Are You A Bold One?

"General Kenobi...You are a bold one."- General Grievous


Being geeky just adds the fun to things. It's no fun being on lockdown but that doesn't mean you can't make the best of it right? This is a time of self-reflection, channeling your imagination and enhancing your creativity. Since many gyms are closed, what the hell do you do now? There's still a way to get fit while in quarantine and you don't need any special equipment to do it. All you need is your own bodyweight and the will to push through your mental strength. A workout that doesn't take up a ton of tie but gets the job done.

We can go out for a run or a walk but for the most part, being told to stay home is the primary objective and if you want to get your cardio in, you'll have to find a way to do it. I have a solution that can really amp up your lungs and help build strength, conditioning and speed. It's three exercises done in a circuit for a few rounds and that's all you'll have to do.

It may look easy but it's not something you want to mess with. You'll be doing Push-ups, Squats & Punches, sounds pretty simple but even simple can kick your ass. It's called Bold Choice, a circuit workout from the world of Neila Rey and her website Darebee.com. You can do this anywhere and barely a few square feet of floor space. Do you think you can handle it?

I also have filmed doing this workout so you can see how it's done. It is important to note that if you're a beginner, rest when needed between rounds and go at your own level. I don't rest at all and go straight through it to really fire up my conditioning. Have fun and be sure to check out other workouts on the website where you can download programs, nutrition info and much more. Help support this site by donating or ordering their workout programs in book form on Amazon. 

The Transformetrics Isometric Power Belt Workout

The beauty of Isometrics is how they can be used just about anywhere with no special equipment whatsoever, but there are some things or specific equipment that can help hit muscles in certain areas that free-hand, weights or your environment don't hit so you can strengthen those areas. I have written in the past about the Isometric Power Belt from Transformetrics/Bronze Bow Publishing and how it's been a secret weapon of mine to strengthen my body from more angles than I can count.

The belt itself is just a tool, it's nothing really special in reality, it's not the end-all-be-all Isometric Apparatus and it's not going to make you a superman or wonder woman but it can enhance levels of strength from virtually limitless angles, the only thing it'll lack is your imagination. I was given two updated belts by John Peterson himself and we were going to see what I can do with them. I was very successful with it and because I didn't really need a second belt, I gave the other one to Bud Jeffries as a gift for being the man that married me and my wife.

Because of the length of the belt, you can make double loops with it and add more exercises to the repertoire as opposed to the original belt that was much shorter. Personally, I' not a fan of the double loops and it takes up more time than I want when it needs adjusted to the exercise I want to do. I love single loops better because I can focus on one arm at a time and I won't have to feel like I'm stepping on the damn thing or having the buckle push into my back. While reading the pamphlet for the original belt and coming up with exercises on my own, I never truly needed the updated version of the belt pamphlet/book and I'm sure I came up with exercises that the book won't have.

John Peterson has made countless claims on what the belt can do, most of them are exaggerated as hell but his heart is in the right place but like I said before, I have made great progress with it like; keeping weight down (My heaviest was 275 and with additional training with the belt, I've stayed within 250-260 ever since), developed definition in my forearms, back, shoulders and arms, increased strength in my tendons and ligaments to where I rarely ever get injured and when I did, I recovered pretty fast, my speed went up so when I do my regular training, I was quick on my feet and other benefits. It goes without saying that John so far has not been able to publish the new book with the new belt and keeps piling on projects that don't seem to get anywhere and this was his last attempt as a truly good fitness publisher. You can still buy the belt (as far as I know) but it is 100% certain the book will never be published. Wayne Gretzky once said "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take", this applies really well to John and as a friend, I feel sorry for him.

Another sad thing is, there really isn't a single video displaying the Belt and the exercises you can do, the closest thing you'll get is from a an named Greg Newton who lives in the Carolinas and is a gun enthusiast and fire fighter. However, yesterday I made a video not just on Isometric Exercises with the belt but how you can adjust it to various exercises, how it packs up and how to roll it back up into the little pouch it comes in. It's an 11 minute video of instructing you with my training, I don't talk or give an introduction like I've done with past videos on youtube. You'll see on hand what you can do if you wanted to do Curls, Presses, Rows and other fun stuff. I don't really stop or anything for rest, I breathe as calmly as possible and just adjust the belt to the next exercise, no BS and no messing around.

This youtube video will most likely be the only real training video for the updated Isometric Belt. There isn't any special lighting, no music, no pretty stuff, just me, the belt, my camera phone and the dungeon I train in at home. You'll find that you can adjust it just about any way you see fit and you'll see I don't fake anything. Hope you enjoy it and if you do get a belt, use it to make your goals come true and if it's too pricey for you, there's a link in the description about a strap you can get on Amazon or just click on the link that's on the right side of this blog.

The Power Of Meditation

Workouts are always awesome to do especially since we are dealing with a virus named after a beer but even at times, working out or just training can only put you at ease for so long. We will get through this but it is also important to focus on keeping yourself calm, relaxed and not overhyped up. Coming from someone like me who is prone to anxiety and ADD should be the last person to give you advice on staying calm and collected. That's the thing though, I understand what it's like to go through that and practicing what I can and helping you get through it together.

Aside from the Isometrics that have been my main source of fitness lately, I have also been practicing meditation. From various forms of it, meditating has been a blessing to me and although it could be better especially since being stuck in the house and trying not to go crazy when your wife is at home on her days off. I really have to give my girl credit for putting up with me and doing her best to deal with my stuff along with hers. She is just fighting to stay sane at this point and on her days off, she needs to rest as much as she can just to recharge. It has been a tough test of wills but we are one strong couple and it's going to make those days when this is over all that much sweeter.

I'm sure you know by now that meditation isn't a cure-for-all but the benefits alone can aid in how to keep your spirits up and find that it is more powerful than it is credited for. In these dark times, seeing a light shine is the biggest thing we can hope for and believe that times like these won't be pitch black and bring a stronger entity to our mental and emotional wellbeing. Our thoughts can go into our physical form and generate either good or bad factors that will determine how we go forward. The more we sink into the black hole of bad thoughts, it's going to bite us in the ass and the choices we make whether consciously or subconsciously will make our bodies worse or better.

The power of meditation puts you into the driver seat on how you see yourself, what you want out of yourself and how you can heal/regenerate yourself just by breathing and processing your thoughts. I sometimes will do the Theater Of The Mind technique to picture and energize in my mind what I want to be better whether it's myself or those around me. I sometimes will do the Magical Imagineering Theater audio to give myself extra juice on how I see my goals and take pictures in my imagination of my successes and get that positive vibration through seeing my excitement, the flow of electricity running through my body and seeing what I want to accomplish from an eagle's view. Most of the time, I would just meditate in the seiza position (sitting on the shins), do my breath of fire exercise to enhance my deep breathing after a few seconds and just sit, listen to the Force, breathe as deeply as possible and shut my eyes.

There are many ways to meditate but do what gives you the best benefit. You can stand, you sit, you can move, you can listen to music or whatever but use a style of meditation that helps relieve your stress, keeps you calm and helps you focus at your best. The more relaxed we can be, the easier we will get through this. I am with you on this and I want to send you as many positive vibes as possible because we all live on this planet and although we are a speck of dust in the universe, doesn't mean we can't be big in our hearts. Stay strong, stay safe and keep yourself relaxed and calm as best as you can.

Isometrics And Quarantine Part II

Calisthenics are essential to developing real world conditioning for sure but there are certain things or areas they don't hit and that's where Isometrics come in. I bet by now you've got Cabin Fever and if you're stuck with the kids, thank the universe you haven't gone completely insane. Isometric Exercise hits the little spots that other methods don't and for strength, it can come in handy.

With the Isometric Power Belt I have and the Wooden Dowel I use, I've been coming up with all sorts of different Isometrics to work with since Calisthenics and Animal Moves have burned me out lately, I'm just trying to keep things flowing by doing different things, test out different angles, strengthening areas that needed some work and develop better definition while still being a big guy.

It does suck that grown ass people are in a subtle way forced to stay home unless you're an ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE and can barely make ends meet as it is at times. Yes staying home is better safe than getting sick but what most don't get especially fucked up politicians is that not everyone is meant to stay at home and if there's abuse at home, you're basically adding gasoline on engulfed flames. It's basically like locking a beast in a cage and you're aiding that animal-like instinct to where if it's not treated, someone will fucking lose it.

I want to help as much as I can, even if it's helping someone have a light bulb go on in their head and they get a cool idea to exercise. There are plenty of assholes out there who want to cash in on "Quarantine Workouts" but if you look hard enough, there's plenty of people who want to help and they don't charge a dime. Plenty of youtube videos of various workouts you can do, people like Melody Schoenfeld, Kristen Tulloch, Bud Jeffries and others that share workouts during this tough time and make it a mission to make sure you don't only stick to your goals but you'll have a blast doing it too because they make them interesting and throw in some humor because in these dark times, they are the light at the end of the tunnel.

Let's get back to Isometrics shall we. Because you don't have any movement, you have virtually limitless exercises to choose from especially in the house; you can use your kitchen table, your doorways, the walls, a dowel, a towel, the doors themselves, your bed, your pillows, your couch, a chair, the stairs, I can go on and on but I think you get the point. Exercise doesn't always involve the gym, it doesn't always involve being outside and you can come up with all the excuses you want but just by sitting and running off the excuses, you could've done more than 10 exercises in the process. Isometrics can be done by practically anyone at any age, the simplest Isometrics would be to just stand there for 5 minutes or hold a push-up in a variety of ways.

Being stuck in the house sucks, we all know that but it doesn't mean we can't make the best of what we have at the moment. Just as an experiment, for 5 minutes, do some Isometrics while you're sitting on the couch like holding your legs straight out for up to 10 seconds, press your hands together in a prayer-like fashion, flex every muscle in your body for 7 seconds, hold bicep curl positions, make a fist and squeeze as hard as you can for a few seconds, press your feet into the ground as if you can go through it, make your hands like claws and squeeze your fingers as if gripping flesh like a Tiger. You have just been given a free workout that doesn't take a ton of time and gets your blood flowing.

Be safe, take care of one another, do everything you can to not lose your shit and get fit without ever having to move a muscle.

STICK To Isometrics

Do you remember as a kid playing with a stick and pretending its a gun, a baseball bat, a lever, a sword, a paton, an oar or whatever your imagination conjured up? Was it fun, exciting and full of creative ways to play or practice an art? What if you could do that again but add in fitness to it, better yet, Isometrics?

Being creative is part of the fun when exercising. I'm talking about the kind of creativity that keeps you interested, makes you fit with long term abilities and strengthen the body without ever moving. Since we're in quarantine, might as well make the best of it right? What if you could strengthen not just the muscles, but your tendons and ligaments just by doing Isometrics with a stick by creating exercises based on only your imagination. Be able to strengthen the swing of a bat, be faster with a sword, quicker reflexes with a hockey stick or if you're a sadist, have crazy strength in your submission game in MMA/Catch Wrestling.

Yesterday, I made up a video of doing Isometrics with a stick from various angles where you're pushing, pulling, gripping, squatting and even squeezing using leverage. From sword play to a submission hold to pulling, bending, angling, holding the squat and more in less than than a couple minutes. Just an idea of developing world class strength without moving a damn muscle. One Isometric that I loved doing in this video was practicing the Catch Wrestling submission, the Double Wrist Lock or the Kimura for BJJ guys. This isometric can make your forearms feel like crazy strong pipes when you apply the hold; the hardening of the bones will make an opponent want to scream bloody murder. I learned this Isometric from Don Powers' book Catch Wrestling For Cops. Just this exercise alone can possibly tear an opponent's arm and put them in the hospital.

Isometrics go beyond just exercise and getting stronger. It's putting in work that can enhance your physical abilities and possibly reduce osteoporosis and reduce injury. A lot of injuries tend to be more on the tendons and ligaments, muscles heal much faster than a torn ligament. Old school Karate and Kung Fu masters did similar Isometric exercises to hardened the bones of their elbows, shins, wrists, fists and ankles. Although small, these guys were freakishly strong and deadly (Bruce Lee anybody?) and if they hit you, it could be fatal. In MMA or in other sports, not only Isometrics reduce injury but create an insane amount of durability and longevity that can aid a team or in a fight and if you happen to get into one on the streets, it can come in handy.

Muscles can only do so much and since so many people focus on the muscles, they forget that an overload wears down the tendons and ligaments so you're having a greater chance of tearing something and having to rehab for a fucking insane amount of time. After my accident, I was determined to be the strongest I can be without always resorting to or relying on the weights, so when I started practicing Isometrics along with the bodyweight exercises, my injury rate as opposed to when I was in high school and going to the gym went down incredibly and only got injured maybe once or twice but never anything severe.

A stick to some people is just a stick, to me and others with an incredible imagination, it's lifesaving and makes us stupid strong for the things we do in our lives. Get a hold of a stick and see what Isometrics you can come up with.

Can You Stand It?

Throughout the chaos of the Coronavirus, it is important to still stay calm as possible because when you get frustrated, angry and/or sad, people can sense it around you whether it's through body language or the way the energy is felt. As an empath, I understand how mental and emotional energy can be felt on another person and it can be draining. Let me ask you this....Have you ever walked into a room or walked by someone and something just felt off? It may not be the room or the person themselves but the energy or that feeling you get when something just isn't right. Some people are empaths, some aren't and others can be very intuitive while others don't know what the hell their sensing.

One of my biggest focuses lately is through meditation in various ways. The last few days I've done the Wu Ji Standing Posture for up to 20 minutes at a time, sometimes with my eyes open, sometimes with my eyes closed but all in all it just looks like i'm standing there. Things aren't always what they seem, you see just standing in a posture becomes more than what others see. It's like a restart for your body that creates internal energy from within and commanding the body to relax and let things sink. Now that doesn't mean you become so loose there's no strength, with the right mindset and the way your posture is, you're gaining strength from another point of view and energizing your system through breathing, mental imagery, relaxing the muscles and letting everything be.

It takes a lot of patience and coming from someone who has a form of ADD, it becomes a mental game more than anything. Can you stand still for 20 minutes? It's not easy lol, but if you allow yourself to program your mind, take command of your body and empty the garbage can of your brain of thoughts and fears, things will start to unravel. It's like feeling the Force or the universe speaking to you and teaching you things about yourself. That's within the deep levels of meditation and although I have felt things and learned some things, it still needs practice and haven't hit seafloor deep yet but still deep.

Meditation through this time is a hell of a way to keep yourself focused, recover mentally and physically, enhance your breathing capacity and feel more collected and staying cool. Recovery is just as important as physical training and one cannot exist without the other, if you do nothing but physical things, when will you rest or give yourself a break but if you just meditate and do nothing physical, your body won't function the way it needs to. Some need more physical activity than others and some need more time to recover. There should always be a balance. If one is thrown off, the other has to pick up the slack.

Some of the things I've experienced in my meditations whether they were standing or sitting have been somewhat of a wake up call. Without actually trying, I have seen myself in my mind wrestling (or doing the style of Catch As Catch Can) the relaxed version of myself and the tense and anxious version of myself and it was a battle, non stop fight and trying to break one another. Watching that in my mind was an experience. Other things were like a voice telling me flat out my addictions and causes of my anxiety and telling me how to handle them. It wasn't screaming or anything like that but it came at me head on with no filter and gave me something to reflect on. I wasn't mad or frustrated, I just listened and felt the energy I was feeling and accepting what was and not resisting what was going on.

Most of the time, the biggest fear we have is ourselves and not accepting who we are and resisting help even from within. Right now, we are living in constant fear, anxiety, worry, desperation and letting the outside world dictate our way of being. Yes it sucks that businesses are closing down and the only things standing is the Essential Employees and the news is telling us one thing after another about the research, the symptoms, the methods of treatment, being told to stay home, it really does fucking suck but a lot of the things that are happening are not within our control and we want to think we are. We can only control so many things and a couple of them is controlling our emotions and our reactions. We can't help that a business can't use its employees, it's not our fault that this virus popped up and it sure as hell isn't a child's fault he/she can't be in school because of the fear and super cautious people keep them from having an education.

The biggest things we can do right now is make this as positive as possible like meditating, making a person smile when it's been hard, donate to a charity, hugging and loving our loved ones, read a fun book, watch a favorite movie, buy what we need and get the fuck back home lol, there are some things we can control but it is up to us to do what is possible. One of the biggest problems we have is acceptance, we have trouble accepting the fact that this won't last forever, accepting the fact that kids being home is the safest thing even though they can be annoying and extremely patience-testing and accepting that working from home is a far better option than not working at all and not being able to afford the needs for your family or just yourself.

Practice meditation, learn to accept what is and what will be, take care of yourselves and each other and for the love of the god damn universe, laugh it up and smile when the opportunity arises. Can you stand it?

Having Cabin Fever Can Be A Struggle

It's getting worse before it's getting better with this fucked up Coronavirus thing. Being basically told to stay home while trying to live a regular life. Not being able to stand more than 6ft away from somebody or even shake a hand when making a new friend, physical contact has become scarce because of the potential of getting sick. It's almost becoming like a futuristic version of Demolition Man where you can't even high five somebody and physical contact is basically against the law.

Even with working from home, I get Cabin Fever myself and I will admit, it has gotten the best of me at times. The frustration, the inability to go out where you'd like to go, not be able to even eat at a decent restaurant because of the shutdowns, not being able to go to a freaking library or the movies, for real going to a movie now is nearly considered dangerous. If you have kids at home from schools being shut down, that's got to be a total pain in the ass and you have y sympathy, luckily I'm glad that kids are at least safe and some parents love having their kids around but that still takes a patience that tests that sanity. One of my sisters has three boys at home (10, 4 and a 17 year old stepson) and I wish I could help her out, my other sister has a 17 year old High School senior doing school on a laptop and having a teenager quarantined with you can't be easy.

Although we are "saving lives" and practicing Social Distancing during these hard times, it can't be good when a newborn is coming into the world in this state and possibly growing up not knowing what a freaking hug feels like. I know this virus won't last forever and maybe some kids will experience unconditional love through physical contact but that's the way the human race is these days. I'll admit, as a person who is a hugger and loves to shake hands and high five people, it's driving me nuts. My wife calls my way of being with people a Love Language because yes I do like to hug people and if some aren't like that than I tone it down but I care about people and comforting them whether they're happy or sad or whatever, that's the compassionate side of me which only those who are around me understand. When you're barely allowed to do that, it tears you up and breaks your heart.

I firmly respect boundaries and I get it that there's an epidemic that is potentially fatal but come on now, some form of physical contact is a stress reliever and aids in those who suffer from depression and anxiety. I don't have severe depression thank god but I know what it's like to have high anxiety and have empathy so I feel for those who could use a hug and a smile to brighten their day. When you start taking away a natural stress reliever and a person's right to share unconditional love because of fear, you're aiding gasoline on the fire on the notion that because of how bad it's gotten, people are being conditioned to stay away from each other. It's one thing to understand safety and learn how to keep yourself healthy but the coronavirus isn't within every square inch of somebody and out of over 7 billion people in the world not even 1% have gotten it. 

Be safe and healthy, share some love with someone even if you can't even hug them at the moment. If you go out, protect yourself but don't go to extremes and for the love of the damn universe, thank a store clerk, a nurse, a small business owner, a teacher, trucker and others that have to keep going out into the chaos to get a paycheck.

This may be too soon to do but for those who are stuck at home and need a little pick me up, turn your Cabin Fever from a negative to a positive and remember, this won't last forever.

Building Powerful Forearms Using Isometrics

Our lower arms and hands have built the tallest structures, crafted the most most beautiful yet devastating weapons, created some of the coolest cars on the planet and have also been a lifesaver whether it's holding onto somebody, made the difference in a fight, won or lost a game or literally saving someone from danger. We at times take our hands for granted and not realize that what can create, can also destroy in the blink of an eye.

One of my favorite sports has been Arm Wrestling and when I get an opportunity, I don't hesitate to take someone on. Maybe it's that thing about testosterone us guys have and an urge to test our strength. I have arm wrestled some pretty strong guys; took on three generations of men in my wife's family (two of them were loggers for many years and both are bigger than me), my friend and brother in strength Logan Christopher, big man named Travis who's 6'3 and around 250-260 at the time, and a friend of my dad's who's a practicing buddhist and weightlifter. It took me a lot of years to build the strength I have and a large part of it was due to Isometrics.

Although I have swung heavy hammers, torn phonebooks, bent short and long lengths of steel; Isometrics were a major key component to keep myself injury proof and strengthened my muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. One of my favorite exercises that I haven't done in a while is Isometric Arm Wrestling and hitting angles that gave me incredible strength. In No Gi Grappling, it was hard for guys to armbar me and the extreme few that did, learned the sweet spot to get me but it was interesting the way they tried.

On a more serious note, it does take quite a bit of work to build the lower arms and strengthening the hand and wrists. Some solid movements are great especially if you're into things like Arm Wrestling but hitting different angles in an Isometric fashion can give you a incredible advantage where if you get caught up in a fight and you need that punching power or be able to squeeze your opponent in a choke hold and have that vice-like grip, that shit can save your life. If you're a member of law enforcement, the military or a firefighter, grip strength is an essential ingredient of being able to save someone's life or apprehending a suspect.

Using a thick handle for various exercises can build serious forearm and hand strength. I use to love doing pull-ups with the fat gripz or wrapping a thick towel around the bar, those were brutal. One exercise that really gave me the strength to rip thick phonebooks was actually trying to rip a phonebook that was completely wrapped in duct tape, I still have that book and was given to me by Logan Christopher. Because Isometrics were such a key asset to my training, they've helped me tackle weights I rarely ever touch but can still do like 60 lb db curls, 130 lb one arm db rows, picking up a 335 lb deadlift in the rack and still able to bench around 300.

It's amazing how some blue collar guys, old time farmers, arm wrestlers, football players and wrestlers have phenomenal grip strength even in their later years. One of the most fascinating to me is old time pro wrestler Danny Hodge whom had grip power that broke pliers, turned apples into mush by squeezing them and made opponents his bitch just by getting his hands on them. The best modern day grippers or men of hand strength are guys like Dennis Rogers, Bud Jeffries, Mark Henry, Chris Rider, Jedd Johnson and others. If you want to build stupid strong hands and steel cord like forearms, go with Isometrics.

Remember, what you can create, can also bring destruction, so train with intent and use that strength to help others when an opportunity arises. 

Isometrics & Quarantine

Since we the people were told to stay home, might as well make the best of it right? Good thing I work from home anyway or wherever the hell I want if internet is up. I'm more of a homebody anyway and when I do go out, its for a good walk, shopping with the wife (good thing we don't have to break anyone for Toilet Paper), spending time with family or being out on the patio getting some sun. Although this is a serious virus and I know I'm not invincible, I still don't feel threatened to it and I'm so grateful my wife hasn't gotten it considering how many people she deals with all day.

Where we live is beautiful, surrounded by trees, next to a golf course, awesome neighborhood and some good hiking trails nearby so fuck you Coronavirus. Anyway, since we're cooped up here, let's keep ourselves in shape and stay as healthy as possible. Over a period of weeks, I was doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible which I got really good at and gotten incredible results as you have seen recently. However, as I naturally do, I switch things up to keep from doing the same thing over and over, so I switched over to mainly Isometric Training.

Some of the best info on Isometric training is through the Facebook group Vim & Vigor (Isometrics And Beyond) where you'll find like minded people who have a very positive spin on the subject, a great file section on Isometric Training and loads upon loads of encouragement and inspiration. For me, some of the best people to learn the subject of Isometrics are people like Bud Jeffries, Jarell Lindsey, Batman (Paul) O'Brien, Steve Justa and others.

Isometrics in and of themselves can be a hell of a workout and it doesn't take a ton of time. These would be the perfect workout to do while in Quarantine. You can do exercises from your couch, your bed, in the kitchen (maybe not while cooking lol) on the wall, in the doorways, hell even while you take a shower. The main summary of Isometrics is that you're using force without actually moving, you can also hold a certain position with less force and hold it for an extended period of time. The most common Isometric people do is the Plank where you're in push-up type position on the hands or forearms. 

Although the Plank is a good starting point, it's good to progress to other positions or hand placements to make the Plank more interesting such as holding it with your fists, holding in the mid position, on your fingertips, one arm, switch hand placements every 30 seconds, one legged and way more different variations. You can do virtually thousands upon thousands of exercises without ever moving a single muscle but in all fairness, I think around a dozen should cover it within a 10 minute period. They're phenomenal fat burners, can amp up your cardio (if you know how to do right, you'll never need to be on a treadmill), build real world strength and speed, possibly lower blood pressure, build muscle that is less prone to injury and strengthen the tendons and ligaments.

I mix up various Isometric Exercises ranging from using a Strap or Belt, Pushing against the wall or doing wall sits, free handed exercises, Gymnastic Type Holds, Yoga Poses, planks, Muscle Isolation such as Muscle Control, Chair Exercises, weighted holds and plenty more depending on what type of mood i'm in. They can also be very meditative such as holding the deep squat for several minutes, Horse Stances, being on one leg, holding a handstand, Wu Ji Posture like in Qi Gong and others. Isometrics are more than just flexing or holding a wall sit, they give you strength that not many possess and if you're an athlete, they can prolong a career. 

Being in Quarantine freaking sucks big time and with having time on our hands, avoiding cabin fever can be a chore in itself. A few minutes a day doing Isometrics can also alleviate stress and help you be calmer and more focused. Let's face it, we hate it when we have to be forced to stay in our homes but we can make the best of it and do our best to keep a positive attitude while getting fit in the process. 

Take care of yourselves, your loved ones and have positive vibes. This thing won't last forever. 

Staying Healthy During A Big Epidemic

It is Hump Day and the Coronavirus is still running a muck. I really hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and not trying to do too much when you go out to the public. Our world is going nuts right now and it is predicted to get crazier before it gets any better. My wife works as a manager at Albertsons and coming rom her, it has been chaotic and overwhelming with often times not having enough people to cover things to keep things flowing smoothly. People buying up Toilet Paper and just overcompensating for gearing up for basically the Apocalypse. Physically, I'm grateful she isn't sick and I'm very grateful I haven't caught this thing.

Small businesses are being shut down, cities closing shop on restaurants and bars or completely minimizing capacity, sports are postponed and other businesses losing major dollars due to limiting employees to have in the office and others sent home. Quarantine is at a rate where almost an entire city in the U.S like San Francisco is completely cut off. Deliveries are becoming limited and disrupted as well. Not to cause a panic for anyone, just giving a heads up.

My friends over at Lost Empire Herbs however, are making sure everyone who orders the amazingly awesome herbs that they sell is getting to people the best ways possible. This is why they have now put up a major Stock Up Sale where you can save and get some top quality herbs to boost your immune system, enhance brain power, have incredible energy and not to mention gut health. Think of the support you get when you take these herbs and formulas and being given a fighting chance to be ahead of many people who have contracted the virus.

This isn't easy for them but because of possible disruptions with shipping, the inventory might run out sooner than later and they don't know how long it'll last. If you're going to be stocking up, snatch up healthy options that gives your body a powerful load of antioxidants, hormone support and healthy blood cells that will battle like the Red Army.

If you're able to, I encourage you to support this company because it is a small business and the employees working there don't get support always from other means and it means a lot to their families. The major focus right now is the health and well-being of not only the people providing these herbs and formulas but for you as well.

Two major components are critical now that I want to address.....One, remember that these herbs aren't a cure but they can make your body adaptable and not only fight the virus but will tackle it with a vengeance and incredible strength...Two, this is a very stressful time. Stress-Relieving activities are essential to stay ahead of the game and keep your body strong inside and out such as being out in nature, meditation, doing the right kind of movement or exercise and of course taking in the herbs will help with stress. Most of what you'll notice when things kick into your system is the adaptogens and nervines such as in herbs like Ashwagandha, Spartan Formula, Blue Vervain, Cordyceps, He Shou Wu, Reishi Mushroom & Albizia.

So be prepared and give your immune system that surging boost that could possibly be incredibly life saving. Remember, your health is your greatest wealth. 

Forums Can Be Death Traps

Social Media can confuse the living hell out of you especially in these troubled times with the damn coronavirus and you don't know who to trust (especially those in the news media, the government and the research being displayed) and it can overwhelm you with so many emotions, you wonder why bother? The truth is, although it has its problems, it can also do some good by putting out positive messages, sharing something inspiring and seeing some of the good people do in this world.

Forums are another platform for Social Media where people get together in a single place and talk about various topics ranging from politics to fitness to nutrition and even the weirdest stuff anyone is ever willing to talk about. We all want to fit in somewhere, be heard, given an opportunity to share ideas and see things from another perspective; the major problem with this however (and I can attest to this), they can also be death traps where you get caught up in a keyboard battle where nobody wins and it turns into a bitter war that should never get out of hand.

Aside from certain issues this platform often provides, it also gives some people the floor to state their biased agenda towards people, a subject or in this case of fitness, certain methods of exercise. Some forums provide pretty damn good and inspiring info that help others reach their goals and provide some awesome workouts, equipment and positive feedback towards you and others. With the negative stuff, it can be very tempting to say what's truly on your mind (or what is being said in the moment) and getting caught up in a whirlwind where all you're really doing is adding gasoline on the fire. I do regret getting caught up in some of these battles and thrown on my own anxiety and letting those get to me have their petty victories. Falling into a death trap can hit your self-esteem but you can choose to climb out and be victorious within yourself and get back on your feet.

Forums in and of themselves aren't always terrible, (depending on the title or the agenda behind it) it's usually the people within them that makes or breaks that particular forum. Like the Joker in the Dark Knight, some people just want to stir shit up and watch others crumble beneath themselves while watching the world burn, they have nothing inspiring to show, they don't give people the credit they deserve and they certainly can't stand themselves but will never admit it and take out their grievances on others so they can have their own little pity party in their tiny bubble.

One forum I admired for a long time was the Transformetrics forum based on John Peterson's take on the Charles Atlas program and how it can help prolong someone's fitness endeavors with little to no equipment. It had a lot of inspiring things and ideas for workouts that I've personally done myself but the more I started paying the attention, the more I started noticing very few people on there were fit and it acted more like a religious setting that was more off putting than anything. John is an ok guy and I'm honored with the conversations we've had over the years but he's far and wide from being a super trainer or anything of that sorts and is very biased in how he does workouts and some of those workouts did hurt some people not just physically but mentally as well. I had to leave because for one, that place is dying off and won't change anything to keep it afloat, two there's nothing inspiring there anymore and hasn't been for a long time. It's practically a ghost town and the only members left are just looking for heartache.

I know what it's like to get so caught up in keyboard battles that you forget that it's a test of control and my impulses got me into some heat with people but at the same time, I realize now that those same people most likely set me up to set me off so they can go run to their buddies and tell them horrible things about me. I do admit, it's my own damn fault for being in those situations and I know some people who would've or could've smacked me upside the head and told me to knock that shit off. That's where the death traps really come in where if your anxiety is high, you're frustrated and have no control over your thinking, you're going to act on impulses and it will bite you in the ass and I'm not ashamed to admit that I did do those things. I'm a passionate person, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I stand up for what I believe in but some people took advantage of that and it did get to me.

Another forum I've looked in on is based on the courses by Ross Enamait which are pretty freaking crazy but using simple exercises to get in top condition. Some of the people I've read are biased in a certain sense but others are open minded and see it for what it is and use the creativity to find the best workouts for themselves. Ross is a no, nonsense boxer who even in his 40's I believe is in peak physical condition that most guys half his age would envy or even fear. I admire guys like that and they have that warrior spirit that is inspiring.

Now one forum that I have mentioned before and will do so for the last time just can't get over their obsession with John Peterson and others like myself. Some of the same people on there I have gotten into it with are the ones that did get to me and I feel sick every time I talked to any one of them. They do their damndest to exploit, ridicule and belittle those that are far better than they ever were in their lives. Can you imagine living day after day doing almost nothing but show no remorse or empathy towards people you never actually met in person. Somebody should've just knocked my ass out for even engaging with those people. I know I'm giving them free press here but I'm here to tell you that if you ever plan on engaging in a forum or a group on social media, stay the fuck away from people like these guys. They're old, probably crippled, don't have an ounce of true sympathy in what they write and most likely get off on seeing those suffering while circle jerking around each other. I don't ever make a habit of disrespecting my elders but if there are people out there who act on things the way these guys do, respect is not only thrown out the window but locked in a box and put in the middle of the ocean to drop to the deepest of the bottom floor.

If there's anything I've learned about myself is that don't ever do what I did and learn to control your emotions when you're online. Not only will it get you into hot water, you will find how ice cold people can be and they'll only see you for they think they see. Whether it's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok, Snapchat or whatever, be yourself but at the same time keep your guard up and protect yourself mentally and emotionally. Although in the end, words are just words, they can hit people far harder than others and it can get chaotic and keep you from being truly happy.

Another Update On Results

Since Jan. 29th for just about every single day, I've been doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible and as of now, I feel lighter (even though i'm 260 lbs.) and my flexibility is better, my core is way stronger and my conditioning is the best it has been in a while. Beyond just the exterior results, I do have far better breathing (other than that one night where I screwed myself up) and don't have fatigue. 

This past weekend was a little stressful because I had to take care of my mom who had surgery and had to have an organ removed. Me and my wife didn't hesitate twice about being there for her and I'm glad we did. Even with all that going on, I still managed to get workouts in every day, even it was just Isometrics. If you got a fire in you, regardless of certain situations, getting a workout in can be the best thing for you. It helped me from worrying so much about my mom and kept me focused on what I can do even better. Just happened to get pretty good results because of it.

I get my fighter's mentality from my mom and a few other people in my life/family including my grandma (Dad's Mom) who had surgeries recently herself and still made it to 99 years young on Monday. Results are not just about the work you put in, it gives you insight to what you don't see....Those rough days where even in the middle of a workout you want to quit but keep going, those times where you don't want to put in a lot of time so you make the time that is possible in the moment. I have done the MFEB so many times now that getting through it isn't difficult, it's more of a mental game because there were days I just didn't feel it yet I did it anyway.

After sharing my results yesterday, I get a comment from Matt Furey himself saying how shredded I can be if I went on the Carnivore Diet. It was really cool to see that from him but like i'll tell you what I told him, it would take a lot of desire and motivation to do that Diet, he even mentioned the possibilities of being on it for 2 years. Diets never truly suited me, I just eat better than I did when I was in high school and cut back on some things or cut them in half. I hardly ever eat McDonalds these days unless I'm traveling on the road or having a rare "F*ck it day", I eat more meat and chicken and although I do have bread, I don't eat loads of it or anything like that. Shit, my grams is 99 freaking years old and hardly ever had a vegetable or real fruit in her life, so coming from that gene pool and the way I train and eat, i'm perfectly ok with not being shredded and having a good physique plus being healthy as a horse.

I developed these results without looking to lose weight but more geared towards fat loss and putting more pep in my steps along with cutting some body fat(don't need to 10% or less, just at a level where my health isn't in jeopardy). I also realize the type of condition I'd be in if I lost 40-50 lbs but it's not my ideal way and I feel great. 

Train according to your goals but don't let it suck the life out of you and don't ever do things that make you feel weaker or fatigued that you can't do much else. Always have energy left in the tank, progress with intention and listen to your body. If you're so damn sore the next day, take a day off, go for a walk, do deep breathing exercises or light yoga, Rome wasn't build in a day. 

Can You Push-Up Bro?

Just about everybody and their grandfather has at least done a push-up in their lifetime. It is a foundational exercise for strength and conditioning that has been around for centuries or more. There are so many variations, it might as well fill an encyclopedia. The benefits alone for doing Push-ups are enormous and have been used by countless athletes, celebs, trainers, coaches, kids, military, law enforcement and the elderly.

My personal favorite variation is the Hindu Push-up and have done hundreds of them lately doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible where in the deck, I do 100 or more in a workout. This old time exercise was a staple for middle eastern wrestlers and became adopted by the late Karl Gotch who taught it to the now legendary Japanese wrestlers and the author of Combat Conditioning Matt Furey.

For a period I was doing military style push-ups while doing circuits of Darebee Workouts doing 100-200 for various workouts at a time. The only time I ever challenged myself doing as many push-ups in a row as possible was probably while I worked out with Karl Gotch Student Tom Puckett and when I had my three day stint (before injuries occurred) in High School Wrestling. The most Push-ups I ever did in a workout was 600 doing many sets of ladder schemes.

Every now and then I get bored of the push-up and focus on other exercises for conditioning purposes but I do go back to the once in a blue moon. Yesterday however, I got inspired by Johnny Grube (I've written about him and although I can't stand his rants, I do respect him highly for his conditioning and work ethic) because lately in his videos he shows planks and midpoint push-up holds on his fists for several minutes which is impressive all on its own. I have done planks plenty of times but one day I held a plank on my fists like him for a minute and a few seconds mid position and was more than enough for me. This time I took out my Warrior Power T's (or Neuro Grips that are around these days) and held a plank for a minute and felt like forever.

Today, I thought I'd do a little filming with the Power T's and did Iso Holds in the up and mid push-up positions for a 5 count each as a demo and a few push-ups. I haven't done push-ups with these things for a looooonnnggg ass time and although i'm shaking, I'm still pulling them off fairly easily. you can check them out here.....

Instagram: @benjbergman

It doesn't matter if you can do 100 or 1000 Push-ups, with these handles, you're not going to do that many because not only is it highly advanced but it requires tremendous focus and muscle control that very few can pull off. Just doing them on the knees at first takes some skill and there are some out there who are very skilled with these types of handles but for even the most basic push-up you need a solid amount of strength to do them. I feel blessed that I can still do them and not fall on my face. The first time I did them many, many years ago it felt almost impossible. After learning the muscle control aspects and a few imagery techniques I learned from CoreForce Energy, I was doing more than 15-20 reps at a time and the most in a row was around 40.

I highly recommend you build some good strength, stability training and muscle control as a foundation for these handles and once you begin with them, do not go fast or think it's an EZPZ thing. be sure you're not on hardwood floors or concrete cause if you fall on your face, it will hurt and they can slip on you without warning. If you've had previous injuries or have shoulder problems and your core is weak, do not attempt these. If you do have the strength to them, focus the most on control and not so much on repetition. The more reps you can do, the stronger you are at doing them. Anybody who says Push-ups after 25-50 reps is nothing more than endurance has NEVER done these, if they did, they wouldn't be talking shit lol.

Slim Down Like The Joker But Also Be Way More Fit And Conditioned

First off, I want to say congrats to Joaquin Phoenix for his portrayal of the Joker in the same name Film and winning the Oscar for Best Actor. That is now two wins for a high up award for a Superhero Film and both actors (including the late Heath Ledger) were the Joker in those roles. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a much darker look at the Clown Prince of crime in recent cinema.

Now like the Joker, there is a lot of people in the fitness industry that are maniacal and psychotic to the degree where they try to sell you what being fit really is and in reality, it's a setup where people get hurt and the seller makes the dough. Crossfit fits into this category where an extreme few coaches actually teach the mechanics and the basics but the majority just flat out put people in workouts they're not supposed to do and don't really teach the proper form to actually sustain fitness for the long haul.

There have been different Jokers throughout the years; you have the clown, the comedian, the anarchist and the gangster and through evolution, has had ups and downs. The fitness world is no different, it has evolved for the best and the worst and like Joker, it can be difficult which one you're going to end up with. The thing that makes Joker so iconic regardless of what version you get, he is the epitome of good vs. evil and without the villain, there is no hero. There are so many courses out there that are just messed up and look like they're nothing more than a money-making scheme but on the other hand, there are plenty that can change your life and help you become fit in the long run without an overriding agenda.

The Joker for the most part is a freaking twig, let's call it for a what it is lol, he's so damn skinny, Batman ought to give him a sandwich more than an ass beating before he puts him in Arkham. There's no way around the fact that this soulless and demented prick of Gotham doesn't hit the gym or even knows how to do a push-up but there's a couple things that he does have that make him a world-class Villain and that's his ability to take a beating and has endurance to keep fighting the caped crusader. The Joker workout works mainly the legs and building cardiovascular endurance so whether you're a villain trying to plot against the bat or take down a major city in the DC Universe or even just to be in better shape for stamina and durability, this workout can get you going.

It'll give you a good set of lungs and trim you down with the right eating plan. If you're a woman, it'll also give you a killer pair of legs that can go the distance. Strength is a great asset but if you can't last very long, what's the point? Does Joker give up on plotting against Batman? Does he just sit and die while locked up in Arkham Asylum? No, he's always on the move, he keeps being creative and he just doesn't stop. Got to give him credit for his persistence.

If you want to be in awesome shape and have an evil laugh at the old you, get into training with the Joker workout. You can do it anywhere, anytime and it would fit your schedule. Are you up to the challenge? Picture as if you can beat him at his own game and saying that you just kicked the Joker's ass.

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What Is More Difficult With A Deck Of Cards: 500 Hindu Squats Or 500 Reps Of The Matt Furey Exercise Bible?

There are different challenges and various workouts involving high rep bodyweight training but what makes certain things more difficult than others? If you're a beginner, doing something with high reps will make you sore quick unless your body recovers faster than normal but in an advanced stage, it can vary from exercise to exercise and the consistency of what your training goals are.

Doing 500 Hindu Squats for the average person isn't an easy task and being consistent can be daunting but for an athlete or someone who is use to high rep training, it's almost the norm and once you reach 500 or more, it becomes a mental game more than anything. Doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible is quite a challenge in itself in the beginning and it's always changing whenever you do it. Some people who have done this workout can do it pretty damn fast but some do it very slow, focusing on form and being methodical along with working repetitions. 500 Reps of the MFEB is no joke but is it as difficult as to do doing 500 Hindu Squats? I believe it depends on the perspective from those who have done both.

From my POV, doing 500 Hindu Squats with a deck of cards isn't as difficult because for one, you're literally focused on one exercise (unless you're a maniac adding jumpers and flat foot squats in the mix) and you're going through it the entire time. For the MFEB, you're focused on 3 added exercises and have to be ready whenever they pop up. These exercises have multiple variations and sure you're doing less of the squats but you're working all the muscles in your body in order to get through the deck. The concentration is different, the muscles being worked are unpredictable and your breath work is different. In each case, you're using multiple muscle groups and you're testing your conditioning levels but unlike focusing on groups that give a particular one way more attention, you're giving your attention to every muscle in the body almost equally.

For those who have never done either of these workouts, don't go diving into them like they're a cake walk, you will be sore as hell or worse. Some people think bodyweight training isn't a big thing yet if they did either one of these workouts, they're in for a rude awakening. Neither one is to be messed with and they'll get you in shape like crazy. You can do them on different days, both on the same day or if you've got some kind of fitness death wish, in the same workout. I have done 500 Squats plenty of times and done them to prepare for a little day of hiking. Doing the MFEB, I've done different variations of the exercises and did various rep schemes but even at a total of 500 Reps, it was pretty gnarly (sorry not sorry, even after nearly 9 years in Idaho, I still have my Cali Lingo).

So what do you think is more difficult? Give me your perspective if you've done reps at a high level like this. Although 500 Hindu Squats is more commonly done with or without cards doing them straight through, I've read plenty of people have done the MFEB and find it more enjoyable. You never know who might answer it in this manner.