Strength

Reconsidering Strength

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What is Strength?

I’ve considered it many times before, and I still like “my” definition –

The ability to overcome.

With regards to physical strength, who is strong?

That’s obviously relative to the goals of the individual.

How about a Powerlifter who can squat 1000+ lbs?

Very strong.

If he can’t do a 1-arm Chin-up, does that make him weak?

It’s all about your definitions.

What about a rock climber who can scroll steel?

One of the most impressive things I’ve seen is my friend Kevin Perrone, who at 5’11” and 165lbs could do a pull-up with 130lbs hanging from his body, one-arm chins, scroll steel, tear phone books, and destroy the RKC Snatch Test. But he couldn’t Power Clean for anything. Does that make him weak?

Watching Brett Jones bend a Red Nail at an RKC Meet and Greet was also right up there.

Here’s another – watching Mark Reifkind tirelessly rebuild his body and recapture lost function for the last 10 years.

Or watching a video of John Brookfield tearing 59 decks of cards in 60 seconds.

And finally, one of my clients who I trained last night – a 71-year old, 110lbs grandmother who, despite being told by her Ortho that she has degenerative disc disease, can still deadlift her bodyweight. And, despite having severe arthritis in her hands still looks for ways to keep her dexterity.

Strength is really what YOU make of it. As long as you keep seeing progress and improvement in your life, you are still getting stronger.

When you’re not, it’s time to pull the old proverbial car off the side of the road and take it in for a check up.

For me, I used to measure strength by how much I could lift over my head. Now, it’s all about energy acquisition and management, which I realize after writing, seems nebulous. It really is that I no longer want to do anything or train in such a way that diminishes my energy levels to the point that I can’t participate in the life I currently have and create the life I want.

And that means having had to give up certain things. Like weightlifting. Who knows – maybe one day I’ll step back onto the competition platform, but right now, everything I’m doing is to undue all the stuff that was damaged by chasing that dream.

But I don’t want that to sound like a bad thing – it’s not at all. For example, yesterday was my first foray into “One-arm Chin Land.” And it was FUN! It’s a new adventure. And Sunday, I was able to do 15 consecutive (and explosive!) Pistols off a 1/2 inch block on my left side and 13 on my right – a new PR for me. Both of these things I either couldn’t do or wouldn’t have considered trying back when I was weightlifting.

(For the record: My Pistol is now more stabile, more explosive, more controlled, and I am able to endure longer doing it than I EVER have.)

So what’s my point in sharing all of this with you?

Simple.

Strength is how YOU define it.

And it’s different for different people. And no matter how you measure it or define it, never let anyone diminish your ideas of strength.

And, just as important, just because you can’t do one particular thing do to an injury or movement restriction, doesn’t mean you can’t alter that movement (mentioned in my last post) or do something else altogether.

What’s the key to getting stronger then?

As I see it, it’s constantly defining and redefining your own definitions of strength and then overcoming those momentary obstacles.

What’s your definition of strength?

The Four Pillars of Power Production

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Bigger.

Faster.

Stronger.

More.

That’s what we’re always striving for, whether it’s our kettlebell workouts or our chosen sport – doesn’t matter.

Here’s a little interview I did with my good buddy Brett Jones, Master RKC, and all-round  in which we discover exactly how to achieve just that – Bigger -Faster-Stronger-More. It’s called “The 4 Pillars of Power Production” and Brett gives some great information of the “how’s” and “why’s” and “what to do now’s.”

So grab a pen and a notepad and enjoy!

(Click the “Play” button to start.)

For the EXACT PLAN to dramatically increase YOUR Power Production Click Here.

Real v. Self-Imposed Limitations

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Have you ever wondered what your true limitations are?

Have you ever wanted to really find them? I don’t suggest you do, but if you want to, compete in a sport. It’ll tell you a lot about what you think you can do, versus what you actually can do, and then you’ll have a map to follow in your training.

But what about after you’ve found them the hard way – by testing them too often and under the wrong conditions?

Maybe that’s happened to you – you’ve gotten injured, maybe badly, and you’re now “gun shy.”

I experienced this yesterday. (Of course you probably figured that out already since I’m writing about it…)

As you may know, I’ve spent half the last decade rehabbing injuries. That’s a long time for sure. Unfortunately, I think I may have become “over-cautious.” I don’t want to become reckless and nor do I suggest you do so either. That’s not what I’m suggesting at all. But what about a periodic “gut check?” Maybe just a little test of the ol’ mettle based on what you think you can do now?

I stumbled upon this quite by accident yesterday. I spent the better part of the day between emails, faxes, and phone calls with my insurance company. By the end of the day, my aggravation levels were sky-high.

So what’d I do?

The only exercise I know of that is really a “cure-all” for me – the Back Squat.

Yup, I just got my pattern back last week – the old, strong pattern. So what I do yesterday? I tested myself on it of course! No, I didn’t RM or anything that stupid, but I did “gut-check” myself. As part of the baseline that tells me that I’m getting in weightlifting shape, there’s a certain load and volume in a certain time period that I can hit as the start of my pre-competition training. It’s the baseline of the baseline if you will.

So yesterday, I just said, “You know what, this is stupid. I’ve been training smart lately. I should be able to hit those numbers without even thinking about it, let alone training for it.”

So I did.

And I learned something.

I learned the following:

  1. My training lately has been exactly where it needs to be – it has served me well.
  2. My body is firing on all cylinders – I’m keenly aware of  all the right muscles that worked as I type this.
  3. That I have been conservative in my training – and it has helped me.
  4. That I had a self-imposed mental limitation – I didn’t think I was ready for that workload. But not only was I, it was of the highest quality and it surpassed my expectations!

So what’s the take home for us?

  1. Have a plan that you can follow that balances your goals with your current abilities and your limitations.
  2. Don’t “workout” – Train. Have a plan. (Did I say that already…?)
  3. Be confident enough to step outside your comfort zone every once in a while – set up some sort of test or challenge. I suggest it somewhat mirrors your training plan – don’t go run a 5K if you’re training for a powerlifting meet…
  4. Expect that your plan is working and then keep working the plan.
  5. Don’t set limitations on yourself – think BIG!

As for me, I’m still thinking big. My numbers are moving right along and if everything goes according to plan, I should hit some pretty big numbers – PRs by Christmas time, if not before.

What are you training for and have you set realistic expectations or self-imposed limitations?

“I’m Finished!”

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At least that’s how you may feel after these types of training sessions.

5 Ways To Successfully Mix Kettlebells And Barbells – Part 3.

3. Finishers

What is a “finisher?”

It’s something you do at the end of your workout/training for a variety of reasons, such as metabolic conditioning, mental toughness, fat loss, general conditioning, or some combination of any of the aforementioned reasons.

My favorite finisher of all time, ever, involved a heavyweight wrestler, a hill, and two 100 pound plates at Rutgers during the summer of ’98.

But some of my other ones involve using kettlebells.

There are many things you can do with kettlebells at the end of your training session. Here are some ideas:

  • Swings for time or sets or reps
  • Snatches for time or sets or reps
  • Get Ups (just as brutal as Swings at the end)
  • High rep Clean and Jerks
  • Complexes or Chains
  • Carries – Farmer’s, rack or overhead

Let’s take a closer look.

  1. Swings for time or sets or reps. Grab a medium kettlebell and decide if you’re going to swing for a certain time period with or without rest – say 10 minutes, swinging every 30 seconds and resting for 30 seconds. Or maybe you’re going to hit 20 reps and then rest for a certain period of time. Or maybe you’re going to hit 20 sets of 10 reps. You get the idea.
  2. Snatches for time or sets for reps. Same thing as the Swings – only easier. Why? Because you get to rest at the top in the lockout position!
  3. Get Ups. Again, any combination of time, reps, sets… These are tough to do, especially for sets of 3 to 5 at the end of a session. They force you to use precise movement with fatigue already in the system. Also a good “systems check” to ensure you didn’t go so hard during your training to throw something out of whack. The good news is, if you did, the GU will usually help fix it.
  4. High Rep Clean and Jerks. One hand or two hand, but not for the “feint of heart.” Best used after a lower body day, as I like pairing finishers opposing the main focus of the training session. These are just brutal on the heart and lungs and the upper body musculature.
  5. Complexes or Chains. Easy enough. String a sequence of exercises together and repeat til done.
  6. Carries. The most under-rated and overlooked finishers ever, in my book. Take a kettlebell or a pair of kettlebells and carry them for distance or time or both. Hold them in your hands by your sides – Farmer’s carry. Hold them on your chest – Rack carries. Hold them locked out at arm’s length overhead – Overhead carries. These are phenomenal for improving conditioning, especially of the “core” musculature and the shoulder stabilizers in the lockout position.

How do you pick which one is right for you?

Don’t worry about it so much. Mix and match and see which one requires the most from your body. That’s probably the one you need more than the others. When that becomes relatively easy, try them all again and once again find the most challenging of them. Again, spend the time there. Repeat the process until you get to where you want to go or no longer have any weak links – or both.

Part 1 – https://chasingstrength.com/5-ways-to-successfully-mix-kettlebells-with-barbells/

Part 2 – https://chasingstrength.com/5-ways-to-successfully-mix-kettlebells-and-barbells-part-2/

Again?? A Quick Training Update…

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Yup, I’m at it again.

I’m back training for Oly. (And hypertrophy…)

I have unfinished business. And business is good.

Right now, if I had to enter a meet tomorrow, I could easily Snatch 120kg and Jerk 150kg. (Easily Power Cleaned 130kg for a double. Nothing to write home about, but it’s been a couple of years. And it’s a start.)

I’m getting under the bar almost effortlessly for the first time in, well, maybe ever. This is how it’s meant to feel.

And my body’s holding up fine. Hips are great. Knees are great. Nothing’s holding me back.

Ok, maybe one thing – my leg strength is a little down. But it’s on it’s way back very quickly. And I just re-patterned my Back Squat yesterday. No popping in my left knee – a sure signal that my left hip was “online” and not shutting down.

Tomorrow is a heavy pulling day – lots of volume to pack on usable muscle to the ol’ upper back. Fun, fun, fun!

I fully expect to Snatch 140kg by Christmas, quite possibly even Jerk 180kg. At this pace, it will happen. Just gotta get it done in a meet.

More later…

Quick Training Tip: Here’s something Alfonso taught me back in ’97 (Wish I’d listened a little better…) Don’t let your speed decrease. When it does, you should switch exercises or stop your training session.