Training Rant!

I wonder why strength coaches who train a specific sport, often use exercises that have very little or no real use for the sport?

Because cool workouts make money.

Just like martial arts belt factories that give 10 year olds black belts after only two years of training.

I read a title of a blog post that said:

Train Like A Wrestler.

I think people should train like a wrestler.

But, I watched the video where kids were using kettlebells, snatching them over head.

Why?

Unless you are wrestling for the WWE,  not much use for much over head training for wrestling.

MMA legend Bas Rutten once said, he doesn’t do overhead presses because it’s not useful in fighting.

I once had a “Push Press” off a rack of 285 lbs!

NEVER in 32 years of manual labor, or at home did I ever have to put heavy weight over my head except when I was training.

I have a theory.

Boxers swear by road work, it helps them in the ring.

I would like a fighter, for only one month to do ONLY road work, no sparring, no bag work, nothing, just slow running.

After a month get in the ring and spar.

Then the same fighter, only hit the heavy bag, as his only training for one month.

I can almost guarantee he will be in better condition from hitting the bag then doing road work.

So, if road work is essential for boxing and wrestling, then why don’t marathon runners use boxing or wrestling to run better?

I hear coaches say, manual labor is not enough for a fighter, BUT, I have seen coaches use a manual labor style of training, tire flipping, tire throwing, pushing and pulling sleds, hitting a tire with a sledgehammer etc.

The gym has made men weaker outside the gym. I have seen it for years, men who lift weights bitch and moan if asked to move heavy awkward objects outside the gym, as if heavy awkward objects aren’t weights.

If you live a blue collar lifestyle you will always be strong, if you eat natural foods, do some conditioning like sprinting, weighted step ups, jumping rope or / and hit the heavy bag.

Guaranteed you will be stronger and better conditioned than 95% of men who go to the gym.

Man didn’t have the time to count micros, or worry whether they are eating six meals a day, or how big their arms were, or if today was “back”and “bi” day they were to busy earning a living or surviving.

Basically, people who train, will not get really big, they will spend more time in recovery and talking about their injuries, they will buy supplements they will piss away, while wondering if they got all their macros for the day!

Train for toughness and durability.

A strong man who doesn’t have toughness and durability is not a strong man!

Johnny Grube