Flex Friday

 Every now and then, I'll post up my progress and show off a bit of my results. It's never a bad thing to show what you've accomplished as long as you're being humble about it and not act like a dick thinking you're hot shit. It's never easy building muscle and your body reacts differently to various types of training. I'm proud of what I've obtained and doing my best to keep at it. That's all you can do right?

Results are what you've put into it and the outcome is what it is. I've never wanted to really look like a bodybuilder and quite frankly I don't have the discipline to look like some monster out of a comic book, I'd rather look like the old timers or at least a rugged guy that can go if needed. I didn't really start putting on any real muscle till I was in my 20's because as a teenager, I was strong in some things and did shot put and discus but I looked pretty normal and didn't have much muscle to write home about. 

As great as my results have been for me at least, I don't believe I've even peaked yet. For the most part, I just do my best to stay in shape so I can do things with my wife, friends and family like going on hikes without tiring, swim and play with my nephews in Tahoe, chop wood, play basketball, play the animal dice game with one of my nieces, climb stairs without getting blown up, go on walks, being flexible and mobile and other things. I train to enjoy life as much as possible cause this is the only one we have. 

To tell you the truth, it's not easy for me having a picture taken. As long as I can remember, there was a picture taken at every damn get together with my family on my dad's side. From family photos to random moments in time, someone took a picture of it. Most of the time I didn't smile cause it just didn't seem to work in a lot of cases, being self conscious is a bit of an understatement. I didn't start really being comfortable with my pic being taken until about 10 years ago or maybe later when I started showing my results or taking a pic with friends. My smile didn't even really come out until we took engagement photos and our engagement party. Actually now that I think about, my wife was truly the one who brought out my smile. 

When it comes to my results, I do my best to find a good angle and go with it and if I smile, great if I don't, I don't fret about it. I don't have a pretty physique, shit I'd rather look like a prime Arn Anderson or a 50's Dick The Bruiser (names you normally don't see on here). With the weight loss however, I think I've got better definition and my shoulders pop a bit more but I'll take what I can get and keep improving. 

I do love having muscle on me though, I've never been shy of that and it has protected me for a long time, kind of hard to pick on a guy up close who's got some beef on him. I bounced once for a band I knew and nobody tried me, I can handle a mosh pit as much as the next guy and going to downtown Santa Cruz at night when the crazies, hookers, pimps, gang bangers, homeless and junkies were as common as a corona, never once got jumped or robbed and the majority of the time I was walking around with no back up. Around here, it's a lot more subtle and peaceful. Don't have to worry at all cause unless you're in Spokane, WA it's not as nuts as it was when I lived in California. I don't recommend testing any theories though but it's nice to feel safe when you don't look like a bean pole or a guy that seems skittish in a weird neighborhood. 

I believe in training to not always look like a Greek God (if you wish to do that, awesome but no one around this type of blog is looking for modeling jobs) but to train so you can handle yourself if needed and have enough muscle that is tough and not brittle. Strong tendons and ligaments should always be a priority but it's not so bad to have some old school muscle on you either. 

From Isometrics to Dopa Training, Hammer Work and Animal Exercises, there's something you can do to keep yourself in top condition so you can live the best life. Keep being amazingly awesome and train accordingly. Don't forget to punch in POWERANDMIGHT for your 10% Discount at Dopamineo and get some of the best resistance bands on the market today.    

Well....Here Goes Nothing

Since I've been training to get back into shape, I've leaned out a bit and because of the no appetite during that little fiasco I had, I lost weight. I was down to 238 but with the appetite back, I went back up about 3 lbs. or so and right now sitting at 241. It has been crazy and I love to keep sharing what the Dopa Band has done for me in terms of reviving my conditioning and explosiveness. 

I said it was a game changer and the results speak for themselves. Before the little bitch that was making my leg and back hurt with pure torture, I was making headway and was around 250-255 most of the time and stayed in shape as you've seen my workouts but with the rehab, weight/fat loss and progressing to get my strength and other attributes back, my body is shaping and slimming down. Yes, I still have some work to do (don't we always) but this is the leanest I've been in a very long time. I feel great and I'm going hard on the workouts while being smart about listening to my body. 

Being inspired by the Wrestlers who brought this Band to the world, they've just been awesome putting out demos and are very encouraging. They're athletes are top notch and some of those wrestlers are going to the Olympics. Their hard work is just mind blowing and the exercises they show with the bands are nothing short of just unbelievable explosiveness, technique, power and speed. These men and women are some of the most conditioned on the planet and I get to work with the same equipment they do. It's like carrying on a tradition like a kid growing up to play baseball and plays the same positions that legends made their mark on and hit the ball with the same passion today as did men like Honus Wagner, The Babe, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose did 35-100 years ago. 

I don't have a shredded physique or have six pack abs and god knows I don't have it in me to build 24 inch pythons but I do what's possible to be in shape when certain things arise and be in enough condition to do many things. I'm very proud of the body that is shaping and I know the Dopamineo Band will take me to places both in mind and body that I haven't gone to before. I will always have my isometrics, doing fun animal moves, step ups to honor Bob Backlund and be a sledgehammer smashing machine but I've got to tell you, this Band has opened new doors for my training and even just a few minutes with this thing, it has been a hell of a ride. 

The world needs to see more of what these Bands can do for your training and overall fitness. You can modify it however you like; you can go slow, you can go fast, you can learn old school techniques, flexibility work, learn what the best conditioned athletes do to prepare for matches and how to use the Band safely. Safety, solid technique and consistent effort is just a piece of the overall spectrum of what this Silicone piece of equipment is capable of and what it can make out of you. Karl Gotch said "Conditioning is your greatest hold" and I'm sure if he was alive to see these things and add on the submissions that has made many men be feared to even get on the mat with, he would approve. Whatever gets you into bad ass shape (that keeps things long term of course) is a thumbs up in my book. 

Don't forget the 10% Discount you can use when you order one or multiple of these when you punch in POWERANDMIGHT when you go to checkout. Keep killing it, train with intent and intensity while being amazingly awesome. 

Close Grip Pull-Ups: An Elusive Bicep Building Exercise

 Many experts in the fitness field believe that one of if not the best bicep builder is by doing Pull-Ups. When it comes to specifics, the Close-Grip Pull-Up/Chin-Up target the biceps at their peak for strength and building muscle. Is the Close-Grip superior for the biceps? Let's take a look....

It's also noted that they can be very beneficial once you've practiced them. So why the Close-Grip? How can they be superior for arm development or more importantly targeting the Biceps? Maybe it has to do with the Lats being in a mechanically awkward and even a disadvantaged position when the arms are so close together. Because of the awkward position, the arms are doing the majority of the work if not all of it. Because of this, they're tough to pull off and if you haven't done regular pull-ups or chin-ups, I wouldn't recommend you start out with Close-Grips, build that foundation to take that next step.

Once you've got the regular ones down or even a neutral grip, start testing out the Close-Grip style, for building the strength and understanding the mechanics of them, I would start with Isometrics whether by hanging or hitting the three positions (low, middle, top) for a period so your body can get the idea of what it's like being in those positions. After a period, go after full reps if possible. Listen to your body and don't force it, let the strength comes naturally cause there's a lot more than just getting your chin up and over the bar. Once you start doing reps, you may notice some development in the forearms, brachialis and biceps when you utilize the Close-Grip Pull-up/Chin-up. Even the great Arnold Schwarzenegger thought the Close-Grip was a great exercise.

Here's another good question, how close should the grip be? It's recommended that the hands are hitting each other directly or around 6 inches apart. Some people may have some issues due to shoulder alignment and possible injuries or previous injuries so I would say if you could work around that great but don't put yourself at risk otherwise things could get worse. Make it a point to have healthy shoulders, hands, wrists, elbows and obviously the back. Everyone has different areas of mobility as well so use what gives you the best quality of the movement along with being comfortable to do them. 

What would be a good routine for Close-Grip Work? Commonly the 21's have been the most effective for people but like I said before, some work their body differently so adjust accordingly. What are the 21's? Remember this is where you have evolved to doing a good amount of reps at this point and have the strength to do them...The 21's is where you perform reps at a 7-7-7 ratio in this format...7 Reps bottom to half pulls, 7 Reps mid to top (as in start at the middle and hit the top of the movement) and 7 Reps at Full Movement from the bottom to the very top. Do all 21 in a row performing 3 sets each. Now if this is too much especially in the beginning when you are just starting to rep them out, you can start at a 6-6-6 ratio or even a 5-5-5 but if you're a complete beginner, it's recommended to use some assistance to build the strength such as using bands like the Lifeline Pull Up Revolution Assistance System

If the Close-Grip Pull-up/Chin-up is really uncomfortable for you because of wrist issues, the Swissies & Swisses45 can do great things for you and you can still build incredible strength and muscle. You can get these at 10% OFF when you use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. My gift to you. I want you be evolve and progress comfortably, meaning let it be natural and let the speed and performance build up without pushing so hard that you either end up injured or doing too much too soon. Have fun, build some killer muscle and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Killer Squats For Bad Ass Strength, Conditioning & Muscle

In the past, squats were my go to method for rehabbing and building strength back into my legs after my injuries. Did all kinds from Sumo Squats, Hindu Squats (mainly), Side Lunges, Isometrics & Hindu Jumpers. They worked and I was stronger and completely healed up within 6 months after walking again. It was painful but I did it. For brief periods off and on since then, leg work was a priority but not much of the squats per se. I would come back to them every now and then and always believed that if you did extremely high reps, it would keep you in solid condition which is true to an extent.

I was doing up to 500 Hindu Squats for brief time in the summer years ago and it was fun for a while but it got boring and I got burnt out from them. Some people do very well doing them consistently and it's a great exercise no question about it. However, if you're someone who's got some form of ADD and doesn't always have the capacity or interest, it's not going to work out for you because it's going to feel like a drag and a chore more than just doing a workout. 

As I got older, I started learning various ways to work my legs beyond just the squats and Isometric stuff; do loaded carries, sprints, walking with a weighted vest, animal moves, a quarter to half squat while working with sledgehammers, horse stances and step ups. I will always be convinced that Step Ups are incredible for conditioning, strengthening the legs from another perspective and a great alternative to jogging and running. One of the best athletic stories I ever heard was a Marathon Runner believing he could keep up with Bob Backlund in a step up workout because after all, 26.2 miles sounds much harder than Step Ups (to be clear, it isn't. It's just different styles of training) right? Barely 20 minutes in, the marathoner stops and walks out the door to never be heard from again and Backlund just keeps going.

Not to go into talking about my personal goals, I can say however; the squats are being done differently this time around with a different mindset. Not going to do 500 Squats everyday any time soon but every now and then do them with the deck of cards because for one, the idea of most training should be around stimulating the muscles along with strengthening the tendons and ligaments for strength, growth and conditioning. Doing 500 Hindu Squats is a great goal and will challenge anyone's cardio to an extent but IMO, start with a smaller number and build up to it but as you do so, make the road to them different in some aspects meaning, shoot for certain amount of sets until you reach a certain number and go from there. Another idea is to make it interesting and not always going the same route to get to 500 once you can do them. If you can do them nonstop that's freaking bad ass. Once you understand the steps taken to do them nonstop, change certain around so that type of workout doesn't become stale like the cards, you're still doing a full deck but the way to get to 500 is always different so you're stimulating the legs while doing those high reps. 

Do you absolutely need to do 500 Squats on a daily basis? Unless that's what your goals, interests and if you're a high level athlete, I don't see the need to do THAT many all the time. You can do 100 one day, 200 the next, take a day or two off and do 300 or just do 50 for the day, that's your choice, there's no limit, the idea id to train for stimulation. You can even do a mesh-up of various squats to keep things interesting and consistent. You should never get bored in your training, it's meant to be adventurous, challenging at times and making it work for you, no one else. 

As of late, I've been doing squat workouts where I do 100 or more a day with my 50 lb Sandbell. I would hold it and do an X amount of reps while Bear Hugging it or switching from shoulder to shoulder or just yesterday, did multiple sets of 30 where I would do 10 on my left shoulder, 10 Bear Hugged and 10 on my right shoulder without putting it down until the last rep. I would rest a bit until I can almost breathe normally and do another set. I'm still doing the "minimum" of the amount I want to total but I'm getting there differently each workout so it gives me the stimulation my legs need and I'm not bored out of my fucking skull. It's challenging at times and one day I might do a full squat workout without ever putting the bell down. Wouldn't that be an ass kicking workout?

It's about taking small steps to create the big picture you want and being creative so you can make your training work for you and to keep coming back more and more. I would do other things throughout the day like Isometrics, animal moves, cables, step ups or whatever springs up in my head. If you're more on pure bodyweight, you can go for extremely high reps if you wish or you can program them into a different plan for building more muscle and strength while staying in top condition doing RDP's Grind Style Calisthenics Training. It's about taking simple approaches and formatting workouts that don't take a ton of time and be able to stimulate the muscles from another perspective. I use this format myself from time to time and it can be tough as hell. You can even make them into Micro Workouts so you're saving even more time. You can find a ton of workout ideas on Red Delta Project's youtube channel and dig into the heart of realistic approaches and progressions that will keep you coming back for more. Really valuable stuff.

Below is the Squat Exercises I've been doing with the Sandbell. You can grab one or more here if you're interested in them.

As you can see, I do these practically in a full/deep squat to really get into the muscles and hips. Doing them up to 100 or more in a workout can have you breathing hard like a madman which can target your natural HGH Levels. These are just ideas you can do, there's all sorts of ways you can use squats to target your lower body. Brooks Kubik is also a fanatic on Leg Training especially since he's now in his mid 60's and going at it in a way most men his age would be baffled by. He does log carries, drags, squats and some bodyweight stuff down at the beach frequently and still looks like a fucking beast. He does teach older trainees how to stay consistent so they can stay strong and healthy for as long as they can which you can find here. His Dinosaur Strength Training books are still great ideas to keep that old school style alive and all under $10 on Kindle. From progressions to workouts to testing your strength and plenty of exercises to choose from, you have a plethora of awesome ways to get your ass in gear.

Keep trying new things to not just train your physical body but working the brain as well. The Sandbell Squats are amazing to do and they test your cardio, your balance, control and can build some phenomenal strength for the long-haul. You can use other things but I highly recommend these because of the shifting of the weight and so many exercises you can do with them. It's a new year, get something new for you and get cracking. Fuck resolutions, set new goals and make them work to your advantage, not against you. 

Share, Comment & Sign Up with this blog to have them sent to your email. Happy New Year, be strong, build yourself up and keep being amazingly awesome. YOU GOT THIS!!!

How Many Strikes Does It Take To Build Muscle With A Sledgehammer?

One of the things I love about Physical Culture and Fitness overall is being able to research things and finding various resources on training to help give me ideas on what could work and utilizing it in my own way. Doing research and actually testing things out is a big step to finding what could work for you and gaining a perspective from other aspects of training. With that said, there's also an overwhelming side of the coin when it comes to researching and learning things because many put their own spin on what works and how they obtained info and is it possible to trust that info?

Let's face it, when you research certain topics in the world of working out, you're going to get a lot of posers, arm chair shmucks, ghost writers and even dumbasses that claim they know what they're doing but all they do is talk a good game while spewing crap that is completely irrelevant (like bluntly revealing how much you hate your wife or talking shit about other people that have nothing to do with you). The marketing skills can be very immaculate and have the best looking format to tell you how great a method is but in reality, there are far more rip offs than original ideas. 

I'm not the biggest fan of set and rep schemes because everywhere you look, it may seem reasonable but a lot of it is crap and it's not about how it builds muscle or endurance or to test your conditioning, it's really an arbitrary number for specific purposes but yet tries to generalize the idea. Very few people have great ideas on how to utilize a set and rep scheme that not only works but gives the majority of people great benefit. When it comes to Sledgehammer Training, there's really very few who have any actual knowledge. 

People want to compare this type of training to an actual job in the Labor world when there's no comparison whatsoever other than the fact you're hitting something. It's two very distinctive animals that have very different aspects of strength, endurance and metabolic protocols. Yes, working with a sledgehammer will build crazy strength and will have you huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf trying to blow down a brick house but those who actually work for a living with a sledgehammer have a a very different level of strength and work a distinctive swing that keeps them going all day instead of an hour or so at a time. That's like trying to compare Slim The Hammerman to a regular guy who trains with Sledgehammers. Slim will destroy that guy any day of the week and twice on sunday even after his prime. 

So for training purposes, let's understand the aspects of Sledgehammer Training when it comes to building muscle. There isn't a single way to do it but a variety of ways. One of the things that I prefer (even though I've written in the past isn't a favorite per se) is high rep training to a degree. You can also do it as a way like sprinting (going as fast as you can for a small period of time and resting for the same amount of time or longer) or in a tabata like style. A key to remember is that to keep things even, you do have to switch the underhand to work hard. I prefer the deck of cards approach where you can count your strikes that way and for each type of card you can do a different style swing. I learned the different styles of swings from the Late Bud Jeffries. 

I have done hammer workouts that lasted well over an hour and some barely 30 minutes all together but either way, I always felt strong, worked and most of the time hungry as hell afterwards. Also there's the speed aspect where the heavier you go, the less speed you'll generate and it just becomes more of a strength format. If you've done a lot of reps with say a 10-25 lb hammer at a solid clip, there's no way in hell you'll be at the same speed with a 50-70+ lber. I've done 1000+ rep workouts that took me 30-35 minutes but the last time I did that was with a near 60 lb hammer and it took me nearly 2 hours to complete which I never did again. 

Will you build muscle working with a sledgehammer? Absolutely but it depends on how you do it and what you're striving to do. How many reps would it take to get there? That also depends on what you want to do. Some people would do great with working for a period of time and using quality rest periods and recovery, others have incredible muscle come in from doing High Reps. Could you do it everyday? That depends but for safety sake, let's go with 2-3 times a week. In my time of consistently using the cards, I did hammer workouts once every 3-4 days because it's really fucking taxing and your body needs to rest. My goal at the time was to add weight every time I beat the deck. Sometimes it took 4 workouts to do it which meant to beat the deck it took up to 3 weeks to be able to finish in one workout. 

Do what works for you to build the muscle you want to achieve. Work your ass off but be careful to not hurt yourself breaking your back and tearing up your rotator cuff. I've never experienced injuries doing this kind of training and I've worked up to a near 73 lb hammer. Be mindful and only do what you're capable of doing and progress with intentions on recovering and resting with great quality. It's not the same as a job that has guys working 12-16 hours a day and jarring the body with very little recovery. 

Could Movement Training Put On Some Serious Muscle?

Movement Training building Muscle? Is that even possible? For the most part, the human body couldn't even give more of a shit where the resistance comes from whether it's utilizing your own body or lifting weights. When given a good amount of time with the amount of resistance (in other words TUT), the muscles can create growth.

Believe it or not, you'd be shocked how amazing movement training puts on muscle, it's just a different version of it than typical weight training. This particular method emphasizes certain areas more than weight training. Let's give this a rundown: When we move the body in this manner, it's a more holistic approach as you form patterns, combos and mix and match using the body as a single unit. You're not isolating the muscles even though you could focus on certain areas as you move. 

Moving like a beast in the wild is a beautiful and even more phenomenal way to develop many parts of the body. Is it perfect? Hell no, nothing is but that's where you can supplement to really focus on the areas you do want even though Animal Moves are quite unbeatable. Here's one idea to look at it, walking like a cold-blooded Lizard...it'll hit your triceps hard and really tackle the shoulders, chest, hips and core like crazy. Another would be a variation of the Bear; going after the shoulders and core with an emphasis on the posterior chain while developing strength and flexibility in the hip flexors. When it comes to the wrists, Animal Moves are some of the best you can do. 

Leg Training wise, I found nothing more fun and exciting to do than moving like an animal. Don't get me wrong; Hindu Squats, Step Ups, Lunges, Bulgarian Squats and others work like a charm and can be kick ass supplemental exercises especially step ups (look up Bob Backlund and you'll know what I mean) but if there was anything close to putting a method on a pedestal, animal moves would be right up there with the best leg training you can do IMO. If you really want to tackle the legs in other ways, check out Warrior 20XX for more info on conditioning that area. 

From Hops to Duck Walks will work you legs far more dynamically and make you more Athletic than other traditional methods. Nothing wrong with working deadlifts and squats and have made many champions and athletes successful but they're still not the GOATs for hitting the lower body. In reality, the exercises in and of themselves could only work with the individual that gives them the best benefit. 

When it comes to Core Training, Movement Training is as close to perfect for that specific area. It's not just strengthening the abs or specifically targeting the front but everywhere around that area. In most cases, Gymnasts & Fighters have some of the most developed Core Muscles that actually makes them functional and athletic as hell. Because of the movements they use, that's where they mostly get those awesome abs that can make them soar through the air or take a punch. 

On Back Training; very few understand the concept that the back muscles work harder than you may realize when it comes to Animal Moves when you're crawling on the floor. That's because our back muscles need to work hard in order to stabilize the scapula or the shoulder girdle. With Animal type movement, the scapula is worked through 3D motions which in turn can develop the muscles in the back. Now there's still some pulling movements you can utilize especially in Suspension Calisthenics to really add on that development. If you look throughout ancient practices such as Yoga or Qi Gong, what is one thing that never comes up? Pulling Exercises yet some of these people have developed incredibly healthy bodies and balanced musculature. Even Ballet Dancers have some awesome back development and most don't do almost any floor work or weights. The arm movements when done with proper control develop the rear delts and backs by themselves.

Although there's more to Movement Training than meets the eye, you can develop a whole plethora of muscle through other means like I said before with Suspension Calisthenics or through Warrior 20XX or even Athlete 20XX. Isometrics work amazing too especially if you're new to certain aspects of training and strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments for the movements later on. Be strong, get wild and be amazingly awesome. 

Little By Little The Weight Is Coming Down

For some, weight loss can be very difficult and for others, it can be very easy but regardless of how you lose the weight, if it starts to go little by little it's still progress. The most I've ever weighed in my life was 275 which was back in 2017, I didn't like weighing that much so I made a few changes and kept it off ever since. Throughout my life since I was about 13 or so my weight has always fluctuated and now my weight is roughly the same as when I was 20 years old. 

My eating habits weren't always the best and when I was a teenager or even a little younger, it was even worse but sometimes you put in a little more effort and focus and make the best of it. It can be hard and no weight loss program is permanent but I've also worked on fat loss more than the weight and oddly enough, the weight was coming down quicker than programming specific weight loss. I really only eat probably no more than 2 big meals a day and keep it more to a meat eating plan (hate the word diet) where I don't eat a ton of bread or sweets (very little compared to what I actually eat) but grade A to grass-fed meat is a big part of my eating habits. I rarely ever drink alcohol, think the last drink I had was maybe one bottle of a Hard Mike's or something but that is basically alcoholic soda than anything and the last thing of hard liquor I had was a shot of scotch in a toast to Bud Jeffries when he died. If anybody knows me, knows that drinking isn't my thing.

Right now I'm sitting at 255 which has been a couple pounds lost since my birthday. My program as of late has been a big help with the weight loss. As of May, I've lost close to 13 pounds which isn't a ton but it's still weight down and that's a big thanks to Isometrics. Ever since I got Overcoming Isometrics, I've been obsessed with the exercises and put more focus into the method more than over. At first, I was doing Sprint Style Training for 6 weeks but ended up switching to Isometrics ever since then and with the addition to the Iso Bow and working on Suspension Training, it has been incredible.

I'm not a huge fan of doing specific weight loss programs but fat loss is another story. You can have two people who are the same exact weight but can look incredibly different. What I care about at the moment is not so much how much weight I lose but taking off body fat and maintaining muscle, strength, conditioning, flexibility and stamina. The eating is an awesome component but it has been the Isometrics that really made the biggest difference. Most workouts I do the 7-12 seconds of 65-80% of a contraction and keep going with very little rest, other times I do longer holds but that's using the Hybrid Isos from O.I. Overall, the program has kept me strong in other areas of training. 

Throughout my life, I've been skinny, fat, husky and muscular but now at 38, I'm in great shape and I'm making improvements little by little. That's really all you can do and do what's possible. Find programs you can design that suits your goals and ambitions. If they become stale or aren't working anymore, make changes. If you desire to lose weight, find a way to do it but also do it with intent and without sacrificing your health or your well-being because you can lose as much weight as you can but if you're miserable, was it really worth it to damage yourself mentally and physically? There are plenty of fat loss programs that are out there that work and help get rid of that unwanted fat, just be careful and work towards programs that keep you on your toes but don't drain you mentally or physically. 

Little by little, improvements will come and before you know it, you can look totally different and have great energy and full of vigor & life. Be strong and be amazingly awesome in your journey. 

The Difference Between Being Fit And Looking Fit

 It's similar contrasts to Karl Gotch's idea of the Conditioned Muscle Vs. Counterfeit Muscle. Looks can be deceiving in the fitness world and just because you look a certain way doesn't 100% tell you how fit someone actually is. You can look like the most fit guy on the planet like those "influencers" on Instagram or Tik Tok but certain things may determine they're not as fit when it comes to real world application. Hell you can look at a bodybuilder like a Physique Contest competitor that has the slimmest waist and has a twelve pack but many of those guys in reality are stiff as a board and have very little flexibility or limberness. Even the Mr. O Competitors that look like a comic book character can barely wipe their own ass or able to touch their toes in a straight legged stretch position.

There's nothing wrong with looking fit and having a good looking body and posing more often in the mirror than walking. Just don't be deceiving and trying to get people to believe you only do this or that when it's not the full picture. Sometimes the most fit guys (ones that last, also limber and have great agility) look average or above average and wouldn't be caught dead on a muscle magazine. They're strong to the extent when they can maintain that strength for an extended period of time and have a stable level of flexibility where they're not so stiff they can't move in awkward positions. 

If you want to look at an extreme level of these differences, look up the UFC Fight between Maurice Smith and Mark Coleman. Smith, a kickboxer who was fit but not that big compared to Coleman who was a wrestler and burly. They went the distance (which is awesome in itself) but you can clearly see throughout the fight that Coleman was wearing down and Smith maintained composure, breathing well and had gas left in the tank. Another example was when George Foreman came back at age 45 and was nowhere near the level of fitness (even by a boxer's standards) he had when he was in his prime and practically had a dad bod with some muscle and still fought 10 rounds knocking out Wilcott. 

What I'm not saying here is to test this theory by just looking a certain way and trying to be fit. If you're way overweight and can't go up ten steps without breathing like you just ran a sprint, you might want to start somewhere and focus on getting fit little by little. Some people are exceptions and are bigger than the average person and are fit as you can get. Others are much smaller and look like they have stamina when in reality, they're stiff, don't have much muscle that is useful and don't have strength that would be lifesaving. Being fit does have a certain look but people are built differently and can get fit really quickly or it takes a longer stretch of time because their genetic makeup or structure prevents them from having a level of fitness within a specific period of time. 

You can get fit and if the look works with it that's awesome but you don't need six pack abs or have a ridiculously low level of bodyfat to be fit. Hell you can look average and be fit. What matters is getting fit using strategies that suit your goals and needs to get there. Sometimes you might have to shimmy around certain areas because none of us can use the exact same strategies and eating plans 100% of the time which by all accounts is impractical. Find ways that work for you and get fit the best way you can. Make it so the quality of life extends as far as it can go. Get strong, be fit and be amazingly awesome in the process. 

To find some of the best resources on strategies and equipment, check out the blog's side bar and check out some really cool books, supplements and minimal equipment to be in the best shape you can possibly be in. 

5 Tips To Help You Gain Muscle

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Drew Stegman. I looked over his site and I find him very interesting in his approach to weightlifting, bodybuilding and Nutrition. Its basic, simple and no B.S when it comes to building the muscle you want. Without further ado here is the 5 steps to help those who want to gain muscle fast.....

With everybody these days trying to lose fat, it’s fairly easy to forget about the importance of muscle on your body. Whether you simply want to increase your metabolism or look at yourself in the mirror and know that you’re totally hot and ripped, muscle mass is necessary to do so.

Here are five simple ways to build muscle, rather you’re trying to pack on a few pounds or you want to look like a professional bodybuilder:

1. Cut Back on the Cardio: Doing cardiovascular exercise is fantastic if your goal is weight loss, since it allows you to burn additional calories and gets your heart rate up into its target zone. But if your goal is to gain muscle, I’d recommend cutting back on the cardio a bit. Too much cardio can actually burn muscle, which is the case with the long-distance marathon runner; sure they might be lean and have no fat on their body, but they’re lacking in the muscle department. This doesn't mean that you should ignore cardio completely, but definitely cut back on the long distance stuff. I would limit your cardio to no more than three 30-minute sessions each week and spend the rest of your time and effort focusing on lifting weights.

2. Don't Overdo It: Many bodybuilders, weightlifters, fitness enthusiasts and even average gym goers all make the same mistake – they overtrain. When it comes to most things in life, more is better, but when it comes to building muscle, doing more will simply end in failure. If you overtrain, you’re either going to get injured or simply get burnt out. Whatever the case, you won’t be able to build any muscle and if you get injured, obviously you’ll be out of the gym for weeks or months at a time. So keep your weightlifting sessions under an hour and don’t workout more than 5 days per week. Even with five days per week, you’re still pushing it – I’d even recommend scaling that back to 3-4 days per week.

3. Mix Things Up: Why would you want to do the same thing over and over again anyway? Variety is what keeps people from getting bored in life and when it comes to packing on muscle, things are no different. Your muscles (and body for that matter) all operate under one simple principle. Once they get comfortable with what they’re doing, they stop adapting. And when they stop adapting, they stop growing. Always make sure you’re switching up your workouts every 4-6 weeks, so you can keep your muscles constantly confused and in the state of muscle growth. Trust me, you won’t regret this decision once you finally decide to give it a full-blown shot.

4. Keep Eating: Many people focus on calorie restriction when trying to lose weight, which is completely understandable. But when you’re trying to gain muscle, you need to play by a different set of rules. Quite simply, you have to eat big to get big. If you’re not supplying your body constantly with the nutrients and calories it needs to grow, then don’t expect to get very big. But you can’t eat anything – you need to consume a constant balance of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and fruits and vegetables as well. If you starve your muscles, they’ll wither away, so don’t let that happen to you.

5. Take a Break: Remember point two. Even if you’re mixing up your workouts and continually confusing your body, you won’t gain much muscle if you workout too much. In fact, you’ll probably find that you gain the most amount of muscle when you’re resting. Many people don’t realize that muscle growth does not occur in the gym; it occurs outside of the gym when you are resting and eating. When you hit the gym, you’re breaking down your muscles and then your body has to go back and rebuild those muscles once you've broken them down. But if you’re always working out, you’re body won’t have enough of an opportunity to rebuild these broken down muscles, so they won’t grow. Every six months or so, take a rest week and you’ll be amazed at the effect it has on your body; not to mention your state of mind. Your mind and body will make a full recovery and you’ll be more than ready to hit the gym once this rest week has ended.

This was an article written by Drew Stegman. For more muscle building tips check out his website: http://how2gainmusclefast.com/

The Art Of Bodybuilding Without Ever Picking Up A Weight

Going to the gym can be fun, exciting and learn a few things about fitness but most people don’t have time for it or since gyms these days don’t have real world-class training and instruction for lifelong health and fitness it’s better you find alternatives. There are those who also don’t have much money since the economy has become a bit of a downward spiral what can one do to get fit? I’m a fan of old school bodybuilding and I’m talking about long before the Arnolds and the Lou Ferrignos, I’m talking of guys like Bill Pearl, John Grimek, Reg Park, Otto Arco, Maxick and the likes.

 There have been decade(s) long debates about building muscle and how to acquire it, some say you need to lift weights, some say do bodyweight exercises and others have certain things in between. I feel from my own experience you don’t need a gym to get in awesome shape and certainly don’t need weights to build muscle. One of my all-time favorite methods is what’s called VRT or Visualized Resistance Training. This is a system where you mimic lifting a heavy weight using the mind/muscle connection and use tension to move through the exercise. This is another look at Muscle Control, being able to move individual muscles however you want. In bodybuilding today and yesteryear this is a look at posing.

 Using your own tension and resistance creates blood in your body hence forth the pump you get from an exercise. Think of a curl that targets the biceps, you do a certain amount of reps and blood rushes to the muscles and builds a pump, you can do the same exact thing without ever lifting a weight. You can create any exercise you want with this program, you can visualize lifting a car or pulling on the toughest of cables. It’s all about using your imagination while flexing the muscles in a dynamic movement. This is effective because not only does it build muscle but it protects the joints and can give you a bit of a cardio workout from breathing hard after doing an exercise.

 This was created by one of the most underrated Physical Culturists of our time named Greg Mangan who discovered the way to a better alternative from weightlifting. Not saying weights are bad this is just another option you can use to get a quick workout in anytime, anywhere. Infusing the mind/muscle connection is the key ingredient to this program and Greg will show you how that works. In his course he even states you don’t have to do the routine layed out for you, you can create any type of routine you want. I once tried some bodybuilding programs from the champions in Joe Weider’s Ultimate Bodybuilding book and they wiped me out and I didn’t have to switch stations, just stand or sit where you are and have at it.

 Muscle Control is one of the coolest and mot effective ways to build muscle and did you know that when Arnold was winning his 7 Olympia titles, he would stop lifting 6 weeks before contest to work on his posing to build that definition and symmetry and it worked, that’s another look at Muscle Control, forget the steroids and all that crap this was done back in the early 20^th century, Sandow did the same thing and one of the greatest artists of MC was a man named Maxick who looked like he was carved from granite. Lifting weights is fun to do I get that and whenever I do hit the gym once in a blue moon I want to hammer out as much as I can get my hands on but at the same time it does get expensive and gym memberships are crazy expensive and only less than 5% of those who do go to the gym actually do it the other 95% quit after a while because they get burned out and are tired of driving, changing and god forbid wait for some douche to get off his set so you can do your thing. 

 You have a choice and you have more options than you realize. Don’t get frustrated trying to get fit, find alternatives that suit your lifestyle, this could be one of them and you don’t need to do 2 hours of training for this to be effective, 20 minutes a day is really all you need and if you don’t have that amount of time, start with just a minute and work your way up. Make it happen for you.  

Why Is Conditioning Important?

 Being in condition for anything you want to be good at is as important as anything else is but what makes it important? First off having the strength to do something awesome is great but how you keep up that strength in the long run is up to you. The importance is that to get good at something, you condition your body or in other words practice the type of condition you want to achieve whether it’s Juggling Kettlebells, doing Handstands, playing sports or whatever you want to teach your body to withstand that particular subject. Even conditioning your mind is important because the stronger your mind is, the easier it is to find how to condition the body henceforth connecting the Mind/Muscle together.

 It doesn't matter if you’re in a sport, a workout, a meeting or whatever, you want to be as strong and aware when you first started and still have that amount left in the end. It’s called being in the clutch, still having what’s left in the tank for that one final moment or that one moment towards the end where you’re just as strong as you walked in as much as you want to walk out. Being prepared for a situation that still gives you that awareness and realize that you’re not still sticking with the other guy but chances are he’s gotten weaker.

 The type of people who taught conditioning the most were the most successful take John Wooden of NCAA Basketball fame at UCLA, a man who has taken the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships and produced a couple future hall of famers along the way including Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor aka Kareem Abdul Jabaar. He wouldn't let his players play unless their conditioning was top notch. Another would be the great Dan Gable who coached more NCAA champions in the sport of wrestling than any other before or since at the University of Iowa, he even coached a mentor of mine for a couple years by the name of Matt Furey. Gable made it a habit that his wrestlers are able to be ready for anything on the mat and some of them won matches by a landslide and others won or lost when it was time to be in the clutch. Probably one of the most important teachers on conditioning was the late Karl Gotch (1924-2007) who made it the number rule of all because if you’re not in condition and you lose your touch within the first couple minutes you might as well die in the dirt. If you have the right tools you can get in the best condition of your life but it doesn't just start in the muscles, it starts in the mind.

 Being in serious condition makes you tough and makes you want to get better, one of my favorite Pro Wrestlers is Ricky The Dragon Steamboat who had some of the best technical and scientific type matches and quite a number of them would be one hour draws against the likes of Ric Flair, Harley Race and others and I don’t give a damn the matches are fixed and who wins or who loses, to be able to wrestle and entertain a crowd for an hour straight is a feat in an of itself and the closest I can think of that caliber would be Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne, Ric Flair and Harley Race. Not that making this all about wrestling but the fact of the matter is if you want to master something, condition yourself to get to that level. It takes practice, it takes patience and it takes will, if you don’t have the will you won’t find the way.

 Some guys just don’t have the heart to condition them, are they tough enough, maybe not for that particular thing but in some way or another they’ll be in great condition at something. Being able to handle it is up to the person doing it. If you want to be able to handle such training or competition, your mind has to be more conditioned than your body, once you master that than your body will do the rest. One of my favorite stories of being tough to go through something is the Verne Gagne wrestling camps at his barn or office building in Minnesota, you have a number of guys going through the drills doing push-ups, squats, sit-ups, running and sprinting left and right and getting hammered in the ring, in the end there would be only a handful of guys left who made it when the majority quit. Being tough is not about how strong or fast you are, it’s about going that extra mile and even if you have a little left in the tank, you push through till the end. Being in condition is a bit of the same thing just the difference on developing your strengths to keep going and you’re just as strong if not stronger in the end.

 Learn to handle what you can and progress, that’s all you can do and have fun with it. If you’re too serious about conditioning you’re going to miss having a good time with it, enjoy it, challenge yourself and make it work for you.  

The Only Drug You Should Be Taking

 There are all sorts of ways to take this to relax and that to wake up but most of it is drugs or meds that can most likely kill you than help you. Even modern bodybuilders take drugs to build extra muscle to gain an edge in their competition just like other athletes and such. Drugs for the most part is the easy way out f your problems and lets face it, those commercials where they tell you the side-effects are far worse than what you're trying to get rid of. Unless you're dying than maybe but seriously, there are much better ways to get yourself healthy.

 If there was one drug that has no side-effects and works better than any drug or PEDs out there is consistent work ethic and training smart with an effective exercise program and eating good foods and stay away from junk food as much as possible. I may not have the best nutrition going on but I do my best to keep it going and keep building muscle and energy. When you build a goal and you set on training with consistency and putting in the time, you will accomplish what you want.

 The old-time strongmen of the early 20^th century such as Maxick, John Grimek, George Hackenshmidt, Charles Atlas and others never even took drugs because they didn't exist in their time and yet with smart training and good nutrition they built some serious muscle and lived longer than your average bodybuilder or athlete today. Finding a program isn't easy to find or is it? Seriously though when you look at certain methods that have worked for god knows how long and gave you a sense of overcoming your own obstacles wouldn't you want to use that to have the body you want?

 Back in my late teens, I was a big kid (still am but as an adult) and I got up in lifting heavy weights rather quickly and every now and then either as a joke or actually asking I was asked if I was taking steroids because I had already reached 300 pounds in the deadlift and leg pressed nearly 950 while benching 260 and curling with 50-60 pound dumbbells but I was nowhere near the shape or strength that I have now compared to back then and yet I got asked that sketchy question that many athletes go through but to this day since I was asked it I continue to say no and you know why? I wanted to earn those lifts and earn the strength I wanted to gain. I'm much stronger and more built now and still say I'm earning it. A shortcut in your training is like cheating on a math test, you see the answers but what are you really learning from it. If you are looking to build great strength, awesome flexibility and insane endurance, taking a shortcut will do you more harm than good, trust me I've tried it by skipping progressions and ending up hurting myself. If you want something bad enough, earn it and earn it with passion, heart and will to get what you want.  

 The best program you can do won’t come from a magazine or following someone on a DVD, the best one is the one that works for you no matter what your schedule is and no matter what you want to do. Make it work for you and stick to it, one way or another you'll find the right one. Things don't happen overnight, they are earned with sweat, a work ethic and heart to create something out of nothing. Don't take the short way out, you won't like what you’ll find in the end if you do, taking a shortcut in most cases is dangerous and however cool it looks now, it'll bite you in the ass in the end. Respect yourself and your body by earning and using consistency to create your best physique along with lifelong strength, vitality, flexibility and stamina for years to come.  

Getting In Shape While Gambling

 When was the last time you heard about doing that? When you gamble, you usually sit at a table or a slot machine and sometimes you stand at the Roulette wheels. Now this might be the most interesting and very unusual way to stay in shape while money is being won or lost so let me give you my take on it.

 Billions of dollars are being put into thousands upon thousands of slot machines and being thrown down on the tables just edging for someone to get their ass kicked or get rich and possibly come out even. Now think about this for a moment, there’s another set of dollar making business that people waste their money on and that’s the typical chrome and fern commercial gyms that they put a few bucks down and don’t bother showing up and their bills get rung up. The difference is, you can win at Gambling but in the gym you have to earn your body and that’s where most people give up and just drop the gym all together.

 If you live in places like Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Coeur D’Alene or the eastern parts of Washington, there are a few places to go to put your betting money on. I can bet you can get in shape while at the casinos and no one will ever know. This is no way of saying, you should workout at a casino because come on, as funs as it would be for you, there are others who don’t give a damn and will walk away from you. This is just a simple suggestion to use to remind your muscles that you can do something in between pulls on the machine or doing something while playing the cards or the wheel. Let me give you an example, you sit at a slot machine, doesn’t matter what it is (unless it’s that kick ass Wheel Of Fortune), you can do Isometrics or Muscle Control while you play. After your first pull, squeeze the lever as hard as you can for 10 seconds, that’s it, than you play and while those things are spinning you can press your hand against the side of the machine. See you just did a little of exercise.

 One of my favorite types of training is from the Charles Atlas course and doing self resistance exercise. After I do a turn on a machine I would do curls by resisting one arm against another and after do another turn, than I would do something like squeeze my feet down on the ground to build some tendon and leg strength. Don’t waste your energy just sitting there like you just threw your house away, if you want to play a little bit, why not give your body a chance to do some work, in a small twisted way, you’re paying money to exercise, plus if you win, it makes things that much sweeter.

 To me Gambling really is a waste of time and there are people who are addicted so bad with it that they end up losing everything. This is for those that want to put a few dollars down and have a little fun with no reason to overdue it. It’s like exercise, if you overdue it, you can get hurt, when you gamble and you’re putting too much into it, you can hurt your mental state and I better hope you never have to use a loan shark and get your legs broken, that to me for yourself is adding insult to injury, literally. If you want to have a little fun, why not give your muscles a run for their money and use small but effective exercise which you can learn where no one will ever know you’re doing them. I know what it’s like to win big and lose just as bad so hopefully you never have to go through losing a bunch of money. There’s time for fun and there’s time to just walk away, like exercise, you can only do what you’re body is capable of and there are times when you just need to catch your breath and call it a day, gambling might be a bit harder but it’s the same thing, if you’re losing and its not helping you, walk away and move on or just get out and go home. Be safe and get your exercises in my friend.

Vacation Training

I firmly believe that if you’re into fitness, there’s no such thing as a day off especially when you go on vacation. I was recently in California for a 3 ½ week trip, sleeping in 5 different houses for a week than going up to South Lake Tahoe for the other 2 weeks. Taking time off for your training is not always a good thing because if all you do is take time off than when you get back to it, it might make you a little rusty. No matter where you go, always find time to do some exercise whether it’s for 5 minutes or doing small exercises throughout the day, you always want to keep your body fresh and aware.

 Training while on Vacation can be a good thing because you’ll have some extra time to work on specific goals and possibly break new PR’s like I have when in I was in CA. There’s two types of training you can do while on vacation, you can do Hard training which you only need to do 2-3 times a week at best or you can do what I call Relaxed training, this doesn’t mean sitting on your ass and twit tiling your thumbs, no this type of training can be done whenever you want and do small things like working your wrist, push-ups on a park bench or even doing one-legged squats while you hold onto your chair or couch. Here’s an idea, do both, it gives you variety of what you can do each day and never making an excuse.

 Walking is a great exercise not only physically but mentally as it helps clear your mind and enjoy what you have. While you’re on vacation and going to a different place like a lake, being up in the mountains or going to a retreat, take a nice brisk walk and breathe new life into your system. I like to walk but going too long wears me out and I’d like to do things throughout the day so I brought along with me my PowR Walk Pro which you can find here. It’s a walking device that helps you burn calories, develop muscular and cardiovascular endurance and can do all sorts of exercises with it and it doesn’t take too long to feel the pulling of the cables.

 When I was in Lake Tahoe, I went to the gym one morning with my sister and her husband and although this wasn’t a gym I can ever relate to I still had the urge to do something out of the norm. While I was there I was doing presses with 85 lb. Dumbbells, haven’t attempted that in over 10 years, did some KB work and stretching but when I noticed the Power Rack and the Barbells laying around, I decided to just go for a new Deadlift PR and see how far I can go. I went all the way up to 405 lb. and got it up and a new PR for me. Now I’m not saying you should always go to a gym on your vacation but doing something out of your element with the free time you have will give you a new perspective on what consistent training will do for you.

 Swimming is one of my favorite exercises and got to do plenty of it out in CA. Its one of those forms of exercises that makes you feel like a million bucks and it’s impact friendly and develops Nerve Force meaning it gives your body that extra spark of life and endorphins that jut blast through the roof. Now I realize not everyone can swim but standing in water and moving your body will get you nearly the same effect as far as exercise is concerned.

 The last few years going to Tahoe, we usually stay in a cabin near the lake and right on the road where our cabin is, is a hill that Ilike to sprint on. Now I must warn you, Tahoe is at about 6500 ft elevation so it’s a bit tougher to breathe and it almost seems impossible to even do Sprints on a hill at that level. I mustered up the guts to do it and only doing a few sets but this few sets alone builds ultra high levels of natural Growth Hormone which helps keep you young, strong and vibrant. Now there are other options to doing some exercise at a high elevation and one of them is hiking. I’ve hiked a few times and talk about a lung developer and working the whole body, not just your legs.

 Being in shape for Vacation is one of the best things you can do for yourself because if you want to go somewhere where you’d like to do stuff it’s a good thing to give your body a run for it’s money. Not everyone is in great shape and I realize if you have children you want to keep up with them and have fun with them. Never fear as you can go to various places to find certain courses to be in the best shape even if you’re a total beginner and new to exercise, make it happen not just for you but for the people you want to keep up and spend time with.

 Give yourself the opportunity to learn what it’s like to be fit and do the things you’ve always wanted to do. It’s never too late and being on vacation helps give your body a chance to learn new things.

Hard Training= Harder Rest

Every workout should be a small challenge but I believe at least once work a week or a month should be one of the toughest you’ve ever put yourself through. Bust your ass for the exercises that give you the best results and hit them hard with a vengeance.

 Resting is a major factor in your training because rest means recovery and you learn to give your body its time to relax. When I mean rest I don’t always mean between sets, I mean by sleep and letting the body recover overnight. After a hard and brutal session, you’d want to get a good night’s rest which builds hormone levels and builds your metabolic state.

 If there was ever a day I needed to Rest more than anything else was one of the most brutal days of my life. I spent the morning and early afternoon training on hand balancing and even doing some Rock Climbing which I’ve never done in my life. After that tough part of the day, I went to the gym with my sister and her husband and did some brutal lifts with crazy heavy dumbbells, including low reps on the pulldowns up to 270 lbs. and went for reps at the pec deck which maxed at 240 lbs. Pull-ups were added in and plenty of stretching. After the gym, jumped in the pool and did some swimming to cool down my body after a brutal day of training. Can you say insane?

 At the Rock Climbing gym I got to train alongside The Duke and The Renaissance Man a.k.a Tyler Bramlett and Logan Christopher. These 2 were going at it with Handstands, Climbing and various holds that need to be seen to believe. I’ve had a few sessions with these bad asses before and every time I train with them there’s some thing magical in the air.

 When you train this hard or anything hardcore at all, it’s very important you let your body heal and I don’t mean sitting on the couch all day. Sleep and let the body heal itself, eat plenty of natural foods to give your body the nutrients for fast recovery and do little exercises here and there to keep your blood flowing and exercise the joints to keep from injury. Your body adapts to different progressions in whatever you’re doing and it’s not necessary to go hard every day, some of that can lead to injury. Resting your body should be equaled to the training itself as in terms of ratio and various workouts.

Training Ideas For A Sunburn

Recently I went to a lake here in hot Coeur D’Alene via Hayden, ID and had a blast, went swimming, bent some nails, chilled out on the dock and hung out with a friend but that very night I had a sunburn that looked so f’cking red, it looked like I was spray painted. It was pretty bad and whenever I get sunburned, I feel stiff and my muscles ache like crazy. The next morning, my body ached like crazy and couldn’t sleep most of the night anyway.

 Although I looked like I was torched, I didn’t give up on exercising. Yes the burn felt like crap but that wasn’t going to stop me from doing the things I love. Now it’s not always easy to train on a sunburn and you tend to dry up faster than usual, this is where water becomes your most dearest friend. Although I didn’t train with the same level of intensity, I decided to change things around and this is where your mental training is taken to the test. I have found that because my aching joints and muscles, I have to be extra consistent in training those areas especially being burnt on the whole back, shoulders and arms; you want to keep them from getting stiff even though it does hurt a little.

 Loosening up your joints is essential and you want to stretch the muscles as best as possible without overdoing it and water is a key because you have to keep yourself cool, poor it over your body and also drink it to keep hydrated. Sweating is also a good idea as well. Sometimes you might need to keep yourself indoors because a sunburn can be bad enough to where if you go outside without proper lotion or sunblock you’re going to feel worse. I realize you might have jobs working outside so the best advice I can give is drink plenty of water, keep your joints and muscles mobile and where clothing that helps keep you cool.

 You want to keep tabs on the areas of the sunburn because if you don’t you’re going to regret it later, trust me I’ve done enough times to understand it’s better being safe than being stupid. Your body heat can also be a cooling system and one of my favorite forms of dealing with a sunburn is to take cold showers, use very little hot water to clean yourself off with soap and shampoo but after that, start turning the water down to almost as cold as possible. You can stay in cold water longer in a sense because the heat of that sunburn is already overwhelming. Turn the cold down every few seconds to a minute so your body can get use to it being cold and do plenty of deep breathing, this can be a very relaxing meditative method. I love cold showers and I do them often because of its health benefits.

 Training indoors while you’re home can help aid in your sunburn as you can use a few fans to keep yourself cool and train so you can sweat to help clear out your pours. My type of training for a certain time being until the burn becomes a little less painful is to  do plenty of flexibility work and believe it or not Muscle Control. I have found Muscle Control to be a very good form of training for this type of thing because when you flex and relax the muscles, blood flows throughout the body and helps the skin radiate that glow and eventually, helps your system repair itself thus possibly healing the sunburn quicker and generate stronger cells to keep the skin healthy. Peeling is just apart of the process kind of like a phoenix rising from the ashes, your skin dies and new skin is ready to come out of the woodworks.

 Keep your body and skin healthy plus keep your muscles and joints mobile so if this should ever happen to you, you will have a few tools at your disposal and also do some research on natural lotions and sunblock to find what can work to help heal faster and more efficient, most sunblock and lotions these days don’t do much. Keep having a kick ass summer and stay strong and healthy.

Big Muscles Don’t Mean Jack Shit

In every major muscle magazine, you’ll find a minimum of 3 articles that “teach” you how to build giant looking muscles. Come on are you fucking kidding me, most of these guys can’t write a single program that shows any realistic approach to building massive muscles with functional strength. Having big muscles can actually ruin your chances of having success in your exercise program, sure some are genetically built to have big muscles and still find a way to be extremely flexible and very strong. If you don’t believe that then take a look at a couple of muscle bound looking guys I know of.

 In my opinion, if you have 23 inch biceps, so what, sure they look cool and sometimes grotesque but just because you have them, doesn’t always mean you’re a strong dude. What can they really do except look good in a pose down? Big arms can only go so far but when you have strong tendons to go with them that are a whole new ball game. Back in the day when Bodybuilding actually meant something, they didn’t just train to look good on a stage but had superior strength to back it up, one of the very best of them was John Grimek who was by far one of the most massive men of his time actually pulled off some fucking awesome feats of strength such as phonebook tearing, nailbending and tearing decks of cards, I don’t even think he liked bodybuilding that much he just got stupid strong with a mega boy to go with it, next two would be Bill Pearl and Reg Park. All three of them had a powerful physique but yet overshadowed their even greater functional strength.

 Functional strength is essential to everyday life and not always in the gym either, holding groceries, opening a jar of pickles, saving one’s life and even taking up furniture for that matter. Training for everyday functions is a key to your vital success in having a strong body. Just looking good has far more disadvantages than you’d believe, seriously pal, if you have a great body but can’t defend yourself or even please a woman in the bedroom than you got some issues. I don’t care who says it and whoever doesn’t believe it isn’t helping himself very much but sex is the best exercise there is period. Now I’m not all about that, sex alone isn’t the mainstay for a healthy body or even a healthy relationship, there are other factors to be done there but with the right resources and techniques you can learn, you’re in for a hell of a good time my friend. So for my sake, value your body as a strong, functional and healthy practice and you will see certain things come about you didn’t even realize before.

 Big muscles really aren’t good enough to get by on realistic strength and fitness, just because you got a pump doesn’t mean you’re superman. Building strong tendons however, give you that level of strength that you can’t justify on just muscle building itself. It’s more important to build tendon strength rather than building muscle. If your tendons aren’t up to par, your strength is rapidly diminished and your big muscles are going to wear down on you and then who’s the bitch now.

 Bodybuilding from 1900-1960 was the type focal point of physical culture, many guys weren’t that big back then, at best the biggest guy that had a great deal of muscle of him was no more than 220 lbs. and didn’t just have a great physique but had strength that still holds records to this day. From 1960-present day, Bodybuilding has become a steroid infested culture that just lost it pride and joy of being a great physical culturist, not all bodybuilders today do steroids and some have lived long and healthy lives, it’s the habit of wanting more and more and too much of anything isn’t good for your health but yet these dumb fucks don’t give a rats ass to what they do to themselves. Today Bodybuilders are like supermodels, they put so much on themselves, one type nearly starves them to death to have that “beauty” look and the other tries to pack on so much muscle that they deprive themselves of walking like a normal human being and it’s sickening to me.

 To be truly strong, you want to have real muscles that can do things for you in your time of need or do things that give you the most benefit for the muscles you want to build. Muscle building is about learning your body, what can work for your particular structure and how to build the tissues and tendons that hold everything together to get the complete package. If you want real muscles than you need to find the realistic approaches to get them and they’re much closer than you think. Learn and find a way for you to build some raw, functional and some real fucking powerful muscle.

The Ultimate Warriors Of Strength & Health

Sounds like a kick ass title huh? Well hate to disappoint you but this isn’t such a positive one. This is mainly a comparison of an 80’s wrestler that took the world by storm but led a series of downfalls and how that’s like with a lot of guys in the fitness industry today. Back in the mid-late 80’s a mighty wrestler full of muscle, charisma and drawing ability captivated crowds and was even thought to be a successor of Hulk Hogan. The man’s name was Jim Helwig better known as The Ultimate Warrior.

 Like anything in business, sports, entertainment you want to make an impact, being different and having a unique look. Warrior certainly had that impact as his ability to draw a crowd was only matched closely to the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and a few others of that era. The way he would run to the ring and shake the ropes, clothesline his opponents and press them up overhead and toss them like rag dolls. The last time I ever saw him wrestle was during his last run in the mid 90’s in the WWE. Warrior certainly was cool looking and was built like he was carved from granite.

 Charisma can be a powerful tool and it captivates someone’s attention and draws them in. That’s a lot like the fitness experts and bodybuilders of today, you’re drawn to their look and how they present a presence that you can’t help but notice. This is where looks can be deceiving and no matter how much you’re drawn to their presence, there’s a dark cloud hanging over them, not all but quite a few.

 One of the things you will learn about Warrior was that as much as he was a crowd favorite, the fact of the matter is he was a horrible wrestler, didn’t know any good holds, had the reputation for not making too many moves look good and didn’t really care at all for wrestling. Money and Fame was his primary goal and I would find it hard to believe he had any history of the business and just wanted to be a crowd pleaser, take his check and just go to the next town. A lot of trainers today are like that too, they’ll show you a few things then leave you in the dust just to get a large check. If you took on at minimum of 10 trainers in gold’s or spa fitness gym, how many actually know their history? Truth is less than one most likely and the only two people they would ever really know of are Jack Lalanne and Arnold Schwarzenegger, maybe Lou Ferrigno but that’s about it. It’s really sad to say the least.

 It pisses me off so much at times that you have an expert in the field of fitness and they hardly have any history background on the world of Physical Culture. Go to a modern gym just about anywhere today and mention names like Otto Arco, John Grimek, Maxick, Martin “Farmer” Burns, Bernarr MacFadden, Karl Gotch, Fred Grubmeyer, The French Apollon, Arthur Saxon and quite possibly the original Hulk George Hackenshmidt. You’d be lucky to find one trainer that knows two of those names, if any higher; he’s not your typical modern trainer.

 Another unique and quite frankly a bizarre trait of the Ultimate Warrior is the way he did promos and interviews. 80% of the time you wouldn’t know a damn thing of what he just said, it sounded cool but it was confusing the rest of the time. He almost like he spoke in tongues and was high as a kite for some of the things he talked about, like the planets or some evil warlock on a distant earthly place and the gods in the heavens it was just breathtakingly awful. Some guys today have that same concept, they try to tell you an exercise and some of the time you wouldn’t have a clue of they’re actually saying. The way they hype themselves up like on the cover of a magazine or bring out a fresh new product on the infomercials that looks great at some point but in the end when you get the product it looks like crap and you thought it would great to get because of what was advertised. It’s one thing to believe in what you’re doing is right, it’s another thing when you show no signs of any life when you keep going in different directions and people won’t know where you’re coming from.

 It’s really deceiving when someone believes in their own hype. Warrior is no exception when his ego reached a brink when he actually changed his name to Warrior and got rid of his original name Jim Helwig. Why he did it, no one knows but one thing is for sure, that spotlight will always have a glare in his eye and never wants to let go of it. Fitness gurus have some of those same problems and never realize it is a problem till it’s too late. One bodybuilder who I won’t mention was a semi big star in his time and had muscles everywhere and had 23 inch arms and can pull off the best poses of his competition, after doing so much steroids and drugs over the years the guy can’t even curl a 45 pound barbell anymore because of the overbearing muscle he has and his tendons are shot to hell.

 It’s never a good idea to let fame get to your head no matter how famous you are because it will take a toll on you physically, emotionally and psychologically. Once that light goes out, it’s very difficult to get that back. Money and Fame are just words but people take it beyond levels of bad nature and just lose sight of what’s really important. Never lose sight of who you truly are and although you can be quite a character, don’t ever turn into that character. Find who you are and stick with it, be your own person and not some outlandish figure with a thirst for power. Make use of who you are and don’t ever forget where you came from good or bad because in the end, somewhere in your heart there’s good in you and you have the power to make that happen.