The Elusive Isometric Power Belt

I was fortunate to be one of the few people that acquired John Peterson's Isometric Power Belt (The lengthier version) and ever since he gave me one (two actually) it has been one of my go-to pieces of equipment for Isometric and sometimes Suspension Training. For years since using it, I have achieved pretty good results in terms of strength, mobility, joint health and power in my tendons and ligaments. 

It has gotten some bad press by people who never shut up about the flaws John had and it's level of verbal abuse because it wasn't ever released to the public because John can be a perfectionist but at the same time, have trouble realizing that you can't keep promising something that goes on for years without showing or truly presenting something. Although it's sad it wasn't ever brought but it's a blessing in disguise because someone who actually owns one can show the awesome exercises one can come up with. With that in mind, it's not a complete waste.

There are other straps/belts out there that you can snatch up such as a yoga strap, the World Fit Iso Trainer, Rings, Suspension Trainers and others that are readily available. Is the Isometric Power Belt any more special than those other things? In reality, not really but it is special to me because it was a gift, it has many uses other than training for Isometrics and since I was given two, I gave the other one to Bud Jeffries during the week leading up to my wedding. Now that he's passed away, his wife is now in possession of it and if she finds use in it great, if not that's ok too because I know it's in good hands or would be passed on to someone. 

The original belt that John had previously put out was about 10-14 feet long and it was loosely based on the design that Dr. James Bailey used or designed for athletes (more notably used by prisoners that John had written about for the exercise booklet for the belt) to have greater variety of Isometric Exercises that you can carry with you in a suitcase. There were different designs that came and gone through the years like for example the Isometric Chain Alexander Zass used to supplement his isometric training based on what he did to escape prisons during WW1. 

In recent times, an old timer named Bruce Tackett made a somewhat crude version of an Isometric Strap called The Hook where you can attach handles to the strap and do Isometrics from there, it was also used for suspension training and a DYI version of the Chest Expander. Quite frankly it was a pretty ingenious idea and I wished I had gotten it but never got around to it even though I said I would. Most of that product went to his Sierra Fitness Forum members while one of them got pretty damn shredded from using it. Yoga straps have been around quite a while but the World Fit Iso Trainer has been one of the upcoming brands of Isometric Equipment that has had quite a bit of success. 

This version of the Isometric Power Belt is twice as long as its "older brother" and has a stronger form of handling heavy amounts of weight (like it can take up to 7000 lbs before it tears a part or something like that) so not even the legendary Zass or Bud Jeffries could've torn this thing a part bare handedly. This thing is a combination of many straps/belts in one piece of equipment. John even planned on releasing a book of exercise for the belt (the belt itself is 28ft long BTW) but never released it so it's even more elusive if not scrapped but all I did was take the exercises from the original booklet and amplified them along with making a few additions of my own like Arm Wrestling, Bow and Arrow, Handcuffed, mimicking shoveling snow and used exercises from the book Overcoming Isometrics.

The belt is just another piece of equipment I use in my training and it's neither better or worse than the rings or the World Fit but I'm glad I have it and if John ever releases it one day (which 999.999% sure won't happen) it be a nice thing to add to a collection. I'm also probably the only person with this specific belt that has filmed working out with it so if you ever want to see it in action, here are some videos.....

Fingers As Strong As Talons

Our hands are much more than a few digits that can grip and hold onto things. They're an enormous asset to how things are made; from buildings, to art, music, fitness or starting and ending wars with single gestures and signals. Many times, we take our hands for granted and don't realize how valuable they really are. Like anything else, we've used our hands for evil and have done horrible things to other creatures and human beings but we've also done wonderful things, heroic things and mind-blowing things that can be still talked about to this day. 

Some are born without hands and others have lost the ability to use their hands yet some of those same people have done great things and made the most of what they're limited to. Having a good set of hands are meant for great things but others go on paths that causes blood to spilled, use technology to derail or send messages to kill another person and have caused trauma to many who are young and old. Our hands are a gateway to what we learn and where we are going until we die. 

In the fitness world, we mainly use our hands to grip a bar and either press and pull something whether it's a free weight or machine but in other areas, we take our hands to another dimension when we develop the ability to tear things apart or bend tough steel, lever sledgehammers, snap spikes or do other crazy things. Bud Jeffries use to combine lifting with old time strongman feats such as holding heavy weight while also tearing a deck of cards or bending a spike. That takes incredible concentration and control of the nerves and muscles. Very few in the world was able to do that. 

Another great example of Hand Strength & Dexterity is the legendary Concert Virtuoso Garin Bader. Not only does he have incredible power and agile fingers to do a workout with, but also work the piano or other instruments with ease, dazzle an audience with magic and the ability to work his fingers in such unique ways it's mind blowing. If you want to know more check out his Finger Gymnastics Course. I've seen and felt first hand how powerful he is and he does it without much effort yet you feel like you're in a vice when he gets a hold of you. 

I'm not big on high reps when it comes to push-ups because to me it gets boring after a bit and if you do them too long over a period of time, you can get complications in the shoulders and elbows. I prefer Isometric Push-ups or Slow Tension Push-ups since you don't have to do much to really feel it and Isometrics really tackles the muscles and the muscle fibers than just typical push-ups. I also get a kick out of holding positions in the push-up where I can hold for a few seconds than go to the middle and bottom, working it both isometrically and dynamically. Here are a couple videos where I demonstrate the Push-up from different perspectives....

Another favorite where I don't have to do a ton of reps but get incredible benefit out of is Fingertip Push-ups. These are much harder for obvious reasons and it's a test of the strength in your tendons and ligaments. Just holding a Fingertip Plank is hard enough, now trying to do multiple reps. You'll mostly see MMA or other sports athletes do these because they have the ability to really dig into the nitty gritty of your grip strength and building those forearms like steel cords. These three videos should give you an idea of what I mean....One is just your typical form of Fingertip Push-ups, another is just using three fingers of each hand and the last is where I do 1 Push-up but it's so damn slow that it takes about a minute to complete using tension and control the entire time. 

 

As you can see, when you train the fingers, they can enhance your fitness and other things in your life that have meaning to you. Having strong fingers are great for massaging, better grip control for lifting and carrying, be able to climb better, pinch power, bend stuff, work with tools and more. Strong hands equals a strong body. 

The Game Genie Of Fitness

 I had written what the game genie was in a previous article about Micro Workouts but I wanted to elaborate a bit more of what that truly means. Here's a small "recap" of what the Game Genie is....

Back in the 90's, Video Games made huge leaps and bounds with mainly 4 consoles; The Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, the N64 & the rise of Playstation. When it came to the SNES & Sega that I knew of, there were many ways to add a little zest to a number of games or in better terms, a bit of glitches that gave you so many cool things to do and have such as infinite lives, invincibility, unlimited weapons, level selection, and power ups that gave a character a faster way to build up to the ultimate version of that character. 

The god of all cheats and strategies came in the form of The Game Genie which was a cartridge you can place in the console and "download" various codes for the game you wanted to play and then put your game in and off to the races. There were times you may not have needed the Game Genie and you can just press a bunch of specific buttons to get a cheat for various things in the game while you play or at the start menu. This is virtually non-existent today because of online gaming, no cheats or buttons to hit that can give you the ultimate advantage to pass through a game at lightspeed and it's become "too real" in a sense. 

Now where is this going when it comes to fitness? What the hell does some retro "illegal" cartridge or knowledge has to do with working out? Well, it's more of a  geeky reference to how Isometrics are unlike any other method and how one man called them the Cheat Code of exercising. The moment I read or heard cheat code, the game genie popped into my head instantly. Isometrics tackle areas of the body or as a whole that most methods can't touch.

Isometrics break down the weak points of the muscles to make them stronger from angles that can't be done with typical weights, machines and/or calisthenics. If you're having trouble with squatting and have weak knees and legs, a wall sit or horse stance will show you where those weaknesses are and how you can reassess your structure to get the full benefit of strengthening the legs without needing to move. That's a basic outlook to what Isometrics can do but there are several versions of this method that can help many not just get stronger, but provide near injury proof bones, tendons and ligaments or in better words lessen the chances of getting injured quicker. 

Why call Isometrics the Game Genie Of Fitness? Because like the cartridge, you can "download" the ultimate ways to strengthen your body to unleash it's potential by overwhelming bounds. Think about what it would be like to have the secrets to increase your pushups without hurting your shoulders and be able to control your hips and lower back from sagging, to have such strong knees and ankles that going up stairs or even getting up out of a squat is easy as hell, to have such powerful tendons that you can play with your kids, grandkids, nieces/nephews or do some crazy stuff without getting hurt or with so small chances it's microscopic. How could you not want that? 

Isometrics have been around for thousands of years and although modernized, it still has value beyond its means and gives you the "lost secrets" to developing the body and attributes that would make people's jaws drop. From Shaolin Monks to Gymnasts, from ancient warriors to weekend warriors, from royalty to commoners and from athletes to everyday people all have used or done Isometrics at some point in their lifetime. If you researched from the very best who have done them with great success, you'll be heading into a world that many today can't even begin to fathom. The strength and power is right there, the game genie is in your grasp, get the "cheats" and unleash the true potential of your character. 

Sole (Himalayan Salt Water)

Staying hydrated is one of the key elements to keeping the body healthy but with all the stuff that's out there that sells you the best hydration packets and what they represent, it can sometimes become misleading and you can't trust all the commercials and things you find in GNC or other so called "health" stores. Probably the biggest things you'll find about hydration is Gatorade and Pedialyte which the latter would be used after a knocking back a few and being so drunk that the next day you need something to keep your organs from failing from dehydration. 

I've tried different things like Gatorade, Advocare's Rehydrate products and a couple others but two things lately have been favorites to do and noticed some differences. The first has been a product I use from time to time to help hydrate in the morning and either during or after workouts has been Liquid IV which is a powder that you can pour into a glass of water or into your water bottle that has pretty good amounts of vitamins and good sodium to keep hydrated for some time. Just one packet alone is the equivalent to 4 bottles of water. The only drawback might be the Sugar content which is around 12 grams per packet, so if you're hesitant about things like that there are others out there with little to no Sugar but this has worked for me. Whenever I do feel dehydrated and need a pick me up, that does the trick almost instantly and feel energetic and ready to go. 

The other thing I've been doing a little more recently is what's called Sole or a better term would be adding Himalayan salt to water. I was thinking of other ideas to use to stay hydrated and did some research and found out about this simple ingredient to add to my water. There isn't a ton of research done on this so I'm not going to say it's the GOAT of hydration but from my experiences, it's got some pretty damn good health benefits and it's pretty easy to make. Now I must caution you that not all salts are equal since most of the salt that is used in our food supply is very limited to no true value in the minerals real salt has. Salt has been around for millions of years and has been used in medicines and the rich minerals from certain areas around the world that has kept people hydrated for extended periods of time. Himalayan salt is about as pure as you can get and has been used for adding flavor to food to help eliminate toxins for salt baths. 

I would sprinkle the salt onto the meats I eat such as steak, lamb and chicken and have taken salt baths before but let's just say I can't fully stretch out and feel comfortable in a bath tub in my house. Creating the salt water is pretty simple to make. You take a bag and pour the salt crystals into a mason jar (don't incase it in metal from what I've read) and fill it to about a quarter of the jar if that and pour as much filtered water (not tap) till the water reaches the top. Close it ands tighten it with a plastic lid and shake it up a little, put it either on your counter or in a cool pantry to leave over night and there you have it. Easy to do. The amount to take mostly depends on the person but from the research it has said you don't need more than a quarter teaspoon to one teaspoon of the salt water because that amount contains about 400-500 milligrams of sodium. 

Do some research on it and see if it can benefit you. I usually just take a teaspoon and pour it into an 8 ounce glass of regular water and feel really good right away. The benefits from my research has said it can help with eliminating toxins in the body, increases energy levels, helps with headaches, lowers blood pressure balances out ions and possibly helps with sleep. Yes we do need salt in our bodies, it's an essential ingredient but here's an idea on how to find the real thing and not that crap that is white and full of stuff that is more of a killer than a healer.  

A Word On Bud Jeffries

 You were a light that shined on the world when the darkness tried to take over. A beacon of hope that there is still humility and love in the universe. Strength beyond the levels of most mortals and a man among the gods. 

You may be gone in the physical realm but your spirit now and to the end of time is stronger than anyone can possibly imagine. Our hearts have you to be a light for our dark moments and your strength becomes embedded with ours as we live on in our realm until it's our time to leave. We miss you but you will always have our back when we need your guidance in our dreams and in times of chaos or solitude. 

Tears that rain down aren't always of sorrow but of love and caring for when we think of your compassion you had for us and yours. It will never be easy or even simple to carry on without you but always know, we will never stop becoming stronger because even in times of dire straits, you'll have your hand to pick us up. 

Rest well my brother and say hi to all that came before us and may your legend and legacy live on.

Where I Originally Found Out About Animal Movements And How It Evolved

In between surgeries from my injuries, I was researching a way to rehab myself and I found Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. Granted, I wasn't in the best shape and I always figured since I was going to be off the weights, why not bodyweight exercises? I read through it and when I was able to walk and start rehabbing, I just did his Royal Court of Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats & The Bridge. After about a month, I got into the supplementary exercises and some of the workouts. Three exercises I noticed in the book were ones based on Animals; the bear, the crab and the duck. They were interesting at first but something didn't click with me at the time.

For the next couple years around that time, I tried out all sorts of stuff from CC to gymnastics, Dinosaur Style Bodyweight Training, The Chest Expander, Pull-ups and others but what truly hit me with Animal exercises was when Matt's friend Ed Baran came out with the Primate Power course. It was weird to read at first because who in their right mind would want to move like a crazed Ape? I kept an open mind and gave it a shot and I loved it, it felt natural to me and I got pretty good results with it from the hanging to the Gorilla walks to switching one arm hangs and moving across a soccer goal along with being able to do multiple pull-ups as a heavyweight. It showed me a different perspective on how to have fun as you train.

Within a short time after that, Ed and his brother Andy started branching off into their own style of conditioning books and videos starting with their Gymnastic Abs course. I got into that and did decently with it and strengthened my core a bit more to get better with everything else but when they brought out their own Animal Movement course Animal Kingdom Conditioning, it took me to another level in my evolution to conditioning training. This came even more natural to me than the Primate Workouts and it began a chain reaction to the GOAT of all workouts for me. 

This course alone, changed an entire landscape from how I trained from then on. No matter what I did, every time I felt an urge, I would do the Animal Exercises and that's where the Animal Dice Game came from. I would do a suggested workout from one of the booklets that came with the book and DVDs but the dice game became my safe haven, a workout I just could not get enough of and one that helped me in more ways than I care to admit. I've made progress and stayed in shape from everything else I did and it still goes on today but none compared to the that game. It was a constant challenge where you never did the same workout twice and can do so much with it. I've played with other kids on it including my nieces and it has always put a smile on my face whenever I do it. 

I've played around with other forms of Animal Movement Training from Animal Flow to Ginastica Natural to Primal Training or MovNat type of training and Gold Medal Bodies' version of Animal Movements but none ever truly clicked than the ones I learned from Ed Baran's books and videos. He doesn't sell them anymore since he shutdown his site and focused more on just Website Designing and training others in Gymnastic Type training but the closest to his book you can find that I know of is David Nordmark's version which I call the B-Movie of Animal Exercise books. I don't want to call it a rip-off cause quite frankly everybody rips off someone in one way or another or tributes someone from another perspective but I think B-Movie is pretty appropriate in this case. Let me put it in another term, Animal Kingdom Conditioning is like a Mega Star like Tom Cruise and Animal Workouts is like a version of Bruce Campbell; likeable and a cult favorite just more low budget. 

Why The Animal Dice Game Is So Damn Fun

In our workouts, most of the time we have something set and schemed to work our bodies to a specific number of exercises in a specific order and specified time for rest. Unless you're going through a circuit, you're hitting an exercise for X amount of sets, X amount of reps and resting for some arbitrary amount of time. That has its merits and in turn can determine where you are as far as strength, conditioning, endurance or more than one attribute at the same time is concerned. 

When it comes to conditioning, I want to do exercises that I can go to one after another without rest and test my abilities to a certain degree. You've seen the superset workouts I've done along with darebee circuits being written but none of those compare to the animal workouts I do; specifically, the animal dice game. Not only is it different, but it also tests your strength and conditioning from another perspective that you don't get from circuits or just supersets.

With circuit workouts, you know what's coming, you do the same sets, same reps, nearly the same amount of rest and changing it up can make or break where your level is at. Not the animal dice game. You never know what's coming, it's unpredictable, just like the jungle. It fools you into thinking it can get easier and than all of a sudden, poof you hit an animal doing steps or distance that is hard and ready to take you out. You're constantly moving in awkward directions and your brain is continually being forced to send messages to the nerves and coordinate with those awkward positions without warning. You're challenging your body practically on every roll and the more you add, the harder it gets. It's so random, it forces you to be prepared for the unexpected.

Now, you don't just have to make this game full of of just steps or distance; you can make it interesting for other parties who want to join. You can roll for an animal and whatever comes up, you can race, tag or do a relay. The only limit is your imagination. You can go as long as it will allow you to but for my recommendation, don't keep going until your arms or legs are ready to fall off and you're going to have a damn stroke. Do enough that is good for the day and still have some energy left in the tank. It's meant to be a game, not a chore or some crazy balls to the wall workout that resembles something like crossfit. 

It's fun because it takes away the predictability of a typical workout whether from bodyweight, bands, weights or machines, it's just you being free and using your body in unique ways and developing a level of fitness that you can't get anywhere else. Animal Movements have had the dumb notion for decades as warm up exercises for sports programs or thought of just exercises meant for kids. They're more than just warm ups and whoever came up with the idea they were meant just for kids clearly never saw a well conditioned football player or wrestler. They're ancestral and have abilities to turn a person into a very fit one and have levels of strength that last, boundless energy and an unbelievable form of conditioning that would make an MMA Fighter's jaw drop.

With the dice game, you'll never do the same workout twice and you'll never know what comes next. Whenever I do it, I'm always up for what comes after each roll and sometimes I'll change an exercise on a certain roll to make things interesting but with the endless variety and how intense the workout is, it doesn't take long to get your ass kicked. I've done long and short workouts with this workout and I will tell you first hand, you'll always be on alert because any roll can come up something easy or so damn hard that you'll need a break within seconds. How much time do you rest? It depends on how many rolls you do until you feel out of breath but for the most part, there's no limit. When I need a break, I'll walk around and breathe deeply until I feel ready to go again which on average, maybe 1-3 minutes but that's just a guess. 

Get wild and take on the jungle with a vengeance. Unleash the beast within and have a blast doing it. 

The Night Owl With Energy To Spare

 Having great energy whether you're young or a little older, can be a great blessing but also has its drawbacks especially for those who have ADHD or even ADD for that matter. For some, have no clue what to do with it and either party or need some form of stimulation in order to even feel calm and relaxed. Some will take drugs, get drunk or have a little too much fun behind closed doors in order to just chill out and go to sleep. 

I've been a night owl for as long as I can remember and have energy to spare the majority of the time. When I was in grade school till High School, I would stay up for periods of time watching shows like Raw, Smackdown, Seinfeld or watch game shows with my dad until I was ready to pass out but many a night I would just be wide awake and want to do something. I would read a book or listen to something. When I was about 13 or so I once read an entire Goosebumps Book in one night. On weekends, I would watch Nick At Night till 530 in the morning since I didn't know about working out or try to do something to not wake my dad or the grumpy neighbors next door. 

By the time I was in High School, staying up was the norm for me since I still didn't have a freaking clue on how to get rid of excess energy so I would listen to Adam Corolla & Dr. Drew on the radio till I fell asleep which at times ended up around 230 in the morning and still had to get up for school. To say I really got my sex ed from a radio show was not that big of a stretch and learned more from that than any class I took on the subject. To this day, I don't know how I still had the little energy I had to still go to school, do shot put & discus, do drama class/rehearsals and do my studies along with weight training and basketball on less than 5 hours of sleep every night. 

I was never a partier and wasn't one of those guys who got drunk and did crazy stuff on weekends with his buddies. I just worked out, ate, did my work with my writing and mainly either was with my girlfriend or staying up all night and sleeping till noon or later. Still going to tahoe for family vacations and all that and barely sleeping even then and when I would really pass out at times, I could sleep for 12-13 hours straight. Now in my late 30's, I still have trouble going to sleep at night but not as bad as it use to be. What I have found is that when I do my animal workouts about an hour or so before bed, those were the ones that knocked me on my ass and I could easily pass out. 

I'm also one of those guys who just can't go to bed early no matter how tired I' am. I might drift off around 8 or 930 at times but it feels more like a nap cause I would just be ready to go again in under an hour after drifting off. Between 11-1am is when I'll finally be ready to sleep but in order to do that, I got to do a workout intense enough to get those endorphins kicking in and breathe hard enough that when my breath is calm after a period, I'll easily sleep. It's also not fun being a light sleeper either; going into a deep sleep is not easy for me and I have pretty good hearing that even sounds that are very mild can wake me up out of nowhere. 

It is a blessing that I have a ton of energy and some might envy that but if you have any opportunity to sleep when it's needed, be blessed to be able to do that. I'm not saying I wish being lethargic on anyone even myself, but to be able to sleep in a snap of a finger would be a godsend to someone who's hyperactive. If I'm really hyped up and need a great workout, I up the intensity of my animal workouts by doubling the number of reps/steps of my animal dice game. It's shorter but so vicious that once it's over, I'll be out like a light and one of those rare times I'll sleep heavily and not hear a damn thing or feel so relaxed it's easy to get comfortable. 

Sometimes I'll forget to workout and not sleep very well at all so, I just need to accept the fact that my most productive way of getting to sleep is through intense exercise and keep going until I feel worn out. Use your energy right and get rid of excess energy in the best way you can but do your best to not fall to drinking heavily or popping muscle relaxers and other pills or drugs to feel sleepy, that shit will do more harm than good.  

Were Isometrics A Major Key To The Great Gama's Undefeated Wrestling Record?

When it comes to Physical Culture and the study of classic or ancient fitness, the Great Gama's story is a great one. In this day and age, many in the fitness or even in MMA world have no idea who Gama was or even what he represented when it came to the significance of wrestling and its ideals based in Middle Eastern Culture. To give you an idea of who this guy was, in his career that spanned decades, he never lost a single fight/match ever and his wins were in the thousands. To this day, he's the only wrestler in history to have accomplished this. Two key ingredients to his success was his overwhelming conditioning and the use of Isometrics.

When you look at the history of this extraordinary athlete of the late 19th, early 20th century, you'll find that he's got a powerful bond with the method of Isometrics. He's credited the method for developing strength that is just absolutely phenomenal. It was even written in a book about another Physical Culture legend, Joseph Greenstein (AKA The Mighty Atom) who had met Gama on his journey with a Russian Strongman. As a boy at the time, Atom had witnessed the power and athletic ability of the mighty wrestler and asked the man himself how he could throw and outwrestle large opponents with ease. 

Now when you look at the reality of Gama's conditioning, the numbers he displayed for reps are grossly exaggerated, however; despite what he did, you can't knock what he was capable of and understand the magnitude of what he put himself through in order to be the most successful wrestler of his time if not the entire time wrestling has been around. The man use to tie a belt around a tree first thing in the morning and tried to throw it for quite a period of time. It was never possible mind you but when you push, pull, grip and squat in various positions for a few seconds to several minutes at a time, you're developing strength that is an added bonus if not critical to the actual movements themselves. 

The fact is, regardless of what you're training, the biggest factors are intensity and progressive resistance. Studies have shown that intense training can increase strength and muscle growth but also to add resistance and challenge the body's ability to adapt. It's hard but there are ways to be smart about it. Overall, Isometrics can give you abilities in your athletic endeavors that can give you advantages like Gama had and develop incredible strength, speed and agility. 

As we get older, it's still good to be athletic and have great energy, but the true purpose is to keep your body strong to prevent bone loss, muscle loss, osteoporosis and decreased strength in the tendons and ligaments. A key component to Isometrics is the benefit of developing the body's ability to prevent injuries as much as possible. So, were Isometrics the key to Gama's victories, who really knows for sure but I believe and many that know about him believe that with Isometrics, the strength you can possess takes on a whole new meaning to the word Superhuman.  

The Other Side Of Training

 Fitness is not only a passion of mine, it's a path I chose through trial and error along with understanding what I had done to get to this point and helping others see things from another perspective. Like with all things that go with the path you choose, you'll suffer some stuff along the way in order to appreciate and even learn what it took to survive them.

I wasn't really into working out per se when I was a teenager, it was just PE and a weight set in my dad's garage that I barely used or even took seriously. I was so bad that I got hurt far more often and just didn't care about safety or recovery. Being 15-16 years old and not knowing any better, it's crazy to think that looking back on it now, I really wished I knew then what I know now. Hell even as a young kid I hated running and my conditioning was so terrible that running a mile felt like torture and dogging it most of the time. One time our PE class did a run and we had to climb up this big hill right next to the field and then keep going along this trail and back. I was already out of it just doing that damn hill and ran pathetically with my classmates but about 100 yards to get back to the hill to go down, I collapsed in front of my PE coach and nearly blacked out. I was so exhausted and just wanted to die. 

Talk about some scary shit man lol. During my first year of weight training in High School, I was a sophomore at the time, we were in the weight room and I was going for the Bench Press. I had put maybe 155-160 on the bar and test out some reps (at least I thought that was it), well I put the wrong set of weights on and accidently put on like 235 or something like that and when I was about to bring the bar down, it shot straight down onto my lower chest and almost broke my ribs. I bruised my ribs pretty bad and had to go to the nurse. Hard to breathe and the only thing I could use was an ice pack. 

When I got out of High School and joined the Gold's Gym right down the road, I wanted to get stronger and lift more weight. No real conditioning to show for and basically learned on my own how to move weights that I read in one book of Ironman that featured some Dinosaur Training and Bodybuilding. I didn't have specific routines even though I tried and taking MetRx supplements. One day, I tried a circuit I saw either in the book or some other book I had, not even halfway in I was feeling overwhelmed and breathing so heavily that it didn't feel right. Went into the bathroom and in the stall I sat and nearly passed out. I was seeing spots and than it just went black for like a minute or 2. 

In gymnastics when I was 23 almost 24 in 2008, we were doing forward and backward rolls one day and I rolled back wrong and put heavy stress on my neck and spinal cord. It felt like a crowbar smacked my neck. I couldn't stand straight for a couple days and it scared me. I did remind myself to be grateful for the bridging training I did because if my neck wasn't strong as it was, it could've been way worse and after those couple days, I felt bruising but nothing severe and focused on little things to recover. 

So what's the point of me telling you guys this? It's definitely not to brag about injuries as some badge of honor, when scary shit happens, there's not a whole lot to be proud of in those situations. People tend to think that when it comes to certain things in fitness, yeah it looks easy and you handle certain things but you're not immune to everything. Injuries and even such physical and mental exhaustion that you black out can happen and if you're not careful, you can end up losing your life. I learned from those experiences to make myself aware that you don't need to push to such limits to make your training worthwhile. Become strong and conditioned with little to no injury sustaining issues. 

The other side of training is what many won't talk about and have this taboo idea that looking from that other side of the coin is bad and should be left alone. That is dangerous as hell and sure some will go to lengths to see what they're capable of but there's a price to pay. Nobody is like Duncan McCleod of the clan McCleod and can live forever. Make the most of what you're capable of and progress little by little. We never know what's coming so train to the best of your abilities and make the best life you can.  

Can You Bear It In The Wild For Even A Minute?

It's easy to forget that whether you're starting out or are a seasoned vet, fitness doesn't have to be complicated or so damn time consuming it becomes problematic in your life. First and foremost, we are responsible for what we make of ourselves and getting the most out of our existence and learning new things or adapting helps us grow. Throughout my fitness career, I've learned to create any workout I want no matter how long or short it is anywhere I go. It's a constant practice to find the creativity and develop the habit of doing something daily which at times can be hard because life throws us curveballs.

Lately, one of my things for daily exercise is to do something for one minute. That turned out to be the classic Bear Crawl; for one minute everyday I would do this exercise whether in the morning, after a workout or in the evening. One minute of this exercise is incredible. It has become such a good practice that I have now done it for 24 days straight. That's 24 minutes of just Bear Crawling. 

It doesn't have to be fast, just get on all fours and start walking. This exercise is great for waking the body up, neurons firing and feeling a slight endorphin high at the end. Not to mention it gets the heart rate up pretty quick and targets so many muscles it's not even funny. You don't have to do the Bear Crawl, you can pick other animals to do for a minute or you can do isometrics or a callisthenic exercise for a minute, it's up to you. I prefer animal movements for that one minute because it challenges the body to move differently and just getting up and playing. Calisthenics aren't playful to me, I enjoy them don't get me wrong but the idea of being wild and primal just feels right, it feels ancestral. 

Most think in order to accomplish a good workout, you need to do this for 10 minutes, lift for an hour, do 30 minutes on a treadmill or take some crazy aerobics or spin class around 3-4 times a week. This is more of a set up to fail because not everyone has time on their hands and have important things going on in their lives plus they might have kids, PTA meetings, conferences and jobs that just renders them dry at the end of the day. Instead, look into the idea that if you do some form of exercise for 60 seconds, it's a hell of a lot better than doing zilch. The funny thing about this is, one minute may feel like a cake walk but some exercises for that long may feel like the longest 60 seconds of your life. Once you get past a minute, go for 2 than 3 or spread your training throughout the day. You have more options than you were led to believe.

If you're up for it, start with Bear Crawling for 10 seconds each day for a week, than bump it up to 15, than 30 and keep adding till you get to a minute. You want to do something else, go for it. Hell if you want to bring it up to minute in stages, do 6 sets of 10 seconds and go from there, you can even make a tabata workout out of it (20 seconds on/ 10 seconds off for a max of 4 minutes) if you wish, make it work for you. One minute can change so many things it's mind bottling (channeling my inner Ron Burgundy) but seriously, what have you got to lose? Give it a chance and see where it goes, if you're still on the notion that you have to do something crazy for an hour or more 3 or more times a week than that's what you will end up or not end up doing. 

Go and be Wild with these books on Animal Workouts & Exercises

 Animal Workouts by David Nordmark

Animal Moves By Darryl Edwards

What's More Important? Good Looking Muscles Or Healthy Joints?

 Now this isn't to say you can't have both which can be attainable with the right tools to make it happen but many these days go gung ho for one but not the other and look at it from an external point of view most likely. With all the overwhelming info out there and never truly knowing who to trust when it comes to "Fitness Influencers" these days, how the hell can you make a bold decision to make something worth while without understanding the aspects of it?

There's nothing wrong with having a good physique, it can look like a billion bucks and maybe even land you a role or two in a Superhero flick but did you know they sometimes CGI areas of a person's body in those movies? Anyway, it does take hard work to develop a great body, for some it's easier on others but in the end, putting in the work is where it starts. The problem is especially in the day of Social Media, Magazines and other Digital Formats, they filter and alter various aspects of the human body in pictures to the degree where it looks practically unrealistic to even achieve. Along with many who photoshop and/or take steroids, diet pills and often very unsafe supplements, you're looking at a body that isn't made to be developed by the average person. 

Muscles can do wonders, but they won't always be able to save your ass. Some guys and even women develop a condition that's called Bigorexia which is to develop so much muscle that it looks as if it popped out of a comic book. They take steroids, TRT, Muscle Supplements and eat so much that it consumes and overwhelms the organs. That can kill you quicker than the amount of time tickets are sold for Wrestlemania. Along with that, many Influencers show off bodies that look great but have some very dark undertones in order to obtain it and to even try to maintain it, they brainwash people into believing it can be achieved through all these gadgets and $500 resistance bands or these workouts that would put the average person in the ER. It's ridiculous. 

Now, what about developing healthy joints, tendons & ligaments? They're internal and they don't show anything that is worth more than a pluck Nickle at times but they do far more than meets the eye. For people who have healthy and conditioned joints, many don't look like Bodybuilders or Crossfitters, they look almost "normal" or average but they've got more going on than you might think. The power behind those healthy joints is incredible when it is used in various ways. Did you know that some people over the age of 60 have a much healthier body than the 30 year old influencer that gets injured more than Wiley Coyote? That's because despite the appearance, the joints carry far more into a person's years from a long term point of view than those who only use fitness for a short period of time and lose themselves by the time they're 40. Imagine still feeling you're in in your prime than only having it for a few years and than it just poof disappears. 

I'm not saying all influencers and fitness stars can't do things into their golden years but many can't grasp the damage they can cause when they influence people to believe what they do is the greatest thing since sliced bread and that if you did this or that you can be just like them. It's that snake oil salesman mentality and can have dangerous consequences. As we get older, things do change and it can be very challenging to keep a level head on how to maintain a level of fitness and health especially when it comes to the organs and joints. If you can maintain a good physique, that's awesome and I'm happy you pulled it off, but also keep your eye on maintaining healthy joints because nobody wants to say "I've fallen and can't get up" by the time they're 50 and beyond. Be vigilant on taking care of your body both internally and externally. 

Overcoming Isometrics

Encyclopedia Of Bodyweight Training 

Lost Empire Herbs 

Jack And Jill Went Up The Hill To....

 Remember that old Rhyme? Well. times have changed and those two have been climbing that hill too long to fetch some aqua from that damn well. I bet they got in pretty decent shape from climbing that thing everyday but what if they decided to sprint up that hill? They'd be totally different in terms of physique wouldn't they? 

Sprint Training is a timeless and true art form of burning off fat faster than any other method period. Hill Sprints are the king of beasts when it comes to fat loss and quick muscle building. Run up one for 10-12 seconds, slowly walk down to the starting point and repeat, you'll be getting a hell of a workout. There's even research that says Hill Sprints are better than running on flat ground; I wonder why? Well, for one you won't be able to run at the speed you normally do on flat ground and two, you're looking at better joint application. You're also fighting more on a hill because the incline is resisting you; this in turn gives off better chances of developing the muscles.

Acceleration is different too so even at the starting point, you're only accelerating at the speed that a hill will give you. There's no doubt that even at top speed, you won't stay there for more than a few seconds and to even maintain it takes up more force than if you were to do it on flat ground. Some of the best athletes were Hill Sprinters and their conditioning was in the elite of the elite. Did you know that when Walter Payton ran those hills during the off-season, some athletes would join him and these guys weren't too bad either but even then, they had trouble keeping up with Sweetness and would quit before he even had a chance to feel fatigued. He even once said he would run hills trying to kill himself. Now for most people, you don't need to go to extreme lengths to get the most out of Hill Sprints.

How many should you do? That depends on where you're at. If you're just starting out and you can't even sprint yet? Be like Jack & Jill; climb the hill a couple times twice a week at best and increase the number of climbs by one every few weeks or so. When you feel ready, start jogging up and see how it feels, 2-3 times a week. When you're ready to start sprinting, start with 4 at first and you don't need to go further than a 10 second burst. 2-3 times a week do 4 sprints time for a little while, than bump up to 5 and so on. You don't need to do more than 10 sprints per workout and you don't need to sprint any further than 15 seconds worth. A sprint should be your top speed otherwise you're basically jogging up the hill. Even jogging up can get you in good shape but a sprint will separate the men from the boys. 

Start as Jack Jill going up to fetch a pale of water and work your way up to a mountain lion catching prey. Be prepared to see major changes in your body from Sprint Training. It'll be like looking at a totally different person.  

Unleash The Power Of Your Core

 Core Training these days is being thrown around like it has to mean something; for example, the six pack abs look or working towards training for a sport or god forbid Crossfit. Real Core Training is more than just some explosive exercise or working your ab muscles so hard into the ground that if you're not sore you didn't do it right, it's more about strengthening both internally and externally. It has more to do with training the body to prevent injuries as much as possible. Many exercises taught today are merely just muscle building and have no regard for being safe and realistic. 

From a realistic point of view, real life situations aren't going to call for how many sit-ups you can do or how many times you can toss a ball against a wall or even how long you can hold a plank. Things creep up on you and it's important to be prepared. If you have to move your body in awkward situations and your core muscles aren't in shape for them, you're not going to last long. Conditioning is more than just how long you can go, it's about going while staying strong in the process. 

Conditioning the mid section goes a long way than to just put on some muscle. Core Strength helps you move things in awkward positions without hurting yourself, it gives you power to take a hit and it even helps with flexibility and mobility. The Core is not just ab muscles; it's the obliques, the lower back, the pelvic area and others. My favorite forms of training the core is using the Ab Wheel or the Power Wheel to really tackle those areas in a short amount of time. Sit-ups don't really do it for me anymore and plus, they're boring as hell in my eyes. Isometrics while focusing on the Core is a hell of a lot better than sit-ups, you can do sit-ups until the cows come home and not truly get anywhere. Farmer's Walk or shouldering & walking with weight is a hell of a Core Builder because you need to be in control otherwise you're flopping all over the place. Animal movements force you to work the Core in order to stabilize you in those weird positions. 

Having million dollar abs may look awesome but if you turn slightly or can't move in the most basic format, you just wasted all that time and now you're hurt. There's a difference between being sore and being in agonizing pain; I've had both. When I do focus on Core Conditioning, I have a greater chance of being strong when the unexpected comes. That's the reality at times and it's important we make training the core a priority. I don't give a damn about a magazine cover or what people think what's better for your abs, I train to make myself as strong as possible so I don't get hurt very often and be able to do things that are fun to do. 

The idea is to train the body as a unit, not working a bunch of isolated muscles. When you work your Core, work it to the degree where multiple muscle groups work together to get the best out of it. Exercises from the Power Wheel give you real Core Strength & Conditioning in such a short amount of time it's not even funny. Get strong and remember, you have the power in you to unleash levels of strength you didn't know existed. 

One Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Being sick sucks and that's a damn fact man. Over this past week, me and the wife ended up a little under the weather and tried to take it easy as much as possible. I did end up getting my wife's cold which could've been worse but I'm recovering pretty quickly since it's been less than a few days. She's healing up to the best of her abilities and she seems to be practically over it since she was being cute and a little mischievous yesterday.  Think this is the first time I've been sick for a little over a year or more but who's counting?

When it comes to illness or getting over something, I try to make it as natural as possible to heal up: Intermittent Fasting, Hydrate, Take Some Vitamins, Training And Rest. Training might sound a little odd and maybe even cuckoo you might say but it does have some benefit to be a little active to get some of the crap out of your system. I don't mean to go running sprints or going to the gym and moving some plates around but something light and about maybe no more than 40% of what you normally do but that also depends on the condition you're in, everybody is different. I like to work on some joint loosening, deep breathing as much as possible and do Isometrics with less intensity. 

Being sick is never fun and some get sick easier than others which is why we need to strengthen our immune system more often than just our muscles and the connective tissues. We can't completely prevent ourselves from getting sick but we sure as hell can find ways to heal/recover at a quicker rate with the right tools and info that gives as many individuals an advantage as much a possible. It's a known fact with me that I don't trust the medical industry all that much and go to a route that has alternatives than to just take a pill or pop something in order to feel better temporarily. That doesn't mean the medical industry is all terrible, yes it has flaws but it also has many success rates for many things. To me, it's important to stay healthy as much as I can, unless I'm in severe dire straits or need to see a specialist (which is already rare).

Take care of yourself the best way you can and let your body heal when it needs to. Even superheroes get sick sometimes so do what works best for you. I can give you ideas on certain supplements you can take but overall; rest up, hydrate when needed and give your body time to recover (it may not be that easy for many but do your best).

Elderberry

Immunity Page At Lost Empire

Mushroom Alchemy Tincture