Paleo Quick Tip of the Day #63 Virtual Resistance exercise is the PERFECT core exercise!

pqtd 63  Do Virtual Resistance Exercise as the CORE of your workout!

This is a hard one to tackle via a podcast- HOW to describe how to do an type of exercise that we all should know, and do, on a daily basis...

But that no one knows how to do anymore???

It’s like how we eat in the present day-  most people nowadays live almost totally on processed foods, and fast foods- in other words, “fake” foods that come in a bag or a box, require none or minimal preparation, and contain calories but almost no nutrients!  We actually have forgotten how to prepare and cook our own food- this is a skill me must relearn to regain the health of our forebears, and escape the nightmare slide into diabesity, autism, autoimmune diseases, and pharmaceutical overkill for profit!

Simple things like making stock from beef bones or a chicken carcass, obtaining the nutrients from those bones which are crucial for our health- grilling meat and then eating it throughout our week, making our own soups and stews- real, healthy foods that build the health of our bodies in a huge and uber important way- foods that have been largely abandoned in modern, Government subsidized grain based diets that sabatoge our diets, destroy our health, and ensure that we are addicted to a diet that makes us very sick, and very fat, but does not kill us, as long as we take the many very expensive drugs that mask the symptoms of our many diseases, but do not effect any cure of the underlying cause.

And that is because the cure is very simple- eat real foods, mostly prepared at home, and do real exercise!!

Not joint destroying exercise like heavy weight training, or prescriptions for overtraining like P-90X or Crossfit or any of all of those overkill protocols- and no jogging/running for endless miles that only destroy your joints and muscle tissue, and produce massive amounts of cortisol, the stress hormone, that will actually encourage your body to store fat at the same time it is destroying muscle...

No- you want simple, classic, timeless, Perfectly Paleo Exercise, especially in the form of virtual resistance exercise!
But, unless you are from before the 1970’s, you know nothing of Charles Atlas and his “dynamic tension”, and even if you are from the 1970’s and past you probably never heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger “posing” for contest prep, or of Bruce Lee and his katas and isometric holds.

All of these were expressions of the most ancient, effective, and powerful methods of training ever discovered- Virtual Resistance Training!

This is a good modern terminology for this ultimate exercise, that requires NO equipment, can be done anywhere at any time, and builds muscle and strength without any wear and tear on the joints and tendons whatsoever-

It actually builds tendon strength as it also strengthens muscle tissue, avoiding injury from the get-go!

And so- how do you do it?  I will refer you to my site- www.paleojay.com  

I have several short videos of how to do these exercises there for you.  You can also get my ebook Perfectly Paleo Exercise with similar videos and links.  The most comprehensive example of how to do virtual resistance is at http://transformetrics.com/exercises 

John Peterson and Wendy Pett do a great job demonstrating the basics of virtual resistance training!

I know- it almost seems too simple and easy...

And it is simple- but not easy- generating the resistance yourself is every bit as taxing and difficult as lifting weights, and takes a LOT of mental concentration that weights do not as much- but the results are actually superior, and will build a far more symmetrical or beautiful type of lean, defined physique than will weights, that build a bulky, or blocky type of look, with a fat butt and bulging abdomen.  And virtual resistance will also NOT build a “skinny-fat” body, as will endless aerobics or long distance running.

Virtual Resistance exercise will build a natural, balanced, pleasing and symmetrical physique that is like that represented in ancient Greek statues-

a physique that is strong in real world terms of strength!  A body that has tendons that can throw, lift, twist, bend and squat- a body ready for action, NOT for the lifting platform, the posing dias, or any other artificial event...

BUT A BODY BUILT FOR REAL LIFE!

Now scroll down to the next entry, and see some demonstrations of Virtual Resistance Exercise to get the idea... and then incororate them into your daily routine!!


Check out this episode!

PaleoJay's Smoothie Cafe #88 The Very Best Type of Exercise EVER!

pjsc podcast  #88 The Very Best Type of Natural Exercise You Can Do!

Something that I have brought up on a regular basis, and actually go into depth on in my eBook Perfectly Paleo Exercise is most perfect type of exercise you can possibly do- it requires NO equipment, can be done anywhere, and allows a maximum contraction and tension throughout the whole range of motion of each muscle in the body from head to toe, and shapes the body symmetrically , and without damaging the discs in the back or risking shoulder or knee damage, which effects are inevitable with weight training!  What is this miracle form of exercise?

It’s what Charles Atlas taught in his famous mail order courses of comic book fame- he called it dynamic tension- it is also called virtual resistance, and transformetrics.

But whatever you call it, it works, it has worked for literally thousands of years in many cultures throughout the world, and it will work for you.

How does it work?  It’s simple once you see and understand it, and it is easily incorporated into your life.  The best way to understand and implement it is to either get my eBook Perfectly Paleo Exercise, and/or go to www.transformetrics.com/exercises

This is part of the site of John E. Peterson, and he is the modern day, living personification of Charles Atlas!  Years ago, I found a couple of books of his, and learned of this form of exercise when I was still a busted up, chronically injured weight lifter- it changed my training life entirely, and actually improved and enhanced my physique and overall strength, while simultaneously freeing me from hours of painful training in the gym, and ultimately curing all my chronic injuries that had been caused by those very weights.

If you go to the transformetrics site, you can see the exercises I am talking about, which are really just controlled flexing of each muscle group throughout the full range of motion.

Really!  It is that simple- you just flex, the degree of applied tension is up to you- it can be a mild flex, but what you want to work up to is a powerful flex and tension as you slowly go through the full range of motion- you will feel it, strongly, and if you are used to using weights you will recognize the feeling as exactly the same- but without the damage to joints and cartilage- and actually more intense because the tension is just as strong in the “weak” part of the “lift” as it is in the strong part, and because there is no cheating as in lifting more weight by cheating in form... you know, like curling a heavy bar and rocking back to life more weight than you could with strict form- since the tension is generated internally, BY YOU, the tension (the “weight”) is always just what you make it, no more, no less, and so you can make it IDEAL at each and every part of the “lift”...

And no damage to your precious, God given body!

Not only no damage, but doing these movements will actually rejuvenate, and rebuild your physique from the inside out- where weights actually stress the tendons by chiefly putting the tension on the muscles only, virtual or self-generated resistance put the stress first on the tendons and ligaments, strengthening them first, and then safely passing the stress onto the musculature itself.

This not only develops the physique in the most symmetrical, natural and pleasing way, i.e. without excessive bulk as in a fat butt, bulky thighs, and protruding abdomen so common in heavy weight lifters and conventional bodybuilders, but it actually builds the sort of real world strength that is so important in performing real physical feats in the real world, like actually moving heavy awkward objects, and strength that is applicable in twisting, pounding, and otherwise moving in different planes of motion!

Not just things like, oh, squatting under a heavy bar and straining straight upwards, or lying on a bench, and pushing a heavy bar straight up, or lifting a heavy bar from the ground, straight up as in a deadlift-

How applicable is this sort of “strength” to daily life??

Especially, if while doing the above you are wearing a belt, and knee wraps, (as in the squat)?

Or a bench shirt, and wrist wraps, as in a bench press??

Or, doing a dead lift, wearing a belt, special shoes, and straps to hold the bar???

How strong are you REALLY??  I mean IN THE REAL WORLD?

And so, my friend- come back to the future!

As I so often say, our future is in our past!!

And this form of natural exercise has been with us forever, long before weights, or machines, or P90X, or any other training fad...

And, it is so easily incorporated into your daily life-

It is easy to do in your living room, in front of the television!

Or outside, in nature, amongst a grove of pine trees, as I often do...

Or in a motel room if you are traveling!

And how much time are we talking here??

Really, not that much at all!  The thing is, this form of virtual training is so natural, and physically so satisfying and non- draining, that the tendency is to just do it, and keep on for a while, since it feels so good.

To get good effects, time wise?  15 minutes will do very well!  That is enough time to work the entire body...

The thing is though, you work through the entire body, and are feeling great (not drained or sore or injured at all!), and then you decide to...

Repeat the cycle

And why not?  The muscles are warmed up, you feel great, and you want to increase the tension somewhat on the next cycle or set...

Also, you are in the middle of a movie or whatever program on TV, and you want to continue watching- why not keep going?

At a later stage, after doing this for awhile, you may want to add in some pushups, and some straight legged sit ups and hindu squats in the mix- I mean, as your strength and overall fitness increase, it just starts to feel good to use your muscles as God intended, and to gradually enhance your ability to do so... so you do!

Old aches and pains will diminish- I know mine did!  You will start to add in isometrics and self-resisted exercises- anything to continue building your body via physical culture which is what this whole process is as opposed to bodybuilding, cross fit, olympic lifting, or whatever damaging physical process you have been sucked into...


Virtual resistance, transformetrics, dynamic tension-

Whatever you call it- this natural, physical culturist form of exercise-

The kind that has been with us since pre-biblical times to train the greatest warriors ever, including peaceful warriors- and the greatest physiques such as the models for the statues of the ancient Greeks:

I call it Perfectly Paleo Exercise!

PaleoJay's Smoothie Cafe #80 Train Like...a Kitten!

PaleoJay’s Smoothie Cafe #80  Train like... a Kitten!

I know- you are going to think that I, your faithful PaleoJay, have gone off my rocker!  But I mean it- if there is ONE role model that we need in this fast-paced, sleep deprived, cortisol laden modern American and Western lifestyle that we have inflicted upon ourselves, it is the KITTEN!  Or the cat, or any version of any cat being, of any size...

How does a kitten live?  Or any cat, for that matter- they SLEEP about 20 hours per day!  GREAT START!  They get up, and they STRETCH methodically, and then get started on their day... usually, they will, if domesticated, go to their food bowl and eat.  If wild, they will start HUNTING.  When they find some game, they RUN IT DOWN, kill it, and eat it- starting with the organ meats.  (Great cat wisdom there!)

Kittens, in particular, are great role models, especially for those of us who have NOT followed an exercise regimen, or are definitely NOT “kitten” aged any longer-

Kittens know how to train to become cats; tigers or lions or panthers too!

They start by methodically exploring their own bodies and movement skills, and gradually expanding upon them.

First, they squirm and stretch- play act fighting and hunting with their little siblings, and with just random strings and reflections. (shadow boxing!)  And it works!

Their skills grow and grow- in a matter of weeks, and then a few months, a kitten becomes a fearsome CAT of whatever size it is meant to be, with gymnastic and athletic skills that are absolutely awesome to see!

“But Jay” I hear you saying, “How does this mean anything to me??”

Well, grasshopper, or preferably KITTEN: in a word- everything.

Go thou, and do likewise-

When you arise- STRETCH!  Religiously, every morning!  Have a regular routine, and   follow it- It is really important.

Next, eat a good, paleo-type of protein, and veggie rich breakfast!  Religiously, again, every morning!  Eggs, bacon, pastured steak and paleo coffee loaded with cream and coconut oil and cinnamon, a giant PALEO SMOOTHIE loaded with; well, with EVERYTHING a vital, strong human could possibly need or want!

EXCEPTION:  OR- if it’s a Sunday, or a day off, and you want to relax and don’t need to work, and want to emphasize your cat-like laziness and sleepiness-

Drink the Paleo coffee, and that is ALL!  You are going into your CAT hunting/fasting mode:  Lay around... stretch... enjoy the lethargy, the pure luxury of reveling in not having to RUSH!  Observe nature, pay real attention to it- the birds, the squirrels, the sounds of nature.  MEDITATE ON IT.  Your cat-like, primeval body is benefiting greatly- shutting down stress hormone (cortisol) production, revel in the very feel of the grass beneath your feet as you walk in the backyard.  Think about how you will spend the day- if Sunday, you can go to church and feel the spiritual recharge and exchange between you and the divine that will energize you- a real meditation!  Next, come home again, and, if hungry now, you can eat, but consider, just consider, kitten:  maybe you would like to work out now.  If you really listen to your body, you really just might feel this way- I often do...

A kitten knows when it’s time, intuitively.  You do too; you’ve just kind of... forgotten.

Last week, I knew I should NOT work out!  I didn’t feel guilty, I just KNEW that my body wanted to REST like a cat would.

Tomorrow, I know that I CRAVE a good workout!!  On the rings!  One the P-bars!!  Sprinting barefoot!!!

HARD but short!  It will feel fantastic- Like a cat running at top speed after hapless prey!!

And so, to get back to the EXCEPTION DAY:

Relax all morning, chill out.  Meditate. Pray. Stretch.  Enjoy the early morning (or late morning!)... Drink your Paleo coffee, loaded with ketogenic fats, and enjoy...

Go to church.  Meditate and pray again.  Enjoy the feeling!

Don’t eat- enjoy the feeling of not having to eat, to prepare or clean up, or anything but relax!  Prolong it!!


Converse, get in touch with family, read.  Maybe now you feel like working out?  I often do!!  SO DO IT!  Do your Perfectly Paleo Exercise!  Work your body, catlike, exploring all different was of moving and exerting yourself- NOT to “burn calories”, NOT to “get a pump”- just to move like a kitten or a cat- for pure FUN and the JOY of it!!

Afterwards, just like a Lion that has run down it’s prey, you will start to crave REAL, God made FOOD!  Because you now deserve it, and can make good use of it!!

So, DO IT!!

Let’s say it’s early, or mid-afternoon on a Sunday:  Fire up your grill!!  That’s what I do, routinely on these
exceptional Sundays!

Paleo Smoothie before blending

Put on a slab of ribs- (Imagine you just ran down the boar and killed it)

Add in some bacon- (from the same boar...)

Put on a roast of grass fed beef- (from a ruminant you killed after the boar)

And GRILL SOME LIVER from that same ruminant cow-like creature, to which you can add some Hollandaise sauce tomorrow morning for your workday huge paleo breakfast!!

I like to grill a whole weeks worth of meat on Sundays, and it is a blast to do so!!

Think about it: like a cat, you have relaxed, meditated, revitalized your feline body by stretching, contemplating, getting more-than-adequate sleep, and just plain getting in touch with your bad self!

THEN, you ran down your PREY, KILLED IT, (Figuratively speaking: you just bought it from your local farmer or rancher probably)- and now you are reaping the nutritional rewards for both yourself and your TRIBE of CAT-FOLK!  (Perhaps Catness is among them?  I don’t know...)

CRACK A BEER DUDE!  You have earned it!  It’s the Catnip equivalent of a human reward...

You need the carbs- and you have revitalized you, and YOURS!!

Party on, Catness.

The Perfect Paleo Exercise!

You've heard of weight lifting/ strength training/bodybuilding










You've heard of power lifting.

You've heard of Olympic lifting!

You've even heard of Movnat!

Movnat is a great step in the right direction...

But, what you have NOT heard of is...

Visualized Resistance!   (Here are all the exercises you need, in a form you can easily duplicate.  Thank John Peterson and Wendy Pett for the demonstrations, but then, just do them, daily).

This is the stuff that Charles Atlas made his reputation from-  self resistance generated within the muscles!  It is also known as DYNAMIC TENSION!  (Remember from the comic books??)
The Comic Books withstanding...  it WORKS!!

You just- self resist throughout the range of motion.  So simple it seems almost... fake!

But it is not at all!  I honestly believe that, for MOST people, Visualized resistance is ALL that they really need to be totally fit!!  


That, and a completely PALEO DIET, eschewing grains and sugars, primarily!

I really think that, from a "Moving Naturally" and a "Paleo" perspective; i.e. getting back to what is natural for humans, nothing is more natural than this self resisted, cat-like means of natural exercise!

And NOW, my new eBook is out on Amazon- Perfectly Paleo Exercise
Soon to also be available on all other vendors, including the iBookstore...

Bottom line?

Fix your diet!  Eliminate grains and sugars.  NOW!!  
That is at least 80% of the battle!!

For the rest of the battle?  Well, I would say:

Incorporate a paleo smoothie that immediately fixes the deficiencies in your diet that you've had for decades:   


All of the micro-nutrients, proteins, intestinal-repair and rejuvenating agents, vitamins, minerals, and just plain nutrient dense foods that you've been lacking for... decades, at least!


That is MOST of the battle!  REALLY!


But, after you've incorporated all of the dietary changes that will revolutionize how you look, feel, and perform...


Well, you need to perform!  


These exercises will help you to do just that:

Safely- Easily (No equipment needed!!)- and VERY effectively!!


I know, I am a lone voice in the wilderness on this; but trust me:

Weight lifting is a dead end.  Body weight resistance is not only adequate...

It is really all you need!!  


AND SELF RESISTANCE (VISUALIZED ESPECIALLY) IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN NATURAL HEALTH!


Just try it, please!   Coupled with a paleo diet there is nothing better for you.

I think it doesn't catch on, primarily, because, just like the Paleo Diet-

THERE IS NOTHING TO SELL!!


J