Thursday, December 31, 2015

One-Punch Man Training Program- Week 1

This is the first week of the One-Punch Man Training Program. The purpose of this program is to take Saitama's simple training program of 100 Push-ups, 100 Sit-ups, 100 Squats and 10km of Running and apply it in a way to get the most out of the movements in terms of strength, endurance, and speed.

You shall gain the ultimate in simple, yet effective fitness with this program!!!!!!!!

In any case, here's Week 1 of the Program.

Day 1-

  1. 100 Push-ups
  2. 100 Sit-ups
  3. 100 Squats
  4. 10 km Running
--Complete in the order listed, in as few sets as possible. Rest as necessary.

Day 2
  1. 10 Push-ups
  2. 10 Sit-ups
  3. 10 Squats
  4. 1 km Running
--10 Rounds, 2 Minutes Rest between Rounds

Day 3-
  1. 100 Close-Grip Push-ups
  2. 100 Butterfly Sit-ups
  3. 100 Sumo Squats
  4. 10 km Running 
--Complete in the order listed, in as few sets as possible. Rest as necessary.




Day 4-
  1. 800 Meter Run
  2. 200 Meter Backwards Run
  3. 10 Wide Push-ups
  4. 10 Sit-ups
  5. 10 Hindu Squats
--10 Rounds, 2 Minutes Rest between Rounds

Day 5-
  1. 5 km Running
  2. 100 Push-ups
  3. 100 Sit-ups
  4. 100 Squats
  5. 5 km Running
--Complete in the order listed, in as few sets as possible. Rest as necessary.

Day 6-
  1. Sprint 200 Meters
  2. 10 Hindu Push-ups
  3. 10 Sit-ups w/Twist
  4. 10 Close-Stance Squats
  5. Jog 800 Meters
--10 Rounds, 2 Minutes Rest between Rounds

Day 7-
  1. 5 Push-ups
  2. 5 Sit-ups
  3. 5 Squats
--20 Rounds, no rest between rounds. Rest 5 Minutes after 20 Rounds, then
  1. Run 10 km at Easy Pace

If you have any questions about the above exercises, use the search function on the blog or ask a question in the comments. I will be posting this every week, building the program as we go. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard! If you enjoy this program, consider becoming a Patron!





Friday, October 9, 2015

ONE PUNCH MAN KNOCKOUT TRAINING!! | Tough Like The Toonz: EP 6

This is JaxBlade's take on Saitama's training from One Punch Man.  Check it out and let him know what you think. If you like his stuff, remember to subscribe to his channel.







That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Real Anime Training: Pushing

Another video from one of our long time readers, Blackeroni.  If you haven't checked out his stuff, please take the time to do so.  I'll be posting some of his videos here for the time being for our current posting hiatus.



Enjoy!







Isometrics are a great way to build strength in different positions. I would recommend that you also change your body position when practicing these pushing exercises. You can push with arms fully extended, arm bent, with your shoulder, with your back against the wall, or perhaps even between two walls in a hallway (Made of brick, please. Don't smash your drywall).  Whatever you have to push against, put your all into it and eventually you'll see great gains.



That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Friday, August 28, 2015

Real Anime Training: Jump like a Ninja

This is a video made by one of our long time readers. If you're looking to train your jumping skills, you should check out this video.



Props to blackeroni for making this. Hopefully, we'll see a lot more people taking Real Anime Training and making it their own.  If you have a Real Anime Training video of a workout or a concept that you'd like to submit, email me at realanimetraining@gmail.com.







That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Baki Post Yujiro

Sprinting Downhill
Run 40km
Shadowboxing
Lotus Planche on Thumbs into Handstand
Handwalking on Thumbs

Shinogi Kureha's New Training

Ring Handstand Hold
Iron Cross
Iron Cross V-Sit
Bench Press Max
100 Meter Sprint

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Sorry for the delay, guys!

I've just started a new job at a great gym, so I've been acclimating to the new schedule. Be patient with me, I'll be back at it soon!

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Goku's Leg Day with King Kai

A couple of episodes into Dragon Ball Super and it delivers with another short training sequence. Goku heads to King Kai's planet and takes advantage of the 10x Gravity by pulling massive weights and squatting them repeatedly. I think it's safe to say that the weights combined weigh more than 40 tons , even without the gravity increase. So, in celebration of Dragon Ball Super, here is a brand new Goku workout.  (The Goku Training Program will be updated when Dragon Ball Super ends.)

Hey, Bubbles! It's leg day!


Goku's Leg Day with King Kai

  1. Heavy Sled Pull- 100 Meters
  2. Back Squat- 20 Reps @ 50-60% of 1 RM
  3. Run- 400 Meters
-AMRAP in 24 Minutes, then
  • Jog at an easy pace for 30 Minutes.

Notes:
  • The first portion is a rough strength and conditioning workout, while the second portion is so you can run on tired legs and recover a little.
  • The sled pull should be so heavy that you cannot run while pulling it. This should be a grind. 
  • Make sure that you're using the appropriate amount of weight for the back squat. This should be something that feels a little heavy, but you should be able to rep it out at this percentage. 
  • Your 400 Meter Run should be quick. Don't take your time.  Your conditioning may force  you to slow down, but do your best to keep the speed up. 
That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Maito Gai's Basic Training

Before Rock Lee was the king of training, Maito Gai paved the way with his self-rule and devotion to Taijutsu. His father, though not a strong ninja, imparted to Gai the importance of hard work and effort and with very little talent, the young boy grew into the rival of the genius Kakashi.

Somebody had to be this awesome.
Guess it's me.
This workout is based on the training that we see Gai doing during flashbacks. As in everything, know your own body and stop if you have to.  You can always make the workout easier!

Maito Gai's Basic Training

  1. Run 10km
  2. Handwalk 500 Meters
  3. 500+ Push-ups/Fingertip Push-ups 
  4. One Leg Forward Hops- 100 Meters Each Side
  5. Wall Sit- 5 Sets for MAX Time
  6. Double Lateral Hops- 100 Each Side
  7. 500 Punches to Striking Post/Heavy Bag
  8. 500 Kicks to Striking Post/Heavy Bag

Notes:
  • Do the workout in this order with 3-5 minutes rest in between each exercise. This workout will take you a few hours, so make sure you have water, electrolytes, and carbs to get you through it. Eat a good meal about two hours before you start training. Eat well after. 
  • Feel free to scale this back, as it is quite a bit of volume. Try a quarter of the distances and reps at first and then work your way up. If that's too much, try 1/10th of distances and reps. 
  • You may choose to use the concept of the Self-Imposed Rule during this workout. If you feel as though you may be coming close to a Personal Record on a particular exercise, but you are not sure if you can complete it, that would be a good time to challenge yourself. You can add it directly after whatever exercise you're doing or you can tack it on to the end of this workout.
  • Vary your course on your run. Run on flats sometimes, run on trails, run on roads, run up hills. Make it different. 
  • For the handwalking, it is very unlikely that you will be able to do all 500 meters of it in one go (at least not for a very long time).  Break it up as much as you need and remember that you can scale the whole workout back if you need to. 
  • On the push-ups, you should try to do as many as you can before you fail. Getting 500 push-ups is one set is going to be very, very hard, so you can try to break it up into as many sets as you need. You can mix up the push-ups between normal and fingertip as you like. If you ever get to be able to do 500 normal push-ups in one set add a total of 500 fingertip push-ups following the completion of the 500 normal push-ups for a total of 1,000 push-ups. 
  • One Leg Forward Hops are pretty simple. Stand on one foot and hop forward for the listed distance. Switch sides and repeat. 
  • For the wall sit, your hand can be behind your head, crossed over your chest, or held out in front of you. Your thighs must maintain 90 degrees the entire time. Rest 30-60 seconds between sets. 
  • For Double Lateral Hops, you'll get in a slightly lowered stance with your feet a little wider than shoulder width. Use on leg to push off to one side two times and then immediately spring off in the other directions twice. That will be 1 rep on each side. 
  • With at least hand wraps on, hit a heavy bag or a striking post with 500 total punches and then 500 total kicks. 
That's all for today! Good luck and train hard!



Friday, July 3, 2015

Real Anime Training is Changing

Hey, guys!

So, for a long time, Real Anime Training was a completely free website. We didn’t sell training programs or fitness consultations or anything like that. All we did was post workouts and write fitness articles. The original goal of the blog was to inspire and teach and help people and I really did not want that kind of thing to be limited by someone’s ability to buy things.

However, there are these things called bills.

Due to staggering financial crisis that is adulthood, I started offering Personalized Training Programs and (more recently) pre-made Character Training Programs. This was moderately helpful, but was truthfully a little frustrating for me, because it made me feel like I was not able to help people who needed help. I also do not want to feel like I’m constantly selling things to people.

I felt a strong conviction from God (ALERT: Religious Content) that I needed to bring the site back to its roots, both for the sake of people who needed help and for my own sanity. As such, Real Anime Training will no longer be selling training programs, pre-made or personalized, but will be instead making them available upon request. This may take a little longer than normal, but the upside is that the training programs, once made, will be available to everyone.

I’m gonna move in the direction I feel God is moving me. Thus, Real Anime Training will return to being free. If you feel led to donate to our cause, by all means, please do so. The more our readers donate, the easier it will be for me to put out content instead of, you know, working more hours.

Last month, between the main blog and Tumblr alone, over 150,000 people benefited from Real Anime Training workouts and content. At bare minimum, if 1% of those people donated just $1/month, I’d be able to start blogging full time– putting out content on a daily basis, meaning workouts and articlesand videos and answering questions, while simultaneously being able to build and post training programs for free. (For those of you who have moral objections to math, that’s $1,500/month that we would need donated for me to be able to blog full time.)

So, as of today, whether or not anybody actually donates, we’ll be taking down our training program page. I want to be here for YOU. I want to help as many people as I can and I cannot do that in the way that I would like if I am constantly concerned with whether or not you can pay me for it. If you want to donate, please do. You can donate with our PayPal “Donate” button at realanimetraining.com or on Real Anime Training’s Tumblr. Donate one time or set up a recurring monthly donation. Either way, you can be sure that you are supporting better content all the time that is focused on helping and inspiring people in their fitness journeys.

I will keep you guys updated on our donations and what we’re doing. If we start receiving a slew of donations that goes above and beyond our current needs as a website and my personal needs, I have some really great ideas on expanding the free services that we will provide, the first of which is bringing on a certain someone as a full-time writer, video-maker, and trainer. I’ll let you guys argue amongst yourselves about who that certain someone is. :D

Friday, June 26, 2015

Itagaki's "Go-Go Mode" Workout

Itagaki Manabu is fast.  Really fast.  When he really pushes himself in the ring, it's like everything else just slows down around him.  He perceives his opponent moving in what is essentially slow motion. This workout is about speed, reaction, and reflexes. The workout might be a little less volume than Itagaki's KBG Workout, but it's intensity is cranked to the max. You should be pushing hard on every sprint and every hard round.

GO, GO, GO!


Itagaki's "Go-Go Mode" Workout

Morning
  1. Sprint 100 Meters
  2. Jog 100 Meters
  3. Back Peddle Sprint 50 Meters
  4. Back Peddle Jog 50 Meters
--10 Rounds, then

  1. Run 2 Miles, as fast as possible
  2. Shadowbox 30 Seconds

Afternoon (4-6 hours later): Rest 1 Minute after each Exercise
  1. 3 Minutes Footwork Practice (Warm-up)
  2. 3 Minutes Speedbag Practice (Warm-up)
  3. 3 Minutes Double-End Bag Practice (Warm-up)
  4. 3 Minutes Jump Rope (Warm-up)
  5. 30 Seconds Moderate/30 Seconds Hard x 6 Rounds Foot Work Practice
  6. 4 x 3 Minutes Moving Speedbag Practice
  7. 4 x 3 Minutes Double-End Bag Practice
  8. 30 Seconds Moderate/30 Seconds Hard x 6 Rounds Heavy Bag Work OR Shadowboxing
  9. 4 x 3 Minutes Dodging Punches
  10. 4 x 3 Minutes Heavy Bag Work, Mitt Work, OR Sparring 
  11. Recover 5 Minutes
  12. 20 Seconds On/10 Seconds Off x 8 Rounds of One of the Following: Shadowboxing, Jump Rope, OR Heavy Bag Work
  13. Recover 5 Minutes
  14. GO-GO MODE: 3 Minutes All-Out Shadowboxing OR Heavy Bag (Keep moving!!)

Notes:
  • You should be able to move fast in any direction. The first portion of the workout is designed to build your dashing and retreating speed. You'll push yourself hard and then recover for the same distance.  When you finish the sprint intervals, run 2 miles as fast as you can and then bust out 30 seconds of super hard shadowboxing. You'll be spent, but you won't have to do anything for 4-6 hours. 
  • The first four rounds of the second workout are just for warming up. Go at a relatively easy pace for all four rounds so you're ready for the full-force work later in the session. 
  • For the footwork practice, think about every possible way that you can move during a fight. Forward, back, side to side, circling, shuffling, bouncing, half steps forward in multiple directions, changing footwork and direction mid-movement. Don't even think about stopping. The ability to move as quickly as you can in any possible way while on your feet is your only goal during this time.
  • Moving Speedbag Practice is merely moving around the speedbag while you hit it. It will definitely challenge your reaction time and your timing. You'll need to decide if you will change your punch to adapt to the direction of the bag that's already in play or if you will attempt to hit the bag from another angle in order to change its direction. This will be very hard at first. You will fail quite a bit. However, this will do amazing things for your reaction time, your timing, and your hand-eye coordination.
  • Double-end bag practice is essential. You need to be able to hit, dodge, and hit again repeatedly. Start slowly as to not hurt yourself, but eventually you should be able to hit the double-end bag quickly and respond in kind, perhaps even while moving around it. 
  • The High-Intensity Intervals found in the 30 Seconds Moderate/30 Seconds Hard Rounds are designed to push your conditioning and get you used to moving at a high rate of speed.  Don't spend too much time thinking. Just move. You may have to start with simple 1-2s in order to keep from tripping over yourself, but, eventually, combinations will flow from this controlled chaos and you will feel more comfortable at this break-neck speed.
  • When you are dodging punches, you should start slowly and begin with simple attacks. Avoid going too fast or using a lot of combinations until you are very accustomed to this training. Wear gear and gloves, of course. Use head movement, swaying, footwork and parrying to avoid being hit. This is not the time to block. We're trying not to get hit at all. If you get hit, that's fine. Reset and start over.
  • The four rounds of shadowboxing, bag work, or sparring can be at whatever pace you need. If you need to work on technique, go for it. If you need some hard sparring or power work on the bag, now's the time. 
  • Use the recovery time. Slow your breathing down. Walk around. Drink water (which you should have been doing throughout the whole workout). Stretch a little if you need to. We're going to go all-out and your body needs to recover to be able to put the most amount of effort into these full power bursts. 
  • This first burst is in Tabata Format and is only 4 minutes long. However, it's a LONG 4 minutes, because the 20 seconds of work are at as near 100% as you can get yourself. 
  • USE THE RECOVERY TIME!
  • This last round is GO time. You put every last ounce of speed and power into 3 minutes. You are the God of Time, living in a realm of speed no mere mortal can hope to keep up with. Feel free to collapse at the end, because for 3 minutes, there should not be a single moment where you stop moving and hitting.
That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Monday, June 22, 2015

The Crystal Gem Workouts

The Crystal Gems from "Steven Universe" have a variety of abilities and are very strong. These workouts are designed to mimic the look and movements of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl... and Steven! Garnet is primarily about strength, Amethyst's workout focuses on her carefree attitude and how much she jumps around, Pearl's is centered around graceful movements.

They'll always save the day.


Garnet
  1. 21 Thrusters @ 95#
  2. 15 Front Squats @ 95#
  3. 9 OHP @ 95#
  4. 6 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 95#
  5. 3 Barbell Curls @ 95#
--AMRAP in 10 Minutes


Amethyst 

  1. 25 Meter Bear Crawl 
  2. 25 Meter Cartwheels
  3. 25 Meter Long Jump Burpees
  4. 25 Meter Sled Push-Pull @ 2 x BW
--AMRAP in 10 Minutes


Pearl

  1. 100 Meter Run
  2. 50 Meter Walking Lunge to Single Leg Deadlift w/Bar (see notes)
  3. 25 Meters Skipping
--AMRAP in 10 Minutes


Steven

  1. 5 Minutes Walking
  2. 30 Seconds High Knee Marching
  3. 30 Seconds Raise Arms-Lower to Sides-Calf Raise
  4. 30 Seconds Side Bends
  5. 30 Seconds Dumbbell Deadlift to Side Lateral Raise @ 5#/Hand
  6. 30 Seconds Holding Dumbbells Out to Side w/Squat @ 5#/Hand
  7. 30 Seconds Jogging
  8. 5 Minutes Walking
--Complete at an easy pace


Notes:

  • These workouts can be completed one after another or separately. 
  • Make sure you keep good form, even if you are trying to go fast. 
  • Make sure you alternate your cartwheels.
  • When you go to jump on the burpees, you'll need to jump as far a possible forward before completing the next rep. 
  • On the walking lunge to single leg deadlift, hold the bar in the front rack position. Lunge forward and, as you stand,  bring the bar down until it is down at your hips. Bending at the hips, keep one foot on the ground and the other straight out behind you so that your body is parallel to the ground and the bar is near or touching the ground. Return to standing, clean the bar back into position and repeat on the other side until you complete the listed distance. 
  • Steven's workout is meant to be very easy. 
  • For the third exercise, raise your arm over your head, then lower them to your sides like in a jumping jack in an easy motion. Then perform a calf raise. Repeat until the time is up. 
  • Make sure your hands are over your head during the side bends. 
  • Pick up the dumbbells in in front of you, perform a side lateral raise and then lower the dumbbells back to the ground. 
That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Real Anime Training

Saturday, June 20, 2015

The World Martial Arts Tournament (AKA: The Tenkaichi Budokai)

 Who is the strongest fighter in the world? (Click the link to donate now!)


Is it you?


Fans of Dragon Ball will recognize the Tenkaichi Budokai (or World Martial Arts Tournament) as the pinnacle of martial arts display.

The goal of this project is to attempt to re-create the Tournament in a real-life setting, bringing fighters from all around the world (hopefully) to compete on a large, raised, open platform tournament. The tournament will ideally consist of an application round, a series of preliminary matches, and the main 8 man-tournament. The rule-set will have to be modified from the original rules in the series, but will be as close as possible, given any legal limitations.

Exactly What is the Money Being Raised For?

The $20,000 goal listed for the creation of the project will take care of the rental of the grounds for 1 to 3 days (depending on how large the tournament is), the acquistion of seating, audio and lighting equipment, payment of officials and tournament workers, video equipment for the creation of the Tournament DVD, promotion of the event (in the form of a website, radio spots, and other ads), and prize money for the winning participant. The more that is raised, the better the event and the prizes will be for the winner and runners-up. Everyone who makes it to the final 8-man tournament will recieve a prize, but not necessarily monetary in nature.

Long-Term Goals of the Project

Hopefully, upon the success of the tournament, we will immediately begin planning the next one, with the goal of seeking out stronger and stronger fighters to determine the strongest fighter in the world and increasing the prizes available to the fighters. The eventual goal is to create a promotion that will fairly compensate its fighters, while providing top-notch, action-packed matches for all in attendance and viewing at home (via DVD, streaming, or otherwise.)

There are many fighters who put a lot of work into their craft and fight hard for the fans, but aren't able to train as they'd like, due to monetary issues. One of the long-term goals of this promotion is to fix that problem.

We Want to Give Back

10% of the profit made from the ticket sales and sponsorships of the tournament will go to help the homeless and those affected with PTSD, particularly veterans.


We need your help to get started! (Click the link to donate now!)

Friday, June 19, 2015

Itagaki's KBG Training

Itagaki's Kamogawa Boxing Training is similar to his pre-gym training, but a little more difficult. The volume is up and there's a little more intensity, so it is good to use as a hard day, if you're new to the workout or use Itagaki's earlier training as an easy day once you're used to this workout.

Even geniuses need to work hard.

Itagaki's KBG Training

Morning
  • 3 Mile Run, 7 Sprints Throughout (Shadowbox 15 seconds at the 1, 2, and 3 mile marks.)

Afternoon (4-6 Hours Later)
  • 20 Push-ups
  • 20 Sit-ups
  • 20 Squats
--5 Rounds, then
  • 3 x 3 Minute Footwork
  • 3 x 3 Minute Shadowboxing
  • 3 x 3 Minute Heavy Bag Work OR Mitt Work OR Sparring
  • 3 x 3 Minute Jump Rope
  • 3 x 3 Minutes Speed Bag Work
OR
  • 4 x 100 Meter Sprint (15 seconds rest between sets)
  • 30 Seconds on/30 Seconds off x 5 Rounds Speed Punching
  • 3 x 200 Meter Sprint (20 seconds rest between sets)
  • 20 Seconds on/20 Seconds off x 4 Rounds Speed Punching
  • 2 x 400 Meter Sprint (30 seconds rest between sets)
  • 15 Seconds on/15 Seconds off x 3 Rounds Speed Punching
  • 800 Meter Run (1 Minute rest between sets)
  • (CONTINUE ONLY IF 800 METER <  3 MINUTES)
  • 10 Seconds on/10 Seconds off x 2 Rounds Speed Punching
  • 1600 Meter Run 
  • Speed Punching to Failure
Notes:
  • You have the option of skill work and conditioning or speed work and conditioning.
  • This workout is very similar to the Itagaki's last workout, so use that as a guide.
  • For speed punching, your goal is to throw as many punches as possible in the listed time. 
  • Speed punching to failure means that you punch at high speed until you can't handle it anymore. 
  • If you are unable to complete the 800 Meter Run in less than 3 minutes, finish the workout and do not continue to the next exercise. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Saturday, June 13, 2015

"Fishing Boat Makunouchi" Workout

Ippo was in shape before he began his boxing journey. His strength and stamina were cultivated in his daily work at his family's fishing business. Makunouchi's leg strength and balance were built by loading and carrying heavy coolers of ice for his fishing customers and by standing on a moving boat. This workout is designed to mimic the type of training that Ippo endured during this time.
Do you even lift, Itagaki?



"Fishing Boat Makunouchi" Workout

Early Morning, before any Roadwork
  1. Farmer's Carry- 25 Meters x 10 Sets
  2. Pull-ups- MAX Reps
  3. DB Bent Over Row- 10 Reps (same weights as Farmer's Carry)
  4. Back Squat OR Front Squat- 10 Reps (use choice for remainder of workout)
  5. Barbell Weighted Carry- 100 Meters
  6. Barbell Weighted Walking Lunges- 10 Reps each side
  7. Dumbbell Deadlift- 10 Reps (same weights as Farmer's Carry)
Notes:
  • This workout is to mimic loading and carrying the coolers for the Makunouchi Fishing Boat.
  • The farmer's carries should start off at a relatively light weight and you should gradually add weight over the course of many workouts. For this workout, you'll want to add weight only when you are able to do all 10 sets of Farmer's Carry with the same weight with about 1 minute rest in between sets. 
  • For the squats, you can unrack the weight from the squat rack or you can clean it into position (with as push press to get it to your back for the back squats.) The weight will be less than your 10 Rep Max, so that you are able to control the weight throughout the remainder of the workout. Make sure your form is good and get as deep in the squat as possible. 
  • For the weighted carry, make sure that you keep your core tight and your steps sure so you don't slip or trip on anything. Try to do this in an area that is uncluttered and uncrowded. 
  • With the same weight as the squats and the carries, you'll perform 10 walking lunges on each leg before putting the weight down or re-racking it. 
  • The same weights will be used for the DB Deadlifts as for the Farmer's Carry. The weights will be in front of you or right beside your legs. Break your hips back and squat down to the weights. Drive your hips forward and heels through the floor to lift the weights.  Repeat for 10 reps to end the workout. 
  • It is best to start light, especially if you are doing this workout in conjunction with other Ippo workouts or as part of the Hajime no Ippo Training Program.

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

What is "Team Kratos??" -Plus Deadlifts

This is a video from my good friend Mike's YouTube Channel, Ironback Fitness.  In this video, Mike talks about his new non-profit venture to help homeless veterans and people suffering from PTSD. At the end, Mike talks us through the conventional and sumo deadlift forms (as I demonstrate).

MIke is a retired Marine with PTSD, so he's completely aware of the stresses placed on the men and women who serve in the military, and he wants to use his channel as a way to give back to veterans. If you guys like lifting and supporting veterans, specifically those who are homeless and with PTSD, go ahead and subscribe to his channel and stick with him. He's got some serious plans in the future.




That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Monday, June 8, 2015

Anime Training Theory, Episode 1: Why Weren't The Saiyans the Strongest?

This is the first episode in our new series "Anime Training Theory."  Do me a favor and share the crap out of it so I'll know that we should make more of them.



This time, we discuss why the Saiyans weren't very strong, despite their potential to become Super Saiyans and beyond.







That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Daily Grind: Why You Don't Need a Rest Day

Do you need rest days?  Do you need days where you do absolutely nothing?  We've been told that rest days are necessary, and your body certainly does need to recover, but I think we've been going about this entirely the wrong way.

What images pop into your head when you think about a rest day?  Is it going for a nice walk in the park or the beach or is it you laying on the couch with dried cheese snack powder (you know the one) and a soda the color of radioactive sludge?  Whatever the case is, it's probably not what you should be thinking.

You've got this perfectly good day and you're not training?

(*too)  That's a damn shame.


At this point, I've probably got you wanting to comment or write me a nasty e-mail telling me about Overtraining Syndrome, DOMS, lactic acid, and micro-tears in the muscles.  That's fine. Write the e-mail if you need to: I'll be here when you get back.  However, wait to push send until you hear me out okay?

Recovery is Important

I'm not saying that recovery is not important. Of course recovery is important. We eat the right amounts of good, nutritious foods and drink a river of water to recover properly, relax when it's time to relax during the day, and sleep like a baby for 8-10 hours a night (if you're not sleeping, you're not recovering).  That's not even counting things like massage, ice baths, supplements, PEDs, compression, foam rolling, and however many additional things people do to speed recovery on a daily basis.  You have all of those things and you're telling me that I need to skip a day where I could be training?

I'mma go ahead and say, "No."



If you are doing all of those things, there should be no reason for you to take a day off from training, as long as you are doing the appropriate amount of work at the appropriate intensity. Obviously, if you train to the point that you can't even move the following day, you're going to have to take a day off. However, if you've pushed your body to such a point, you're no longer training effectively.  The purpose of training is to stimulate growth, not annihilate your body to the point that you can no longer use it. Acute overtraining keeps you from being able to continue your training and improving.
And the entire point is to continue improving.


One time, in middle school, I remember that I did legs so hard that I literally couldn't walk the next day. It was some stupid amount of volume like 6 sets of Squats, 8 sets of Leg Press, 4 Super-sets of Leg Extensions and Leg Curls, 4 sets of Calf Raises, 4 Sets of Weighted Bench Step-ups, and all of these were like 10-12 reps sets. I wasn't prepared for the volume by any means, but more must be better in a single training session, right?

Not at all. Unfortunately, because of that training session, I couldn't train at all for two or three days.  How much of a set back is that?!  I want to have the opportunity to improve something every single day.

Always Be Improving

There is always something that you can be working on. Think about all of the things you can improve during your training: strength, endurance, flexibility, mobility, technical skills, agility, balance, stamina, accuracy, coordination, and power.  You don't need a rest day, you need to work on something else. It really depends one what type of athlete you are or what your goals are that will determine how you change up your routine.  The times when you feel as though you've done too much of one thing, you need to work on other aspects of your fitness that falls into line with your goals.  Having an easy day of working on something is not the same thing as a "rest day," in my opinion, because you're still drilling motor patterns and working out the stiffness in the muscles and joints.  You don't need rest, you need to stop skipping important training days.

Athletes have been doing this for decades.  Training splits where an athlete trains different body parts is something that is seen in bodybuilding and various strength sports.  In team sports, athletes split up speed work, agility training, strength training, and skill work to develop every aspect of whatever game they are playing. With the every day athlete, however, you have so many more options, because you're not limited to improving performance for a game. If you find that a training session leaves you incapable of working on some aspect of your fitness, either by accident or design, merely switch to a different component of your fitness and train that.

Splitting up body parts and changing up the components of fitness are two ways that you can continue to improve while pushing your limits on a daily basis, but they are not the only ways. And that's where the next part comes in:

The Daily Grind

If you are specializing in something to any degree, be it strength, skill, or whatever, you would do well to adopt the concept of "The Daily Grind."  You see it in the training methodology of the Shaolin Temple and martial arts around the world and in various strength training camps from powerlifting to Olympic lifting. The concept of day-in day-out physical exertion bringing about an increase physical abilities is not a new concept.

I remember working on construction sites during summer and winter breaks throughout high school and college.  Even though I stayed in shape during the school year, the first week back doing hard framing or roofing was always hell.  Everything hurt and you just felt beat up.  Two weeks into it, though, you didn't even notice anymore and you're already back to doing your normal workouts on top of hard 10 hour days in the hot sun.  Your body is enormously adaptive and capable of so much more than we give it credit for, as long as we give it the tools and the time necessary to improve.

There are things that you could do every day that seem hard right now, but in a few weeks will just become another routine part of your life. In order to push yourself in your training, think about what things you could do. I'll give you some examples of training programs and workouts:

  1. Cory Gregory's Squat Every Day- At first glance, this sounds insane. Squatting heavy, in some form or another, every day of the week. And, yet, there are athletes around the world who do just that and make monumental gains in strength, size, and mobility from doing just that.  The argument is that the squat is a primal human movement and we were made to do it, just like walking. It follows a plan of using 11 variations of the barbell squat in a relatively short session every day. It really is quite amazing how your legs feel. Cory Gregory did not invent the idea of squatting heavy every day, but he's certainly spreading the news about it. If you're a strength athlete, I recommend you look into it.  I've recently begun adapting it to the Gravity Room Method, myself. 
  2. Narushimo Ryo's Basic Training- If you are a martial artist and not practicing your techniques every day, you are doing yourself a disservice. That doesn't mean that you have to practice them all or that you have to be beat up all the time, but it does mean that you should be training them. Starting off with a smaller number every day and then gradually adding volume to your skill work is a great way to improve without overdoing it by trying to jam 100,000 reps into two hours.  Life is not a montage.  These things take time. 
  3. Kamishiro Yuu's Basic Training- Drilling your techniques will make you better. Drilling them tens of thousands of times will make you a master. You will have to start slowly, but you'll be able to do more and more over weeks and months of training. 
  4. Saitama's Training- There are some basic movement patterns that we just do all the time. Push-ing yourself off the ground, sitting up from laying down, squatting down, and running are some of the most basic things that we can do.  As a beginner, those things can be a little daunting, but in just a few months, those movement become as natural as breathing and you wonder how you ever lived your life so sedentary. Here's a video to show you options to increase the variety of your training. 
  5. The 72 Arts of Shaolin- (Look under "Retsu Kaioh") These specialized exercises are the pinnacle of the Daily Grind. Taking a very simple exercise and using it to gradually turn your body into a weapon is trademark of the Shaolin Temple, kung fu, and martial arts in general. The author of the "72 Arts" recommends that you do not try to do them all, but instead commit yourself fully to two or three training methods to achieve greatness. (I've not yet posted all of the parts to this.)
  6. The Self-Imposed Rule- Pushing yourself in your daily training comes in many forms.  The Self-Imposed Rule is a way to push yourself when you aren't meeting your own standards of performance. Your mental and physical prowess can become much greater when you set your mind to the idea that you can always train yourself beyond your failings and limitations. 

Using these methods directly or as an example, you can take your normal program and push it into the realm of extraordinary.  Starting gradually and adding volume and intensity over time will allow you to take simple movements and techniques and absorb them into your very being. Bruce Lee said, "If you always put a limit on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."

You don't need a rest day: You need consistency, proper nutrition and sleep, and the drive to always be improving, even if it's just by one more rep. If you push yourself a little too hard in a training session, remember that you can always train another aspect of your fitness. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Master Post for Hajime no Ippo Training Program


  1. The Hajime no Ippo Training Program- Part 1
  2. The Hajime no Ippo Training Program- Part 2
  3. The Hajime no Ippo Training Program- Part 3
  4. The Hajime no Ippo Training Program- Part 4
  5. The Hajime no Ippo Training Program- Part 5

Parts will be added as they are finished/I have time to add them.

Make sure you have a mouthguard when you're training!

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Holyland Workout Master Post


  1. Kamishiro Yuu's Basic Training
  2. Kamishiro Yuu's Kick Training
  3. Kamishiro Yuu's Wrestling Practice
  4. Kamishiro Yuu- Thug Hunter Workout

Workouts will be added to this as they are completed/I have time. 

My Current Training Library

  1. Underground BODYOPUS by Daniel Duchaine
  2. Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee
  3. The Art of Expressing the Human Body by Bruce Lee and John Little
  4. Fighter’s Fact Book by Loren W. Christensen
  5. The Fighter’s Body by Loren W. Christensen and Wim Demeere
  6. Kung Fu Elements by Shou-Yu Liang
  7. Ultimate Fighting Techniques Volume 1: The Top Game by Royce Gracie
  8. NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training
  9. ACE Personal Trainer Manual, 4th Edition
  10. Jiu-jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro
  11. Complete Triathlon Book by Matt Fitzgerald
  12. Running Tough by Michael Sandrock
  13. Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey
  14. Combat Abs by Matt Furey
  15. The Centurion Method (Idk if it’s even in print anymore)
  16. Special Ops Fitness Training by Mark DeLisle
  17. The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho
  18. The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
  19. Zen and Swordsmanship from the Yamaoka Tesshu Archives
  20. Sun and Steel by Yukio Mishima

This is every training resource that is on my shelf currently. I’ve got a few things loaned out and a few things I sold at some point. I did find out that my “Zen and Swordsmanship” book is worth about $300, though. That’s pretty crazy since I bought it for 6 bucks. Cool to find out that I have a rare book. 

Just thought I would share these books with you guys in case you were looking for any additional training info or inspiration.   

Thursday, May 28, 2015

IIFYM with Mike!

A video my friend and I did for his new YouTube channel. 50% of everything he makes from his YouTube channel and future gear is going to help Veterans. He’s a retired Marine with a head injury disability and he uses lifting to help deal with PTSD and depression. This man is like my brother and he is awesome.

If you already follow me, follow him and share his stuff. If you don’t follow me, follow me and then follow him and share his stuff. If you don’t wanna follow me, still follow him and share his stuff. He’s got an awesome long term plan to help veterans and I’m happy to be a part of it.

This video is about your macronutrient breakdown needed for weight loss or weight gain. Mike is hardcore. He weighs and measures everything and he is all about macros.





That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Current Available Programs

Take your training to the next level and kick boredom in the ass with Real Anime Training!

We offer Personalized Training Programs based on any characters, using any equipment that you have, geared toward your goals.

You have several options available:
  1. You can get 4 weeks of training for only $80!
  2. You can get 8 weeks of training for just $120!
  3. You can get 16 weeks of training for $200!
  4. 24 weeks of training is $240!
  5. 52 weeks of training is only $340! A full year of training!!

Want something just as nerdy, but a little more friendly to your wallet? Get a pre-made Character Training Program (there’s only Goku right now) for $10!!!! If you need a little extra help with the pre-made program, additional consultation for the program is just $10 a month!

We also provide Program Consultations via e-mail for $30 a month. You send me your program and your goals and I will help you restructure it and your daily schedule to help be more in line with your goals. I’ll help keep you accountable and encouraged. It’s similar to the Character Training consultations, but it’s a little more involved, because I’ll be restructuring your program or helping you build one. You can donate via PayPal and send me an e-mail at realanimetraining@gmail.com so we can get started.

If you need something more involved, we also offer Online Personal Training for $40 for 1 session, $175 for 5 sessions, and $300 for 10 sessions. These sessions are 1 hour long, held over Skype, and also include the ability to ask questions via e-mail and receive video critiques. These sessions can be used to talk about your goals, your gameplan, to critique form, or learning about fitness in general. It’s your session and I’m happy to help you reach your goals.

Being a trainer is my life.  I am the Anime Trainer and I wouldn't have it any other way. It’s what I enjoy and I love helping people online and around the world. Depending on your needs, I hope I can offer things that will help you at a price you can afford. I’m an ACE Certified Trainer and I’ve spent the majority of my life experimenting and challenging myself with many different kinds of fitness programs and training methods. I’ve been writing about fitness for over 8 years and I’m happy to keep going and teaching and learning. I look forward to working with you.  I love all of my readers and I thank you so much for coming on this journey with me.

Good luck and train hard!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

One-Punch Man: Saitama's Training

This is the video companion to the post of Saitama's Training.  If you want to train using this method, you absolutely must watch this video. It will help you take 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 10 km run to the next level, while staying injury free. If you have any questions, please leave it in the comments and please go ahead and like, comment, and subscribe on the video on YouTube as well. Thanks for watching!



That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Friday, May 22, 2015

Waterbending Strength and Conditioning

Dear Reader,

I thought about trying to take advantage of you, but I’ve been through some profound life changing experiences recently and it’s altered my moral outlook. After having my perspective altered, by a series of painful near death experiences, I have changed and grown. Just like Aang and Korra probably did in their respective cartoon narratives. Which leads me to my point. With my new found maturity comes the understanding that this relationship is not going to work unless we are totally honest with each other.

The following exercise regime is based on a lie. I don’t actually know any “water bending,” and I don’t know very much about “The Legend of Korra.” More or less everything I do know was a learned in the process of researching this article. I can’t move water with my mind despite the fact that I do know some Tai Chi Chuan (which is a Chinese martial art that uses movements similar to those involved in water bending). I don’t even know who Kya is, or how her water bending prowess fits into the overall narrative, but I do know this: Korra would not want you to be out of shape! Korra would want you keep the promises you made to yourself not to eat things that you know are bad for you and she would want you to enjoy the social and health benefits that come from regular exercise.
So please, for Korra’s sake, give this workout a try. It might be hard at first, but when the Lion Turtle withdrew it’s protection from the people of the Water Tribe, that must have been pretty hard for them too. I bet it wasn’t easy for them to learn the secrets of water bending by observing the relationship between the moon and the tides. They probably had tons of other things they could have been doing besides staring at the ocean, but they kept up the effort. Why? Because the ancient people of the Water Tribe knew what Korra knows, and what we all need to learn: Short term pleasures must be put aside, so that we can achieve our long term goals!

And our goals are to get as close to Waterbending as possible.

The Moon Spirits don’t reveal their secrets easily, but don’t forget the powerful metaphor that I assume was referenced at some point in an episode of “Legend of Korra” involving Water Bending. “Water is the softest thing in the world, but with enough time it can wear down mountains or dig out the Grand Canyon. It always finds the most efficient path as it flows towards its destination, but if you struck it spontaneously becomes hard.” After reading that I think you’ll have to admit that water has great intrinsic value, and that so does physical health. Therefore, and without further disclaimer. I present to you this low impact but highly effective “Water Bending Workout!”

Please do it! I told the Lion Turtle you would. You wouldn’t want to make me a liar would you? Did I mention that I almost died?

Yours,


James



Water Bending Workout

Fighting Back With Water:

It’s a common misconception that water bending makes you vulnerable to electrical attacks. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s actually the impurities in water that conduct electricity, master water benders learn to remove the impurities in water thus making it an effective insulator. Therefore, let us honor the legacy of the Moon Spirit by drinking lots of pure water throughout the day and cutting out all sodas and energy drinks. Dehydration often feels like fatigue, and many of us find that by simply staying hydrated we can avoid tired feelings that we previously fought with caffeine.
Caffeine is dehydrating, and only makes you more tired in the long run. That’s a vicious cycle, of destruction unlike the life giving cycle of the moon and the tides which form the basis of water bending. So when you are in training, drink water not beer, not soda, not energy drinks, and not fruit juice which is loaded with calories, has no protein and doesn’t alleviate hunger. Water does alleviate hunger, so when you feel like having a snack, fight the urge with water. Water Benders know that the cycle of nature will bring lunch to them in the fullness of time, and they know the power of water. That’s why they don’t need to give up on their dreams just to feel full now and guilty later. Even if you can’t fight entire armies with water, you can use water to fight hunger and fatigue!

What fatigue?


Balance and Fluidity:

Water bending requires balance, fluidity, and core strength. The following routine will allow you develop those attributes while getting a surprisingly strenuous cardio vascular workout. All you need is two Dixie cups, some open space, and a piece of string.

Fill your cups with water and hold one in each hand. Hold them out at arm’s length. Now take three steps backwards and three steps forwards. Try not to spill any water.

Close your eyes and repeat your steps without spilling any water.

Hold your arms out to sides, and stand on one leg. Close your eyes and lower your foot to the floor and switch legs. Try to switch legs 10 times without opening your eyes or spilling the water. It should take you about a month to get the hang of doing this right. After a month, you can vary your hand positions to make it harder. For example holding both arms straight overhead.

Sit down on the floor without spilling your cups of water. The only rule is that you cannot spill the water. You can use any motions you want. This will be very hard at first but it will also teach you a lot about balance and mobility.

Now stand up without spilling the water. If you find it easy to do this progress to the next level by doing it with closed eyes. Sit down and stand up 10 times.

Now put your water aside and stand with your toes touching a wall and your feet touching. Now squat down as far as you can without falling backward. At first your body will hit the wall and push your back. As you become more flexible you will be able to perform squats in this way. It takes very high level balance and flexibility to do this, which is why it is a staple of traditional Tai Chi training. The beauty of this is that the knees never go past your toes so there is never a risk of knee injury. Try to do 10 wall squats, but be aware that you will have to practice every day until you can get one wall squat. If you can do all ten easily then close your eyes. If you can do ten with your eyes closed try to work your way up to 20. However, doing 10 wall squats already puts you in pretty rare company. The only secret is regular practice.

Regular practice yields results.

Next, tie a rope to something sturdy that weight at least 45 lbs. Traditionally we would just use a tree, but feel free to be creative. Stand naturally (feet parallel) with your eyes closed, and pull on the rope as hard as you can with one hand without moving your feet or leaning your head forward or backward. Gradually pull harder until you lose your balance then switch hands. Try to pull the object towards you even if the object is immobile. Perform this exercise 10 times on each side. Then turn so the tree is behind you and perform the same exercise 10 times each side.

Next, stand on your right leg and touch your left big toe with your right hand alternate between your left and right legs. See how many switches you can make without falling and try to beat your number next time. Now have some water.

Unfortunately, the last part of this workout is a bit harsh. However, it is necessary to push your limits a little bit in order to extend your limits.

To get ready close your eyes and lie down on your back. Stand up without using your right arm or opening your eyes, then lie back down on your back and stand up again without using your left arm or opening your eyes. This counts as one rep for the last exercise. Your goal is to perform 100 reps to end your workout.

There are only two rules eyes closes and only one arm at a time. Besides those two rules you can rest as much as you want between reps or use any technique you want to stand up. You will find that standing up and sitting down with your eyes closed is very hard and that it will test your entire nervous system as well as ware your entire body out in a matter of minutes. You will find that your brain has to work overtime to discover new motor patters to help your keep your balance and use your body efficiently. You will also be shocked and how hard this workout is on your abdominal muscles. However, because this workout trains both your mind and body, you will make rapid gains as your brain adapts to the challenge and you will keep the extra physical confidence you acquire for the rest of your life.


Take the Water Bending challenge and try this routine and the diet recommendations above every day for a month. Then, switch to doing it the routine three times a week to maintain your coordination, mobility, and core strength as you use them to pursue other goes. If you do this routine all the way through even once you will never see your body the same way again and will have a solid foundation for internal Kung Fu training (the poor man’s air bending) as a collateral benefit.  

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(Edit from Stephen:  Support us on Patreon!

Start with the above training before you begin any of the things I am about to write. Do it for 1 month, three times a week. At the end of the month, you may do the above training, plus one of the following trainings.  You will continue to train three days a week for at least another month. 

After that, you may attempt to add more days of training, until you reach 6 days of training (this should be gradual and take you about a year).   After a year, you will be doing the above training with one of the following groups of exercises six days a week. 

Over the next year, you can experiment with doing 2 of the following or all three of the following during the week in addition to the above training.  However, please start slowly and don't overdo it. 

1. Combat Training:

Here is a video of the Yang Style Tai Chi Short Form (Part 1) and Long Form.  Practice these forms starting at 15 minutes a day, adding time gradually. Eventually, I've been told the Long Form should take you about 45 minutes to complete because will be doing the form so slowly. If the videos I have linked are not the correct forms for Yang Style Tai Chi, I apologize.
I can certainly add more for reference, if needed.)

2. Stance Training:

Here is also a list of the stances of Tai Chi. If you're looking to mimic the style of the other workouts, you may practice each of these stances for 10 minutes a piece. 

3. Additional Conditioning: (Choose 2)

  1. Swim for 1 Hour (any stroke, take breaks if needed)
  2. 200 Kettlebell Swings (start at a light weight and build up)
  3. 200 Side Switch Kettlebell Swings (see picture below)
  4. 50 Sets of Atlas Stone Lift and Carry for 20 Meters (start light)
  5. 25 Butterfly Stretch Squats  (about half way down the page)
  6. Low Horse Stance for 2 Hours Max

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!


(James has written several articles for various Martial Arts resources and has trained in Tai Chi, Karate, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.)


Thursday, May 21, 2015

Sand Therapy- How to Fix Tendon Pain in Forearms

Great for tendon pain and strengthening the hand and forearm! If you do a lot of grip training, this is a fantastic exercise to help prevent and remedy the tendon pain that can come with it. This is something you can do after any lifting session where you have trained your gripping, especially deadlifts and pull-ups. Prevent and help relieve the pain of tendonitis.


This is also a great exercise to strengthen the hand for sports like baseball and boxing and if you're looking to prep for The Turtle Hermit's Training.






That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Monday, May 18, 2015

Rock Lee: The Self-Imposed Rule

Rock Lee pushes himself to new levels of intensity with the concept of the "self-imposed rule."  The idea is this: if you are unable to complete a certain exercise or challenge as intended, you then force yourself to complete another exercise, not as punishment, but as a way to make sure you don't fail again.  The Green Beast of Konoha, of course, takes this rule to extremes, but I think that it can used as an extremely useful training tool, if used properly. So, let's delve into it.

I'm Rock Lee and I approve this message. 
And this training gear!


Rock Lee: The Self-Imposed Rule

When training, if you are attempting a new PR, such as lifting a certain amount of weight or doing a certain number of reps, or running a particular distance in a particular time, decide before you begin the workout to commit to the bounds of the "self-imposed rule."  I'm going to give several examples of the the rule, but please realize that this is a very open concept.

  1. If you fail on an attempt at a PR on a weight lifting exercise, complete as many reps as possible of a bodyweight version of that exercise. For a Squat/Deadlift type movement, you would complete a set of Squats for maximum reps. For Bench Press, you would do Push-ups or Dips. For Overhead Press, you would do Handstand Push-ups or Decline Push-ups. If you fail on a pull exercise, you could do a set of Pull-ups or Body Rows. 
  2. If you fail to complete a run as intended, you could do a number of exercises in response to failing. You could do a set of jump rope that equals half the time you were going to run. You could do a set number of jumps, like a high jump or a box jump.  You could do a small metcon (for instance: 30 push-ups, 30 sit-ups, 30 squats, AMRAP for 10 minutes)
  3. You don't always have to do the same muscle group. If you failed to do 100 push-ups, you may force yourself to do 100 squats in response to failure.  Even though squats won't help you in your push-ups per se, you'll still be pushing yourself to do more work as a whole. 
  4. If you lose a match in wrestling, judo, MMA, boxing, or another combat sport, go ahead and take a few days to rest, but when you come back, you could push yourself in your first few workouts based on how you lost.  If your cardio wasn't up to where it needed to be, log a few more rounds of shadowboxing or sparring in the following week or make sure you don't skip the High Intensity Interval Training.  If your muscles failed, do a 1,000 rep workout of pure bodyweight exercises broken up between four or five different movements. If you just weren't strong enough, make sure that you aren't skipping your strength sessions. If you just got out-fought, then make sure you drill the specific movements that would have let you win over and over and over again. 
  5. If you fail to do your workout as you intended, you could do a sprint workout afterward. You could also walk a distance on your hands or swim for a time or distance. Some days it can be "easy" and some days it can be "hard."

Some possible choices for "rule" exercises:
  1. Max Set of Push-ups
  2. Max Set of Sit-ups
  3. Max Set of Squats
  4. Max Set of Pull-ups
  5. Max Set of Handstand Push-ups
  6. 10 x 100 Meter Sprints
  7. 200 High Jumps
  8. Run 5 Miles
  9. 500 Double Under Jump Rope
  10. 2,000 Single Under Jump Rope
  11. 1,000 Punches or Kicks to Heavy Bag (at least wrap your hands)
  12. Perform a Cardio exercise for 30 Minutes
  13. Walk 100 Meters on Hands
  14. Skip 1 Mile
  15. Walking Lunges 1 Mile
  16. 1,000 Reps Bodyweight Exercises
  17. Perform 50 Total Reps of a Weight Lifting Exercise with 60% of your 1RM
  18. Pick 3 Exercises @ 30 Reps Each for 10 Minutes
  19. Carry a 1/4 Bodyweight Object for 1/4 Mile
  20. Max Set of Every One-Limb Exercise 
  21. Push/Pull a Sled or Tire weighing 200# or more for 1 Mile
  22. Complete your entire workout over again with half the weight. 
  23. Play a Competitive Game for 1 Hour: Basketball, Football, Volleyball, etc.
  24. Practice Martial Arts for 1 Hour
  25. Drill 1 Technique or Skill for 1 Hour 

These are just some of the things that you can do. In anything, you'll want to be safe and you'll want to know when to stop. The purpose here is to apply additional stimulus to help you overcome plateaus, not to kill yourself with exercise. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Friday, May 15, 2015

Korra's Body Training | Tough Like The Toonz: EP 5

In this episode of "Tough Like the Toonz,"  JaxBlade shows us the exercises he would do to get a body like Korra. The key here is not magical exercises, but simple exercises done with consistency and decent form. I don't normally have criticism for Jax, but I would like to stress that you should go all the way down (full extension) on your pull-ups.






That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Who is the "Strongest in the World?"

What does it mean to be "the strongest?"  It's question posed in one form or another in many anime and it's definitely not an easy one to answer. There are many people to whom you can point and go "That guy. That guy right there. He's the strongest."   But even in those cases, there will be disagreements on the terms by which that person was determined to be the strongest in the world. I doubt anyone could ever reach a consensus.

"You're the strongest? Dr. Wheelo will see you now."

But that's not going to stop us from arguing about it. This article is an attempt to compare all those we would call the "Strongest in the World" and perhaps get a little closer to an answer... or at least something else we can argue about.


Let's start with...

1. Olympic Lifters

Olympic lifting is the combination of super strength and super technique. The clean and jerk and the snatch are the two lifts scored in the Olympics and getting a gold medal in weightlifting during the Olympics certainly should entitle you to being the strongest in the world, right?

I mean, it's the friggin' Olympics!

Look at him. He looks like he's about to break that bar in half.

But this is not so cut and dry. Even though the men and women of the Olympics can put massive amounts of weight overhead, there is another class of athlete that moves weight equal to or greater than the Olympic lifters (although in different lifts).


2. Powerlifters

These men and women are capable of moving ridiculous amounts of weight. Even at the lowest weight classes, they move 3-4 times their own weight in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. The percentage of their bodyweight decreases as the weight classes get higher, but the records for the heaviest lifts of all time are over 1,000 pounds in each lift.  The heaviest total weight of all three lifts was 3,005 pounds (Dave Hoff, 2013)!  These guys are strong, no doubt.

Most non-powerlifting people don't do that many plates in all of their lifts combined.

But does three lifts really make you the strongest in the world? Would more variables help determine what it means to be the strongest?

3. Strongmen/Strongwomen

Strongman and strongwoman competitions are full of heavy lifting of various types. Increasingly heavier squats, massive deadlifts, truck pulls, super heavy carries with awkward weights, cleaning and pressing logs, throwing kegs high into the air-- these are all frequent feats completed by strongman competitors. It's high level strength and technique combined with vicious relatively short periods of all-out conditioning effort.


4. CrossFitters

Crossfitters are frequently looked down upon as being weak, but there are some seriously strong guys and gals who compete in the CrossFit Games every year.  And it's not just strength, because there is so much versatility present in these athletes.  While they can lift heavy, they can also run fast or far, or crank out hundreds of reps of a huge list of exercises.

CrossFit prides itself on producing "generalists."  This term means that a CrossFitter should be able to meet and perform on any general number of tasks. They may not be the fastest runner or be able to do ultra-marathons or deadlift world-record weight or compete on the level of the elite "specialist," but they have proven it is possible to produce an athlete that is capable of being above-average (many times, highly above average) in a wide range of physical fitness applications.  And this means that, on any given day, that a good Crossfitter would be able to beat most people in most activities. Therefore, the winner of the CrossFit Games would (theoretically) be able to beat the majority of athletes in a majority of things. And that's pretty cool.


5. MMA Fighters

Fighters are a special breed. You step into a cage or a ring with another guy or girl who wants to hurt you and you punch, kick, and grapple until someone wins by knockout, submission, or decision. It's tough and anyone who even gets in there to compete deserves immediate respect.

You might find it odd that I would include MMA fighters in the list of the "Strongest in the World;" however, consider what it means to be the strongest for just a moment. Hanma Baki said (paraphrasing) that the strongest is the one who is standing over someone else. In short, the strongest one is the victor in combat. Squatting 1,100 pounds and tearing a phone book in half means you have ridiculous strength, but if you are beaten into submission by another person, who is stronger?  If it is this kind of strength, then it's either the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world or the top guy of the highest weight class who's the strongest.






Thursday, May 14, 2015

Minecraft Workout

Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the entire world. It is low-graphics and doesn't have much in the way of a story line, but it makes up for that by the ability to manipulate the world in nearly an endless fashion and the willingness of its fans to build upon the very small mythology present within the Minecraft world and create limitless stories, maps, and worlds.

There have even been veritable heroes of Minecraft birthed, due to the nature of the internet, with players like DanTDM, Captain Sparkles, and Stampy Cat getting millions and millions of views on nearly every video they post. People love Minecraft. They want to live in the Minecraft world.

SO, I MADE A MINECRAFT WORKOUT!

This looks like a job for... Steve!!
This workout is patterned after the Day Cycle in Minecraft, which is 20 minutes long.  The Daytime is 10 Minutes, with a 90 second Sunset, a 7 Minute Night, and a 90 second Sunrise. You can make it as easy or as hard as you need it to be. It's your world, after all!


Daytime Strength and Conditioning

  1. Wood Chopping- 1 Minute
  2. Log Deadlift and Carry- 50 Meters (at least 50#)
  3. Pick-ax to Dirt/Stone- 1 Minute
  4. Stone Deadlift and Carry- 50 Meters (at least 50#)
  5. Shoveling Dirt- 1 Minute
  6. 5-Gallon Dirt-Bucket Lift and Carry- 50 Meters 
AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 10 Minutes 

Sunset Rest- 90 Seconds

Nighttime Skill and Cardio
  1. Sprint 100 Meters (toward optional wooden sword)
  2. 20 Punches (pick up sword if available)
  3. Sprint 100 Meters (holding optional wooden sword)
  4. 20 Sword Swings (or Punches)  
  5. Sprint 100 Meters (dropping optional sword before start)
  6. 20 Box Jumps @ 24"
AMRAP in 7 Minutes

Sunrise Rest- 90 Seconds


Complete Workout 1 to 3 times, depending on fitness



Notes:

  1. You will need the following equipment to complete this workout: An ax or hatchet, some logs and stones, a pick-ax, an area of dirt you can dig up or a pile of dirt, a shovel, and a 5-gallon bucket.
  2. If you are just starting out, you can go slowly with your minute of wood chopping, pick-ax, and shoveling.  That will allow you to adjust the pace to your fitness level. 
  3. Try to get a log and a stone that are as smooth as possible, so you are not scraping your skin up too much. 
  4. When you deadlift the stone or the log, try to hug it toward your chest, so that it is easier to move with. You'll do the same thing with the 5-gallon bucket filled with dirt, which should weight just below 50#.
  5. When shoveling the dirt, you can either fill up your bucket with dirt or, if it is already full, just toss the dirt into another pile beside the pile you already have. 
  6. When 10 minutes is up, stop, even if you are in the middle of a cycle of wood chopping, shoveling, or swinging the pick-ax. 
  7. If you don't have a wooden sword, that's fine. Just do punches during the part where you would be swinging the sword. 
  8. If you don't have a box or something like that to jump onto, you could potentially jump onto the pile of dirt you have, if it is tall enough. Make sure you stand up completely at the top of the box jump before you jump back down or step down. 
  9. Make good use of your rest periods. If you can only get through the Day before you have to stop, that's fine. If you can make it through a whole cycle, congratulations!!  As you progress, you can add more Day Cycles (up to 3 total) or you can increase the weight of the log and rock during the Day portion of the workout. Also, you can make it more difficult by pushing yourself harder during the minute "Mining" portions. 
  10. Make sure to eat a few porkchops and maybe a piece of cake after all this!  (Okay, maybe not the cake.)
That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!


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