A Strong Neck To Keep Head Banging To Bad Ass Rock & Metal

 Every now and then, I think about some of the concerts I've been to in my life. Seen plenty of groups including Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Joan Jett and others. One of my favorites to go see was my friends Archer who consisted of three members (Dylan Rose, Tyler Bramlett and Isaiah May) and would play covers of 80's metal bands and their original songs. They did battle of the bands type gigs and played a lot on the main stage and atrium at this place in Santa Cruz called the Catalyst which I think isn't going to be in that area much longer. 

Going to those concerts were a lot of fun and got to be in mosh pits, head bang with other friends and even hung around a guy once or twice who was an American Idol contestant back in the day who had the legendary guitar icon Zakk Wylde on stage. Isaiah was the bass player for Archer at the time, one concert, I got too close to the stage and was head banging and all that. All of a sudden, I got hit by the bass like it uppercut me and it was hard enough that it could've knocked me out but with all those bridges I was doing at the time, my chin and my neck was strong enough to withstand the blow and just laughed it off. I told him about it later on at a gathering for a BBQ or something and he apologized to me about it and just shrugged it off, it was my fault and he was doing his thing.

I love rocking out man and having a strong neck that doesn't cause pain later on, even when the adrenaline wears off is a key to keep having fun. Having a neck that can handle more than just rocking out is an aspect of health that is really neglected. It's having that possible whiplash and may even get hurt getting out of bed. Doing bridges are awesome and if you're healthy, practice them using the methods from Logan Christopher's Advanced Bridging Course. 

The next best thing in addition to bridges or even self resistance is using the Neck Flex. Working your neck in various positions using the resistance band that comes with it can develop muscle and even utilize injury prevention as much as possible. Do you need to do a ton of reps? Not really, especially in the beginning where you're learning to control the movements and not flopping that thing around like its a fish out of water. It's about feeling the muscles, controlling the resistance and understanding the mechanics. I worked up to high volume because that works for me and I enjoy training that way. 

If you're going to train with weights, be sure to get going using weight that gives you the opportunity to work the neck with control. In the wise words of Yoda, "Control, control, you must learn control." Now, that doesn't mean your neck is going to grow two inches in less than a couple weeks that some people have claimed while looking like they have a pencil neck that looks exactly the same after using a cheap knock off for 5 minutes. Growth takes time like anything else and it's not always about size either. Shit, I love having a thick and strong neck but in reality, what I love more is the fact that I can turn in all sorts of directions and not feel pain or feel like there are kinks that need work. Each exercise is focused and as precise as I can make it. That's the true way to do it whether it's for high volume or whatever.

Even as a Rock/Metal Artist, having a healthy and strong neck goes a long way to keep rocking out as you perform to the crowd. Neck work is mainly neglected because it's out of fear that if you do things and work the wrong way, it can lead to some kind of disaster. That can be said for practically any exercise but when it comes to the Neck, it can potentially be fatal. It sounds scary, I understand but working those muscles whether you're an athlete, a head banging spectator or whatever can help generate nerve force and strengthen the spinal cord along with the muscles of the neck. 

Having a healthy and strong neck can potentially limit headaches and migraines at an alarming rate. This doesn't mean they cure them and I wouldn't test the theory while having either one but with consistent training, it potentially takes things down a notch and be able to have greater clarity and neurological function. 

Take care of your neck, it's one of the things that keeps you alive LOL. I really hope you enjoyed this post and got a little kick out of it. It's fun playing off the little things in life and giving people an outlook that makes strength training worthwhile for the things that matter to you. Go to https://www.theneckflex.com/ and get your hands on the cream of the crop when it comes to Neck Harnesses. Learn the valuable info of training using the band and chain from The Emperor of Neck Training Mike The Machine Bruce at his Youtube Channel HERE!!! Want to shave off some money on your order? Use my code POWERANDMIGHT and tell them I sent you. They're good guys. Also check out for info from Neck Flex themselves by going HERE to their Youtube Channel. 

I got to tell you man, Mike Bruce's neck is so thick and powerful, if he was at the plate in Oracle Park, he could use his head as the bat and hit one out to McCovey Cove and it be just another walk in the park for him. 

Little Neck-Ism just for kicks since it has been a minute. 

Be amazingly awesome and don't stop having a blast. Rock on everyone. 

Here is a little old school metal to rock out to....One of my personal favorites from Black Label Society

Dopamineo Bands And Why They Are A Bad Ass Tool That Builds Movers From Youth To Seniors

Is it truly necessary to have a garage full of equipment, a gym membership or some random "guru" who puts you through a copy and pasted system he plagiarized for a few weeks? Honestly, that's more of a choice than a requirement but in my humble opinion before we get into the article today is that a garage gym has better benefits than an expensive membership where you'll have to deal with people that aren't always the best company. 

Now, when it comes to traveling and being able to build solid levels of fitness that doesn't require horrendously expensive machines that does a damn fine job on its own or as an add on to your current regimen is the Dopamineo Bands. Trust me, I wouldn't hype it up if I didn't think they work. Working with Kettlebells, Sledgehammers, The Neck Flex, Bodyweight and other things. The top of the heap always comes from simplicity. The bands are as brutally effective as you can get. 

A lineup of levels of resistance that suits practically everyone from young children as old as 4 to youth athletes to adult men and women to even senior citizens looking to stay fit and mobile. Easy resistance up to over 220 lbs of sheer force. It's not cheap rubber or some lame latex that can snap on you after a few months of consistent training. These are literally made to last longer than many other pieces of equipment combined. It's the head honcho when it comes to toughness and durability. 

What makes doing workouts so unique? For starters, it's not even about the resistance. Any band out there gives that. Dopa however; gives you the movement. It formulates the ability to force the body to stabilize, control, explode, rotate and recover all in one shot. Unlike a machine, you're not locked into an isolated movement. You're moving the way us humans were meant to. Let's take a youth wrestler for example: With a band, they're learning to generate power from the core and the hips while shooting for a double leg without loading the spine with weight they're not ready for. 

For the MMA Fighter, it's that development of power endurance. The ability to explode, recover, explode and so on when they're in that state of fatigue. On the Senior Citizens side of it, it's utilizing workouts that are joint-friendly and maintaining muscle without tearing them apart and beating up the body. These are just ideas that are key ingredients whether one is a beginner or seasoned vet. The band doesn't give a shit. It helps you wherever you are and will work with you as long as you respect it. 

For beginners or even those who want to ease into understanding the bands, the Fly & Feather Weight options are great because they show you where the tension is because after all, the tension is the stimulus. It teaches you how to brace and generate the force needed. It also gives you the opportunity to learn how your core is the foundation. For veterans of the game, the light, middle and heavyweight bands will humble your ass. Shadow wrestling, sprints, shuffles, explosive waves and many more. Nothing shiny or too complex. Developing your conditioning with these will also instill your confidence because of what you feel and moving better after a session.

Here's some harsh truth that most don't talk about; most workouts kill the excitement, the ability to want to come back and destroying little by little the enjoyment of training. These bands plow through those walls by giving you reasons to be excited about your workouts. Think about being out in the fresh air at a beach or a park, feeling like a kid playing. That's where it lies in the very depths of training like a beast. It gives kids a chance to keep going even when they're tired, for older adults it's about being independent without needing a spotter. 

It creates opportunities to stay fit in the long run, not some joke of a program that will leave you broken because some whackjob told you to be extreme and suffering through pain is the only way to go. They make the body work as a single unit. You've seen the demos of how I use them. I just wished these specific ones were around when I was still in high school, I might have been more enthusiastic about being in sports. From my own experiences and putting my own bands through the ringer, they don't quit on you and they make you want to be better. 

It's not worth your time and energy to overcomplicate it. Moving better, feeling like a million bucks and building long lasting strength and conditioning from the toddler age to beyond 70 is the name of the game. These bands provide all of that. Go to dopamineo.com and get yourself a flyweight to start your journey or if you decide to train the kids or your own children. Get a middle, chosen higher and heavyweight to really put in the work. Better yet, get a bundle that gives you the tools to progress throughout your journey. Use my code POWERANDMIGHT and save some bucks. Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it. 

Bodyweight Squats Vs Hindu Squats: Which One Takes The Cake And Which One Is A Dumpster Fire?

Thick Thighs Saves Lives as they say. When it comes to a debate, you analyze what the topic is, the benefits, the pros, the cons, the dirt, the shining star and what it could do for the greater good. In the fitness world, there's going to be debates that at times can get ugly because one may get offended by who thinks what's better or how this method should be done. Some will even go to great lengths to not only believe in their own hype but will rant over and over again about how right they are and anybody who disagrees is a loser. Here on earth, in certain cases like this, it comes down to the individual and their goals.

For the sake of argument, which one of these ESSENTIAL exercises formulates the top of the food chain when it comes "Leg Day" from a bodyweight perspective:

First, let's be civil about the benefits of both shall we?

They're awesome to do anywhere and at anytime, you can do them fast, you can do slow, toss them into your routine, can be a warm up or finisher and they both can be a test to how conditioned you are from a fitness point of view. 

Either one has the potential to make your workouts either a living hell or something that makes the rocking world go round by utilizing their purposes suited to your goals. High rep, low rep, one set or dozens of sets it doesn't matter, both will kick your ass and make the legs like jello when you work specific methods of training for them. 

Now that we got some of that out of way, let's have the contest to see which one is better (Hypothetically)....

The most common squat among the two is the bodyweight squat where you move the body up and down working the legs in the  "natural" positioning of squatting down until you're parallel to the floor with the feet in a more diagonal pattern with the feet. It's essentially the non weighted version of the barbell squat. The perks of this movement is the basic formality of being able to squat down and pick things up or in time, be able to go down without pain and getting back up. It has been said that the first thing you lose as you age is the legs. 

Bodyweight Squats can be done in a variety of ways and is used in all major sports, research programs, beginner levels to progress to harder variations and has multiple variations that are easier or harder depending on your fitness level and adaptation. Some do them in very high reps for conditioning purposes, others will use them for rehab or to help with maintaining strength for longevity. 

Hindu Squats on the other hand is a specific movement geared towards the conditioning practices of wrestlers in the art of Kushti or Pehlwan Wrestling. They're a staple mainly in the sport that transferred over to other parts of the world where they became the cornerstone exercise to test a man's will. The two most men who brought Hindu Squats into a mainstream outline was Karl Gotch & Matt Furey. Furey made them the public image for his main 3 exercises in Combat Conditioning. Karl kept it more to the tune of how to train his wrestlers and other coaches who caught wind of them taught them in other circles of pro wrestling. 

In the training camps (such as Verne Gagne and Tryout Beasts like Ole & Gene Anderson) called these Free Squats and made everyone do hundreds of them or up to 1000 of them before they even got in the ring. Many guys ended up quitting because of how bad the lactic acid built up and couldn't walk for days. The movement itself consists of the following:

Arms straight out

Pull the arms in and inhale

Ass you go down, bring the heels up which bends the knees forward

exhale

swing the arms as you stand back up bringing the heels back down flat

Some may get it right away, some may have balance issues and others may get confused cause it has both an arm motion and raising the heels which isn't the normal type to squat on. 

These in most cases are done in high reps where the "gold standard" was to do up to 500 or more on a consistent basis within 15 minutes or less if you were a wrestler or some kind of athlete. From a fitness perspective, it gives you the idea of where your level of cardio is and the kind of condition you're in within other aspects of exercise and workout protocols.

Where does the debate come in? Good question...

They're both used for different purposes when it comes to training while one is more rhythmic and utilizing a circular pattern with the arms, the other does have a more strength based pattern working the legs in a fashion that is more understood by training the knees and ankles in a low skilled format. 

Bodyweight Squats is more basic compared to the Hindu Style which has a greater complexity. Are they effective on their own? That depends on your goals. Anyone that can make a youtube video has some variation of how to do them and many think they're style is the style that matters which is a narrow minded and narcissistic way of doing things. I first learned Bodyweight Squats in PE when I was a kid and did a few here and there when I tried out for wrestling back when I was a senior in high school. I just followed along and was never given a direction to how to train them.

When it came to Hindu Style, those were when I started out with Combat Conditioning when I was 21 years old recovering from my leg injuries. I did what I could to learn and understand them and eventually got good at them to where I did over 1000 of them in a workout within 4-5 months of training them. Eventually, my friends gave me tips on how to do them better and picked up on other variations from other people. Almost no one outside of my friends really knew what they were around the time I started on them. Hindu Squats had made traction in the few years they became mainstream but other than a couple guys who showed me better quality of them, I never saw anyone outside of a MMA or wrestling background that knew how to do them. 

Now they're just as common as any type of squat these days. Although still known for being a high volume movement, some use them to work their balance and tendon building by doing them much slower and building strength that way. 

Bodyweight Squats have their perks in learning how to do the most basic format of training and should be used whether you're a beginner or a vet of the game. Me personally, I take a variation called Pan Squats or a bodyweight version of the Goblet Squat and have done 500 of these in deck of cards workouts or do what are called Step Squats which I learned from mimicking the Bioneer. I would do these in intervals at times and go for 5-7 minutes. For the Hindu Squats, I did them in high reps using decks of cards, countdown methods or just going straight through them, my fastest 500 was 11:48 and my fastest 1000 was 33 minutes. These days, I would put them in my circuits with the Dopamineo Band and after doing the band exercises, I would 30-40 Squats. Throughout the circuit, it would be around 300-380 give or take. 

Does one take the cake and the other is a dumpster fire? From a realistic point of view, no. Both have their own pros and cons and don't necessarily have a generalized outlook to who should do what more, that's not my thought process. My outlook on it is to do both and master them but only at the expense of what gives you the biggest benefit and maintaining levels of fitness and enthusiasm within your goals and needs for specific training you're trying to achieve. Use what provides you the necessary steps to achieving whatever in your journey. 

Be amazingly awesome and get some solid leg training in so you can have that vitality and level of fitness that makes people's jaws drop. You got this and go kill it.    

Making Wrestlers Quit: A Lost Art In Catch As Catch Can Wrestling

When wrestlers start to wear down, they still don't just give up and go running, they quit because of certain situations they were put in where they wore out what they thought was working and everything was hurting. In many cases, that has been forgotten in modern grappling. 

When it came to Catch Wrestling, you got pinned or had to tap and often the submissions weren't pretty looking....Think Neck Cranks, getting the life choked out of you from a Leg Ride or even the Kimura aka the Double Wrist Lock that made many opponents scream and feel like their wrist or shoulder was going to come apart. Part of controlling an opponent was through their pain. 

When it comes to today's coaches, Ben Jones has been a leader that trains the next generation of grapplers with Catch Wrestling For MMA. We're not talking some random youtuber or mediocre athlete, we're talking about a guy who's been in the system of Erik Paulson's CSW crew (Combat Submission Wrestling) for nearly a quarter of a century and is Paulson's Successor as head coach. He lives it, breathes it and breeds life into a style of wrestling that is making a comeback. You'll be seeing members of his own squad being worked on that come and different sizes and strengths to show what is possible with different body types. 

5 Volumes, all killers and no bullshit. 

Learn how the Cowcatcher System works

Hammerlocks that make opponents think twice about.

Many more in Vol. 1 alone.

Vol. 2 consists of set-ups, finishes and other Old School entities that even some tough guys will face and getting ripped. 

Vol. 3 in a nutshell: Targeting the neck to choke out your opponent, not just hold it and wait for the tap. It's going in for the kill on this one.

Vol. 4 & 5 will tie everything together when you start to wear down. Drills for the ground & pound, transitions from takedowns, cage strategies, striking that leads to submissions and more that lead you on a course of victory. 

The tension, the pressure and learning how to make someone cry uncle (practically literally) is the name of the game. It's brutal and brings back that style that made men like Farmer Burns, Frank Gotch, Joe Stecher, Ed Lewis and Ad Santel legends. 

Click below to get your hands on this gem....

Catch Wrestling For MMA

Be amazingly awesome and hope you reach success in the cage, on the mat or just learning the ways of Catch. 

Small Increments Of Muscle Building Using The Neck Flex

 Throughout my journey with the Neck Flex, it has given me a better perspective on training the neck and utilizing not only preventing injuries as much as possible but to increase muscle mass, even in very small increments. For months, I've worked on it consistently just using the band and a little bit of chain Isometrics, doing hundreds of reps multiple times a week. 

I have written before why I don't use weights for the neck which you can read>>>HERE!!! Not to mention the fact, I wanted to build up my neck a bit more since having a thick neck is more than just for show. It's a sign of strength next to having strong muscles that are shock absorbers and lessen the chances of injuries. Also its fun to be a part of the Neckzilla Family LOL.

Starting out doing a couple hundred total reps hitting areas of the neck from several directions. Worked up to 300, 400 and now at 500 total reps (100 Reverse Neck Curls, 100 Neck Curls, 100 Half Circles W/ Chin Tucked, 50 Ear To Shoulder Each Side, 50 Neck Turns Each Side), it has been a hell of a ride. The tempo sometimes is slow or fast depending on what I want to do. If I did weights, sure my neck would grow slightly bigger and doing far less reps but for me, the other benefits may not be as effective and probably wouldn't feel as good. That's just me, if it helps others using weights or machines with the NF, awesome and wish you the best in that. 

On Saturday while I was visiting someone, I had a friend measure my neck because for one, it's not easy to do it yourself and two, I wanted to know where I was at. Last I checked it was some time before I ever got the NF. It was around 17-18 inches and that was with no apparatus of any kind, just mobility and iso holds mainly. Since I started training with this thing, I had actually increased it to 18 1/2 inches. No weights, mainly just using the band and being consistent 4-5 times a week working on it and put on muscle. I figured it would be roughly the same but even putting on a half inch of muscle without machines or anything remotely heavy at my age is awesome. I don't even have any problems in my neck, no soreness or feeling lightheaded or even have spinal issues. 

Consistency is the real deal guys and it is possible to keep building muscle without having to rely on weights. You can do them if you want and if they work for you and don't give you any fits, do it. It's your journey but if I can pull it off using a freaking band, just imagine the possibilities for you. If I were to have a goal, I wouldn't need to go any further than 19-19 1/2 inches and that's a big if. If it stayed this big for a while longer, I'm happy with it. 

Now, some don't care much for having a thick neck and that's ok, having an aesthetically pleasing neck can work well for you and reap benefits that keep you going. Some others however; think they're an expert when it comes to building neck muscles when not only have they not learned how to use a harness even similar to this longer than a few days but have a pencil neck that a 11 year old BJJ white belt can clamp on easily and choke them out kind of makes you wonder why they even bother with it? It's just sad, it takes far more than a few reps and starting with a few pounds to truly understand how building the neck like this works and be a "expert" on it. Hell, I'm not even a full expert on it and I've had it for months and just told you what results I got from it. Don't be acting like an ass thinking you know more about training the neck than someone like Mike The Machine Bruce. Take one long hard look at him and you'll find even at 53, you wouldn't want to mess with him. 

 Make the training a journey to keep your life going. Not to try to one up someone or think you're better than whoever and do things to prove you're superior. That's just a dumb take and pointless as hell. Someone will always be better out there than you and can destroy whatever you think you're better at. It's not a competition, shit, you don't need to compete with anybody unless you're training for some sport or having a friendly competition among comrades. Do you and make the journey about improving yourself, not trying to upstage somebody else. Why, what's really to gain from that? Nothing, that's what. I'm no better than the next guy, we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. When I trained with Bud Jeffries and Logan Christopher, I never tried to be better than them, they were doing things that I couldn't imagine doing, just having the opportunity to be beside them and learn from them was enough. 

BTW, Happy belated Birthday in Valhalla to Bud. He would've been 53 this year, miss you everyday bro.

Anyway, keep at it and get your hands on arguably the GOAT of all neck harnesses, the Neck Flex by clicking HERE!!! Use my code POWERANDMIGHT to get a kick ass discount on your order. My personal recommendation, the MMB Pro Kit is the cream of the crop of all the kits. Be amazingly awesome and kill it in your journey. Train your damn neck, it could very well save your ass being possibly paralyzed.