Throw, Catch, Run, Play

Appeared July 8, 2006

God bless you all.

Much of the time we as trainers take ourselves too seriously. We push the attitude of fierceness of strength competition to an everyday, all-the-time thing. But there is more to life than just lifting heavy things and growling all the time. Don’t get me wrong. I love to lift heavy stuff, but if all you ever do is lift heavy without conditioning or athletic movement you set yourself up for physical problems. You shorten your training career and damage your own health.

The people on the opposite side of the real strength curve see people that move slowly or un-athletically or have an achy joint and represent them as the effect you’ll get from heavy lifting. The truth is there are plenty of people who move slowly, un-athletically and have achy joints and never lift anything heavier than a cup of coffee and a donut. Just because a certain group of any exercise style exhibits a problem from the faulty practice of their style does not invalidate their entire training. Learn to take the good from every training style, cut out the problem areas and balance them with a realistic view of life and health.

How does that flesh out?

It means don’t just lift heavy things. By all means lift heavy barbells, dumbbells and odd objects. They’re the fastest way to brute strength. But also do muscular and aerobic conditioning with your choice in any and all of bodyweight exercises, kettlebells, indian clubs, sledgehammers, heavy bag work, cables, etc, to promote all around muscular balance as well as vibrant health. These training styles are inter-related and not conflicting.

Find something that forces you to move athletically. Not in the absolutely primal way that our normal ferocious training does, but in a way that helps you develop other athletic qualities. Qualities of suppleness, flexibility, coordinated graceful movement. It can be as simple as playing a game of catch with the kids, touch football, kicking a soccer ball, pick up basketball, a martial arts class, tai chi, hiking, or a walk with your spouse. When you do it, force yourself to move with fluid grace and maintain or improve your athletic ability to move as well as your high level strength or endurance work. Find the joy in that movement and the vitality that you can get from it. Remember, if you don’t train for a particular athletic trait you probably won’t get it.

There’s cross-over between all athletic traits. In much of the basic training that we do carries over to many athletic qualities, but remember to also have some fun and some play in your workouts. Your strength career will be better and your life will be longer.