What if you already know the world’s BEST exercise!
I woke up this morning thinking about this, and realized that while I would LOVE to say “Tai Chi” that simply isn’t true for all people. Which led to the next thought:
What if it isn’t Tai Chi? For whatever reason, including someone simply saying “I don’t have the money for the FIREDANCE program.”
Am I going to lie and say you HAVE to use this specific exercise?
No. I’m not.
It may be crazy, but I’m telling you right now that there may well be something better, something you’ve never considered.
No one can sell it to you, because you already know it.
It is a perfect foundation for both the FIVE MINUTE MIRACLE and the MORNING RITUAL.
Requires no equipment, can be scaled from sixty seconds to an hour, works for the EXTREMELY unfit to world-class athletes…
And can save your life. And if I love you, and I do, I want you to live well, and long, whether you want to buy one of my programs or not.
The marketer part of me flinches, but if I am going to pass the Three Gates (Is it True? Is it Kind? Is it Useful?) I have to tell you this. For free. Keep reading.
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What if I told you that just doing this “secret exercise” would make you more "fit" than a roomful of exercise equipment? How can I say that? Because "fit" in Darwinian terms isn't about having big muscles, endless flexibility, or being able to run a 10K. It means YOU FIT YOUR ECOLOGICAL NICHE. That you "fit" the life you chose for yourself, the life you want. You feel good in the morning waking up. Sleep easily. And have all the energy you need to "work hard all week and party on the weekend."
An exercise that doesn't require paying a nickel to anyone?
Well…it exists. And I thought about "why not create a course for this?" And the answer was: because the idea is too important. I couldn’t sell a class about this and feel I wasn’t cheating people.
So I'm giving this thought away, and honestly, it just hit me this morning that it would be a perfect way to practice the Morning Ritual if you aren't ready for the FIREDANCETAICHI.COM program.
Here it goes. (Every marketing bone in my body is screaming at me. NO! Don’t do it!)
No. I must.
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I heard a story whose origin I can no longer chase down. Supposedly, a survey was conducted among top-level coaches asking the question: "what is the single most important exercise, the BEST exercise overall. Lots of different exercises were mentioned: yoga, running, swimming, weights, calisthenics…
But the WINNER was a British trainer who offered the following:
"Lay down on the floor, and slowly rise to standing. Then slowly return to the floor, without using furniture to help you. Repeat."
Genius. Think about it:
"Lay down on the floor, and slowly rise to standing. Then slowly return to the floor, without using furniture to help you. Repeat."
If you are a near-invalid, or dealing with real physical issues, this exercise alone works strength, balance, coordination, flexibility…and helps bullet-proof you from the fear of falling and not being able to rise. What good is it to deadlift 400 pounds, if you struggle to get off the floor? If you focus all your problem solving, coaching, and researching on just being able to do this for, say…five minutes, would you feel good about yourself?
If you are already fit, GREAT! Just "load" the movement with weight and you have the infamous TURKISH GET UP, or Steve Maxwell's TURKISH GET-DOWN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgKFttG0Z7I
With a Get-up you start on the ground, holding a kettlebell or dumb bell directly overhead. Roll over onto your side, keeping the weight up there, and rise to your feet. (Look this up on Youtube). Go back down to the ground, keeping the weight suspended above you. In a "Get Up" you switch hands at the bottom. With a "Get Down" you switch hands at the top. Both work. You should practice this with something VERY light at first, like a sandal or sneaker. Trust me: if you can bench 300, a 75 pound TKG will still kick your butt.
That's it. Something that works for babies, athletes, and the elderly. Costs nothing. Takes little room. Requires no training.
What you have is an exercise that can save your life, make you strong, works a huge range of muscles and joints, protects you from falling, and can be done for a wide range of results including strength and endurance (Five Minute Miracle style might be doing a single rep, focusing on breathing. Morning Ritual Style is going up and down for 10-20 minutes. Brutal.)
For “Morning Ritual” Push hard enough that "you can talk, but you can't sing" and speak your affirmations and do your visualizations. If you can do this, BOY do you have something to be grateful for!
As I said, I was just thinking about this this morning, and realized that if I was 100% serious about helping people, no way in the world would I keep this genius notion, by an unknown personal trainer, to myself.
Talk to your doctor, or trainer. Move slowly. NEVER allow your discomfort to rise above a "2" on a scale of 1-10. Focus on the breathing, treating this complex movement that EVERY BABY MASTERS right after crawling as a "yoga." Focus. Have fun. Be gentle with yourself.
And then, when you are ready for more, consider the FIREDANCE Tai Chi program It is superb, and will guide you through BOTH the form and the creation of a transformative “Morning Ritual”. But (grit my teeth!) I admit that you don't NEED it to do the Firedance program to move, focus, visualize your mentors and the path ahead, flood yourself with positive emotions, and turn the first 20 minutes of the day into M.A.G.I.C.
I love you guys, and just wanted to share a potentially life-changing thought.
Let’s change the world together!
Steve
www.firedancetaichi.com
