Everyone Deserves To Be Fit

 Every now and then, you come across some numbnuts who treats others and especially potential customers like shit and if they don't buy from you, you're worthless to them. I get it that we need to make a living but acting like an asshole isn't always going to help your cause. Granted some people can't be helped which is understandable but yet we all deserve to have an opportunity to be fit and healthy, it's just a matter of pointing in the right direction. 

Everyone deserves an opportunity to better themselves, sometimes we need a little nudge just to get that first step going. There's really no need to call people weak or fucking idiots, that doesn't make you better than them, it just makes you bitter and pitiful. Quite frankly I don't give a shit if you're a teenager, an old fart, skinny, overweight, gay, straight, non-binary or other folks in the LGBTQ community, a corporate giant, a janitor or a current/former pro athlete, everyone should have the opportunity to train and get better so they can have the quality of life that keeps the world going round and round. 

Fitness isn't just about looking good naked or about how strong you are, it's about self-discovery, the ability to challenge the norm and break through your own barriers. Unless you're Superman or Wonder Woman, nobody starts out the strongest, the fastest, the most conditioned or the most durable. It takes time, it takes research, it's about finding what you can do to progress. Sometimes going to the gym helps, doing bodyweight training wherever you go is always an option, working with Bands goes a long way especially if you're on a budget and there are free resources for awesome information that includes workouts, nutrition recipes, beginner levels to advance so you know where you can go and so much more.

Although we live in the world of overwhelming information, you really only need to look at a few places that have meaning and find what can be best for you. We all start somewhere but how you finish it is up to you. I love to train because it helps me do things in life that are important to me. It keeps me going and learning new ways to do cool stuff. I want to help you develop a mindset that you can create any workout you want with the right tools and resources that work in your favor. We all need a little help sometimes and never forget, the smallest fraction of progress still leads to a bigger entity as time goes on. Some people progress faster than other, some slower but regardless of the pace, progress is still progress. Everyone deserves to be fit.

Make the choice to do a little better each day, every step leads to somewhere and we all have our own path. We may hit a fork in the road or hit a wall but there are ways to move past them and keep going. Be amazingly awesome and do what's possible for you.    

Sally Could Use A Pick Me Up

 Finding interesting ways to train is part of the journey in fitness. It could be in tribute to someone, it can be for a cause, hell in this case it comes in the form of music. Music has a way of being part of our workout routines by pumping us up, feeling stronger and accelerating those endorphins to hit that "happy hormone" and many other ways.

In this particular manner, music comes in the form of a challenge. It has been around a few years and it has mainly been used as a push-up challenge and it's Bring Sally Up, Bring Sally Down by Moby Flower. Some have used it as a Squat Challenge which to me is a bit better. The way you do it is you start in the low position of the squat and when the singer says "Bring Sally Up" you return to the top position and when he says "Bring Sally Down" you go low again and hold it until the lyrics are repeated. 

It's an interesting Micro Workout since it combines movement and isometric holds. The song is over 3 minutes long, so holding a position for a period of time repeatedly between exploding upward and going down again can really hit some muscles there. One of the first times I tried doing an exercise where I held it during a song was the first time I held a Nose To Mat Wrestler's Bridge while listening to Black Sabbath's Paranoid which is just under 3 minutes long. I had a friend turn on the song as I held the bridge. Another time was doing a quick "warm up" of hitting the tire with my sledgehammer while the Song "Make A Man Out Of You" (Covered by Peyton Parrish) played. 

Certain songs can add an interesting element to a fitness routine or you can just do an exercise while a whole song played. Holding a Horse Stance while Metallica's Mercyful Fate plays would be brutal if you knew how long that song is, I think that would be worse than Bringing Sally Up LOL. It brings a certain unique aspect to what you can accomplish or even attempt with certain types of music. Now some music can be a little weird when you go hard, ABBA is not one of those bands to workout to as Bud Jeffries once said to me "It's the unmanliest thing to listen to while working out." Just before the wedding, we went out in the backyard to do some kettlebell stuff (you can find it on his Instagram) and let's just say another member of my family wanted to get some line dancing in and blasted ABBA, we shut the screen door and only heard whispers of the Swedish Group while we trained. It was pretty funny. There's your unintentional Bud Jeffries story.

If you want to give Bring Sally Up a shot, go for it and I hope you succeed. I did it a couple times and it wasn't too difficult but it's not easy either. Use music as a tool and see what you can do with it. Have fun and be amazingly awesome. 

Keeping Up With The Basics With Dopa Band

Workouts are short but they get the job done. Whether it be circuits are HIIT style training, the Dopa Band is a hell of a piece of equipment that any athlete would love to have in his arsenal. Although there are advanced movements especially if you're an aspiring wrestler or fighter, sticking to the basics always works best. Some of these guys mimic drills in wrestling practice to embed the skill sets into their brains for fights or matches on the mat whether it be for Division 1 Tournaments, World Level or Olympic Level. 

The basics however seem to create more of a stride and keep your conditioning in tact while also keeping the joints healthy. Some of the exercises are as follows....

Chest Press

Rows

Alternating Side Pulls

Squats

Lunges

Curls

Overhead Triceps Extensions

Ski Jumps

Jumping Jacks

Waves (Two-Handed or Alternating)

Sprints

That's more than enough for most people and you can switch them up and use them however you see fit. There are youtube videos that demonstrate all of these and more which give you an idea on how simple yet challenging you can make them. You can do certain combinations of them like a 2 in 1 type movement for example the Chest Press & Squat combo that works both the upper and lower body so you don't have to sets and reps of one or the other. 

I prefer to keep the reps at a minimum of 10-20 reps in a circuit of 5-6 exercises and time myself to see how fast I can get 10 rounds in, depending on the adjustment and focusing on the right order and not skip one or the other accidently because at times you get so into it that your mind goes to a different place. I also focus on keeping form at best as possible because if you're sloppy, the band will let you know about it and it won't be pleasant so keep at a pace where you can keep going but you're in control the whole time, never let the band control you.

The basics are always ideal and they're the backbone for your conditioning, coordination, speed and durability. You can do HIIT type training, I've done it a time or two keeping at a clip of a few rounds of an exercise for 30 on, 15 off. Just a few exercises with that protocol and you can get in a great workout that can be really intense for 15-20 minutes and then be spent.

The mere fact that top wrestlers use these bands at a very high level AFTER their practice, not before or during and those wrestling workouts are some of the craziest in the world. Imagine how insane you'd have to be to go that hard and then work with a band for an extra 15-20 minutes. You're looking at superhuman athletes with a hint of cookoo for coco puffs in order to become the very best. To the average person looking in on that, you would hurt just by looking but if you took that mentality and just put it towards the bands not the wrestling practices, you may understand the idea to get in awesome shape in the shortest amount of time. 

Just working the bands alone can be tough, so learn how to wisely utilize your fitness level to how you work the bands. Some days for me they're fairly easy to get through depending on how I'm feeling that day but other days, it's so intense that I don't even know how I pulled it off. That doesn't mean they're a chore and you HAVE to go so hard, just playing with them and getting into a rhythm can feel easy yet look like you're killing yourself to an outsider. 

Grab a band or a set of bands for you and friends/family who love to work out and have fun with them. There are special deals you can find at Dopamineo that have family bundles, bands for kids, team bundles, bands for female athletes, groups in mma schools or personal training and more. As a bonus, no matter what deal you find, you can get an extra 10% OFF of that when you use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT. Even right now, even with my discount, you can get a deal on getting 2 extra bands and a carry bag for FREE. Be amazingly awesome and keep up with your journey and hit your goals with a vengeance. 

Why Do I Focus A Lot On Conditioning?

 In a nutshell, being in condition is not just about challenging my body's abilities to take on some crazy workouts or finding a way to enhance my muscular and cardiovascular endurance, it's about lasting in the things that are important in my life. I want to utilize that energy to be active, to make a lasting impression on myself by taking what works and understanding what I need to do in other endeavors. Being in shape is being able to shovel snow in the winter and not get winded or tired during, to be explosive at any given moment whether it's working out or playing with friends, it's to keep up with kids younger than me playing ball or hanging out with buds and their kids, it's to keep up with the physicality when you're needed.

For all intents and purposes, my idea of training these days is to be ready for whatever lies ahead. It's not always easy, it's not meant to be but when you have certain things going on in your life that sometimes have a life of their own, it's important to be in the best shape you can. I'm not in competition with anyone or trying to be some extremist with a compulsion to train so damn hard all the time that my body wears down, sure it's ok to back off every now and then in order to regain yourself but take into consideration  on what is the reason to be in shape. 

I do a lot of step ups, micro workouts, band training, isometrics and training with sandbags but that's all part of the puzzle to piece together your ultimate goal and that is to have strength that lasts and has meaning beyond just exercise. It's one of the reasons why I love training with the Dopamineo Band, it challenges me but doesn't put me into a state where I need to recover for days on end or make me so damn sore that I can't do anything else. It gives me the type of conditioning I can continue to use when it counts. There are so many exercises you can do that despite all the exercises displayed on Dopa's Website, there are many many more that can be created to enhance your chances of developing a level of fitness very few achieve. It is inspired by wrestlers and fighters but it's also a workout enhancer to harness that level of human abilities that is unique. Wrestlers from all styles have used similar bands for decades especially in Russia but in this day and age we don't have to be so hardcore like those guys in order to better ourselves. 

I've always believed training is about self-discovery and creativity to take your fitness to levels that are unbelievable. Being in condition is not about looking pretty or just strong, it's about lasting when it counts the most, to fight and not get winded. There's a funny trend on tik tok where women who train have this voice over which is a very stereotypical Russian accent that says "I don't want to be strong like man who look pretty, I want to be strong like bitch that fight bears in the forest." That's an example of being in condition, it goes beyond the idea of trying to seem like you have this particular look as if you're fit by outer appearance when in reality, if you can barely stand and hyperventilating after a few seconds, your outer appearance isn't jack shit. You need to be able to handle things that are important and last as long as needed. 

There are many reasons to be in real world shape yet only a few have true meaning, that's what you need to figure out because I can't just generalize what the important factors are, we're all different with different reasons to do things. My reasons for being in condition is to be able to go on hikes without tiring, shovel snow without wanting to keel over, to be there for my family, to protect who I love, play ball, to keep up with nieces, nephews and cousins who like to wrestle, chop wood so a fire can be made while camping, swim and have the energy of a person i their late teens and 20's as much as possible. Just some I can come up with.

Conditioning is not just for sport, it's to maintain things in life and being ready on command. It's to keep up with what you do in everyday life and to factor in what is possible for you to do. 

Take a gander at the Dopamineo Bands and see what is possible to enhance your fitness, health and condition. There are over 300 Exercises and dozens of workouts to choose from as a bonus with your purchase. Grab some bands for your martial arts school, wrestling room, group classes and/or sports conditioning program for your athletes by going to the Custom Order Area. I'll even throw in my discount code so you can save some bucks instead of whole price by entering POWERANDMIGHT at checkout to get 10% OFF your order. Keep being amazingly awesome and be in the best condition for your life and to inspire others.  

A Gym That Fits In A Corner

 The fitness "influencers" these days like to give people the notion of getting fit in order to look pleasing when in reality, the only thing that looks good is how they "apply" exercises that only takes a person so far and only makes it work in the gym. These men and women who most of the time on Social Media either show off their ass or how bad ass they look doing exercises that in more ways than one are way too advanced for the average person. Basics and Simplicity are thrown out the window faster than Superman.

What really gets to me at times is that these kids (Yeah I' am reaching THAT age) don't have the slightest clue on how to apply any real training that is sustainable let alone understand the old school methods and folks in classic books. I'm all for wanting to make a living and promoting yourself and others but there's a breaking point. You don't want to cross that line where it becomes more of a fantasy than what it really is. If you're going to teach others how to train, I believe in teaching not only the basics but the ideals and realistic approaches to training no matter where a person works out, not just in the gym itself.

I'm not the best on how to teach people in a gym because I don't train in one very much anymore as it is but I do know the basics and how to use certain equipment because I learned how to use them and studied the old school training tools. I do however prefer the minimal equipment (Sandbags, Hammers, Cables, Wheels etc.) and use equipment that are utilized regardless if you're at home or traveling. You learn to use what's available even if it's your own bodyweight. I say to this day, if you can put a gym into a small corner that is cost effective, you're golden. You don't need machines that cost thousands of dollars a piece, hell the most expensive piece of equipment I have cost less than 350 dollars and can do more than a 2000 dollar machine can ever do. 

A gym doesn't even need to be surrounded in a corner, it can be put into a small traveling bag like for resistance cables and Isometric Straps. Less than 5 pounds worth and you can still get the workout of your life in. Some guys like to have barbells and dumbbells set up in their garage which is awesome because Strength Training wise, they can be the best pieces you have and even more so if you use Fat Gripz attached to them, I'm all for that but many in the fitness world have a one track mind and don't think 4th Dimensionally (Like Doc Brown tells Marty in Back To The Future 3). When you start thinking unconventionally with an imagination along with being as safe yet challenged, there's a whole world that can be opened up and you don't have to think like the gym is the only place to go to train. 

Some people see the gym as a therapeutic entity which I understand and I'm all for wanting to better yourself and getting out there and doing what you want to do for your physical and mental health but most of the time, people are conditioned to believe that a building full of equipment is the only way to train and outside of that, very little will work which is complete bullshit. I've reached a point in my life where if I wanted to workout at gym, I'll know exactly the type of equipment to use or adapt very fast to ones I've never done before and make it work but I don't have to do that out of necessity, I can come up with a workout in any environment I choose and that's what I want to help people understand. It doesn't matter if you have a 10 x 10 space or have a wilderness to use, exercise can be done anywhere you choose with the right knowledge and mechanics. I like the gym in a corner because I can pick out what I want and just roll with it and get something awesome out of it. 

Training is about self discovery, being creative and having the discipline & drive to train with anything you set your mind to. There's always a way to train but it starts in the mind first and then making the effort to use what's available whether it's just you or a fucking boulder in front of you. Do we need "influencers", in some cases yes because they can be teachers of what not to do and learn from the original influencers that didn't even use supplements let alone steroids. Seriously, I'll take someone like Brooks Kubik or Matt Schifferle & Bud Jeffries over just about 95% of the "trainers" today. 

Be amazingly awesome and absorb fitness with an open mind and not something that only uses a building for. 

Hope Everyone Had A Great Xmas

 I set a goal to turn off my phone back on Saturday to not only take a break from the social media stuff but to focus on more important things and not worry so much about what shit is going on in internetland. Last night at midnight I turned it back on and hey, still crap but got some cool messages from people. 

Got some great presents from amazing people but seeing the look on my girl's face when she saw what I got her was just priceless. As you know, we're Star Wars Nerds through thick and thin and have collected plenty of stuff over the 8 years we've been together including what we call the Chest Of Awesomeness where we store a few of our favorite collectibles. My gift this year for her was a (Repo) Autograph Framed Picture of a Empire Strikes Back Poster with the cast signed and since she's reliving her childhood recently with watching the original Charmed Series (1998-2006) I got her a Framed Picture of the original three women's Autograph. She was so lit up I should've taken a picture but it's just as beautiful in my memory.

For the most part over the weekend leading up to our day with each of her parents, mostly kept to myself and checking out documentaries, working out with my new toy and the dopamineo band. Just taking it "easy" mostly. Yesterday, we started Xmas with going to her mom's and spending a good portion of the day with her with my wife's brother and his daughter, watching the Raiders beat the Chiefs, having pancakes, watching them put together a Disney Puzzle that literally took the entire game for them to complete, kicked back, did an Isometric workout in the middle there and had a great time. 

Went home to chill for about a half hour and went up to her dad's up on the mountain behind us to finish off the festivities with tons of food including a kick ass pot roast his stepdaughter made and opened up presents. What I got was something I never thought I'd ever get or even thought about having in my lifetime. I won't say what it is but let's just say after learning a few things, you might see some really cool camera angles of my workout demos and workouts in the not too distant future. 

Overall, just having a great time with family and being with the love of my life is nothing short of awesome and fun. Hopefully you all had a great holiday weekend as well and was full of love, adventures, presents and plenty of food to scarf down. Now, it's time to get back on that horse and train with a vengeance to welcome the new year and set new goals so you can succeed in the endeavors you're in. Keep it up and don't forget to check out dopamineo.com and grab a bad ass band for yourself or for your gym, client, school, group class or whatever with the Customized Bundle Deals and get an extra 10% OFF  by using my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT. Happy Holidays everyone and keep on being amazingly awesome. 

A Workout Blaster Of Pure Heavenly Brutality

 Quite the title don't you think? In reality, the workout I put myself through yesterday was hard as fuck but it didn't feel like a chore and I loved it. It's probably the hardest workout I came up with since getting over the sciatica injury. It was another test to see what I'm capable of and the work I've put in. 

For some, it is annoying that I've mentioned the injury several times now and quite frankly, it is especially if it's on your brain everyday like mine. The thing is, it really has opened up my eyes to look at training from another perspective and to see a workout beyond the movements and the mysticism of it. Although they're simple, they're not meant to be easy and when you go hard, you learn what you made of. I may not be the fastest, the strongest or the most coordinated, but I do make up for it by finding ways to push myself to a different level than I was before. It's really a testament to having invested in the Dopamineo Band. 

I never reach failure in any of my workouts and for good reason, there's really no need to because you can still go hard without feeling like you can't get up and walk with some gas left in the tank. I do however, learn what my body can do and make it stronger and a bit more resilient as I pay attention to how it operates during workouts. I've always believed training is about discovery and coming to grips with what it can do and what it helps reach as time goes on. This workout hit a little differently and it made me learn where my conditioning was and how I can move forward.

Here's the Workout......

I started a "warm up" of going through my Animal Deck Of Cards Workout in full to get things going and get my energy up because I knew I wanted to do something more. Usually it takes me 15-16 min to complete.

After a short break going through the deck, I had the Dopa Band prepped and ready for another exercise that lasted a total of 6 1/2 minutes which was 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 20 Rounds doing the Alternating Wave exercise. I'm still learning the kinks of keeping the wave smooth but all in all, it was awesome and got some killer lungs firing as well as keeping my core tight and working my arms and shoulders. 

Not done yet....

Next was another brutal exercise of doing 10 seconds on, 20 seconds for 10 Rounds of the Bear Crawl Sprints with the band on my waist. The energy was there and my conditioning was on it. I was breathing hard but I didn't feel tired. I went through it and it was amazeballs.

But wait there's more. The final stretch....

I finished off with two exercises with the Band for 100 Reps each (in sets of 50) doing Curls and Chest Presses. Two simple exercises to target specific muscles (Pulling & Pushing). After doing 50, would take a small break to write down the numbers and return for another set. 

So here's what the full workout was in full.....

Animal Deck Workout 

10/10 For 20 Rounds Alternating Waves

10/20 For 10 Rounds Bear Crawl Sprints

100 Curls (50, 50)

100 Chest Presses (50, 50)

This took all together including resting was about 30 minutes or so I'm guessing. It was like a light that came on and my level of energy was just crazy. I did all that yesterday and still had gas in the tank. It didn't make me want to take a nap but I was hungry as hell so after putting things away and taking a shower, I cooked myself 5 Fried Eggs, 5-6 pieces of bacon and four slices of buttered toast to make a couple sandwiches out of them. Washed it down with some great juice and just felt euphoric on top of  the high I was already feeling from the workout. 

I won't be doing that kind of workout all the time but it's one of those that just clicked and I felt at my very best at that moment. That was for the record, a full on conditioning workout and it was tough. Tougher than some of my other ones but I made it through and it was another day of feeling like myself again. Make it count, but always feel like you can walk out after with your head held high, gas left in the tank and feeling like a kid again. Some people never get that chance, some don't have the drive and others haven't discovered it yet but those that do, understand that it's important to have those entities and never take them for granted. Keep being amazingly awesome and get cracking.

Be sure to snatch up some bands and use the bad ass discount code I got for you. Take 10% OFF your order when you enter POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. Awesome deals going on right now especially if you grab a hold of a bundle you can use for athletes, the wife and kids or for building a team of great fighters/wrestlers. Even right now, you can get a 1 For 3 Deal where you can order a band and get 2 extra bands that can be used for stretching with a string bag so you can take them anywhere. 

Being Smart About Training

 Training for the most part is about discovery and learning the ins and outs of what gives you the best benefit and what doesn't. We get excited and full of enthusiasm but sometimes that could blind us because if we don't find that focus on the mind and the muscles synergistically, it could bite us in the ass. When my sciatica was over the first time around, I literally jumped for joy like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins almost doing Step In Time and it felt great. I was excited and so eager to get back to being my best self again. For a period, it was awesome and was doing the things I was able to do before, but it didn't last as long as I hoped and it came back at me with a vengeance, I was blinded by the excitement and it bit me in the ass.

Dealing with the pain, the boring stretches and trying to move around, I had to rethink things and make decisions for myself I never thought I had to. Once the pain slowly subsided over the next few weeks and I was moving better without feeling like dying, I had to think more intelligently about how I did things and what I needed to do to become stronger. Being more methodical, deliberate and with stronger intentions, I focused on the technique, where I was feeling it and making the most of my capabilities instead of going gung ho like a dumbass. My flexibility and strength was coming back and the pain was going away. I was being smarter about what I was doing.

This thing is basically done, just some tenderness in my hip but it's manageable and I'm getting more explosiveness in my movements. I didn't do Step In Time this time around and I channeled my excitement into my training with better focus using my brains as well as my body. Because of the recent demos I've done with the Dopa Band and doing actual workouts where the big focus is on the legs, it has made a huge difference in my recovery and rehab. I'm not going as hard as I could be but that's ok because I'm being smart about letting things come naturally and it shows. Weeks ago, I couldn't do jack shit what I could do right now and I'm proud to have pulled it off. 

I discovered new things about myself and I've wised up and saw things in a different light. I love to train hard and making it count but it's important to utilize intelligence in order to train for the long haul. Being smart about when to go hard and when to back off is a bit of a process but that's part of the journey. With the Dopa Band, it makes you want to go gung ho but there's a way to modify it to train your body without having to go all Rocky 4 on it. It is as of right now one of the most bad ass equipment I've ever invested in and I believe many can benefit from it. Sure it's mainly used by wrestlers and MMA fighters but come on, I'm no wrestler by any stretch (at least no where near the level of what these people demonstrate) but I do believe in being prepared and having enough conditioning to fall back on that's inspired by wrestlers and MMA Fighters. Doing drills, punches, squats, step ups, bear crawls, duck walks, modified sprints and even suplexes. 

Right now, I'm just training to just feel good really and let my attributes naturally come on their own. I have no desire to be competitive except only to myself and who knows if I ever get on the mat again. My workouts are meant to just to stay healthy and being ready if certain situations occur, other than that, I don't want to fear having to look over my shoulder or have this macho need to fight unless I have to. Train to be ready but you don't have to act as if you're walking down a dark alley 24/7 anxious about someone jumping you, that's no way to live. Live peacefully with as awesome vibes as possible. Keep being amazingly awesome.    

Don't forget to check out the Dopamineo Bands and get 10% OFF your order when you use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. My gift to all of you. 

The One Company I Shouldn't Have Been Involved With

 I've been an affiliate for years now and signed up with various companies starting with Logan Christopher and Legendary Strength. My first paycheck with that company was $10.48 and it was the most pivotal moment when it came to making money. I had worked other jobs outside of affiliate marketing before and got paid more but this was actually the one I'm most proud of because I got to make a few bucks promoting what I'm passionate about and I got to be under a very good friend who handed me the check himself.  Since then, there have been highs and lows but eventually I got around to making decent money and even sold some tickets to seminars and bundle packages. 

Over the years, I've worked with other people and companies such as Amazon, Onnit, Stronger Grip, Lifeline Fitness and others. I promote mainly fitness but I dabble in selling movies, cd's, books, equipment and many other things and I help others from time to time on what products to look for and help research. It makes me happy and I love what I do. I've made mistakes here and there and some companies shut their affiliate programs down for whatever reasons but always managed to keep on going. 

Most companies treated me well and I could do a pretty write up using their product in my articles and posts. I've never really had personal issues with them except maybe one other one and it was all on me and I take the heat for it. I made a crucial mistake that cost me thousands of dollars in commission but hey, you live to fight another day right? One company however pulled a 180 on me and once I found out what the owner was really like, it became clear that it was a mistake.

Over a year ago, I sent an application to this website ran by Rahul Mookerjee called 0 Excuses Fitness. I saw some of the ad copies for products like his Animal Course and Pull-up Book and his main one called Fast & Furious Fitness or the same title as his website. A lot of the ads were very Matt Furey-esque so I wanted to set that aside and try to look at things from another perspective. My application went by the wayside for a few months until he found it and we started exchanging emails. Figured this guy was ok and see where it went. I had asked him at least a couple times if he could send me a copy of one of his books so I can get a better idea on how to promote it and the website itself. It wasn't about wanting free product and then just ditch him, I gave him my word that I would promote the hell out of that book or books because I can't just go on an ad copy and paying for one of those books was steep as shit and I think he tried to do a discount thing with me but it was too little to even mean something.

A month goes by and we're exchanging emails and I'm promoting his stuff the best way I can with what I was allowed to go on. He even wrote a comment on my blog saying how well written one of the articles was on Push-Ups, here's what he said "Awesome article, Ben! I love your stuff - but you've got it spot on about pushups - exactly what I keep telling people (as you've read in my newsletters) about FORM etc. I can make 10 pushups harder than a 100 is not just an axoim, it's nigh TRUE. Crossfitters, kipping pull-ups - ugh. Kipping does have a place in the Army etc where you "get your body over the bar by any means possible" - but for pure strength and health (or the other way around, it should be) purposes - FORM! Well written!" 

Nothing was clicking and it didn't work out which happens sometimes and I have no real ill feelings towards the guy. I told him what I'm telling you now and we parted ways (or so I thought). I started reading his blog a bit more and signed up with his newsletter before all this happened and the more I looked into his style of writing, the more red flags started popping up and didn't think much of it until he completely went off the deep end and hammered the shit out of me verbally on his blog and on youtube. 

The first thing he posted up was a video talking about price wankers and all that and once I started reading between the lines, he was mouthing off about me. He even mentioned my name in later videos saying how fat I was and that I can't do pull-ups and I couldn't make a sale to save my life along the lines of being a cheap skate and wanting free product. I've never encountered that kind of bullshit before and it started becoming more and more obvious that he's a bit of a narcissist and a Misogynist that will hound anyone that doesn't agree with him. Weeks earlier, this guy said how well written I was and even used one of my pics to use for his Grip Training Course yet flips a 180 and starts telling his little flock all this negative crap that aren't true and even threw my wife in the mix and that I wasn't going to tolerate. I wrote to him personally many times without one single response. After a while I gave up on that.

Aside from the steep prices on his books (I get it he wants to make a ton of money but where does the line draw in that), I've seen samples of one of his books and the quality isn't all that good, I've seen shit courses but these kind of take the cake. He openly belittled his own wife even to the point of calling her a C-nt in a couple of his posts and the more he praises about himself, the less he cares about others and looking to make a buck off of cheap knock off writing and training styles that uses a lot of Matt Furey type sayings even by verbatim quotes he pawns off as his own. His inspirations are more of the steroid users and threw his own daughter under the bus a time or two. Him and his wife are now divorced from what I understand or at least separated and he continues to bitch about her. 

I did troll him, I'll be honest about that. Not my proudest moment and his blog is like a train wreck, you know it's wrong but you can't look away. In his videos, he demos many exercises, the majority of them are pull-ups which is his thing and I respect that. He has gone to great lengths to even bash me that I don't show workouts because I'm too fat or out of shape to do them yet he demos almost the same as me and rarely shows an actual workout that he can even perform decently in. I will say this, he's a hell of a promoter and loves putting himself over (in a very egotistical way) which is understandable but he's not really that special and most of the time, his camera angles suck and couldn't really do an arms extended push-up or a SAFE ab wheel rollout to save his life. He's good at pull-ups and does ok with certain push-ups but in all fairness, he's no pioneer, he doesn't do anything remotely positive to promote fitness and apparently doesn't do very well training at a park and people happen to interrupt him. I understand people are curious but even I have had encounters with people looking and even asked me a question or two but I would either keep on training or just smile and say a few words and keep going, no need to be an ass or talk shit behind their back, that's the coward's way in my opinion.

I do humbly regret signing up with him but it is what it is and I can almost guarantee you he'll read this because he's said it himself he reads my stuff without needing to mention my name and he's going to mention this in both his blog and youtube if not one or the other sooner or later. Again it's about reading between the lines and maybe he's got some fetish or looking for a way to promote himself to his cult-like following. Amazon has even dropped his ass and I've never seen that happen. I almost feel sorry for him. All in all, I really don't wish him ill harm and if what he does works and gives him a decent life, that's awesome and I truly do wish him the best. He most likely needs some psychological help and needs to get off his high horse and not be such a coward. He can talk shit all he wants, it just keeps proving who he is and I really hope he comes to grip with things. I just wanted to tell you my first hand experience with him. I'm a terrible liar and would out myself if it came down to it. Hell, he'll even claim he fired me which is not true, you can't fire someone who sent them an email basically being nice telling that person they quit. Anyway, be careful who you run into online and do some research first cause you never know if someone gives you the keys to the city and then turns around throwing you into the pit of blood with vampires. Be amazingly awesome and keep on training that gives you a reason to be your best self.      

Music That Just Enters Your Soul

 Throughout my life, I've listened to all sorts of music from Louie Armstrong to Peyton Parrish and whatever else in between. I did choir back in junior high and even performed some concerts with the group, wasn't that good but I did ok. We did songs mainly from the 60's and 70's and they were fun to do. Later on in High School, I did musicals such as Brigadoon, Wizard Of Oz, Once Upon A Mattress and Singing In The Rain (the last one was only in two scenes and had the only speaking role of in my entire time in the Theater). Music has been a part of my life ever since I was little. My own brother is a musician and had stints throughout the years in his own career doing mostly rock and blues music, he has a gift.

In my fitness career, music has been a part of that off and on listening while training. Sometimes I just go at it without it and other times, I put on my Spotify with either headphones or speakers depending on where I 'am and just get deep into it. Some of my best workouts were with music playing and it'll vary but mainly go with hard rock and metal. If you ever seen my tik tocks you'll find out quickly what kind of music I'm into. With this sciatica shit, I would put on music from time to time and just put my focus into it. I' am getting stronger again and I'm doing more walking and being more physical with my movements animal style (building my speed back up). Still have trouble sleeping but I know this won't last forever.

One of the biggest moments I've had during this process was something that is hard to explain. I was anxious to move around and do something quick to calm my body down. My wife was reading a book on the couch and I put my headphones on and put on a song and something crazy happened; I was so into the song, the riffs and the vocals that my body just went into this auto mode of moving and it almost felt like an out of body experience. I knew what I was doing physically but mentally something else came over me and I was flowing through the animal exercises like they were nothing and I was moving fast, strong and agile. I felt like myself again for a few moments without pain and when it was over, I started crying not because of sadness but because I felt happy and had a sense of hope that I knew this is almost over. I felt it in my soul and it was just beautiful. That song that got me into that state of mind was a Journey cover of their song Separate Ways by Eva Under Fire, the girl's vocals and the music behind her is just incredible and imo, is probably the top 2 best versions of that song. 

I'm sure others have had experiences like that with their own taste of music when they train but for me, it was an experience that I can't get out of my head. It almost seemed similar in a sense when Rickson Gracie got in tuned with his body with the Ginastica Training he learned from Orlando Cani and went into such a meditative state that he couldn't hear or see anyone and just moved with such agility, power and grace for nearly an hour. I was only in a state for maybe a minute or longer but once I looked back on what I did, my brain immediately went to that story about Rickson. Whether he was having music going is neither here nor there, I just know that for a brief time, I got to experience such a state of meditation that it was my way of slowly getting back to where I want to be again. Music gave me that.

Some believe that music is a distraction, from a certain point of view it can be but on the other hand, when you become in tuned with it while training and the syncing of mind and body through the instruments and/or vocals is at that right spot whether for a minute or more than an hour, it puts you into a state that potentially brings out the very best in you and makes you the strongest, fastest and the most powerful you've ever felt. Hell you may break personal records or just so far gone that your body goes into automatic pilot and you're just along for the ride. It courses through your veins, your brain, your nerves, your internal being and letting into your soul and trusting what it's doing for you to be in the zone. Music is that powerful and some never see it that way which is understandable to an extent but in the end, if it works and it makes you that much stronger and feel more alive, why question it? 

Whatever your taste is, I hope it brings you positive results in your endeavors and you get to experience things that others have trouble processing. Let the music flow through you and get in touch with your strongest self. Keep being amazingly awesome.  

Training & Update

 Been a tough road for the past month or so as my sciatica came back and with a vengeance. It started up again slowly while I was in Lake Tahoe visiting family. Was able to walk around and swim and all that but the moment we left, I was in various amounts of pain and when we got home, it hit me like an aluminum bat over and over on the right side of my body. The pain got so bad that often times, standing upright felt impossible and it took a toll on my physical and mental faculties. Bathing was excruciating and getting food to eat was unbearable to the point where I had little to no appetite. 

Mentally, it made me irritable, frustrated, angry and even depressed. I got no one to blame but myself for this and have been beating myself up over it. I'm not saying to make anyone feel sorry for me and not using it to throw a pity party, I'm saying this because this can happen to anybody; young or old even to world class athletes and we aren't 100% immune to it. It has been so painful that it nearly takes the cake over my broken leg injuries all those years ago. Am I showing my age? Maybe, but I'm certainly not dead and would never want anyone experiencing this, even those who've talked shit about me. I have a lot to make up for once I'm better and have made a vow to double my efforts to make up for lost time recovering.

Despite the pain and the emotional toll, I still train everyday no matter what, even if its for a couple minutes just stretching and/or do beginner level animal moves. Is it getting better? Slowly, yes and my flexibility, strength and agility is coming back in micro steps. I've done nothing but stretching, casually walking until I need to squat down and doing increments of the animal exercises from Vahva Fitness. Sometimes I do push through the pain but anybody can only tolerate so much. I know it has taken a toll on my wife and I'm just so grateful for her and what she has done to take care of me, she's strong and pushes me to get better everyday. She truly is my best friend and not just a companion but the ying to my yang, the crazy that matches my crazy and the far better half. I tell her everyday since this happened that the moment this thing is over, she'll be treated beyond the level of a goddess than I already do and going to make up for all things I was meant to do for her, even the little things. My mom has always seen us as the Bobbsey Twins and is quick to remind us of that often. We take care of each other and always have each other's back, I couldn't ask for such an amazingly awesome woman.

Although the workouts are brief, I know I'm getting stronger. I'm standing upright longer now, lasting better in my walking and have taken measures to stretch using my Isometric Belt to generate greater flexibility and even doing certain stretches Isometrically targeting my hips, hamstrings and glutes. I'm definitely feeling it but it's no where near as painful as it was in the beginning. I've only talked about this closely online with the Facebook Group Vim Vigor & Vitality that consists of those who practice Isometrics and other alternative forms of exercise and fitness. These guys are so supportive and have made awesome suggestions. One guy in particular, Batman O'Brien told me that because of what I was going through, he wrote up a series of exercises for me personally to keep up on and that he couldn't let this thing with me go on and insisted on helping me. It was such a powerful gesture and most of what he sent me I was already doing except a few things here and there. He even called me a legend in the Physical Culture world, the guy is twice the author and fitness advocate than I'll ever be and he calls some dude from Santa Cruz a legend. That was so profound and humbling to me that I told him that as much as I appreciate the gesture, I would never refer myself as that because to me, I don't feel worthy of that word. 

It may not be over yet, but soon, I'll be back doing what I love and making it more of a habit to keep up the maintenance so I can be at the type of strength and conditioning I know I can be in. This has been the worst I've felt in years but I can't give up nor can I allow this to go on. Pain may tell you you're not dead but pain can change your brain chemistry and turn you into something you don't want to be. It can be depression, full of negative emotions and it can make you mean at times and it's not right, it's not natural and sure as hell isn't someone I want to become. We're all human and we all have lived with some sort of pain in our lives but it's not natural to feel pain especially heavy sciatica pain 24/7 for the rest of your life. Take care of yourself and be amazingly awesome.    

A Rule Of Thumb For Those Who Call Themselves Gurus

Many trainers and and so called Fitness Gurus have their hearts in the right place and do what's possible to help others while making a living. I get it, you're building a brand/image and want to be seen as someone people can go to for solid ideas on training and getting the most with a Customer/Owner relationship. A big issue with some of these guys is that the "Guru" throws himself into this character as someone who tries to come off as this near god like being and smothers himself in ego and narcissistic tendencies in order to reel in an audience. It's understandable that some ego can be a good thing to an extent but Narcissism is a whole other ball game when they're only out for themselves and couldn't care less about others unless there's green involved.

If you read between the lines, you can see guys who have a bit of an ego and others who believe in their own hype. Many fitness programs work, there's no denying that and with the right tools, there are a lot that have a little something for everyone but not all programs are created equal and for good reason. A lot of the time, the Fitness Industry is a lot like High School, you have your various groups that segregate themselves, it can be very cutthroat and have people stab you in the back, you have the weirdos, jocks, valley girls, the hams, those who end up in the back, the popular crowd and those who think they can get away with murder because their daddy is a hotshot lawyer. 

There are those who don't take any bullshit and cater to a specific crowd or audience that they should feel worshipped by. Now that doesn't mean all of them are bad. A prime example would be the late Bud Jeffries, he was not only one of the strongest (naturally) people on the planet and had staggering charisma, he was also humble and would help you if needed. Sure he got paid for training and sold plenty of courses but if you needed a tip or two every now and then, often he wouldn't hesitate and put his hand on your shoulder (metaphorically or physically if you hung around him). He was also a guy who didn't take shit either and wouldn't work with those who tried to piss him off or shimmy around him, he knew tricks and had you at checkmate before you even had a thought. He was awesome at reading people and seeing the words between words when you spoke to him through DMs or Emails.

Another one I highly admire is Matt Schifferle of the Red Delta Project. From the looks of him, he looks like he's related to John Cryer & Matt Furey but when you hear him speak or talk with him, he's also humble and has an incredibly powerful positive attitude. His books are very easy to read and treats his videos as if they're a one person seminar as in he shows as if you were there with him and training. The man trains hard and uses simplistic exercises but treats you and the training with respect and dignity. He's got a no bullshit mentality to an extent but gives everyone the opportunity to understand not only the concepts of his style but makes it interesting to listen to. He's the type of guy you want to hang out with and doesn't show a lot of ego in his books and videos. 

When it comes to someone like me, there are names and praises I've gotten over the years that are just downright not I would ever call myself. I have been called a guru from time to time, I've been called someone who's in the top 3% of the strongest people in the world and other things. The truth is, I never liked being called those things, I'm no guru or blue collar guy, I would never put a percentage on myself when it comes to strength because to me that's not fair to others who make me look like a chump. All I care about is training, giving people ideas and pointing them in a direction that will benefit mainly them, not me. Do I have a bit of an ego? Maybe, but it's more about confidence in what I can do and what I know but I don't go around telling people that I'm the only guy with any real knowledge and I'm this much stronger than somebody else, in reality, I'm literally just a guy who fell in love with fitness after having severe leg injuries that's really the jist. 

I've had my own dealings with some guys who just love to hear themselves talk and if you disagree with them, they'd want you electrocuted just for having an argument. Some even love to talk shit yet never say it directly to me cause they're a coward and don't have the balls to say something, another guy tries to justify his actions/words and tries to make himself look like hot shit even though he can't when I called him out on stuff. These are the type of guys that have no regard for others and have sociopathic tendencies which leads them down a path of not only being mean bastards but can't let people live their lives the way they see fit. They write out or record rants for everyone to see, have grievances for the most irrelevant things (not to mention their stupid political outbursts) and treat others who aren't like them like trash when they don't even know any of those people in real life. 

There are great gurus out there and then there are shitty ones who only care about themselves. Shit even one guy can't stop talking about three things if you ever come across his stuff: How awful his wife is, mocking fat/overwight people and pull-ups in the same sentence and how his stuff is the very best on the market. A fourth would be either "friends" of his you never see one pic of or repeatedly mentioning an alleged pedophile along with his repeated hatred towards LGTBQ folks. Another guy who is pretty knowledgeable when it comes to basic workouts using the term "conditioned strength" and can go even at 55 but it's overshadowed by his long and dubious rants on how weak men are, the decay of society, his repeated outbursts of how he hasn't had a drink in 30 years, repeats how old he is and how many kids and grandkids he has. He's an egotistical prick with a napoleon complex that just loves to piss people off and doesn't show any compassion for those that don't share the same "values" as he does. 

It's like a car wreck with these guys, you know it's wrong but you can't look away and be curious but at the same time, it's better to just stay away from these people because we don't know what's happening in everybody's lives and what's the point of shitting on everyone? What's to be gained from that really? Where does it end? I believe in doing the very best to be kind to others until there's a reason not to and give others the benefit of the doubt and see through the bullshit as best as possible. Not everyone can be saved and not everyone is going to live a healthy life, we just do what we can starting with the people closest to us. Social Media has its perks and there are good people out there but there are some nasty motherfuckers too that try to sell you a bill of goods and tell you all these wonderful things but their true nature tends to come out when you least expect it and when you don't fall in line with them, they can make your life a living hell and will do whatever to make themselves look innocent. 

Little by little, be a bit better at helping others without an agenda and show compassion as best as you can. Life is too damn short to be so damn bitter that you have to take out your frustrations out on the internet and share how much the world sucks repeatedly yet you say you're happy, that's not how that works man. Be amazingly awesome and keep doing what you love. 

A Rollercoaster Of Craziness

 Damn, it has been 18 days since my last entry. It has been a whirlwind of emotions, laughter, tears, growth, loss and craziness. Other than the excessive heatwave we've had here in Idaho, around the time of my birthday, it became a time where I couldn't think about me and my celebration, it was a time of mourning and a time to be with people I truly cared about. My wife lost her stepdad to cancer and other things that went wrong with him that I'm going to keep to myself and our family. Very hard to see this man go that I knew for 8 years and those moments that we shared talking about music, comics and movies. 

I did the best I could to be there not just for my girl but her brother, their mom and our niece because all I wanted to do was to comfort them and be present. Life is way too damn short to bicker and be divided, when something like this happens, it's about family, togetherness and protecting one another. It wasn't as hard on me than it was for them because that's the man they knew for many, many years, close to 20 if I recall but it hit me a little differently because a little over 20 years earlier, my own stepdad passed that just tore me up and happened just before I finished high school. I never got to say my peace with him. Now, with theirs, I got a second chance in my own way. I got the opportunity and permission from their mom to use the music for his walk out before taking him to the funeral home, it was one of his favorite bands that did a cover of Lynyrd Skynard's Simple Man. 

We laughed, we cried and just did what was best to make the best of things, regardless of how hard it was. Now, the twisted thing about all this is the time he died. I don't know if this was the man's last joke or some kind of cosmic way of making us laugh a little but the man died at 4:20am and he was an advocate on weed LOL. Some things that'll never leave your mind and puts in perspective why this life is so precious when it comes down to it. From there, we went from tragedy to being prepared for seeing my dad's side of the family for the first in roughly 4 years, going to Lake Tahoe.

The last time my wife saw my family was our wedding and the last time I did was in Nov of that year for my dad's 70th birthday so this was a major thing for both of us. Traveling for 12 hours in planes and cars, it could've been John Candy's & Steve Martin's Planes, Trains & Automobiles but with without the train. When I saw my dad, I just broke down and held him for what seemed like forever even though it was maybe 30 seconds. Did the same to my sisters, my stepmom and other relatives. It was like a huge wave of emotions coming out that I needed because this is the longest time in my entire life not seeing all of them. 

Being back in Tahoe was the boost we both needed and spending time with each other was just incredible. Made some breakthroughs with my sisters and spending some time with my niece and nephews especially the youngest one. Going to the lake and jumping off the dock, exploring on the rocks, climbing the staircase that is a monstrosity, getting workouts in (mainly Isometrics & Swimming) including an Animal Workout near the stairs to the water and plenty of activities.

Went on a boat ride one day around the lake with my girl, dad, stepmom, aunt, uncle and my stepmom's friends from Boston (Accents and all). We went around an area called Emerald Bay where the water is not just crystal clear but as green as you would see in the Wizard Of Fucking Oz. Got to swim with my dad for a bit near a mountain with a small castle at the top called Valhalla (I so wish I had my Epic Sledgehammer with me, that would've been one of the coolest shots ever, hoisting it up and putting lightning in the background). Went around an area called Meeks Bay which is really cool because that's my wife's Maiden Name and she has distant relatives that owned or still operate it today. Overall, it was exciting and a lot of fun.

Another day was going to Virginia City in Nevada with my sister, her boys, her besties with her two daughters and the most awesome woman on the planet. I use to love going there when I was little, it was like time stood still as in you're in this old western town that seemed to never die out, you have shops where you can see paintings of men and women of the time, churches that just stand out in time and the cool saloons where cowboys and others drank, fought, cheated and died in. One of the most famous saloons in the town is the Bucket Of Blood where you can see this incredible view of the desert hills. Some of these places are said to be Haunted and I've been in some areas where Ghost Hunters came in and did investigations. Bought some souvenirs including decks of cards, a couple Street Signs for my nephews that says Beware Of Attack Brother just to make my sister laugh even though she at first gave me this cold stare and bought my sister a pink rose quartz crystal bracelet that she really loved. Holly brought her camera with her and put her Photography skills to the test and quite frankly, its unbelievable how these pics turned out. 

After Virginia City, we headed out to Reno to meet up with our other sister and her husband with their party. Took the boys to Circus Circus across the way to go play in the arcade. Had a lot of fun there shooting hoops with my niece, winning lots of tickets, tried my hand at the punching bag and see what my score was; the highest they had was 956 and my best was 899 so not too bad for a guy who doesn't do a ton of boxing training. Bought my nephews Panda Express and went back to the cabins on our merry way. Spent a little one on one time with my dad, wished we had a bit more but hey when there's nearly 30 people in 4 cabins all together, you're bound to be hanging around others. Had beautiful moments of growth with my sisters and spent some time with my stepsister and her hubs that are officially going to be parents (Stepsis Macky will be a great mom and her hubs mike is a great guy that lives life to the fullest). 

There was a bit of family drama but that's not only to be expected it might as well be mandatory (we do put the fun in Dysfunctional after all). I won't bore you with the details but peace was made in the end and that's what truly matter right? Overall, it was one of the most fun trips I've ever had since going there as a baby. In fact, now in 2023, it is now been 50 years since my dad started all this so it has grown to 4 generations of our family going there. Wish we didn't have to leave but got to face reality and move on to the next trip. We started our trek back around 7am and didn't walk back into the door at home until about 11:15pm, that was a day man but we got home safe, got in a short workout at the airport and finished off with 1 min of isometric push-ups at home. 

Yep, that's been the highlights of these last near three weeks and things will be calmer and back to normal but then again normal is just overrated LOL. Keep being amazingly awesome guys and I'll be back to writing a lot more often. 

Step Ups And Their Effectiveness

 A good portion of the time, a simple exercise like Step Upas can really take you down if you know the right pace and tempo. Maybe it might be too simple but is it really so? I guess it depends on your point of view. Does it replace Squats? Overall, not necessarily but some prefer the Step Ups and others prefer Squats and that's awesome. At least you're getting in some kick ass leg training either way.

Some scoff at the idea of Step Ups because to them, squats are king and other leg exercises are just second class which in and of itself is far from the truth. Some even say Step Ups are the lazy man's leg training; obviously that's pure bullshit otherwise by logic you're saying someone like Bob Backlund is lazy. How natural is Step Ups in comparison to Squats? Well, why compare their natural entities when both are natural type exercises and have pros and cons to both while their effectiveness may be different, they still generate incredible strength, power, conditioning and overall health for the whole body.

Having done thousands of reps from both of them, safe to say for me personally, I get more out of Step Ups than Squats and I'll tell you why....With Squats, they were the foundation and gave me a solid pair of legs over the years while also saving time by doing high reps either in a row or using a deck of cards. As time went on and doing other things, they became a bit more uninteresting to me and felt like they weren't a priority anymore. With the transition to Step Ups, I not only go longer & do more reps, they give me greater focus by working my legs individually. They help even out the areas where one leg seems to have more muscle than the other and it feels more meditative while being a conditioning exercise.

Step Ups are a different form of cardio and it has become grossly underrated over the years. Other than Bob Backlund advocating them, they don't get as much traction or attention in comparison to Squats and it's a damn shame. They go far beyond just going up and down and switching legs, they are a great addition to just about any routine as they can be an exercise to do instead of resting for your next set. They can be used to as a superset exercise to other movements to really tackle your conditioning and they put you in a better state of not being as sore yet get more out of it.

Despite its benefits of health and overall fitness, it has a safer aspect on the knees and lower back if you have those particular issues. We do Step Ups more often than we are led to believe because of climbing stairs on an almost daily basis so this exercise actually strengthens that form of movement along with strengthening the joints for things like biking, hiking and swimming. Training this way helps in a ton of sports and other activities.

As always, just be careful how you do them and don't go so fast that you'll slip/trip and fall on your ass; I've done it a time or two and even broke part of a step and after those, I learned to pace myself better and being aware of my footing while going at a decent clip. Got to a point where I can do 30 within a minute and do 500 in under 23 minutes. Ideally it's not a sprint exercise because like I said, if you go too fast, it's going to bite back so respect the movement and go at a clip where it's keeping your heart rate going but not in a rushed manner. 

When I train this exercise, I don't care much how many sets/rounds I do, I pick a number to do each leg and go for time whether for 10, 15, 20 or 30+ minutes straight. If I'm in the middle of a set and the timer goes off, I just finish the set and add the + to the workout lol. Numbers wise, I stay within a 10-15 rep range each leg and just keep going. Sometimes I'll speed up during the workout and other times I just keep pace and focus on my breathing and footing. Said it before, it becomes meditative at times. Better cost effective than a treadmill that's for damn sure. 

It just feels good overall and I love how my legs feel afterwards. I don't get sore almost at all and I can do other exercises later on like Isometrics, carries and even hammer stuff. It has kept me in pretty decent shape for some time now. Give it a go and maybe someday you'll put up Backlund numbers but do what's possible for you and keep improving while being amazingly awesome. 

The Bear Crawl Workout That Gets You In Rugged Condition Fast

You hear all kinds of ways to describe conditioning or some weird saying like Functional or something along those lines. Before you know it, they become a cliché and its meaning becomes meaningless. Johnny Grube describes his style as "Conditioned Strength" (whatever the fuck that really means since it's probably the most made up term for training) but it's not the worst one I've ever heard. When it comes to conditioning, it should sound ferocious, cunning, manly, old school and something that relates to those who've been through the ringer; something like, "Rugged Conditioning." To me, that sounds like something that's intense, combative, powerful and badass. 

One of the things I've seen Grube do (when he's not ranting like a lunatic and bullying anybody that doesn't share his set of "values") was go hard on his Rogue Bike for several minutes doing a reverse tabata style format which is 10 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 10 rounds (which roughly totals 5 minutes) and you know where I'm going with this. I took that concept and made it a Bear Crawl workout. Clearly I don't own a Rogue Bike but maybe one day I will but the Bear Crawl is just as awesome to do. I'll give him this, he's awesome at conditioning training and utilizes simplistic approaches to exercise that works for him and I respect his work ethic but outside of that, he just goes off the deep end doing nothing but running his mouth about people that have nothing to do with him or his family and acting like a crazy bigot. 

Let's get back on track, the Bear Crawl Workout that will get you in Rugged Condition fast. It's simple, quick and hits more muscles than you can imagine. With consistency (keeping it to 2-3x a week) it's possible to burn fat like a furnace, put on natural and functional muscle and have you be explosive so you'll be ready for anything. Did I forget to mention that it potentially makes you stronger in the long run and have crazy stamina? What's even crazier is that it can be done practically anywhere and the only thing you need is a HIIT Timer so things are set which you can find on your cell or grab one of those Gym Boss Timers. Hell, I've done this workout in my living room and I feel like a million bucks afterwards. It was one of the first workouts I did after recovering from my Sciatica Injury. 

Being in shape goes far beyond what you see on the outside, you may not look like a model or have that ripped Instagram look but if you can go hard and be able to have gas left in the tank and are healthy, looks aren't always going to matter. Hell you can look like a Skinny Yogi like Rahul Mookerjee or small like Royce Gracie and still be deceptively strong (but that may be pushing it a bit since he likes to brag about what he's "capable" of doing and Royce would destroy someone like Rahul in seconds) but the point is, you can be big, small, tall, short and still be in awesome shape, it's just a matter of what you do to be consistent.  

This would be a hell of a finisher to really kickstart your metabolism after a regular workout or it can a punishment for wrestlers/MMA Fighters to do before and after practice, whatever works. This isn't the type of workout that should be pushed to the side or taken lightly. It's hard, it's rough and it tests you in ways that you didn't think were possible. Despite the doubled amount of rest, you still barely have time to truly catch your breath before the next round. The moment those ten seconds are up you got one of two choices: 1. Stay in the Bear Crawl Position (which isn't really resting still) until you've done all the rounds or 2. Get up and walk to the starting point and get into position for the next round. As Billy Robinson once said "There's no rest in wrestling" neither do you in this workout.

You don't need to be a pro athlete to be in awesome shape but it's important to understand that to be in awesome shape, we take some things from the very best and mold them to our goals and making the most of what our bodies CAN handle.  Be safe, hope you have/had a great 4th Of July, train with great intensity and keep being amazingly awesome. 

 

It's Always Good To Have A Backup

Always keeping my training simple, the workouts can vary to either going hard one day and "taking it easy" the next. Physique wise, it could be better and putting in more effort to trim down since I couldn't do a whole lot while I was injured. Keeping an eye on doing more Isometric Style training (with an emphasis on the Hybrid Forms, check out Overcoming Isometrics on that one) and other things. 

I love going to the park and playing basketball and shooting around, some days I bank them in, other days not so much but I enjoy it. Every now and then, some guys would want to shoot around or play one on one. In addition, I like to bring along my Worldfit Iso Trainer and when I'm not shooting, I put the strap around the back of the hoop and do things like Rows, Pushups, Squats, Hangs and Pull-ups. One day not too long ago, I went to the park to shoot around but there was an event going on and there was a promotional jeep covering the side of the court, not wanting to hit the damn vehicle, I had my back up Iso Strap and just did 50 Rows & 50 Push-ups in 5x10 each exercise. Always good to have a back up, after the exercises, went onto the grass and did an animal workout doing my favorite dice game until I was ready to head back home. 

Sometimes you just have to adapt and improvise. You won't always have things align right, the stars won't always be in your favor and you won't always know if you'll get an empty space around you or getting a crowd of people. Do what's possible with what you have. That's one of the reasons why I love Isometrics, they're always there with or without equipment and having the strap in your bag can make up some stuff you're not always able to do. Training is about discovery, conditioning the mind to always have something there and be able to come up with stuff on the fly if needed. It's important to have that knowledge because some workouts may not always be at your disposal so you come up with something doable and something you can do for the moment. 

Find ways to train that will be in your favor, learn to improvise in certain situations and get what you need with what you have at the time even if it's just your own bodyweight. Never settle to just one thing or one type of workout. The knowledge and creativeness you can possess can take you places that many won't or be able to come up with. I mean seriously, who the hell puts a suspension trainer around a basketball hoop and can do an animal workout on the fly? Not many but that's the beauty of being intuitive and understanding what you know and be able to act on a workout you didn't expect to do. When I got to that park, I expected to just normally shoot around, put on some tunes, get some exercises in with the strap and that was it but that didn't happen. There are events that go on about every other weekend at that park and most days, I'm just there by myself with literally no one in the vicinity other than the restaurant right next to it and the houses around the corner. It's peaceful, get a great view of the mountains, getting in fresh air and just having a blast putting on my speakers. On that particular day, I had to do something different and had to tone down the volume I normally use with my speakers to where only I can really hear it and just do a couple of exercises and an animal workout which turned out great and had fun. 

Always good to have a backup in mind whether training or whatever. Hope everyone is having a great summer so far and stay safe tomorrow for Independence Day. Be amazingly awesome. 

The Nerve Pain, The Muscle Spasms, All Gone: IT'S OVER!!!

Just the feeling of bruising but the sciatica injury is finally over. Merely keeping up with maintenance and being slightly more cautious is what I'll be doing for a while but this long ass episode has reached it's finale. The pain was enough that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies and being so damn limited made me frustrated, irritable and drove me crazy. 

What made me notice that it was gone? I had an idea in mind that was risky but my intuition was telling me it was going to work. I tested myself in a Bear Crawl Sprint Workout that was 10 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 5 minutes. Aside from feeling a little tension, I busted through that workout with ease without a shred of pain, not even a little bit. How's that for irony: A sprint workout told you you were injured and the next sprint workout tells you you're healed. Funny how the universe works.  

I'm back and it feels fucking glorious man. I still believe in my heart that if I wasn't in good of shape before, this injury would've been far worse and the healing would've taken way longer. That's the thing, if you train with intent to help prevent injuries as much as possible and be able to heal quicker when you do makes all the difference in the world. This one didn't heal as fast as I wanted to (I' am edging close to 40) but it did heal when it was meant to. I felt my flexibility coming back and my strength was right there when I needed it. Conditioning is really a life saver and in my mind, the fountain of youth.

If you've never experienced Sciatica, I really hope you never will. I feel so grateful not just for what I had to do but I'm grateful to my wife and my mother for being there for me even though I was a royal pain in the ass and feeling so damn guilty that I didn't want to burden them. Putting them through that especially my wife was something I never want to do again, neither one deserved to see me like that. I owe them big time and I will always take responsibility and heat for what I did to myself. I can't and will never blame anything or anyone other than myself. Life is too damn short and you do what's possible to make the best of things. 

This was probably one of the most humbling experiences of my life and part of it is starting to show on my age and my ability to heal but in a weird and twisted sense, I needed to go through this in order to understand how important certain things are in life and that it was another one of life's tests where you learn and figure out what you have to do in order to rebuild yourself inside and out. This put another perspective on why I love to train and why it continues to push me even in tough times. The majority of the time, all I did was stretching which to me is still training, I never once led up or took a day off because if I did than I would be giving up on myself and the people who need and I wasn't going to let that happen.

Even on days where I had doubts this thing would ever heal, the voice in my head told me to keep fighting and battle the demons from within. Trust the process, do what needs to be done and be humble and grateful for what you have around you. It goes back to that old notion "With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility." Be safe, kick ass and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Closing In On The Home Stretch

 Not 100% out of the woods yet but my recovery is near its end. I can feel it drifting away little by little. I still have moments where there's little shots of pain down my leg but it's becoming less and less. It has been a very slow process, far slower than most injuries in the last number of years and I'm just itching to get back to my old self again. 

At times the pain was so great that it made me irritable and lash out which by all accounts I hate doing to anyone. I also hate taking stuff to numb the pain and part of me needed to suffer in order to punish myself for what I put myself through. Didn't take enough stuff to become addicted which is a good thing. I wasn't popping pills like they were fucking M&Ms, just a thing or two to relieve some of the pain in order to go about my day. Got this one thing called Nerve which helps with circulation and gives the nerves in my body an extra boost to help me recover since some of the pain was shooting down straight into my ankles and feet starting at the hip. Only take the recommended dose. 

Seen a Chiropractor half a dozen times now and most likely need a couple more adjustments to realign this sumbitch and the guy that has been working on me is really damn good at what he does. Like I said it has been a slow process but I know it's almost over. I've been slowly getting back to strengthening and lengthening my body doing stretches (mainly), cables, isometrics, Sandbell training and loaded carries with a lighter weight. I have also been using my foam roller which at times does feel painful but I'm getting that bad alignment readjusted and you just take it for what it is. 

Over these last, I think it's now almost 6 weeks, there's been lots of ups and downs, restless nights, moving like an 80 year old man ready to die and struggling mentally to keep my sanity. To distract myself, I got caught up in the fight against those who have been so extreme against those who are LGTBQ and the things these people put up to justify them as a whole has just burned a hole in my brain. I have friends and knew people in that community and it breaks my heart that all this hatred towards them because a few bad apples made their way into the news. Believe me, I'm totally against grooming or forcing kids against their will but from a statistical standpoint, nothing compares to the grooming and sexually exploitation of kids in Beauty Pageants and those in religion who've taken advantage of young boys. All this shit with Trans folks is an extremely small number in comparison and yes whoever is hurting kids should be punished but not all Trans or gay or whatever are like this. 

Throughout this whole process and the pain, it boils down to keep fighting because you want to get better and there will be days where it feels hopeless but you can't give up because there are people who need you. I have strong feelings about what I do in order to build myself up mentally and physically. It's not meant for everyone and some will say I'm an inspiration and others will say I'm a pussy and have no value to anyone but whatever my beliefs are training wise or in my thoughts about the news and hatful/fear being spread around, I see things from a different angle and at times only I'll see it and that's ok. Once this shit is over, I'll be seeing my training with a greater appreciation and determination.  

Let me end this with a bad ass Disney Song with that fires me up every time and sung not by the original singer but by an up and coming artist who's expressive, has a voice that pumps up the blood in your veins and makes you never hear your childhood songs the same way again. Have an amazingly awesome day and be good to one another. Don't give into hate, that leads to the Darkside. 

Pain Is A Powerful Lesson

 Been one of the hardest months of my life physically as this Sciatica injury is just kicking my ass. All the stretching, the rehabbing and doing everything possible gets frustrating and full of doubt. This is quite possibly the worst injury that involves so much pain for so long since my accident with my legs. Talk about misalignment and the feeling down your leg feels like getting a mobster taking shots with a baseball bat. 

For small periods there is little pain but other times, might as well be debilitating. The reality is, I know it'll end sooner or later and what I'm doing is helping, it's just hard as hell to be patient and let it heal. I also can't give up on myself either and stop training because without training, I'm not me and that vow I made to myself a long time ago that the day I can't do anything training wise is either when I'm dead or in a coma. The pain is excruciating but I can't just stop. When it becomes so painful that putting on clothes or even standing to do dishes becomes a difficult task, there's something not right there.

I don't believe I tore anything or ruptured anything otherwise I wouldn't be able to walk at all but yeah, I have a fucked up joint in my hip that shoots down my leg. No I'm not looking for sympathy or want anyone to feel sorry for me, I did it to myself and I can't blame anyone. Facing it head on is hard enough and beating myself up comes with the territory with me. I don't wish this amount of pain on anyone, not even the ones I have issues with. Pain is a powerful lesson but it also gives you an opportunity to find out what you can do despite the pain. When you feel so limited, it feels like defeat even though it really isn't. Fighting to get back is a road that takes many turns and the paths can go anywhere. There are signs that point you in a direction but what you choose becomes a defining factor of when the destination hits a standstill. There is doubt, frustration, anger, thoughts of giving up, wishing you had morphine on hand and doing anything possible to not feel pain but you keep fighting anyway because the moment you give in to any of those things, you failed and I can't fail no matter how many times they're thrown at me. 

I don't deserve special treatment or deserve to be helped. A part of me wants to suffer and deserves to suffer because I let it happen. Another part of me understands that I can't control 100% of the time what happens to me because injuries can occur at any moment and no matter how good we are at training or how much knowledge we have about avoiding injuries, it creeps up on you and the moment it does, you're tested to see what is possible while you recover. You're hurting and beat up but like Rocky, you keep going, you keep fighting until you can't anymore. Even though it's painful, I'm still in the fight and as Captain America would say "I can do this all day" and do whatever it is you have to to get back to being your true self again. 

Even Batman gets hurt and with all those bruises, shiners, busted ribs at times and taking on tasks that most humans couldn't even do at 1% of their best, its important to realize we're all still human and we can't heal like a a Wolverine or Deadpool even though we wish we could. Pain is a bitch of a teacher, but every teacher gives us an opportunity to learn and grow. The struggle is real but the journey is part of that struggle and you keep moving forward inch by inch if you have to. 

Updates On Sciatica

 It has been a rocky road to recovery from my sciatica injury that started nearly a month ago and although the pain comes and goes, it still pretty damn shitty that I can't do what I love to do at my best. Got no one to blame but myself for having it happen and it hasn't been easy trying to do even basic things like walking and standing. There were times where it took me longer to put my clothes on than I normally would. What injury is ever easy? 

Trying different things at a lower pace and even doing beginning stages of certain exercises to help heal. Some things do ok, others not so much and the pain levels sometimes reach excruciating heights that it hurts to put on my socks and shoes. With all the things that I've tried, the two things that seem to bring any comfort training wise is Isometrics and Joint Loosening exercises. Even the most basic animal moves hurt except maybe the Bear Crawl which I only do a minute each day. While we were at the Hot Springs in Montana earlier this month, I did mainly go in the hot and cold pools which temporally helped ease the pain and do Isometrics in the room. 

The Chiropractor is helping to an extent but it's so damn hard to not want to push myself. When I go a little further, that's when it really acts up. I have pushed myself to the point where even climbing stairs feels like an eternity and I really need to listen to my body and stop being so damn stubborn and full of pride. I really don't like it when people have to help me even for the easiest things and sleeping has been a nightmare. 

My sciatica is about as inflamed as you can get and the pain in my nerves shoot all the way down my right leg that ranges from a 3-9 on the pain scale. I haven't felt pain this bad since my leg injuries back in '05. I'm not giving up on myself, I'm still training just in a much smaller capacity and I'm just so damn ready for this thing to be over with. Sometimes I want to see what I can still do but get in my own head and push myself beyond what my own ability is right now and end up suffering for it which maybe is a lesson I need to learn in order to understand how I can find a way to keep doing things but not at full capacity or even half. By my own observation, pain tolerance and the way I can move, my best capacity level of what I know I can do is right now at best 20-25% of what I normally can do and that's stretching it. For me that's just downright horrible but I need to just let my body do its thing and give it time. 

When injuries happen, the biggest fight is with ourselves and at times we'll just barely do anything because we either give up or don't know how to deal with it, other times we fight so damn hard to come back that we overestimate our abilities and can make things worse. We do need to find that balance but the one thing that should always be there is the ability to keep going but work on the progression and doing our best to know our limits but go above them little by little even if it's microscopic. I know damn well that there are people out there who have it far worse than me and they hold their pain in better than I ever could but that's why I also fight to come back because I know this is not going to last forever and it'll give me a better appreciation that I can beat this and that it's important to be thankful I'm still able to do things even in a smaller setting. It's hard but it's not forever. I will be back hitting hammers on a tire again, I will have my agility and strength back doing crazy animal stuff and I will dominate the step ups again because that's one of the exercises that has kept my legs in great condition in the first place. 

If you're injured, don't give up on yourself, fight back and make it your mission to be better again. Strengthen yourself but also listen to your body even when that part of you wants to push beyond, we can only push so much but it doesn't mean we have heart. Keep being amazingly awesome and keep on keeping on.