It was a magnificent display of our own human body and the intricacies that exist within. I must admit some of the displays were quite revealing and others were just simply fascinating.

There are many displays on hand, but one in particular made an indelible impression on the way that I view the human body. It was a display that showed the cardiovascular system, central nervous system (see video below, forward to 1:44 minute) , and respiratory system.

(In the video below (run time: 9:35 minutes), famous forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, narrates a tour of the amazing “Bodies” exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

Upon first glance, it appeared to look like a circuit board of sorts with wires stemming out similar to something you would see in the roots of the plant. It was at this moment I really understood that our own bodies are electrically and energetically charged systems.

Having the incredible privilege to see it firsthand was quite breathtaking because the visual display is unquestionably the best method for demonstrating the importance of energy in our own body.

I began to notice all the different ways that energy shows up in and around us.

For example, in our own bodies we have something called a pH balance the concept of pH was first introduced by Danish chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen at the Carlsberg Laboratory in 1909.

It is unknown what the exact definition of p is. The h stands for the amount of hydrogen ions there are. The more hydrogen ions the more acid the thing being measure is. The pH scale, which measures how acidic or alkaline something is, runs from 0 to 14.

For human beings and optimum pH balance is one which is slightly more alkaline. Anything less than 7 is acidic and anything over 7 is alkaline.

There are many things that can affect pH balance such as stress, nutrition, environment, and even exercise.

The most common culprits are stress and nutrition.

In managing the daily stress of life, I wrote an article on the real benefits of meditation. This is one of the best ways to help minimize stress that we deal with on an ongoing basis.

As for nutrition, I will cover how what we eat can effect our PH balance.

When we eat foods that consists of animal products our body requires more acid to break down and digest the nutrients and as a result our body becomes more acidic.

Foods such as fruit and vegetables in general tend to move the body in a more alkaline environment. In general the majority of people are more acidic than alkaline, and a lot of it has to do with the lifestyle choices they make.

In our quest for fame and fortune we have neglected the most important thing that can actually contribute to our inner wealth and riches, our health. It doesn’t matter how rich and wealthy you are or how many cars and homes and trinkets you own.

If your health goes, that’s it you’re done. So many people are striving for to make a buck. They think that money will solve their problems. Money is just energy.

It is an agreement between two or more people to do something. That’s it. Nothing more. And yet we compromise our well-being, and eventually our health to the point where we are faced with a life or death situation.

The choices you make now, will determine the quality of life you will have in the future. And the quality of your life is in direct proportion to the level of vitality and energy you have.

We are all not created equal, I realize that, yet we all have one thing in common, 24 hours. No one on this planet has more or less time than that. We are all given 24 hours a day to with it as we wish, some prefer to use their time wisely and others may not.

“You are what you eat.”
“What you eat makes your body and your health depends on the food you eat.”

I have examined more than 300,000 people’s stomachs and intestines for 35 years and realize that our health depends largely on our dietary life. And from my experiences I would like to teach you healthy, dietary habits to help you enjoy your life!

– Hiromi Shinya, M.D.
Pioneer of the modern colonoscopic techniques

As I began to research more about the important role that pH has in the human body I began to see the similarities between conventional electricity and our own bodies.

Just like electricity has positive and negative charges or ions so to does the human body. Taking a measure of your own pH balance is something that you can easily do right now check the state of your health and well-being.

One of the popular forms for measuring one’s pH, is through one’s urine. The pH test consists of a thin strip of paper that can be easily purchased at a pharmacy or local health food store. It’s an inexpensive and simple test that you can do.

According to author Raymond Francis, in his book, Never Be Sick Again,

“You typically want to measure the pH of your first morning urine before eating. It’s a good indicator of the level of pH in yourselves and can be used to monitor future levels as you work to normalize your pH balance. Morning urine tests should range from 6.5 to 7.5. If Reagan’s fall below 6.5 your to acidic and a pH over 8.0 is a serious matter. Fatigue is often reflected in the acidic pH.”

Quick Chart of Alkaline and Acidic Foods

It is important that your daily dietary intake of food naturally acts to balance your body pH. To maintain health, the diet should consist of at least 60% alkaline forming foods and at most 40% acid forming foods. To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

The quick chart rates food from High Alkaline to High Acid. Following this quick reference chart is a more detailed chart of specific foods and their alkaline or acidic rating.

Why & What is it?

Bodyweight exercises are good old fashioned Calisthenics.

Essentially, bodyweight exercises is using your own body weight to do strength training without the use of any equipment.

Many ask, so what is the difference between Calisthenics and bodyweight training?

The answer, there is none.

They are one in the same.

It’s like asking what is the difference between H2O and water?

The names may be different but they are synonymous.

Just in case you don’t trust me, let’s do a quick search and see what we find and compare the two.

Source: Wikipedia

Bodyweight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require free weights; the practitioner’s own weight provides the resistance for the movement. Movements such as the push-up, the pull-up, and the sit-up are some of the most common body weight exercises.

Calisthenics are a form of exercise consisting of a variety of exercises, often rhythmical movements, generally without using equipment or apparatus. They are intended to increase body strength and flexibility with movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using only one’s body weight for resistance.

Sounds relatively similar.

But let’s take a look at the list of common exercises. I want to preface first by saying that in Wikipedia, its lists 22 exercises for body weight training and 11 for Calisthenics. The difference in quantity exercises listed on their website is not a reflection that certain movements only exist in one and not the other. That is a logical fallacy.

What can we determine from this comparison matrix?

That, for the most part, the same freaking movements exist in both, notwithstanding the quantity, which could have more to do, with someone was just dang lazy when it came to listing common exercises as it pertains to those in Calisthenics.

In conclusion, body weight exercises/training and Calisthenics are virtually the same thing, they are synonyms for strength training using your own body weight and no or very little equipment.

Overview:

H.I.I.T Training stands for High-Intensity Interval Training also called high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) or sprint interval training (SIT).

Essentially it is a a form of training where you train at 100% of your ability for a specified period of time and than rest for a specified period of time, repeating this process from 4-30 minutes, two-four times per week.

Here is a breakdown of the more popular interval training programs:

Interval Training	Description	Max Intensity	Rest	Duration
Peter Coe	Used in 1970s by the athletics coach Peter Coe for his son Sebastian Coe.	Run 200 meters	30 seconds	TBD
Izumi Tabata	Based on a 1996 study by Professor Izumi Tabata involving Olympic speed-skaters	20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise.	10 seconds	4 minutes (8 cycles)
Martin Gibala	His team at McMaster University in Canada have been researching high-intensity exercise for several years.	3 minutes for warming up, then 60 seconds of intense exercise (at 95% of VO2max)	75 seconds	8–12 cycles/3 times per week
Jamie Timmons	Professor of systems biology at the University of Loughborough, proponent of a few short bursts of flat-out intensity.	20 second bursts of maximum effort	2 minutes	7 minutes/3 times per week/warm-up and recovery time

Types of Exercises:

You can do just about any type of exercise using interval training. Such as, walking, running, cycling, climbing, squats, burpees, etc. Generally anything that uses your whole body.

Advantages: Here is a list of the five reason to do interval training:

1) Burns Fat Quick. This one is at the top of the list. Because you are doing repetitive intense blasts of 100% maximum effort and then resting you are signaling to your body that it needs to prepare itself and does so accordingly by using excess storehouse of fat to fuel itself, thus you become super lean.

2) It’s quick, saves you time. The circuits typically take 20-30 minutes and vary depending on the type of workout program you are doing. H.I.I.T. certainly is more efficient in this respect.

3) It improves endurance and speed.

4) No equipment necessary. This again depends on the type of program you are doing, but really you can do H.I.I.T. training with just your body-weight, doing a 4 exercise program such as burpees and dips or leg squats, pull ups, push ups & crunches, doing as many as you can and then resting.

5) You can do it anywhere. Again adding to the previous point, you could exercise indoors, outdoors, at a gym, at home, at a park, wherever and whenever.

Dis-Advantages: Here is a list of the five reason NOT to do interval training:

1) Extremely strenuous for those not in shape. The first word of this type of training should give you a clue, it’s called “High” intensity for a reason, it’s high impact. High potential for injury.

2) Doing too much too soon can cause excessive muscle soreness. This can be sincerely hard on your body.

3) As with all sports and physical activities there is a risk of injuries. Joints, knees, ankles, hips and cardiovascular complaints.

4) If you are a beginner the rest period should be longer.

5) Maintain proper form. Not maintaining proper form in any type of exercise can be dangerous, but with interval training it can be even more severe for those with inadequate technique.

In conclusion, High-Intensity Interval Training can be a way to shed those unwanted calories but I am one that subscribes to slow and steady wins the race. And for me you could lose a hell of a lot of calories walking and not run the risk of injury than high impact training such as this.

And last but not least, diet.

What you feed your body makes an immeasurable difference in you being lean.

There are so many ways to change your diet but probably the quickest is to cut out the gluten and drink plenty of water, and well, take a good 30 minute walk out in the fresh air.

For further reading on high-intensity interval training:

high-intensity-interval-training

Laursen-02-Scien-Basis-for-HIIT-Review

Early in 2005 I had injured my collar bone just slightly while training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. After the injury I never thought I would be able to do pull ups again.

It wasn’t until a friend of mine told me about Rolfing that my life changed and my Calisthenic journey began.

For those of you thinking about giving Calisthenics a try, below are ten things that happen:

1) You will find out just how tough managing to do pull ups, push ups, and dips really can be. Not all Calisthenic movements require pull ups, push ups and dips however they are the cornerstone and building blocks, along with several others. When you first start out it’s tempting to want to begin initially like the pros. Baby steps. Work on stretching and warming up before and after every workout. And think like a turtle slow and methodical. Take your time. It’s been only four months  and I am already seeing huge changes that I otherwise never had with conventional weight lifting.

2. YouTube will be your best friend. It is amazing how engulfed I have become in watching all the Calisthenic “Superstars” from Frank Medrano to Hannibal for King to Lazar Novovic. You can get addicted to the gluttony of videos. There is so many great videos out there that I got consumed. It was definitely like I was attending, Calisthenics 101. I just had to keep reminding myself that all these guys started out from scratch just like me, so if they can get to where they are, so can I. It will just take time.

3. You may be the odd one at the gym or out and about. It’s truly amazing how good old fashion pull ups, push ups, dips, and the multitude of Calisthenic movements that have been around forever seem almost from another planet for example when you are at the gym. I recently canceled my gym membership, because, there simple wasn’t enough decent space to practice Calisthenics. All the open space was taken up my machines and barbells and dumbbells. The funny thing, I actually have more space to practice at home than I did at the gym. In addition, I noticed that I never really used any of the perks that my gym offered like the plethora of machines. i never touched any of them, just the pull up bar, dips, and plyo-box, and the occasion kettle balls. You can actually create a better gym for Calisthenics at home.

4. You will be sore and not know why. Calisthenics is incredibly underestimated, and really not given the respect it deserves. I became so accustomed to thinking that muscle soreness only came from lifting weights or working out on machines. Not true. With Calisthenics, you will workout, and not feel like you really worked out, because you are doing such basic moves, but low and behold, you are sore. Trust me. Doing push ups or pull ups or leg lifts for one set does not count. Try doing 12-15 sets of 15-20 reps. You will be sore.

5. Be an evangelist.  As you progress in your training, day after day, and week after week, your enthusiasm also increases. And before you know it you have become a full fledged fan who wants to share with anyone who will listen the benefits of lifting and working out with your own body-weight, no gym required. I often find myself stepping up on to my proverbial soap box to share with some unsuspecting person(s) the unlimited benefits of Calisthenics.

6. Creativity. It’s inevitable that you will begin to be more creative with your workouts. With each movement you do you are going to want to switch it up to avoid your body getting used to any one exercise and as such your muscle and body do not grow.  Believe it or not there are hundreds of ways just to do a push up. As you continue training, you will find out that you become more ingenious in varying up the standard ways of doing most exercises with a more uncommon method. One that is sure to really increase your overall growth and have fun in the process.

7. Forget legs. Forget Lower body. It’s really easy to just focus on the more popular movements and neglect one of the building blocks of the body, which is the lower body. Many of the more popular exercises focus primarily on the upper body. But don’t let that discourage you from working out on the lower body. I grew up thinking that you need to lift weights or work out on heavy leg machines in order t get a muscular lower body. That is not the case. Try doing one legged pistol squats or a one legged hamstring bridge. I guarantee not only will you feel some soreness but you legs and lower body will grow far greater than you can imagine.

8. Lose track of time. I often find that I lose track of time when it comes to my workouts. Part and parcel from it just being really fun. The movements, albeit, simplistic in nature, take a lot of focus and concentration. Because your body is your gym, you tend to find that you focus on technique and form. With Calisthenics, slow is better. Quality versus quantity. And as such time just files by. As the saying goes, we tend to lose track of time when we are having fun.

9.  Not rest enough.  Rest is paramount, not just sleep and but recovery between sets. In the beginning I wanted to go from one exercise to another, and I completely forgot to give my body the occasional rest break. That was not a smart thing on my part. Now if I am doing split workout routines, where I workout multiple body parts, like chest and back. I will do one set of standard width pull ups (back) and than one set of close grip push ups (chest), wait 30 seconds, and repeat with a varied movement like reverse grip pull ups and wide grip push ups, than I rest again for 30 seconds. I noticed that this significantly helps my recovery for the next series of movements.

10. Weight & Machine Withdrawals. I have been weightlifting for nearly 20 years so it’s only natural that, because of habit, I have, what I like to call barbell withdrawal. I was so accustomed to believing that I needed to lift some piece of metal or iron in order to qualify as strength training. That is absolutely ridiculous. Now I take pride in knowing that I can workout anywhere and anytime. No gym required. As long as I can find some floor or chair I am pretty much good to go.

Well there you have it. Ten Things That Will Happen as you embark on your Calisthenic journey. You may not experience all ten, and it really doesn’t matter if you do or don’t. In fact, you may come up with your own ten things that happen to you that are completely different. The important thing, is to just begin, and stick with it. Trust me, you will love it.

Now granted, not everyone is perfect.

Some of these may apply or not.

Calisthenics is a lifetime learning adventure. We can always improve and the room for margin can sometimes be greater than we think.

Here are the Top 20 Mistakes in Calisthenics:

1) Improper Grip: This has got to be one of the most hotly contested subjects within the Calisthenics & Street Workout Community. Which grip is proper and which is incorrect. Growing up I was taught to put my thumb aligned on the same side with my fingers. But now I am learning that, the proper grip is what ensures you the most possible leverage, and that means wrapping your thumb around the bar. There are obvious pros and cons to each, such as wrist grip strength, but wouldn’t you want the most secure grip in anything you do?

2) Squat Form: Deep squats is by and far one of the staples of Calisthenics and good form is essential. Rather than plagiarize what was so brilliantly said on this subject, I will refer you to ExRx.net for the proper form on deep squats.
3) Not Full ROM (Range Of Motion) Pull Ups & Any and All Exercise Movements: Full range of motion means fully extending, here is a good definition from Wikipedia on this very subject:

As used in the biomedical and weightlifting communities, range of motion refers to the distance and direction a joint can move between the flexed position and the extended position. The act of attempting to increase this distance through therapeutic exercises (range of motion therapy—stretching from flexion to extension for physiological gain) is also sometimes called range of motion.

Many people cut short literally their R.O.M. and as a result cut short their opportunities for growth.
4) Elbows Flare Out (Dips & Push Ups)
5) Dips – Too Low or Not Too Low
6) Too many reps/sets, not enough rest
7) Neglect Legs/Don’t do legs
8) No Rest Days (Over training) Doing too much, thinking more is better
9) Overdeveloped Anterior Deltoids/Lats Pattern Overload
10) Kipping Muscle Ups Is Not Strict Muscle Up
11) Not thinking about what you are doing, how to improve acquire knowledge
12) Comparing yourself to others
13) Focusing on strengths, favorite exercises and body parts  neglecting weaknesses
14) Not completely focusing on workout, avoid distractions
15) Setting unrealistic goals
16) Resting too much
17) Not warming up properly
18) Sticking too the same old routine, principle of adaption
19) Quality versus quantity