Iron Isometrics

    

      The one and only Steve Justa is at it again, bringing you his unique, unpredictable and overwhelming powerful knowledge on Isometric Training. Nobody today can comprehend the type of Isometric Training Steve has possessed; it's not every day you see a man who went from the brink of nearly losing all of his strength due to diabetes to being the most shredded he's ever looked in his life. At 56 years old he's in far better shape than most men his age although he does smoke like a chimney and other things but you have to realize he's not your typical strongman. For over 30 years he's practiced styles of training even some of the very best won't go after and accomplish, he's one of maybe 4 men ever to backlift the most weight, lift off tractors, carry hundreds of pounds worth of concrete in barrels, walk with practically half a ton on his back and do isometrics that only Bud Jeffries, Bruce Lee and Alexander Zass would be crazy enough to go after yet Steve is in a class all by himself.

 
    On the new videos that Steve has filmed with Bud Jeffries, you will see workouts that will redefine the term Superhuman Fitness. I'm not going into great detail about what he does but I can assure you, you will learn Isometrics from every conceivable angle he has come up (literally in the hundreds I think) and if you're into Arm Wrestling, this is worth the price of the whole course in itself. He even teaches how to use a log chain that will bring you down or the count from all sorts of angles and he just keeps going like the energizer bunny plus adding in a Mad Max complex. These workouts will jump start your cardio, skyrocket your strength, build insane stamina and "Zombie Killing" Conditioning. If one man that is literally one of the last kings of isometrics we all want to learn from its Steve. He doesn't hold back on anything and he won't give you that "Hollywood Quality" product that a lot of guys do instead he'll just show you who he truly is and give you a powerful demonstration of his true nature in training. I also ask you to not be offended and disgusted by the way he does things or say things when it comes to certain things, he's a very unusual man that doesn't bullshit anyone and he gives you a raw and uncut look at what he is truly capable of.

 
    I like Arm Wrestling, I've done a little training here and there and have taken down a couple guys (one of them bigger than me and I'm 5'10 over 250 lbs.) practicing up to 1000 pulls, held isometric pulls from different angles with a belt strapped to a tree like Gama did for Indian Wrestling and can curl a hefty amount of weight. Steve however has taken Isometric arm wrestling to another level helping find those tweaks in your quest to beat some of the very best at different angles from nearly getting beat and tackling that angle to taking the guy down with immense crazy strength. He has you battling the little muscles most don't realize that are needed. His tendons are like iron cords and wrists that can destroy beasts. You shake his hand, you might be bruised the next day or mere hours afterwards. Give yourself the opportunity to learn from the very best in the game.

 
    Last thing you will find from Steve is his Power Rack which I call the "Power Rack Of Death" because once you have this arsenal of angles to work with you have a death crushing grip, super strong tendons, endurance that even Lance Armstrong would be impressed by and your speed strength will become notable by anyone who stands in your way. Once you see how he uses it, you'll get what I'm talking about. Most use a rack to put heavy weight on and just hammer out the heaviest they can muster to gain that advantage in things like Strongman, Powerlifting, Partial Strength and more yet Steve will use it for a completely different reason but it will help you get stronger in ways you never thought possible. Take it from me I've learned things about Steve from Bud Jeffries himself and I'm not going to argue with one of the greatest strongmen of our generation. Take isometrics to the next level by getting your hands on Steve's new course. If there's anything to put in your library and/or collection it's this powerful material that you won't see anywhere else.

 
Get strong everyone, be awesome and to Steve Justa: Keep at it brother and keep kicking ass

Back To Isometrics

             It is of great value to practice Isometrics but also to practice pertaining to your goals. They are the key to tendon and speed strength and give you some of that extra juice of explosive power that can be beneficial to your training. It doesn't matter if you’re a lifter or a bodyweight enthusiast or a sports athlete, Isometrics give those little muscles the fire they need to burn through your plateaus and give your body a reason to be injury free. Many people suffer injuries because of weak tendons so why give them that strength to put us through life that can keep us young and vibrant?

            Isometrics when done right takes quite a bit of concentration and gives into that inner connection you have between mind and muscle. There are many ways to do them but when you do them right, it’s like a surge of electricity running through your body like very few things can and feels incredible. Muscle Control is a great way to do isometric training because you’re concentrating on individual muscles by contracting and relaxing. Certain holds or postures work as isometrics like in Yoga such as the Wheel Pose, holding Warrior 1, Cobra, these are examples of Isometric Postures that can gain you strength from within. Isometrics have been used for countless centuries and as we evolved we learned how to breathe during certain holds.

            Some of the simplest exercises can turn into a hardcore workout or a relaxing workout depending on what you do and think and feel. Think holding a horse stance is easy; ok try it out, squat down just a little bit hold your arms out and just sit there say maybe 1 min. Not easy is it? How about the push-up, most call this a plank but not what I want you to do. Most people put their forearms down and not use their hands, I want you to get into a full push-up position, back is straight, hands on the floor and the torso and legs are as straight as possible. Now hold for 30 seconds. Again, not so easy is it? What most don’t understand is that Isometrics build internal strength, the ability to hold a position without moving a muscle yet muscles are firing all over the place and in turn will build tendon strength.

            Your breathing patterns are going to determine how your strength proceeds. Deep breathing is the key to holding certain postures but when you exert so much force you won’t last that long. If you wanted to hold say for 7-10 seconds, what you can do is breathe in and on the exhale make a “sssss” sound as you contract as much as you can without hurting yourself, don’t ever hold the breath when you do isometrics, this can cause bad flow to the body and can result in injury. Breathe deeply into your exercise and experiment doing different positions, different exertions of strength, hold at 30% or less force so you can hold for as long as you want. If you plan on hitting 100% of your strength it’ll only last maybe 2 seconds because any longer can probably hurt you.

            One of the key strongmen to understand Isometrics is the legendary Steve Justa. He practically knows more about isometrics than anyone in the world maybe next to Bruce Lee but he knows things most people are just now figuring out yet he’s been doing it of and on for 20+ years. Check him out here and learn his secrets to superhuman strength using the power of Isometrics. You guys are awesome and deserve to be in great health and have great strength to back it up. Isometrics can be used by anybody and can be done anywhere and anytime, make it a habit to do some form of isometric training at least a few minutes a day. It is one of the key secrets to life-long health internally and externally as your body will begin to show definition and muscle you have never seen before and your strength will shoot through the roof. Keep up the great work everyone.

Combo Workouts To Make Things Interesting

             Its fun when you combine things together and make them unique but not many people think they’re that creative and just follow others’ movements and just don’t learn how to use their brain. Not saying training isn't a bad thing, whatever works is cool but when you bring certain things together because it’s what you’d want to do, it’s a whole different ball game.

            When you create certain workouts, sometimes you need a place to do them. A park with benches, swings, bars and walkways make up for a very unique training experience. Another example would be your backyard or garage if you have room, building and setting up your own style of training. Say you want Kettlebells in one corner, Maces/Clubs in another area & a pull-up bar or rack in the back and you've got it made, maybe you’d like to have some Odd Objects laying around and picking them up at random moments in the workout who knows. For you Bodyweight Practitioners, you can do things just about anywhere and have just as much fun without ever spending a freaking dime. Here’s an example if you’re up to the task….

Do a kettlebell snatch for a minute or two

5-10 reps of Bridging Gymnastics

Lunge to the furthest odd object you have and lift it

100 Squats

50 Push-ups

50 Tire Swings with a Thor and/or Sledgehammer

Do a couple rounds and finish off with some stretching

Now that workout might seem a bit advanced but it’s very random and it’s unique. Pick exercises and combine them into what works for you or try something different and see how it turns out while understanding how your body reacts.

            The best thing you can do for yourself is go outside the norm. Make things work for you that others can’t fathom of doing, not to prove anything towards them but to prove to yourself that you can step outside the box and have fun with what you have. Be resourceful, learn to see things differently. If anyone knows how to make oddball exercises work its Steve Justa, he just finds things and works with them in unique ways like lifting up a tire off a 2000 pound truck or holding an isometric for an hour straight hell he’ll even circle around a 500 pound stone or barrel just for kicks. The more you learn to do things outside the box, you begin to understand the limitless potential to become super strong and crazy fit.

            One of the things I learned in my years of Physical Culture is to “learn to be your number one self instead of being a second rate somebody.” You are one person, one mind, one body and everybody else is taken. It’s great to have idols and learn how they do things but in the end it’s up to you to become just yourself and not try to be someone else otherwise you’re missing out who you truly are as an individual and as a human being. Own it and be quirky because most other things are just sound tedious and boring.

One Of The Fastest Fat Burning Methods

To burn or not to burn? That is the question. The way certain people train, they try different things like weight lifting, bodyweight exercise, aerobics, sports specific strength training and/or Yoga. We don’t always look to finding ways to not only build muscle but burn the fat off as well like a furnace. If I had to pick one of the fastest methods to burn fat faster than just about anything else is the use of Isometrics.

            When it comes to Isometrics, when done properly they torch the fat as if it was being cooked on a grill. There are many ways to use Isometrics and you can do them just about at any given time. Some look at them as just positions or holding a plank. Isometrics incorporates the 2 structured links that bring harmony to the Mind/Muscle Connection because if you try to do one or the other it’s not going to fit right so using the two is like bringing PB & J together or Fruits & Veggies, The bat and the Baseball or a football to a quarterback that kind of connection. Anybody can hold some kind of position but when you hit the muscles in a specific position whether you do it all out for a few seconds or easing the tension and hold for more than a minute the way your mind fights, the body will follow.

            I've experimented with many types of isometrics including various postures, holding in an arm Wrestling position, parts of a body weight exercise like the Hindu Push-up and tried unusual types of Isometrics from the Nebraskan Wild-man Steve Justa. When you a hold a position, your nervous system shifts into overdrive and your working more than a specific muscle, your whole body comes into play. I've held positions ranging from 5 seconds to 10 straight minutes and the same principle applies no matter what you do.

            I've been experimenting holding and pulling in various positions for Arm Wrestling and what I've noticed is how the muscles begin to tire after a bit but the power is still there. No matter what you want to work on, I would bet Isometrics will help you get that little edge you need. Fat Burning using isometrics will strip fat off your body because when you hold a position, the body builds internal heat and because of the strength to hold the position all the fibers start firing and that causes the body to burn fat. 

            Isometrics when you apply them with intensity and using specific breathing patterns, they can make you feel lighter and move better with speed. Ease up on the tension of a specific hold and hold for 1 min. You will that after that one minute you work that position with a dynamic movement and your body moves with a bit more speed and power but you feel lighter at the same time. Steve Justa uses one particular method doing Jerk Reps which means you’re still contracting but using very little movements to the point where an inch or so is all you need. This still gives you that lighter feeling and your body feels good and relaxed afterwards. Keep your mind open and remember that when you practice Isometrics, your body will begin to change, kind of like natural reconstruction, your muscles will be more defined, your tendons will feel like steel rods and your strength will increase and fat will pour out of your body like crazy.

. My Review Of Justametrics

When it comes to underground of the Physical Culture world, no one has held that title better than the man himself Steve Justa. For those that know little of him know about his book Rock, Iron, Steel that brought a whole new meaning to the term “Backyard Warrior.” This man was one of the top strongest men in the world with unofficial world records in lifting odd objects and other unusual styles of lifting. What some don’t know is his hand on how he uses Isometrics.

            A while back, he lost a large portion of his strength due to Type 2 Diabetes and his recovery is nothing short of a miracle. For a man once weighing near 400 lbs. lost a ridiculous amount of weight and had to completely turn his diet and training around, he began to work almost exclusively on Isometrics and changing his diet from drinking sodas and bad food to eating seaweed, high potent supplements and good whole foods. He has literally studied more on Isometrics than just about anyone in the Physical Culture World.

            Isometrics are a key ingredient to developing super strength because for one, you have nearly unlimited amount of exercises to use and can do them just about anywhere. Another look at them is that it builds the nerves in the body that help generate power in the tendons, ligaments and those little muscles most people neglect, most work on the major muscles. When you look at the DVDs onhow he uses Isometrics, its quite a sight despite being in a garage with a “little” rack he built but the principles still applies.

            There are some who believe isometrics is the cream of the crop for fitness and there are others that just seem to believe that its just as much bullshit as building superhuman strength through isolated movements. Justa’s intake on them is very unique and more philosophical than you would just train them. Just working so many muscles and tendons all in a period of time can be used anyway you want, work for holds, time what he calls jerk reps and how to apply them to anything you want to achieve. I like his style and he gives a pretty weird insight but hey it’s normal for him and I admire the man for that.

            Now granted he’s not your typical fitness dude and he even makes old school guys look weary but in the end he’s a man who lives in his own universe. The man dresses up as if he were Mel Gibson in Mad Max, you know, post-apocalyptic warrior type thing, end of the world fighting to survive type of guy. For him it’s another day at the office but for others he’s as weird and a little messed in the head but he doesn't give a damn. He’s not rich and live in a nice house; he lives practically out in the middle of no where in Harvard, Nebraska and doesn't many luxuries but yet, he’s got what he needs and mostly made himself. You see most guys in the old days trained in backyards, back woods and lifted or practiced different feats of strength but this is where Steve just takes it to a whole new level which at times I can’t even fathom but I love his idea of mastering your own style and making it your own.

            The reason why anyone in this wacky world of ours called Physical Culture should learn from Steve Justa is because he’s develop a way of training that can turn you into an athlete or just want to get crazy strong. Learning from him can give you a different perspective on how one should be training, yeah we all can lift a weight, lift a few barrels and do some basic bodyweight training but no one is at a level he’s been at and most likely never will be at. On these 2 DVDs alone, he shows practically over 1000 different Isometrics and a plethora of ways to do them that no one has seen.

            One of my favorite scenes on the videos is how he shows a unique way to train for Arm Wrestling. I modified my own method from his philosophy and my arms and whole body felt like they were on fire, worked different directions, held for certain periods of time and once did a total of 200 jerk reps and I felt incredible. He even talks about how he went from being one of the strongest men on the planet to literally falling over from the Diabetes to coming back far stronger and healthier than ever. It’s one of the most remarkable stories I ever heard.

            Watching the DVDs at first you might think “who the hell is this guy.” I know how you feel, I felt the same way but I kept an open mind and just paid attention to how he trains and what I can do to learn. I respect him for what he wants to do and I do love his style of training; no bullshit, just go out and do it, pace yourself and master your own way of training. Sure he’s a bit rough around the edges but that’s ok, I admire guys that are unique and would be a hell of a trip to train with him.

            If you’re serious about building strength in ways most people can’t, then get your ass in gear and get these DVDs, the investment is worth 100 times more than you’ll ever imagine. Imagine having strength from multiple angles, infusing rich blood into the muscles to stimulate growth and power, having tendons that are as strong as an ox and working many exercises as often as you want, however you want and in any amount of time you want.  Also, Isometrics have been known to help burn fat faster than almost every other method and you’ll learn how to lose weight. Get strong and toughen up your body like never before.

What’s The Point Of Daily Training?

            Many people get discouraged about the use of daily exercise because in their mind reading from the dumb-ass magazines, it has to be hardcore and the go big or go home attitude but most can’t deal with that and they just leave it alone. They don’t see the point but what if we shifted that mindset, instead of telling them and showing them the hardcore style; let’s show them how to progress on their own.

            Others might say they don’t have the time to exercise. Unless you’re working 24 hours a day, I think you can put in a little time to train. Doing a set of push-ups really quick doesn't take that long. You’re sitting at your desk, typing away when every few minutes or so, do a few simple exercises that take about what a few seconds on your counter-top  How about when you get home, you’re tired and worked a hard day, do some deep breathing exercises to help keep your energy up. There are many ways to make time yet you keep that negative mindset of not making the time. Do it.

            Daily exercise is beneficial because it helps release stress and builds up hormones in the day with the right amount of exercise but its tough to find your starting point. If you’re new to daily exercise it’s important to ease into it and build yourself up. Starting with a minute of exercise is very simple to do, if one minute is too much, start with 30 seconds. I want to encourage you to do what you can and make it a habit to have fun with it. The benefits of training helps your body function better, you’ll be happier because of the amount of endorphin's released, your attitude will change for the better and you’ll glow even more.

            The key to successful daily training is to have fun. Go to the park, play in the snow, throw the football around, be a wild animal. There are many ways to have fun. Jack Lalanne first emphasized this when he did his show way back in the 50’s and it’s still being used today.

            One of the things I've modified lately into my training is what’s called Animal Flow, it’s combining different elements into one program like Animal Exercise, Yoga and others but in a sufficient and safe manner and can be done anywhere. Another style of training I highly recommend is the use of Isometrics. There are many versions of this method but I can only think of a couple guys who have practiced just about every style possible on Isometrics and that’s Bud Jeffries and Steve Justa. If you’re really into wanting to build strength from every possible angle, Isometrics can help get you there and they’re crazy fun to do.

            With your daily training it’s important not to worry how well or bad you are, the important thing is to adapt, keep your body moving and do what you can. One of the most important figures in Wrestling was Karl Gotch who once said “You must adapt and improvise.” What this means is that you don’t have to do the same old routine all the time, to get the results you want, get fixated on what works for you and disregard what doesn't and adapt to how your body works into it.  There is no right or wrong on how you exercise, learn basic principles and learn how your body fits that exercise. We all have different body types and we all have to adapt to what our bodies can handle so don’t try to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jack Lalanne or whatever, be yourself and learn to take things one day at a time. You have only one life, use it to your best advantage and be happy.

Make Just About Any Angle Your Strength

The legendary Catch Wrestler Karl Gotch once said that to become strong and agile you always work your muscle from every possible angle. Muscles grow and look larger than life but like everything else there’s a consequence, if you work too much muscle and not enough of your tendons, you will be more vulnerable to injury. Isometrics is the key method not to just hit a muscle from a certain angle but every angle imaginable. Holding a certain position and hammering in only that particular spot will give you a sense of great strength from that position. One of the beauties of Isos is if you hit a spot where you can’t go anywhere else, that’s where you press, pull, squat or whatever to get beyond that position and no matter how you slice it, your strength will skyrocket with enough practice.

 If Isometrics had its own star pupil it would most likely be Steve Justa. This man has got to be one of the most odd ball characters in the entire realm of Physical Culture but yet the way he works his strength and power takes on a whole new dimension both literally and figuratively trust me watch what he does sometime. Out of everything he’s accomplished in the world of Strength, I believe his most treasured wisdom is when he brings up Isometrics. A lot of strongmen credit Isometrics but no one has put them in the same realm as Justa has. His story about his hay bailing and the way he told Bud Jeffries about his dilemma about Diabetes and how Isometrics both saved his life and job is nothing short of remarkable.

 I feel that if you want to accelerate your strength and speed in any sport you do, add in Isometrics and tell me if they didn’t improve your throw or shot or even your ability to kick a ball. Isometrics build positional strength and in sports you need to have a strong position from every possible angle whether its tackling, throwing a football or baseball, shooting a basketball from a long distance or kicking a soccer ball down the field you want to have the ability to be faster than the other guy. Think about this, you’re a pitcher for the New York Yankees; you have a good arm and can throw a hefty 93 mph fastball or a ok 86 mph slider, would you want to increase your speed of the ball by 3 mph on any of your pitches? Be pretty damn sweet if I say so myself and the ball will feel lighter in your hands as if it was the size of an egg, light and strong until it cracks the mitt like speedy Gonzales running into and past a brick wall. Each position you bring the ball as if simulating a pitch from little spots here and there will get stronger to the point where when you throw the actual pitch, it’ll take off like a rocket and the batter won’t realize what the hell hit him.

 Grip strength is the basis not just in sports and the strongman business but in your specific business like carpentry, plumbing, construction, landscaping even a bagger at a grocery store, you need to able to handle things and your hands need a certain amount of strength otherwise you won’t be able to do your job very well. Would you believe that most of your grip strength is mainly isometric? It’s true if you really tested it and if you practice holding an object with your grip for a short or extended amount of time, you’re going to feel it whether you like it or not. For us strongmen, we need grip strength to perform the feats we do, sometimes the things we do don’t always involve the grip but it is practically mandatory otherwise you won’t perform the feats you want to tackle. Bending steel and tearing phonebooks are two of the purist forms of grip strength and like I said before, Isometrics are usually the most credited method for pushing beyond the limits.

 Another form of Isometrics is Muscle Control which is mostly used in Yoga, Martial Arts and Bodybuilding. Contrary to popular belief, muscle heads are pretty smart when it comes to certain things and the way they pose is just unbelievable despite how big they are. Back in the day however, a few guys named Maxick and Otto Arco took this to a level that can never be duplicated again. Their posing was unprecedented and even bringing the little muscles were just off the chain. Check them out sometime on Youtube if you can find them and just watch how they can change from one muscle to the next in heart beat its awesome.

 Now that you’ve read a little more on Isometrics, I think you’re getting a sense that there really are no excuses and you can do this method just about anywhere, if you go to church and pray you can do it, think about it you put your hands in prayer and when you ask for guidance press the hands together hard and tell me you don’t feel a little more energized? You can be in class and press or pull on the desk and you can have no one ever notice it. You can be watching a movie and flex during certain scenes so don’t ever say you don’t have time to exercise because you usually can make the time but it’s up to you to make the effort.