And genetics, and pull-ups and more, but hang on!

My answer to that question?

Well, in terms of exercise – hell yes, and then some.

I’ve made NO secret of the fact that grip and leg training (and I mean REAL training) is what most of the “bruhs” in the gym and pumpers/toners avoid.

Because it’s HARD, HARD work.

It’s REAL work.

As opposed to silly little girly “on your knees pushups” and “pull-ups with legs on bar or what not” . . .

And it builds REAL MEN .REAL strength.

Grip, neck, leg and back work – and funnily enough, most of those can be done with one or two exercises if you really know what you’re doing . . .

. . . Anyway, where was I?

Ah yes, the grip.

Well, so this morning as I sent Charles my friend a “thank you note” for the feedback he sent me he sent me that little gem amongst others.

Another being that apparently Mike Tyson did bridging (huh?? News to me “bro” – he did HEAVY SHRUGS!) and apparently it screwed his neck up.

Um

Lets pause a minute here.

Bridging, my friend, is one of the best overall exercises you can do. Not just for your neck. The entire BODY.

And if you think bridging just “focuses” on their neck, well you’re wrong.

Bridging is the BEST DAMNED exercise that EVERYDAY people CAN and SHOULD DO!

From lower back pain being gone to stronger and more flexible traps – to better GRIP strength – a far healthier back overall – not to mention ROCK SOLID ABS – the benefits of the bridge are second to none, and there is a reason it’s one of the “big three” in 0 Excuses Fitness, and why wrestlers all over the world for one do them as a mainstay.

But wait.

I thought he was a wrestler (my friend).

But from what he tells me today “American football was my job. Never really got into wrestling seriously”.

And according to him “neck bridging was their thing”.

And then the Tyson quote. Hmm! Enough said, fellas?

Anyway, he then went off on a tangent about “genetics”.

The usual excuse which most fat folks give me and those that are too lazy to buckle down to BRASS TACKS, BRAVE THE HURTING and (sorry Chuck, hehe) – JUST DO IT!

Just do it. No excuses BAR NONE!

There’s a reason why that is the tagline on my FIRST product, the 0 Excuses Fitness System, replete with results and testimonials of all natures, from folks from all walks of life.

Anyway, this all started off with him saying “he’s still working on his pull-up, and is doing the assisted stuff”, and so forth.

Great.

All I did was mention a comment about his weak grip (he has a very weak grip) and how the grip and lats are really what need to be focused upon while doing pull-ups - - not the biceps, or shoulders for that matter.

And that of course led up to a discussion about the greats.

Herschel Walker. Walter Peyton. When these guys ran sprints with tyres around their waists for one, they didn’t just up and “sit around for hours and think”.

They just did it!

“But he has great genetics”, my friend wailed. “He’s at least 75 lbs bigger than you!”

75? I’d say 150. So is my buddy from the Marines, for that matter. I once joked about borrowing a sweat shirt from him and saying “5 of me would fit in it”.

“I’m not that big, Rahul!”

A real man, and a good man! And one that’s truly BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT.

Anyway, here is what I told Charles.

“Sorry, “brah”. Excuses don’t fly. I’ve got the shittiest genetics you could think of, and . . . “

Enough said eh.

OF course, he ignored that bit. It’s interesting, this “selective reading/listening” thang a lot of folks employ when they hear stuff they know is true, but don’t “want” to hear eh. ?

Anyway, where was I before I went all over the place as usual.

Ah yes. GRIP.

And yes, GRIP DOES COME INTO PLAY in real life my friend. Anyone that says it doesn’t is just sticking their head in the sand (a certain group I refer to as “tom tommers and leftos” comes to mind, but hey, so be it!).

As for the new signs up that don’t know why, check out the blog, or watch this space. I’ll be writing soon – again – although I did over the past few days as to why grip training is really what you need to be working on, not the silly “pecs” and show muscles.

More on that soon!

For now, be sure to check out the Gorilla Grip compilation right HERE, my friend. It’ll make a MAN out of you – that’s for sure!

Best,

Rahu lMookerjee

PS – HERE is where you can grab the course on pull-ups (and no, pull-ups with your legs on a bar ain’t the best way to get started. Dead hangs are, bro. Feel that pain!) – Pull-ups - - From DUD to STUD within a matter of weeks (why did I name it that way, and why do I say the vast majority of people out there cannot do a single pull-up or even hang on to  a chinning bar for any length of time? Self explanatory, me thinks, hehe).

PS #2 – And if you want to continue pumping and toning at the “gym shym” , then go for it. I’m here to support your right to do it, but please do stay far away from my products – they’re NOT For you!

PPS – We had a great conversation. Unfortunately Charles had to end off with (one of his pet topics apparently and favorite people) a rant from “Bozo Glyn” whose probably high on something or the other as we speak. And despite me literally begging him not to enable losers, he continues to do so. Ah well. Can’t have it all, eh. ?

So, here we go again on GRIP training!

I saw a post from Charles, a friend of mine (a comment actually in response to my last post on grip training) stating the following.

“Doing a 350 lb deadlift works the grip pretty well”.

Now, I’m well aware of the dude’s inability to do pull-ups, and I’m well aware of his penchant for the bench press, but really, deadlifts?

Didn’t know you did those, Charles.

And if you did them when I met you, then they sure weren’t working your grip like they should have.

But anyway, the deadlift is actually in my opinion (and unlike what some other bodyweight guys will tell ya) a higher “ranked” exercise than many other asinine ones in the gym.

Don’t get me wrong. Certainly not something I’d do regularly, but it has its uses – in part.

It’s certainly a ton better than the idiotic “stack on plates” bench press and the silly hoo haa that goes with. Pushups do a far better job of building the entire upper body than bench pressing, the most functionally USELESS boobybuilder’s favorite exercise ever could.

Pec deck being another worthless invention. The lazy man’s bench I should say. Or perhaps the lazy man’s “puff and buff” excuse.

And that granddaddy of them all, the ape pulldown machine.

Ever seen an ape sit on a pull-down machine? Gorillas, primates, apes, chimps (chimps can kill adult CROCS with their bare hands!) and so forth, those primates with you know, REAL grip strength?

Didn’t think so my friend.

But I see human versions of these monkeys seated on them at the gym all the time, frantically trying to outdo other “males” (I use that term sparingly) while “yanking” (please, do NOT go there, hehe) down as much as they can – and it’s usually these guys that a) rail the most against pull-ups, b) have lard asses, and c) are unable to do a single pull-up or handstand pushup, or even try.

Pathetic. I’d say the lat pulldown scores over the bench press in that regard . . .

. . . but deadlifts?

They’re not that bad, I suppose. You DO build some functional strength from it, but compared to other things?

Compared to bodyweight stuff like pull-ups done right – such as the U.S. Marines do regularly, or monkey bar work (think primate style)?

Deadlifts no matter how “heavy” don’t begin to hold a candle my friend.

Not to mention Charles was probably referring to (his fave) a “one time lift”

You yank the weight up once, set another “record” in the books, and you’re done.

Probably.

Which does zip all for fat loss, for one, but more importantly, while that sort of “heavy singles” method may be useful for training other parts of the body occasionally (but not really – ask any wrestling coach and he’llt ell you the following that a) conditioning is where matches are WON and b) it ain’t “one time strength” – it’s about being able to use that strength REPETITIVELY when it COUNTS in the RING), it is next to worthless for grip training.

Why?

Well, the grip consists of tiny muscles which respond best to VOLUME my friend.

High volume pull-ups. High Volume fingertip work. High volume gripping. Arm wrestling. Maybe real wrestling. And so forth!

That’s just how the muscles are “structured” in our body.

One time lifts may be great for overall body strength once in a while, but I do believe they’re way, way overrated and NOT used correctly (now yes, if done right ALONG WITH OTHER THINGS, they CAN be very potent).

But if you really have to use something other than your bodyweight for grip training?

Well, I’d say use sandbags.

Or kettlebells.

Or lug half filled beer barrels back and forth across your house, or dungeon, or basement.

OR do rope and chain work.

There are many alternatives, and ALL BETTER Than adopting the silly deadlift grip and tugging a barbell. I mean, face it my friends – how often do ANY of use that sort of grip in real life?

Yeah.

I thought so!

And I’ll close out by saying this. I don’t care how much you can lift or push parallel to your chest my friend.

IT’s about how much you can press OVERHEAD.

Now THAT is a functional exercise, the overhead press.

And it’s about if you can pull yourself up from a dead hang and do so repeatedly, not while sitting on a lat pulldown machine.

And the feeling you get from doing these - - let me just say OH BOY.

I don’t think you could ever get them from doing deadlifts or weightlifting of any nature. Maybe a nasty lower back injury as deadlifts are well known for (not to mention shoulder impingement in certain cases) – certainly not something I’d want to go for!

And that’s that for my opinion and indeed FACTS on that. Back soon!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Don’t believe me? Think Im full of it? I understand. How dare I, eh. Cocky prick eh? Yeah, yeah. yeah! But before you diss me more (or perhaps after ;)), take a look at what a “convert” from the boobybuilding gang told me (straight from the horse’s mouth, this!) right HERE on the Shoulders like Boulders page . . .

I’ve written about this before. Mastery of any exercise.

ANY exercise, no matter how simple.

And I’ve devoted a whole chapter to this very important topic in 0 Excuses Fitness.

Most skip right past it, but hey, big mistake right there.

Ever hear people say, for instance that “pushups are easy! Pooh!”

Well, my friend, did you know that easy or not, the easiest or toughest or not, MASTERING, truly so, any exercise is an ART UNTO ITSELF?

And something most people do NOT accomplish, no matter how accomplished they are.

Bruce Lee being one.

Despite his obvious physical skills, this man would be the first to tell you the above, as he constantly worked at improving the basics (particularly fingertip pushups in his case).

You may not ever get to the point that Lee did which was popping off sets of ONE finger pushups (50 reps/set) in front of goggling audiences and onlookers.

But do you have to get to those extreme levels?

NO (not unless you want to).

You can gain all th strength, muscle and CONDITIONING you need for your ENTIRE LIFE by mastering, really so, the basics!

Let’s take the basic pushup.

The REAL basic stuff.

Can you, for instance, do ONE pushup that takes you FIVE minutes to do cumulatively up and down, and maintain perfect form while at it?

Or, can you pop off 100 perfect ones in a row?

Or, can you do 10 sets of 10 pushups followed by 10 sets of 10 pull-ups with very little rest?

Or, can you do 1000 pushups daily (many boxers do)?

Or, can you . . .

. . . ah, but you get the drift my friend.

There is always a way to make it harder and more challenging. TRUE MASTERY is something the masters will tell you themselves that is nigh on impossible to get to, because we are always challenging ourselves and improving!!

Even if you answered yes to all the above, guess what.

Can you knock of 100 pushups in a set in perfect form with a minute break at the bottom of each pushup?

And so forth.

You get the point!

And adopting this mentality in your training will not only make you as close a “Master” (or “Mistress” as the case might be! ?) at the exercise as you humanly can be, but will also build WORLD Class levels of strength and conditioning to boot.

Yours truly likes to, as I’ve said before focus on a LIMITED number of main exercises per workout.

And for now, and for a few months now, for me it’s been rope jumping and pull-ups.

Sometimes you have no other option but to do the above, and other times (like now) you DO, but in both cases, focusing on less and really HAMMERING it is better.

In all regards.

Believe me, when your cranking out 2000 plus reps on the weighted jump ropes without a break in record time . . . or even without a break, period, you’ll know what I mean by the above!

Or when Animal kingdom workouts seem like nothing even when you combine them with 100 pull-ups per workout . . .

Or, . . . you get the picture!

Mastery, my friend, is what you should always be aiming for. And while you may never get there, you’ll get pretty damn close if you TRY. That I do guarantee.

And that point, you’ll be saying and writing about the same thing yourself! ?

Best.

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Here is where you can pick up the BEST damn course out there on pushups – Pushup Central. Truly the best, most challenging and most EXHAUSTIVE – I CHALLENGE you to find something better!! ?

So, it’s been an interesting day.

Wacko Glyn (remember, I wrote about him) has apparently been foaming at the mouth about something or the other and is getting his knickers in a twist that I blocked him on social media.

Along with a few other bozos.

And of course, his enablers seem to be at it, but this post isn’t about that. We’ll address that later!

For now, lets look at what Charlene, a reader from (apparently) South Africa had to say to me –

Im pretty sure I would break something if I try any of these but I do advocate strength training:) Glad you arent as clumsy as I am...hope one day I can at least achieve one handstand pushup. Good read!

(This was w.r.t my emails on handstand pushups a while back).

And then, to a recent post about hill sprints and pull-ups - -

Ah, Pushups are my nemesis! Can't even do one properly without my hubby helping me up however my hubby swears by pushups but I don't think he knows about the hill sprints before the actual pushup workout. Thank you, will def let him know or better yet, I will let him read your article:)

(now, I did write the article about doing pull-ups, but hey, pushups work as well . . . )

My responses were as follows:

Get good at regular pushups first, Charlene before moving to these. I'm a pretty clumsy guy btw, so if I can do it - anyone! Hehe. Coming from one whose wife once called him Mr Handstand pushup, hehe. Maybe I'll do a post about that soon!

And to the second . . .

Haha, keep trying Charlene! You'll get there - we all gotta start SOMEPLACE! ;-) And yes - the more you get in shape with hill sprints (but start out SLOW!) - the easier them pushups and pullups get!

Now ,key lessons and takeaways from all this (minus the wacko Schofield part , of course!) –

That one, you don’t necessarily need to be a trapeze artist or a hand balancing expert to do any of what I recommend, and even the handstand pushups.

Lots of people have asked me why I don’t include something on FREESTANDING handstand pushups in my books.

Well, I could – but Idon’t for the same reason I haven’t put out a book on doing one armed work as yet.

Because, for the vast majority of people, the BASIC stuff is what they a) need to get good at first, and b) they don’t necessarily even need anything beyond that.

Believe me, the stuff I teach you in 0 Excuses Fitness and my other BASIC courses are enough to kick even seasoned trainees in the can the first few times they try it, and enough to give you a workout that will kick your BOOTY for the rest of your life, my friend.

Big time.

And if you don’t believe me, well, just TRY some of the stuff first.

But if you really want to go advanced (and even basic handstand pushups are advanced) ?

Well, that’s why I teach you how to do ‘em against the wall, and that’s why I teach you how to do it in a completely different manner than what most of the “experts” recommend!

And second, you gotta start someplace, and with a lot of ladies, pushups are best done on your knees when you first start.

And YES, ladies, you CAN do pushups, and YES, YES, YES, you can do pull-ups – and the latter better than guys in many cases!

I ain’t kidding you my friend. I’ve seen several examples of women that you wouldn’t necessarily consider bionic pump out pull-ups like no tomorrow while the gym bros gawk on in amazement (And the wackos stare and pull their you know what’s).

Hehe.

Believe me – you ladies can do bodyweight stuff out there just as well as guys can, and while pushups may be a bit of an exception to that general rule, you sure CAN do ‘em!

I’ll have more on this in future.

For now, let me end by saying that yours truly was and has often been labeled “Clums” (that’s right, without the “y”) because . . . well, he can be incredibly clumsy at times!

And if he can do handstand pushups, well, so can you – if you work up to it!

And that’s that for now. Back again with more sizzlers – yee haa!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – HERE is the ONE DEFINITIVE course on handstand pushups that will get you from “clumsy zero” status to repping them out like there is NO tomorrow – Shoulders like Boulders.

So, hindsight is always 20/20 eh?

And it is.

I was talking to a friend of mine this afternoon about this, and many memories came flooding back.

A country I fell in love with at the callow age of 17 . . . if just due to the sheer FREEDOM it offered, and the “smell of opportunity”!

A jaunt down to the local U.S. Army recruiting center . . .

China, way back in 2004 when I first showed up there - - and believe it or not, that China was a far, far nicer place to be in than the China of TODAY.

Yes, they were hiding their strengths and biding their time!

But it was still a nicer place to be, and much much more “open” in many regards. The Internet etc wasn’t near as closed as it is now, and in general, it was just a far nicer and “developing” place to be – which again, in turn meant OPPORTUNITY – and there was lots of it back then!

Now?

The polar opposite, and that’s sad, because the Chinese people as a whole didn’t really do much to “Deserve” what is going on now.

Then again, did they not?

As we think, so we are. The great Claude Bristol wrote about this in the Magic of Believing, and he’s RIGHT.

I find it hard to believe that Communist China could have and does keep more than a billion people literally under it’s thumb without those people “tactitly agreeing” to the repression (and worse than that if we’re talking about the Ughurs and other ethnic minorities) . . .

. . . anyway, where am I going with this, you might ask?

Damned good question. Other than the numerous flashbacks pouring in, I’m not quite sure myself!

But the trip to the US Army recruitment center stands out, and I was chatting with my friend about it this morning . .  .

Many other things do as well, but this email is about hindsight. If’s, but’s, maybe, many things!

And while yours truly could certainly have probably joined the Army, or Marines, or perhaps even stayed on long term in the US, it didn’t quite work out that way due to various reasons.

If you read Think and Grow Rich, or “Outwitting the Devil”, or any of the other books by Napoleon Hill, a man roundly ridiculed in his time as a “charlatan”, but revered today as a thought leader and indeed a visionary, you’ll find one common thread.

At least, the thinkers amongst you will.

You’ll see that the guy could have done damn well anything he put his mind to, but for whatever reason, down the years, despite all the many businesses he was “into”, he never really succeeded until he found and STUCK to his main purpose in life (and finding that itself was a journey that took many many years!).

WHAT is it that you were truly brought onto this planet to DO, my friend?

WHAT is the ONE THING that nigh on NO-ONE - - even your worst enemies would even think of criticizing you for?

That ONE THING is the thing you were meant to do and until you find out that thing, and DO it, well, hindsight’s will keep popping up in mind!

And they did for me today, but not for the reason mentioned above.

Yes, sometimes yours truly sits back and reflects upon “what if I had done this”.

What if I had taken a different path. Made a different choice. NOT made all the mistakes I have, and still do.

Had more support.

Was “shown the right direction” (and more importantly in the right WAY, as a professor of mine tried to do once . . .) . . .

And after thinking about all of it, do you know the UNANIMOUS and unflinching decision I always arrive at?

That things always happen for a reason my friend.

And would I change a damn thing about the past, pleasant or not?

Hell no.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today without all those experiences shaping me!

And last, but not least, fitness wise?

Curiously enough, or maybe NOT, much like napoleon Hill, despite my many ups and downs, despite the uncanny similiarity my life thus far bear to Hill’s, there is ONE thing (that much like Hill) I have NEVER compromised upon.

Not for long periods at least.

My fitness.

Back then, I swam, and walked a hell of a lot up and down stairs etc. I wrote about that in the book on 16 Inspirational Fitness Recollections!

In China, I did pushups and found my hill courtesy the very “stern” Miss Lee. Thank you Madam – that is the ONE thing I’ll remember you for, always will!

(A hill right next to my house, right under my nose, and I didn’t even know about it! Haha).

I then moved on to subway sprints during my couple of years in Delhi.

IN the Middle East, it was runs along the beach and hitting the heavy bag.

Back in China, back to my hill, and then . . . finally, well, 0 Excuses Fitness, and well, you know the rest!

Would I change a damn thing?

Hell no.

But fitness wise, this is the point I’m making.

Lots of people look back and say “oh, I COULD do this when I was younger”.

Or, “I wish I had done this . . . “

Well, unlike many other choices my friend, fitness is a choice where you aren’t constrained by much other than your own thinking and BODY.

And there’s always a way, my friend. Always a way if there is a will.

On that note, I’ll leave you be, but before that . . .

It ain’t about “what if” and “but” when it comes to fitness”, or hindsight.

It’s about doing the thing now – and getting to work – NOW!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Here is where you can learn how I got into the best damned shape of my life – The 0 Excuses Fitness System.

Ok, here I go again with sprints, and Bourne sprints at that!

I’ve made NO secret of my liking for the Bourne series. Although the books were ten times better than the movie (aint that always the case my friend), Matt Damon does the role justice in a way only he can.

Truly a legend, and I’ve mentioned before that the “Supremacy” is my favorite installment in the series.

And mostly because of the workout montages, and no, unlike the first, there’s no pull-ups involved.

But there is something arguably even more intense and BRUTAL and a super muscle and strength (and health) builder than that in the movie – something I talk about in Advanced Hill Training.

Sprints!

Done right.

In the movie, you see Bourne sprinting all out at the start as a workout, and in the middle of it, he’s literally doing that and more – to save his life.

And the reason I bring it up is the world we live in today, as well as “no reason in particular”

But the question begets.

Can you run ALL OUT – I mean ALL OUT for more than 30 seconds at a stretch, or even half?

Can part of that be in crazy traffic and uphill/up stairs?

CAN you do what Bourne did which looks spectacular and that which I’ve mentioned before – i.e. jump onto a Metro platform with  a train headed his way full tilt, jump UP AND OUT of the way in JUST The nick of time, and repeat, and then fly off the platform, quite literally!

Or jump off it, but youget the point.

And then do a version of a pulling movment on the underside of a bridge with a fractured knee?

You get my point, my friend!

I’m happy to report most of this is doable for me. Perhaps not 30 seconds all out for me, but 15 – YES.

And perhaps more than that as well.

Uphill?

No problem.

Not sure about the Metro stuff, but I CAN do the jumps themselves (box jumps I believe they’re called) and so should YOU (try to work on it) if you can’t do ‘em – one of the best plyometrics ever (Charles, the book is on it’s way – iteration #2 as it were due to the computer crash, but it’s on it’s way!!).

But anyway, point of me bringing it up is not to brag, but rather add this skill on to that rather long list of things I wrote about once about “every man should be able to do things to save his own life if need be”

Or something to that effect.

And I’m sad to say it, but the vast majority of modern men cannot even BEGIN to do said things.

And as the world goes to bits around us, my friend, the one thing we CAN CONTROL is ourselves, and our fitness.

And if there is one takeaway from this email, ONE MESSAGE that I can and damn well WILL give ya, I t’s this.

Take care of your health and fitness my friend.

The right way.

Not only is it the best damned investment you’ll ever make, but it might just save your life ONE day!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – and here is the System that will put the fundamentals in place for the best damn fitness gains of your entire LIFE. You wouldn’t build a skyscraper without putting in the building blocks, right? Well, the same holds true for fitness!

PS – Serious fitness fanatics only please, or the average Joe that WANTS to get in shape and FAST – and faster than anything else in the world. No lookie lous or time wasters please – waste someone else’s time (or as my daughter likes to say “haunt someone else’s dreams”) if that’s you!

PPS -So says Mr. Fast. ?

I had an idea recently in the shower, and just had to write to you about it.

Not the idea itself, but the “concept” behind it.

And my idea was getting my daughter to do supported handstands while I hold her ankles, and have her walk around in that position.

That’s a FANTASTIC exercise by the way, and the only reason it ain’t included in either Battletank Shoulders or Shoulders like Boulders is because you pretty much need someone to hold on to your legs for that, unless you’re at elite status and can do it on your own.

(And you can, if you work up to it, but most of YOU reading the books wouldn’t be able to at the start, and therefore . . . ?).

Now, that reminded me of a dinner (lunch, actually) I was having with a couple of students of mine once a few years ago.

I gobbled up my food, while they kept picking at it for a while.

And Carol (remember her??) told me a couple of days later about this once.

“You’re Mr. Fast”, she giggled. “You do everything fast!”

“Talk fast, type fast, read fast, EAT fast” (for background, she was an English student first, and fitness student later, so . . . )

(Talk about killing two “birds” with one stone, pun NOT intended) . . .

Anyway, we gave her a nickname as well.

And I’ve been called worse things of course! ?

And there are worse things TO BE than be this way, and as I recently told my daughter.

“Honey, you should be a speed demon at most things!”

Anyway, my wife a couple of years ago saw me doing handstand pushups.

And that night in bed with my daughter they were discussing a name for me.

And while my daughter came up with several hilarious names, my wife hit the nail on the head when she said “nah”.

“He’s Mr. Handstand pushup!”

And so I am my friend.

So I am, and there are WORSE things to be! ?

Has there ever been a name YOU were called and that just “stuck”?

Write back – and let me know!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS: As I wrote about recently, handstand pushups done right are one of the best exercises out there that you can do, and everyone should get damn good at them. But the basics are always key and HERE is the System that will get you firmly ground in the basics (and truth be told, this is a fitness system you could follow your entire life without doing nothing else and still make gains) – https://0excusesfitness.com/0excusesfitnessystem/

PS #2 – Check out our other products as well while you’re at it!

And pull-ups alone!

I’ll never forget the time when my little girl asked me for help a couple of years back.

I think it was in 2017, but I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, her pencil box had gotten stuck to the table.

“Dad! Someone glued my pencil box to the table, and I can’t get it off, and neither can Mommy!”

(Mommy tried, but couldn’t apparently)

“Well, who glued it”, I asked.

“Not me!!!” she replied, with that look in her eye which said clearly that she HAD, of course! ?

Young kids, hehe.

Anyway, it’s no secret that my daughter has been exercising with me since she was born pretty much. I still remember her when she was a baby, all of six months of age with her little feet on my chest doing monkey bars swings out in the park, or trying to!

And as I looked at the pencil box, yes. It was stuck solid.

“That’s OK, honey”, I told my daughter. “Remember, us gorillas can do it! Pull harder!”

(She did and does pull-ups with me only so she can become a gorilla, for those of you that did not know, hehe).

She pulled, but it didn’t come off. It was solidly stuck.

I tried.

Couldn’t budge it on first try.

Moved the desk around to a different angle, pulled again, and presto.

The thing came off, far easier than I expected.

“Second problem, Dad”, my little girl said. “Now we can’t open the pencil box”.

Apparently she had glued that too.

OK, no problem.

I prised it open with two fingers, positioning my fingers much like I would in a fingertip pushup . . .

And that, my friend, is the sort of strength that PULL-UPS done right on THICK BARS that I keep carping about can give you.

Sure, it’s good to do ‘em on pull-up bars at home.

Sure, it’s GREAT to do ‘em on the regular pull-up stands, but nothing, I repeat, nothing beats the STRENGTH, the sheer, crushing APE like strength you get from pull-ups . . .

. . . and add in fingertip pushups to the mix, and OH MY!

The above TWO are TWO tips I’ve often given people that want to improve their grip strength beyond belief, and sadly, these tips are oft IGNORED.

Oh well.

Can lead a horse to water, but can’t make it drink!

On a side note, years ago, I think in 2004 or something (or maybe later, I don’t know), a massive silverback gorilla was caged in an Orlando Zoo.

And escaped.

How?

The guys that made the enclosure had made the enclosure gorilla proof in that the gorilla had NOTHING to grab onto to hoist himself up and escape.

But they accidentally left one small, TINY crack in the wall of his enclosure.

He found it.

Put one knuckle in it - - and used THAT to hoist his ENTIRE massive body up and over the enclosure!

THAT is real strength my friend. Not sitting down and curling weights, or lying flat on your back and pushing a moronic weight until “you can’t strain no more”.

THAT IS A REAL STORY TOO! Hehe. I said in caps because it deserves to be said in caps.

That’s real strength – animal strength, and if you saw King kong and wondered if it was all make believe – well – the strength part wasn’t!

And that’s why I put out the book on Animal Kingdom Conditioning my friend.

Lots of you can’t do pull-ups in high numbers.

But you CAN do floor exercise to begin with!

And a lot of what I teach you in Animal Kingdom Conditioning is done on the floor and WILL Build that primal, ape like strength – or set a damn good foundation – or both!!

And once you’re done with that, get cranking on pull-ups my friend. Truly one of the best damned exercises you can do!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Make sure to do ‘em on the THICKEST bars you can find!

PS #2 – In terms of courses, HERE is the first course you need – Pull-ups – from DUD To STUD within a matter of weeks! (and no, the title ain’t just marketing as you can see from the testimonials).

P.P.S – Grab the ADVANCED course as well right HERE – Pull-ups from STUD to SUPER STUD within WEEKS!

P.P.S #1 – Or, for a value added grab, grab the COMPILATION (yes, value for money! ?) right HERE.

I just did up a post on CRUSHING grip strength and was going to post it here. But, as I was going to do so I saw an email from Charles Mitchell, a long term customer that I just HAD to reply to! Hehe.

Here is what he asked –

I own both your books, Shoulders like boulders, and Battle Tank Shoulders.  Would you say that Handstand Pushups are the best bodyweight exercises to develop the traps?

 (for reference, this was in response to an email I sent you a day or so ago about  giving the impression of being much bigger than you normally ARE!).

And here is what my response was :

Hi Charles

Thanks for the email! Yes, if you can do ‘em right and in high reps (I once got to a point where I was pumping out a 100 handstand pushups in proper FORM per workout, but that ain’t easy I’ll tell you! ?) then YES, they are one of the best exercises out there to develop the traps.

Ideally, I’d do them with pull-ups if you can do pull-ups (one exercise helps the other as you know) but to answer your question definitively – YES – they are – but pull-ups are a close, close “trailer” in that regard as well!

Both exercises are super for building the grip and forearms as well (which naturally leads to better performance on exercises, and obviously bigger/stronger trapezius/upper back muscles).

Best,

Rahul

And it’s true, my friend.

Handstand pushups are not only the best exercise to build that “massive upper body” and “barndoor lats/delts” you’ve always wanted, but YES, they ARE probably the best exercise out there for traps as well - - IF, and this is a big IF, you do ‘em right!

Some of the guys I coach one on one have had the same, or similar questions, and I told them the same thing.

Handstand pushups are one of the most difficult exercises you can do my friend, and it takes a while for people to work up to them.

That’s why I have the books out there, of course, but in and as of itself, this one exercise will build a chest that looks like it’s made of granite as well (that “packed chest” look if you get my drift).

And, NO, it isn’t just about looks. Looks to me were but a by product when I worked up to doing 100 HSPU’s (and pull-ups, and hill climbs!) per workout.

The sheer feeling of being “on top of the world” and STRONG - - really STRONG - - from the inside out (yes, they’re a fantastic core movement too my friend!) is really what makes it all worth it.

And last, but not least – remember that pull-ups, as I said, are but a close outlier.

Another solid exercise, and if you do 100 pull-ups and 100 handstand pushups per workout, let me just tell you you’ll be headed to “Strongman” status very soon.

As my friend from the Marines once famously said . . .

“You’re goddamned right!” (when I told him that 100 pull-ups per workout was EASY (for me, at least!) but try doing 100 handstand pushups per workout! ?).

For background on that, check out the 0 Excuses Fitness blog, but the gist is that he was saying 100 pull-ups per workout is tough for anyone.

IS it?

Not if you work up to it the right way!

I’m currently NOT doing handstand pushups as part of my routine, but I’m doing “extra thick” bar pullups.

I mean REALLY thick!

And that’s what I’m going to write to you about in the next email (I was going to send it to you NOW, but this question from Charles deserves more attention), so here goes!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – If you’re interested in building a cast iron grip, then check out the “Evergreen” best seller (along with the 0 Excuses Fitness System) at 0 Excuses Fitness – Gorilla Grip! A course that when I first put out I had NO idea if it would even sell, and now, years later . . . !!!! Amen, as they say! ?

PS #2 – Questions such as these from folks that truly do GET it make my day! Thanks Charles; you truly are an INSPIRATION to everyone out there!

PPS – YES, YOU TOO can send me your questions. My one on one coaching services can be applied for right here if you so choose, but if you have a training related question you’d like answered - - send it my way, and we’ll see what we can do!

I’ve written about it before, havent I?

The sheer meditative effect some of these workouts have, specifically Hindu pushups and pushup workouts . . . if done right, that is.

And today I’ll take it to another level. Or I did, I should say And I can barely STANd at the time of writing this!

(before writing it!)

And what did I do?

Well, the majority of my 2000 jump rope workout today was accomplished with eyes closed today.

I divided it up into two halves.

1000 each, eyes closed for the majority of it.

If you don’t think that’s a big deal (the eyes closed part), well, a) think again and b) TRY it before you say it!

It might not be a bad idea to do this on a padded surface (not cell, hehe). Don’t worry. I’m not implying you’ve become a lunatic or will upon doing this, and I certainly haven’t (not any more than people think I am anyway?).

But believe me, I fell over while doing this. And you will too.

You’ll likely bump into things.

You’ll likely twist towards your dominant side or weaker side. And more . . .

Sayeth the person who today started to “torque” towards whats my naturally (but no longer) weaker side, the right, and then funnily enough during set #2, the opposite.

And sayeth me, who ended up getting a nasty bruise on the chin the first time he did this sets of 10 pull-ups . . .

(granted, that was towards the end of the 100 pull-up workout. But still!)

And I did the first set in 12 minutes. The second in 10.

And for those wondering why I did the second quicker, well, I have this to say.

The FOUR minute break that I took in between was part of the reason, or most of it.

And this four minute break was taken in a sitting position, but not sitting down, at least not what you’d associate with those words.

I sat “down” in a position most people couldn’t get into, and breathed in and out deeply with eyes closed for the count of 120. REAL slow breaths, in and out.

240 seconds. Four minutes in the Asian squat position which most people cannot get into today, let alone HOLD. (and this includes “modern Asians” too!).

I once put out a series of emails on fitness tests, and while the “table” position was it, this wasn’t, I think.

But it should be!

And the benefits of this position?

Well, they go way beyond “active recovery”

Those of you that have trouble “going” (the vast majority reading this I bet) better do this next to a commode. Hehe.

I know I had to go, and I don’t have said problems!

And this position stretches out your hips and joints of the lower body in a way you can’t imagine when held for time. Not to mention you won’t need any calf stretches at all if you hold THIS position, as opposed to the regular one I teach (the Hindu squat on your toes).

And for those of you with tight hamstrings, this will solve that problem too. Believe me!

And while I ain’t prepared to say this position (or squats done in this position ) are better than the good ole Hindu squat I teach, I do ALL my squats this way these days, for a very good reason!

Anyway, can almost hear my daughter “goading” me on.

Come on Dad, you can only do 70! I can do 200!

And she can.

She’s a little champ, not just at this position but at ALL positions and exercises that emanate from this one position, stuff I’ve covered in Animal Kingdom Workouts. If you’ve got even a sliver of fat on your body, these workouts will get rid of it, and fast!

(She isn’t that good at HW, but hey . . . ?).

Anyway, where were we you ask.

I did . .  .

Eyes closed.

Ok.

So, this sort of thing will not only be RELAXING once you start getting into it, but you’ll also build spatial awareness like never before, especially if you do advanced stuff like one arm pushups or jumps. Or squats. Or jump squats.

And I do not recommend doing anything you’re not entirely comfortable with this way.

If you can do 100 pull-ups per workout, give these a shot towards the start and work into it.

Ditto for 2000 jumps. Or 20 pushups. Or 5, if that’s all you can do (as many currently can).

And not only that, you’ll build strength in a way you never thought you could.

And most importantly, you’ll automatically visualizing you and your body moving through space while you’re working out with eyes closed, whether you consciously try or not.

Mental workout x 10, and while you CAN visualize with eyes open, and although I recommend doing so with eyes closed when you start you CAN do ‘em with eyes open – but doing it this way?

Whole different ball game my friend!

Try these sort of workouts, and let me know how you do!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Here is where you can grab the 0 Excuses Fitness System. You’ll see me doing all my exercise barefoot in there, and that by itself is another tip for you – barefoot exercise is a whole different ball of wax I’ll write about soon that WILL give you a better workout!