We-follow-a-path-to-happiness-in-life

Stages of a lifting career

We all chose to be physical beings. There is an order on this path we selected. Saying there is only one way to travel down the path would be irresponsible. None of us knows everything we need to know. Some lift, some build a physique, while another may run, cycle, and swim. It does not matter. We love what we are doing. There must be organization if competitions are your focus.

Developmentally we are most capable of advancements in this order: weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman, and bodybuilding. If you want to do all of these noble sports go in this order. We must learn to crawl before we can skip. Most American adults cannot skip.

In strength sports we all originate from the same camp. Weightlifters were always lifting something. Powerlifters wanted to go heavy all of the time. Strongmen would pick something up even though nobody “normal” would ever consider picking something like that up; a carriage or a rock for example. Bodybuilders liked that they could sculpt their physiques like a piece of art. In the beginnings they were the same people. There used to be events including all of these types of lifting and displays. Everyone appreciates strength. The camp split and we now have factions. We should all take part in the variety and we could avoid trickery like functional training. All training is functional. If it does not contribute to the rest of life it is not training.

Olympic weightlifting is very athletic. The snatch is very technical. The clean & jerk is the most powerful event in all of sports. It is my humble opinion that every athlete should include these lifts in training. Speed, strength, agility, coordination and power are some of the benefits. All of the athletes I have trained are believers. They have seen huge improvements in sports like triathlon, cycling, marathon, American football, rugby, track & field, basketball, and tennis. These lifts are called the quick lifts by some. My advice is to start these lifts as early as an athlete can. Chinese lifters start at the tender age of six. I will not start a weightlifter until the age of twelve. I believe starting at six is too many years with relatively small weights. Athletes will get bored. Loading the skeleton before it has finished maturing is careless. Chinese lifters have a lot of back injuries. Weightlifting flourishes in cultures where the glory of the state allows coaches to push young athletes to Olympian levels. Let the skeleton develop while the athlete learns timing, positioning, and technique. Weightlifting makes strength built in the gym athleticaly applicable. Changing directions with power is agility and it is very useful in sports.

Powerlifting movements were and are the support movements for weightlifting. Practice powerlifting after the weightlifting career is finished. Weightlifter will never be great if they are not great squatters. The criteria differ in powerlifting. Assistance movements are relative to the clean and jerk maximum rather than an actual maximum on that lift. Speed is important when changing direction. The bench press has taken a beating from the uneducated since the press was eliminated from competitions in 1972. Upper body strength is important in sports. Use the bench press to develop strength. The deadlift is realizing new life recently. It is relatively easy to get strong on the deadlift when compared to the squat and bench press. The best powerlifters are very athletic. The best powerlifters are balanced on all lifts. Challenge someone who actually squats 600 lbs to a sprint and be prepared to be humbled. They jump well also. I know more than ten powerlifters under 5’ 10” who can dunk a basketball with ease. Strength and conditioning! Powerlifting events move more slowly than weightlifting events. They are a close second though. If an athlete squats 800 lbs they are very formidable on the court or field. When the sport of powerlifting was born the name weightlifting was already taken. These names should be reversed. Powerlifters are second in power only to weightlifters.  Powerlifting crafts the strongest athletes on earth. Strength is the foundation of power. Let’s say an 800 lbs squat moves 24” in 2 seconds. That is equal to a 320 lbs clean and jerk which moves 60” in 2 seconds. Weightlifting should be called powerlifting but they took the name before powerlifting was born. Get over it, there are more people squatting 800 than clean & jerking 320. The name works for powerlifting. Weightlifters argue the point feebly. Make CrossFit behave before you attack powerlifting. I digress. If I were building a sports team I would select most of my athletes from weightlifting and powerlifting. Do you know anyone in the NFL that could push Donnie Thompson around? The answer you are looking for is a booming NO!

The world’s strongest man competitions have made you all stop and watch on ESPN 2. Do not deny it. You love watching feats of strength as much as anyone. A lot of retired weightlifters and powerlifters have moved on to strongman competition. I do not want to pick up rocks that weigh more than two of me. I am too small for strongman competition anyway. Athletic size is a requirement in these events. A decade ago Gary Taylor, a Brit, was competing. He was roughly 5’ 10” and 285 lbs. the announcer said something like “he is just a wee chap”. What? 5’ 10” @ 285 lbs is small. Big guys dominated the sport then. Marius Pudzianowski has been champ since Taylor left the scene. He got his ass kicked, by Silva in MMA, but only because he did not condition himself properly. If he had continued to kick that leg it would have broken sooner than later. I do not know who is at the top of this sport now but I will tell you one thing. He is stronger than everyone in the NFL. He squats, bench presses, deadlifts (cars sometimes), cleans, jerks, maybe does some snatches, and can sure as hell carry all of your groceries in one hand with ease. Strength is admirable. Stop making wisecracks about strong people. I do not care. I am stronger than 99.99% of everyone I will ever meet. Planet Fatness advertisements charm the frail and chunky. They do not allow strong people to even enter their “fitness centers”. Last time I checked that is discrimination. I have been turned away from more than one PF in my life. I know a number of lifters who have had the same experience. Next time you move furniture, or have a keg party, do it yourself. Once again I digress. Strength is valuable.

Bodybuilding movements are too numerous to name. Sculpting an aesthetic physique is laborious. Fitness training can be accomplished quite well with bodybuilding work. Do it later in your lifting career. Many strength and conditioning programs are based on bodybuilding movements since the coaches are former footballers, personal trainers, or gym rats. Looking strong is the same as being strong in that world. I call bullshit! No one cares what your biceps look like when they are throwing you on the ground at their feet. These people are stronger than the average person. They are not even close to being strong athletes. Use these movements to supplement your training. They are useful in that they allow athletes to create an atmosphere for improvement. The strength is not a direct result of these movements. The foundation of a great bodybuilder is the same as weightlifter, powerlifter or any other strength athlete.

Strength is universal. It is a matter of will. Being physically strong helps folks in everything they practice. It develops work ethic. It is pure problem solving. It may seem like pigheadedness to the feeble or controlling. Strength is the finest thing in the world. Every group aligns with strength as closely as they can to bootleg power. Strength is power, intensity, depth, might, and vigor. Do the math. Strength rules the world. 

Appreciate where everyone is strong and celebrate strength, make the world a more positive place. Strength is not just producing force athletically. Martial artists develop spirituality through physical practice and so can you. I lift. Pick your path and enjoy! It is good to be strong at whatever you do!

Get stronger, it will make the world a better place!                                docsgym@live.com