I suppose many of you may think of a St. Patrick’s Day workout as the chugging of green beer while you walk in a parade.
Count me out on the beer.
Why?
I don’t want the estrogen.
Estrogen?
Yessirree. If you don’t value your testosterone, if you want to give yourself a big ole belly, a big rumpus and fatty pecs, then keep chugging the beer.
Sure, a lot of people can get away with drinking beer when they”re youngsters. But after you hit a certain number on the chronological calendar, the odds are not stacked in your favor.
This means that regardless of how much Irish blood I have in me, you can count me out when it comes to beer.
The same goes for wearing green, or eating green.
Instead, I’ll give myself a green workout by walking around my yard, watering the bamboo trees I planted four years ago.
One of the things I do to turn gardening time into strength training time, is fill two 5-gallon buckets with water. Then I grab each bucket and walk around my house before deciding which tree is going to get watered first.
Let me tell ya, this manual labor exercise, which many would call the “Farmer’s Walk,” is kick-butt for your entire body. It eckspecially targets the grip, forearms and shoulders.
The great Bob Feller, the badass hurler from Iowa, known affectionately as “Bullet Bob” and “Rapid Robert,” used to throw missiles to home plate that the batters couldn’t see, much less hit. When asked how he developed such an overpowering fastball, Feller, who grew up on a farm, told a tale about the distance he had to carry pails of water to quench the thirst of the cows.
Everyone who heard the tale laughed. Feller probably chuckled as well because he was probably telling the truth. After all, how many big league pitchers in the 1930’s were throwing 96 or more miles per hour?
The other part of the story, however, is that Feller did a ton of pushups on his fingertips. He practiced bodyweight exercises, carried buckets of water and milked cows. He did NOT lift weights.
For over 20 years, this former Iowan, ME, has also been saying something that others thought of as a joke.
The joke was about how you can dramatically increase functional strength and athleticism with bodyweight exercises, such as those I champion in my international best-seller, Combat Conditioning.
Those who realized I wasn’t joking have reaped the benefits. They’ve won titles all over the world.
Much has changed since I began spreading the word. More and more butt-kickers are being convinced every single day, not just by me, but by the results they’ve gotten inside and outside of the ring.
Come get some, NOW.
Matt Furey
P.S. We’re moving closer and closer to the day when every single printed copy of my all-time best-seller, Combat Conditioning, is GONE. When that happens, you’ll only be able to receive the book digitally. Yet, there’s good news for those who order the printed book NOW (and perhaps the DVDs as well). We will also include a copy of Kick Ass Take Names and an autographed copy of a martial arts magazine that I graced the cover, and we are doing this at no additional charge, while supplies last. Jump on this NOW, my friend. Get these collector’s items in your library and take your training to the next level.
