2. In the Viking Method we do not do Before & After photos.
– Before & After pictures is what everybody does. And for me, it is definitely not a true indicator of your progress. That is why, in the Viking Method we do Before & After performances; The Viking Challenge: the First day of your program you do a specific Viking Challenge for a certain time and note it down. Then you do your program and on the last day, you repeat the Challenge.
To do these performances and then see how much more you can do, is amazing. It gives such a feeling of accomplishment. You realize you can do so much more than you thought you were capable of. Photos do not show this change and they carry with them such a down effect. You are happy for a second and then you start seeing all the things that still need changing. And then someone comments negatively on your looks and you feel crushed. Both because you are coming from a place of lacking; that you need to change, not just add to you, but to get rid of certain parts and also because you put so much importance on a thing that is vulnerable to other peoples opinion; it is subjective. But what you do, is not subjective.
No one can disagree or change what you did. You did it! You didn’t give up, you kept on going, you made yourself more powerful. You added more greatness to you. And no one can take that away from you. Don’t get me wrong, of course we all want to look our best. But that should not consume us and be the value of our being. Because do you know what? Then you will never win. There is always some other “flaw” that you see that needs improvement, there is always someone that you feel has a better body than you have now, there will then always be validation from others needed. This is why we are putting the focus on what you do. On who you are. So better that. That has no negative affects. Smash every workout. Do the Before & After performances. See how much YOU improve. That is an achievement that is not open to discussion. You earned it. You own it. And the benefits are for your whole being. Looks included but more importantly, the rest and the best of you. This is where you always win. And I promise you, it will change you forever.
3. Quality over quantity. – No jumping jacks, no crunches.
– In the Viking Method there are no time fillers; exercises only done for the sake of doing something and do not add much to you. Every exercise is there because its highly beneficial for you to do. Same with exercises that create more damage than good, like core crunches. They are out. It is so important that you know what you are doing, technically know how to do each exercise and why you are doing it, what muscles you are using, your posture during the exercise, your starting point and your end point. Never just do the movement. Actively do it. By that I mean consciously engage your muscles. Be connected to your body the whole time you are training. It is psychosomatic.
You recruit more muscle fibers by thinking about it and actively doing so instead of just doing the movement with no presence. When you train like that, you get more out of fewer reps. And let me tell you, the average person that keeps a plank for 7 minutes, is not actively engaging their core muscles throughout as they do not last that long. Lower back and hip flexors have taken over, making the exercise not beneficial anymore. Don’t confuse longevity with job well done. The length doesn’t matter, that you do the exercise properly is what matters.
And that is what we do in the Viking Method.
4. The Viking Method promotes optimal hormonal balance.
We train and diet with our hormones in mind.
One of the reason women tend to have more fat than men is because women have much more of estrogen receptors than men have. Estrogen is crucial for you, but too much of estrogen ( and too little ) brings an imbalance that has huge negative effect.
The relationship between estrogen and fat is a close one. Fat has a very big part in the hormonal system; one of its jobs is to produce estrogen. Which means that the more fat you will have , the more estrogen you will have.
Too much estrogen can slow down your metabolism and cause weight gain; can block out the thyroid and prevent fat being oxidized.
When estrogen is in balance it works with you. In theory, when estrogen is in balance, it is not harder for women to loose weight than men, but as soon as weight is gained, estrogen goes up and then it does get harder.
Men also have more of the lean tissue building hormones, therefore it is harder for women to “tone up”. The more muscles you have, the more energy you use which is why resistance training is very important for weight loss. As women have less, they do need to watch that they do incorporate resistance training into their program and that the weights are that heavy that the last few reps are a struggle. They should be. If they are not, up your weights.
When you train, you want to activate your fat burning hormones. In order for that to happen, you must do certain things. And not do certain things.
The right nutrition is a must as well along with the right timing of your macros.
5. Core is used with every exercise.
– In the Viking Method there are no lying core crunches, no fast core bicycles or throwing your legs aimlessly down and up. I work the core as the center of your body. As the connector, as the clue that keeps you together. You will not be going through your program and only focusing on your core for the last 5 minutes. You will use it in every exercise. Your core is your power house. First thing you always need to do is engaging your core and in order to force you to focus on it, the Viking Method is filled with balancing, stability, lateral movement, kicking, explosive exercises. Using your core this way, will make it extremely strong. And not just that it will improve your performance in every way. You will run faster, jump higher, your resistance training will bring greater results and all tasks in daily life will be easier. You will be tighter, more together, your whole posture and the way you move will be completely different.
Video
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
