I've long been a coffee lover and enjoy the taste immensely. I consider it the cheapest "smart drug" available. Like anything, excessive coffee can alter your sleep patterns, and therefore must be managed like any substance or activity.The good news is that coffee is...

Almost everyone in the fitness, conditioning, and nutrition field mentions a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day. Most recommend a GALLON a day. Physicians see this as a fad. It may be largely promoted by companies that sell bottled water and water filters. Consumer...

I just saw the preview of a gritty documentary. It is called "Kali Means To Scrape". It is produced by Nick Papadakis. He is also known as "Pappy Dog" of the Dog Brothers Martial Arts. For years I have bought my sticks from Nick who has incredible customer service and...

As a young boy growing up in the Pittsburgh area, I enjoyed both comic books and Conan novels.My favorite artists at that time were Jack Kirby from Marvel, and Frank Frazetta. Kirby's early work was nothing short of incredible and certainly stimulated my love of art....

My introduction to Muay Thai came at the hands of "Master" Chai Surisute in the Smoky Mountain Martial Arts Camp in July of 1987. Two hours a day in the hot sun, Chai tortured us with Thai pad drills and Plum Grappling. His power is legendary and he can nearly knock...

Chuck Ahrens is a name that popped up frequently when reading about the old Muscle Beach gang. This was a time when the line between health, strength, and appearance was somewhat blurred and many lifters simply lifted in the gym in front of witnesses rather than in...

The debate continues. Organs burn the most weight and are included in many calculations about"Lean Body Mass".Here is an article that challenges Dr. Gregory Ellis' theory.http://slowburn.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/metabolic_muscl.html

This is what Christmas would look like if I won the lotto.

Whenever anyone asks me about boxing instruction, standup fighting, or Thai Clinch work, I point them twards Rodney King. This is not the has been criminal seen on LA Police videos, but the South African Martial Arts coach and inventor of the "Crazy Monkey System". He...

Anyone in fitness for any amount of time knows about Dr. Leonard Schwartz of Heavy Hands fame. His massive volumes on the use of hand weights to enhance fitness should be on the shelf of anyone interested in improving their conditioning level. Of course no form of...

Tools largely from the mind of Martial Adventurer, Blaise Loong.

Fred Perrin makes some incredible stuff. This photo is just the tip of the iceberg.

Doing Front Squats can be a problem with a Barbell or a pair of Kettlebells. Coaching must almost be individual since the most detailed explanation can fall short when it comes to individual limb length, height, and flexibility. I remember when years ago Arnold would...

The ability to outrun a donut is an interesting one. It provides a colorful image of an important issue. We are aware that activity is perhaps the most important component of successful weight management, but maybe that fact is overstated or under examined.Dieting, or...

I am very fortunate in my life to have met and trained with a number of incredible martial arts instructors. One of these individuals is Bruno Cruicchi. He is an Italian born, Venezuelan citizen. He also spends a great deal of time in the United States. He is known...

The Pistol, or one leg squat is a simple exercise that requires a high degree of tension and specific balance. It can be made more challenging by adding weights in the form of barbell plates, kettlebells, or even rocks in a knapsack. Where you hold the weights is also...

This will be the first of many posts with this theme. The term instructional biography means there are lessons in the history of this person's life. They may or may not relate at all to your life. They are not good or bad, right or wrong. They simply exist.Real life...

The Renegade Row is a unique exercise. First off, it uses a standard, highly productive format,..the rowing motion. Second, it requires huge amounts of body tension. This activates irradiation, and also has us develop the skill of dealing with body tension in a...