A Simple Isometric Workout That Tackles Practically Everything

 Isometrics are not as complicated as some may think and they go beyond just holding positions and contracting. They're rehabilitating, they save time, give you strength in places you didn't realize needed strength and the amount of exercises you can do are virtually limitless. I've written before that my personal favorite form of Isometrics are Overcoming & Hybrids. Tried many workouts and have stayed consistent with some exercises where it's mainly in the 7-12 sec range at peak contraction for one set in multiple positions. Some workouts are just 1 set of 1 position but one in particular I did yesterday was a mixture of longer held Isometrics with 7-12 sec exercises which made me learn a different set of focus.

The first three exercises I did was a Push, Pull, Squat and than just do Core Exercises. The main 3 were done for 3x30 sec each and the Core Exercises were for one set each at 7-12 sec Contractions. It was actually a really good workout and gathering strength from different perspectives. I always do Core Isometrics towards the end of Isometric Training because they provide the ability to build my posture and I can hit the muscles with very few exercises to make them effective. Here's the workout I did....

3x30 Sec Hybrid Push-Up

3x30 Sec Deadlift

3x30 Sec Zercher Squat

7-12 Sec Dead Bug Crunch

7-12 Sec Side Plank

7-12 Sec Arch Body 

7-12 Sec Side Plank (Other Side)

7-12 Sec Hollow Body 

7-12 Sec Side Bends

This was about as close as to a full body workout as you can get and it gave me a hell of an endorphin high. The hardest was actually the Hybrid Push-Up because not only are you pushing against an immovable object but also fighting gravity at the same time and keeping a peak contraction for 30 seconds feels like an eternity and everything is working in order to also stabilize. It's like going to war and in order to stay in that position, you can't just use lower intensity like in a yielding exercise, it forces you to contract the muscles at a specific level otherwise the body won't stabilize as much. 

The deadlift was used with a dowel as a "mimicked" barbell and pulling at around knee high for about 50-65% of my strength. Still a great exercise for the lower back, grip and legs. The bigger the percentage of contraction, the harder it is to hold on. The Zercher Squat was around the same percentage of contraction but you're pushing against the strap while also making your legs work with such great force and intensity that you're giving the tendons and ligaments the fuel they need to withstand impact from other activities. If you want stronger knees to go up flights of stairs, hills or whatever, this is a great exercise and tackles the Core and Back muscles to strengthen the posterior chain as well. It's more than just a squat. 

For the Core Exercises, to me they're a key factor in how you maintain posture for all the other exercises beyond just the abs and obliques. To build incredible strength, it takes some form of aligning the body in solid positions to really kickstart the contractions. You have to flex everything while maintaining focus. If you're going for lesser intensity, the principle still applies to contract every muscle but not as hard....Point the toes and extend the arms overhead in the hollow and arch holds, press into the thighs with your hands or fists in the Dead Bug Crunch, utilize the whole body in the side planks whether on your hands or forearms, maintain posture as you extend and also flex in the side bends. Every exercise needs full attention otherwise you could throw yourself off and if you don't contract every muscle, the alignment may not be there and the results won't be as effective. 

If you can't do the full alignments of the exercises yet, do what you can and work from there. Isometrics are simple but they're not easy by any means. Some exercises are difficult to hold because the control isn't there yet and the practice of Mind/Muscle Connection needs to be practiced in the moment and with laser-like focus. Even a small percentage of not focusing can throw off the entire exercise despite not moving. If you're more advanced and want to do the first three a full 90 seconds than do what you can do (if you can hold a 90 second Hybrid Push-up, you got some serious strength). You can vary the time and intensity however you want just keep in mind that the higher percentage of contraction, the less time you'll be able to hold a position. To learn more about Isometric Training check out Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project and for some of the exercises in the book, you can use a towel, a sheet, Rings or get one of the best Isometric apparatuses around the Worlfit Iso Trainer.

Be amazingly awesome in your journey and make the most of what's possible and get stronger little by little. Don't forget that if you click on the link to Rings, be sure to add in my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout to get a cool 10% OFF your purchase. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Albizia Powder

Does Vascularity Determine How Strong You Are?

 When we see those influencers on Instagram or the ads on Facebook and YouTube, are they as strong or as fit as they claim? Most of the time, not necessarily. They look great (to an extent) and I admire the hard work they put in but looking good and actually being strong and fit are entirely different things. Sometimes it's more of an illusion to convince people to follow them in order to build a "Brand" but those that actually give a damn about teaching others to get strong and fit are few and far between.

One of the common things we see in magazines and videos of those who are training hard are those who have every muscle and/or vein popping out of their skulls showing these angles of making people believe what they're seeing is something so hardcore and show what strength they may possess. It's not always easy to read between the lines but they're there especially those who use fake weights. Vascularity most of the time really only shows a certain level of bodyfat that has been lowered. Having visible veins in most cases are from Bodybuilders which in reality are not very strong guys. Having extremely low bodyfat can actually be very dangerous as can having an extremely high level of bodyfat (ever see the 1000 lb sisters). It's damaging to the organs and is at high risk for problems not just internally but on the outside as well.

There's also a difference in having visibly powerful veins and having steel like cords that determine someone's strength. If you took let's say Dennis Rogers and some 185 lb Physique Mr. Olympia contestant, which one do you think has a better strength ratio in comparison to their body type? For those who may not know, Dennis Rogers is pound for pound the strongest man of his time. He looks like an ordinary guy but his strength is anything but. He can bend the toughest wrenches into an S, tear the thickest phonebooks, shape steel like a clown shapes balloons, tears decks of cards like sheets of paper and pound nails into thick pieces of wood like a hammer. One look at him without ever knowing what he's capable of, you'd think he's just one of those guys you see often on the street with a pair of glasses on with a t-shirt and jeans. 

What does constitute with demonstrating strength? Moving heavy weights can be a factor and it doesn't matter if you're a 165 lbs skinny guy or a 300-400 lb beast. Bending steel takes a great deal of strength and maybe 1-50,000 bodybuilders today can maybe do a little of that and I'm being generous about that statement, carrying moderate weight for long periods of time shows great strength endurance, slamming tires with sledgehammers more than 40 lbs shows incredible strength and doing other things. Strength in this case is about what you can do as oppose to just looking like it and having the illusion of strength. That's not to say some people with heavy visible veins aren't strong, look at Arm Wrestlers and muscular Sprinters and Football Players. Being vascular is not the complete determining factor of how fit and strong you are. There's also nothing wrong with showing results and becoming fit with an awesome body but to just show your vascularity and not your strength to go with it, it's just that, a picture of how veiny you are. 

Be as strong as you look or give off that vibe of "looks can be deceiving" and be deceptively strong despite not always having a strong looking body. Take care of yourself and keep being amazingly awesome.  

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Hercules Pre-Workout Formula

Why Hybrid & Overcoming Isometrics Are So Damn Effective

 

The bulk of my training, at least 70% of it is Isometric Training working exercises from all sorts of angles and using my bodyweight, a strap, a hand towel and a wooden dowel as equipment. The rest of the time, I just pick and choose various things like step-ups, loaded carries, hammers, mace and resistance bands. When it comes down to it, Isometrics is the most versatile form of Physical Culture. You can do them practically anywhere and just about a limitless variety of exercises that can stretch the imagination. 

My favorite forms of Isometrics are the Overcoming & Hybrid variety. For those wondering what these are, Overcoming Isometrics are exercises where you push/pull/squat against an immoveable object such as a strap, a wall or using your own bodyweight. A Hybrid is a combination of both Overcoming & Yielding Isometrics where you do an exercise such as a Push-up, Pull-Up or Squat that tackles the immoveable format while fighting against gravity. To learn more about Hybrids, check out the book Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project. These forms create what I call the Game Genie of Strength Training (In other words a cheat code) to develop strength that not only can be utilized maximally but also doesn't put wear and tear on your joints while also developing a powerful physique.

The results you see above are just part of the journey of my fitness career and one that has helped me heal injuries when needed and to build strength in the tendons and ligaments to sustain a strong skeletal structure. Isometrics are so damn effective because of the intensity you can put into it and create workouts that are short and to the point without needing to do hundreds of reps of anything unless that's your choice to go for. They provide a structure of being utilized as a warm-up to get the muscles ready for dynamic movements but also as a cool-down or finisher to keep yourself strong and energized after a hard workout. By themselves they're incredible for those days where you don't want to do a whole lot but can get plenty done and depending on the intensity, you'll feel it almost immediately when done right.

I try to keep the exercises to a minimum working as many muscle groups as possible without tiring out. Hitting the arms hard with curls and Hybrid Push-Ups, work the back doing mainly deadlifts and various rows, shoulders are bow and arrow pulls and overhead presses, legs are wall sits and Zercher Squats, Chest are also done with the Hybrid Push-up & Hybrid Plank along with The Crossover using the Iso-Bow and the Core is pure Bodyweight doing Gymnastic type Isometric Contractions such as the Hollow & Arch Body Holds, Side Planks, Dead Bug Crunch & the Side Bends. All in all, a workout varies from 5-20 min depending what I want to do that day. To make the intensity effective and efficient, I do the classic "SSSS" sound on the exhale for the 7-12 seconds or until the breath is completely done. 

I like the Yielding Isometrics which is basically fighting against gravity and just holding a position with less intensity which I do from time to time such as Fist Planks, Horse Stance, Iso Pull-Ups, Lunges and the Gymnastic/Wrestler's Bridges. They're awesome for building strength and endurance in certain positions and sure as hell are great for flexibility but the Overcoming versions always made me feel tighter, faster and gives me greater focus on what I want to work on. When I really focus on them, I always also feel lighter and leaner. You do have to be careful however because if you go too hard for too long, they can wipe you out and tax the CNS so be sure to recover when needed. You can do them everyday just vary the intensity. 

They're also very effective because it doesn't also rely sole on strength, they can have a cardio effect too because you can blast through a ten minute workout and feels like you ran sprints because of the jacked heart rate. When you contract hard and put as much as you can into it, you can be breathing hard after just a few seconds and need to recover. With less intensity, you hold for let's say a minute or more and slowly but surely your heart rate goes up and the lactic acid builds up after a bit (try doing the Hybrid Push-up or Squat for a minute and see what happens). I've done a Hybrid Push-Up for a little over a minute and was breathing hard like I just ran a 10 second sprint, it is that intense. 

In Overcoming Isometrics, the author throws in the scientific analysis along with the compartments of the various chains (Push, Pull ect) that equip the level of intensity and strength needed to make a workout effective. Now many know that Isometrics have been around forever yet is still so underrated because it's not fancy or so complex like with other Mainstream Fitness Formats. The real key here, is the simplicity in how you train the muscles to contract along with low-skilled exercises that just about anybody can do. 

When it comes to equipment, there isn't a whole lot you need but if you want to add variety to get the most out of your Isometric Training, you can use the Rings, The Worldfit Iso Trainer, The Iso-Bow or the Swisses Pull-Up Handles. Just these few alone can provide more exercises than you can name. BTW, when you click on the rings and pull-up handles, there's a special discount in it for you when you punch in POWERANDMIGHT at checkout, just FYI.

Get the most out of your training with little equipment and build incredible strength and power that gives you explosiveness, agility, endurance and mobility in your other endeavors such as sports or other recreation. Be amazingly awesome and keep the journey going.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Reishi Mushroom

Isometric Strength For Stronger Pull-Ups

 A key ingredient to become strong in an exercise (depending on the level of advancement) is build strength in various positions to get the full benefit of it such as various Push-Ups or in this case Pull-Ups. Some don't have the strength to even get an inch and just get stuck there. Now this isn't on the aspects of "Isolating" the muscles by doing a lot of movements for one specific exercise but by utilizing the power of Isometrics. We can build some incredible pulling strength using Isometric Exercises. 

Do we have to get the chin over the bar in order to make the pull-up count? Yes and no depending on who you talk to. Some will say very much so and they're right, yet also, depending on a person's body type and the way their arms are, it's a matter of perspective. I have struggled myself getting the chin over the bar and have stopped right at the chin mark. I'm better at Chin-ups than regular Pull-ups which I know I can improve on using Isometrics as a progression tool to get stronger at them. I just never made it a priority until I decided to do so once the weather warms up. 

The layers of positioning for Isometric Pull-ups can vary but the main areas are the dead hang, middle and at chin or over chin level. Steve Justa's Isometric Style was to do 8 layers or so of building strength for certain exercises like Squats, Push-ups, Arm Wrestling and other things. It worked for him as he was by far one of the most underrated Strongmen in history doing partials with weights most can't even fathom and had such arm and leg power through Isometrics that if you were to arm wrestle him or try to shove him, even a few inches would be a miracle since he was so damn solid even at his heaviest. This kind of protocol may not work for others because it can be time consuming with the amount of various Pull-Ups to work on. 

Pulling movements help with the balancing of the musculature in order to be efficient in performing better. You can get away with Pushing stuff for so long before you start to have caved in chest. Push-Ups can do wonders but they won't give you that full "Wingspan" of a back. Isometrics for the back utilizing all sorts of directions can aid in building that Pull-Up Strength. It is possible for big guys to do Pull-ups, it's just harder in most cases and not always because they may be fat and all that, some muscleheads have awesome pulling strength but many can barely get over the middle part. Some guys can be over 300 lbs and get their chin over the bar which in itself is impressive and doesn't need to do a ton of reps to prove it. 

You can do Aussie Pull-Up Isometrics, Angled Body Rows using Rings or Straps, working neutral grip, hands facing away, hands facing you, mixed grips, all can be done using Isometrics. When you strengthen those layers and practice moving, it builds strength in those weak points. Yielding & Overcoming Isometrics work well but personally I believe Overcoming can give you the best advantage. With Overcoming, you can stand on a stool or have a bar that can be adjusted to various heights without having to hang from it. I have a door hanging Pull-Up bar that I can just stand under and Pull from all sorts of grips and stand on a stool for the middle and upper portions. 

The Yielding Isometrics can be trickier but doable because you're literally hanging and pulling up to a certain position, you can stop at certain points but you may not last long in that position. The best start is from the deadhang which is a great exercise on its own. You can make it an Overcoming by pulling up to a certain position and contract all the muscles in that position. I learned that from Ed Baran's Primate Power Course. Another idea is what's called a Hybrid Isometric where you get the best of both world's at the same time. A hybrid is when you fight gravity but also keeping position in a immoveable fashion. If you took a strap between the two poles of a pull-up apparatus and pull yourself up until the strap stops your feet and you can't go any further, that's a hell of a way to build strength right there. If you want to learn more about this, check out the book Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project, there's an entire chapter showing and describing Hybrid Isometrics. 

Although there's variety here, you're also getting an understanding of basic fundamentals on Isometric Training and how they can improve your movements using bits and pieces of strengthening the weak points. I'll be using this myself in my training and get better at doing pull-ups. If there's anyone who can teach you the true aspects of Pull-up Training it's Mike The Machine Bruce, a former Marine and Submission Wrestling Champion who's got not only the world's strongest neck but has a back that looks like it was carved from granite with a ripped to shreds physique. The other is Matt Schifferle of Red Delta Project who's incredible knowledge with DIY equipment and Strength Building Training personifies the modern day Physical Culturist that can help you fill in gaps in your arsenal and shoot them into the stratosphere using simplistic and low-skilled strength and conditioning exercises. 

Get stronger in whatever it is you want to do and make the most of what's possible and suitable to your needs and goals. Pull your weight and keep being amazingly awesome. 

BTW if you click on the link where it says Rings, you can get a cool 10% Discount when you punch in the code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. My gift to you. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Nettle Root Tincture

A Micro Workout For The Core

 When I trained at the gym back in my teens, I had no idea what Core Training meant or even understood the importance of it since all I knew back then was if you were to develop abs you had to do hundreds of crunches, that's really all I did for my abs. Although I did lift and all that, I rarely ever focused on the abs or obliques. Paid a price for it a time or two. When I transitioned to Bodyweight Exercises, it became very clear that there was more to Core Training than just upper abs, lower abs, obliques and lower back individually. They needed to be trained as a unit in order to perform better.

My first taste of really tackling those muscles was the bridging from Combat Conditioning and from there, I started gaining strength and flexibility in that area. I got Combat Abs and was learning the basic exercises from there, the next course I used in Core Training was Gymnastic Abs that Ed Baran put out which became a favorite. It had some cool stuff and really helped strengthen areas I was lacking from the others. It kept going from there.

One of the things that really tested my Core Strength and flexibility was doing the Bridging Gymnastics where you would fall back into a bridge, kick over and kick back. I was never into the Human Flag or those crazy barstarzz workouts but the Bridging Gymnastics was pretty fun to do. At a point in time, I was doing workouts 2-3x a week where I would do kickovers and flipping back on my head and hands in the bridge up to I think 30 reps in a workout and that was exhausting as hell. I stopped after a while and moved onto more of the Power Wheel, Ab Isometrics and Animal Movements.

Over the last few years, training the Core comes and goes and I'll do things like Bridging, V-Ups, various holds, the Ab Wheels to the point where I managed to do one standing rollout and back (haven't been able to do it since so maybe it's time to train that again), farmer's carries and hoisting up the 50 lb sandbell many times. I don't train necessarily for a 6 pack (not really my thing) but for function and resilient to injury as much as possible. One workout I've done on a few occasions is a Tabata Style Isometric workout that I learned from the Red Delta Project which you can find here...It's intense and it's only 4 minutes long. Another that I tried out was not only just as intense but I did it a little differently to make it interesting.....

It's based on the Gymnastic Abs exercises I learned and made them into a Tabata Workout with a 1 min finisher. It's very simple and you can do them in the beginning stages or advanced, depending on where you are.

Hollow Body Hold for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Side Plank (Start whatever side you want) for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Arch Body Hold for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Side Plank (Opposite side) for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Repeat this 1 more time for a total of 4 minutes. The finisher is 1 minute of V-Ups using as good form as possible on the reps. If you have the control, keep the legs as straight as possible with little to no bend in the knees and arms straight overhead. All together, this really is a 5 minute workout you can do practically anywhere and gives you a Core quite a kick. This is great if you're short on time or want something done quick before whatever it is you're doing. If you're ambitious and have enough strength, do the Iso Holds and V-Ups but add in the Gymnastic Bridge to really stretch the abs, spine and everything else. Just hold as long as you can even if its for less than 10 seconds, add 1-5 seconds per workout until you can do a minute or more. Including rest time, you can get a complete Core Workout in under 10 minutes. If you have progressed to more advanced holds and movements, work them in or do a workout on their own. It's up to you.

Hundreds of Crunches & Sit-Ups can get boring and some exercises can put a damper on your spine and neck so utilize Holds & Movements that help strengthen those areas instead of hurting them. A strong Core doesn't need to be a 6 pack, but strong enough to take a hit and/or perform better with all your other exercises along with resistant to injury. Having a bad back is no joke I've been there and it can be painful as hell and it becomes much more common as we get older, train your abs with intensity beyond just the muscles, strengthen the lower back, obliques and groin area (save the jokes). You don't need to do hundreds of reps of an exercise unless you have a goal in mind.

Build that Core, stay strong and keep being amazingly awesome. Looking for workout ideas to build your abs? Check out the Darebee Ab Workouts for FREE!!! Some of the best exercises for building Core Strength is from Movement 20XX from Vahva Fitness.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Horny Goat Weed

Putting The "Free" In Freedom Of Exercise

 From a training perspective, spending time on it should be the only thing that costs you but alas the reality is, in order to train successfully, it does cost some dough if you want to learn from the best. However, investing in a course that gives you the real freedom to move and do some cool stuff is as great as you can get. That doesn't mean the quality of a course is equal to the investment you put in. 

When you research and find top quality information, it's important to be vigilant in how you proceed with that investment. If you're looking for top quality courses on a budget, check out my Fitness Courses For Under $10 article for some bad ass info that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. Now, if you got enough saved up to where you're looking for long term training that keeps going without having to invest more than you need to, this is where it can get interesting. I've invested in many courses over the years and at this point, very few utilize the best quality of not just exercises and routines but how to apply them outside of their given program. 

I firmly believe whatever you choose to invest in, make the most of it if possible otherwise you spent your hard earned money on something that looks promising but is pure shit. Think about this for a second, there are books out there that costs on average of 35-250 dollars for a KINDLE on only training specific body parts or specific exercises at a time like one for squats, one for push-ups, one on pull-ups, one on just calisthenics alone and one on jump roping. Don't get me started on the paperbacks or hardcovers, it's ridiculous. The cost effectiveness isn't really there for somebody even if they're willing to put in the work, you might as well take out a mortgage to pay for all that. The guy selling them is also kind of what you call skinny fat, he "can" do these things but has a look that is relatively unappealing and some of the time looks like a hobo with fancy shades on. 

When it comes to cost effective and long term programming, I have found that very few can match the likes of Vahva Fitness. It's one of the best quality of training information around today. Once you buy a program, it's there for life and doesn't require much if at all to pay for more when they do addons with that specific program. Movement 20XX for example shows you how to progressively get better at various movements using nothing more than your own bodyweight. It has calisthenics, it has animal style movements, it has isometric type training and teaches you how to tie them all in together inside of one program. You get flow routines, animal movements you can do exclusively, push-up training to build up to levels of crawling, flexibility training, monthly workout routines and a hell of a lot more. This is all you can have with the cost of a one year membership to a typical gym. This alone would set you pretty much for life when it comes to bodyweight training.

Warrior 20XX is a course that creates more specific routines based on the type of goals you're looking for (Strength, Fat Burning, Muscle Density and others). You get to pick and choose whether to train 2x a week or more if you wish and learn exercises for specific body parts to train. It isn't the same as bodybuilding or purely "isolated" movements, everything comes into play but you target certain muscles more than others which can strengthen your weak points to create a complete physique. You can choose to do bodyweight, use a dumbbell or a kettlebell to do the exercises and routines, you can even create your own workouts once you mastered the basics and progressions. Along with all that, there are Bonus Routines with exercises and minimal equipment not shown in the main program which doesn't cost you a thing to learn. 

Athlete 20XX is just about as bad ass as you can get when it comes to specific training for conditioning and sports specific type training for beginners, intermediate and advanced routines. It goes into phases to give you the best progressions possible without the wear and tear on your joints and utilize the quality of speed, strength, mobility, performance and more. It focus on keeping the core tight to be most efficient with the exercises you are performing. 

Just one of these individually can do wonders for your health, fitness and physique. The guy who does all of these programs is not only fit like a Greek god but can go and has stupid conditioning and long term strength. One of the bonus routines he does is taken from a wrestling workout from Finland that has conditioned the very best athletes of that country. If you want to save more in the long run, getting all three programs is the best option. It may seem expensive but if you look at it from a perspective, that cost is a lifetime guarantee. They truly give you the freedom of training as you can create your own programs using one or all three throughout the week, one for one week, one for another or mesh-up anyway you see fit. Make it your own and build your own style. Learn new exercises as they come up and never have to worry about monthly fees or annual fees that can hinder your finances. 

Remember about the cost of the kindle books I mentioned earlier? The same guy that sells them, also has a "forum" or "membership program that costs around 1200 bucks annually, for a 5 year term, that's around 6000 out of your pocket. If you get all 3 Vahva Fitness courses, that's it, you don't need to pay more than what you're getting and be set for life, once again, no annual fees. Check it out for yourself, believe me when I tell you, these are a hell of a better investment than most and as a practitioner of Movement 20XX, you can learn some of the best movements on the planet and find your creative side that builds you flexibility in your spine, easy or hard beastly moves that take your strength to another level and create flows that tackle your conditioning to its very core without counting reps or sets. 

Be free to make your own style and invest in YOU without any financial burdens later on. Be amazingly awesome and move with grace, power and athletically strong. 

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Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Rhodiola 

Sandbells & Kettlebells: A Lethal Combo For Destructive Strength

What we have on hand can be a great asset to what we want to achieve when it comes to building strength. One of those tools is the Kettlebell and thanks to Onnit, I have one of the coolest kettlebells on the planet and that's one in the shape of Darth Vader (yep, even Star Wars nerds train). I think the company stopped selling their Star Wars line a while ago because of limited supply for a brief period. It weighs a whopping 70 lbs and one of my personal favorites for Presses, Farmer's Walks, One Arm High Pulls and a couple others. 

Most who train with Kettlebells don't use more than a 53 lber which in most cases is more than enough to build some crazy strength and conditioning with. Any higher is more in the pure strength department and I'm in awe of guys who can do just about anything with a 100 lber. Think one of the few people to ever juggle one is John Brookfield who's about as strong as you can get. With the 70, it's a great implement to use every now and then especially for demos since it's the Dark Lord of the Sith and Star Wars is the GOAT of all Franchises (sorry Marvel, DC, LOTR, Star Trek NOT SORRY!!). 

Kettlebells have been around for more than a century and have been used by some of the strongest and incredibly fit athletes of all time. Valery Fedorenko ranks right up there, Steve Cotter is probably one of the best instructors in the field and Bud Jeffries was probably the greatest natural lifter to use a kettlebell up to 150 lb or more for reps. One of the greatest feats (somebody might correct me on this) that a kettlebell was used in was the Two Hands Anyhow that Arthur Saxon performed with a 350 lb Bent Press and a 98 lb kettlebell Clean & Press totaling 448 lbs in a sequence, no one has come close to matching that.

When it comes to the Sandbell, it's one of the most versatile implements around today. The combination of a Sandbag, Medicine Ball, Kettlebell & Slam Ball provides a near limitless supply of exercises you can come up with. I've been using it more in my demos lately because it's such a fun implement to use and safe to use on just about any surface that doesn't have something sharp to puncture the bag. From Squats to Presses, Windmills, Shoulder to Shoulder Carries, Snatches, Slams, Flipping & Catching whatever your imagination can come up with. Sandbags are extremely bad ass for conditioning because of the live weight as it shifts almost like moving a body around (not that is a good idea unless you're a wrestler or MMA fighter) but can strengthen the body using awkward angles and learning to expect the unexpected.

One workout that is very simple but effective is doing loaded carries with the Sandbell and going for as many yards as you can in total. I did this for a total of 1000 yards (just over half a mile) in around 20 minutes carrying the bell for 50 yards on my left shoulder, 50 bear hugging it and 50 on the right shoulder. Continue doing that until you've reached 900 yards and do the last 100 doing 50 for each shoulder. It hits a lot of muscles and tackles your strength endurance, grip strength, balance and your conditioning. The idea is to never rest...You pick it up, shoulder it, carry it for x amount of yards, drop it, pick up and bear hug it x amount of yards, drop it and pick it up shoulder it and carry. One of those workouts that tackles real life where you have to carry furniture, potato sacks or flour to and from a truck for an extended period of time. 

Another good workout is to do Farmer's Carries with a kettlebell by walking it in one hand for x amount of yards, put it down and switch hands, walk it, put it down and do Step Ups or Squats for x mount of reps. Set a timer and work this sequence until the timer ends. I've done this for sets of 20 yards with the bell and 20 Step-Ups for up to 20 min or more non stop. This builds incredible strength in your grip, leg conditioning, balance and stamina. Like the title says, these tools can build some destructive strength that can be a great asset for sports training, labor conditioning, bone strengthening and lots of other benefits. 

If you didn't have any other equipment, these two can be still be made to have the workout of your life. It's an idea where you don't always need a gym to get something cooking and build strength that very few possess. You want to be strong from many angles and doing so that doesn't cause injury or lessens the chance of an injury. These implements also develop incredible explosive strength as well.

Check out some of the videos below for some ideas you can use in your own workouts. I would caution you that some of these may be too difficult so if you're not sure about them, go with your instincts and don't do them. I would also advise to use lighter weights for most of these because it does take some strength and coordination as it is and to do these with heavier implements can be a total mind fuck. 

One Arm Kettlebell Presses

Sandbell Clean & Squat

Sandbell Windmills

Sandbell Slams

Kettlebell Push-Outs

Kettlebell Curl With Hand Towel

An Advanced Movement Of Sandbell & Kettlebell Combo

There you have it and do what's possible for you to do. Don't use heavy weights for the sake of it, it took me a while to build up to these and only did a few of these moves only recently these are just demos. Have fun and make your workouts interesting. Use your imagination and as long as you stick to the basics, that's really all you need. Be mindful and practice. Keep being amazingly awesome in your endeavors. 

Fitness Courses For Under $10

 When you're on a budget, priorities need to be in order to make things efficient. When it comes to fitness, it's best to keep things to a minimal utilizing basic exercises and routines that suit your needs without resorting to buying into the crap of needing this set up or this amount of equipment to fulfil the goals of getting fit and healthy. This holds true for those that sell fitness courses that showcase the best resources of information and training programs while on a budget. 

Although what I promote can be bought on Kindle, it's important to look at things from a perspective that some may not realize. These are options you can have, not always a necessity but to find the best resources within your way of saving some moolah. Not everyone can afford a fitness book that costs more than a weekly grocery trip and doesn't utilize the quality and structure needed to give you the best chance at being fit. Seriously, who the hell would really pay $150 for a book ($49 on KINDLE) when you can grab 5 kindle books or several paperbacks for the same price and not only get far better quality, but far greater information on the subject and have a better variety of exercises that not only build muscle but can build strength in ways others couldn't.

One of my favorite Authors in the last couple years has been Matt Schifferle who's approach to muscle building is not only top notch but has incredible enthusiasm and an honest direct attitude. He's mainly in the business of utilizing bodyweight training with minimal equipment of no more than a suspension trainer and an Isometric Strap most of the time that pits you into the realm of creating a physique that is strong but well conditioned using tactics that focus on tension. All of his courses on Kindle are under 10 bucks and provide the best quality of training information, scientific analysis, simplicity and how to control your body and not just show an exercise for the sake of exercise. His paperbacks are mainly in the 25 Dollar range but they're still very well written and bring a more positive approach to fitness and not acting like some jerk who thinks putting people down is a good idea to put in a book. 

Another author who I greatly admire and have bought from over the years is Brooks Kubik who's a modern day historian into the old school style of training that took strongmen, bodybuilders, everyday people and combat athletes to the moon and beyond. Dinosaur Training is one of the best books when it comes to training in the last near 30 years since its inception in 1996. Since that time, he's written countless articles, newsletters and many books to training for the best quality of life and health. In his mid 60's now, he's changed his approach over the years to showcase the adaptation of training hard while also keeping your bones and muscles strong as you get older. The man is built like a tank and trains on the freaking beach using logs to carry, drag, curl, squat and other things that give him incredible strength and bone thickening power. He mainly sells books on Kindle that are all under $10 and has information on nutrition, classic exercises and routines of the old timers, training for combat sports, training for those in their 40's, 50's and beyond with a hell of a lot more. Highly recommend him.

Last one would be a rugged and stupid strong of a guy named Josh Bryant who's mainly known for his Jailhouse Strong & Gas Station Ready approach to intense training that (like Brooks Kubik) utilizes old school tactics and programs that will put you into the ranks of some strong and tough motherfuckers. I've used his Sprint Training  program a time or two and its simplicity is just awesome. For a man his size to haul ass and run hard up hills is incredible to watch. He's built like a lineman with the speed of a linebacker and the crazy strength of a powerlifter. He utilizes bodyweight, weight training, speed training, sandbags, kettlebells and overall an all-around approach to strength and conditioning using historical references and training protocols of the old timers. His courses on Kindle are all under 10 bucks and takes in the nonsense and rugged style to another level. Talk about a no bullshitter. His knowledge ranks up there with the best today. 

I wouldn't ever tell you guys how to spend your money, that's not my call and you make the choices of what works best for you. I want to give you options that are out there and can give you top notch information that is simple, in your face and make you feel like you can take on the world. It's bad enough when you have snakes who try to con you out of your hard earned money that is cheap quality and full of bashing yet BELIEVE it should be this "golden" nugget of training when in reality, it's pure shit. Trust me you're far better off with the guys above alone than the majority out there. 

Be amazingly awesome and I wish you nothing but success in your endeavors and I'll do what I can to help you find the best resources that are affordable and high quality. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Bacopa

Step Ups & Hindu Squats: A Leg Workout From Hell

I've written about my latest Deck Of Cards workout consisting of Step-Ups & Hindu Squats. This time, I actually filmed it in its entirety from start to finish with barely any rest other than than flipping the cards. It is literally a workout from hell that will have you sweating and breathing like a maniac. Some think I lie about my workouts especially one lame ass dude who talks everyone's ear off on his own channel while also trying to call me out or bash me to his cult-like email list using unoriginal high school trash talking as he "demos" his version of bodyweight training. That's pretty sad, petty and to be blunt very pathetic for a grown man to resort to that. Someone like that needs to seek professional help. Anyhow, this was something I have wanted to show for a while but was reluctant cause I didn't know if my camera would be able top hold out for the length I needed to do. Luckily, it worked and you can see for yourself that I did what I said I would do. 

That's the thing I learned later on in my fitness journey is that some guys are great at talking and demonstrating their craft, guys like Bud Jeffries, Matt Schifferle, Logan Christopher, Tyler Bramlett and bad ass ladies like the Scottish Super Woman Kirsten Tulloch and Ant Strong Rocker Melody Schoenfeld. I'm not one of those people and I learned that the hard way in my early days of filming workouts, feats and exercise demos. In the last number of years, I basically stopped talking all together and just went out there and did it. I let my physicality do the talking and yeah sure, I'm not perfect or flashy, I just run with it and if it's beneficial than I put it up. 

I rarely ever put up a full workout these days because for one, not everyone has the attention span to see workouts that last more than 5 minutes and two, I prefer to put up demos of various exercises so people can learn them and create workouts for themselves while I promote some of the best stuff out there. It's a better choice for me and it's gotten a lot of positive feedback. This workout however was special to me because I was already sore from the day before doing over 320 Hindu Squats. I haven't done that many in a while and just wanted to see what I could do, I felt it that's for fucking sure and also because it isn't some flashy and sparkly spectacle of cool moves and CrossFit style horror but simple and basic old school exercises that with enough length of time can be brutalized into some demonic, tough and physically demanding workout. 

The thing you'll notice about the video is that I don't really take a break other than to flip a card and do my best to keep my form as good as can be so I'm not bending over dying and ready to collapse. I keep going until that fucking deck is finished. By the end, I'm drenched in sweat, breathing like I just ran a marathon and raise my fists in victory. That's one of the things I learned from Matt Furey was after doing a workout with a deck, you celebrate and give thanks for a great workout and you accomplished something for yourself. It's hard and it's tough as hell but I'm grateful that I can do it and I'm happy that I can show you guys what I'm able to do cause the last thing I ever want to be called is a bullshitter and a liar, that makes it personal for me because anybody who truly knows me knows that not only am I the worst liar on the planet, I have no poker face and if I did lie, I would tell on myself faster than Clark Kent in a phone booth changing into Superman. Not only did I finish this workout, I did it in less than 30 minutes and never once felt like quitting. 

It's one of the toughest workouts I've ever put myself through and had no one to blame but myself if I failed. I love what this workout gives and the combination of unilateral movement with Squats is sure fire to kick your ass. Altogether I did 675 Total Reps (450 Step Ups & 225 Hindu Squats). It builds incredible muscular endurance, conditioning, long term strength and is a complete calorie burner. Want to know what it's like to have your lungs feel like they're on fire, see and hear for yourself. This can be done just about anywhere and the only equipment is a step stool and a deck of cards as your coach. If you can't do it at first, that's ok, do what's possible and build up from there. Once you get the hang of it, go as fast as you can without compromising your form or hurting yourself. I'm not even going complete Speedy Gonzales on this thing, I let the speed come naturally and be as smooth as possible. 

This will have you breathing heavy like crazy and there's no real way around that. You do the best you can to control your breathing but as you go along, keep as natural as possible. It's hard and it will test you especially the faster you go. It's intense and it'll feel like you're going to die but do what you can to get through it. Be mindful and progress to where yeah you're breathing like a maniac but your mind is strong and taking it one card at a time and not forcing yourself against the clock. Focus on the task on hand, not the clock or the random thoughts in your head, focus and utilize that 1000 mile stare. 

Take a shot at it if you're ambitious and see what's possible. Be strong, get some leg work in and keep being amazingly awesome. Here it is you guys, the full workout that delivers like an awesome pizza in 30 minutes or less. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Spartan Formula

BTW, here's a couple shots of my calf development that I took yesterday. Think they're coming in pretty good since I don't specialize in them.

Results Of Leg Training

I normally don't like showing off my legs when it comes to the results I've attained because of the accident and some areas seem off to me but overall from years of Squats, Step-Ups, Sprints, Animal Walks, Isometrics and other things, I think I've developed some decent legs with some muscularity. Not shredded by any means and I wouldn't call myself Quadzilla or anything like that. These legs have been through a lot and have kept myself in really good condition for the most part.

For a long time, I have always believed in keeping the legs strong, durable and having that workhorse mentality of doing what was possible yet still have gas left in the tank. Stumbled a time or two and have gotten my ass kicked on a few occasions especially on the mat doing BJJ but never thought about not doing some kind of leg training almost daily. Numbers have come and gone, workouts change, forming exercises that don't risk injury and keeping the joints healthy. 

I was never big on the Barbell Squats back in my teens and have done around 400 lbs but that's about it. Squats & Sprints were the big thing for me in those early years of bodyweight training and as time went on, switched to Isometrics and Step-Ups but the Animal Exercises were always my favorite. Not the biggest fan of Plyometrics but I did like the Frog Jumps & The Hindu Jumpers. For a period with the Jumpers, they were part of my 500 Rep Workout with the Hindu Squats and have done as many as 100 Jumpers in a row but never went beyond that. 

From time to time I'll still do Squats and such like doing 100 or so with my 50 lb Sandbell and holding in various positions like Bear Hug & The Shoulder To Shoulder. Step-Ups are my big leg exercise these days as I'll do several hundred to 1000 in certain workouts but also because of my attention span, I have to back off and do other things to keep me interested. Doing hundreds or more of Leg Work isn't my biggest priority but I will do them in spades to maintain conditioning. When it comes to strength, Isometrics are right up there because as long as my tendons and ligaments are strong, it keeps me strong in the long run especially if I'm hiking for a long period of time, hauling furniture up flights of stairs. I haven't even touched a barbell squat since I went to a seminar way back in 2011 when I met Bud Jeffries for the first time and as weird as that was even just doing partials, I just never got right with that kind of squat.

One workout I've now done a couple times recently was doing Step-Ups & Hindu Squats using a Deck Of Cards. I have to where the numbers come out to 450 Step-Ups and 225 Hindu Squats and that's a pretty good workout for the legs. You get both the Unilateral Work and Squat work in the same session which is a hell of a test for lasting strength, quad building, cardio and conditioning. I do my best to only rest by flipping a card and getting into position other than that, I'm off and running at a good pace for myself. One of these days I'll have to time it and see how fast I can do it. It's like paying tribute to Bob Backlund & Karl Gotch in the same workout. I do get bored doing just one exercise for an entire workout and as many times as I've done 500 Squats with those cards, this workout I find more appealing cause I get great leg work from the best of both worlds. If you think Step-Ups are a "lazy man's form of leg training" than you haven't done something like this and do it with solid efficiency and are full of shit in the first place to think like that. It's anything but lazy and as you do the squats, you'll sometimes feel heavier going up the step to do Step-Ups, it can be that brutal on the legs. 

 Most of the time, I like to show the results of my upper body because that's what you see the most from me since I wear baggy shorts and they cover the thighs. I'm just more skeptical of my legs because my scarring from my shin and my legs aren't my best feature. It is what it is but with the way I train, my legs feel great and rarely ever get sore and do my best to work my joints so I don't stiff up. I won't ever have the legs of a Tom Platz (quite frankly who really would?) or a William Gerardi but I'll take what I can get and keep those Tree Trunk California Redwoods going for as long as I can. 

Condition your legs, keep them strong and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Mucuna

Rare Footage Of Karl Gotch Training With Antonio Inoki

When I first started out way back in 2005, Matt Furey was my first intro in the world of Physical Culture with the recommendation by Logan Christopher of Lost Empire Herbs & Tyler Bramlett of WeShape. Things slowly began to change for me from then on and learned about all kinds of people in that area of old school training. I learned about the legendary Karl Gotch who had mixed reviews of those who knew him or interacted with him at one point or another. Some praised him, others saw him as this sadistic wrestler with a pension of beating the crap out of guys. 

The two people I knew who was around the man for an extended period of time was Bud Jeffries and Tom Puckett (Both RIP). Bud respected Karl as a wrestler but didn't see eye to eye with him and didn't get along with him which at the time would be understandable. Tom saw the man as a father figure and told me a story about him when we went to the gym together and got in workouts. He showed me his style of the exercises Karl taught him and I did my best to mimic him but even when he was sick, Tom was a machine and could still go in some fashion. 

Karl had this mystique about him and his workouts were about as crazy as you can get. His legacy lives on with the likes of Jake Shannon, catch wrestling legends such as Yoshiaki Fujiwara and current Japanese star Minoru Suzuki. His skill set was beyond what most would comprehend and is arguably the greatest wrestler of the last 50+ years. I never got to meet the man but I've heard enough stories to last a long time. 

After his stint in the states, Karl found fame in the Japanese culture where to the point the wrestlers called him a God even though the man himself never really liked that moniker. His conditioning methods were torturous and it showed in certain footage you can find on Youtube. One of his students became the Hierarchy for Japanese wrestling Antonio Inoki who owned New Japan Pro Wrestling which has been the top of the food chain in Pro Wrestling in that part of the world for decades. His training under Gotch has rarely been seen on screen to the point where even with all the research, there's less than a handful of videos of Inoki training under him. 

Now as a side note, Karl's idea of conditioning was taken from the Indian Style of wrestling called Kushti. The Great Gama is the most famous man in this style of wrestling. Karl learned it from a practitioner in England who taught him what we now know to be Hindu Push-ups, Squats, Bridges, The Clubs, Mace and others. He was fascinated by this to the degree where he took the approach to another level and worked other wrestlers into the ground to show them what they had to do before even stepping foot on the mat. Karl's numbers alone in his own conditioning were so impressive that he put them into a watered down entity for others to even try to accomplish or be consistent with. 

In this past week, some footage popped up on Youtube that was uploaded in Japan of Gotch putting Inoki through a workout (edited of course) that shows not only what Inoki was capable of back then but what is even more rare is seeing Gotch himself who was in his late 40's early 50's at the time train. His style of Hindu Push-ups is not the same as Furey taught decades later, this was actually the same variation Tom Puckett taught me to do when I went to the gym with him. I like this style better because it mimics the movement on the Push-up board that you see in the video. He was doing mobility drills long before what most do today so even way back then, Gotch was ahead of his time and his bridging was just phenomenal to watch. The man was thick and had a powerful neck and thoroughbred legs that could go on forever. He was just incredible. After seeing this footage, it gave me another perspective of what the man did and have a higher sense of respect than I already did. Barrel chested and was one of the most flexible and durable men that was a heavyweight. Think at his peak he was about 6'3 and 260 and could do thousands of squats if he wanted to, push-ups that would make most men puke their guts out by the end, tremendous agility and mobility and had stamina that was right up there with the likes of Lou Thesz, Ed Lewis, Frank Gotch & others. 

If you're serious when it comes to conditioning, wrestling and understanding the history of the game, this video alone can give some great insights and something that should be respected and shared. I may not completely agree about certain things about Gotch but he deserves respect beyond what he's already been given and was one of the last remnants of an era of wrestling that is now long gone. He truly was a man among men and had levels of conditioning that is still talked about today. 

Hope you enjoyed having a small bit of a history lesson and watch the video linked above here, it's really awesome stuff. Have fun, get conditioned and keep being amazingly awesome.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Elderberry  

The Wild Never Stops

 Animal moves have an endless variety but only a few are needed to get in a really good workout. What you choose to master or utilize in your training is up to you but never forget to respect the movements as you practice them. You can go hard, you can go slow, you can even do them in Isometric fashion (maybe not the jumping ones for obvious reasons). It's about building a foundation and finding what gives you the best benefit.

The wild never stops. You keep finding ways to condition your body and put yourself in awkward positions to strengthen areas that conventional or "traditional" training methods can't reach. One of the reasons why I love doing my Animal Deck Of Cards Workout (The Four Animals Of The Apocalypse). It never goes the same way every time and when a Joker comes into play, you get to pick which animal to tackle for reps or distance. The total reps I've done most of the time is around 500 but have done a 1000 total on a few occasions and feels awesome afterwards. With the 500 I would finish around 15-16 min for a full deck which is still quite a workout in itself. These days the main four are....

Bear Crawls

Crab Walks

Bigfoot Walk

Duck Walks

Why did I choose these specific animals? At least 3 are the most basic you see in sports such as wrestling and football since they can be so intense that only a few seconds of them can get you out of breath. The bigfoot walk was what I learned from Vahva Fitness and it's based on movement utilized mainly by wrestlers being in that stance and shifting for balance like in Shadow Wrestling or a match. They get the body in rugged shape pretty fast and when you go hard on even one of them, you're building that explosive conditioning. 

One of my other favorite workouts is a 5 min Tabata Workout of just the Bear Crawl. You go as fast as you can for 10 seconds, rest for 20 and repeat until you've done 5 minutes. That may not sound hard but it's not as easy as it looks on paper. When you have to explode at a moments notice and you're practically sprinting on all fours, it becomes quite the exercise. The first couple rounds you might be breathing hard but the more rounds you go, the more it's going to feel like your heart will rip out of your chest. If you're in good health, this might actually be good for you to do (not every single day though).  It's quick, fast and can be done practically anywhere. I do it in my living space and it kicks my ass every time.

There are so many ways to do Animal Workouts it's not even funny. When you get the idea of moving like a beast in the wild, it doesn't seem like a workout, it becomes a game you can play and being like a kid again. An ancient style of this type of training can be traced back to the art of qi gong and the Shaolin Monks who mimic animals in their Martial Arts practice. In today's style which can has been seen like with Animal Flow and Ginastica Natural, it's been used to target MMA style training and conditioning for certain aspects of Health. It can be fun especially if you combine them but when it comes down to it, you can do all of that and then some with the Movement 20XX fitness course that shows you how to not just work individual exercises but combine the elements of all of them together to form your own style and goals. 

These forms of exercise create an exciting aspect of fitness you don't get with conventional training methods. Yes some exercises may be too advanced for some people but as long as you stick to the basics, you're golden. Just the deck of cards workout I've given you would be a great warm up or a conditioning workout on its own and you can pick your own animal moves to work on. I picked those because they're fun to do. It can be challenging but I find it more interesting to do than hundreds of squats or push-ups. Regular calisthenics are great and should be mastered and practiced whenever possible but at the same time, very few replaces killer exercises like Bear Crawls, Crab Walks & Duck Walks. If wrestlers use them for conditioning, that should tell you how important and brutal they can be. Whether for a few minutes or close to a half hour, animal exercises can be a great asset to your health, your overall strength and conditioning along with building balance, flexibility and durability. Did I forget to mention they're calorie burners as well? 

Get moving by training like a wild beast and have fun. The more fun you have, the better your results will be. Keep being amazingly awesome.  

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Seabuckthorn Berry

The "Risks" Of Training Out In The Open

 About 99% of the time, I train by myself everywhere I go and when it's nice out, I'm either at a park, the lake or at the house. It's my "therapy session" or my time to do what I love and make the most of it. Seriously from my experiences it's the best therapy and it's FREE!! Now when people come up to me, it can vary on the mood I'm in.

When you train out in the open, there's a chance some shmuck or kid or whoever might come up to you. In roughly 18 years of doing this (god damn, I'm getting old), I've had maybe less than 10 people ever come up to me. I do my best to be polite to that person but I'm not going to stop what I'm doing and if they find it rude, that's their problem. We are a curious bunch, I get it and I'm guilty of doing it myself. I even went up to an elderly lady at a park one time in Pleasanton, CA who was doing some form of Tai Chi Walking or Crawling and barely spoke any english (or at least pretended to not know at all) I asked her if she could show me what the method was. She politely shrugged me off and I was ok with that, it's her thing and didn't want to keep bugging her.

In the last few years, I've only had less than what you can count on one hand come up to me about anything. I did get a little peeved when one guy looking for "buried treasure" got in my way of filming a pull-up video and had to restart the video again. That was pretty rude and should've said something but it is what it is. One guy came up to me after a set of Hammer Strikes on my tire and told me he thought the half tire was part of the park and it was a good little laugh and said something like "nope just mine having fun with the hammer." My favorite is when these two mormon kids going on their "route" to preach and saw me hitting the tire with the 25 lb beast of a hammer I have. They were being kind of rude so instead of telling them to fuck off, I messed with them and had them try out the hammers, neither one of them would touch Big Bertha (my 73 lb hammer) and the look on their faces when I swung that sum bitch was priceless. They did their bit and I shrugged them off. 

Another time was this past summer, I was playing Basketball, just shooting around and this 15 year old kid and his girlfriend came up to me and wanted to play me. Now you need to remember, I'm old enough to be this kid's dad, so he thought I was just another guy in his mid 20's just shooting around. The kid tried to play me and got a bit of an awakening. I was outshooting both him and his girlfriend (whom was already a bit reluctant to even try playing) and this kid was like "what the hell, how are you shooting like that?" It was fun and introduced one another and went our separate ways. This really is a nice neighborhood and many people are friendly. Do I wish it was more diverse and not so Vanilla, hell yeah. If it had as many races and cultures from where I've been and was as friendly as this place is, the world would be very different. 

I understand that when it comes to training, it's your time and you do what you need to do. The problem is, you don't own the park or the lake or wherever it is you train at unless it's at home so you have to be aware of people coming around and being curious. Some might try to tell you what you're doing wrong, others may want to join you, be rude and possibly mormon or just curious as to what you're doing. You can tell them to fuck off or be a complete ass to them because they're in your space but you never know what you're going to get with people. You can't completely control the space you're training in so you learn to adapt and be aware of what is possible in that moment and do what you need to do and let others know without needing to say much. If you're going to get that pissed off and have some kind of meltdown, you're not in the right mind because for one, you chose to go to a place where other people will be and two, it's really unlikely tons of people will come up to you anyway unless you go to some major place like central park or a big park in Asia or India where hundreds may be around but you also got to roll with the punches. 

Training is about adapting, it's about learning the environment around you, where you choose to go and what the workout will entail. You can't control what people do, most of the time if people see me train, they're either minding their own business or might mimic me from a far and never actually come up to me. Believe me, not everyone is going to come up to you if you're training with a sledgehammer or moving like a wild animal, that's not in their interests and frequently, they find me odd and just move along. That's my intent to have people distance themselves from me because unless you plan on getting your ass kicked training with me, you might want to step back and go about your business because I'm not going to stop and show you the ropes, keep up or walk away, those are your only options. 

Be resourceful but also be firm and remember people are curious. Many can be unpredictable so expect the unexpected and do your training the way you need to do it. It's not about catering to people, it's about letting them know you're there for a reason without needing to say much. For the most part, if you're doing things that they most likely cannot even fathom, they'll figure it out pretty quickly and move along. Train with intent, be firm with people and keep being amazingly awesome.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Maca Powder 

SCT: Superset Conditioning Training

 When it comes to a top level favorite of workouts, working with Supersets ranks right up there. For those who've been living under a rock, Supersets are taking two exercises and doing them back to back for a certain number of reps or sets. You mostly see this in gyms where someone would do a set of let's say Bench Press & Curls back to back for one set without stopping, resting and repeating. In that instance, some will do lighter weight or mix it up doing heavy with one exercise and lighter with the next or do heavy with both. It's a style where it gives off more of the pump along with certain cardiovascular effects.

The style I like to do is take two exercises and do them back to back without stopping for a certain period of time. I set my watch to some arbitrary number like 10 min, 15, 20 or an hour. Keep at a good pace where I'm not moving like Speedy Gonzales on a Coke binge but I'm not moving so damn slow the Mars Rover is outpacing me. I use this purely for strength and conditioning purposes mainly in the realm of carrying an object and doing Step Ups. I've done supersets of Push-ups & Squats in the past or do Bear Crawls one way and do Duck Walks going back as part of a sequence. The carrying and step ups provides the idea of using real world application. 

With these workouts, the idea is to rest extremally little or none whatsoever. This teaches your body and mind to keep going even when it gets tougher. Carrying something like a 50 lb Sandbell a couple times and then straight to step ups may not sound tough but over a period of time without stopping, it becomes something more than you would expect. One of the crazy workouts of this magnitude would be to Carry a Sandbell for ten yards on one shoulder, drop and carry 10 yards with the other shoulder, 20-30 step ups (10-15 per leg) and repeat that for an hour straight. That sounds more like a Tri-Set but to me, carrying something one shoulder at a time is one set. I did this workout for 46 supersets without a break (920 Step Ups and Carrying 4600 lb for a total of 920 Yards). 

You can do whatever exercises you want to do, the objective is to keep going. If you're a bodyweight maniac, set a timer for 15 minutes and do 25 Squats and 10 Push-ups without stopping. Micro Workouts are great for this kind of thing. You can also do Isometric type training where let's say you do a 30 second Horse Stance and then go into a 30 second Fist Plank and keep repeating that for as long as you can. If you absolutely need a break, take it between supersets until you're ready for the next set but for the most part, if you need a break than you're exhausting yourself too soon. Utilize a pace where it's not so easy but it's not going slow you down either and you can go without having to stop. 

Supersets are awesome for building high levels of conditioning and fat burning effects. If you really want to take it to the next level and shed fat faster than butter in a pan, do Sprints and Circuits as a hybrid superset where you sprint for let's say 10 seconds, walk back and do a series of Push-Ups, Squats, Jumps, Burpees or whatever a circuit may be and than rest for as long as needed. Repeat for a few rounds and that's it. This is more of a HIIT type of workout where even 3x a week might be pushing it so don't do workouts anymore than that, 1-2x a week is ideal. I did something similar to this for 6 weeks and dropped a considerable amount of bodyfat, lowered my blood pressure by a huge margin and was leaner despite only losing a few pounds. That's going hardcore and not a beginner type level of training. 

Another great workout would be doing Farmer's Carries and Step Ups or Squats. Example would be to carry a kettlebell in one hand for x amount of yards, switch hands and carry the same amount of yards and then do step ups or squats. Repeat this for as long as you wish or can handle. Some would take two exercises and do them with deck of cards to really up the ante like Hindu Push-Ups & Hindu Squats, work your legs hard with just Step Ups & Hindu Squats or whatever you choose to do. 

This type of training is very effective and goes beyond just working muscles, you're working your cardiovascular system, you're testing the mental aspects and training muscle groups that are often ignored. Make it work for you and be sure to recover efficiently. If you're into weight training, do supersets that work opposing muscles like a Chest & Back Exercise or Tris and Bi's, Thighs & Hamstrings or Mix and Match. It's not complicated, it's very simple and as long as you stick to the basics, you're golden.

Train hard, recover just as hard and keep up your conditioning so you can last when it counts. Keep being amazingly awesome.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Cistanche 

Yielding Isometrics With A Weighted Vest

 Even with the most basic exercises, it's fun to challenge yourself every now and then to test your physical and mental conditioning for everyday life. During the spring and summer I would go for walks or hikes with my 40 lb Vest on and just get some killer cardio in. On the hikes, I would sometimes lose up to 2 pounds by the time I get back home, they can be brutal. 

As of late, I've dabbled in Isometric Training with the Vest on and that is a whole other sport of conditioning training. Mainly in the Horse Stance & Fist Plank for Tabata style workouts. Do 20 sec on, 10sec off going back and forth for a number of minutes and just see what I can do. Last night I took it a step further and added more time than usual by going for a total of 15 minutes for a workout with those two exercises. Just doing it without the vest is tough, add in a 40 lb Vest and you're going through hell.

This tests not just your strength but also your ability to hold the posture/position as best as possible being still. A lot is going on beyond just concentrating, you're also having to control your breathing because the longer you go, the harder it is to keep your breathing at a solid pace. It gets you breathing pretty damn heavy to the point where it feels like you going for miles even though you're not moving. These exercises also dig into the smaller muscles and works the tendons and ligaments like a motherfucker.

You may not think two basic and plain exercises can get you breathing hard, test your core strength, leg conditioning and grip strength but they do and it makes isometric training all the more reason to do them. They can be just as effective or even more so than doing hundreds of squats or push-ups. Doing hundreds of reps are great but yet it's a very different form of strength when you have to hold a position for as many sets as this and rest only half the time. This workout alone with or without toughens up the muscles and give you that hard and rugged feeling, not to mention incredible speed and power to boot. This is great for martial artists, football players, injury rehabilitation, conditioning enthusiasts and those who are a little twisted in the head. 

As we get older, doing hundreds of reps is not always going to be priority since it becomes more of a thing to do every now and then (you're not going to see many people over the age of 50 doing 500-1000 squats or 500+ push-ups), Isometrics on the other hand can be done by nearly everyone at any age and have unbelievable benefits of strengthening the body from the inside out. You can get a great cardio workout without ever moving a muscle (or in this case being still as much as possible). You think you can't get cardio, try holding a Horse Stance for 5 straight minutes or do the Horse Stance/Fist Plank Tabata Workout for 10 minutes and tell me you're not breathing heavily. 

It's important to do forms of training that make us uncomfortable to do in order to withstand whatever comes our way in the real world. Carrying furniture, going up and down hills, going up flights of stairs, lifting odd objects such as logs and wood chopping all have a hand in how we handle ourselves and Isometrics provide opportunities to make ourselves stronger to do those things whether young or old. 

Be resilient but as safe as possible, build strength without getting injured, condition your bones regardless of your age and develop levels of stamina beyond conventional means. Having muscle on the outside may look great but if you can't back it up, what good is it? Isometrics can show you weaknesses you didn't realize you had, make them strong as hell. This workout also burn a stupid amount of calories and have fat burning effects. Be strong everyone and keep being amazingly awesome. 

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