The 13 Deadly Sins of Fitness

Bless me Coach for I have sinned.  It’s been a while since my last fitness confession.  These are my top 13 most deadly fitness sins… (Yes, I know there are only 7 deadly sins but I just couldn’t stop at 7…)

  1. I did not make the time to work out consistently.
  2. I was too lazy and did not train.
  3. I have not supported my training with the proper nutritional strategies.  Remedy that with my free Ninja Nutrition Program!
  4. I allowed myself to be tempted by the latest, sexiest, “flavor of the week” training program in some crappy fitness magazine.
  5. I ignored my coach’s advice and did not perform a proper warm-up thus increasing my chances for injury.
  6. I further ignored my coach’s advice and did not follow the correct cool down protocol thus increasing my odds of soreness and residual tension.
  7. I did not seek out a knowledgeable coach to help me program my workouts and get me to my fitness goals thus leaving myself floundering in a fitness limbo of getting nowhere fast.
  8. I fell prey to becoming complacent in my workouts and never vary my routine thus insuring I stay stranded on this damn plateau.
  9. I fell prey to my fitness ADD and constantly change up my workouts to “confuse” my muscles thereby insuring my results are as random as my training
  10. I placed other “important” tasks before my training while knowing that my training is the one thing that allows me to be my best and support ALL my other tasks and activities.
  11. I allowed myself to get drawn into “paralysis by analysis” and become overwhelmed with all the information out there and thus I do nothing.
  12. I coveted my friend’s training program and did not stick to my own.
  13. I am weak and in poor condition but I voluntarily choose to sit on my ass and watch TV rather than getting up and doing something about it.

Need to do penance?  Or do you need guidance on your physical, mental, and spiritual journey?  The scriptures of Warrior Fitness can be found HERE.  Use these resources!!

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Mobility, Mobility, Mobility

What is, hands-down, the most effective, efficient, and time saving daily practice you can adopt for greater health and longevity?

In one word – Mobility, Mobility, Mobility!

I’m sure you are familiar with the phrase, “move it or lose it”, right?  But how seriously do you take it?

A complete mobility practice moves each joint in the body through its complete range of motion bathing it in synovial fluid.  Movement is the only way your joints get nutrition!  Each session can range from a quick 5 minute recharge to a 30 minute in-depth deep practice.  It’s up to you and how your body feels on a particular day.  For example, did you do a ton of heavy lifting or a super intense metabolic conditioning session the day before?  Maybe a longer, deeper mobility session is required to aid in restoration and recovery.  Or, did you just get out of bed and maybe only have 5 minutes before you have to get ready for work?  A 5 minute quick-n-dirty mobility session will charge you up and get your body moving (literally!).

Daily Practice

I have been performing my mobility practice almost every day for over 10 years now.  However, there have been a few times when I decided to forego it for several days in a row just to see if I could notice a difference.  After 3-4 days without it I began to notice.  Muscles were tighter.  Movements were less fluid.  Joints were crunchy.  When I finally stopped my no mobility experiment on day 5, the contrast was amazing!

In my experience, mobility training and breathing exercises are the biggest bang for your buck daily practices that will only reward you more and more with each passing year.

Benefits of Mobility Training

Spine mobilityIn no particular order, here are some of the benefits of mobility training:

  • Lubricates joints and allows them to receive nutrition through synovial fluid
  • Aids in removal of toxins
  • Reduces joint pain and inflammation
  • Increases range of motion (flexibility in motion)
  • Increases energy by reducing unconsciously held tension
  • Prehab for injury prevention
  • Mobility is foundation of all sport, athletic, and martial movement
  • Decreased mobility leads to increased pain and stiffness

Looking for a fantastic resource on mobility?  I would suggest checking out my Martial Power Program or Ninja Missions Program 1.  Both of these courses contain a different, yet highly effective mobility routines that will keep you healthy, active, and pain free for life!

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No matter which program you choose, mobility training is the gift that keeps on giving – it literally pays health dividends that increase over time.  Establish a daily practice and keep going!!

Healing Yourself With Mobility – Part 2

Healing and Protecting the Lower Back

Guest blog post by Eric Guttmann, U.S. Navy Officer, Author, Fitness Enthusiast and More!

In my last article I mentioned how I healed a sprained ankle myself using joint mobility. Now whenever something happens I can quickly and easily fix it myself.  For example I was training my heavy snatches with a training plan I wrote for myself.  This plan laid out progressively heavier snatches as I got stronger and perfected my technique.  I was to spend a minimum of a week with each weight class or until I mastered the weight before going up another level.

I started to progress faster than I anticipated and I got so eager that I ignored my own training protocol and quickly jumped to the 88lb kettlebell instead of spending time training that week with the 70lb kettlebell like I had planned.  As I snatched the 88lb with abandon I felt a sharp pain in my back and instantly knew something had gone wrong.  On the drive back to work the curves on the road became sheer AGONY for my lower back! I managed to see the chiropractor the next day and did my joint mobility everyday morning and night, slowly working through the pain and increasing my range of motion.  Within FOUR days I was snatching the 70lb kettlebell with perfect form and also learned to honor my innate wisdom in planning.

Many of my friends to whom I teach the lower back and spine mobility drills comment on how their lower backs loosen up and become pain-free after the mobility series.  In fact, it was at the prodding of these friends that I decided to do my FULL mobility DVD, because they wanted something they could study in their homes after I left.

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Now, if you remember on the first article I mentioned my father’s statement of “If you do something everyday, then everyday you will be able to do it.”  Every morning I go through my routine and establish full mobility in every joint.  I easily touch my wrists to the ground every morning.  Now I ask you, if I establish full mobility every morning and touch my wrists to the floor easily and gracefully every morning, am I going to have full mobility and easily touch  my wrists to the floor at 100 years of age?  The answers is ABSOLUTELY YES! All I have to do is keep doing my FULL mobility routine every morning.

I have been practicing joint mobility for five years now ever since I had the epiphany with my healed ankle.  I have been studying, incorporating, experimenting and refining my routine based on the works and/or my personal interaction with Pavel, Steve Maxwell, Scott Sonnon, Navy kinesiologists, Chek Practitioners, Z-Health, Mike Mahler, Chuck Habbaken, Bud Jeffries and others.

If you want to get your hands on the best mobility training out there and the EXACT one I have used to heal myself multiple times from the injuries sustained through training and life then click in the link below:

MovingFreelyDVD-219x300As an added bonus I am including a FREE BONUS which is my SECRET stretching routine to open up the hip and lengthen the spine which I found are the keys to maximizing my Qigong practice (which would be the second thing I most recommend for longevity).

Done together the joint mobility and stretches can be knocked out in under 26 minutes, yet your health and quality of life will expand to new and greater levels that will seem like a 1000% return on your investment.

Another bonus is a makeshift mobility test that you can do to gage whether you are at a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 joint mobility.  If you train others you can also use it to gage where your clients are at and to monitor their progress over time.

So order this DVD now and try it for yourself. I know that you will feel immediately freer and open, even diminishing or completely getting rid off nagging pain if you are carrying any, at the end of the instructional session.  That is right, I am saying that after going through the instructional part just ONCE you will feel an immediate improvement in your mobility!  Commit to doing it everyday and you WILL have FULL mobility for the rest of your LIFE!

MovingFreelyDVD-219x300If you live in the New Jersey area and prefer personal instruction in mobility then I highly recommend you check out my friend Jon Haas’ school, Warrior Fitness at 4004 Sylon Blvd, Hainesport  NJ, 08036, or give him a call at 609-556-8712 to set up an appointment or attend a class.

 

Eric GuttmannRead Eric’s complete bio HERE.