We live in a dangerous world with real life villains at every corner. For the opening showing of the new movie, Dark Knight Rising, in Aurora, Colorado, James Holmes slaughtered 12 innocent people and injured 50 others for no apparent reason other than he wanted to punish society for rejecting him. Many villains in comic books are outcasts but so are many superheros. When I was a kid I felt small, weak, and defenseless. I was terrified that someone would come to my house and kill me and my entire family. I looked up to superheros because I wanted to become one. To this day as a 23 year old college student, I still have a strong desire to become a superhero. I want to defend those who can't defend themselves. I want to become powerful. I was always interested most in Batman because he had no super powers at all but still could accomplish so much with his trained physical abilities along with his superior detective skills and cool gadgets. The following are fighting techniques that I believe could lead someone (two thumbs pointed at me) to become a REAL LIFE SUPERHERO.
Mixed Martial Arts and Urban Defense
Batman needs to have superior hand to hand combat abilities. He usually fights alone so he often has to take on multiple attackers at once. Ground fighting would not be smart so jiu jitsu and wrestling shouldn't be focused on. Muay Thai Kickboxingshould be implemented because it uses devastating strikes from the shins, fists, elbows, and knees. Judo should also be trained regularly because Batman will need to be able to throw opponents to the ground by using their own momentum against them so that he can focus on other enemies. Krav Magais an Israeli Special Forces martial art that is used to finish a fight in the street in the fastest possible way. Krav Maga training focuses on disarming opponents. Batman will have to be able to disarm an opponent's gun, knife, or blunt weapon without even thinking about it. Muay Thai, Judo, and Krav Maga should be trained on a regular basis for several months before it can become effective. Then the training should be maintained to increase abilities.
When riding a motorcycle, especially for long periods of time, it is extremely important to be physically fit and strong. Injury prevention should be focused on most for motorcyclists.
Most motorcycle fatalities are related to a head and neck injury. The primary way to mitigate injury is to strengthen the neck. The following are some good exercises. Do not do too many sets at least initially.
Barbell/dumbbell Shrug: hold weight with locked elbows at all times, shrugging weight to ears
Bench neck extension: lay prone on bench then place a weight plate on back of neck
Rope or neck harness extension: use high cable machine or dumbbell, place attachment behind neck or on head
can also be used with resistance band
Snatch Grip Deadlift: wide grip deadlift, maintaining lumber curve and feeling the barbell roll up your leg (also hits forearms)
Holding on the handlebars for long periods can be taxing on the hands and forearms. It is vital to have good grip strength and forearm endurance.
Farmers Walk: Hold two dumbbells (one in each hand) and walk with them
Dumbbell Forearm Extension: grab one dumbbell and place forearm on bench, then extend forearm up and down (palm up and/or palm down on different sets)
Reverse Curl: grab barbell or dumbbells with palms facing down, curl to chest and down to thighs.
When controlling the motorcycle and preventing yourself from falling, you must have good overall strength. This is especially true if you are caught in a pot-hole or your bike falls and you must lift it up. WATCH VIDEOS!
Noun: An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
Fear is a natural and useful emotion that every animal on earth has. But sometimes it can really get in the way of living. Some people don't do anything to go outside of their comfort zones because they let their fears completely debilitate their lives. They stay in their homes closed off from what the world has to offer. The things that really matter in life are only possible once you break through the comfort zone barrier. We are afraid of some things because our brains are still running on hardware from 10,000 plus years ago.
However, it can be really bad for a person's self esteem to let their fears control their lives. So everyone should make a point to definetheir THREE TOP FEARS then work to overcome them.
FEAR ONE
HEIGHTS
SOLUTION = SKYDIVING
1 in 100,000 people die from skydiving
Heights is a pretty normal and natural fear for anyone to have. Humans ability to fly via aircraft or land safely by parachute is pretty new. But the ultimate way to break through this fear in a safe way in my opinion is to jump out of an airplane with a parachute. It is healthy to maintain some fear of heights but overcoming it through skydiving seems like a great way to do it.
FEAR TWO
SHARKS
SOLUTION = DIVING WITH SHARKS
Bee sting fatalities are more common than shark attack deaths
Even hearing the Jaws theme music gives most people the chills. Sharks can inflict a lot of damage with their razor sharp teeth and their powerful jaws. But some people do not even go into the ocean because they are too afraid of sharks eating them. Swimming with the sharks in a cage seems to be the best way to overcome this fear. A more experienced diver who is familiar with shark defense may be able to swim with them outside of the cage.
FEAR THREE
MEDIOCRITY
SOLUTION = CONTINUAL PURSUIT TO BE AWESOME
Being mediocre means that you are just like everybody else. We should all strive to be better than ourselves. Trying new things and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. You are going to be bad at things that you are not familiar with. But without that initial awkwardness there is no improvement. Look like a fool once and a while by trying something different. It will only make you more awesome.
The Most Interesting Man (ME)
HONORABLE MENTION
TRANNIES
Trannies terrify me... But I have no intention of overcoming this fear. Enough said.
DISCLAIMER
Don't be STUPID!
There is a difference from being BRAVE and being stupid and not caring if you live or die. Know the difference. Base Jumper, Lucky Chance (yea, that's his legally changed name), decided to pull off THE DEATH SWING with too many acrobatics before opening his chute. The result, a coma for 2 months with a broken jaw, a fractured pelvis, open fractures to the left foot
and femur, a lunt contusion to the left side of his brain, a
twisted neck, air between his lung and thoracic spine, and
lacerations down the left side of the face. The pressure inside his
skull was 30 mmHg, two to four times normal—a dangerous situation, as
high intracranial pressure can lead to crushed brain tissue, brain
herniation, and damaged oxygen supply. Calculated risks are important. READ MORE HERE.
Strongman training can be a fun way to workout in the outdoors while increasing functional strength, gaining explosive power, and decreasing body-fat. It is hard work but you will actually feel like you have accomplished something. It brings out a primal side in us all that you don't get from lifting pink dumbbells or running on a hamster wheel for an eternity. You do not have to be a 300 pound monster or have the desire to become one in order to train strongman. If you want to become fitter, stronger, and potentially look better nekid (with a proper diet) then train strongman.
The popularity of implement or strongman training is on the rise in strength training programs today. Implements
used in strongman style training can include; tires, sandbags, water
filled implements, atlas stones, chains, wheelbarrows, kegs, logs,
pushing/pulling sleds, and much more. Many strength and conditional professionals
are now experimenting with strongman techniques due to the unbalanced
and unfixed nature that these implements provide, and the ability to
elicit a variety of measurable results.
Sandbags, wheelbarrows, and water-filled weights are just a
few implements that require an athlete to continually stabilize by
making adjustments in musculature and body positioning, to fight the
effects of a constantly shifting weighted object. This
manipulation of awkward and heavy objects stimulates functional
strength, and enables an athlete to develop muscles that are difficult
develop with a traditional weight training program.
Strongman methods can also be an excellent way to develop
grip strength, as an athlete has to hold on to a variety of objects of
varying sizes and weights. For example, the farmers walk can be
performed with kegs, logs, sandbags, stones, or other awkward objects
instead of the traditional dumbbell or kettlebell.
Strongman methods can also effectively be used to augment traditional endurance, strength, and power programming. Researchers
suggest examples including; a log clean and press workout for
endurance, a strict overhead log press for strength, and a log push jerk
for power. Researchers
do warn that many strongman methods are not appropriate for training
for maximal strength efforts. They recommend that training for maximal
efforts is best accomplished in the traditional gym set up, using a
barbell and dumbbells.
However, strongman training is an excellent complement to power training. Tire
throws, tire flips, atlas stones, and log cleans are perfect examples
of movements that can utilize full body functional strength and power.
Strongman training techniques are a effective tools that can be
incorporated into an overall athletic training program to increase
strength, grip, power, and endurance.
5 Common Strongman Implements to Add to Your Workout:
Tires:
Truck or tractor tires are relatively easy to acquire and can
provide wide variety of stimulus for fun and challenging workouts. Tire
flipping, tire clean and throws, tire jumps, and tire sled drags are
just some of the movements that athletes can include in their
workouts. It is recommended to try to find 2 or more different sizes of
tires; a very heavy tire and a lighter tire. If you are on a limited
budget a tire can also be used as a makeshift tire sled for dragging and
or pushing movements. Many times local tire shops or commercial
construction businesses will give out large tires for free, because they
are looking for way reducing the cost of getting rid of them.
Chains:
Chains are typically used in a gym setting and are lifted off the
ground during a movement. The use of chains enables a lifter to create a
gradual increase in resistance. For example when using chains a barbell
will become progressively heavier as it is lifted off the floor.
Sandbags:
Sandbags are super versatile for loading, unloading, and carrying
movements. These can be easily acquired at local military supply stores
or homemade for little expense.
Water Filled Implements:
Water filled logs, kegs, and tubes can provide dynamic resistance
that is especially beneficial for developing functional strength.
Pressing, cleaning, and squatting with unbalanced objects can be an
especially challenging type of training.
Kegs:
Kegs are excellent tools for loading, carrying, throwing, pressing,
or adding weight to a weight to a sled. You can easily find kegs at a
local beer supply store and fill and refill with water and or sand.
Setting aside all the "America F**K yea"s, there is a certain feeling that is felt strongly by Americans. Some may call it nationalism, others may call it arrogance and ignorance. Some people do not understand the pride and sense of patriotism that many Americans feel resulting in them getting misunderstood. But these same peoples' act of labeling all patriotic Americans as arrogant and ignorant are in fact even more so- than those that they persecute. There are a lot of awful things that America has been responsible for in the past. From the slavery and oppression of Africans for over 300 years to the fast food industry that has helped spread obesity and disease throughout the globe. Even with the many wrongs, I still believe in America. I believe in the principles that founded this country. I believe in the religious liberties and freedom to spread ideas through speech, books, and the internet. Ideas have endurance without death. Even if America was completely destroyed by a meteor or nuclear war-head tomorrow, those ideas that have been imprinted on the fabric of history will still remain.
236 years ago, a few men gathered in secret, not far from where I live in Philadelphia. They made a decision that they would no longer be pushed around. They would risk their necks in order to create a document that would birth a country. We believe in standing up against oppression. This same spirit that led our patriot forefathers to liberty and freedom still encapsulates many Americans' souls today.
In the short time that the United States of America has existed, people have flocked from all over the world to come for a better life. Even to this day, immigrants come to create a future for themselves and their children. We Americans are a team of peasants and outcasts from around the world who all came to one place in order to work hard and overcome oppression.
I want to travel the world and meet as many people from different races, creeds, and religions as I can. I want to have tea with the Dalai Lama in Tibet. I want to play rugby in New Zealand. To fly a kite on top of the Sphinx in Cairo. To tango with a beautiful senorita in Buenos Aires. To spar with Muay Thai fighters in Thailand. To hunt antelope with a spear among tribal brothers in the African serengeti. To ride my motorcycle across each South American country. To live off the unforgiving land of the Australian Outback with nothing but a few tools. I want to understand the world around me but I am and will always be PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN.
This was basically the first video that I have ever edited and created. I was actually very surprised with how well it turned out. I used movie- maker when editing. I really wanted people to get a good taste of cariocas (Rio de Janeiro people) culture. It really is a beautiful city located right next to some great beaches and a lake. It has many mountain ranges encapsulating it. There is so much to do in Rio too. On the beach alone there is surfing, boogie boarding, volleyball, kick volleyball, futebol (soccer), swimming, running, calisthenics (body-weight) workout platforms, to name a few. The nightlife is always fun. The bars and clubs don't close down until late in the morning. You can drink and dance in the streets like a fool and not get arrested. There are all sorts of adventure sport activities like kite boarding, surfing, rock climbing the many massive mountains, hiking through the local Tijuka rainforest, and more. I will need to go back with some adventurous friends and an additional camera. I only used a GoPro HD Hero 2 which is just designed for action sports and is not intended for regular filming.
