When Play Becomes Your Training

 We get caught up in the rigors of life and figuring out how to stay in shape for whatever reason. It becomes a matter of what gives us the greatest benefit and what gives us solace when we are need of it. That's one of the things I love about training, it's not just doing a few exercises and trying to be better than yesterday, it is a way to go to a place where you feel the most at home and give a little comfort in knowing what you are doing becomes your sanctuary.

Almost every time, something always brings me back to doing animal movements. It just becomes intuitive to want to play and get away from the routines and the hardcore training stuff. Don't get me wrong, animal movements can be hardcore too if you know which ones to use but at the same time, they're like a little game you play and go back to that child-like state where you get to play out your imagination and do things you normally don't do. It's almost like meditation.

I do believe in taking your training seriously but it's also important to make things interesting and fun in the face of challenges and testing your body's abilities. With Animal Moves, you're constantly moving, shifting directions, keeping your balance and developing the mind/body connection through play. When you treat a workout, even if it's hard like a game, it changes how you perceive things and what brings the ideal way to workout.

You know all about the dice game I play after more than a decade of writing about it, it is the GOAT of exercise programs (in my opinion, to each their own) and it does more than just get you physically fit, it also takes you back to a time where the world was simple, fun and full of possibilities. You learn skills through the art of being playful, you find things about yourself you didn't get anywhere else and you learned how to apply natural movement for motor skill and function. 

After all that I've learned and all the programs I have done, nothing comes close to moving like an animal in my eyes, I get more out of them than any squat, push-up, pull-up, lifting weights or traditional cardio. It's very simple to learn but you get a lot out of it. It's getting back to a more natural state of mind and gives you an upgrade on your fitness. 

Why It Is More Important To Be In Condition Than Shredded

 Unless you're a bodybuilder, that kind of training doesn't always help in the real world. When you look in the magazines and the ads on youtube and other social media platforms, what's the first thing that comes up? People after people looking shredded with low bodyfat and a knack for selling you damaged and unrealistic approaches to health and diet. Health is about keeping yourself strong inside and out, health is about the mind and body working together and much more.

Being shredded for the most part is overrated, if that's what you're after, more power to you but in the end, just because you look like a million bucks doesn't mean your condition is just as impressive. Being in condition is not always about looks, it's the ability to handle things for a good period of time without tiring. In workouts, honestly, you don't need more than a half to get in shape but that just sounds too arbitrary. Conditioning makes the difference in many aspects of life, not just training. Can you imagine the ability to not tire out on a hike, swimming, playing with the kids and so on and so forth? Forget being in condition in your 20's, what if you had that level of energy in your 30's, 40's and beyond? 

Not everyone has the same genetic makeup, some have a vast metabolism that even eating like a pig won't have them gaining weight but for others, no matter what they do, it's still difficult to even lose a pound after training your ass off for a month. Being shredded is impressive at times but if you don't have the ability to last when it counts, than you don't deserve that body. Some of the strongest and fittest people on the planet don't have very low percentage bodyfat and certainly not all have that model appeal, but they bust their ass and are very healthy. The last time any real form of shreddedness that was worth while and being in real shape were guys like Otto Arco, Maxick, Sig Klien and other Old-Time Strongmen and Bodybuilders. These were the guys that were doing things at a level long before supplements or steroids existed, so why are we going backwards in a since with all the technology and supplements around today? 

I'm not saying all supplements are bad, some have real value and work for many people, but it takes some knowledge and wisdom to understand what works out there and what is so damn shitty, even the name on a bottle is sketchy. Some people do very well without the need for supplementation. The truth of the matter is, the better condition you're in, the better of you'll be with developing the quality of life instead of just how long you'll live. It just makes you wonder at times that some of the healthiest people don't live past 90 while some who never exercised in their life live to be more than 100. 

I personally believe that being in condition comes first before developing an impressive physique and even then, having a physique is just a lesser part of the puzzle. It's not wrong at all to want to look good but looks don't always save lives and they certainly won't give you endurance like a Tiger. 

Keep things simple and be in sold physical condition for when it is needed at any time. 

What It Means To Be Tendon Strong

 The training method of Isometrics has some mysterious qualities to it but it also develops the body in a different manner than most programs. Fitness as a whole isn't all that complicated but there are a lot of people out there that make it so because of what they works and nothing else or how often to train, the position your body HAS to be in in order to be applied properly, the amount of sets and reps, the measure of a weight and so on and so forth. 

Alexander Zass believed in the concept of developing Tendon Strength more than just pure muscular strength. It was to power up the connective tissues in order to not just protect the body from injury but to be strong in ways that lasted longer than just temporary. When it comes to the tendons, they are the cords between the muscles and the bones, just because you have thick and powerful legs doesn't always mean they're going to save your ass. You can be a much smaller guy and have strong legs, think of the deer; most of its legs are purely bone and tendon and not very muscular like the Tiger or a Gorilla, but it can pack a wallop if it kicks you in the face.

If we didn't have tendons, we wouldn't be able to press a weight, run whatsoever and definitely would be injured quicker than you can say "ouch." We wouldn't have any real control over our bodies period. Muscles alone will not always be in your favor. When you strengthen the tissues and the ligaments surrounding the tendons, you're creating strength that could actually save a life one day and protect you from getting injured not just in sports but in everyday tasks. Have you ever hurt your shoulder carrying things? Had a hernia from Shoveling Snow? Landed wrong on your knees? These things happen but if you practiced Isometrics, these things could come to almost a halt and you'll have better protection on the joints. We can't always prevent an injury, but we can learn to lessen the impact and switch from being injury prone to injury-proof. This isn't to test if you're invincible, it's a way to understand that the stronger your tendons are, you can heal much quicker from certain injuries. 

Learn the value of Isometric Training and train to protect your body, looking good won't last forever but strong joints is highly likely you'll be able to live with better quality and have a body that won't fail you as fast even at a later age. 

Failures And Accomplishments

 Failing is a part of life whether we want to believe it or not. Whatever failures have happened in your life, just remember there are still accomplishments to be made or already have made and you just haven't figured them out yet. I have failed over and over again in my life from setting goals to relationships to jobs and setting an example in certain areas of life but I have also accomplished much more than what I have failed at. 

I've had near death experiences and still here, writing to you and I think that's quite an accomplishment. I've come back from breaking both my legs without any form of traditional rehab and made things work and have not stopped since day 1. Yes I have failed but I've also been successful in other areas too.

It's very easy to try to put someone down and only talk about their failures when you have no real clue what they've gone through to reach their successes whether they were big or they were small, an accomplishment may not mean a damn thing to one but to another, it can be life-altering. Most of the time, the world doesn't care what you have accomplished, only what you have failed at or what you could've accomplished but didn't because you didn't do things the way they wanted you to do. Sometimes, I've set myself up to fail or was set up to fail in general. 

Not everyone is going to care what you have achieved and it doesn't always mean to boost ego or anything like that, people have failed to the degree that whatever accomplishments someone else has, jealousy and anger has consumed them and throw everything negative in order to feel good about themselves but stay broken.

I love some of the admiration I get from time to time, it does feel good and I do feel I've made some leeway in the world but there are things about me that I don't wish on anyone to have. Some have told me that they would kill to have a memory like me but the truth is, it is both a blessing and a curse because of some of the trauma I have been through and when something is triggered, it's as if I was in that moment and reliving it with extreme feeling and the sight of it. My brain is very different than most people and because of the meningitis, it has caused me to fail at many simple tasks and whatever that is easy in general, I have to use my brain at a different pace in order to accomplish the same goals. What I have accomplished, made me better but also do things from another perspective.

Failure is going to happen but never make it only about failure. You will accomplish things and you'll see more success than you ever thought possible. Look at some of the famous people on the planet and learn what failures they've had that drove them to be successful in their field. You will succeed and it will teach you how to be even more successful down the road.   

Sometimes You Just Have To Cut Your Losses

Every now and then in our training, something either feels stale or it's becoming too much and it's time to make a change. I've had to make a change when I started feeling some pain after doing so many Hindu Burpees lately and needed to stop. It wasn't just discomfort or a little pain, I believe I was causing damage in my left shoulder and had to stop. 

There's such a thing as training hard but it makes a huge difference when you instinctively feel you're starting to cause damage. Some pain still believe in the "no pain, no gain" bullshit and if an exercise is causing pain or even beginning to damage an area of the body, they'll still push hard and do things even worse. I had built up a pain tolerance while I was bending steel but I never truly damaged anything until I started doing it again after a couple years or more away from it when I damaged my hands bending 60d nails and needed to recover for several weeks while focusing on other exercises.

At times, you just to need to cut your losses and take a step back. It doesn't have to be forever but you don't want to be doing things that the damage becomes so severe that it starts messing with your life and live in pain constantly. I re-evaluated my body's capabilities and almost on instinct started doing Resistance Training with Lifeline Cables and my ab wheel. Using the Chest Expander to strengthen my shoulders and even out the muscles since the problems were more around the front and side if my left shoulder. Use TNT Cables for heavier resistance and to help even out the back muscles with the shoulders, I started feeling a hell of a lot better and my shoulder pain is practically gone. For the Ab Wheel, I would just do rollouts until I get bored or felt like I've had enough. 

Isometrics have become a staple in my training again and it's been more of a self-rehab thing more than anything else and I'm continuing to lose weight and develop definition. I'm currently at 253 and have kept off 10-15 pounds for nearly 3 months. For strength training, I want to see how the cables can go and use the wheel for core conditioning. Step-Ups are for the legs for sure since I just have no interest in doing hundreds of squats these days. It is important to take care of yourself, no need to go hardcore and work yourself to death, that's what the Crossfit Fanboys are for. 

Be instinctive and listen to your body because if you don't listen, it'll bite you in the ass and you can really do some real harm to yourself. Cut it loose before any real pain or damage takes place.

Can One Exercise Truly Make A Difference?

One of the biggest debates in fitness is, what is the number 1 exercise that truly is king? The facts are, there isn't one, no matter how much we debate. Many exercises develop great attributes that build a powerful physique or give someone great strength even at a small size. Some exercises help build muscle more than others, lose weight or drop fat faster than others but not one exercises is end all-be-all.

Everyone is different and while one specific exercise works like a charm for one person could injure or over/under develop another. It boils down to what gives that person the most benefit and brings them success because if you're successful with one program/exercise, why would you change it? Yes sometimes we have to mix things up but as long as we remain simplistic and sticking with the basics, things work out great. 

Sprint Training can be considered a high ranking form of exercise since you don't have to do a whole lot and you're resting far more than actually working out. The idea is to run hard for a few seconds and rest sometimes for several minutes. The endgame for this kind of training is to burn fat at an alarming rate and build muscle much quicker than standard cardio. It builds stronger lungs, increases muscle mass and burns calories even after a workout so weight loss is speeded up as well along with your metabolism. This is facts but not everyone has the metabolism of an Olympic Sprinter or a NFL Running Back (look up the training regimens of Walter Payton and Marcus Allen) so we need to progress according to our body's capabilities and needs of recovery. 

Some people have called Burpees the king of all exercises but is it really? I mean after all, what variation of the Burpee are we talking about here? There's so many variations how do we know which one that wears the crown? In order to truly understand how the body works with that type of training, you can't just watch it and expect to know it, you have to experiment with it and get a feel with experiencing the movements. The problem is, very few people actually know how a Burpee works or at least some variations because there are a lot of STUPID people out there who don't have a clue on how to apply it but go to such extremes as to look like they're flopping all over the place after several reps. Learn the proper mechanics and experiment with it while being safe and smart about it.

So does one exercise really wear the crown as the king or in a way the god of exercises? Truth is, no, it doesn't but that doesn't mean it can't work for you. If you enjoy it and it helps you with being healthy and fit, than what's the big issue? Make certain exercises work for you and develop your body with them. You have the power to have the ultimate fitness program that is catered to you and only you. If others want to join in, let's see what they got but don't force it on anyone and teach them how to work them to their body's abilities and benefits. 

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Training To Failure And Why It Sucks

 Often times in training, we want to see what our bodies are capable of and push beyond the limits. Working ourselves to the core and going beyond the call of a rep or a set. We push and push until we literally can't go go anymore. The problem with this is that once you hit a certain limit and do your best to push past it, there's a greater risk of injury and your form becomes sloppy to the point where it looks like you're drowning, just flopping all over the place.

It's not just gym goers who do this, many competitive athletes do this to excel beyond the limits of their capacity and we often wonder why many careers don't last more than a decade. I have once read that the legendary bodybuilder Bill Pearl didn't really believe in training to failure and devised a system where he could get the work in without pushing beyond the limits of his capacity. He didn't win several Mr. Universe titles for nothing. Sprinter and Olympic Gold Medal winner Michael Johnson, even at the highest level didn't push beyond his limits until the very end; in the 1996 Olympics, he ran hard but only enough to where he could beat the competition without pushing himself, it was only the gold medal round when he pushed his hardest. 

If you think I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to training to failure or past the limits than I'll give you a couple examples....1st one: I was in the gym one day when I was 19 and was attempting to do this circuit I read about and see what I can do. Not too long during, not only did I push past what my body could do, I ended up nearly blacking out and was breathing hard where it didn't feel good and something was wrong. It was scary as hell. 2nd: During my stint with Deck Of Cards workouts, I pushed past a certain point in those workouts where I ended up injuring my shoulder and had to recover doing different things and had to drop the cards all together in order to recover. 

When you train to failure, you need more time to recover than normal because if you train to failure and don't properly recover and keep going, you're going to have a higher risk of getting hurt or worse, possibly going to the hospital. Why would you ever risk that? For the glory of saying you pushed beyond the limits and thinking it's a good thing to end up injured? I understand the reasons behind it and trust me, I've done stupid shit to the point where I paid a price for it.

Unless you're in the military or law enforcement where you're specifically trained to handle certain situations or how to handle your body's composure under extreme conditions, training to failure or pushing beyond the limits before your body could even handle it is not the best idea of great training. Training to failure may be more "Manly" in some people's eyes but with a proper progression system and understanding your body's need for recovery or doing something more difficult, you can become stronger, healthier and feel better without the need to take things beyond a certain point where you don't have very much control of your movements. 

Training, in reality, is meant to develop a better quality of life and to live as much as possible injury free. You can be fitter without needing to take your body's limits past a point of no return. You can be one of the fittest people without risking injury. Don't train to failure or you'll fail to train. Make your goals and push past them but also be aware of yourself and how you train. Be smart about what you do and go outside the box to make the biggest gains. 

The Road To 100 Hindu Burpees

For a period now I've been focused heavily on one exercise and that's the Hindu Burpee which is a variation of the Hindu Wrestling exercise the Sapate. I started out with 5x5 and added a set each day until it was 10 sets of 5 (50 Reps), bumped it up to sets of 6 until I reached 10 sets and as of now I'm at 7x7. Some days are harder than others and when my energy is there it feels much easier. 

It's a hell of an exercise that combines so many things like strength, cardio, agility, flexibility, stamina, durability and incredible muscular endurance. I have lost weight and starting to look smaller in the waistline, more definition is coming in and having greater stamina. The idea of this workout is to not train to failure or get tired during but to build on developing a stronger lung capacity, treat it like a sprint workout when you do a set and rest as long as needed and generate natural HGH. Never, under any circumstances, train to where your form is sloppy and overrunning the CNS. 

I have been doing this exercise every single day and often times is my only workout of the day but it is also great to do at any time. Sometimes I do take a power nap afterwards cause it does take quite a bit out of you. The system of progression scheme of reps and sets has been working great for me thus far; building up a ladder of sets and reps, go back down the ladder, get back up and repeat that until I reach a level of doing 10 sets of 10 (100 Reps). The direction I'm riding to is once I reach the ability to do 100 Reps, is to do as many as possible, rest and repeat until I've had enough.

It hasn't been an easy road because I'm not known for routines or heavily on goal setting of this caliber but this is something I want to accomplish and there's going to be days where I'll feel unmotivated and won't feel the need to do them but I do have things that'll help me stay on track and keep seeing the number 100 in my mind multiple times a day. Use visualization techniques and others. 

I love this exercise because it feels more natural to me than doing individual Hindu Squats and Push-ups, this way I can do a set, recover until I instinctively know I can do another easy set and work with that until it's over. Although I may need a small bit of a nap afterwards, it does feel amazing and the benefits are so worth it. 

Power through your goals and never stop being the best you can be. Get stronger, become highly conditioned and kick ass with an amazingly awesome attitude. 

THE BOOK OF BURPEES: Be Your Client's Favorite Fitness Trainer with These 100 Burpee Exercise Variations for your Lesson Plans!

Can There Be Only One?

 Every once in a blue moon, I would try to find the 90's show Highlander and re-watch the series, seen it in it's entirety about 3 times and still never gets old. That sound of Freddie Mercury and Queen hammering that intro of "Princes Of The Universe" is just incredible. The series was definitely way better than the movies (except the very first one). This brings me to what I thought about writing today, in the spirit of Highlander when it pertains to exercise, can there Be Only One?

Like the immortals in the Action/Fantasy genre, exercises come in different forms and some are very unique but also, many have been around for centuries and have often times evolved while others stick to the conventional idea and have a history with tradition. Within the comparisons of the life and times of Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod, certain exercises can help you become a warrior, an athlete, be prepared for what lies ahead, able to last with a woman or man (this is for the ladies as well) and they also develop wisdom and knowledge as they teach you what works and what doesn't to give you the best advantage. After all, Duncan has lived for 400+ years.

All immortals are chasing that one goal, to be the last one standing and claim the ultimate prize. Now, if you've ever seen the movies and know what that prize is, you know the importance of it even though the 5th and final film kind of ruined it's reveal in an unclimactic way (even Adrian Paul admitted that) but the idea is in its true form, the prize is what gives them ultimate power. What if we brought this idea into reality and look at the aspects of what is the ultimate exercise, what is the one that gives you the very best and helps you be in the best condition?

The truth of the matter is, the ultimate exercise or workout in the real world only helps that individual achieve their own goals and give them a sense of what they're trying to accomplish. A goal that leads them to their biggest prize such as a beautifully sculpted physique, a trophy in athletics, the right to be called the strongest or fittest, a champion in their chosen sport or to maintain incredible health. 

I have written before that the Bear Crawl was possibly the one exercise to rule them all but is it the true one to help claim the ultimate prize? I'm not so sure anymore because things change and the body has different needs at different times in life. As of right now, the one exercise that really hits many things and can be done anytime and anywhere is a variation of what I call the Hindu Burpee (a combo of the Hindu Squat and Hindu Push-up). I still do my carries, step ups, slams and rollouts but this variation of the Burpee (also known as a sub variation of the Sapate exercise Hindu Wrestlers do), hits so many muscles and combines a stretching component and fat burning elements that are powerful. 

What's the Endgame? What is the true ultimate prize? In my opinion, it's Mastery. It's the ability to master yourself and taking the knowledge you have acquired and formed your own style that leads you to the greatest achievement that you can possess. 

The Pandemic And Does Exercise Really Matter In These Dark Times?

 Whether you buy into the covid 19 stuff or not, there are people out there dying, maybe not billions but those who have died had families, a wife, a husband, brother, a little girl, a teenage son taken too soon and elderly folks and it is tragic. We aren't immortal and certainly not always being able to prevent this virus whether we wear a mask or not. The only time I've ever worn one was in a store and in there no longer than 20 minutes or so and spend the rest of the time not wearing one. I'm not fond of Social Distancing but I do so not out of fear but out of compromise. 

Some have it totally planted in their brain that it's all a con and a money making scam which in some ways it probably is and false reports have been done but we never truly know 100% how bad or sinister it is and yes the survival rate is very high but it's still not 100% preventable. It doesn't matter if you believe it's a messed up rouse or living in such fear you won't leave the damn house, what matters is is that it won't last forever and things will go back to normal in some form but in other cases it won't. 

So that begs the question, if you're a healthy and fit person, does your training really matter during this pandemic? I believe in the idea that yeah it's important to be safe but not in a fearful type of way and as you work on your health and maintaining or strengthening your immune system, there is a higher chance of beating it and run over it like a Mack Truck. I'm happy and relieved that my near 100 year old grandmother beat it and that woman probably hasn't had the best nutrition or worked out in her life, so if someone like her can fight it and beat it, so can you if you're into working out. 

Honestly, I do want others to be safe and it has caused not just physical ailments but because of the stay home laws and social distancing, it has caused many people to become depressed, raised anxiety levels and have Cabin Fever. I have not seen nor hugged anyone from my family in California since Nov. of 2019 and yes, it has caused me to be a bit emotional because I miss them like crazy and I'm not going to lie, the moment I have that opportunity to hold anyone in my family in my arms, I'll probably have a waterfall running down my face. I have a few friends and family here but the only person I'm around consistently other than my wife is my mom.

During this whole thing, I trained every single day and at times for the very reason it makes me feel the most normal when I'm alone a lot. Mentally and emotionally, it is a roller coaster at times. Physically, I feel great, never got sick practically at all during 2020 and had nothing to do with covid, not taking the vaccine since I never had a vaccine of anything in my lifetime and am a survivor, I do my best to help out whenever I'm needed and I want everyone to be safe and healthy because even in these dark times, it's vital we condition our minds to see that bright light of hope and love in our hearts and believe that this will end sooner than later and we cherish every moment when we finally get to see the people we love, travel without so many damn restrictions and live in the fucking moment man. 

Whether you believe this is all a hoax or not, it's not right to bully anyone and live your life the best you can and take care of each other because in the end, showing compassion is much more rewarding than being an asshole. Be safe guys. 

Does Working Out Become Something More Than Just A Workout?

 Why do we train? What truly gives us the motivation or the drive to exercise and better ourselves? Do we even know what the endgame is to our workouts? I ask myself these questions from time to time and although I don't fully have the answers, it becomes a matter of finding the right answers from your own experiences and what gives you the greatest benefit. 

People workout for a variety of reasons; to create a better physique, to be in better condition, to help win in a sport, to maintain health into their later years and at times to be prepared for some sort of battle to protect those they love. Whatever gives you the opportunity to train, make it work in your favor, not always for somebody else. I'm constantly changing up workouts because for one, I don't want to always rely on one thing or one program and two, I want to experience what I can do without the need of killing myself to get the results I want. 

Training in a way for me is like Superman's Fortress Of Solitude, it's not necessarily an actual place I go to physically, it's when I'm in a state of mind where I'm in the moment, everything else around me doesn't exist except what I'm doing in that point in time. It becomes meditative, something that is mine and belongs only to me. It's not a workout anymore, it's home and no matter how hard it is,  I'm deep in it. 

The real question here is, does your workout put you into a state of mind where it's just you and nothing else? The ability to be so locked in that it becomes a world where you decide what happens and where you go. To become something more than what was intended and harnessing the power of pure focus and unleashing the real strength you've always possessed. 

What many don't understand is that working out is something more than what it is intended to be; it's more than just picking up a weight, doing a push-up or carrying a heavy load, it's what brings your entire being into a universal entity that pits you into the realm of the real self, not just what you can do or look like on the outside. That's very foreign to put it and many would think that's just some New Age type stuff but once you let it happen and open up the possibilities, things will happen you've never experienced before. 

Train to not only find who you truly are but do so with the intent that a workout is more than what is seen or used.  

Slasher Comic Makes Use Of Dynamic Tension

Do you have a favorite slasher film; Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday The 13th, Halloween, Child's Play? I wasn't the biggest fan of horror films and very few have ever caught my attention and were maybe a once in a while kind of watching but when it comes to comics, I have a soft spot for certain stories that are a little slice and dicey. One comic in particular really caught my attention that I never thought I'd see and that's the use of Physical Culture.

Many kids of yesteryear knew the legend of Charles Atlas and the story surrounding the idea of turning a young man who was skinny and frail into a superman-like being building muscle and knocking the bully on his ass. What if that story was interpreted in a very unique way and gave it an extreme makeover? Hence the now Comic Series of Luther Strode: A story of a young high school nerd with a chubby friend and has a crush on a beautiful yet unstable and violent torn girl. Gets his hands on a course that teaches how to build muscle using only your bodyweight, this isn't just an ordinary fitness course, it has a much more sinister side to it.

A course that makes you see violence and forms a deeper meaning to the idea of fighting and becoming an assassin. The kid develops the body of a Greek god but also becomes involved with a cult that is hell bent on murder, destruction and has a cult like following. Torn between using his body and new skill set to kill or destroy the person that created the course following a death in the kid's circle. 

The second book takes place 5 years later and the young kid (now an adult) is a legendary vigilante and taking his place as the "hero" of his city but criminals are striking back in a big way. Old foes are taking matters into their own hands and allies emerge. It's a fascinating look at the anti-hero and the adventures he goes on.

the third and final book, the Legacy, comes full circle into the depths of how the murderous cult came to be and the changing of the tides for Luther as he sets out on a quest to find a being that is possibly an immortal and learning the true nature of why was the course really made, not just for developing a cult of muscle bound assassins but to create an army. The final battle has begun and will this man survive the journey and his final encounter? 

Like I said, I'm not a big fan of the Slasher genre but when you add in the element of an old-time mail order fitness course and make it the cornerstone of a superhero/action/horror story, I couldn't help but take a look at it. It is a very good story and gives new insight to what it means to take something that was meant to be evil and turn it around to make it a powerful entity against evil. It's an exaggeration of becoming something more that what was intended and training the body using a course loosely based on what Charles Atlas did decades ago. That to me is really cool. 

Check them out and learn about Dynamic Tension and Action in a very different but intriguing way. 

The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Vol. 1

Luther Strode Volume 2: The Legend of Luther Strode

Luther Strode Volume 3: The Legacy of Luther Strode

 

Slam And Skip Workout

One workout that's short enough to really fire you up and not take a ton of time is slamming either a Slam Ball or a Sandbell and rope skipping (I just use the airope and still get a great workout from it) for 1 minute. Do the amount of slams you want and immediately set a a 1 min timer and start skipping. Once your set is over, mark it off and/or just repeat the set for as many rounds as you can. The heavier the weight, the less reps you'll slam.

With my 50 lb. Sandbell I did 12 rounds of 4 slams and 1 minute skipping. That was more than enough and got plenty of excess energy out. It was one of those "getting shit out of my system" kind of workouts and test my explosiveness with the 50 lb. beast. 

This workout builds explosiveness, conditioning, coordination, agility, functional strength and endurance. Have at it and train with intent.

Step Ups And A Sandbell Can Make Up A Killer Workout

 Using little to no equipment in training is a beautiful thing and it is up to your imagination to create the very best out of what is useful. With the new addition to the Dungeon (NEW 50 LB Sandbell) I'm just going nuts on what I can do to make my workouts better and building a more rugged physique (It's a process). Yesterday's workout made me breathe pretty damn hard in a short amount of time, I picked up the 50 lb beast and dropped it over my shoulders repeatedly for 7 minutes straight. That was a lung burner that's for sure and if you don't believe me, try it for yourself.

Doing Supersets to me is a simple method of conditioning and mental toughness where you're doing one exercise after the other for several sets or reps. In this case, doing step ups and a sandbell exercise to really target the body more than just the muscles but building explosiveness, strength, stamina and handling awkward objects. 

This workout I did for 15 min Non Stop was 20 Step Ups and Picking up a 20 lb SB and dropping it behind the shoulders 5 times totaling 100 lbs at a time. This will have you working hard like crazy, imagine climbing a flight of stairs and than having to toss a sack of flour into a truck for an extended period of time. Now you can call this workout whatever you want but using my imagination, I pictured climbing stairs and picking up a lot of bags of lets say rice or potatoes. When you do this without any rest, you could not help but notice a few things happening. 

See it for yourself.....

It is important to be in a solid state of condition because you never know when you'll need it and if you're prepared to handle what comes with the tasks. This is really unconventional and a bit more primitive to modern day cardio and just because you can go 30 minutes on a treadmill, it may not help you from getting your ass kicked in a workout like this. This is some pretty old school stuff which is my kind of training. 

This is geared more towards things that might happen in everyday life and being in shape to handle strenuous areas of labor. I want to train hard so I can be useful when the time comes and having that little extra pep in my step. Listening to good music to this kind of training puts you in a different state of mind and to me putting on a song to start like The Hu's Wolf Totem is just an awesome outlook of getting into the spirit of a warrior and channeling that primal aspects of the human soul.

Training like this is a sure fire you're not doing what everyone else is doing and you're doing things that are tougher than you are normally used to. In the words of Odin from Thor "A wise king never seeks out war but, he must always be prepared for it." Conditioning is an incredible asset but the true aspect of a conditioned man is to be prepared for when he is needed or do what's right.

Conditioning The Body Using A Sandbell

 Happy New Year Everyone. Hope it was full of fun, awesome people and love. This is a time for new goals and making the most of what is possible while beating previous goals. As you know, I change things up quite a bit and get into something for a period. Routines were never a true thing with me but I always find a way to work on something that I find fun but kick ass to do. One of those things is using a Sandbell. It is a tool that works the grip while acting as a Kettlebell, Dumbbell, Medicine Ball and Slam Ball all rolled into one.

Safe to say it is one of the best training tools I have and highly recommend it. I recently ordered a 50 lber which should be here in a couple days or so since I have a 20lber and wanted to amp up my training. A really cool aspect of the SB is the countless exercises you can do that really enhances your functional strength and conditioning. In some of my workouts, I like to carry it across the garage, slam it, shoulder it, do 360's (or Halos) or do some Core Exercises. 

Because of the functionality of the SB exercises, I tend to go the route where I want to train to be useful in the real world. I'm not very fond of Isolating my body and want to get the best out of my training working as many muscles as possible in one shot. One of my favorite workouts was picking up the SB and dropping it behind my shoulders to mimic picking up sacks of flour or potatoes and putting them down, I did this for 10 min. Non Stop which totals well over 100's of pounds lifted, talk about cardio.

I've had my wife use it from time to time and she'll do dozens of sit-ups with it which is pretty awesome to watch. For her brief workouts after work, I don't hold back training her so one workout I had her carry it for distance and then go do step ups, had her do this for 5-10 minutes with little to no rest. She still tells me how much she hates me for that LOL. 

The idea of real world conditioning is to train to be useful when it is needed. Shoveling snow isn't always easy to do but if you got a good lung capacity and can still use your strength continuously, that tells you you're in pretty decent shape. Lifting boxes even properly can hurt somebody if their strength and mobility aren't there but when you can train for function and work the muscles from every possible angle, it'll make things easier to move and you won't have trouble with your back or legs. When it comes down to it, train to avoid injuries as much as possible. Don't do things that runs a high risk of injury if your body isn't prepared for it. 

Sandbell Training is a kick ass way to build functional strength and conditioning to the degree where you're training with live weight and can work the muscles and tendons that regular weights can't touch. Grab a hold of one and with the right exercises, you can build a rugged body that will be useful and not just to look like a million bucks.