Breath Of Fire For Endurance And Universal Power

One of my favorite scenes in a Marvel Film was in the Incredible Hulk where for a few seconds you see Bruce Banner learn a breathing technique that helps him control his emotions and stay calm. The teacher is the legendary Rickson Gracie, the red belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner who is the best of the best in the Gracie Family. I didn't understand about this technique until years later doing research on the technique and paying attention to how Rickson does it in the Documentary Choke. 

The simplest way to explain it is similar to lamaze breathing women use for childbirth. The big difference is that although it looks like you're hyperventilating, it's a concentrated breathing pattern working the diaphragm and exhaling short and fast bursts of the exhale. It's not an easy technique to learn and I'm sure there's far more to it than the way I try to practice it. The more I applied it through meditation and throughout certain workouts, it doesn't just give you a more calming effect, it helps amplify your stamina and aids recovery like crazy.

Through practice of various breathing techniques (ones one should and should never do) I find Diaphramic Breathing the best variation with its different styles of that form of breathing. It keeps things flowing and puts more of the body and mind in tuned with movements without going into panic mode which is what chest breathing tends to do. We walk around breathing all day and don't give it a second thought but the way we breathe can have a profound effect on how our emotions play a role in that area. 

For fitness reasons, there are books out there (some nearly 100 years old or more) that teach what's call Intercostal Breathing which uses more of the chest and rib cage to tighten the waistline and breathe more upwards into the chest. That's all and good if you want to build a tight waist but in the real world, that can cause a lot of problems and put you more into a negative emotion like unnecessary anxiety/panic and fearful. You have read recently that I tried this technique and suffered for a while and had a bad case of anxiety and other problems. The moment I started breathing through my diaphragm and focused on my breathing, I was back to normal. Other people have told me that Intercostal Breathing gives them headaches and have more of a shortness of breath and have learned from the likes of Steve Maxwell and others that this type of breathing is an endurance killer.

When I was going on for nearly a month doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible, I changed my breathing patterns on the Hindu Push-ups to have better endurance but what really made the difference was as I was getting better, after each workout I would do this technique for maybe 30 seconds as a finisher and my breathing felt incredible. I was refreshed, I wasn't huffing and puffing and my mind felt clear as crystal. It literally felt like I could start another workout at 100%. 

Yesterday, I put this technique to the test in a different way; I tried out some boxing by going 10 Rounds (1 min on and 15 seconds rest), just doing various punches and speed of punches while also using techniques from CoreForce Energy. After each round, I would do the technique as active recovery during the 15 second rest periods, with that I was able to continue punching each round without tiring and was hitting harder and faster within practically every round. I never felt weak or fatigued and my speed never really wavered, I did mess up a couple punches here and there but I was moving too fast and I wasn't paying attention to my form but once I put the focus back on my speed while paying attention to my breathing, it was as if I couldn't stop and was in that zone. Never felt that much energy and I never have done a workout like that in my life. 

As a side note, I was playing a video game on my PS4 called Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and it either gave me so much adrenaline from playing or just plain inspired me to workout but either way, that workout after playing that game made me feel like I can turn into a Super Sayian (if anyone knows that term, you know what's up) and my body was just full of surging power, energy and strength that I felt invincible and can turn into a mighty warrior with spiked blonde hair. That was what it felt like during that workout and practicing that technique. I never even warmed up, it was just there and during the rest of the day and as of right now, don't feel any soreness or discomfort/pain, just energetic. 

This is just an idea of what I experience when I practice this breathing technique and how it has changed how I work out and go about my day. It might be different for you and have a very different affect but from my personal recollection and understanding, it is by far the best breathing technique I have learned thus far, it has made my endurance go through the roof, I feel stronger, far more clear headed and has been a good practice for meditation.  

The Wild Was Calling Out To Me

For years I've watched and became a big fan of Animal/Wildlife Documentaries from the Planet Earth Series to Disney's Monkey Kingdom, Wild Alaska, Documentaries on Wolves and many others. It's fascinating how much our world is enriched with the vast species of animals, insects and the killer intelligence of the Orca. I sometimes ask myself "how could you not watch these and want to move like them?

For us humans, we can learn a lot from animals and although a trend of animal movements has hit big lately, it's been practiced for centuries or even longer where we mimic other species in different formats such as Kung Fu practitioners and hunters who learn how to stalk and kill a wild animal. Many people who practice the movements today give off more of a theme or a combination of freestyle moves mixed with gymnastics and the crawling patterns but for someone like me, I love keeping it simple and dig deep into the best possible ways as a human to move like an animal.

Last night, I just had an itch to play my animal dice game. After eating a few homemade tacos and watching Fast & Furious, I went out to the dungeon and just hammered out about 15 minutes of animal exercise and felt incredible. The surge of energy, the calming effects after the workout and the deep breathing was one of the best experiences. The ability to transform (in your imagination) into an animal on a whim is a powerful feeling and when you start crawling, jumping, side stepping and moving pretty damn fast, it goes beyond just cardio and building functional muscle.

No I don't howl at the moon or growl like a grizzly or roar like a big cat but just moving through various planes of motion and setting yourself in awkward positions makes your body in a way you're not used to. A lot of these movements are a staple in many sports conditioning programs, more notably in sports like football and wrestling. The game is just an idea but other aspects of an animal workout can turn someone into a lean, mean fighting machine and it brings out a whole other form of superhuman conditioning. Just the Bear Crawls alone can take down even the greatest athletes so imagine putting together a workout based on an entire kingdom of wildlife.

You can start at any point depending on your level of fitness and progress through various stages of movements. Treat it like a game, a way to have fun and play. The results are nothing short of incredible when you practice the art of moving like a wild animal.

I have no clue if I'll be doing it everyday for a while or when I get an itch but this type of training always seems to make me happy while staying really fit at the same time. Doesn't take up much time since most don't need more than 20 minutes but if you're really into it, you can go as long as you want. 

Training Like The Dark Knight

Within 2 years, there will be ANOTHER Batman film but this time with Twilight star Robert Pattinson. Now I know what you're thinking cause I thought the same thing "who the fuck, thought it was a good idea to have Edward be Batman?" For quite a period during the Twilight Saga that girls and fanboys flocked to root for Team Jacob & Team Edward, talk about a rivalry that made people laugh than anything else. However, from recent photos that have been roaming, they're already giving fits to how Pattinson looks in the suit. The question I have is "How good of shape is he going to be in?"

The training this time around isn't going to get him to look no more than 185-190 at best and looking more than a tweaked looking Tarzan from what I have read but than again what can you truly believe these days. They're more concerned about how the suit will fit because for a new film, they have to gear towards the guy's shape which I can understand but putting a ton of muscle on a guy that hasn't been seen with that kind of physique is going to be tricky, not impossible but it should be interesting.

Each Batman over the decades have gone through extreme changes in how they train to be the caped crusader: Michael Keaton barely did any workouts to be believable but did a hell of a job with the role, Val Kilmer was ok but had a physique that resembled more like Adam West from the 60's, we NEVER, ever speak of George Clooney, Christian Bale had the best physique of all the batmans of the last 30 years even though he was 20 pounds shy of the Character's actual weight and is probably the best Batman to date. Ben Affleck did a decent job and looked in ok shape but he had far more potential and we were left wondering "what if?"

I have my doubts as to how this will play out with Pattinson and I hope they train him right because any lean guy can put on the suit but how you present the physique on screen that captures the synergistic affirmations with the suit itself is a whole other ball game and it can make or break that actor. I'm going to take it for what it is but many people are just going to look at him as the pale and sparkly vampire. He's not particularly the kind of actor I like watching but being in a superhero film can flip that a 180 like they did with Affleck.

Now training to be Batman in this case isn't realistic for the average person and Pattinson will get his ass kicked into shape hard. Most people can't train 2 hours a day and do things so intense it'll make you throw up just by the site of how hard that person is being pushed. Training like the Dark Knight takes a level of conditioning many don't know how to get to but it can be attained with basic principles and a solid progression system. Bodyweight Training is perfect for this kind of thing and with a little imagination, you can transform your physique into something to be proud of and do so without paying a dime to a gym, trainer or coach.

Darebee.com has over 1000 workouts to choose from and they range from super easy to highly advanced, all within the comfort of your own home. They take the most basic exercises and mold them into workouts that are tough as hell but fun to do. The Circuit based workouts take only minutes a day to complete and they can be done daily or a few times a week. The Batman workout from this system is one of those tough ones where you can progress with various levels but at its peak, it's one of the best conditioning workouts ever and it's very simple to do. A full 10 Round Workout shouldn't take you more than 45 minutes to complete. I've done it within 35 where's little to no rest.

As you can see, it may not look that hard but once you get into it, it's a wake up call. You're working practically everything in this workout and it'll make you crazy fit in no time.

Workout Like Harley Quinn

Me and the wife went to see the new DC Film Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) recently and although it wasn't that great of a DC movie, it was fun to watch. The soundtrack was pretty bad ass and the stunts & fight scenes were great too. Margot Robbie does a decent job as the Clown Princess of Gotham and is more of a Siren than a Bird Of Prey.

It is interesting how mega stars get in shape for blockbuster roles; Marvel films are notorious for having really in shape actors for the characters but truth be told, being in shape in hollywood comes at a cost for the most part. The transformations alone can be admirable but it takes a toll after a while and even can cause health problems (do some research on Tom Hardy as Bane and you'll see what I'm talking about). Training and working out for a big role makes typical gym rats look like wimps but that's because you have hands-on personal trainers that take those actors to limits the average person would be put in the hospital for.

Learning what Robbie did for Suicide Squad was pretty gnarly; a lot of HIIT workouts and working with a trainer that had ballet experience added in the mix and you got yourself some hard ass work ahead of you. I don't know how much of this training was true but it's definitely not the type of training that can go long term and for specific reasons. When you're getting ready to film or preparing for a role, you're on a time cruncher and that actor has to be ready to be in shape not just for scenes to look great on screen but be able to maintain it for as long as the shooting goes.

Some of these workouts last up to an hour or more everyday of the week and often it is within 3-6 months before shooting even starts and to maintain while being on set, you're constantly being pressured to keep the physique where the movie makers need you and that means doing little workouts between takes, eating at specific times or do a hard workout before going on set that day. The thing you'll notice in most of these workout schedules with actors is very little recovery time and that's where the toll really comes in because you're training, filming, eating and filming some more day and day out until it ends. Recovery is virtually non-existent.

 Nobody in their right mind should workout like an actor has to and although many people are envious that these people can afford trainers, chefs, coaches and anything else in between, when it comes down to it still have to put the work in otherwise their spot can be taken just like that. If you want to train long-term and develop a superhero type physique, you work with realistic goals and workouts that not only aid in muscle building but give you time to recover and be able to do little things.

One of the best methods for training for general fitness is through Circuit Training. Done enough of it myself, I can tell you that when you learn the aspects of training this way and understanding your body's level of condition and strength, you can do this for quite some time and figure out when and how to properly train the body in this fashion. You don't need a personal chef, trainer or coach to make your goals work; websites like Darebee.com have so much information and over 1000 workouts to choose from (most of which is bodyweight related so you can do them anywhere) you have everything you need at your fingertips.

One of the workouts I have done and even my wife has done is the Harley Quinn Workout which nowhere near is as intense as Robbie's workouts but can save you a ton of time while working the body at a solid level. It's not on the darebee website but you can do some research on it and type in Superhero Workouts Neila Rey in google search.

As you can see, it's a heavy emphasis on the legs and punching. Yeah it's geared towards women but guys shouldn't knock this workout, I did multiple workouts with this where I did 10 Rounds with very little rest in between, it's an ass kicker for sure. Girls, if you're a Harley Quinn fan and want to get in shape, here you go. Do this workout up to 3 times a week and see the results. If you're really ambitious and want to pack on some functional muscle and burn fat like a furnace, do this workout with very little rest to none whatsoever unless to check off that set. Go for 10 rounds and see how you do. You might even see Harley working with you and picturing the Joker running like a little bitch cause he couldn't handle a woman like YOU.

Update From My Scary Moment

Wanted to give a quick update about the moment that was scary as hell for me and how a breathing exercise went wrong.....

It's been well over a week since it happened and haven't had an episode since. I'am due for a physical and I will at some point get checked out but based on my research and what I can recall from that experience, I never had any symptoms of a stroke. No droopiness of the face, passing out/blackout, nothing abnormal in tastes or smells, no difficulty of speaking, no altered visions, no headaches, no numbness or tingling on the right or left side of my body, no particular balance issues, no temp blindness in one or both eyes and certainly very little memory loss which came back really fast.

The biggest factors that i'm pretty damn sure made that moment happen was having a panic attack after doing those breathing techniques, having a typical argument with my wife which I take responsibility for and trying to make dinner all at the same time just went into overdrive and caused me to have what was likely an Anxiety attack. I'am prone to anxiety which has lessened over the years and due to the meningitis I had as a baby, there are certain triggers to my brain that cause certain things, nothing severe though.

This was the only bad episode of this specific caliber I ever experienced in my life so the chances of it happening again are extremely slim if at all but I have taken better precautions, breathing deeply using more of diaphragmatic and using techniques based on CoreForce Energy. My energy is still very much intact, went for a walk the other day for about an hour and wasn't anywhere near out of breath and still able to do my workouts without any fatigue or shortness of breath. I feel really good but I do know from now on, chest breathing and intercostal techniques are a no-go and I pay attention to my breathing and how my body feels if i'm feeling anxious or there's a trigger.

I have received comments about this incident on this blog and I thank you so much for your support and giving feedback on your own experiences. I have also learned of concerns from people in a place where they're also known to have little to no sympathy or remorse towards me and I want to thank them too. We all have this one life, take care of yourself but don't be so cautious it takes away what life also has to offer. I've been in far worse situations and have survived near death on multiple occasions, this was just a really bad night and it has passed.

I'am in a twisted way grateful for what happened because it was a lesson that had to teach me what can happen if something were to go wrong and I feel blessed to be in the shape i'm in and able to pull through without going through what could've been far, far worse. If I wasn't in shape, the ER would've been without question. Take care of yourselves and sending all of you (even the assholes on a certain forum) positive vibes and a peaceful day.

Isometric Deck Of Cards Workout

Doing a deck of cards workout is quite challenging, especially if you put in specific reps for each suit. Although it's far more common today, these workouts were the foundation for many athletes and not always fore recreation or plain fitness. The most infamous athlete to do this type of workout was Karl Gotch but other athletes such as Ray Lewis, Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, Antonio Inoki and Herschel Walker would make the deck an alternative at times when it was needed.

You can put just about any exercise you want in a deck but it's more efficient if it was done bodyweight style because that way you get it done anywhere especially if you're traveling. Sometimes it's good to add a little flare to the deck or even change the entire complexity by doing something very unique. I'm talking about Isometrics.

Even with all the science and expertise, not many today still can't grasp the idea of Isometric Training. Unless you talk to guys like Bud Jeffries, Steve Justa, Steve Maxwell, Jarell Lindsey and a few others, Isometrics have become somewhat of a lost art as a pure common form of fitness training. Now let's take Isometric Exercise and apply it to the deck of cards. How the hell do you do that?

 Instead of doing the typical repetitions, you hold the positions for a count of seconds or breaths. Just holding for seconds alone can be tough but holding positions for breaths is a whole other ball game. What do I mean by this, well after you shuffled and flipped a card, say a 5 and it was a push-up; you do one full rep of a push-up but you count down from 5 in the upper, middle and low positions of that push-up and come back up and move onto another card or you can take 5 breaths in each position and then move on. For squats, I prefer wall sits but you can hold the half squat if you wish.

Now imagine going through a whole deck of this caliber. For the Matt Furey Exercise bible, it's the Hindu Push-up, Wall Sits, V-Up Hold & Tablemaker. If you drew a joker, that's 25-50 counts of a wall sit or you take in breaths which can last longer than seconds, could be a few minutes. It's a very different type of workout where you're focusing not so much on the muscles and speeding through, you're working the tendons and ligaments; strengthening bones and building strength from the inside out. There's no time limit for this workout because you never know how long you hold a position. This takes breathing to another level and you're going to feel amazing.

Now if you were to hold an abdominal exercise such as the sit-up or in my case the V-Up Hold, that's a bit more difficult to hold because this requires more balanced strength and it's definitely a full body hold and most can't hold it for more than a couple seconds. When I get that card, I would hold for as long as I can, come down and hold it again, repeat that until the count for that card is done (sucks the most if you get a face card). It's still a great exercise to test your balance and strength in a fixed position.

I've only done the Isometric deck on a couple occasions and the last one was a couple days ago. It's a different feel and you will sweat, maybe swear and learn a whole new meaning to the words Tendon Strength. This is like a concept martial artists such as Kung Fu masters, Karate guys and Shaolin Monks who would hold stances for extended periods of time and have strength not many can explain. The mindset to do this workout is in a class by itself and most people won't get through it.

Try it out for yourself and see how you do.

Finished The Matt Furey Exercise Bible In Under 30 Minutes

When I first began the Matt Furey Exercise Bible now over 3 weeks ago, it had been a long time since I finished a deck and previous attempts I couldn't finish because I felt bored. Something clicked in me to just go for it again and get myself back into shape with those exercises. The first time I went through the deck it took about 45 min.

I wasn't discouraged but I felt like I could do better and went after it day after day for weeks. At one point during a 5 day period, I would switch up the numbers on the cards or I would double the squats on the cards which for my numbers came out to 308. I know i'm in shape but this was a different kind of conditioning, a whole other ball game.

One of the important aspects of card workouts is to be prepared for what lies ahead because you're doing a different workout every time you shuffle those cards. You can do the same exact exercises but it'll never be in the same order. That's one of the things I loved about doing 500 Squats with the cards, same numbers, same goal but the order was always different.

The thing I learned from Furey is that, you can do the speed aspect of the workout with the cards but they can be done in ways beyond speed. You can do multiple variations of the exercises, you can do them slow, you can hold positions or add more reps, there's no limit to what you can do with them. For the exercises done (Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, V-Ups & Tablemakers) sometimes i'll speed through but at the same time I want to have the best form possible while having solid breathing. The workouts themselves are tough as it is.

As time went on, the speed through the deck came naturally and I was getting better and better. My tension in the lower back was fading, I was doing V-Ups like they were nothing as to feeling tense pain when I would do reps, the squats went by faster and my endurance in the push-ups got better. I switch things up again and lately I started doing not one but three variations of the Hindu Push-ups since I heard Karl Gotch's voice in my head going "Always work your muscles from every possible angle", so on cards under 10 reps, I would do them palms down, higher numbers were with the Push-up bars either facing vertically or horizontally to work other muscles.

On tuesday, I tested myself and set a timer to see how fast I can get through the deck (wasn't trying to go for a world record). It felt like things were flowing and my energy was there, my mind was super focused and my form felt flawless through all the exercises. After it was all said and done, I stopped the timer at 28:41. I was in a state of disbelief because in years I haven't touched 30 minutes or less in a deck of cards workout unless it was 500 Squats. My conditioning game was on fire that day and after doing one breathing technique for recovery for 30 seconds afterwards, it literally felt like I could go through a whole new deck. Felt on top of the world and smiling both inside and out and had an amazing sense of pride and love for what I had pulled off.

Setting a goal is a great thing but to really go after it, it takes more than just pushing through obstacles, it takes something you are invested in with being interested and having a fire within you that burns even in the toughest of times because there were days where I wanted to quit but something inside me told me to keep going, see the bigger picture and feel as if you witnessed it in your mind's eye that you can do this and you have the balls to run over that "Governor" in your head. One of the things that kept me going day after day doing this was how I would focus on my breathing and try to remain relaxed as possible without being sloppy. I would tell myself outloud to "relax" and feel the flow of the exercise and not worry about speed. It worked and now as far as I can tell, this workout feels like physical meditation.

 We all have a fire within us, the question is, how hot do you want to make it burn? There's a difference between cozy & warm and fire so damn hot it turns blue. Cozy fireplace warm is the type of fire within that the majority set their goals to, they set it and once they achieve it, it doesn't have a ton of value; some but not high and then there are those who have flames that are so hot, anyone who comes near the person burns to a fucking crisp. Their flames are so powerful, nothing can stand in their way and nobody can put it out no matter what they attempt.

I'm proud of what I accomplished with sincerity, not ego. No matter what your goals are, they have bigger victories later that build up and if there's a peak, be the ruler up high in that mountain.

One Of The Scariest Moments Of My Life

For years, I've practiced various methods of conditioning, deep breathing exercise, strength training and developing flexibility and endurance; very few things however have scared the living hell out of me and recently it was one of those moments and also nearly put me in the ER. I recently bought Jon Hass' E-Book and Video Evolve Your Breathing Program and I figured it was a way to learn some new techniques to enhance my conditioning and performance. This nearly became a tragedy.

From this experience only, I tried out the exercises he laid in his course and although I never experienced them before in that manner, it didn't feel weird at first until I was getting dinner ready that night and something terribly went wrong. The exercises I did were Chest Breathing & Intercostal; my chest started feeling as someone hit me with a bat or something and my breathing became very shallow, I stood in the middle of the kitchen feeling nearly paralyzed because although I was conscience, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I lost my train of thought, my brain didn't feel connected to my nerves so I can move my body and it almost seemed as if I had a mini stroke.

I was disoriented for what seemed like minutes but according to my wife, it was a couple hours. Normally it takes me a good 7 minutes or so for the dinner I was making but this time took me over a half hour because I completely forgot how to make it. Something with those exercises triggered something in my brain that took me to a place where I wasn't me and I was just a pole in the middle of a room. Those that know me, know that I have a memory that is very unique and a solid sense of balance but for that moment, it was completely gone and my body was nearly shutting down on me, I have no clue how I was still even standing and conscience.

Once I felt some form of composure and intuitively knew I was in a good state of mind, I started breathing the exercises I knew like the back of my hand and I was back at 100% with complete sense of my memory, my control of the limbs, the balance and completely aware of everything around me. Only one other person knows about what happened but my wife was the one who witnessed it and I can't bare putting her through that again. I cannot put myself through those exercises again.

We breathe through life because if we couldn't breathe, we'd be dead but yet certain techniques can make or break your nervous system and it's extremely critical to pay attention to how you do breathe. I don't know if i'm the only person who had this experience or people before me experienced it but I do feel the need to warn you that certain techniques can be dangerous and don't want to imagine anyone going through what I did or worse. I have read both sides on Chest Breathing & Intercostal but after this experience, I know first hand, these techniques can be a hazard to your health.

The best breathing techniques that have given me the optimal performance and conditioning were Diaphramic Breathing, The Breath Of Fire Technique and Exercises that ties in with Garin Bader's CoreForce Energy Program. I also use techniques to remain as calm as possible, even through tough workouts as I stay relaxed but not loose.

There are techniques that have been around for thousands of years but that doesn't mean they're meant for everybody. Be as safe as possible as you train and never to the degree where you could end up in the hospital like I nearly did or worse. Learn to use the breath as your power and breathe with intentions on building a strong nervous system and cardiovascular as well.

Enhancing Performance Using Breathing Techniques

"Deep Breathing Exercises alone, if done right, will make many a weak an strong and many a sick man well."- Farmer Burns (Catch Wrestler 1861-1937)

Everyday we take a breath and never really give it a second thought, it's our biggest thing to do in this life because without the breath, we'd be dead. Go weeks at a time a time, days without water but yet only last minutes without breathing, it is something we do take for granted.

When it comes to fitness, there are techniques to not make us perform better but recover better as well. In most mainstream training ideals, the breath is very little talked about and although you can move good weight, can't walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. Even the most conditioned fighters in the world at times can't last 3x5 min rounds in a fight so, what more can you do to keep up the endurance while reserving your strength?

When I was in high school, breathing techniques didn't really exist or weren't really even taught and I can move some weight but I couldn't run if my life depended on it and was always slow and having little to no endurance. Between 18-20 years old, I was in the gym learning on my own different ways to handle weights and did some circuit training but I still had no real stamina and just felt drained a lot of time. My warm-up was just walking to the gym which was about 15-16 minutes but by the time I got there, I felt like crap.

After my injuries and learning the exercises from Combat Conditioning, I started picking up on how to really breathe when I moved and as I got better and my reps were getting higher and higher, my endurance shot through the roof and my strength had a lasting effect, not just temporarily. I had far better cardio and lasting strength than I ever did in my teens and I felt like I can take on the world.

I wanted to learn more on how deep breathing or specific techniques helped increase my endurance and kept up my conditioning. Learned what chest breathing did, intercostal, diaphramic, holding the breath and others so I took what I felt was best and ran with it. Some of the very best techniques I learned were from Garin Bader's CoreForce Energy System and not only gave me a fun way to perform better but be able to do things outside of my workouts I never had before. Learning how to breathe in certain situations and putting mental imagery and sound-making with it made things quite interesting. I moved smoother, protected me from injuries, handle awkward movements and more.

When I was in Jiu Jitsu, I learned the hard way that the breath was more important than using my strength. After many years of training, I was good at breathing but focused more on how to use my strength and it bit me in the ass. I was winded moments after getting on the mat at first and I felt that something had to be done. I started letting my body relax a bit more and ore instead of using tension cause in some methods that was what was taught. Once I relaxed and used some of the CFE Techniques, 5 min rounds didn't feel as difficult, still got my ass kicked but the guys started to see what kind of strength I really possessed and had trouble putting me in some holds and even escaped a choke hold that was really clamped on.

I did some research on the Breath Of Fire and Diaphragmatic Breathing  that the Gracies used to keep themselves in awesome shape throughout a fight and practicing this techniques has opened another door in how I can perform better. It isn't an easy technique to learn but once I got used to it, it made my workouts better. I then started learning techniques from Matt Furey on how to relax even more to move faster without using so much tension if any. I used these techniques recently with the Matt Furey Exercise Bible and even with doubling the squats, I finished the deck in 35 minutes which was the fastest I have ever done with those specific exercises and didn't feel winded or tense.

There are some techniques that just don't work for some people and I have found even after one practice that certain aspects of chest breathing or intercostal breathing just freaking suck. I have found that the better you can relax, the better you can perform in most cases, yes you need tension in some forms of exercise like olympic weightlifting or powerlifting, things of that nature but in performing or moving throughout everyday life, the less you have unnecessary tension, the better you will be.

To learn more on the phenomenal methods of breathing, check out these courses......

Upgrade Your Breath

CoreForce Energy

Introduction to Qigong Exercise for Beginners with Lee Holden

7 Minutes of Magic: Recharge Your Body Each Day with Qi Gong

Getting Fit Like Wonder Woman

In a few months, the sequel to Wonder Woman will be in Theaters. I'm looking forward to it as i'm a fan of the DC Universe and quite frankly I find strong women to be freaking bad asses. When you grow up around strong women like I have with 2 sisters, my mom, my second mother and my grandmother who is still kicking at 98, you learn a thing or two and it's not a good thing to piss off a woman who has some strong german and italian in her veins.

Many female warriors aren't always given the credit they deserve and because us men live in a dominant world in many countries where women are secondary or even third on a list and not seen as equal. Now there are facts that women have certain physical attributes that can never match a man but there are things that man can never match a woman beyond those attributes. They have strength most of us men cannot comprehend but i'm not talking just physical strength, the ability to endure mentally and physically, emotional comprehension and the ability to fight. If they have the skills, they can beat the living hell out of you.

For women, getting fit isn't as easy as it is for us guys for a lot of reasons and this isn't a knock to anyone. The process of our bodies are different and building muscle takes different roads but it all leads down to the same path one way or another. When I talk about muscle, I' not talking those jacked up girls from the Crossfit Games, they've got way more things going on there than just lifting and working out like maniacs, i'm not even talking the sleek and toned model types either, I'm talking about what's in the middle. The type of muscle that has true meaning and functionality where you can still be feminine but not the bodybuilder type. For all intents and purposes, you can be a curvy girl and still be healthy with the right tools, you can also be athletic looking and not be bulky, it's what you're shooting for and using the tools to get you there.

To get into the strength aspects of women, it's important to understand that in certain cases, the training is different, not by a ton but to the degree where whether it's bodyweight exercise, weightlifting, Yoga, Pilates or whatever, train according to the needs that your structure makes the exercises you practice moves with intent. That sounds weird I know but after training my wife and other women when I was in college, I learned to target different exercises through different body types.

When it comes to fit women, I'm looking at ladies like Vanessa Raymond, Melody Schoenfeld, Kirsten Tulloch whom you can find on Instagram @littletank and others such as Tara Scott that does work on Kettlebells, Swinging The Clubs/Mace and Movement/Flow Training. These women practice fitness in a variety of ways that you won't need to look much elsewhere. Combined have decades of experience from bodybuilding to dancing, kettlebell training, bodyweight exercise, strongman training, conditioning and more, they are the real deal and can take you places that you didn't think were possible. If you learned from even just one of them, you're getting knowledge that most female trainers today couldn't even handle but if you learned from all four, you might as well be Wonder Woman yourself.

If you want to get an idea of getting fit like the Amazon Princess, check out Darebee.com for workouts that are exclusive for women, they're mainly bodyweight and some are tough as hell that even men might struggle with....

Talk about a whole new meaning to the term, "Working out like a girl."

It Is Never Easy Posting Your Results

The last time I can ever remember being skinny was around the age of 10 and 11, so for 25+ years, I was a heavy kid. By the time I was 13 in middle school I was close to 200 lbs at a height of 5'4. As I got older and was hitting weights more often throughout high school, I put on some muscle but not much to show for. I couldn't run for the life of me, had less than average stamina, ok strength and very little flexibility. I didn't know what fitness can really do until I got into Track & Field doing the Shot Put & Discus and I wasn't very good at that either lol, throwing just under 33ft shot and over 100ft in the Discus.

Hitting the gym for nearly 2 years after high school got me pretty strong but wasn't fit according to certain standards and than my leg injuries happened, you know the story and that old chestnut. Learning the hard way of becoming fit without rehab wasn't without doubts but I was set in my ways and made the choice to become fit, not look like a greek god or anything like that but fit in the sense where yes physical changes were made but having real strength, stamina and flexibility was where I wanted to go.

Over the years, learning and experimenting with so many different programs and dieting that I have come to accept the fact that being big, at least my definition of big was a great protector but also being fit at the same time made me more useful. I know deep down I don't ever want to be skinny again or have a tight waist and V-Shaped but have a build that is meant for something and can carry me with a level of conditioning that not many guys at my size has.

Some have told me to look more fit like a fighter, some have told me to hit more of the iron again to develop mass that gears towards my size and one other person said I was in the top 3% of the strongest men in the world; they're all good things to say but the more they say it, the more reasons to stick to my choices of what I find to be fit. I'm not a fighter or a Combat Athlete in general but if somebody tries to test me just remember i'll keep going until I can't, weights were fun while they lasted and every now and then I get a bite but I'm happy not hitting weights (barbells, dumbbells, machines) any time soon and saying that i'm in the top 3% is pushing to the extremes, the compliment is a nice gesture but I don't deserve that kind of praise.

I have shown results of my training a few times over the years but it's been some time recently and wanted to share with you what I have done. I'll admit it's scary as hell. It takes courage to show what you have accomplished and SOME people recently can't stand it and it makes things all that much sweeter. I'm not ripped or have veins trying to push out of my skin and certainly a far cry from having extremely low body fat but it's a work in progress and training differently shows that. I love what I have accomplished and will continue to do so because this is my passion and I love being in great shape at 35. I'm fitter now than I ever was in my teens and have improved since being in my 20's.

People make certain choices, I made the choice to become the fittest I can be and still be happy in my life. Everyday I make the choice to either workout or not and some days are far harder than others but it always takes me back to when I was laid up in that hospital bed and thinking of what I HAD to do to walk again and choosing to rehab on my own. It was never about motivation, it was a choice and the risks I was willing to take.

Because of programs like Combat Conditioning, Animal Exercises, Isometrics and the variety of equipment I have, I get to challenge myself every single day and make the most of what is possible for me to do. It's ok to be scared to show people your starts and your updates but don't let fear tear you down for what you can accomplish and rise up to even inspire one person who is afraid to show themselves.

The 12 Days Of Combat Conditioning

For almost 2 weeks straight, I've been doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible that consists of Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, V-Ups & Tablemakers. I haven't been this consistent with this area of the Combat Conditioning System in a very long time and I'm glad it's becoming a habit again; slowly of course.

The first few days were tough as hell and felt like quitting multiple times but I just couldn't let go of feeling that the deck could be my best friend instead of a competitive enemy. It got better each day though and although some days are harder than others, you get through it despite having some mental lapses. It is a rediscovery of what gave me the strength and stamina to build my legs back from the severe breaks in my shin and ankles.

My timing on the cards isn't a priority of mine and i'll tell you why; I hate having to compete against the clock for one and 2, I just want to enjoy the journey. I used to do just push-ups and squats and would finish within 18-25 min but because of the tension I carry in my lower back if I go too fast, I'm risking injury. I'm letting speed come natural and focus more on my breathing and form than compete against time. I do love that I'm getting in better shape and it makes me work hard but I need to be smart as well. I keep my timing around 38-45 min of a workout.

As I get better and able to relax more as I move through the deck, I'll add a few more of the Combat Conditioning Exercises. Although these four exercises are more than enough for most people, I like to do things throughout the day so as I progress, I'll throw in some Reverse Push-ups, Jumpers, Bridges, Handstand Holds, Skipping the Ropeless Jump Rope and others. For me, it's about the journey and being able to move fluidly and not rely on timing, if I only have a few minutes, I'll do some exercises and be happy with it.

Some people feel that they need to do a minimum of 30 minutes or more straight of exercise because that's what they believe will keep them in shape and that's what they were taught to do, my wife tends to have that mindset and although noble, it doesn't help her much if she's also trying to work an 8 hour shift, drive to and from work at a minimum of 40+ minutes and also try to calm down and eat dinner after dealing with various people all day. I do have a tendency to get on her about that and I know I come off like a dick about it but I'm doing the best I can to come from a place of love and encouragement. Slightly going off topic but if you're one of those people who wants to get exercise in, use the time that is possible and do what you can in the span of time you have. Very rarely these days where people have sometimes 2-3 jobs to support themselves or their families have 30 minutes they can devote to exercise. Learn the time you are open to doing or get up earlier before work and do maybe a few push-ups and some squats, do 10 minutes of jumping rope if that's all you have for the day to do and nothing else, don't always let the difficulties of life steer you away from being fit.

Fitness is hard work and it takes discipline, patience and mental toughness but it doesn't have to be a chore and felt like you are going to hate it. Not everybody can be fit like those in the infomercials and not all programs are created equal. Find what gives YOU the best benefit and adjust to what you're willing to devote time to. I'll admit, I'm one of those rare people who devotes to exercise 365 days a year and have been for nearly 15 of those years so I can't see myself in somebody else's shoes but I do encourage YOU to exercise even for a few minutes each day or 2-3 times a week if that's all you have. Life as it is can steer you away from so much but it is up to YOU to fight back and train the best way at the time and fight back without putting so much stress on yourself. Treat exercise as a way to feel better and never treat it like a necessity or something you HAVE to do and feel miserable.

That's what I love about Combat Conditioning, you can do it whenever you want, virtually wherever you want and it doesn't take up a ton of time. Whether for 2 minutes or 2 hours, this system can be used how you see fit and make your own schedule. Make the most of what you can, not what you can't and not force or cram in so much it'll make you anxiety-prone. It is a journey, not a destination and everyone has 24 hours in a day, if you want it bad enough, you'll get the time in.

Mental Conditioning By Using The Theater Of The Mind Technique

When we train, sometimes we psych ourselves up to be prepared for "battle" and fight the exercise(s) that stand in our way of becoming a stronger version of ourselves in physical form. What we envision takes action and at times, surprises us with results we didn't expect. As I go into a workout, I don't expect a damn thing but I do want to discover that hidden strength that fuels the fire within me to keep going even though I don't always express it from the outside.

When I started back on the Matt Furey Exercise Bible, I just wanted to see if I was still capable of doing it after being away from it for quite some time. I kept picturing myself as if it never left me and pretended I was like one of the Hindu Wrestlers, training for the next series of matches and thought of nothing but my conditioning and the way I saw myself breathing and making the exercises not about speed but about precision and awareness. I have so far done this workout everyday for 9 straight days without fail which is the most consistent in years.

As each day passed and kept beating the deck, I started using different techniques to not only protect myself from injury but use mental imagery and literally put certain electrical spheres around my body as if I had something in my hands even though there was nothing there. I naturally gravitated to Garin Bader's CoreForce Energy System and it paid off big time as it increased my strength and endurance really fast. With that in mind, I'm also naturally setting another bar to my repertoire of conditioning my mind to get better not only for this particular workout but for whatever else outside of it.

For a while in the past, I did the Theater Of The Mind technique with my own version of how I saw things play out and set it in motion. From workouts to writing to even picturing as if I was sitting next to fictional characters from comics and mythology and they talk me through what they see for me and how I can apply what they see. Yeah, it sounds that i'm whacked out and off my rocker but that's just how my mind operated and it worked. Seeing yourself as more than what you are is what we all strive to accomplish, many of us see far less than our true selves and when we think that way, it transitions into our reality. Our imagination is a powerful tool that shouldn't be taken too lightly and the more we learn to understand it and learn from it, the better our way of seeing the world becomes.

When we think of something bad, it shifts to how we view the world and see bad things happen all around us even though at times nothing ever happens in front of us. I do realize people come from broken homes and have seen shit nobody should ever go through yet some of those very same people saw something entirely different in their mind and despite the anger, the heartache, the abuse and the torture, they became successful and transformed themselves into amazing human beings. The opposite has also happened, people who come from happy homes have had visions of a bad world and it consumed them so much they became broken and prisoners of their own reality.

Practicing the Theater Of The Mind technique isn't easy and it's not something you can learn in a day, it takes time, patience, concentration and above all, a sense of awareness of what you see. My way of the technique was that I would picture myself as if I was in a movie theater but instead of being there by myself, I sat next to certain characters say like Pan the Satyr for example; he would show me what I was and will be at my very best not only in how strong and conditioned I was but showed me my writing style getting better and seeing more and more by people who were not only interested but learned from it. Someone can have a very different technique in this method and make themselves the strongest version of themselves.

What if you can picture as if you were Superhuman? Be able to accomplish things with very little to no effort, absorb energy that is full of life, powerful electricity running through you and feel as if you can do anything you set your mind to. It doesn't matter if you're a waiter, a businessman, an athlete, someone who wants to get in shape or a garbage man; if you can see yourself at your absolute best with no limitations, how far does it go? We have the power to become stronger than we have normally perceived to be and the more we see and believe in what is in our Theater Of The Mind, the more it'll transition into our physical reality. In our imagination, we can be whatever we want, do things we don't physically do and be able to say something as if it was so easy it's not even funny. Think of it as mental steroids.

Harness this technique with your own goals and ambitions and see where it leads you. Become more powerful in your business, get stronger and better at your sport, feel music like never before and if you even happen to be a Pizza Delivery person, picture what it would be like to be the very best in that profession. The power is within you and it's time to become the best version of yourself.       

 

3 Days Straight Of The Matt Furey Exercise Bible

On Monday, I had an urge to do Matt Furey's Exercise Bible which is a deck of cards consisting of Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, V-Ups & Tablemakers. It's been a long time since I completely went through the deck and the last few attempts recently I stopped because it got boring. Apparently I had a bug up my ass and felt the need to actually finish it this time. I changed the repetitions around so I'll be able to do it without feeling boredom.

2-10 Were Face Value

Face Cards Were (K=13, Q=12 & J=11)

Aces Were 14

Jokers Are 25-50

The first day, it was rough and had to adjust the V-Ups in certain variations just so I don't hurt myself. I made it through but because I haven't done these exercises together in quite some time, I felt out of shape. If I needed rest, I would do slight stretching or use my Ropeless Jump Rope to keep myself going cause if I rested like most people would, I wouldn't have the strength to continue. The second day felt slightly easier and hardly did other variations of the V-Ups and rested slightly less as went through the deck. Today however was the toughest because I do feel quite sore and I wasn't sure of myself if I was going to pull through. I wanted to die around the middle of the deck but something told me to keep going and that I got this. To say it was a rude awakening would be an understatement but felt so rewarding when it was over.

I have beaten the deck on a number of occasions with various exercises such as 500 Hindu Squats with one deck, 200 Ab Wheel Rollouts & 500 Step Ups with another, over 1000 reps striking the tire with my sledgehammer and of course just Hindu Push-ups & Hindu Squats. Doing 4 exercises with a deck can be a completely different animal and because the exercises come up at random, you never know what will show up. I had reduced some numbers for the exercises because its been some time since I pushed that hard with those exercises in particular together. It was an experience that's for sure and I will one day get back to where I was doing numbers that Furey provided for the cards consistently. 

As you may or may not know, deck of card workouts are no joke and it has been said that if you're supreme condition, you would speed up through a deck in a certain amount of time. My times on the cards throughout the years varied from 18 minutes to just over 45 min. and I've done different workouts where I varied in speed and tempo. My objective regardless of the workout is not to always rely on speed because if all you do is trying to go fast, fast, fast, you could end up losing form and your breathing might get out of whack. I want to be able to journey through the workout, be aware of my breathing and be in control throughout the workout. I also want to let my body naturally speed up as I get stronger and better but I'm not looking to set world records.

One way to do this workout isn't to do reps at all but do Isometric Postures either for seconds or for breaths. I have done both and neither one will be a cake walk, matter of fact, you might love doing reps more than holding positions. Just an Isometric workout with these exercises will test your strength in ways you never knew existed. I was so damn high after one workout it felt like time stood still and my body was in the most beautiful blissful state. It is one of the best experiences of all time when it came to training. It brought a whole new meaning to the term Isometric Conditioning.

If you can't get a hold of this particular deck, you can create it with your own deck and here's how you determine the exercises.......

Diamonds= Hindu Push-ups

Hearts= Hindu Squats

Spades= V-Ups

Clubs= Tablemakers

How long will I continue to do this routine, no freaking clue. If I'm determined, I'll keep up with it, if I've had enough, take a little time off but it is a hell of a workout and it's awesome to do practically anywhere and anytime. Conditioning for the whole body and can be done in a variety of ways using different variations of the exercises. Have fun with it and if you are, try doing it twice in a row. 

Why I Never Sit Down In Training

When you do a workout, at times after finishing a set, you'll want to sit and chill for a bit or play around with your phone and twiddle your thumbs and text somebody or something; this is a bad idea. Training is a sacred time and it's better IMO to keep moving and not stopping because you're focusing most of your energy into the exercises you do and what is called active recovery keeps your body from going into complete rest mode.

Now unless you're an athlete (Pro or Ameteur), it's a different ball game because you're training for a specific sport and the set up is quite different than someone who is just working out. Competing or training for competition takes a different mindset and rules of engagement in how your workouts are set up. Personal Trainers have a different set of rules in how they apply the set up for the person their training; each person is different and they'll either work them to death or aren't always clear how that person handles their way of doing things.

My way of training even by a year has been very different. I haven't done 500 Hindu Squat Workouts this consistently since 2017 and even then the workouts were night and day. These days, I don't do 500 straight through, I use the deck of cards which I have written about and if I need a break, it is because at times I carry a lot of tension in my lower back and need to let it wind down, this brings me to the point where the title of this post becomes relevant. If I end up sitting down in the middle of a workout or even an exercise, I might as well end it there because I could get too comfortable and not want to continue, so i'll either walk around so I can keep moving or I would grab the Ropeless Jump Rope. This keeps me from being too comfortable in the middle of my training.

Personally, I don't like sitting down, especially if i'm breathing really hard because certain things in the body can be rushed too fast and one of two things can happen when you get up....One, you're either struggling just to stand and your body might end up aching like crazy or two, you stand up too fast and you get dizzy AF and you'll have to rest even more just regain your damn composure. That's an extreme way of putting it. I've pushed myself so hard that one time in the gym, I nearly blacked out and felt like I was having a heart attack, this was at 19 years old BTW.

The best way that keeps me going these days where I don't have to sit down and continue working out is using Active Recovery. Using the Ropeless Jump Rope as a way of "rest" keeps my mind sharp and helps with my breathing so when I'm ready for another set or number of reps with the cards or during my animal workout game, I'll have the strength and endurance to go at it again. This keeps up my endurance and works my conditioning as well. When I do Circuit Workouts like from Darebee, my objective is to not rest whatsoever unless I mark off the set and then move on to the next without hesitation, this is a real test of your conditioning.

If I'm going to be sitting, it's either writing, watching a movie or tv show, talking to people or messing around on my phone promoting stuff or hell when my wife works out and needs my help pointing things out to her, never when I actually train. The sign that tells me that you absolutely have to sit down in a workout is you pushed a little too hard. I look at it like it's a wrestling match at times, there's no rest in wrestling so when you workout, you keep moving, you can slow down a time or two but never stop. You tweak a few things or you listen to your body but the less time you completely rest, the more in shape you'll be.

You could say that completely resting is a weakness, it is to an extent so I'm not completely throwing it out. If you're a beginner and learning how things go than sure, take a seat if you need to or you're at an advanced age but if you're in good shape or even pretty damn awesome shape, sitting shouldn't even be an option unless it's a wall sit. Keep moving and if you need to slow down, do so but DO NOT STOP until your workout is done. This is a test of mental toughness.