Why Strength Training?
After losing a considerable amount of weight I needed to find something that I could incorporate into my training that would allow me to expand on my purely Aerobic + Anaerobic training.
I was introduced to strength training at the age of 16 when I was playing rugby and ended up having an extended hiatus before starting to lift again 1.5yrs ago.
After messing around I stumbled onto a group of coaches called Team 3DMJ (3dmusclejourney.com) who gave me the knowledge and platform to start my strength training.
I am an incredibly competitive person at everything in life (except driving and swimming....) and wanted to find an outlet for this competitive aggression. The best part of powerlifting is that you are always competing with yourself to add weight on the bar. However, it is also great for everyday life:
- Keeps bones healthy due to weight bearing activity keeping bones dense
- Maintains strength throughout lifetime decreasing likelihood of muscle problems in later life
- Keeps joints mobile and healthy
- Increasing Muscle mass leads to an increased Metabolic rate as muscle burns more Kcals then fat
- Increases explosiveness and athletic ability
My main probem with the fitness industry is that it seems to really focus on extremes. You do not need to solely focus on strength at the expense of weighing 300lbs and unable to run, you also don't need to weigh 150lbs and be able to run a marathon + do 1,000 situps in one go.
You need to find balance in your training that suits your goals. Although I am not its biggest fan Crossfit is certainly something which brings together a lot of different athletic disciplines and churns out fitter and stronger athletes. Guys like Rich Froning are just incredible athletes who really should be more renowned and respected in world sports.
My main issue with CF is the strength aspect though as the rep ranges and number of sets they use is just not optimal at increasing strength. But if you ignore this every other aspect of their protocols has immense benefit.
If I was to do CF I would replace their strength training with someone elses template (Wendler's 5/3/1 maybe) but copy everything else they do.
Physique Wise
 |
| Ben Rice 200ish lbs http://www.youtube.com/user/Rev198/videos?flow=grid&view=0 |
 |
| I just don't see the point or appeal? |
At the top is Ben Rice one of my favourite powerlifters, Ben has managed a 1746lbs total at a BW of 198lbs!!!!! to put that into perspective he managed a 3.3xBW squat (661lbs) and 3.7x BW Deadlift (733lb)!!!!! If you watch his channel you will also see just how athletic he is E.g. Ben can do multiple Muscle Ups
 |
| I cannot begin to tell you how hard these are to do!!!!! |
Below heim is 2011-12 Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, again a very strong individual but obviously focusing more on hypertrophy (increase in muscle size) than strength. For me personally I just don't understand why you would want to look like this? Being that shape and size would really hinder athletic ability and functional movement patterns if you were to play sport.
Out of the two athletes who would you rather look like?
I am sure that many will disagree with me but I do not understand why you would want to look like this either? I know that he is a very athletic person who girls drool over but the obsession with low BF%'s and visible abs at the expense of strength and power has really only become important in the last 20yrs or so and has had an incredibly negative affect on the mental battle men have with body image.
"The NHS says there's been a 66% increase in hospital admissions in England for male eating disorders over the last 10 years."
The same goes for Women
 |
| VERY Controversial |
For me its not even close as to which physique is more aesthetically attractive
Conlcusion
Enjoy your training as if you don't enjoy it you are unlikely to continue with it and achieve you goals, I am not saying everyone should do a Powerlifting meet or be able to Deadlift 5x their BW but what I am saying is strength is a valuable commodity in everyday life and can be a fun way to spice up your protocol.
If you cannot meet these standards you need to work on your strength
Here are some great links to help you on your way
Great Beginners Workout - Starting Strength
What are Macros?
How to work our your own Macros needs depending on goal
How to treat Alcohol
Example of a PL'ing meet courtesy of Matt Ogus + Team 3DMJ
NEXT - Thoughts on Diet + Nutrition
No comments:
Post a Comment