it lands on the triceps and going around the armpit area. Weird I know but if you start slow with the pull and then up and over with the elbows, it can rub on the body but you get used to it to the point where with speed and technique, you'll barely even feel it. Add in the Squat and you got yourself a hell of a conditioning exercise.

After getting used to it, I did a couple workouts where I added it in and either did 100 total reps or utilize a 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off for 4 rounds protocol I use for other exercises to work on my stamina. It's a pretty fun move once you get the hang of it. The objective isn't to stretch the band out to its peak and do it, that's not the point of the exercise to formulate strength and to use ego to see how strong you are with the band, it's about explosiveness, coordination and relaxing the move itself without making the band so loose that you can't do anything with it. The real objective is to pull enough to keep it firm but not to have it so tight that you can't wrap the arms around effectively. With the squat, that's just part of the process with a basic outlook.

Those that practice it for drills are incredibly fast and just explosive with such power that it gives you an idea not to fuck with athletes of this caliber. You can learn more about the exercise from the guys at Dopamineo and on their instagram there are tons of clips. Below is a video I made, demoing my best version of it. It's a hell of an exercise and doing it enough times in a row will get your heart rate up and work you like crazy. Doing 10 is a good start, once you start hitting 25 or more gearing up to triple digits either in a row or total, you got a great workout. 

Don't forget to put in my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF your order of these bands. Get one for yourself and/or friends, family. There are extra discounts when you create a custom bundle that would be great for those who want to train athletes in MMA Schools, Youth Programs, Group Classes, Wrestling Practice, BJJ Drilling, Boxing Techniques, Conditioning For Competition and all sorts of stuff. There are bands that work well for young kids too as young as 6 years old. 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.  

A Simple Isometric Workout That Tackles Practically Everything

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

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

3x30 Sec Hybrid Push-Up

3x30 Sec Deadlift

3x30 Sec Zercher Squat

7-12 Sec Dead Bug Crunch

7-12 Sec Side Plank

7-12 Sec Arch Body 

7-12 Sec Side Plank (Other Side)

7-12 Sec Hollow Body 

7-12 Sec Side Bends

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

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

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

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

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

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Albizia Powder

New Year's Resolutions Can Go Suck It

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On The Squat

Squats have been a staple of fitness for as long as fitness has been around. It's the foundation for building not just the legs but the entire body. When I was weight training in high school, I didn't understand much about how to perform lifts properly and mimicked some of my classmates or what I saw in magazines. Because I didn't understand, I didn't know how to progress so I just picked weights that I thought I could handle. When it came to squats, all I really knew at the time was box squats with a bar that had the padding like Louie Simmons used like the Safety Squat Bar and the best I did was around 400. Never hit that amount again after that.

Before the accident, I was still learning how to use weights properly as I was never coached and just did what I thought was ok for me to do. When it came to Barbell Squats, it just never suited well with me for some reason and although I got around 300 in that lift, it didn't mean much to me at all. I liked the leg press and deadlift way better than the squats. At 20, I was doing 375 on Dead and around 750-800 on the leg press. After the accident, I stopped doing weighted squats completely and dove into the Hindu Squats almost exclusively for the legs. When I hit 1000+ Hindus in Dec of '05, that to me was a hell of an accomplishment (even though I went back and forth between the squats and jumpers) and that was my first real sign that I built that kind of conditioning without anyone guiding me or going to rehab. 

As the years went on, doing hundreds of squats at a time whether for an extended period of time or on certain days just got stale and I moved on to other forms of leg training. Now I'm referring to doing hundreds in a row but from time to time, I felt way more enthusiastic doing Squats during circuits instead of in a row or doing them with a deck of cards. Doing Hindu Squats or Squat Variations in a circuit gave me better space to perform other exercises and finish off totaling in the hundreds. On circuit days, I would do somewhere between 200-350 total in a workout which worked out very well. With the cards, I would do 500. Here's an idea on how to do the Hindu Squat....

These days, if I get an urge to do squats, I would do them but they're not a priority and have other options to choose from like Step Ups or Lunges. Step Ups are by far my favorite exercise for the legs and could do hundreds without blinking an eye. They just feel better, not that the squats don't but when it comes to interest and enthusiasm, I'll take Step Ups any day of the week. That doesn't mean I completely dismiss the Squat. It's just a preference and do multiple variations to add interest. 

I do believe Squats lay the foundation and should be practiced in order to understand the power and emphasis of leg training. The basic elements take in the ground work for developing overall body strength and conditioning along with maintaining or building testosterone naturally cause let's face it for many guys, testosterone is mandatory regardless of age. Now do you need to do hundreds of squats or lift 500 or more pounds in order to stand out? No, not necessarily and not everyone is gunning for a 500 lb squat even though many had success in it and are incredibly strong, doing hundreds of squats won't make you a great athlete either, just read about Billy Robinson that said "You can do thousands of squats everyday, but it won't make you a better wrestler." They do however, show that you can maintain or keep building strength and health. 

One of my favorites to do for legs is working Isometrics. From the wall sit variations to hybrid Iso Lunges and the Zercher Iso Squat. Isometric Leg Work can be just as tough if not harder than regular squats and you can get a workout in in a fraction of the time. Whether for rehab or prehab, Leg Isometrics built strength that weights or bodyweight can't always hit and develops the strength to withstand injuries. They're a great add on to regular leg training as they strengthen the tendons and give you the endurance to do hundreds of reps without compromising the joints. As we age, doing hundreds of reps or pounds isn't that big of a thing to work on as just maintaining healthy joints and tendons just to be able to go up stairs or hiking or climbing a ladder without hurting ourselves. Be smart about your training and drop the ego. Very few people at the age of 65 or older are doing 500 or more squats in a row and even fewer hit 500 lbs on the rack. They can continue to maintain strength however with Isometric Training.

Do your squats or whatever leg training you want to do and be healthy. Be strong and be amazingly awesome.

The Inspiration Of A Half Man Half Goat

    

     In various religions, there is a symbol of man of with horns on his head and goat legs; they like to think of this creature as a sign of the devil and that evil lurks in all those that look like him. The Satyr however is more so the opposite in my opinion. His story if you look at Greek/Roman mythology (Roman would call this Satyr Faunus) is a tale of living life to the fullest. Letting our desires become a reality in a loving and free-spirited fashion. Living life being who you are, love whom you want and celebrating until you are no longer on the earth. Does that sound like a symbol of the Devil to you? I'm not against anyone who has religious points of view but I don't like certain views that makes it sound like it's trying to control everyone and make them feel unworthy because they don't believe in what you do. Pan really loves all kinds of things (especially Nymphs but that's another story) and doesn't want you to feel unworthy. Sure we have urges that we could balance out but not controlled.

 
    Pan is a dancer and uses music as his voice. However no matter how much study I put into on this awesome symbol of love and celebration he'll always sound Irish in my head for some reason, I'll let you sink that in for a second. Back to the task at hand, one of the key aspects of his life playing the "Pan" Pipes and dancing is that he does it with passion and incredible strength and agility. Most who look at Ballet Dancers think of this prissy, stuck up and bad acting when in fact if you look close enough, Ballet has pound for pound the strongest legs in the world because it's not just tip toeing around a stage, it's using graceful skill and using the legs as the voice of the play that is taking place. Salsa Dancers at their best are absolutely incredible and the women with their beautiful bodies and amazing strength to move in ways that can make a man blush (it happens trust me). For women, they move in ways no man can and I'm not saying this to be sexist, men can move too but have to move more weight because we are denser and have greater amount of hormones being thrown out. Dancers in reality are known for not just incredible leg strength, agility and flexibility but how they use them with undeniable passion.

 
    When it comes to leg training, nothing builds your natural hormone levels greater. The leg muscles are the strongest in the human body and can withstand greater stress than any other parts. One of the best basic forms of building leg strength is the squat. Now granted I'm not just talking putting a barbell on your back and going up and down, there are many variations of the squat. One of my favorite exercises is the way Sumo Wrestlers do their squats; We know that Sumo guys are these big, humongous beasts that are mostly covered with fat and look like they can't move around very well, truth is they may not have great endurance but their legs are incredibly strong and very agile. Believe me do 100 Squats Sumo Style and you'll be feeling wobbly afterwards, they're tough. Beyond the squat, there are sprints, lunges, wall sits, jumping and moving like a wild animal; think of moving like a frog, a kangaroo, a stalking lynx or hopping with great power like a Jack Rabbit, your legs will become stronger, your tendons will burst with strength and your explosiveness is off the charts. Your Growth Hormone will shoot up and this will help you gain strength, build a powerful metabolism and help you stay young. Wouldn't that be awesome?

 
    Leg training when you do it correctly and not risking injury or trying use so much that you tear something; you extend your energy to your sex organs. Wow did I really just write that, did I break the fourth wall? Sex is a beautiful thing, sure there are idiotic ways of showing it but true and passionate sex is incredible. When you learn to do incredible training with the legs it jump starts the system in that area more than anything else. Add in flexibility training and you got yourself a winner. It's not all about how much muscle you have or how flexible you are (it does help in some ways) it's about how you bring that passion and energy into it and then using that energy for something else. It's learning to channel yourself and understanding how you balance yourself. It's different for each individual but the common theme is that good and smart leg training will lead you to great health in many forms. No matter your age, you can increase your hormones naturally if you apply yourself the correct way for you. So next time you think Pan is the devil and all that, think of it in a different perspective. The power he possesses with his legs can actually show you ways of strengthening your body that you didn't think of before. Love one another and share this incredible life with as many people as possible and channel your energy in a very positive and productive way.

 
Happy Monday everyone and get your hands one of the most unique systems on the planet the Pan Program.

 
    

Train To Move

           The power of movement is essential to everyday life. In fitness when people think of movement, they think roaming on elipticals, moving weights around, aerobic exercise and other types of stuff. That’s all good in some cases but what I’m talking about by movement is using different functions of the body that keeps you healthy, free and open to channel the body by squatting, running, jumping, climbing, lifting and carrying weight and making the habit to be practical and utilizing every inch of your body to it’s potential. Functional Movement is precise in what brings the body as a whole as you move through various patterns, using as many muscles as possible in any given time.

            When it comes to sitting, we usually bring ourselves to sitting in chairs or our beds sometimes but never take the time to actually squat and sit that way or move in the squat. This exercise can help build the tendons and ligaments in the knees and build strength in those muscles. Jumping has become a meaning to use in sports or in other endeavors but never for any real fun anymore, when was the last time you felt like jumping and playing hopscotch or something? Lifting doesn’t always mean heavy but it means picking up an object of certain weight, moving with the weight by carrying it is pretty fun to do, think of carrying a heavy backpack or picking a 50 pound rock and carrying it a certain distance then tossing it. We all know how running goes, personally I’m not a fan of running but I like to sprint and amp up my body’s metabolism so that’s a form of running.

            Some movements are in awkward positions like moving in an animal type fashion like Bear Crawls, hanging and swinging like an ape or climbing like a gecko, your body was meant to move in all sorts of directions granted how you’re structured and the way your body can operate in a certain movement. Even walking in an awkward terrain or non-flatted areas is moving in an awkward position and changing directions as you go along. When you can move in an awkward position, you’re utilizing other muscles you normally don’t use.

            When you move, you have a greater chance of having a longer, healthier life if you practice enough to where you’re using practical movements, progressing and utilizing your mind at the same time. I love moving around even when I’m out in the snow hitting a tire with my Sledgehammer; I’m giving my body strength and heading towards specific goals of movement. I even love to just move around in the living room, stretching my body out and jumping & crawling just for the fun of it. 

          To understand the fun of movement, look to what Mary Poppins says by “in every job that must be done there’s an element of fun. You find the fun and snap the job’s a game.” This applies the same way as moving in your training, you learn to imagine having fun with what you’re doing and making it more enjoyable instead of feeling like you have to punish yourself. This helps having a longer life by using your imagination and building a happy attitude to what you do and incorporate it to other things in your life.