Strength vs Conditioning – How a 150lb tennis player threw around a
210lb weight lifter.
As you probably already know I’ve been a laborer all my life. I was
always awed by strength. So, from the time I was 12 years old I started
lifting weights and reading anything I could that would get me stronger.
All I cared about was getting to the gym for the basics. Bench press,
deadlift, squats, curls, any and all pressing movements, weighted dips,
weighted pull-ups etc.
Never really having any role models and only reading about strength
I drew one conclusion. Being bigger and stronger than everyone else
was the way to go.
As time went on, I got bigger and stronger. At one point I got hold of
a book that changed what I did and gained 30lbs in 1 month. It was
brutal, but I would have paid almost anything.
Eventually at my heaviest I was 240 lbs and stood 5’7, a lot of weight
to carry around but the 21” neck and 18 ½ arms oh, yeah my 38” waist
made it worth it.
Like I said I was a laborer, and spent most of my life in the trucking
business working the dock, loading and unloading trucks.
We would have feats of strength contests and would have wrestling
matches in trailers, outside, guys would get dock beatings
( everyone would rush you and beat you down) and guys
would even punch out go across the street to fight, then come
back then go back to work.
I loved the rough and tumble environment. And it might be hard to believe
but I played a big part in this.
Like I said there were plenty of wrestling matches. One day a short stocky
Marine, who lifted weights, had huge thighs was would do front squats with
405lbs and had a 300lb bench press and weighed around 200 lbs.
One day he went into a trailer to wrestle his opponent 150lb part-timer tennis
player working his way through school.
After about 2 minutes the marine was so winded that his face was red and he
couldn’t catch his breath, you would have thought he was 70 and smoked
3 packs of cigarettes a day.
We hassled him and teased him about how this thin tennis player kicked his
ass. So what happened? All his strength, the 405lb front squats the 300 lb
bench press were absolutely useless against someone that weighed 50 lbs
less and that had a little of bit conditioning.
That’s why over the years my philosophy has changed. The key is
conditioning. All else being the same conditioning will always win.
I don’t care if you are fat or muscular the more weight you carry the
harder it works on your heart.
So before you embark on all the new old school training programs
think what you are training for. If it’s to get bigger, stronger and fatter
go ahead follow the masses.
If you want to become physically fit, train to become physically fit.
The 5 yard 50 times Bear Crawl workout:
Mark off 5 yards – Bear Crawl 5 yards, pivot around the cone coming
out of the Bear Crawl, jog back get set and go again. No rest just keep
going.
You will feel this throughout the whole body, your neck will even be sore
the next day as well as your arms and shoulders.
It shouldn’t take longer than 12 minutes.
Toughness Builds Winners
Johnny Grube
P.S. If want to be like the 150 lb tennis player and get into great
physical fitness order “ The Wildman Training Program” if you want
to be like the guy that was doing front squats with 405 lb go
somewhere else.
Speak Your Mind