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I remember, and I’ve told you this before, being damn good at pushups – not naturally, but because I wanted to be – and this was noticed in Taekwondo class all the time.

I still remember our instructor repping us out.

1, 2, 3… 10.

I think we did 10, and that was that – somedays, more. (we did a lot of other exercises too).

But the pushups, most of the guys would cheat on them – even the bigger and stronger ones.

I was the only one, slow and steady, like I teach you in Pushup Central to this day “dont be the braggart that can pound out tons of so called pushups with NO form” … that did them SLOWLY – and steadily, chest to the floor on EACH REP, breathing in and out.

(I dont know if I had the breathing down pat then as I do now,  but it was there).

Thats pushup # ONE in that great book, and that one style alone will get you in great, great shape and give you a solid core like few other exercises will.

Trust me, pull-ups are great.

You can’t do them if you’re fat, or even getting fat, period. The more you pile on around the midsection (I dont care if you can pull a train in the deadlift) – the tougher it becomes to get your chin over the bar, or even get there – period.

And they make you feel like a CHAMP. And they give you a super sexy, solid, strong FUCNTIONALLY strong core – but pushups do the same, and it’s different, the breathing, from the inside out, and especially all the work the chest and upper core gets, the breathing alone burns fat like nothing else will.

There is a reason yours truly pull-up stud struggled to pump off TEN pushups after years of doing only pull-ups in sets of 15-20, and nothing else, if you can believe that.

The reverse is not necessarily true, and never has been.

Anyway, in Taekwondo class, the groin stretch was one that got me, and almost to tears!

We did it in turns, partner pushing and prying our legs open when seated on the ground, and for someone neither naturally fit or strong, NOR flexible (till this day, I have tight hamstrings!)- this was TORTURE – and my instructor delighted in asking my partner to push me MORE.

Which is what should be done!

I still remember him saying.

“We’ll get this guy going!”

Anyway … that was a SOLID super stretch.

Even tougher than the splits to me.

The kicks were great too!

But I remember a movie in 1996, I believe, Bollywood potboiler – starring martial arts black bet Akshay Kumar.

Now, look at Kumar these days, you would never believe he was a martial artist.

The greased and oiled look, the poses, the “gym body” that started post the 90’s – before which Kumar – you took one look at him – NATURALLY FIT! – and JUST like a martial artist should be!

Six pack without it showing too much – as opposed to NOW which is a gym six pack – but a six pack with real strength. 

Coiled, powerful forearms. 

Ready to SPRING like a tiger!

Fingers – thick fingers!

A long strong BULL NECK!

LEAN AND MEAN, fighting MACHINE! 

And traps, that one sign of REAL strength – and a rock solid slim core and very low body fat overall. 

That is martial artists, the real guys , in general for you, and Kumar with his Thailand background – hey – I get it!

Those ironman comments weren’t just directed at me for no reason.

Anyway, I’m hardly an accomplished martial artist like Kumar – nor an actor that has made a TON of money. Hehe. And he changed his looks etc “to fit the times”, which from a biz standpoint I can understand – smart biz, do what the masses “want”.

But I remember a scene in his movie “Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi” (Google is your friend) (“Player of all players”) – a potboiler, admittedly, but one I loved – and he’s fighting another guy, and they both jump up on pool tables in the stance described above.

Those legs just keep spreading, it was a sight to watch them both “lower” themselves down (in case Glyn Bozo is reading this, PLEASE Glyn, its NOT “that”) until the legs are fully spread, supported by the pool tables, and it’s only their upper bodies that can “function in the fight” anymore – much like if they didnt have legs at all.

And they think strike each other.

Blow after blow.

Liver shots, kidney shots … Pure CORE STRENGTH!

And pure “upper core” strength.

In Corrugated Core, I teach you the core is MORE than just the six pack crap people talk about.

It’s everything from the lower chest to your kness, friend.

And this fight they showed in that stance – pure core and lower back strength, as that is all they could put into their punches!

A martial arts version of what you see in many Steve Austin movies i.e left arm tied, and they punch either with just brute strength and no real technique with their right!

Hehe.

The first, I’d say requires SOLID balance, core and groin strength, and more!

Anyway – the core, my friend is where all your vital organs reside.

There is a reason Herschel Walker once said, get the core ready, you’re ready for anything.

With a solid, functionally fit core you dont just look different, you FEEL different, you MOVE different, you feel and look like a billion bucks as you power THROUGH the core and thighs, yo ujust, I dont know – you feel on top of the world, ready to tackle anything!

And core and grip work is something I’ve always emphasized, my friend. And always will!

Corrugated Core might be a core specific group, but a lot of the exercises will fry your grip too.

They all – both – go together!

So for those of you that choose to drop the bunny crunches at the gym afte rreading this and start building some real strength, remember to pick up the gorilla Grip series too!

And thats that from me. Oh, I had a dream in which “Big Daddy Cool Diesel” (remember him?? TRUCK! Hehe) came to me and I was talking to him, I believe my “young self” was getting an autograph, and I asked him how he trained for his fights – mental training.

“Can’t be easy getting thrown around by all those big strong guys”, I remember quipping.

He punched me on the shoulders.

“I dont!” 

“I’m strong!” 

Said as another guy showed up.

That dream definitely had a different deeper meaning! Hehe.

Anyway, I’m out.

And I’m also glad to report that my customers, many of whom ARE accomplished martial artists – have reported that the fingertip pushups I teach are FAR tougher than the knuckle pushups they were taught in Karate class, for one …

That they are!

Hehe.

So, pick up Pushup Central too along with all the other books while you’re at it.

Back soon!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – I will NEVER take no for an answer, and I will NEVER stop getting you in the best shape of my life – or “die” trying, hehe.