More On Fat Gripz

 Training With A Fat Grip is more than just building muscle size and strength, it creates a new level of control and focus that you can't duplicate with typical gym equipment. You won't be able to rely on style, form, technique or even timing because it's really just sheer strength and power to make a lift. It has a far greater burden on the tendons, ligaments and musculature than a regular barbell, dumbbell or even pull machine ever will.

In reality, very few athletes will go near fat grip training, although today it is making a comeback, there is still a wide range of men or women that have that fear factor. Working with Fat Gripz is not meant to be easy, matter of fact, much of it separates the men from the boys because in order to get better, you have to push through that barrier and challenge your capabilities. You won't work the same amount of weight with a typical bar but that's ok, not many even attempt it. I've taken my FG's to the gym and I do get looks every now and then cause I don't work with regular equipment or at least work with what they got so I need to create that extra inch if you will of training that makes it unique yet old school. 

I'm not about the bodybuilding culture or toning down to look like an athlete. At 40, the main thing is to not just maintain muscle but to still have strength that means something. Sculpting was never my thing and quite frankly, most sculpting methods of weight training require levels upon levels of steroid use, overuse of isolation exercise and a diet that most likely will make me miserable as hell. Besides, having a good look is fine but if your strength is shit, what good is the look going to do?

I prefer to use my FG's for my TNT Cables which has greater ability to build healthier joints plus having the hand strength to go along with it. When I do use them for the gym, they go on the bar, dumbbells and bars for pulldowns and such. That's it. I still manage to build some decent strength and I only do a few sets of 10 or less with every exercise I do, it makes things interesting that way. As they say, strong hands equals a strong body.

Be careful in how you do them. They're not meant for toning or putting on a little muscle, if you consistently train with them, you're building muscle that is meant for raw power and strength. They build muscle that is rugged, thick, functional and outside the parameters of a regular gym goer. Want to take them out for a spin? Grab a set and see/feel the difference and humbling experience it provides. If you really want to another level, go for the Extreme set and really dig into the realm of the old time strongmen.   

Fat Gripz And The Gym

 Every now and then, I'll go to the gym with the wife and do a few things while she does her own training. It's almost like a day off for me and just seeing what's possible. Sure there are more machines than free weights but I'll go with what I can get. Usually do a quick warm up doing DDP Yoga and then get to it. Normally when I go, I take my Fat Gripz with me to make the exercises harder and engage more muscles than the machine has you doing. 

Most of the exercises I do with the FGs is Dumbbell Curls, Lat Pulldowns, Close Grip Pulldowns, Rows and Bench Press on the Smith Machine. I'm sure I'll get hounded one way or another for not using a real barbell, which is fine because like I said, it's just another exercise that I can make more difficult. When it comes to reps, I really don't do more than 10 with a weight and increase little by little until I can only do a few reps as opposed to the beginning. Sets are typically 3-4 or so per exercise. With the FGs, I don't use as much weight as I normally would since it's supposed to make the exercise harder and the muscles are working at a greater capacity. 

I do take rest periods but only long enough to get going for the next set and then move on. With the SMBP, I wanted to test my strength and see where that went. When I go after this exercise, most of the time, I'll go until I can barely do a few reps but the last couple times, I've done quite a few sets until I start hitting singles and increase weight from there. The bar weighs 20 lbs so when I add on plates, I do count the bar when I lift. So far with the Gripz, I've gone up to 280 for a single which to me is the heaviest I've ever done having those things attached. I would say even with a machine, that's pretty decent strength. 

Fat Gripz create an interesting element to Strength Training and teaches you more about control than anything else. It forces you not just to engage muscles but target the ligaments and tendons as well and you can build some crazy upper body strength from doing that. Utilizing the old school method of working with a Fat Bar, it adds another level of Strength Training that has helped many lifters reach new PRs and harness power from another perspective. You won't use nearly the same weight without them which isn't a bad thing, it's just another look at what you can do to build strength. 

I'm the type of guy who doesn't really get into the whole isolation movement thing so if I'm going to work with machines or weights, I'm going to make it interesting and focus as many muscles at once in whatever movement with the upper body in this case. This way, I'm getting more out of the movement. Grab a set yourself and see what you can do with them. Remember, these are not to be taken lightly, work with a weight you are able to control and focus on the mind/muscle connection as you push or through the exercise. Turn an isolated movement into a multi joint strength builder. 

Be amazingly awesome and build insane hand and wrist power. 

Laborers & Gym Bros

 Laborers have been around since the dawn of man from surviving in the caveman times to slavery throughout ancient civilization to constructing the biggest buildings in modern society. It's a balancing act to how laborers view themselves and people in other walks of life view them. Blue Collar work is tough, there's way around that and many pride themselves in being able to live that lifestyle or were thrusted into at an early age. They may not be the biggest looking guys or the most stable in some cases but they have strength that is different in comparison to people who go to the gym. 

When it comes to work ethic, I always have respect for laborers, done it myself at certain points in my life from moving furniture to hauling heavy pieces of wood, chopping wood while camping, carrying up heavy ass boxes and carrying buckets of concrete. Some guys in that line of work know how to conduct themselves and are quite the characters when it comes to just having fun poking at each other to pass the time but there are others who are complete assholes who act like their superior to others. You can be the hardest working guy in the field and still be respected for that but if you're going to be a dick especially to people you're supposed to "provide" and "protect", that just leads to bitterness and fragile egos. 

When it comes to "Gym Bros", some are strong as shit and can go to a certain extent but many especially in the Fitness Influencer Era will only go so far as to tell people or throw certain things at people to only understand the concept of not being as strong outside the gym. Don't get me wrong, there are some guys that can handle themselves outside of the gym and do amazing things in their life but that's few and far between. There are plenty of steroid users out there that only work in the capacity to go after the look more than being able to go while being healthy. Bodybuilding today compared to 1930's to the 50's is about as night and day as you can get because back then, they had a good look but they also had greater health next to the unhealthy comic book muscled guys. 

As much as gym guys have their egos in a rollercoaster or act like they got a stick up their ass at times, not many of them bad mouth a laborer. However, quite a few laborers have such an ego trip that they not only talk down to people who work out in the gym but have this Napoleon Complex that they're superior to those who work out cause they go all day moving stuff or whatever and the gym guy just lifts weights or use machines and that's all and have no real world strength. The strength of a laborer and a gym person is very different with different circumstances and different concepts of strength. If your ego is that fragile that you have to be an asshole to people you don't know and think you know their life by judging them being in the gym, you need some serious therapy man. 

There are people who try to better themselves in the gym or outside of it and do what they can in their regular lives to be healthy. At the end of the day, a laborer does his job, goes home and just be with his family or himself and repeat that for as long as his body is able to. People in the gym are really just people who do different things to either make their lives outside of it better or go because that's a form of therapy for them, you don't 100% know what people are really like and most likely, those people train, go home or go to work or whatever but did what they could to put the effort in and that should be respected. 

Whether you're a laborer or a gym guy, be a little more humble and live your own lives and do what you can for yourself and/or your family while being as peaceful as possible. Don't be an asshole with such an ego that it tears others apart or makes you so bitter you turn into that "Get the fuck off my lawn" mentality. It's really pathetic when you act like a bully behind people's back and mock what they are trying to do with their lives. Be amazingly awesome and keep on kicking ass.    

Putting In The Work Yet Making It Adventurous

 So many influencers today try to tell you this or that and whatever else to get you to buy into their shit. It can be hard for many out there to trust what's being given and how to apply their methods to your goals and daily life. Not saying all are bad, a few out there are top notch, legit and have realistic outlooks on how you can be in better shape when you make the choices to do so or continue in your journey. 

With me, I sure as hell wouldn't call myself an influencer. I do what I can to help others and give them resources to look into from people I've either personally had experienced with or worked with their methods and molded it into my own from their inspiration. The ability to create your own style to suit your life is one of the best things you can ever do. Learn from the very best. You may make mistakes along the way and adjust to what benefits you but as long as you put the work in and make it adventurous, you can make things happen that would never expect.

It can be overwhelming to find the absolute best from one single trainer or author that has the ultimate end all-be all training system. The truth is, that doesn't actually exist. If anyone says differently, it's a sales pitch or it's only for a specific demographic. My style is a smorgasbord of different people and systems that I've taken bits and pieces of and created something that is entirely me. If you're more of the one author/system approach and it works for you, that's awesome and I hope it benefits you greatly. We all have different bodies and work on things that aren't going to always work for the same person so we adjust accordingly. Take control of what is possible for you and expand on it. 

With my training with the sandbag lately, it has taken me to new heights of what hardcore strength and conditioning can be. Hell a few days ago I took three exercises including the Sandbag and did a circuit workout that went more than 30 minutes with the only rest being to check off a set and keep going. That workout made my heart want to explode out of my chest and test my strength & cardio in ways that were different and so intense that I don't know if I want to even top it. My strength has gone up to where I made PRs at the gym I didn't think were possible but they were and proud to have done them but it doesn't change how I keep training. 

When you bust your ass and you're making gains whether in muscle building or strength building regardless of age, things will come to light when you thought it would stay dark. Do what benefits you and help others find their opportunity to create something for themselves. Don't be an asshole and tear them down because they're overweight or wear a man bun or they're weaker than you are, everybody has a journey. Some have let themselves go and need help, others could use a tip or two that can tweak their program and some are just starting out. Make training an experience that people want to continue on and help them find opportunities to make themselves better, this world has enough dipshits and asshats. Be amazingly awesome and keep on kicking ass.   

Training With 100+ LB Sandbag

Love my Sandbells but I wanted to up the ante a bit and go even heavier and with only a few workouts, it feels awesome. Got some sand at a Ace Hardware store down the road and poured it into my 100 lb bag I've had for a while. Weighed it at 104.6 lbs. Just getting used to it and feeling it out was tough at first but knew I was strong enough to play with it. 

From carries to squats to overhead presses and more, this thing is making me work my ass off pretty well. Don't get sore all that much but I'm not killing myself with it either. With the carries, I marked 15 yards on the grass from the side of the house and would do a full revolution (30 yards) for however many times. One workout was 300 yards Bear Hug Style and another was 600 Yards doing shoulder to shoulder. Those exercises alone with a bag that heavy can make you rugged. 

Love going old school with this type of training and just sticking with one to a few exercises per workout and just hammer them. The last workout was 300 Total Yards & Over 1000 total pounds carried, 5x5 Deadlifts and 5x5 Overhead Presses. Might go for 100 Bear Hug Squats in sets of 10-12 reps but haven't decided yet or maybe I haven't reached that type of training yet but you'll never know. The idea is to see what's possible and work from there. 

Will I got even more say 150-200 lb? Someday but not anytime soon. Just working with this weight is still a great way to keep myself in shape. Sandbags are no joke and they can be brutal especially since they force you to work the stabilizer muscles and have the closest to training against a human. The transfer to regular weights is enormous and if you can easily work a 100 lb bag, you can work plenty of good weight with a barbell or dumbbell. One of the grips I use when I hold it in the bear hug position is the Gable Grip like in Grappling as I pull to keep the bag steady against my torso and work my back, shoulders and arms all at the same time as I Squat or Carry. It's a full body workout regardless of what you do. Just make it work for you.

I mostly use it for Strength Training and when it's needed, I rest long enough to go tackle the next set. These workouts can make you breathe harder than usual and quite hungry afterwards. If you want greater power in your training, a sandbag will do the trick plus if you're in wrestling or BJJ, you can do bag training by mimicking certain moves and throws as if you're going against an opponent, one of the oldest types of workouts around. Imagine building explosiveness in your throws, having insane grip strength, handle opponents like rag dolls or if you're a firefighter and able to carry a human being with ease out of the flames of a burning building. Strength Training with a Bag can be life saving.

This type of training is suited to the real world and being able to handle your own when it's called upon. Strength is more than just a look, it's having the ability to be strong enough to help others and not everyone picks on the rugged looking guy who can probably take your ass to the cleaners 6 ways to Sunday. Train to handle yourself but also be humble. You don't get strong to become an asshole bully, you become strong to have a greater quality of life and to make others feel safe. Get a Sandbag and see what you're capable of. Have an amazingly awesome day and check out the video below for some samples of exercises you can do. There are all sorts of exercises you can do but these few would get you started. 

Sandbell Front Squats And Squat To Stand

 Sandbag Training can be a hell of a method to getting some of the kinks out of your training and teaching you how to stabilize the body with an object where the weight shifts. When it comes to Sandbells, it's a great way to utilize this in that regard. From Shouldering to Carrying to doing all sorts of stuff with these things.

Training the Legs with a Sandbell offers great resistance and added benefits to working the muscles to a greater capacity than with a typical barbell or dumbbell which could add some cool benefit to what you're already doing. 2 Exercises that I've worked on for a couple days now that hammered out the legs hard was doing the Squat To Stand and the Front Squat or a better name for it, the Bear Hug Squat. The STS is an exercise similar to lifting a stone where you get the Bell into position in a deep squat and once you have it in a good grip, stand up, drop it and repeat. Because of the shifting of the weight, it's not always easy to get a good grip every time. Here's a demo here to see what I mean....A few sets of these and you'll be feeling it.

The Bear Hug Squat is pretty damn simple, pick up the Bell, squeeze it against you and start going up and down. Unlike a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell for that matter, you're working a bit more of the core in my opinion as you work on keeping the back steady and in control. You may lean a little bit and create more of that natural feel like picking up a box or a sack of flour. When you work these like a madman, you'll be jacking up some hefty hormones and building some incredible strength. Some guys work light or heavy depending on their goal. I've only got the 70 lb which in itself can be a bitch and others work as heavy as 200 lbs or more (strongmen mostly) but for the best weight in this manner, 100 lbs would be more than enough for many. Personally, I may go 150 if I work hard enough but that's the highest I'll go, maybe 170 if I'm ambitious but I don't need to go that heavy to get something cooking.

These two simple exercise will give you some insane strength and power. With a good clip, you can get some serious cardio out of it as well especially if you're an athlete training for a sport like Football, Wrestling or MMA. It's the classic moves of the Old Time Strongmen that gave rise to what is possible to have that ruggedness and mental toughness. Squats are no joke and Sandbells or Sangbags for that matter are just going to murder you with a vengeance. It builds real strength.

You know you busted your ass when you feel things you normally don't feel after a training session as you'll find out your fingers may be sore, your core is sore, your shoulders are on fire and your traps feel like they went to war. Not saying being sore is the greatest factor to determine a good workout, I' am saying that your muscles are being used in a way you're not used to because of how awkward the bag is. Go old school and you can't go wrong. Have an amazingly awesome day and I'm going to check out the Freestyle Wrestling that starts today at the Olympics....USA USA USA!!!

40th Birthday Shenanigans

 This past Sunday, I officially turned 40. A new decade of my life begins and getting the most out of a great celebration. My wife surprised me the night before that we were going to the resort we've gone to twice before called Quinn's Hot Springs in Montana. She also surprised me with a cool cake of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one of the first cartoons I grew up on which the Turtles also turn 40 this year from the first comic. 

On the day of my birthday. before we packed up for the Hot Springs, I took some photos to celebrate the building of my physique and going to the gym with her. Did some Farmer's Walks, Overhead Presses, Shrugs, some pulldowns, worked on Kettlebell Presses and other stuff. 

Got to the Hot Springs, checked in and just spent every moment of the trip relaxing and being together. At the pools, they have various temperatures from a Cold Plunge that was about 64 degrees all the way to a hot 105 degrees. Guess which one I always did first LOL. Interacted with people from various places and just felt happy. 

We would mostly have dinner at this little tavern next to the pools and ate mostly burgers and fish & chips, the first night I got a steak and garlic mashed potatoes. Wasn't too bad actually. The only breakfast we had there was from yesterday morning which for me was probably the biggest breakfast I've had in ages...A sausage and egg sandwich which already had a big patty, 3 scrambled eggs, 3 more sausage patties, Hashbrowns and 2 glasses of Orange Juice. Built up an appetite from an Isometric Workout before grabbing food. All the workouts I did was O2 Training 2x a day, 7-12 Second Isometrics hitting the full body and my Neck Mobility Work. At the pools, I would sit in the cold plunge for several minutes where my head was the only thing at the surface and hit the hottest pool to balance out, then go to the pool where my girl was and hang with her. 

Very beautiful place surrounded by trees, mountains and other things. It's on the outskirts of a highway about 25 minutes out from this little town called St. Regis. The first two times were for our anniversaries so this was a quite a treat to do a summer stay there. Family Friendly and has really good food. It's next to the Clark Fork River which is just awesome to look at. 

 Had a ton of fun and just getting to chill, watch the Olympics in the room at night, had some rain on Tuesday but still fun and tasted a few drinks that were pretty good. If anyone knows me, I'm not much of a drinker and wouldn't do enough to get buzzed or drunk but I'll try some things every now and then. Can't go wrong with a good Buffalo Burger though, holy shit that thing was just awesome and the Beer Battered Cod was tasty as hell. Can never get enough of this place, I recommend everyone go there at least once to experience the beautiful country next to it and hit the Sulfur Pools. 

This was a really great birthday and I'll cherish it for as long as I live. Love being 40 and get to continue to do kick ass stuff. 

High Rep Training Or Isometrics: Which One Is Better As You Get Older?

 With advances in science, nutrition and fitness training, it still boils down to how an individual adapts and maintain throughout their lives. High rep training can be very beneficial when it comes to being in top condition, hell I'll do up to 500 Step Ups in a workout and have written about it a time or two, also do 500 total reps in circuit workouts with the Dopa Band. To an extent, it has its perks and can do wonders. However, certain exercises are not meant to be done in high reps like one arm push-ups or hundreds of burpees, what's to be gained from that? Where's the long term benefit? 

The greasing the groove method of high rep training is a lot more beneficial than trying to hundreds of reps within a fixed time. Do pushups here and there throughout the day, pull-ups or whatever BASIC movement. Gives you time to rest and be fresh when you get to a new set. Herschel Walker was a big advocate for this and other athletes. Do what works for you. As you get older, you might need to do as high of reps or total reps. You're not going to see many people do hundreds of squats and pushups at 70 or 80, some can at that age and it's incredibly impressive but how necessary is it?

With Isometrics, it can benefit just about anybody. If you've never worked out a day in your life or are a seasoned vet, you can enjoy the benefits of Isometrics. Once you feel it, even at a small percentage, it can work your musculature like a charm and develop strong tendons and ligaments. There are different types of Isometrics but the Yin & Yang are Overcoming & Yielding Isometrics. Overcoming is doing a hold at a fixed point and you can't go any further. Going against something immoveable. Yielding is holding a position where you fight against gravity and keeping that position as best as possible (plank, horse stance, wall sit, L Sit etc.). Now there's a way to combine the two called Super or Hybrid Isometrics where you take a position where there's a stopping point but you're fighting to keep that position using a strap or a loop like putting a strap on your legs to squat up but you stop and hold that position while fighting gravity at the same time. 

Isometrics can be extremely adaptable and virtually done anywhere and depending on the intensity, it can be short or long with the type of goal you're going for. Isometrics can be used in a variety of ways to warm ups, cool downs, in between sets, working around injuries, strengthen an area of the body to even things out, a workout in and of itself or as a method to use for purely strength training and do activities the rest of the time. 

What method of training is better for you as you get older? In a nutshell, neither is better or worse than the other. It comes down to what benefits you the most and gives you the type of quality training that helps you live long and prosper (for you Trekkies). Both have their pros and cons but both can be used in different ways. They can be used on alternate days, used for recovery, used as supersets, do splits for certain muscle groups, whatever keeps you strong and going. We all follow different things and make changes but it doesn't mean we can't do what we love. Train to what helps you. I've done both in the same workout and on different days or done one exclusively for a period and changed it up. 

Keep training and make the most of what's possible and learn the basics. Have an amazingly awesome day. 

The O2 Trainer From Bas Rutten

 "Deep Breathing exercises alone can make many a weak man strong and many a sick man well."- Farmer Burns 1914-1937.

Having control over the breath is one of the most essential things you can do to have a better quality of life. Everybody breathes right? Cause if you don't, you die. It's that simple. We can go for weeks without food, days or so without water but can't go a few minutes without breathing. Training to control your breathing can make or break your performance not just in sports but in other areas of life too. In combat sports such as Catch Wrestling, BJJ, Boxing and others, you can tell a person at times by how much gas he has in the tank and if they start to wear down too early, they're done.

Having strong lungs and being in good condition has its merit in how you do in certain situations especially if you can overcome asthma. I'm always experimenting with different things and testing my abilities when it comes to training. When I was in BJJ, I was strong and worked with what I could but not understanding how to handle certain situations in sparring, I wasn't breathing properly and didn't know how to be calm and rely on my strength which bit me in the ass a time or two. Once I understood how to breathe in that particular environment, I improved and was able to keep up and go rounds with guys, even my coach noticed it. Wasn't easy and one day hope to get back on the mat.

I've been a fan of MMA for years and knew of guys like Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz and Matt Hughes. One guy I would hear about from time to time was Bas Rutten "El Guapo" who was one of the best fighters of his time that specialized more in Kickboxing & some Submission Grappling. One of his claims to fame was being a former UFC Heavyweight Champ and working against some of the best in early MMA. Years after his career, he wanted to get something going to help others achieve great levels of fitness and worked on what is now the O2 Trainer. It's a breathing apparatus that supposedly mimics high altitude training and help with those who struggle with Asthma. 

I heard about it for a while but only got it just recently. Like I said, I'm always experimenting with certain things and wanted to give this a shot. It first came up when me and my wife were talking about how she can continue to lose weight and improve her cardio (she's already lost more than 60 pounds and has great cardio that continues to amaze me) so we did some research and the O2 Trainer popped up. I figured, if she wanted to try that, I'll give it a shot too to improve my own cardio and conditioning. For both of us, it was a little tricky to understand how it works but after a couple sessions, wasn't too bad. It comes with 14 different levels of the apparatus to create resistance for the inhale. Because of my strong lungs from years of doing Squats, Step Ups, Sprints and other things, I really got things going working with the #6 level. 

There are 3 exercises he shows to really work it and have you focus on more of the inhale along with training using the Diaphragm & Intercoastal Muscles. One of the exercises is lying down on the back and using the trainer from there breathing in lifting the stomach and breathing out pulling the stomach in. Normally this isn't that hard to do but with the trainer and inhaling with a bit of force, it's a different ball game. I like laying on the back since I get more out of it and feels comfortable. Still an ass kicker but it works well. The idea is to do about 4 minutes a day or do 30 Breaths and alternate the exercises on different days. If you're an athlete, you can do it twice a day which I just started doing only a few days ago. I would do a total of 300-400 Reps before moving onto the next level, the #5. After maybe 500 total reps with that I'll move on to the 4 but probably train with no more than the 3 after that. 

This for me is more of being able to not only maintain cardio but also keep good levels of energy for other things like hiking, swimming and just enjoying life. I start out with the trainer in the morning and do a second session later in the day or evening doing 30 reps each time. It can be quite a workout once you get into it. Experiment with it yourself and see what it does for you. Research it and then make a decision, if it's not for you, that's ok there are other things out there but I do encourage you to give this a chance. Whether you're in a sport or just want to have better lung power, it has a lot of benefits that even I am still finding out.  

Have an amazingly awesome day and breathe with power and vitality. 

Athletes And Everyday Folks With Dopamineo Bands

 The amount of info and equipment used for certain methods can be overwhelming and trying to find a good routine or type of workout to keep things in tact isn't always easy. Quite frankly, it's not meant to be easy. It doesn't however, need to be complicated. Some people think you need the gym as if it's the only option out there to get healthy and fit. Some even think that you need to train for X amount of time to get Y results. The truth is, you don't need a building to go do something unless that's a goal of yours or just want to utilize what can be beneficial to you.

Sometimes it makes my head want to explode with the crazy shit influencers these days try to "promote" and although some are very creative, many just don't fucking get it or want to make someone feel like if they don't do it their way, you might as well jump off a cliff. We have the same 24 hours like everybody else but we don't live the same lifestyle or utilize the time we need in order to be efficient. If you make time for the gym and have a consistent routine with that, that's awesome and want you to continue that but you don't need to tell people "If I can do this, so can you", that's not always how life works.

When it comes to Athletes, it's very specific because they train for purposes that aren't meant for everyday people nor are they on the same level. You're not going to see a high school or college football player train  the same way as a 60 year old man who hasn't trained in decades and is just getting back into it. You're not going to see a 50 year old that's jacked train the same way as a 21 year old Olympian. We all train according to what our bodies can do at the given time whether starting out or been around the block longer than John Cena has been in the WWE. The idea is to train with intent and getting the most out of what is useful and with the time we are able to use.

One of the perks of Dopamineo Bands is that they can be used either by Athletes or Everyday People who could use a boost to keep things in check. You can use just about anywhere, even the gym. You don't need to follow the same rules as many influencers try to put on you like "you need to do this for that" or "you have to work out for an hour or more that includes cardio and weights", you can learn exercises and routines that don't take up a ton of time and can get results. Athletes need to train in order to become better at their sport and formulate methods with or without a coach that ensures they're prepared for upcoming fights, games and practices. For others, it can be a leisurely thing where they can get something going and be able to tackle their day with vitality and energetic entities. It could also be for maintaining health and wellness while also keeping up with or developing better attributes to sustain quality of life. That's what the beauty of the Dopa Bands provides. 

These bands may have been inspired by wrestlers and other combat sports but they also bring something much more; an idea that you can have an incredible physique and great levels of fitness by training only minutes a day, you don't need an hour unless that's what you choose to do. Pick a few exercises and have at it. Hell most of my workouts with them aren't more than 20 minutes on average and always feel like I can take on the day. If I wanted to go longer, I have that option and that's the point, you have options. The bands are fun to use and have so many exercises to choose from it's crazy but you only need to do a few to get yourself going. The exercise library is expanding and the types of routines you can find or create on your own is another perk. The bands can be used in many ways from learning certain techniques without a partner to basic exercises you normally would use in a gym. Some use them everyday, some only a few times a week. You can use them as a stand alone, as a warm up, cool down or even in between sets with your regular routine. Many athletes use them to warm up to get themselves ready for the hard training ahead but also quite a number use them at the end of a practice to get extra conditioning in so they have an advantage over the competition.

I've written about using them for Circuit Training and/or HIIT Workouts because they're a favorite and get to move in all sorts or directions. Make them work for you and be sure to learn the techniques for the exercises cause there are right ways and wrong ways to do them. Another perk is being able to do them on your days off of your regular gym routine where they can be used as a recovery tool to keep muscles loose and stretched. They are unique and they pack a punch but they get the job done and turn into a fitness beast.  

Get more bang for your buck by using my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT to get a cool percentage off your order. Let's get fit together and have a kick ass time with bands that even some of the very best Olympic Caliber athletes use. 

Comfort Zones And Expanding On Them

 Some people are so adamant against others or themselves being in the comfort zone when it comes to training. It has to be so hard that it makes you tough and resilient. Plus, the more difficult it is, the better off you'll be. Who the fuck really came up with that? 

Training is about discovery, the ability to find what works and expand on it. Sure some things are tough, but they become a bit easier with even the smallest of progressions. To me, once I get good at something, I want to make it better, not so difficult that I can't really do much. People throw comfort around like you're either lazy as hell or you're not willing to toughen it out. The truth is, when you become comfortable in this scenario, it doesn't mean you stay in that area. It's about expanding it and getting better. 

When I first got back into DDP Yoga, I couldn't even remotely get into positions that I can do now. I had to modify them (in some exercises still do) to where I can be comfortable to keep myself going. As I increased my flexibility, I expanded where my comfort level was in the positions I was doing. The workouts were still tough and are hard to do on some days but my comfort level to what my body can do increases as I progress little by little. 

Life can be a royal pain in the ass as is, it's not always going to sunshine and rainbows, everybody in most cases understands that but that doesn't mean that you try to be so tough that it makes you bitter and or give the right to put people down and call them names because they're not as tough or hard as you. Not saying you have to be a goodie two-shoes but it is important to have an attitude to what makes your life meaningful and what is comfortable while facing certain challenges.

When I workout, I can seem like some crazy nutjob doing all these things and making some things look easy but it's because I'm comfortable at being able to do those things and listening to my body. Do I go further into a routine at times, hell yes but it's because my body and my energy allow me to do that and I'm comfortable with it, it doesn't make me lazy or that I'm not allowing myself to go to my limits. 

You learn certain aspects of your capabilities when you progress. Once you get comfortable at a certain point, make an add on and get comfortable with that and keep using that momentum. Some things are tough to do like carrying a heavy rock or walking with a sandbag or sandbell held to your chest. It may seem uncomfortable because for one it isn't easy depending on the weight you use and the distance you do but you become comfortable with what you're able to do, next time go a little further and become comfortable with that distance and so on and so forth. Comfort is making things look easy when they're not, they're still tough but to you it's another day at the office. 

Have fun with what you do. Expand on your capabilities and progress little by little. Train with intent but don't be so gung ho that you're going to end up injured. I've been there and it isn't fun. Enhance your ability to be comfortable in what you do and expand it. It could make your quality of life that much more interesting. 

Train With What Your Body Will Allow

 Every now and then at times we push ourselves to get a workout in or get in a good training session. It feels good and our bodies do thank us but other times, it can be daunting and making a change or two isn't the end of the world. Since about late April, I've been doing DDP Yoga as you know and doing workout after workout every single day has helped me immensely getting my strength, cardio and flexibility back. After taking a couple days off from it this past week due to just needing a break, I found that doing it has been great but start doing it more like a few times a week and focus on other things.

I still love DDPY but it isn't going to kill me to not do it all the time plus some of those workouts do take some energy out of you. I don't mind spending 30 minutes to an hour doing that stuff but at the end of the day, I still want to do other stuff too and not make it my life. Putting energy into other things is good too. I've been going down to the lake lately here which is a mile and a half down the road. Sometimes I'll carry either my Thor Hammer or a kettlebell or the clubs down with me and make that my ruck day or something. Swinging the hammer by the water and looking at the mountains is just awesome. Swimming for a bit and chilling out listening to tunes and watching the world go by. I'll get a few looks here and there but I don't bother anybody and nobody bothers me. 

Training is not always about one thing, you do what your body can do and switching things up is never a bad thing. There are still things you love to do but it's important to not push yourselves so hard that it becomes a burnout. It does happen to the best of us. As great as DDPY has been to me, it's there when I need it but also want to keep doing things like Rucking, working the hammer, do my Dopamineo Workouts and be more in tuned to what makes me happy. Fitness in and of itself is great and it's essential to your quality of life but if it starts to feel like a chore and it stops being something you enjoy, it's time to rethink things. It's about finding that balance, life is already tough for most people so why do something with your workouts that's going to turn into something you hate? It's not worth it. 

Work and play with what your body will allow and enjoy the journey. It'll be tough at times but always utilize what is possible and switch things up every now and then to keep things fresh and consistent. Hell, ever since I learned the Propeller Exercise with the Dopa Band, it has become one of my favorite moves. It's a great exercise, do I do the band all the time? No but when I do it, I know what I'll get out of it. Another focus I've been at recently is working my neck and doing Joint Loosening work again to get things flowing to the areas that feel stiff especially in my knees and ankles. Wanting to thicken my neck a bit doing this routine I came up with that I learned a couple "new" moves and doing a isometric and dynamic move mix. This routine feels incredible and my neck has increased a bit in size because of it and it hits all the muscles while strengthening and stretching it. No, it doesn't involve bridges or resisting with my hands.

Do something everyday, if you only have a few minutes that's awesome, got some time on your hands, great but do something that will benefit you and make it worthwhile even when it can be tough. Those Dopa workouts can be nuts at times and mixing various DDPY workouts together are tough as hell but if it's something you can get enjoyment out of it and you look forward to it, that's what makes it worthwhile. If you need to backoff a bit and do something else, do it. Listen to your body and expand that comfort zone. I'll be writing more about the Comfort Zone thing in a later article and it's not what you think it is. 

Have an amazingly awesome day. 

I Sell Shoes...Have I Become Al Bundy?

Well, I may not have scored 4 touchdowns in a single game, drive a beat up car that needs a screwdriver to start it, hell I never even built a bathroom to get some peace and quiet from the wife. I also am not cruel to plus size women while I work but hey, that's just me. But like Al Bundy, I do sell shoes, but not the type of shoes you normally see in a mall or Walmart or even Target. These shoes are freaking bad ass and are great for your feet. They have a great toe box so it's comfortable for the toes, have an option to wear socks or not and there are a variety of them to suit you daily routine. 

I wanted a change of pace with the shoes I normally wear and see what the benefits can be. Safe to say, with the short time I've used them, already feeling better and lighter on my feet. I've worn them hiking, going on a regular walk, did DDP Yoga in them along with other workouts and just having a good time in them just for the hell of it. Like a lot of people, I loved having the support cushion and rigidness but I also like being barefoot and doing what I love. I gave the Bareway Shoes a chance after seeing them in a number of places on Social Media. I got the Elite Series and from the first steps in them, it felt like I was walking on air. 

They're very light, flexible and aren't stiff in the soles. They feel more natural and are durable as well. I never really had foot issues but that doesn't mean I don't want to keep strengthening them so I can avoid injuries there as much as possible. Having healthy feet especially as we age can be crucial to how our bodies stay in a quality state. Although comfort can be a good thing from time to time, it's also important to be grounded and feel the earth and take comfort in a whole other realm. Strong feet is part of having a strong body and not just in the muscles but the ligaments and tendons as well. Foot injuries can be a real bitch and it's no fun when every step feels like pin needles or having heaviness in that area. Like physical fitness, we should strengthening our feet as much as we can. 

The Elite shoes are just a piece of what you can use for daily life. There's the Boot Series which has a more vintage type feature that can be used for those who love to hike and work in a blue collar type environment. There's the Nature Series that's geared for outdoors and has that look made for camping in the woods or going on nature walks. All these shoes still are flexible, durable, waterproof and give you sensory feedback. You can do many things with these shoes and all are beneficial to giving your feet quality life and comfort while keeping them strong and mobile. 

Unlike Al who hates being a shoe salesman, I enjoy helping others find resources that will help them be in healthy condition and bask in the glory of a strong and confident mind and body. Find the type of shoe suited for you and look into what they can benefit you in the long run, not just a temporary style that lasts a couple years. Go kill it and have an amazingly awesome day. 

The Propeller Exercise From Dopamineo

 Always finding ways to train so I can get the most benefit out of a workout. Off and on with the Dopamineo Band, doing circuits and HIIT Workouts hits the spot in many ways to tackle my cardio, coordination, agility and explosiveness. One exercise in particular I held off on doing until recently was the Propeller exercise. I've seen several videos of people who own Dopamineo and other athletes do this exercise at various speeds and style and I figured it was time for me to learn it. 

The reason why I held off on it for a long time was because for one, it's a complex movement that hits muscles where I was having my sciatica and was afraid of getting hurt again because of the way the band moves and the way you have to move with it. The second reason was because I wanted to get good at some of the other exercises that were complex as well but not as difficult coordination wise. Once I felt I was good enough to where it felt automatic, I started putting effort into this crazy looking exercise.

The Propeller Exercise in itself is a workout just to not only get the movement right but it also hits many muscles and there's a reason many wrestlers use it to condition their bodies. It does like a Duck Under like move where you shift the body and can duck under an opponent for a takedown and/or utilize the Fireman Carry Technique. Take it slow to get an idea on how you unify the band and your body together to work in sync. Start speeding up little by little as you get better and before you know it, it makes you look like you're spinning. At a certain clip, it becomes quite the conditioning exercise and will get you breathing hard. 

Before I did a workout with it, I tested the waters and did what I could with it. It can be a bit of a brain teaser because there's many things coming into play with the arms, the shoulders, the slight squatting, the turning of the torso, working with the band instead of against it. Once I got going, it tested my breathing because of the intensity. You don't stretch the band to the point where you can barely move, you get it just long enough to where it creates resistance but also is in a "relaxed" type state yet not "loose". In the workout, I did a circuit of exercises of my usual 10 reps of 5 exercises and did this last. Did a total of 100 reps with the Propeller and out of all the exercises I did in that workout, that was the hardest one and the one that tested me the most. It is a fun exercise once you get the idea of the mechanics of it. It's not easy and I still need practice on it but it is getting better. 

In the video below, I took the band out on a windy day at a park behind a church down the block from the house. It took a few takes, not because of the wind or anything, I had a good set up with my phone and able to keep it steady with one of my bags, it was the movement itself along with angles, speed, not messing up smacking myself and doing reps to get the amount of time to show it for more than a few seconds, I really wanted to show the progress without making a blooper out of it. I hate messing up. After several takes and several minutes of doing the exercise, it turned into a mini workout cause it wore my ass out. This was the end result and like I said, it still needs work but in time, it's going to be a hell of an exercise to work with.

Some people do this movement with a twisting motion of the torso, some just twist the arms, I'm still figuring out which way to go on the up position at the end. It's all about experimenting and having fun. Don't forget to grab one yourself or for your athletes if you work with wrestlers, MMA Fighters, BJJ, Judo or other combat sports. These are also great for training and playing with Kids. There are bands for little ones as young as 4 years old. Great piece of equipment to get kids moving and playing. Play along with them to create bonding experiences. Get a cool discount when you punch in POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. 

The VRT Man Is Now Among The Gods Of Physical Culture

 Another dear friend and mentor has passed on. Greg Mangan died yesterday at the age of 72 and it was one of those unexpected accidents that just didn't end well. I talked to his son Greg Jr. just mere hours after it happened, wanting to reach out out of respect for Sr. and get more of what happened. It still baffles me and just trying to wrap my head around it, it just hurts. No where near as much as it's hurting Jr., his brother Pat and their mother Nancy. I had a lot of respect for the man and the way he showed kindness towards me all the years I knew. Never met the man directly but we shared a mutual friendship and understanding of one another.

Some may know him better as the man who had a hand in developing an exercise system that was in the realm of using muscular tension to simulate lifting weights. It was called Visualized Resistance Training and the premise is similar to the idea of Muscle Control, Dynamic Tension & Visualized Mental Training all rolled into one. A cousin to VRT was doing DVRs or Dynamic Visualized Resistance that was brought on by one of my first mentors John Peterson. The difference between VRT & DVR is that VRT utilizes more of the focused muscles in their positive positioning such as doing a Bicep Curl where you flex and curl the forearms, elbows and biceps and once you reach the top position you relax the muscles when you bring them back down. DVR Exercise in this instance would be to work the positive and negative motions of a Bicep Curl by flexing and curling the arms to the top position and while keeping tension, you reverse the movement coming back down. 

VRT Exercise was one of the first 5 methods of Training I learned after recovering from my leg injuries. It really started around 2006 since I went through those first few months doing Combat Conditioning and the system that John Peterson put on. I learned about Greg when we were both on John's Forum and learned a few things about one another. I initially bought a pamphlet and DVD version of his VRT System and worked on that for a period. It was a good course and essentially one of the most underrated in my opinion. Greg's knowledge of Muscle Control through Biological Science is quite in depth and understood how the muscles worked with extensive practice of Muscular Contraction mixed with Mental Imagery incorporating a killer idea of the Mind/Muscle Connection.   

As always with everybody else I learned from, I took bits and pieces of his style of training and molded it to many things I still do today. The funny thing is in DDP Yoga, Dallas uses what he calls Dynamic Resistance to build up your heart rate as you go through certain movements. It's literally another version of VRT Exercise in the form of a unique style of Yoga Training. A part of Greg's legacy is utilized in a very cool way. I've always admired him and had many conversations with him over the years about life, fitness, working out, history and other things. He was so proud of his boys Greg Jr. & Pat. Don't think he ever said one negative thing about them even when they were teenagers LOL. I knew about those boys for a long time and he was just so in love with his wife Nancy, don't think we had a conversation where he didn't mention his family and how much he loved them. 

After some time, he wanted me to be one of the new faces for VRT because of my background and knowledge of the system. I didn't think I was worthy cause I didn't feel I had the physique he was looking for at the time so I turned him down. As much as I wanted to still help promote his system, he ended up pulling away from John Peterson after some issues both professionally and personally that didn't go very well. He branched out and formed a new booklet that added another element to what he wanted and sold it on amazon. I figured when that happened, that would be a better way to help promote his system. I would do my version of the exercises and use that to get something going as an Amazon Associate. It did ok and the potential is still there. I still have the pamphlet, DVD & book in my possession as part of my library. 

He lived quite a life and raised amazingly smart and equally awesome attitude in his sons. I will miss our conversations and will always have a soft spot for what he taught me from my early 20's to today. You were a hell of a man Greg and I wish you nothing but happiness as you take your place in the halls of the greats in the big blue sky above. RIP my friend.