-"I started training when I was 3 years old after seeing World Strongest Man on TV, and used to try to lift the piano up when my Mum wasn't looking. I enjoy many sports, but I'm more a stuntman than an athlete. I have been the individual champion of the Wrekin Barrel Race for five years in a row with 2003 (the last time the race was held) seeing me carry the full barrel without putting it down in 52 minutes. I have been in 5 heats of UK Strongest Man and also have swam the length of Lake Windermere (10.5 miles) and swam 10 miles in Loch Ness. I have competed in over 125 running events, cycled distances up to 120 miles, and been involved in event organisation. On New Years Eve 2004, I swam a mile outdoors wearing only normal swimming trunks, swimming hat, goggles, wetsuit socks and gloves. Having thrown away the stopwatch, I now put my energies into investigating monsters, myths and legends, and also promoting the benefits of Strength training without paying money to gyms or the use of drugs."

Dan Earthquake’s Free Exercise Advice

is an attempt to dispel the myths of the fitness and strength industry who are out to make money from hopeful youngsters. Here Dan promotes a healthy lifestyle and shares some simple ideas that can help anyone to improve their strength, fitness and overall health without any cost at all. This is an online copy of  the publication which is issued free of charge to youngsters (and adults) who Dan meets in the course of living a healthy life.

Dan Earthquake lifting a car in Abergavenny.

Everybody can improve.

 I grew up obsessed with the Saturday afternoon wrestling and World Strongest Man. I tested my strength at every opportunity, and actually trained quite well until I encountered the commercial world of exercise. It took me a few years to realise that I was on the right track in the first place.

Friends, there are lots of people want to make money from your quest to improve yourself. The information here is free, and has been made as simple as possible. I will make no money from your reading this, and have no interest in telling you anything that won't help. I am not the strongest, fastest, fittest or cleverest person that you will encounter. There are others far better qualified than I, but my system will not cost you money, so for that reason alone it should be worth a try. I've been a competitor in many sports, have performed strength stunts for charity events and now undertake stunts and expeditions for my own amusement. I have never taken any sort of performance enhancing drugs/steroids and I do not endorse any of the powder products that many others do. I hope that you will follow my example and enjoy your sports and good health for as long as you wish.

 Remember:

 Training need not cost anything.

The best food is very cheap to buy.

First Published in 2005 by Dan Earthquake.

With thanks to Kelvin of AMEK Training and Computing,  34 Lower High Street, Wednesbury, WS10 6AX.

Tel:0121 530 3389

Cover Photo - "Old King Cold" Dan Earthquake swims a mile in temperatures of 40degrees Fahrenheit, New Years Eve 2004.

Photo courtesy of Trevor Short, Birmingham Lifeguards.

Other photos were taken by Mrs. Earthquake unless otherwise specified.

   All rights reserved. All of Dan Earthquake's publications are forwarded to the Agency of Legal Deposit. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

 Copyright Dan Earthquake 2005.

Stamina.

Stamina is the ability to keep going. The most important muscle in the body is the heart, and stamina training strengthens it. Many people train their muscles but ignore the heart, and consequently run into health problems in later life. The human body is marvellously designed and takes very well to stamina training. Like everything else, it's very simple. Do a little bit, rest and do a little bit more. It really is that simple. At fifteen years old I took up running, but could only do 100 yards. I kept at it and within a few months did six miles. Aged 23 I ran forty miles in one session. I just kept it up. The secret is to make each goal achievable - don't set your sights too high, too soon. My friend Glyn Marston started running aged forty to give up smoking. In 2004 he was second in the 145 mile running race from Birmingham to London, and also ran 152 miles in the Greek Spartathlon event. Proof that progressive training leads onto great things. Stamina can be gained from any exercise that raises the heart rate for a prolonged period of time. A note here on injury prevention. Running on pavements and roads can eventually damage the joints due to successive jarring. If possible, run on soft ground. Cycling on roads has the greatest potential for injury, again, seek out parks and other off road trails. Swimming does not have these problems, though if you can't swim, drowning could be a real risk.

 The Truth about Steroids

and

Performance Enhancing Drugs.

Drugs enable an athlete to reach his potential quicker, but the time at the top of that potential will be very short in comparison to the natural athlete who has trained properly. Severe damage to joints, internal organs and muscle tissues are a certainty for drug fuelled athletes, with mental problems causing many to kill themselves much earlier than the physical side effects would.

If offered drugs (of any kind) politely refuse and immediately remove yourself from the situation.

Exercise and training are lifestyle choices that will keep you fit and healthy into old age.

Drugs ruin long term health and lead to early death.

It is as simple as that.  

Strength

Do not spend money at weight lifting gyms unless you are lonely or rich. Strength training is best done at home for free. Most magazine articles and gyms lie by telling you to do strength training 3 times a week. This is to make money for the owners who are running a business. For best results, do a session once a week at home as well as fitness and stamina sessions:

   Upper body.  

 2 sets each exercise. 5 repetitions each set.

There are lots of exercises to choose from, but these are the best:

 Push ups,

Chin ups

Wrestlers Bridges. (Ask Dan about Wrestlers Bridges if you don't know)

 Each exercise must be performed as SLOW AS POSSIBLE in the following way:

 1 must be hard.

2 must be very hard.

3 must feel terrible.

4 must be only just completed

5 should be a failure to complete.

If number 5 is done completely the set was not performed properly.

 Lower body.

Because we walk on the legs, they are able to take more training than other parts of

the body. Strong legs give extra power to the whole body. Once a week:

 Run up a long steep hill with great leaping strides.

or) Walk up lots of stairs two at a time.

or) Push a car.

or) carry a friend piggy back as far as possible.

or) cycle your bicycle in the highest gear (especially uphill)

These are better than doing leg exercises in the weights room as they exercise the little

muscles and tendons that help balance and support the body in movement.

 Diet

Simply as possible, healthy eating is cheaper than unhealthy eating. With imagination it is not boring and tastes great. The trick is to find out which healthy foods you like and then eat them regularly.

Energy is the most important part of the diet: Energy comes from predominantly from fats and carbohydrates. Whether you are trying to lose or gain weight it is important to make sure that the fat intake is controlled. Not all fats are bad for your health. Fat is an important part of a balanced diet. Saturated fats are bad for your heart, as the by products that are not digested stay in the system and produce toxins. The best fats come from fish and nuts. These keep the heart healthy and provide energy. Some food has been proven to shield the body from deadly diseases and the onset of cancer. Whether this is true or not really doesn't matter - they are healthy foods and will not harm you in any case.

A high carbohydrate diet will make you fat if you do not exercise, as the excess energy will be stored as fat. However, if you are an endurance athlete then distance training will store that fat as glycogen in the muscles, which can be used when other reserves run out. Much of this information has been discovered and described by Doctor Mike Stroud and Ranulph Fiennes following their epic polar journeys, and publications written by these two men should be sought out.

If you are an athlete you will need energy. My best energy food for long distance events is home made. I don't trust the powders that are commercially produced, so I mix UHT milk with lemon curd and some powdered almonds. This is palatable and full of energy which gets into the system fast. During the hardest months of my strength training I was lucky to have the support of Roger Evans of Pattingham Potatoes who provided me with an endless supply of his spuds. I was full of energy, and well fed. Some diets would have wrongly omitted potatoes from what you should eat. Ridiculous. It's just an example of a myth put about in the media. Fad diets don't work. Eating patterns are habitual, either good or bad. One of my favourite meals is what I call Sumo Stew, or to give it it's proper name Chanko Nabe. Vegetables are cooked in a wok and then a rich gravy and either fish or meat is added depending on your preference. It is the staple diet of sumo wrestlers, but don't worry - you won't grow into one unless you deliberately overeat. Sensible portions of this meal are satisfying, healthy and ideal as the last big meal before a long distance event. A few years ago, an Indian man in his fifties was impressed by my strength and imparted to me his secret - from his pocket he produced some nuts - almonds, I later discovered. He told me that in India the nuts were used like steroids prescribed by the doctor to build up people who were weak from illness or injury. Now I can't say here whether that is a fact or not, but I started eating them and found them to be indispensable. Powdered almonds are easier to digest and add to breakfast cereal, but don't taste as good. Whatever your tastes, you have to find and eat healthy things that you enjoy, and balance them with the unhealthy things that you feel you can't do without

 Breakfast.

If you do not enjoy breakfast, I understand. Most mornings I do not feel able to stomach food. I drink fruit juice though - Grapefruit is the best, as it has been found to attack fat cells. If you do eat breakfast, fruit is best, but cereal is good too. Whole cereals like oatmeal or weetabix or shredded wheat is preferable to those with added sugar. Some fuel in the system early on will stop the unnecessary storage of fat at the next meal.

 Dinner.

Diets don't work because most people do. In a half hour break it is very easy to scoff down a pasty or something easily purchased. Don't feel bad if you don't get the best at dinner, rather try to make up for it later in the day with some healthier food. Tinned fish is great nutrition if you enjoy it. Mackerel, Salmon and Sardines are best, but I can't always face them. My favourite is Tuna with thousand island dressing. It's better than a lot of other things and tastes great. Salad has a stigma about it, but only if it's plain. Find a mayonnaise vinegar or sauce that is to your taste. It's a good compromise. A tin of fruit can also be tasty and better than a cake or chocolate. If fresh fruit is appealing, all the better-but don't beat yourself up over it. The other day I left the house in a hurry. For dinner I had a good amount of almonds, a can of V8 vegetable juice washed down with lime cordial. I was satisfied, the tastes were great and it was all healthy. My tastes are different to yours though, so find something that you can look forward to without having to resort to junk food from the garage.

 Tea / Supper.

Whatever dinner was, tea can be the opposite. You have to enjoy life. If you are training shortly, than tea will be a snack that is easily digestible - banana or marmalade sandwiches are ideal, or a lightweight meal if time allows. Supper can be more elaborate, or it can be simple. This could be the time for fish stew, or simply a bowl of cereal before bed. In Summer, before bed I have a spoonful of marmite to keep the biting flies away. Then a spoonful of honey, which prevents my hay fever from taking hold. I then have a cod liver oil capsule and a glucosamine tablet which have helped heal my injuries, washed down with either a swig of  home brewed beer or red wine. Recently, I had a long discussion with Fred Barnfield who convinced me that the pure cod liver oil liquid was five times as effective as the capsules. His logic was sound, and accordingly, I started having the liquid. Within a week, my injury was much less aggravating, but the taste of the liquid is still something that I find hard to stomach. Lime juice and red wine just about mask the taste. Just about. 

I am going to tell you the very best things to eat. It's up to you whether you include these in your eating habits. Remember that you have to live, and in your living not be too rigid in any of your habits. Any enjoyable improvement in life is welcome. Find the healthy foods that you like and eat more of them, along with the ones that you enjoy too much to give up. I tend to approach things with this philosophy: If it feels good, it probably is. If it feels bad, it definitely is. Okay, here's the top ten healthy foods as identified by Readers Digest magazine:

   1 Citrus Fruits

  2 Broccoli

  3 Oily Fish

  4 Garlic

  5 Grapes

  6 Olive Oil

  7 Walnuts

  8 Tomatoes

  9 Green Tea

10 Milk

Fad diets are universally followed, acclaimed and equally criticised. I have read a lot on Dr Hays diet which indicates which foods mix best with each other. Whilst not easy to follow, I have used it to recover from food poisoning and irritable bowel syndrome. Ranulph Fiennes' book "Fit for Life," goes into greater detail and also suggests a list of foods for the larder which I have added a few things to: Asparagus, bananas, beetroot, berries, broccoli, brown rice, celery, chillies, cider vinegar, cod liver oil, cucumber, curry powder, dates, fish, French beans, garlic, gherkins, glucosamine, grapes, herbs, honey, kiwi fruit, leeks, lemon, marmite, milk, mustard, oats, olive oil, onions, oranges, pasta, pears, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, red wine, runner beans, Soya protein, spices, Swedes, Tabasco sauce, tangerines, teriyake sauce, tomatoes, tomato puree, turnips, water, wild rice, wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread. I have never been an advocate of alcohol, but have come round to the idea that a small amount is more beneficial than none at all. Red wine is great, and superbly healthy. I have had years without the taste of beer, and never missed it, as the gas would make me feel ill. This is not the case in home brewed beer though, and following receiving a kit for my birthday from Nick Goodall, I have acquired the taste. Others tell me that it is usual to spoil the beer by putting in too much sugar in the hope of increasing the strength. I followed the instructions properly and have not been disappointed ( or drunk. ) There will be things in this list which you will despise. Do not eat them. Eat the things that you like that are healthy. It's no good making yourself miserable. Recipes are best when you discover them yourself.  

Although it was delivered as a joke on Terry Wogan's morning show in the form of a listeners e-mail, this advice for losing weight is as valid as any you will ever hear:

Eat less. Move about a bit more. Dilute whatever you are drinking with 50% water.

How hard is that? Things can be as simple as you like.

Energy

In 1999 I spent a whole week on holiday considering the question of energy. I have always been someone capable of great efforts and I wanted to explore this further. I asked myself questions, and tried to find some answers. This is what I wrote: What makes a person feel tired? What energies can be used to extend the time of activity? What is the effect of energies outside our control which may or may not be measurable by us? If there are any energy enhancers how best can they be used? What energies are stored within the body that can  be used when needed? How much of fatigue is actually within the mind? I exclude from this investigation the subject of drugs which I am opposed to. They may well be tied up in this subject but I am not interested in them. Fatigue is caused by the body using up energy (glycogen in muscles) and the muscles requiring repair. All activity damages muscle tissues which then need rest and fuel to rebuild, and strengthen. The brain and vital organs use energy and also require rest and fuel for efficient operation. Good diet extends the bodies capability to combat fatigue. Complex Carbohydrates stored as glycogen and fat in the muscles can be used to fuel activity and thus extend that time spent. But it is done automatically. This is where the mind comes into play. The conscious mind deals with the day to day up to the minute decisions. What to eat, where to go, what to do. The unconscious mind deals with the bodily functions of breathing and circulation, digestion. It is the unconscious mind that releases this energy. If the conscious mind directs the unconscious to release this energy, will it? It should. And the effects should be well for the body and it's workings. The question must be asked, "Will I need extra energy," and the conscious must then say "Release the energy." Strength and fitness training are tools which can make us stronger and fitter if done properly. By training the body we are preparing for more of the same at a later stage and the body adapts to take that effort if it is conditioned to do so. Rest and fuel are again required. When we are threatened or excited the body has adrenaline to give an extra boost for fight or flight. With adrenaline young mothers have lifted cars to save trapped children; men have ripped steel doors from their frames to escape fire;  and people have leaped higher than the world record to escape danger. My friend Ray Gamma calls this adrenaline boost his "Gamma Rays," like the Hulk had in comic books. A good analogy to name the unnameable. Emotion is the trigger for adrenaline, and for this reason I try to do strength and fitness training without undue excitement. Strength built by physical means will last longer than if adrenaline was used to complete the effort. If adrenaline is saved for real times of need it shall do it's job correctly - more so than if it was used discriminately for no purpose. Some things are outside our control. Stress, other peoples humour, radiation, chemical food additives, excessive heat or cold, atmospheric conditions, weather, electrical disturbances, noise, microwaves - all these can be factors that sap or increase our energy. Religion and the esoteric can also play a part to give inspiration or extra energy. An evil man once said a wise thing to me: "The human body only consciously works at 70% of it's capability to save it's resources. The other 30% has to be coaxed." How to tap into this 30%, be it chemically held in the body; as glycogen, fat or adrenaline, or held in the mind like a speed limit of a road regardless of how fast the car can go? It is through training had with proper rest, diet and confidence to apply it to the right situation. Training must be habitual and real situations must be initially gauged by instinct, and then deliberately undertaken with everything available on hand to ensure success. Defence against outside factors is preparation, hard training, and confidence. This theory developed into practice in the following years which took me to the Wrekin Barrel Race, UK Strongest Man heats and Long Distance Swimming. Those words written six years ago are still relevant today. The findings are by no means comprehensive. I still investigate energy, and it's applications which I believe will be a lifelong study.  

Ray Gamma at the Wrekin Barrel Race.

Rest and Recovery.

Intense training will not be effective if proper rest and recovery is not taken. After physical effort the muscles of the body need to rebuild broken down tissues, and given time they strengthen and become more able to perform the effort next time. Over training is counter productive. Plan rest into any training schedule. Remember that it takes twenty weeks of inactivity before strength gains begin to decline, and ten weeks of inactivity for stamina gains to decline. This gives plenty of time to work around circumstances and injury.

 Design your own Schedule.

Your body is unique, and consequently it is best for you to honestly assess the intensity of a workout and how long the rest period following it should be. Aim to train Upper Body strength Exercises at most once a week. I have found ten days to be ideal, fourteen days to be okay. Heavy Leg training should be weekly, with stamina training done as much as possible without over training. Any schedule must be flexible. It is well to mention here an observation made by the amazing Dino Antinori who stated that "It takes four weeks to get used to anything." Expanding on this I break it down as follows: The first week will be hard, the second week will be even harder. (It is during this second week that people consider giving up.) The third week is easier, and by the fourth week you will wonder how you found the first week so hard. Once you reach a level of strength and fitness, it is easier to maintain it than it was to get there.

Keep it simple and realistic and you will succeed.

Positive Thinking.

Dave Gauder was told by the British Aerospace Engineers that it was physically impossible for a man of his size and weight to pull Concorde. In 1987 he pulled it 40 feet along the runway at Heathrow Airport. Dave is recognised by many (myself included) as the Strongest Man who ever lived. He set 24 Guinness World Records, 17 of which have never been contested. At the time of writing, (January 2005) Dave has performed 588 bus pulls as part of his anti-bullying campaign presented to about 360,000 children. I was 13 when I saw the clipping of Dave pulling Concorde. It made me realise that so much that seems impossible is achievable. I am proud to say that I have performed alongside Dave, and we have become friends. He still inspires me. Dave's message and philosophy is "Never Say Can't." Read it again.

NEVER SAY CAN'T.

It works too, as I have found many times when the going gets tough. Before an event though, it is beneficial to imagine yourself performing the task that you aspire to do. Do it over and over again, and believe that you will do it. Repeat to yourself every day "I am Strong, fit, healthy, wealthy and wise." Keep saying it, and eventually not only will you believe it - it will be true.

If you have any specific questions, please send them with a stamped addressed envelope to

 Dan Earthquake, PO BOX 3471, Bilston, West Mids, WV14 6YB.

 Or

 Text EQ + your message to 83252. Texts cost 25p + your normal sending charge.

Dan Earthquake meets Dave Gauder, holder of 24 Guinness World records, 17 of which are uncontested.

Dave is recognised as the Strongest Man who ever lived.

Remember. Nobody is too fat, too thin, too old, too busy or too broke to get fitter and improve their lifestyle.

If you are looking for some useful books that will help you further I have found the following to be the best: Most are available at the local library.

The world of Sumo, by Takamiyama - great insight to heavy leg training.
The practical way to keep fit, by Doctor Harry Roberts - a 1930s doctor with ideas ahead of his time.
The Grandmasters book of Ninja training, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi; an insight into unconventional exercise and diet.
Ten years under the Earth, Norbert Casteret; sheer enthusiasm from a pioneer of underground exploration.
Climbing Fit, Martyn Hurn and Pat Ingle. Some unique ways to train outdoors with no equipment needed.
Fit for life, by Ranulph Fiennes. Full of common sense, technical information and realistic goal setting.

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