Ben's Power And Might Writings

Unlock Cheat Codes Hidden Within The Lost Art Of Muscle Control

2026-05-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

How's it going guys, happy Revenge Of The Fifth. What's in stored for today's possibly EPIC Post? Well, it's something I don't write often about but it is an important aspect of physical training and it's within the realm of Isometric Training that isn't just for bodybuilders and wanna-be posers. It's the type of training that also strengthens and even sharpens the mind. Learn how to command the muscles and see what you're capable of when you channel the mind/muscle connection in one of its best forms. That's where Muscle Control comes into play.

The lost gem of the old school Physical Culture Era (more notably the Bronze Age) that transforms how you move, feel and perform at an insane level. This isn't the type of training that leaves you wrecked and beat up for days on end. Muscle Control fits right in the concepts of developing realistic and sustainable fitness that includes real world strength, conditioning and mental toughness. It's about isolating the muscles that get you to channel your focus into contracting and relaxing those muscles with precision. Think of it as flipping a switch in your body. You call the shots.

Let's Learn A Little Lesson On Some Of The History On Muscle Control

Forget the modern bro-science bullshit for a moment. This style of training exploded in popularity back in early 1900's thanks to men like Maxick, Otto Arco & a few others. Maxick in particular was a sick lad living in Austria and transformed himself into a legendary figure that would baffle most Classic Physique contestants today. Born in 1882, he battled and fought against issues of the lungs, dropsy and even rickets. His own parents tore up his home set of weights to prevent him from continuing training because they thought it would make things worse. What the fuck was this kid supposed to do now? Turns out, he began experimenting on consciously contracting his muscles and learning how to control which ones flexed and let the other relax using willpower and focus.

This became his sanctuary and when he turned into basically a comic book looking Superhero, he teamed up with another athlete who practiced Muscle Control named Monte Saldo to bring out what became known as the Maxalding System. A detailed mail-order course on that taught how to program this style of Isometric Training. It took off like a damn rocket and blew the roof off the Physical Culture scene. It wasn't just about posing, it also let you know that Maxick was a legit athlete that practiced Gymnastics, Strongman Feats and Weightlifting. Because of his mastery, he was able to lift insane weight for a guy his size.

Before the days of Steroids, Commercial Gyms and the Billion Dollar Supplement Industry, methods like Muscle Control produced many men with incredible physiques and strength that were the talks of the street. It was beyond size and power, it was learning how to control your body that carries over to other areas of life and sports. With the desk jobs of today, this type of training is more relevant and needed than ever.

Bad Ass Benefits Of Muscle Control

Why add this to your routine? Let's break it down into 6 points of benefit that gives you an idea of where we're going with this:

1. Higher IQ in the Mind/Muscle Connection

Do you ever get the feeling some of those muscles don't "Hit Right" during a lift or even using your own bodyweight? This is where it gets fixed. With Isolated Practice, flexing places like the lats, pecs, abs or individual parts of those muscle and others, you are strengthening those neuromuscular pathways. What this means is that the muscle recruitment becomes better as you do exercises like Pull-ups, push-ups, deadlifts, band work or animal moves like Bear Crawls for example. You're winning the battle and becoming stronger without having to fight those uncooperative muscles.

2. Efficiency Along With Better Relaxation

Control is not about tensing up per se. It's learning to relax the antagonists so you don't get dragged down. This helps with amplifying your endurance, reduce unnecessary tension and improves the blood flow. When I do my own training with the bands or Isometrics, it gives me opportunities to push hard but not gas out within seconds. You've read about the 500-1000 rep circuits and the Deck Of Cards Workouts, there's a reason why I'm conditioned enough to get through those things and it's not just progressively leveling up to them. That's just part of it.

3. Joint Health & Prevention Of Injuries

By individually controlling the muscles, you build stability around your joints that strengthens the tendons and improves even your posture. When it comes to things like Bridging, Band Work and Suspension Training, it comes in handy. Lessens the wear and tear and enhances Longevity.

4. Laser Focus Mixed With Mental Toughness

This is where guys like Maxick nails the hell out of. Controlling the muscles builds willpower and heavy concentration. The mind cannot wander when you're isolating the serratus or holding the "vacuum." This will help carryover things into the real world: stronger discipline and clearer thinking along with the mindset of "I own this" during those tough workouts and/or daily challenges.

5. Functional Strength & A Physique That Has The Go With The Show

Carving the definition and teaches those muscles to contract with a vengeance. Combine it into your regular training and watch results blossom like a wildflower. Don't chase the pump; command to the degree where you're not just posing, you're moving with style and confidence.

6. Sustainability & Accessibility

Don't have a gym? No problemo ladies and gents, you can do this anywhere: Standing in line, during a work break or as a finisher to your workout. Micro Workouts, easily adjustable. Matter of fact, it's perfect. You're not going to fry your CNS unlike constant max efforts. You'll recover better and train more consistently. Train smart, train often just in the ways of Power And Might.

Honorable Mentions: Improved Breath Control, better digestion, leveling up in your sports performance and possibly have carryover into rehabbing or managing back pain through Core Stability.

How Can One Get Started?

It's best to not complicate it. Keep it basic: Stand relaxed and try to flex one of the pectoral muscles, then the other. Isolate the abdominals in sections, practice Vacuums for the Transverse Abdominis. Use the hands to feel and guide at first, hold contractions for only a few seconds, fully relax and repeat. Work through various groups like the chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs and core. Progress to combinations and then move onto controlling while doing certain movements. Pair it up with the routine you're on. Work it as a warm up or finisher if you'd like. It'll make things click better.

Not saying to ditch what you already do, give it a whirl so you can raise your training to the next level. It's a missing link for many who may look strong but lack the command.

Be amazingly awesome and hit me up on your progress using the linktree that leads to my email and social media outlets. keep at it and I hope you're enjoying the journey.

May The Schwartz...I Mean May The 4th Be With You

2026-05-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

Spaceballs, probably my favorite comedy of all time next to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. "What's the matter Col. Sandurz? CHICKEN???" Anyway, Happy Star Wars Day everybody. Today is not just about the stories from a Galaxy Far, Far, Away, it's also our Anniversary. 7 Years married, together 11.

Celebrated a little bit last night going out to dinner at a favorite restaurant and took a walk around the park nearby to watch the sunset. Before we left, I got my girl some Anniversary gifts and of course the majority of them was Star Wars themed.

A Grogu Coffee Mug that says "Coffee I Need"

2 Funko Pops of Princess Leia from the Original & 3rd Film (the ROTJ one was a 40th Anniversary Edition)

Last one was a book she had an eye on that is an Autobiography of WWE Women's Legend Natalya Neidhart, the only woman to have survived the famous Hart Dungeon. Daughter of Jim The Anvil Neidhart and Granddaughter to Stu Hart.

So, as usual during the day, I get my workouts in but yesterday was a hell of a challenge. Decided to really test my conditioning by doing both a Deck Of Cards Workout and a Dopa Band Circuit in the same session. The deck was 800 Reps of Animal Moves including Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, Half Squat Walks & Duck Walks. Little rest other than walking back and flipping a card. Once I finished the deck (a bit fatigued), I set up the Dopa Band and did another 500 Reps of the Circuit including Chest Flys, Wave Pulls, Uppercut To Squats, Jump Skis & Propellers. 10 Reps each exercise with the only rest was marking down the circuit.

That was nasty as shit but I made it through and the endorphins really kicked in. The only thing that sucked ass was, before I trained, my left sandal broke off where the toes are locked in and ended up walking back home barefoot. Wasn't bad really, kind of enjoyed it especially being able to walk on some grass and feeling the earth beneath. The workout itself was interesting but hard and a hell of a mental game. There were a couple times I wanted to quit but I just said to myself "Fuck that, this is getting good".

I've said it before and I'll say it again, conditioning is your greatest asset. You can look like a million bucks but if your cardio is barely a thing when it counts the most, all that muscle is just flesh that won't save your ass when shit gets called upon. Workouts like these will test most men and some may even call them world-class but I'm too damn modest to have it called that. Train with intent and challenge yourself but always be in control as best as possible and still walk away without looking like you just fought the walking dead.

Extreme training has its perks but only every couple to a few days or so. Is this workout considered extreme? Well, it's 1300 reps with very little rest so you tell me LOL? Do it too often, it'll bite you back in the ass if you're not careful. Anybody who tells you to go extreme all the time is a sell out that would rather have you hurt than thrive in your journey. They don't give a shit about you, they care about what goes into their bank account and like to run their mouth about being better than anybody else when chances are, they're not in the type of shape they claim to be and just expect you to take their word for it. They're likely to look like something that makes Karen Carpenter seem like she had muscle on her compared to them. Not a good look man. Fix that asap.

Realistic training is about self discovery, learning what your capabilities are, finding challenges but not killing yourself in order to get results, utilizing awareness and small progressions overtime. You don't need to go so crazy that you can't make progress or act like you need to be better than 8+ billion people in the world. Don't be a second rate has been or a ever was, be the first you and thrive with a kick ass mindset that makes you want to do things daily. You got this and I believe in you.

Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the force, but be aware of the Darkside. Fear is a path you never want to go down, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. If you let yourself go down a path where you have to use your ego as a weapon or be some controversial asshat to make others feel worthless about themselves because they don't follow what you "teach" or you tell them that it's your way or the highway, you're losing a battle that can't be won and it just makes you a pitiful little prick with a superiority complex. Don't destroy yourself mentally and physically in order to get the results you want. Be successful in inspiring others and give them tools that will help them become something they were meant to be.

May the force be with you all and be amazingly awesome. Use the linktree below to find me on social media and/or email me if you'd like to get in contact. Looking forward to hearing from you. For more info on arguably one of the best courses on Animal Movement Strength Training, check out Movement 20XX. Grab a band or two at Dopamineo.com and use my code POWERANDMIGHT to shed a few bucks off your order.

Happy Anniversary babe, love you beyond the stars...

Your Hubby-Wan & Han Solo.

Fun Training Over The Last Few Days

2026-05-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been not too bad and the weather is getting nicer and warmer out. On Wednesday, I went to the bigger park near by the one I usually go to and did some Isometrics and Suspension Training with my straps. Warmed up with the Isos doing full body work. Wrapped my WorldFit Iso Trainer around a Tree Branch and got in some good bodyweight training that actually left me a little sore at the end but not a whole lot.

Pull-Ups: 4, 3, 2, 2, 1

Dips: 3x5

High Tension Amosov Squats: 3x12

Rows: 3x8

Simple Push/Pull/Squatting and rested as long as needed between sets. The Dips were more of a bitch than anything and trying to control all my bodyweight holding onto nothing but the handles and my legs not touching the ground. Tore a little bit of skin doing them but the healed up pretty quickly. For more info and training ideas for this type of training, check out Matt Schifferle's Suspension Calisthenics. Great stuff.

This was not even my first workout of the day, it was my biggest one though. Earlier, I did some Neck Mobility and Joint Loosening. Waited a little bit and then did some Bridges but mainly focused on rocking since it has been a minute doing any consistent bridging. I did the following exercises to stretch my back, neck and plenty in the hips, lower body and core.

4x5 Back Bridge Rocks using the hands as support, heels up and slowing touching my forehead and nose to the mat.

4x5 Front Bridge Rocks using the hands as support.

4x5 Each Side To Side Rocks in the Front Bridge.

Felt great and my entire body went into a relaxed state for quite a while.

Thursday was a hell of a training day where I went to the park in the morning, much earlier than I normally would and wanted to get a bad ass session with the Heavy Dopa Band. Did my circuit of 5 Exercises for 10 Reps each of the following:

10 Chest Presses

10 Rows

10 Squats

10 Alt Skis

10 Propellers

20 Rounds.....

Even timed this workout. Focused mainly on Technique and Breathing. Let the speed come naturally and finished the workout (1000 total reps) in 32:31. The rest of the day was decent and had to cancel on somebody due to things that were out of my control.

Yesterday was a good day to do Isometrics and Bridging Exercises. Did my Isos in the morning before handling stuff with my apartment. Got to visit a family member, hung out, had lunch, showed them some Isometrics to help with certain issues to build strength. Was a great visit and went for a walk out in the nice fresh air. After I got home, cooked some Steak & Rice, watched Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Best of the Indy series next to the Last Crusade) and capped off the night doing my Bridges.

Rocked 10 times in the Back Bridge using the hands for support, touching the mat with my forehead and nose, heels up.

Slight Rest.

Held a 3 Minute Nose To Mat Bridge with arms crossed to the chest and heels up. Took 18 Breaths.

Slight Rest.

10 Front Bridge Rocks using the hands as support.

Slight Rest

20 Side To Side Front Bridge Rocks (10 Each Way) using the Hands as support.

Slight Rest.

3 Minute Front Bridge Hold. Took 15 Breaths.

Hell of a workout and felt invigorated. Took a nice cold shower, chilled out for a bit then went to bed.

Want to get into Bridging? Get arguably the best one on the subject and that's Advanced Bridging by Logan Christopher.

What's on the agenda for today? Cleaning up the house a bit, Isometrics, maybe Bridges and Band Work but who really knows. See where it leads. Might film some stuff but haven't figured out what yet. Hopefully you all are having a good weekend so far and plenty to do. Have a blast, don't go too crazy and be amazingly awesome.

Want to get in contact with me? Go to my linktree below where you can email me or find all my socials. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Light Conditioning And A Finisher

2026-04-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday wasn't too bad of a day, mostly chilling out and resting up on some things but like always, got to get some training in you know. Worked on my Neck Mobility and Joint Loosening but then later on, did some Dopa Band Intervals with a "little" finisher.

Wasn't feeling 100% myself so I took it "easy" and did 20 minutes of Intervals focusing on 5 exercises for 45 on, 15 off 4 times. Figured I'd do some boxing and wrestling techniques like alternating punches, step skis, squats, wave pulls and waves holding a boxing stance with the dukes up. Normally, it's 30-45 minutes of intervals but this was more just to keep me moving and getting a little energy up.

The finisher was quite interesting. Tied the band, pull it over till it was behind my neck, got on all 4's and did Resistance Banded Bear Crawls. Crawl until the band reached as best as it can go (for me at least), walk back and repeat. Did 4 sets of 5 of these. One of those last ditch efforts to really tackle some post workout work. Lungs were firing, endorphins kicked in and feeling great. No music, no partner, just me and the band.

Some days aren't always going to have you feeling invincible, it's more of a test of wills and what you are capable of in the moment. You don't have to be extreme all the time like some people shove down your throat about. Matter of fact, that's more hindering than productive. I mean, if you want to test how fast it'll take before you get an injury, that's up to you but it's important to understand your body's awareness and what's possible in a point in time.

Daily exercise isn't about how hard you can push it, it's about teaching your body signals to when you can go hard and when to back it up a bit. I enjoy doing things daily, some like training 3-4x a week and that's great. People get worked up about recovery and all that. Yes, there's importance on being able to be efficient in your sessions but life doesn't always give you that luxury. The true best form of recovery is sleep, hands down. Mine could use a little more work but I'm still able to go daily, even if its just Isometrics or some squats and step ups.

Should there be a form of daily exercise? Absolutely, but it doesn't have to be in the gym; it can be climbing stairs in your building, stretching, going on a hike, swim in the pool, some light crawling, Isometrics for a few minutes or whatever you enjoy doing. If you like to dance, fucking do it. Shit, the last time I didn't do any form of exercise was during the Bush Administration when I couldn't walk just yet but if you need to let your body take a load off for a day or two, go for it, it may suit you better than it would for others. You have options and get to learn what you're capable of when things are called upon or need that few minutes to get something going. Look into Micro Workouts and get ideas on what you can do within any time in the 24 hours you have in your day.

Go hard one day, lighten up another, work on a project, do a challenge day or just do a few minutes of crawling. You can have a great deal of knowledge, it's a matter of applying it to your lifestyle, the rest is pretty easy once you understand how things can work for you. Life may throw you curveballs at times but don't give up on what you can accomplish even in tough times. Be amazingly awesome and do what's possible for you. Don't forget to go to dopamineo.com and use my code POWERANDMIGHT to get some kick ass bands and make your workouts as hard or as light as you like.

If you'd want to get in touch with me, check out my Linktree below where you can find all my socials and email. Looking forward to hearing from you and if you'd like to have a comment shown on the blog here, read up on the comment policy.

7-12 Seconds Of War Doing Isometric Contractions

2026-04-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Strength isn't always built on bodyweight or weights for Insta Likes. It's built on stillness. When it comes down to it, Isometrics especially that dials in that 7-12 seconds of pure contraction and power, you unlock a method that's fucking brutally effective and can still be done practically daily.

The Method Of Going To War For 7-12 Seconds

How does this work? You pick a position like a Curl using the WorldFit Iso Trainer and you hammer it out hard. Not for 30 seconds or a minute where you can tone down the intensity, but as high of intensity as you can make it.

Why that specific window though? If you were to get it to 100% max strength, it would be only for 1-3 seconds which isn't a bad thing when you've had enough experience. Steve Justa was a master at this along with holding for much longer times with less intensity. 7-12 in many cases is the sweet spot where you're blending the maximum motor unit and the peak levels of intensity without breaking your form.

You're not moving, you're becoming a machine. All those muscle fibers from the tendons to the trunk is switched to a serious capacity. You're not using momentum, no way of cheating, just you. The irresistible force meeting the immovable object. That's the true nature of Overcoming Isometrics.

Here Are Some Benefits The Fitness Industry Won't Tell You

1. At peak efforts, Isometric Training teaches your CNS to fire much harder. The recruitment of fibers that conventional lifting can't even begin to touch. It opens up the Mind/Muscle Connection to new levels of strength you didn't think existed. Next time you go for a deadlift or press, the bar might feel lighter.

2. Isometrics don't shear, it doesn't have ballistic loading, your knees/shoulders/spine get stronger without wearing and tearing down the ligaments. You get the prehab, rehab and strength training all rolled into one super entity. You are in control of the angle.

3. Brutal Time Efficiency

Within 15-20 minutes, you can hit the full body in an Isometric Session. Don't need much if at all of a warm up set. You don't have to wait around for anybody or anything, things like a wall, a doorway, your own bodyweight, the floor or the Trainer for that matter are all the best options.

The Power Of Doing Isometrics Daily

Overcoming & Yielding Isometric Training for 7-12 seconds create neural adaptation with less damage than typical weight training. Your CNS adapts fast (like Quicksilver fast). The tendons get denser and the ligaments thicken like steel chords. Adamantium anybody?

Legends like Bud Jeffries & Alexander Zass made Isometric Training an art form. The old-time strongmen called it Steel Sinew Training. They did them daily because Isometrics don't break you, they build your ass up.

If you ever thought you missed a workout, pick a few exercises and do 1-3 positions of that exercise before hitting the sack. Isos are the perfect training style for traveling because you can do them while waiting for your plane, work various muscles on the train, as a passenger in a car and many other things.

Purity In Stillness

You want to talk about the essence of strength training? This strips it down to its very core. You don't need to master a technique (although it'll help with your other techniques outside of the sessions). It's just straight up tension man. It's safe because you can't get out of the position. It won't crash on you and your form doesn't degrade itself. It's true honesty. It also doesn't lie to you. Work this type of training into your repertoire for a period and you'll begin to understand why the old timers said "motionless exertion, breeds motionless power."

It's not some silly gimmick or something generic and unoriginal that promises you a Rolls Royce but you end up with a broken down Yugo. Don't fall for bullshit scams like that. It's a foundation, the Game Genie Of Fitness and it has been waiting for you to tackle it with heart and soul.

Train hard, be smart, listen to your body and be amazingly awesome. For more info, grab the book Overcoming Isometrics By Matt Schifferle and learn what it means to open up a new world of possibilities with strength that will last and building a legacy that transcends generations.

Back At The Bands And Getting Some New Updated Pics Going

2026-04-26T04:08:00.000-07:00

The weekend has been a good one so far and getting back to the Dopa Bands after a couple days off from them was a breath of fresh air. Did my 500 Hindu Squats & 500 Steps on Wednesday, spent Thursday doing some crawls, Friday I was back at it doing a circuit. Took my Hercules Pre-Workouts Capsules and whether it was the two day recovery or something really clicked with the Capsules, this workout had a surprise for me.

As I was still feeling some soreness in my thighs, figured I'd get some upper body training in with the band and see what I can do. Chest Flys, Wave Pulls, Hook Pulls, Curls & Tricep Pulls for 10 reps each. Like I said, I don't know if it was the recovering or the capsules but as I was getting into the rounds, this insane burst of energy came over and I was cruising through that fucker like a breeze. 10 Rounds in (500 Reps), I knew I had to keep going. 20 Rounds in (1000 Reps) and still didn't feel anything was peaking so I went even further. Went 30 Rounds (1500 Reps) and still didn't feel tired or winded. I did want to keep going but something told me to take the win because I already broke my PR by 10 Rounds.

My conditioning has gotten a hell of a lot better and now, at least for the moment, progress to doing a minimum of 1000 reps with the band during this coming week. As an experiment and give it a couple workouts to see where it leads. So yesterday, visiting some family, I did some Isometric Training earlier in the day and then a short bit after I got home, went to the park and did 500 Reps with the band doing my Deck Of Cards workout from the Pirates. Put on some tunes and went at it. If there was one moment that made me question my sanity was getting 2 Jokers in a row which I had to do 50 of the Propeller Exercise each. Since I was still feeling some soreness in my thighs, it was slightly more difficult than usual but I kept at it and pushed through. Finished the deck with a smile on my face man.

So, when it came to the Isometrics, I thought I'd take some new shots post workout for a bit and some of these came out not too shabby, not going to let it go to my head because I still have work to do and improve on things (always room I say) but after months of Bands and other things especially with my Isometric Training, I'm happy with what I've achieved. It's no Classic Physique stuff or looking like some meathead with an ego, just me and my development. No Steroids, No HGH, No Peptides or any of that crap. Hard work, focused energy and keeping the journey going. I'm between 228-232 at the moment and that's fine with me. Lose a bit more little by little as time goes on and not try anything stupid like lose something like 60kg in less than 2 months, I may be nuts with what I do but I'm not risking my physical and mental health for something as messed up as that or itching for a hospital visit.

Small improvements, may not be seen as a wow factor or anything but I do like knowing that I can make those things happen and keep kicking ass. Going to be doing more bodyweight stuff as the spring rolls along going into summer, maybe focus more on stimulating the muscles and not do crazy high reps. Every now and then maybe but do enough where I'm near 85% fatigued but still have reps in the tank. I don't plan on doing more of the band stuff once the summer hits but that doesn't mean I'm not getting rid of it completely. Use it more of a warm-up or finisher to the other stuff I do. Maybe a finisher after hammer training, that'll be fun as hell.

Training is about discovering yourself and finding your capabilities in those moments of what is possible as you progress. Conditioning is your greatest asset but don't neglect your tendons and ligaments. Work with what you have, listen to your body and keep things low skilled especially with bodyweight training, the basics are where they're at. You got this and always leave your sessions with gas in the tank. Don't ever push to exhaustion or even unable to move well for that matter, that can be more harmful than good. Be amazingly awesome.

Can Disney Inspire You To Move?

2026-04-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

Some things will just give you the urge to move and play in the most random places. Or was it designed that way? Who really knows, but what I do know is that last night, I had the urge to do Isometrics but something else had me doing something completely different. I was watching the new film Disneynature put together about Orangutangs and really enjoyed it.

The little story about the species in different families, forming bonds and seeing the young ones learn by mimicking their mothers was just fun to watch. So fun that it made me want to move around like an animal in our living room. Just crawling, doing switches, forming patterns and playing for several minutes. No structure or routine, did whatever came to my head and had a blast. My back was loosened up, felt very relaxed and the soreness in my legs from the squats and step ups yesterday faded out.

Took patterns and moves from things like Movement 20XX and Ed Baran's old Animal Kingdom Conditioning books. I wish Ed was still in business selling these, they were my true introduction to Animal Workouts. It's exciting to do stuff like that and reap the benefits of muscle building, conditioning and hitting those neurons in the brain.

Sometimes a few minutes playing like an animal will give you that boost of energy that makes you feel great. Endorphins kicking in, that relaxed state of being and just letting go and be wild. I couldn't stop smiling afterwards, that's the effect it has on me. Took a cold shower afterwards and let things sink in. I wanted to keep going but didn't want to wake up the wife.

Whenever I do this, something within me changes, something amazing and having that surge of strength and power. It's like transforming into a Super Saiyan without needing to get angry. It's a release that puts you into another realm of calmness and focus. That's the true nature of moving like a beast in the wild. Get Movement 20XX and learn exercises that are just insane to test out, plenty of beginner to advanced exercises but overall, let your mind run free.

I encourage you for those who have Disney+ to check out Orangutan and see a story unfold of the Heaviest Tree-Dwelling Ape of them all. Be wild, play and have a blast using your imagination. Be amazingly awesome.

500 Hindu Squats & 500 Step Ups: First Day Without Doing The Bands In Months

2026-04-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, how's your Thursday going? Hopefully well. For me, I'm a little sore but after what I did yesterday and before bed last night, I'm surprised I can still get up and function LOL. Thought I'd take a break from the Dopa Bands for a day and might again today focusing on mainly Isometrics but if I have an urge, I'm not going to fight it. For the first time this year, I didn't do a anything with the Bands and maybe in a way it was worth it.

I have done close to 60,000 total reps with those fuckers and might finish 100,000 by the end of the year but for right now, just focusing on those little moments. Took the day off from them yesterday and maybe again today because there are times where we have that bit of a burnout and need to switch things up. Not giving up on them, just give other things a chance to experiment and have fun with. So with that in mind, figured I'd share with you my training and thoughts on moving forward.

Weather has been on an emotional rollercoaster lately, it'll be sunny and warm for a few days up in the 70's, then out of nowhere, rain and cold under 50 for a period. It's weird as shit. April Showers bring May Flowers that's for sure. So, in the morning, I got in some neck mobility work and loosened up my joints, decided you know what, fuck it I'm going to do 500 Hindu Squats using my Spider-Man deck of cards. Shuffled, got my head in the game and got it rolling. Finished the deck in 20:18. Been a minute since I've done 500 and even longer since I've timed them. I'll take it and for not doing that many in a while, it's not terrible but still needs work. Shit, I used to be faster than that years ago but in that moment, I still was able to do them.

Throughout the day, it was just casual chilling, interacting and went for a walk in the cool rainy weather. It was great, felt at peace and just let the mind relax. No bands, no needing to figure out if I should do a circuit or intervals, just set them aside for a while and get something else going. There's never anything wrong with that.

Was starting to feel sore so, being the crazy bastard I' am (even my wife calls me that) I thought I'd get in 500 Step Ups to get the blood flowing a little better to help reduce some of the soreness. It worked because I woke up this morning feeling really good, sore but literally only in the thighs, nowhere else and it's not even that high of soreness. Out of a 10, maybe a 4-5 which is pretty surprising to me, I thought I'd be at a 7 or at least an 8. Guess my conditioning really has been paying off.

The bands have been a stepping stone for me and they're one of the reasons why I've been able to keep up with a lot of things lately. They're part of who I' am now and for more than 4 months in a row doing them every single day, they've helped my cardio and long term strength in amazing ways. Doing 10's of thousands of total reps in a short period of time is no easy feat and the mental strength to keep up with the kind of routines I was doing was insane. a day or so off of them or a little longer is not going to kill me. There's tons of things I can do in the mean time but when I'm ready, they'll be right there just waiting for me to kick the shit out of them.

In terms of moving forward, it's important to remain disciplined and doing what's possible for you and continuing the journey. We all have different paths but where we are going can be mysterious and exciting at the same time. Yes the bands are just a tool, great ones at that but they're only pieces of a much bigger puzzle. They're not the end all be all, nothing really is no matter who may say it differently. You do what's best for you and smash those goals like the Hulk smashes the Chitari. Learn what's possible, switch things up from time to time and kick ass in your endeavors.

Be amazingly awesome and I hope you kill it.

Are You Thinking 4th Dimensionally When It Comes To Training?

2026-04-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

More like in 3D but hey, Doc Brown was onto something LOL. Anyway, one of the things Bud Jeffries taught me was to think outside of the box and expand your imagination to how you can train without always relying on conventional wisdom. Let's face it, the man was a genius when it came to training and the way he thought about things was part of his unique personality and been tested by world class people. For this post today, I blame him for putting this concept into my brain (in a good way of course).

For a few days, I was digging into my thoughts on what could be different in terms of what we can do to train the brain and learn multi-task exercise or in this case, training Multi-Dimensionally. Yesterday, I put this to the test and although it's a work in progress (isn't any training style?), I let out a side of me that took the inspirations of Matt Schifferle, Bud Jeffries and the guys at DopamineO and molded them into a very different and somewhat of a mind-fuck way of exercising.

Let's start with why I wholeheartedly blame my mentor and brother in strength for this. Bud was a major advocate for Isometrics and came up with some crazy ideas on how to apply them in terms of using not just little implements but using rocks, chains, kettlebells, bodyweight, tires and things you don't look at from a normal point of view. In one of his Seminar DVDs on Isometrics, he applied what he calls 3D Isometrics or 3D Training where he takes weights and other things and go for Isometric Holds on one end while moving dynamically with the other. An example would be, taking a chain and hold it in a mid overhead press or use a strap to create a stopping point with one hand and as he applies the pressure, takes a kettlebell in the other hand and does overhead presses with it.

This challenges your muscles to fire in that mind/muscle connection to the next level while applying control to two or more things at the same time. I remembered this and was thinking "what if I applied something similar but with the band and Isometric strap?" When we trained together, he always had something cooked up even when he was just shooting the breeze, he had thoughts going on about what he could do differently while applying the basic styles whether it was with hammers, kettlebells or even the steel bending. The way his brain worked was just mind blowing.

So, I applied Bud's Isometric IQ into working with Schifferle's Hybrid style of Isometrics and utilized the Dopamineo band's dynamic moves of rows and waves to create one powerful element. I made a demo of this and still working on some of the kinks in it, not to mention this was post workout of 5x5 Sprints with the Band.

The strap I'm using here isn't available anymore but the WorldFit Iso-loop would work just as good if not better for some. In the demo, I start out with going into a Hybrid Squat where I would apply isometric pressure trying to stand up and open up the legs at the same time while doing a row with the band in either hand. What does this do? It forces you to work the legs creating strength and stimulus in the legs and back while dynamically rowing to apply the muscles from the upper body at the same time. This challenges the brain to fire the nerves creating a Super Exercise.

The next one was interesting because of doing two different elements of pushing and pulling at the same time. This was doing an Overhead Press Isometrically and creating a Wave and Pull at the same time. The unique thing about this is that while you're creating a wave that takes a certain level of coordination to do, you're also pressing and holding onto the strap as hard as possible without letting go of the press itself. This type of multi-tasking is way harder than it seems because the focus is chaotic yet stabilizing and controlling two very different aspects. It's one thing to do both pushing styles but to do pushing and pulling at the same time is on another level of insanity.

The final one wasn't as difficult as the Hybrid Squat and Overhead Press. This was more of just trying to stand up in an isometric squat while using both hands to do the wave and pull move, It still isn't easy to coordinate because you're trying hard to straighten the legs but you're also finding the flow in a complete different move while in it. It's that unique element that makes you appreciate what is possible and what can be beneficial.

In a normal training circumstance, we are taught to move singularly, up and down and focus on things that work the body from angles at a specific level of straight forward focus. Things like Push-ups, Curling a dumbbell, pressing a kettlebell overhead, bodyweight squats with foot patterns going up and down. The coordination is different but you can teach certain things easily with simplistic moves and holds. This however, goes out the fucking window because it forces you to move and hold while in a chaotic state yet be in control. Coordination is on another planet but also you have to think in different aspects than just what is normally understood.

It is an advanced form of exercise. It's still using basic things, it's easier to learn an isometric exercise and dynamic moves individually but to challenge the construct of fitness intelligence by putting those elements together is a whole other sport in and of itself. Like I said earlier, it's a work in progress but it gives off a whole new vibe of what you thought of as exercise. It's not meant to be some kind of circus act or anything, not like me or someone else teaching and showing how to perform as if you're doing a barbell squat on a stability ball, that's just stupid and dangerous. What I'm showing here, is a different level of Fitness Intelligence to enhance your ability to create exercises that have more to give and offer in terms of function and strength than just conventional styles that most have already seen. You don't see stuff like this almost at all.

It's not reinventing the wheel, it's opening up and expanding knowledge to where we learn what our capabilities are beyond just typical exercise and routines. What are you willing to give a go that's a little out there but has real benefit? Let me know in the comments or go to my linktree and find me on social media. Be amazingly awesome and keep at it.

Dopamineo Deck Of Cards Training: Developing Conditioning And A Mind That Doesn't Break

2026-04-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

Holy crap that's a mouthful isn't it? Well, regardless, if you want to become a machine (not the kind that looks bad ass but can't last more than a few minutes) then you got to make things happen so when shit gets ugly, you keep grinding. The type of training that gets hit with chaos but you never waiver. It's one of the reasons why I love the Deck Of Cards Workouts with the Dopamineo Bands. It isn't just about conditioning, that's just part of the package deal. It's a lesson in expecting the unexpected and executing with a vengeance.

The deck itself is simple enough yet brutally honest and effective. Here's a breakdown of the Protocol I use.....

Shuffle a full deck. Flip a card one at a time and have that card tell you what reps and exercises to do. Again, simple yet will have you kicking your ass.

Aces are 16 Reps: Your wake up call to show up and have these cards demand work and respect from you.

Face Cards are 10 Reps: Royalty that taxes your arms, legs and whatever it holds dear to you. Jack, Queen, King, they all will make you humble.

2-10 are as is: Nothing cute and just take what you can get.

Jokers are 50-100 Reps: The two wild cards of the deck that will hit you hard and doesn't care whether you're tired or not. Do 1-3 exercises that round it out and get the most out of you.

Black Cards will have you seeing double. Literally, because in this deck, you'll be doing twice as many reps to really showcase your mental and physical toughness.

When it comes to the three exercises, I do 25 of the Chest Flys or Chest Presses, 25 Wave Pulls and 50 Propellers to round out to 100. If you got both jokers towards the beginning of the deck, they'll test you but you get the highest amount of reps out of the way. Towards the end or even around the middle? Be prepared to find out what it's like to be taken down but getting back up and keep battling. It's punishment with hardcore tendencies.

Conditioning That Doesn't Care About Your Fucking Plan

Many workouts can be predictable. The 5x5 system, 3 sets of 10, knowing the clock with EMOM. The body can adapt to the structure before it stresses it. The deck spits acid in the face of your structure. You might flip 2 Black aces in a row, that's 64 reps before you can attempt to catch your breath. You may even cruise through red 2's, 3's or even 4's and think you're safe but that Joker will pop out of nowhere and makes you bust your ass for 100 reps while your heart rate is already in your throat.

This is what's called Stochastic Conditioning. The load, the rest, the order, it's all random. Your energy systems never truly settle. Aerobic Base and Anaerobic Power, all working. Lactic Clearance? Your ass is learning whether you want to or not. The body stops pacing and gets to solving problems.

Expect The Unexpected

Things in life don't always come in sets and reps. They come in bursts. They will double up when you're tired. It can throw a Joker at you when you thought you were done. The Deck is a powerful teacher. Flip a black King of Spades when you're gassed and still need to breathe and move anyway. You can't negotiate with the card. You learn to shut things up and put in the work.

That's the machine aspect of it. The cards don't care about your feelings and whatever you have left. It has you executing the next rep until the task is done.

Get a good deck in 2-3x a week for a little bit and find out happens. That "quit" reflex becomes a blur, your recovery becomes faster between efforts and you stop fearing volume. In the beginning, do what you can to get through as many cards as you can. Add one or 2 more cards each session until you get through that deck.

A deck of 54 cards is 54 opportunities to quit but it can also have 54 opportunities to prove you won't. Which one are you choosing? Shuffle up, flip that first card and you are on your way to becoming the machine you were meant to be. Be amazingly awesome and get cracking. I believe in you. Don't forget to use my code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout when you order from dopamineo.com.

Two Powerhouses For Isometric Training That Fit In A Bag

2026-04-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

When it comes down to Isometric Training, it often times can fly under the radar because the method isn't flashy or the most exciting to look at. As an industry, shiny machines and heavy lifting (or even ego lifting for that matter) gets more attention while certain aspects are pushed to the side and can be forgotten in order to sell pricey objects. Don't get wrong, machines and barbells have their place and have made many athletes and everyday people successful but there's still things missing.

In reality, aspects of strength training hide in the most simplistic of tools that can work the muscles, tendons and ligaments from all sorts of directions. Tools that you can carry in a bag that have exercises where the only limits are of your imagination. That's what today's session is about, tools like the WorldFit Iso Trainer & Iso-Loop.

These two powerhouses may not look like much, they're not shiny but they deliver results that can be fucking mind blowing. They're portable yet bulletproof weapons for building raw strength that transfers to many aspects of sports and in life such as that pinning power or locking in a submission to picking up your kids without getting that tweak in your back. They show what old school power can do without overhyping and punishing your joints.

The Trainer works in conjunction to doing Overcoming Isometrics which contract the muscles against an immoveable object. No joint movement, just pure in your face tension. The Loop can be used to combine the aspects of Overcoming & Yielding Isometrics to form the superpower of Hybrid Isometrics which has you fighting gravity but at a stopping point at the same time. Both force your nervous system to recruit those muscle fibers at that max level right when you need it the most. From a research point of view, if you look deep into it, consistent Isometric Training packs in 30-40% gains in strength within weeks with less recovery time than if you were to do heavy lifting.

Let's take a gander at what these beasts are so you can get more of an idea of what they're about.....

-The Iso-Trainer

It's a versatile bad ass of the pair. The compact and adjustable straps (With handles) turns any spot into your own personal gym. You can wrap it around a pole or use a door anchor and you've got some dynamic exercises as well like Pull-ups, Push-ups, Lunges, Curls, Tricep Extensions and even Zercher Style Squatting. You can literally turn any of these and more into an Isometric session that will have feeling like a boss within minutes, not hours like many spend in a gym. Throw it in a carry-on and get in a quick workout at an airport, in your hotel room, at the park, hell even while you camp. It builds insane stabilizer strength, endurance and power while keeping the joints safe. This is great for those over 40 and still want to train like an animal but also wake up without sounding like a rusty gate. Even if you're healthy and springy at any age, Isometrics will continue to keep that journey alive.

-The Iso-Loop

At only 11 ounces, this champion lightweight is 10 feet of military grade webbing with a cam buckle so you can adjust it on the fly. Put it under your foot in a split squat for example and drive that shit upwards while pulling it apart with your hands. A Hybrid hold that works like magic. Gravity keeps you humble on the yielding aspect but also demands that max intent with the overcoming part at the same time. Remember that Fusion analogy in Dragon Ball Z I wrote in the last article on Hybrids? This is it. It's affordable yet nearly indestructible while being stupid effective for the legs, core and presses/pulls you can do virtually anywhere.

What makes these two powerhouses so fucking great? The simplicity. You don't need a membership, no complex setup. Grab it by the horns, adjust and crush it with max holds for 7-12 seconds or less intensity for longer time. A few sessions a week and you're toughening up those little muscles, building that mind/muscle connection and developing real world athleticism that many programs can't even fathom. They may not be great look great and won't always get Social Media attention but they hold secrets that even the Old Time Strongmen knew and that's that Isometrics forge dense and useable power that lasts with a vengeance.

In my own training, Isometrics have been a go to for many years and have learned many things just from this method in and of itself. The key thing to remember is that you don't need complicated routines that don't give you the results you're looking for. Look for things that can make you dangerous and these two beasts can give you that without spending a ton of time on them.

Come and grab the Trainer and Loop at Worldfit.com. Keep it simple, train with intent and keep being amazingly awesome. If you want more info and exercises you can learn, grab the book Overcoming Isometrics either in Kindle Form or a Physical Copy, both are affordable and have great quality info and pictures that show you which areas to hit the most. With a 4.6 Star Rating over hundreds of reviews, you might want to give it your attention. You got this and I believe in you.

Hybrid Isometric Training: Two Worlds Linked Together To Create Insane Strength

2026-04-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

How's it going everyone? Hope you're well and ready to get into one of my favorite subjects/methods in the world of Physical Culture: Isometrics.

In most cases, people often think isometrics means one thing: freeze in place and hold. That’s only half the story. If it’s the only half you train, you’re leaving strength on the table that can benefit you beyond what you were taught.

Matt Schifferle of the Red Delta Project breaks down a style of isometrics into two camps in Overcoming Isometrics: Yielding and Overcoming. You’ve done both or one or the other at one point in time, even if you didn’t call them that. Here's a lesson in what these two super powers are.....

-Yielding isometrics are the ones many would know. You hold your position against gravity. Pause at the top of a pull-up or sitting in a horse stance and fight to keep from dropping. The resistance is quantifiable but it’s static.

There is a small problem though.

Your muscles adapt to the load fast. Neural drive stagnates. You build endurance in that exact angle, but your mind-to-muscle connection doesn’t have to work very hard. You’re just... holding. And holding alone can compromise neural synergy — the skill of firing everything together under chaos.

-Overcoming isometrics flip the script. Now you’re the one creating resistance. Think pushing against a doorframe or trying to curl an immovable bar. No gravity, no weight. The load is only as hard as your intent.

That can also have some issues.

If your focus slips for half a second, the resistance vanishes. You can trick yourself into thinking you’re working hard when you’re really just leaning on the wall. Without gravity or an external load, it’s tough to know if you’re actually forcing adaptation. Intensity becomes a mental game, not always a physical certainty.

(He talks more about Neural Drive, Strength, Endurance in other chapters so it gives you more ideas of where they come from)

So on one side of the coin, you’ve got one method that’s quantifiable but static and on the other, one that’s dynamic but not unmeasurable.

What if you didn’t have to choose?

-Enter hybrid isometrics.

This is Schifferle’s bridge between the two worlds. You combine these 2 beasts together. Gravity gives you a real, measurable load to fight. Then you add a second source of resistance you have to overcome — a strap, a yoga band, an Iso-Loop — and now you’re pushing or pulling against something that won’t move.

Think of it this way: If you're a Dragon Ball Z fan and you've seen Goten & Trunks use Fusion, they form the hybrid being Gotenks.

Go into your mind and see this from a training perspective: You’re in a split squat. Your bodyweight is the yielding component. Gravity is pulling you down, and you’re resisting it. Now loop a nylon strap under your front foot and drive up into it with your hands like you’re trying to rip it apart. That’s the overcoming component. You’ve got gravity keeping you honest, plus an immovable force demanding max intent.

The benefit? You’re not just holding anymore. You’re fighting while you hold. That combination hammers your muscles harder than either method alone. It forces your nervous system to recruit more fibers, to coordinate under load, to create tension in multiple directions at once. It's quite difficult to hold most of these for more than a minute at best.

Matt points out that these are more advanced than basic holds. You’re putting your body against gravity and against a prop. That double demand pushes you past the sticking points you hit with yielding or overcoming on their own.

Why does that matter for real-world strength? Because life isn’t a paused rep. Picking up a couch, holding a door while you shove a box through, wrestling a dog into the tub — you’re yielding to one force while overcoming another. Hybrid isometrics trains that exact quality.

You don’t need a gym full of gear. A $10 yoga strap turns just about any bodyweight hold into a hybrid. Plank while trying to pull the strap apart. Wall sit while driving your knees out into a loop. Hold the bottom of a push-up while trying to screw your hands into the floor. The load is real. The intent is max. And your nervous system has nowhere to hide.

Yielding teaches you to survive.

Overcoming teaches you to attack.

Hybrid teaches you to do both at the same time. That’s where real fucking strength you can actually use gets built.

Be amazingly awesome and get strong as hell that is functional and powerful. It isn't some new trend or fad, this is time tested and proven that although it's a different style of Strength Training, it carries over to other areas of life outside of workouts and fitness training in general.

The Journey Of Being In Your 40's

2026-04-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Before we get into this, I just want to say that I hope everyone will get a chance to see the new and updated design of the blog. New logo, bio, comment policy and a few other tweaks. A friend of mine got in contact with me and wanted to help me out with rebranding or even giving the blog a makeover. The things he has shown and helped me with, I'm very grateful to him. He takes the credit for the designs and background. He knows who he is and just want to say thank you for all you've put into giving this platform a bad ass look. A great friend indeed.

Now that we've got that out of the way (I'm still getting chills with the new logo), let's have a little fun with aging shall we? For real though, 41 isn't old, it's only old if you make it out to be. I haven't felt like I peaked yet and still have far more left in me. Now you may have more experience and know you're not in you're not in your 20's or 30's anymore but that doesn't mean things go down hill after 40.

It is a journey that teaches us new things, finding what's possibly beyond the horizon. You learn to adapt, improvise and find out what some of your true strengths are. We learn how to work around our weaknesses the best we can and even turn those into strengths we didn't think were possible before. From a training point of view, some have been around the game for decades while others are just starting out or getting back into it after being away from it for so long. It doesn't matter how much experience you have or if you're a complete Probe (If you've ever watched NCIS, you know what this means), the journey is where you're at right now and what you can do moving forward.

Not all of us are the strongest or the fastest but that doesn't mean we can't improve who we can become and get stronger and faster for ourselves. You don't need to look like anybody else, they're already taken. We can admire them, learn from them and even try to emulate them but in the end, all we can do is be a little better than yesterday even down to the smallest fraction that nobody else will notice.

There are those who are 40+ and had more injuries in their life than the average person can count on one hand. Sometimes, there are things we can never come back from because of the severity but in most cases, we can do our damndest to make ourselves better so our lives can have a better quality. I've seen guys in wheelchairs do things that are fucking incredible, seen guys who look more like spiderman than the hulk catch/flip heavy ass kettlebells and even rack pulled 1000+ lbs. Seen guys over 40 carry a yoke while its on fire and then shoot arrows. There are many things we can do that people tell us couldn't happen after we reach 40.

We all have our own routes to take, sometimes we hit forks in the road, sometimes we need to change course to get to where we're going because some routes aren't always the same. The road maps, GPS, personality and other things are part of where we go in life. Some just want to maintain and even find new ways to train so they can be able to keep going, some will train harder than they ever did in their life because they didn't want to be the youngest in a nursing home while others are just trying to get out of bed in the morning and battle their mental demons so they can function.

In a fitness aspect, 40 and beyond is a new or even continuous path to where you can become the best version of yourself. You may stumble, you may even have a setback or two but you keep fighting so what you're able to do becomes effortless. Being better than everybody else isn't the flex some think it is, there's always going to be someone better, stronger, faster and durable than you so why fight to be better than 8+ billion people. Seriously, what kind of life is that? Be the best version of you, be the first that changes what was and what will be so you can thrive in your own life. Train for a competition, do things that maintain your strength, work on your attitude towards certain methods and learn what it means to discover your own powers, your own obstacles to overcome and kick ass beyond what you've done before or haven't been able to do yet.

I'm in my early 40's and still have things to learn, methods that may become a part of my vocabulary and training routines that can turn me more into a machine than I could ever be in my 20's and 30's. I'm not going down without a fight. I'm still young but also experienced many things that people don't know about and on a journey that hasn't faded. I have stumbled but always got back up, I do have certain regrets but those also taught me how to be a better man through hard lessons and soul searching. I want to be a little better, even if its microscopic, there is still something I can do to keep myself going. That's my fight, my way of overcoming things in life and how I continue to fucking roll through the bullshit.

What's your fight? What have you overcome to get to where you are now? How has your journey gone that gives you purpose to keep going? You have more in you than you realize and I believe you can do great things when you make those demons your bitch. Keep fighting and don't let those who tear you down get to you because if you let it, you'll be in a black hole that's infinite. Get out and do what's possible for you. You got this.

Be amazingly awesome and don't think of your 40's as the end, but as a beginning to what you can do as time goes on.

Hindu Pushups: Forgotten Old-School Bodyweight Exercise For Upper Body Conditioning

2026-04-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

If you’ve spent any time digging through the pages of Power and Might or other old-school training archives, you know the greats didn’t mess around with fluff. They wanted exercises that built real-world strength, endurance, and joint integrity in one shot. Enter the Hindu Pushup — also called the Dand — the backbone of Indian pehlwani wrestling for over a thousand years. This isn’t just another pushup variation. It’s a full-body conditioner that turned generations of Kushti wrestlers into broad-backed, barrel-chested powerhouses long before the barbell was popular.

A Quick History Lesson

The Dand traces back to ancient India, where it was part of the daily vyayam, or physical training, of pehlwani wrestlers. The most famous practitioner? The Great Gama, undefeated wrestling champion who reportedly performed 2,000-3,000 Dands and 3000-5000 Hindu Squats daily. By the later part of the 20th Century, Physical Culturists like Karl Gotch and Matt Furey brought the Dand stateside, preaching it as the antidote to stiff, barbell-bound physiques. The old-time strongmen understood: you don’t need fancy equipment to build a body that can perform.

The Influence on Modern Training

You’ll see the Hindu Pushup’s DNA all over modern fitness if you look close. Yoga’s Sun Salutation? The downward-dog to upward-dog transition mirrors the Dand’s flow. Even some military calisthenics drills borrowed from it in certain variations. Why? Because it works. Unlike a bench press that locks you into one plane, the Dand forces your shoulders, spine, hips, and ankles to move through a loaded, dynamic arc. Old-school coaches called it “active flexibility under tension” — strength that doesn’t make you stiff.

How to Perform the Dand

Start with the hands and feet on the floor, hips high, head between your arms like a downward dog.

From here:

Swoop: Bend your arms and dive your head forward, skimming your chest just above the floor.

Scoop: As your hips drop, press your chest up and arch your back, ending in an upward-dog position.

Return: Reverse the motion by pushing your hips back up to the start.

Here's a visual demo....

That’s one rep. The movement should be smooth, almost wave-like. No pausing, no jerking. Breathe in as you go down and into the arch, breathe out as you push back.

Here's a demo of doing the exercise with added resistance using the Dopamineo Band.

Benefits That Build a Battle-Ready Body

Shoulder Health & Mobility: The sweeping arc takes your shoulders through full flexion to extension under load. This is prehab and strength in one. Old-time lifters swore it kept their rotator cuffs bulletproof.

Spinal Durability: You get thoracic extension, lumbar control, and hip hinging every rep. It’s decompression and strength for your spine — something crunches and planks can’t touch.

Work Capacity: High-Rep Dands build serious muscular endurance. Lungs, triceps, chest, lats, and quads all fire together. Gama’s 3,000-rep sessions weren’t for show; they built gas tanks that didn’t quit.

Posterior Chain Wake-Up: Unlike flat pushups, the Dand loads your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back as you drive the hips up. It ties the front and back of your body together.

Let’s be clear: this is a traditional wrestling exercise taught to youth worldwide for a very long time. Anyone who twists that into something inappropriate is telling on themselves. Matt Furey even illustrated it in cartoon form for Combat Conditioning so kids could build healthy habits. Don’t let bullshit "gurus" steal proven training from the next generation.

Why It Still Matters for Health & Strength

Most modern trainees are desk-bound, chest-tight, and hip-locked. We bench, we curl, we sit. The Hindu Pushup is the reset button. It opens the chest, pumps blood through the shoulders, and restores that athletic “flow” the old-timers had. You can do it anywhere — no gym, no worries. Add 50-100 Dands at the start of your day or do them in sets, as many as you can in a row, in a HIIT type format or on your off days from weight training. Either way, these are awesome for keeping things intact and staying in shape for the long haul.

The iron game has come full circle. Fads come and go, but the Dand remains. It built champions 100 years ago, and it’ll still be building them 100 years from now. Put away the gimmicks. Get on the floor. Do the work. Be amazingly awesome and wish you success in your endeavors.

We're Men...We're Men In Tights

2026-04-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

We roam around the forest looking for fights.

IYKYK. God I love that movie. Watched it yesterday just to get a good laugh in cause why the hell not? It's still a favorite ever since I was 9 years old. Mel Brooks is a fucking legend and to still be here at 99 is awesome.

That's the thing about life man, we need to laugh, feel good and have a blast because it gives us hope. Doing what we can to laugh cause in the words of Roger Rabbit "Sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have".

I had a great time at the park sometime after watching the movie and getting in those 500 Reps with the Dopa Band. Even tried out a new exercise for myself that hit the Core. I'll be filming it soon so you can get an idea on it. For a Post Workout session, thought I'd get some filming in and although it took a bit of work to find decent angles with the Tripod, think it turned out ok. Tested out some waves, the propeller and a couple sprints. One included starting on the ground and popping up into a sprint, then a quick Bear Crawl.

Having an imagination is a beautiful thing, you find creative ways to do things and think outside the box. It makes the time go by fast and you discover some aspects of training that may be interesting to others. Hell, even got a great comment on the video that made my day. I love giving people that joy and something to look forward to. That's the true reality of fitness, not beating people down and verbally abusing them to get them into shape, it's encouragement and showing that you don't need to be a drill sergeant or some lame poor excuse of a fitness "expert" telling you you're a loser if you don't follow his method. I'll let you in on a little secret, guys like that aren't very original, they're small, broken, chooses to make their pain everyone else's problem, they easily get pissed off and overcompensate for their insecurities. They're not that strong either and talk like the Peanuts Teacher, just blabbering.

Getting in shape is never a bad thing, but you don't have to be extreme about it. You don't need to go so hard and think that's the only way to get results. Always leave gas in the tank. Building strength takes time, work and things may not always go the way you planned. Train for what you can do long term, not push to the brink of looking like the walking dead and think you can keep doing that for next 20-30 years. I have pushed myself quite a bit especially lately but I always walk away knowing that I did what I could in those moments and know I could do a little more but save that energy for another time.

Conditioning is your greatest asset because it gives you a sense of purpose of being able to go when times are tough. Think of it from a wrestler's perspective: If you get tired within less than a few minutes or even seconds, you're a goner by being pinned easily, practically dead giving up an arm or an ankle for a submission or even knocked out from a slam. It's part of life too; getting tired quick can lead to injuries on the job, not be able to defend yourself when it counts or defend somebody else, being able to play with your kids or grandkids or even be able to chop and haul firewood to a campsite if that's a thing you do.

Do what you can, progress with technique, control and breathe with great focus. Training to last takes patience and practice but it's worth having those reserves when they're needed in whatever you do. Want more ideas on what you can do to last.....Do some awesome bodyweight training and may I recommend circuits that you can learn from Darebee.com. A full fledged FREE website with all sorts of programs, workouts, guides and more. You can't beat that. If you want to amp it up and want to broaden your horizons, get some Dopa Bands at Dopamineo.com. Use my code POWERANDMIGHT and use the same bands that have made Olympic Athletes, MMA Fighters & World Champions the stuff of legends in their chosen field. Men, Women, Children, all are welcome to use these bad boys to get in the kind of shape that turns heads, have jaws drop and have the type of condition and durability that seems surreal.

Be amazingly awesome and keep at it. You got this and I believe in you.

Dopa Brutality From A Possible Psychotic Mind

2026-04-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

When you think about what you want to do for a workout, sometimes you have to come up with challenges or go deep into your mind and find that brutal level of "Oh This Is Fucking Happening". On Tuesday, I might as well have been on a whole other realm because that workout, just about killed me.

I had mentioned in my post about Ad Santel (Catch Wrestling Icon) that I did the Dopa Band Circuit & Sprints in honor of the old timers and tested my conditioning with pure vengeance. Today, I'm going to cover it and give some insights to what it felt like and what the aftermath was.

Training by yourself and learning your capabilities tests what you are willing to put in in order to get the best out of it. This was not only challenging but it gave me a profound perspective to what it takes to "Stretch Your Limits" as the guys at Dopamineo would say. Conditioning is a powerful asset but in this case, it set a higher bar to why it's so powerful.

Earlier in the morning, I did some Neck Mobility and Joint Loosening to get my body going for the day. Had some food and a while later went to the park to set things up and hammer one of the craziest sessions that someone can possibly do and to do at nearly 42. I set the goal in mind, I left it all out there and gave it everything I could without hurting myself or training to failure. Here was the workout with the Dopa Band.....

5 Exercises

10 Chest Pulleys

10 Wave Pulls

10 Hook Under The Arms Squats

10 Alt Front Raises (AKA Skis)

10 Propellers

20 Rounds. The Finisher: Wrapped the Band around my waist, set my timer for 5 Rounds of 30 Sec on, 30 Sec Off and blasted off doing short but very explosive sprints.

The 1000 total reps (with little rest at all) was already nutty enough and was a bit fatigued but I wanted to step up my game and see how I can push myself adding the Sprints. In life, at times we have to keep going and to do what must be done, even when we're on the brink of exhaustion. Not saying this happens all the time or should be done all the time but there might be a time where you have to dig down and find that inner strength to fight that could be life saving.

The high I was feeling after catching my breath breathing like a maniac who had just been in a war zone was incredibly relaxing that it lasted for hours. It was just pure bliss, didn't feel anxious, nervous, worried or have a care in the world. Just in a mediative state of happiness and clarity.

In reality, the only thing Psychotic about me is the workouts, not someone who is clinically psychotic and needs to be locked up somewhere. There are people out there with whacked out and screwed up entities that need to be dealt with but then again there are those who "claim" to be psychotic but do nothing but rant and act superior living out some delusional fantasy.

This workout was something I never tested out before and granted I've done sprints and a number of workouts that went up to 1000 Reps whether it was a circuit or doing the deck of cards twice in a row but never mixed the two beasts together to form a nasty session that would make the average guy quit within a few minutes. A wrestler or even someone in MMA most likely can do far better at this than I ever will but to me, this was something I wanted to find out for myself what my abilities could do when I put my mind to it. Will I do this kind of training again? One day maybe but for now, stay on track to becoming a master of these bands and conditioning myself for the long haul.

Find what can be a challenge for you and see what you can do. We all have our own journey and we all have our own challenges but we are also more capable than we even give ourselves credit for. In a nutshell, we are our own worst critic, even more than the ones who despise and hate on us but can't stop reading or discussing about us. Be amazingly awesome and kick ass in all your endeavors. Go to Dopamineo.com and grab a band or two and get up on that horse to get in bad ass shape, use the promo code POWERANDMIGHT. Be mindful, be resilient, breathe and take control of your fitness journey.

Ad Santel: A Catch Wrestling Juggernaut Who Crushed Japan's Judo Masters And Secured An Unbreakable Legacy of Mat Domination

2026-04-08T04:09:00.000-07:00

How's it going everyone? Hopefully you're out there killing it this week, sweat dripping, muscles screaming, and that unbreakable fire burning within. Yesterday I wrapped up one of my go-to Dopa Band Circuits, 20 Rounds but added in explosive sprints as a finisher that left me high as a kite yet feeling like I had been through a war zone. It slammed me right back into that old school mentality like those nasty catch wrestlers from the past. These legends didn’t train for show. They trained to survive, to dominate, and to prove their style could humble anyone. That’s exactly what Ad Santel did. This German-American beast didn’t just wrestle, he took on Japan’s elite judoka and jiu-jitsu black belts in straight-up shoot fights and left them battered, tapping, or flat on the mat. If you’re chasing that raw, functional power in your own training, Santel’s story is pure fuel in and of itself. Catch-as-catch-can isn’t ancient history. It’s the blueprint for understanding what it takes to build the kind of body and mind that refuses to break.

Born Adolph Ernst on April 7, 1887, in Dresden, Germany, Santel crossed the ocean and exploded onto the American wrestling scene. At 5’9” and a rock-solid 185 pounds, he wasn’t some towering giant. He was compact fury – quick, explosive, and loaded with leverage that turned bigger men into ragdolls. He debuted in 1907 under ring names like Al Santel or Mysterious Carpenter, but by the 1910s he was the fucking man to beat. He claimed the World Light Heavyweight Championship in catch wrestling and defended that strap for years against the best the era had to offer. This wasn’t scripted entertainment. These were legit challenges – no rounds, no bullshit, just two men locked up until one submitted or couldn’t continue. Santel held his own against heavy hitters like Joe Stecher, Gus Sonnenberg, John Pesek, and even went the distance with Ed “Strangler” Lewis later on. But his real legendary status? That came from crossing oceans and styles.

I want you to paint a picture in your mind's eye: it’s the 1910s, and Japanese judo and jiu-jitsu are being hyped as unbeatable arts. Black belts from the Kodokan were rolling through America, challenging anyone who dared. Santel said “bring it” and stepped into the fire. On November 1915, he took out Senryuken Noguchi in San Francisco. Then came the big one on February 5, 1916 – Tokugoro Ito, a legit 5th-degree black belt judoka. Under judo rules, Santel slammed the man so viciously Ito couldn’t stand back up. Santel stood tall and declared himself World Judo Champion on the spot. The rematch in June? Ito caught him in a choke and got the win. But that first victory? It sent shockwaves. Newspapers described Ito tossing Santel around like a sack of flour early on, only for Santel’s catch transitions and raw power to flip the script. DDDAAAMMMNNN son, that’s the kind of grit that turns doubters into believers.

He kept rolling. Taro Miyake, another Japanese star, got handled in Seattle. First a draw, then Santel hit him with a half-nelson slam that left Miyake dizzy and out for half an hour. Daisuke Sakai, yet another 5th dan. Santel submitted him twice with a nasty biceps slicer that had the crowd gasping. These weren’t flukes. Santel’s catch wrestling, that blend of hooks, rides, and bone-crushing control – exposed the holes in pure judo when everything was on the table.

Fast forward to 1921 and this is where it gets good: Santel assembles a crew, Henry Weber and Matty Matsuda head straight to Japan. They hit Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine in front of 10,000 screaming fans. Neutral rules: judogi jackets on, but all catch holds allowed. March 5 against Reijiro Nagata? Headlock Submission. The next day versus Hikoo Shoji, they draw, but Shoji’s face is swollen and busted – Santel even helped the guy off the mat like a true warrior respecting the battle. Then in Nagoya he avenges a teammate’s loss by smashing Hitoshi Shimizu. These matches weren’t exhibitions. They were wars that forced the Kodokan to rethink everything. Some Japanese fighters got expelled just for training with him. One man from Dresden changed the global grappling game forever.

Santel’s toolkit was like a swiss army knife. Slamming takedowns that used every ounce of leverage to plant opponents on their backs. The half-nelson slam? A finisher that could rattle brains. Biceps slicers for those brutal submissions. Neckscissors and headlocks that squeezed the fight right out of you. No flashy spins or showboat moves – just efficient, vicious reality that worked when the sweat was flying and the crowd was roaring. He wasn’t the biggest or the strongest on paper, but his conditioning let him go for hours and still come out on top. That’s the catch wrestling edge: control the mat, chain your holds, and outlasting your opponent.

After retiring in 1933, Santel passed the torch. He helped train Lou Thesz for a period in California, drilling that catch foundation that helped make Lou a household name. Thesz later called it “an incredible gift.” Santel lived until 1966, passing at 79 in Alameda, but his impact never faded. In 2024 he got inducted into the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. And yeah, there’s that old rumor about him getting paid to rough up Georg Hackenschmidt before the Gotch rematch – unproven, but it fits the era’s gritty backstage drama. Bottom line: This crazy bastard bridged worlds. He showed catch wrestling could humble the “unbeatable” and planted seeds that still grow in modern submission grappling and MMA.

Here’s the part that should light a fire under your ass today. The man's dominance wasn’t magic – it was conditioning forged in the trenches. Long matches, global travel, facing elite opposition night after night. That demands a gas tank that doesn't have the word tired in the Dictionary. High-rep circuits, grip endurance that never quits, and the mental steel to push when every fiber wants to quit. You don’t get that from pretty gym routines. You grind it out in the backyard, garage, the beach or even in a hotel room just like the old-timers.

That’s why Dopa Bands are the perfect modern weapon for anyone chasing catch-inspired power. Variable resistance on pulls, squats, rows, and explosive drills mimics the dynamic strength you need for slams, scrambles, and marathon rolls. No gym membership. No excuses. Just pure functional might you can take anywhere. Whether you’re drilling guard work or building that never-quit endurance for your next open mat session, these bands let you train exactly like Santel lived: raw, relentless, and results-driven. These 500-1000 Rep Workouts I've been doing since January, have made the difference in how I proceed to be in the best shape possible. Like Ad, I'm not the strongest, the fastest or look like a bodybuilder but I sure as hell want to be in the best condition as possible and haven't felt like I peaked yet.

Look, the old-school catch wrestlers didn’t chase fame or trends. They chased who they can beat. Ad Santel embodied that spirit – a compact German-American juggernaut who stared down entire martial arts systems and came out victorious. He didn’t just win matches. He proved that heart, technique, and savage conditioning will always beat hype.

So what are you waiting for, bro? Throw in some band circuits today. Drill those transitions until they flow on instinct. Push through the burn until your body adapts and your mind gets unbreakable. Respect the history, value the lessons and live with Power and fucking Might every single day.

Head over to dopamineo.com right now and grab a set – or two – of Dopa Bands. Use code POWERANDMIGHT and get yourself hooked up. Then get after it. Train like the old timers. Dominate your competition. Because catch wrestling didn’t die in 1933. It lives in every rep you grind out today.

Keep killing it, everyone. Stay strong, be amazingly awesome and I’ll catch you in the next one. Shoot me a comment and let's hear from you.

The Anatomy of Online Obsession: When Someone Can’t Let Go

2026-04-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

There’s a particular kind of online fixation that goes beyond simple disagreement or criticism. It becomes a full-time occupation. One person fixates on another who has stopped engaging with them, never responds and has blocked every possible channel of contact. Yet the fixation continues — emails under fake names, public blog posts, YouTube videos, and crude personal attacks that grow more repetitive and unhinged over time.

This pattern is disturbingly common in several corners of the internet, and it reveals a lot about the psychology of the person doing it. The behavior usually starts with public criticism. Then it escalates. The obsessed individual begins monitoring the target’s every post, every update, every training session. They read it, twist it, and turn it into fresh material for their own content. The target becomes the central character in the obsessed person’s narrative — a villain, a clown, a “court jester,” or whatever role fits the script. Even when the target stays completely silent, the posts keep coming. The rants get cruder, the insults more personal, and the fixation more obvious.

In this case, the harasser has used multiple aliases (Mike Watson, Lola, Habib Sir, and others) to send degrading emails filled with homophobic slurs, sexual mockery, and dominance fantasies. He has posted dozens upon dozens of blog entries and videos that directly reference the target, often within hours of the target publishing something new. He has used the target’s images and training content in fetish-related contexts without consent. He has made claims about installing tracking software, having “moles” spying, and other diabolical "threats". When comments and contact forms are reopened, he immediately floods them with short, juvenile insults.

None of this is normal criticism. It is compulsive and disturbing.

The Psychological Pattern

What we’re seeing is a classic case of Obsessive Fixation combined with One-Sided Delusional Relating. The harasser has constructed an imaginary ongoing relationship in his head. He refers to “our discussions,” predicts the target’s future actions, and scripts entire conversations that have never happened or spoken. In his mind, the target is obsessed with him, raging about him at night, simping to him, or secretly admiring him. Reality — complete silence and total non-engagement — is rewritten to fit the harasser's fantasy.

This is reinforced by Narcissistic Traits and a deep need for control. Every new post from the target becomes a threat to his superiority, so he must immediately tear it down. The more the target moves forward calmly and practically, the more it highlights the contrast: one person is building, the other is stuck reacting. That contrast appears to fuel rage and jealousy, which then gets expressed as crude sexual degradation and dominance fantasies (“Emperor Sir,” “Master,” “slaves,” etc.).

The behavior is also self-reinforcing. Each rant gives him a temporary emotional hit or fix (Like A Drug) — superiority, validation, a sense of power. But because the target never responds, the hit or fix fades quickly, so he has to create the next one. Over time, the content becomes more repetitive and unhinged because he is no longer creating for an audience — he is performing for himself and exposes his own pettiness and insecurities.

Why This Is Disturbing

This kind of obsession is disturbing for several reasons:

- It shows a complete disregard for consent and boundaries. The target has said “no” in every possible way — blocks, silence, deleted comments — yet the harasser continues to attempt to insert himself into the target’s life.

- It sexualizes and degrades the target in public, often in ways designed to humiliate and shame.

- It reveals a mind that has trouble separating fantasy from reality. The harasser talks as if real conversations and relationships exist when they do not.

- It wastes the harasser’s own life. Months or longer of energy that could have gone into real work, real relationships, or real growth are instead poured into attacking someone who isn’t even paying attention.

For the target, the experience is exhausting. Even when direct contact is cut off, the public rants and the knowledge that someone is obsessively watching can create hypervigilance and stress. The person starts to wonder, “Is he still reading this? Is he going to twist it again?” That mental load is real, even when that person never responds.

The Takeaway

If you ever encounter this kind of fixation — someone who won’t stop watching, won’t stop posting, and won’t respect your silence — remember this: their behavior is about them, not you. It is not a reflection of your worth or your work. It is evidence of their own emptiness and inability to let go.

The strongest response is almost always the same: document everything, set ironclad boundaries, and refuse to feed the cycle. Do not reply. Do not check their content. Do not give them the reaction they crave. Starve the obsession of oxygen.

Real strength is protecting your peace and continuing to move forward while someone else chooses to stay stuck in bitterness and fantasy.

The person doing this is not winning. They are trapped and it will be their undoing if they don't change.

Stay focused. Stay strong. Keep building and be amazingly awesome.

Feel free to message me if you've ever experienced this and would like help or even a little guidance. You are not alone.

The Brutal Dopa Band Deck Of Cards Workout On Easter

2026-04-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a great Easter and had plenty of food and love to go around. For me, it was mainly just kicking back and reflecting on things but needed a small recharge. That was until I decided to get my ass to the park in the late afternoon and devour a deck of cards workout with the Chosen Higher Dopa Band. A part of me didn't want to do it and was feeling a bit worn down mentally but I knew if I got into it, things would shift.

This past week was a whirlwind of emotions and mental rollercoasters. Had to take care of something going on with family and needed to keep an eye on things for a couple days and check in with them on Saturday. Still got my training in and killing it with my conditioning, isometrics and the Hindu Squats. So for my Easter workout, went to the park, set up my band, laid out the deck and proceeded to kill 800 reps of the Deck. 5 Exercises (Chest Pulleys, Wave Pulls, Skis, Uppercut To Squat & The Propellers). Black cards were doubled the amount of reps and the Jokers were 100 Reps (25 Chest Pulleys, 25 Wave Pulls & 50 Propellers).

Doing workouts like this isn't for the weak or even normal minded. I never considered myself normal in the first place but when it comes to training, I like taking things to a different level. I didn't go at the pace I normally with this particular method but I wasn't resting much either and it was becoming meditative after a few cards. The movements, the pacing and flow all were coming together, plus getting in the fresh air in a semi sunny setting wasn't too bad either. Barefoot on the grass, feeling the earth and letting my instincts of the exercises take over. Sweating like it was a waterfall in the Rainforest, focused as if I was on a mission and adjusting the band at times because the knots do slide and becomes a bit uneven but that takes seconds really.

I'm not setting world records, nor am I making a statement that Dopa Bands are the best thing since the invention of the Wheel, I just wanted to train, have fun and get some of that emotional stress out of my system. Feel that natural dopamine high and have a productive session. It's freedom, it's learning what I can do when I'm not always in the right head space but it's also my ability to push through things and do what I know I'm capable of. I love this shit and it has put me on a path that is a continuation of my journey.

Have a great Monday everyone. Be safe, train well and hard to burn off some of that Easter Feast. Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it in your endeavors. Hit me up in the comments or shoot me a message using the Contact Form. Would love to read your progress. Be sure to go to Dopamineo.com and grab a band or 2. Use my code POWERANDMIGHT.

Last thing before heading out here, go and check out Lost Empire Herbs' Newest Addition from an old formula.....Hercules Pre-Workout Formula now comes in Capsule form so you don't have to chug and get the bitter taste from the powder. 90 Capsules per Bottle. Let that fire burn from within and get ready for some awesome workouts without the crash later.

Quads For Days???

2026-04-04T04:20:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I don't think too much of my legs that way, they're not that big by standards of either Powerlifting, Strongman or even Bodybuilding. I do what's possible to train with intent and keep them in condition as best as I can. I don't even attempt to try to build huge legs anyway. You read my last article on the type of boxers I wear right? About having to wear 2XL just to feel comfortable LOL.

For real though, with all the shit that I've put my body through, I'm grateful to have built the legs that can go and carry me. I have no knee pain, I may have issues in the areas below the knees but you already know the story on that. I don't have calves that are impressive to anybody and no, I don't have thighs that can squat 500 lbs but that's ok. After thousands of squats, step ups, many sprints, sandbag training, isometrics along with other things, these are what came of all of it and I'm happy.

I also don't make it a habit to show off my legs because that's just not me. I've only shown them off maybe a couple times or so intentionally because I wanted to give people an idea that you can build athletic legs without needing to look like a bodybuilder or some pro athlete. With the ongoing workouts with the Dopa Bands, my legs feel amazing and with testing out different squat variations, sprints, lunges and other things, it keeps my training interesting. Those killer circuits, the grueling Deck Of Cards workouts and the insane HIIT workouts just fires them up and be ready for whatever lies ahead.

If I had to compare my legs to certain things (hypothetically speaking), I'd say I'm closer to legs that were of athletes in the 20's and 30's. Not always looking like they were carved from granite but were solid and made to have lasting strength. If there was any athlete of that time that had the best conditioned but powerful legs that wasn't a wrestler, strongman or acrobat was Lou Gehrig. The best 1st Baseman in Baseball who played for the Yankees his entire 14 year career. Not many realize this but Lou had legs that were Thoroughbreds. Underneath that uniform were legs that were made to chase down Gazelles. The Iron Horse. If ALS hadn't got wind of him, he could've gone another 5-6 years in the Majors and still be among one of the greatest power hitters.

If anyone had legs for days, was Gama or Ed Lewis, both wrestlers were machines on the mat and could outwork practically anybody. Ed's stamina was legendary when it came to those hours in matches and in workouts and Gama just didn't know the meaning of the word tired yet had the legs of a Tree Trunk. Their conditioning is nothing short of remarkable.

Now, having big legs doesn't always mean you're going to be having endurance that would make Herschel Walker exhausted. Some of those cartoonish looking legs like a Ronnie Coleman or Dorian Yates in their prime were just edging to have injuries being done on them. That much muscle was not meant for a man and it's crazy how big guys like that got. Did they train hard, absolutely and I'll never take that away from them but the mere fact that they did suffer in the hands of what they were trying to accomplish gave them issues that will have them in discomfort or pain the rest of their lives. Dorian out of the two is in healthier shape than Ronnie is these days and it's sad that they had to go through all that.

My legs have been through a lot. Maybe not as badly as others but I take pride in training them so as time goes on, I can hike, swim, climb stairs and be able to be the cool uncle or cousin that can keep up or be able haul furniture without dying. Conditioning is my biggest priority and the physique that comes with that is just part of the package. I'm not trying to win medals or brag I have better legs because I don't. I want to last and be able to outwork/keep up with guys half my age if possible. I also believe in keeping the joints strong because muscles are great and all but the things holding everything together makes the huge difference.

Many don't realize how important Isometrics are for the legs. They build the kind of armor for the bones and tendons that would give Colossus a run for his money. Those Wall Sits, Lunge Holds, Hybrid Style Isometrics, all hit the legs with a vengeance but build the kind of strength that reduces pain and adds that spring in your step. Check out Overcoming Isometrics and look into the chapter on Squat Chain Isometric Exercises along with the Hybrid Isometric Exercises chapter (That alone is worth the price of the book.

Train your legs, train them hard but be mindful. You don't have to go extreme like some caffeine addicted Twig with a foot fetish believes needs you to do (quite frankly, guys like that shouldn't be teaching fitness in the first place since they have no fucking idea of how to program anything of value and provide zero evidence that what they believe is healthy, just biased bullshit that is more harmful and counterproductive). Train to stimulate, not annihilate. Be amazingly awesome and wish nothing but success in your endeavors.

Let me hear from you in the comments or send me a note in the Contact Form on your training. Looking forward to your messages.

The Clothes I Wear Whether I'm Training Or Not

2026-04-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

For many, many years, the clothes I would wear always had a similar pattern: T-Shirt, Shorts and Athletic Shoes. It never really changes unless it's some kind of occasion. I don't even really wear Jeans anymore because it was always frustrating to find ones that fit. My waist was ok and I could fit into them but when it came to my thighs, they always seemed like they were going to rip the fabric.

Sure I wear sweats from time to time like anybody else and I have the two pair of pants that I wore for my wedding being Han Solo & Indiana Jones. They weren't very comfortable but I did what I could do and I can still fit into them even after losing more than 30 lbs since then.

Basketball and regular type shorts were my thing ever since I was a kid, they made me move around better and I felt comfortable. Dressing like a Californian or someone who looks like he's dressed for summer almost all year round can give you some looks here and there especially if you live in places like Idaho where it's not always ideal to wear shorts in the winter time but with me it happened often.

The sizes of my clothes have varied over the years but these days, I usually wear XL T-Shirts (2XL depending on the elasticity of the fabric) XL shorts where ones don't compress my legs and 2XL Boxers. The boxers were always weird with me for as long as I can remember. I have to wear elastic or stretchy type Boxer Shorts because like with the Jeans, my waist would fit synergistically but not my thighs and hamstrings. Some Boxers I had to get rid of because my legs would be compressed and they feel as if they're being choked or squeezed. When I was 275, I could wear 2XL and be fine. Now, at around 230 (last I checked was just below 229) I still have to wear 2XL Boxers because of those damn Tree Trunk California Redwood Thighs I have. I went to the store recently and bought some XL with the fabric I like and tried them on. They're great in the waist and fit perfectly but my legs still feel some compression, not as bad as they would've been but Fucking A man LOL.

I did used to wear 3XL shirts at one point in my life and I hated having that big of a shirt. When the weight came down and dropping a size or two, I was happy with it. The last time I wore 3XL was maybe 7-8 years ago when I was at my heaviest but I also wore them in my late teens and around 20 cause I got up to 255-260 when I was weight training more frequent and had an idea of going into Drug Free Powerlifting. The smallest size I ever wore comfortably in the last 22-23 years has been a Large at best. At almost 42, being in the best condition and having a better physique since I turned 40, wearing a XL the majority of the time is good for me. Depending on the fabric and elasticity sometimes wearing a 2XL helps and it just makes me look like a linebacker.

When it comes to my workouts, I just wear my street clothes. I never really got into the Gym Clothes thing, I let the Guys who're gym rats have that. Most of the T-Shirts I wear (if you haven't seen my videos) are usually ones with Superheroes, Viking, Metal/Rock, Wrestling or at times just plain White or a long sleeve with a 2XL shirt over it. If I were to wear a Large shirt, those are usually the "Muscle Shirts" where some show more of my physique which my wife likes and people tell me I look like a Bouncer in them. I don't do it all the time but its fun when it's called upon.

In the last 3 years or so I started wearing Do Rags instead of usual beanies or baseball hats. I still wear them sometimes but Do Rags I enjoy wearing. My late Step-Dad In law wore them and I got along with him good since we were both into comics and Superheroes so I wear them in his memory. Designs of Fire, Skull & Bones, Raiders, Plain Blue or Orange and others. I probably have about 20 or more of these things. They're light, comfortable and I get a kick out of many of the Designs. Wish they had one of the San Francisco Giants. That would be awesome.

With the way fitness goes sometimes, it's not always easy to find clothes that fit but, you do what you can and find things that suit who you are. Be amazingly awesome. Shoot me a comment or use the contact form. Be respectful and looking forward to hearing from you.

A Psychotic Twist On The Dopa Band Deck Of Cards Workout

2026-04-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, I wanted to push a bit and did my 1000 Rep Circuit of 5 Exercises....

Chest Flys

Wave Pulls

Butterfly Power Squats

Ski Jumps

Propellers

10 Reps each for 20 Rounds. Sometimes you have those days where you want to make things interesting and do what's possible in the moment. The high afterwards was indescribable. The sweat coming down like Niagara Falls and the workout itself was fun but a good challenge. Yesterday however; I thought about what I wanted to do, my goal was to get at least in 500 reps with the band. Maybe a circuit or deck of cards style.

Before I even set up the strap and the band, I was reading NO GAS, NO RUN: The Guide to Catch Wrestling Conditioning, Combat Science, and Building the Engine on my Kindle and I'm on the chapter about Karl Gotch's Bible which is also called The Deck Of Cards Protocol. I was reading through it and within maybe a couple paragraphs, that's what I wanted to do. At least from a certain point of view (as Obi-Wan Kenobi would say) with the band.

In the chapter, I will say that it refers to giving the options of picking 2 upper body and 2 lower body exercises (For Karl it was usually Push-Ups & Squats which anybody worthy of training should learn) and gave out the spreadsheet of what goes with each suit and all that. The one that had a lightbulb go off in my head was when he (or Jake at least) talked about the Jokers and do the upper and lower body exercises within that card. This is where I wanted to make it a challenge for myself.

So normally, I do the 5 exercises, numbered cards stood as is, face cards were 10 reps, Aces were 16 and Jokers were 50 reps of the Propeller Exercise. Sometimes I would do 1 Full Deck but if I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll do the deck twice in a row for 1000 Total Reps. I decided to put a twist on the script so do speak and get to do less than if I wanted to do it twice in a row but do way more than 500 for a Full Deck once. So here was my brainstorming idea (and those of you who have the Dopa Bands or thinking about getting one, this is borderline psychotic and a heel of a challenge)......

I would do the 2 upper body and 2 Lower Body exercises but like I read in the book, I doubled the reps for the lower body exercises and keep the upper body numbers as is. The Jokers however, were a bit nuts to think about and I find it gives that blend of what I would normally do and amp it up a bit. So instead of just doing the Propellers, I added the two upper body exercises as well. Here's what my protocol came out to be.

Hearts were Chest Flys, Diamonds were Wave Pulls, Spades were Hook Under The Arms Squats, Clubs were Ski Jumps and Wild was Propellers, Chest Flys & Wave Pulls.

2-10 As Is

Face Cards Are 10

Aces Are 16

Jokers Are 50/25/25

So say you flip a 9 of hearts, you would do 9 Reps of the Chest Fly, flip a face card of the Squats, it would be 20 reps. The Jokers, do 50 Propellers, 25 Chest Flys and 25 Wave Pulls. Fairly simple once you understand the concept. The only rest is flipping the next card or possibly adjusting the band since the knots may have a tendency to slide out.

When you count the total number of reps for a Full Deck, it comes out to 800. In this specific workout I did, I misread an Ace card and thought it was Chest Flys but it was Diamonds, sometimes that happens when your brain and body are going at a pace. Ended up doing that card twice so my total came out to 816 reps LOL. A simple mistake made the workout slightly harder which isn't a bad thing. I got a kick out of it and took it in stride. This is just an idea of what you can do with the Bands, you can pick whatever exercises you want to do that suits your current goals or conditioning for your sport.

It has been said before and it will be said again....Doing a Deck Of Cards Workout isn't just about a few exercises chosen at random times, it's a teacher to help you learn to expect the unexpected. Not everything in life is going to go according to plan because if you're always expecting a plan to come to fruition, there can be a curveball thrown your way and it throws off the entire process. You plan the same exercises, the same order, same rest periods and same amount of time (roughly). For many, it's an order of things, using what is too comfortable even though you're getting a workout in. With the Deck, that shit goes out the motherfucking window. You can do a series of cards where it can go back and forth between upper and lower body, get more of one or the other in a series or you may find the the Wild cards in the middle or towards the end and you're already exhausted and have to do the hardest one. You never know what will come next so you must be ready at all times.

The world isn't scripted like in the movies, not everything is going to flow and have the ending that most likely is expected to happen, it gets messy, out of order and chaotic often times but it's important to be ready for when those things come about and do what you can to get through them. It's that discipline and toughness to withstand what could come out of nowhere and power through it with a fucking vengeance.

Get your hands on some Bands and test out this workout yourself, or you could do Bodyweight, your pick, your workout. The Band is a tool like anything else, what you do with it will make the difference in how you go forward with your goals and aspirations. Go to Dopamineo.com and get one of the most premier resistance bands in the world, use the code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. Used by Olympic Athletes, MMA Champions, Youth Programs, The Military, Law Enforcement, Seniors and many more. When you add these to your arsenal, you will discover a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. Be amazingly awesome.

Hindu Squats: An Ancient Conditioning Exercise Worthy Of Learning

2026-03-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

How's it going everyone? Hopefully you're having a great Sunday. A couple of my 500-rep circuits with the band recently has had at least one addition to the training, after completing the exercises with the Dopa Band, I would drop it and switch to straight Hindu Squats for sixty brutal seconds. Legs burning, heart hammering, and it made me remember that this isn’t some trendy bodyweight hack. This is pure, time-tested might straight from the akharas of old India. If you’re chasing conditioning that actually lasts, Hindu Squats deserve a permanent spot in your arsenal. They build legs like tree trunks, lungs that never quit, and a mental edge that turns pain into power. Round after round, doesn't get easier, just more interesting.

Let’s travel back in time together shall we? To a time where the Great Gama, the Lion of Punjab, wasn’t just a wrestler, he was a legend who went undefeated his entire career. How? The man hammered out up to 5,000 Hindu squats and 3,000 push-ups every single day before breakfast (As the legend goes). No fancy gym. No machines. Just dusty earth, his own bodyweight, and unbreakable discipline in those traditional wrestling pits. Pehlwans in the akharas trained the same way for generations: bethaks (their name for these deep, explosive squats) to forge the kind of lower-body endurance that let them grapple for hours without gassing. Gama stood 5’7” and weighed 260 pounds of dense, functional muscle. He didn’t look “shredded” for Instagram, nor did he look like some meathead like the Liver King, he looked like he could run through a wall and keep going. That’s the historical blueprint. Real strength isn’t trendy; it’s ancient.

From a conditioning standpoint, Hindu Squats are straight fire. Unlike regular barbell squats that lock you into a fixed path, these bad boys are dynamic. You sink deep, heels lift, arms swing back for momentum, then explode up onto your toes. Quads, calves, ankles, and hips all get hammered in one fluid motion. Do them for high reps—hundreds, not sets of ten—and your heart rate skyrockets into cardio territory without ever stepping on a treadmill. Balance, coordination, and mobility improve fast because you’re training a full ROM your body was built for. Knees stay healthy when you control the descent. No equipment, just you vs. gravity. It’s old-school volume that builds the kind of stamina modern gym rats chase with fancy apps and still never find. If you do have certain issues like with ankle flexibility or can't go all the way down to touch your heels with your glutes, go as low as you can and work with that.

Here’s something inspirational, straight from the heart: Hindu Squats teach you that true power comes from within. You’re not just moving weight—you’re creating the same unbreakable spirit as Gama. Look into your mind's eye. You’re twenty minutes in, thighs screaming, and instead of quitting you smile because you feel the shift. That’s the moment you level up. It’s like going Super Saiyan—raw energy exploding from the inside out. Or healing like Wolverine after a beatdown: battered but coming back stronger every time. No shortcuts (though my Dopa Bands make a killer addition). Just consistent, gritty work that turns average into legendary.

So ditch the bullshit. Start with a few sets of 10-20 a day. Build up to 500 (either in a row, in sets or use a deck of cards). Feel your legs wake up, your lungs expand, your mind sharpen. Ancient warriors knew the secret. Modern conditioning proves it still works. You’ve got the blood of conquerors in your veins, now go fucking earn it.

Keep killing it. Be amazingly awesome and do your Squats.

Shoot me a comment or use the contact form and let me on your training and how you're doing. Looking forward to hearing from you. If you would also like to add me to your social media, here's my LINKTREE where it has all my socials.

Edit......

Here's a great comment I received on Facebook that was very inspiring. Sometime after I posted it. Thank you very much to the person who said this. Well appreciated.

Step Ups Used As A Recovery Tool???

2026-03-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

The last couple days, doing 100's of squats for the first time in a while with the recent addition to Hindu Squats with my band training has been an experience. Some soreness but not enough to question things and kill progress. The first day, my band circuit included 100 total squats with the 10 rounds of 1 Min Hindu Squats, next day, just did upper body mostly with the band and did the Hindu Squats for the lower body. Still intense AF.

Feeling the soreness in my thighs and low back, I wanted to see what Step Ups would do after taking time to research some things, so last night, I did 500 Step Ups before going to bed and took a cold shower afterwards. Not only did I feel great but I woke up today with hardly any soreness at all, like I recovered pretty damn fast like Wolverine or something. This got me into researching even more about Step Ups being not just a great leg workout but even a recovery tool from doing lots of squats.

In my research, I was learning because of moving unilaterally with Step Ups, it keeps the blood flow running smoothly, even from the lactic acid build up from squats (bodyweight or weights) while improving muscle imbalances. It gives off vibes of Prehab work for the knees and hips which also doesn't overload the spine or low back. This is essential for recovery. Still targeting the quads, hamstrings and the glutes but with a gentle aspect to it.

Squats are essential to overall training for the legs which helps with hormone balancing, strength, mobility and even flexibility but Step Ups either with Squat Training or by themselves act as a buffer or teammate you may say in order to get the full package deal for building long term health in the lower body. One shouldn't exist without the other and when you utilize what is possible to work the legs in a smart and proficient way, you're developing the body with greater emphasis beyond muscle building. This doesn't mean you go extreme and do tons of reps or weight, finding the balance of working those muscles while also using active recovery or being able to strengthen the tendons and ligaments goes a long way to gaining the health benefits.

As you have read from previous articles, I'm more for the Step Ups because of their way to hit imbalances that my legs have from those injuries all those years ago and at one time, I was considering stop doing high volume or even doing enough work to stimulate muscle growth in the legs from Squats doing variations of them. As time goes on and seeing the benefits of working the lower body in a smart and realistic way for me, I'm adapting to both using strategic entities that keeps me interested in them to do what is essential for the long run.

Usually in my workouts, I expend a great deal of energy because I don't rest much between sets/rounds or whatever and being in my 40's, having to use that energy strategically keeps me in good condition and in no pain whatsoever. I may feel stiff at times, that's expected as you get older but some good stretching and movement to get the blood flowing keeps things going and to have such energy is a blessing. Those Step Ups are even awesome to help get that excess energy out and being able to calm down. When you have such energy, you want to use it wisely. If you have restless energy that could be dire like Insomnia or the jitters, being able to exercise can help level out those things.

Having incredible energy in your 40's and beyond is bad ass from a positive point of view because it shows that you are able to take care of yourself and your body regulates hormones and recovery well. Sometimes that energy can be more than you want it to be so we need to find a balance so we don't get that feeling of thinking we can stay up all night and party all day vibe or theory for that matter. We still need to be able to sleep and be able to function. For me, on those days where I need to get that energy out, there is Step Ups and other "fun things" but in this manner for training purposes, Step Ups and a cold shower, knocks my ass out in minutes when I get into bed after drying off, putting on clothes and letting everything sink in.

Take the time to incorporate Step Ups either as a stand alone on days off from your regular routine or as a finisher for your leg days, don't push it though. Leg Day for some means walking like you just fought off the Zombie Apocalypse. Get a feel for them. You don't have to do what I do, do what works for you. Start with a few reps per leg and keep the height of the step at a comfortable level because too high for too many reps can lead to tightness or even pain in the hips and knees. If you're say like 5'5, you don't want to be doing step ups that is meant for someone at 6'5, keep the level to no more of the knee going above the belly button or just around the pelvic line. If you're having issues in the hip and knee area, depending on your height but still want to try step ups, for most people an 8-10 inch step is more than enough. Don't hurt yourself and this is merely a suggestion, not a "have to" or something that is risky.

Be amazingly awesome and go kill it it in your goals. Hope you build legs that can carry you and be used to keep yourself healthy for many years to come. With the updated comment policy I put in place, send me a note and let me know about your training, or use the contact form to send me an email. Please read the policy carefully. You can also go to my LINKTREE and check out all my socials. Add me onto your social media and let's keep in touch.

An Addition To The 500 Rep Circuit

2026-03-27T03:36:00.000-07:00

There was something within me that wanted to add a "small" element to my circuit training with the Dopa Band and wanted to hit a different level of my conditioning training. In my regular circuits if you're new to this Blog is to do 5 Exercises, 10 Reps each for 10-20 Rounds. Only rest is marking down the circuit. Exercises aren't always the same or in the same order cause I like having a fresh way of going and keeping certain basic exercises of the Dopamineo System.

Yesterday, I decided for this added element was Hindu Squats. Been a bit since I've done a full workout with them but I know I'm capable of doing them and pretty well after many years of doing thousands of them. Here's how it went:

5 Dopa Exercises

Step Skis where you take a step and then throw the arms up in neutral or hammer grip like fashion with the Band

Hook Pulls

Hooked Arm Position Squats

Chest Presses

Propellers

Put the band down and do 60 seconds of Hindu Squats.

Repeat this process 10 times. Only rest was marking it down.

Doing a minute of Squats doesn't sound like much but round after round with already going through the other exercises, you're getting some build up going with the lactic acid and it becomes harder. My key to performing them proficiently was to focus on breath control and speed that was at a comfortable clip but still getting the heart rate up. I was going about the rate you see HERE (A bit faster maybe)!!!

It was a beautiful day out, a bit chilly so I had on my hoodie, sweats, shorts, t shirt and my shoes. Went to the park, found a tree I liked, hooked up the band with the Genius Strap, put on some tunes and went after it. Had my watch on me to time the Hindu Squats. Did what I could to keep form at a good level of alignment, breathe with focus & intent and everything was smooth sailing. It wasn't easy though. If you believe this is "Easy Peasy", come and train with me sometime and you'll find it's not as easy as it looks (Then again, there are those who don't even have the balls to put their money where their mouth is).

Anyway, it was a pretty damn good workout and I felt it big time especially in my legs but hey, that's to be expected you know. Sun was shining, practically had that entire place to myself and was having the time of my life. This was a great challenge and it was great to be doing those squats again. Think my inspiration came from reading the new book I mentioned a couple articles ago called NO GAS, NO RUN: The Guide to Catch Wrestling Conditioning, Combat Science, and Building the Engine. Channeling Karl Gotch man and thinking what some of this book has engraved into my brain already.

Working a circuit like this tests limits of most men. It may not be a challenge for a wrestler since those guys are fucking animals but for someone who enjoys fitness and wants to amp their game a little bit, something like this can make you huff and puff in not time. As Billy Robinson said "There's no rest in wrestling", neither is this type of training in some capacity. Like I said, the only "rest" you get is marking it down and/or adjusting the band if needed.

Karl Gotch has said "Conditioning is your best hold", in this case, I say "Conditioning is your best asset" in which I mean you can be as strong and fit looking as you can be, but if you start to wear down in less than a few minutes, all that strength is merely temporary. You want to last as long as you need to cause in life, having gas in the tank can have an impact on how you help others and yourself.

Be prepared to get your ass kicked and get yourself a band at Dopamineo.com. Use the code POWERANDMIGHT to chalk down some bucks. Grab a bundle, that saves you even more. These bands are virtually indestructible and can take a beating. I know cause the Black Band I have hasn't been scratched, torn or snapped and I put that thing through the ringer with hard workouts. Have an amazingly awesome day and keep killing it.

Want to chat me up, go to my LINKTREE where you'll find my email and all my socials. Tell me about your training and let me know if there's something I could to help you in your journey whether it's helping find resources for your goals or a few tidbits on what is possible to get you just a little stronger or durable.