Applying Isometrics Just Makes Things All The More Bad Ass

Got up this morning, took two scoops of Spark Energy and hammered out some awesome Isometric Training. Hit many muscle groups and switching from one position to another either by adjusting the strap I have or doing bodyweight. 

Curls

Wall Sits

Pull Aparts

Chest Squeeze With A Wall

Overhead Press

Core 

Hybrid Squat

Hybrid Push-Up

Side Of The Legs

Back Of The Legs

Wall Lateral Raises

All for 7-12 Seconds of intense contraction. Even felt like I got a bit of cardio in there because I wasn't resting other than going from one position to another. No impact on the joints, keeping things tight and strong along with waking up the body feeling like a million bucks. 

Strength Training in its purest form. The armor that many need especially as they get older and feeling like a boss. This was a great session to get into since yesterday was quite a training day. If you read my recent article before this one, you know that I started the day with Joint Loosening and went into a Sapate HIIT Workout for 8 Rounds. I did say that I might do a Dopa Session later which I eventually did. However; I tackled my neck first doing my 400 Rep Workout with the Neck Flex, channeling the man with the World's Strongest Neck Mike The Machine Bruce. A few minutes after that little "Warm Up", I went to the park and did a 600 Rep Dopa Circuit of 5 Exercises, 12 Reps each for 10 Rounds. Sweated like Niagara Falls since it was close to 90 out and muggy as shit but it was still fun to do. 

Being a little light today since the Isometrics were my big workout for the day. May do some crawling or go for a nice walk. It is summer and getting some sun is a great thing to do. Want to get into Isometrics and get in some bad ass training without wearing and tearing on the joints? Grab Matt Schifferle's Overcoming Isometrics course which has some of the best info and training entities on the subject in many years. Get it on Kindle or as a Physical Book and learn the REAL aspects of Isometrics. Not some carbon copy cookie cutter course that is borderline boring and tedious compared to books like these. Plus OI shows originality and science behind it, some others barely squeak by with a few holds that doesn't do much in terms of real world strength, joint health & mobility and act like it's the best there is. I feel sorry for whoever has to read that stuff let alone waste money on it.  

Another great book on the subject is probably even more valuable in terms of who wrote it. Isometrics by Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler Henry Wittenberg. A classic that still hold merit after more than 6 decades since its release. If you're a true student of Physical Culture, you might want to check this shit out.  

Be amazingly awesome and get those Isometrics in. Your body will not only thank you but will have you utilizing energy and strength that is needed, not just looking better. 

Always Having Fun With The Dopa Bands

 Good morning you crazy bastards. Hope all is well and you had a good weekend. Already getting in some good shit today doing some Joint Loosening and hitting up a Sapate HIIT Workout, going for 30 on, 90 off for 8 Rounds. Simplistic conditioning and busting ass then rest enough for a fresh set. It's what it's all about right? Making the most of your efforts without killing yourself or going so extreme that it injures you? Who the fuck wants that?

Yesterday was just as fun as I went out to the park with my Chosen Higher Dopa Band and got in a great session hitting 5 Exercises, 10 Reps each for 12 Rounds totaling 600 Reps. Nothing too nutty or anything, just having a blast with this bad ass thing. That's the beauty of training, keeping things interesting and doing what's possible in the moment. You won't always feel shiny or bright but if you can make the opportunity to put in the effort, you're already ahead of the game than many. Here's a clip of the exercises I performed....

You can find the full 10 reps of each exercise on my Instagram. 

There's never a dull moment with these and doing them in honor of the great wrestlers and fighters that use these to dominate in the Olympics, World Championships, UFC and other competitions. Maintaining levels of fitness is my true passion. I'm never going to look like some shredded influencer or Model of some sort, but if I can stay strong and have a solid level of conditioning that benefits me, that's just part of the sweet deal with this journey I'm on. I was planning on doing just the typical 500 total but decided to go two more rounds just for kicks. Even got featured on Insta by the company itself. Great guys and grateful to be a part of it.

I have always believed conditioning is your greatest asset and it goes beyond a sport like wrestling and MMA. There's going to be days where you're going to need those reserves and make the effort to help others when an opportunity arises. You want to go as long as you need to to get things rolling. It's better to have it and not always need it, than to not have it and get worn down when things are needed. Strength is the cousin to conditioning and you want to have both because you never know when your temporary strength and your lasting strength is going to called on. 

Having the Dopa Bands in your arsenal is a powerful entity to have because they can help keep things flowing before or after a typical gym session or hard practice. On their own, you can utilize whatever benefits you whether it's building strength, explosiveness, cardio, durability or all of those attributes. Just having a fitness routine for them on some days works great cause they don't take a ton of time to really make you feel it. A good 20-30 minute workout is never a bad thing. Use them as a warm up or a very hard finisher for 5-10 minutes and you're golden.

The circuits are a favorite of mine cause I can just keep going and have that rhythm. Be able to switch from one exercise to another on a dime and staying strong in each movement. Work on technique, letting speed come naturally and formulating a fun atmosphere even when I'm not always at my best. Mark off the circuit and repeat the circuit works for me and it gives me a hell of a high afterwards. Once it's over, let things sink in for a bit, pack my shit up and head home, nothing simpler than that man. 

I may even do a session later on today since my energy levels are high today, who knows. Could another 600 Rep Workout be in the books? We shall see. Be sure to use my code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF your order when you pick out a band or set of bands you want. 

With the type of mood I'm in, it makes me think of this quote I found on threads by Gary Vaynerchuk who put up "Every minute you spend trying to cut down someone else's tree down, is a minute you spend not growing yours." Fuck that's powerful. There will be people who try to cut you down, trust me, someone tried to do it to me but they never succeeded and I'm still fucking standing doing what I love and sharing my experiences and love for training with all of you. People who make attempts and fail miserably, never take the time to grow themselves, they just get stuck in a miserable loop that never ends. Grow like a redwood man. 

Be amazingly awesome and go kill it today. You got this. 

The Sapate: An Ancient Bodyweight Exercise Showcasing The Near Mythic Origins Of The Burpee

 In the modern times of the Fitness Industry, people are just dying to package agony as something innovative. Micro Splits that hit fanatical gym bros with glee, some format of HIIT styles bending the rules of realistic approaches in CrossFit and those cheesy-ass infomercials that sell waistline gadgets like it's the best thing since the fucking wheel. Here in reality land, if you want to really dig into the type of training that made men practically immortal athletes and dominate a sport in their native land, walk away from the fluorescent lights of a chrome & Fern Gym (great saying from the legendary Brooks Kubik) and get into the red clay pits of India.

Pehlwans or otherwise known as practictioners of the art of Kushti, which is a very old discipline of traditional wrestling where athletes perform in the dirt. One of the major exercises that is arguably the heart and soul of the art is a grueling move named the Sapate. From today's point of view, the Sapate looks like the caveman's version of the Burpee. Now, if we tried to compare this exercise to what we know of the Burpee today, it's like comparing Wolverine's Claws to a damn Butterknife. The Burpee was first in the game by Royal H Burpee who was an American Physiologist that tested people's cardiovascular fitness that didn't include the push-up or the jump. The Sapate on the other side of the coin is the bridge gap that blends the Hindu Push-Up (Dand) and the Hindu Saquat (baithak) into one superpower.

Performing this bad ass exercise has a somewhat meditative focus to it but with great intensity. Squat down as if doing the Hindu Squat, place the hands on the ground and explosively thrust the feet back diving the chest near the ground, arching your spine toward the heavens like a Viper striking before driving the hips (if possible). A solid rhythm is in place each rep and to be in as good of form as you can. Many wrestlers in this sport of wrestling don't do something 30-50 reps; They'll do insane numbers like in the triple and quadruple digits almost daily to develop a gas tank that would even test Captain America. 

However; it cannot be understood enough that the raw and ferocious power of the Sapate is first and foremost, an entity in the sacred environment of the Akhara. Kushti, as an art is more than just sport and competition, it is a discipline that is considered Holy. In Akharas around the region, before he even takes a step into the dirt ring, a wrestler or group of wrestlers bow before an alter that is dedicated to the Monkey God Lord Hanuman. The God that is the poster child of Strength, Humility and believe it or not Celibacy. 

The dirt pit or ring is filled of soft earth. It is treated with respect and holy devotion. Wrestlers will ritually rub the dirt and mud to their skin that supposedly protects their gripping ability, abrasions from the constant hand to hand techniques and in a way submerging themselves into the earth. 

When it comes to the Sapate itself, it is a key ingredient to this act of athletic endeavor that it takes on the form of of superior conditioning so a competitor can go sometimes for hours in matches. It's one of the grandaddy's of Physical Culture that blends traditional sport and combat which strips it down to the roots of what we can understand the essence of being an athlete. 

Give this move a go. You don't need to do as many as a wrestler but you can test what you're capable of in various ways. You can do a max set and increase little by little, or you can do it HIIT Style doing as many reps as you can for 30 Seconds, Rest for 90 Seconds and repeat that for a total of 8 rounds. Learn to get used to the movement itself, go a bit slow and find the rhythm, as you can get stronger and more durable, add some speed to it but don't lose your form. Remember to treat moves like these with Respect and it will reward you later. Be amazingly awesome and hope you enjoyed a little history.        

Does Working Out Mean It Has To Be Your Whole Personality?

 I see this question sometimes on Social Media and people have different answers for it. Some treat exercise or fitness as nothing but that and the rest of the world is just a blur, others make it just another part of their day and do whatever after that. For me, I don't know if I would put it as part of my personality or as if its the only thing that matters but more of the lines of it being my passion and using it as an outlet or an entity that utilizes aspects of life outside of it.

Don't get me wrong, fitness is a part of who I 'am, has been for decades and I wouldn't give up on it for anything, but there are separate forces that blends itself together with my daily life. I train for all sorts of reasons and it varies to what I want to do. I'll experiment with things, do a routine here and there a while, push past bouts of emotions, quick moments before going off to do something, mix and match things, have a little fun and sometimes just tackle it with a vengeance because I need to get shit out of my system. 

Yesterday alone, I did 3 workouts because certain things just drove me to do them. Worked on my neck using the Neck Flex Harness with the Resistance Band doing 400 Total Reps. Later in the day did a 500 Rep Dopa Band Circuit, would've wanted to go longer but mentally, things were weighing heavily on me and in those moments, it was the best I got. Before going to bed, I did Joint Loosening Exercises and a HIIT Workout of doing the Sapate for 30 on, 90 off for 8 Rounds. Pretty damn good workout.

This morning, I woke up stupid early and just decided to get something in. Started with my Neck Mobility Routine, Joint Loosening Exercises and Isometrics. A couple of the Isometric Exercises was doing a unilateral Curl and Overhead Press which together alone was 12 contractions, throw in 3 Wall Sits, 3 Upright Row Positions, Hybrid Push-Up & Squat and 9 Positions for the Core (Dead Bug Crunch, Hollow Body, Arch Body & Side Bends) which all together comes out to 29 contractions at 7-12 seconds each at 75-85% Intensity. That's a hell of a workout. 

If I don't do any other workouts today, cool. That kicked my ass and I love it. It is part of my personality, maybe the majority of it but there are things outside of working out that show that I'm more than just some fitness nutball. 

After my gram's passing and finally getting back into my element, certain aspects of it has changed me in some format. Talking with my family a bit more than I have in a very long time, has been comforting, laughing together and not just shooting the breeze or throwing random memories of the crazy shit we did growing up that made our grandma question certain things yet put up with us and still made us feel loved and appreciated. I've thrown some of her lessons around in my own life now that makes me understand some things better. Looking back on my childhood, we had our ups and downs but I'm glad I had her in my life and it is funny that I use to freak her out even as I got older and getting into steel bending and all that. I gave her a few shocks when I would fall back into a bridge and kick over and back or rip a phonebook in half, bend a 6 inch spike or just show her some of the videos I did back in the day. She got a kick out of those really because she saw something in me and encouraged me to do what I love. I miss her very much.

So, does working out mean it has to be your whole personality? I guess it depends on the individual and what they do to make things in their life better. Some take it to extremes and need to be put in the nuthouse with the ridiculous claims they make or rant on stupid shit that make no sense and blends reality with fantasy and delusional obsessions & overwhelming jealousy. Others use it to give people hope, opportunities to better themselves and have something to hold onto along with building knowledge & application. Sometimes, they just workout because it's just another thing to get through the day with, that happens. 

Have a great day today, make it amazingly awesome for you and those around you. Train hard, train smart and have a fucking blast. 

If you're looking for some awesome workouts that will last you a lifetime and enjoy, go and Pre-Order Matt Schifferle's New Book Strength Training For Longevity. Using practical and realistic programming that keep you active, capable and independent for decades onward. This won't be like other courses that some will claim you need to be extreme and train to exhaustion. That's just unrealistic and dangerous marketing hype and bullshit. You don't need workouts that go for long periods of time or train until you're completely drained, that's just going to cause more heartache and take way more time to recover than needed. With STFL, this relies heavily on actual function and putting things together that gives you energy and well being to carry groceries, climb stairs, move better and keep yourself balanced beyond your 40's, 50's and longer. Don't kill yourself to get results, be smart and train for real strength & health. 

The Farmer Vs. The Machine

 

If there was ever a competition to determine certain aspects on what it means to have a strong neck, it be two powerhouse wrestlers that defied the meaning of Neck Strength. Farmer Burns and Marine Mike "The Machine" Bruce come to mind and I want to break down why.

First off, although they come from completely different backgrounds and training style, there's no question both men have a higher IQ on Submission Grappling than many today and out of the two, Mike is very underrated. He came from beginnings that would put a lot of average guys in therapy but he persevered and became one of the strongest guys for his size pound for pound and a great athlete overall in his prime.

Martin Burns was born during the most important war in American History and busted his ass to take care of his family even at an early age. He made wrestling an artform but knew what it took to cripple somebody if he wanted to. Arguably the greatest hooker of any generation but was also most likely the GOAT when it came to being a coach. If you ever understood the dominance of Frank Gotch, you can thank the Farmer for that and many other champions he developed. 

When it comes to training the neck, these two alone are in many aspects without equal. Both devoted time and training to make their neck as strong as possible while also maintaining health. Mike trained in an era during the early UFC years and became a hell of a grappler and fighter training under coaches like Tim Gillett. In a time where steroids and other drugs were growing in sports, this bad ass marine never went that route and relied heavily on good old fashioned conditioning, crazy heavy strength training and old time strongmen principles by bending steel such as spikes and horseshoes. He was trained in the old time strongman feats by Bud Jeffries and because of Bud's guidance and wisdom, Mike developed a level of performing strongman very few if any can comprehend. 

Burns was not only a man of principle, he was heavily into systems that weren't considered the norm at the time and utilized the idea that although conditioning was a priority for wrestling, the ability to practice precision and timing made the biggest difference and reading an opponent with such accuracy that getting them into practically any position he wanted, made him one of the most dangerous wrestlers of all time. The man rarely ever lost a bout and this was in a time where contests were mostly legit and had scientific entities along with tactics that broke bones, shattered tendons and destroyed the spirit of any man that tested him. 

Both men made an impact in their time and although the Farmer is more famous of the two, there's no question that Mike had an impact on others in the shadows. Now the purpose of this post is to look at their styles when it came to training the neck. They knew the ins and outs of neck training for their sport but took things to a level most are baffled to this day when you dig into what they did. 

Burns' biggest known feat of Neck Strength was the Hangman's Noose Feat where he trained his neck to the degree of not only developing a 20 incher on a 165 lb frame but can hang from the noose itself for a solid of period of time and not get injured or for that matter die. If you could choke out the Farmer, you might as well be celebrated as royalty because the man's neck was so freakishly strong, it was damn near impossible. In his book Lessons In Wrestling & Physical Culture, he puts quite a stint of neck training where you do self resistance exercises and bridges to create a powerful entity and even threw in rocking in the front bridge until fatigue. How can you go wrong with that?

For Mike? If it came to the science and hardcore truth about training the neck next to Ted Williams teaching you how to hit a baseball, it ranks right at that level of greatness. There wasn't a method The Machine didn't do that made his neck a force of nature. From heavy weights, to high rep training, band work, bridges and more, it is above and beyond what others before or since have accumulated. When it came to feats of strength, even the Farmer would question Mike's sanity because he made almost the hangman's noose look like a joke. Mike had steel bars bent across his throat. Even Horseshoes didn't stand a chance, Mike had them bent and it is incredible the way it is done. It's hard enough bending horseshoes with your bare hands but to have them bent across the throat where it could easily crush the windpipe of a normal human being is just nuts.

Who would win in a contest of this context? I would put my money on Mike and this isn't about being biased, when you look into the feats and the training methods, Mike took it steps further than Burns did. Wrestling wise, even Mike might say Burns was the better wrestler because with Catch in Burns' time, you had to learn how to cripple someone and get dirty when it was called upon because back then, there weren't big payoffs let alone medical modalities. Mike could still go if he wanted to and knows how to break a limb but he also has that marine mentality. Not taking away anything from either man, they both could fight in ways that question a lot of other guys' manhood with the way they handle themselves. 

If you want to have the strongest neck possible, check out Mike's Channel on YouTube on Building A Thick Neck . Want to train without weights or doing bridges, check out the Neck Flex that also uses a resistance band. Train myself with these little fuckers and will do a total of 300 or more reps hitting 25-50 in different directions. Keeps my neck at around 18 inches in my 40's. Be amazingly awesome and keep things going. A strong neck could save your life one day.