Pure strength

[laxcdn]

Why gain size if you cant move more weight?

People can't see your strength on the street. It is like seeing a 71' Baracuda w/318 it looks wicked but may not be that fast or a 4 door dart that granny rides around in with a 383 hemi. No point in the second, unless you are going to race it. I would rather have the cool looking car, even thought it isn't the quickest.

[Iceztiq]

1. How often, if ever, do you think about pure strength as an element of your workout regime?

I used to make it a priority. When i still live in USA, i once saw a strongman demonstration at my college, & i was awed! At that point, i thought being that strong was the manliest thing on earth. But now, i realize that being that strong really doesn't contribute to anything that i'm doing in real life. Can't even impress any chick.. i mean, not that it's important since i'm married. But a chiseled, ripped body, on the other hand, impresses everyone. So, now i put hypertrophy first, & strength second. Sometimes, i still dream about having a strongman's strength, though.

2. Have you ever gone on a program designed to increase pure strength?

I don't think i ever. The closest i've tried were CW's programs. Even though i focus on hypertrophy, i still do low reps just not to lose the strength i've had.

3. If you're currently working out for hypertrophy -- bigger muscles -- how important is your strength to you? Do you correlate increased strength with increased mass, or consider them separate pursuits?

I don't make it that important. I only want to gain the strength from the muscles i've gained as well. So, i guess i correlate increased strength with increased mass.

4. Do you enjoy logging your workouts and keeping track of your progress, or do you consider it a distraction, something that makes your workouts more tedious or stressful?

I love having logs.

[Iceztiq]

Originally posted by Lou Schuler:

quote:

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Originally posted by Jimbo:
Lou - Why do I get the feeling that you are leading up to something?

I'm not good at playing coy.

I've been thinking for a long time about doing a book focusing on pure strength. There isn't anything like it on the market that's as accessible as the book I have in mind.

The big, open question is: Is there a reason why there's no popular, readable, immediately useful book on strength? Even if I wrote a good one with a creative and talented strength coach, would anyone want it?

So I'm using these threads to get a feel for other lifters' attitudes and assumptions about the subject.

I know I want to write it, and I'm confident it would be interesting and packed with new information. (Otherwise, why bother? There are easier ways to make a living.)

What I don't know is if you guys would respond to that book the way you have my others. I'm pretty sure I could write it and collect a paycheck, but it's not worth my time and energy if it's not a book you guys want. [/quote]Even though now i don't really put strength as a number one, i'd still buy & read books that's about strength training, especially if u write it, Lou. I've had all ur books, & i love reading them all, & i even still use some of the methods now. The thing w/ strength training is that it's hard to do for me. Especially that i'm not in the USA, since all the equipments are limited, & it's very hard to make one.

[Iceztiq]

Originally posted by laxcdn:

quote:

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Why gain size if you cant move more weight?

People can't see your strength on the street. It is like seeing a 71' Baracuda w/318 it looks wicked but may not be that fast or a 4 door dart that granny rides around in with a 383 hemi. No point in the second, unless you are going to race it. I would rather have the cool looking car, even thought it isn't the quickest. [/quote]can't agree more.

[gobbla]

No one sees my killer bod *sarcasm* but me and the lil woman. Truth be told I don't want to be big enough to really notice in clothes...so being the baddass gelopy that no one knows about suits me far better. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Jimbo]

Start writing Lou!

If you write it...they will read.

I'm interested.

[gardener]

Strength is everything but I write from the perspective of someone who experienced with increasing age gradually decreasing strength. It got to the point that I asked my wife to open jars and bottles for me rather than the other way round. Taking a bag of newspapers weighing no more than 8 or 9 pounds was hard. Four + years of serious and progressively more challenging workouts 3x weekly have not only arrested the decline in strength but reversed it. I am probably actually stronger than at age 30. I don't keep a log, but then I''ve settled into a permanent relationship with a trainer.

Hypertrophy? I'm much more noticeably muscular than I ever was, at any age. Catching a glimpse of my chest and arms in the mirror is startling--and kinda pleasing. But I'm not out to impress anyone. Strength is everything, like the ability to hoist kayaks to car racks w/o assistance. (Well, I would sorta like my wife to say nice body, fella, but........I guess she doesn't want to encourage primary narcissism.)

[DKing]

Originally posted by Lou Schuler:
Guys, thanks for all the great responses on the other thread, the one about bench-press maxes.

New questions:

1. How often, if ever, do you think about pure strength as an element of your workout regime?

2. Have you ever gone on a program designed to increase pure strength?

3. If you're currently working out for hypertrophy -- bigger muscles -- how important is your strength to you? Do you correlate increased strength with increased mass, or consider them separate pursuits?

4. Do you enjoy logging your workouts and keeping track of your progress, or do you consider it a distraction, something that makes your workouts more tedious or stressful?

Thanks again for your help!

1. Most of the time.

2. Yes

3. I get bigger so I can get stronger, not the other way around like a lot of guys.

4. I wouldn't say I enjoy it, I just think its needed. I am not a naturally organized guy but I find that when I keep a detailed log, training is much better so I force myself to do it.


I am in full support of the idea Lou although I can think of one main problem. I agree that it will be a hard book to market. Most new lifters are afraid of maximal strength lifting because they hear how bad it can be for them and most people who lift for pure strength are very hard-headed and wouldn't buy a book designed for the "regular guy". A lot of the strongman people I talk to won't listen to advice or do a workout unless it was created by a big pro-strongman. As dumb as that is it is pretty common. So I think marketting is going to be a huge obstical. How do you keep it accessable to the newer lifter and still appeal to the pure strength crowd?

Danny

[eastcoastsurfer]

Originally posted by laxcdn:

quote:

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Why gain size if you cant move more weight?

People can't see your strength on the street. It is like seeing a 71' Baracuda w/318 it looks wicked but may not be that fast or a 4 door dart that granny rides around in with a 383 hemi. No point in the second, unless you are going to race it. I would rather have the cool looking car, even thought it isn't the quickest. [/quote]So just buy a fiero and put a ferrari body kit on it. Sure it'll look like a ferrari, but people are going to laugh as soon as you start the engine. I want to be the car that looks cool AND has the power to back up the looks.

All show and no go I guess embodies the American way as of late, but it doesn't have to be that way. Who's to say you can't be strong and look good. Eat right and lift heavy and everything else will fall into place.

[Newlife]

Training should really be about both in my eyes.

And on that note, Show me someone who is huge and isn't stonger than you are... I think the 2 are very related and hard to divide. When I get bigger, I get stronger. I have never seen myself get bigger, yet not be able to move more weight. Thats training in the 1-8 rep range and never exceeding 8 reps.

I also agree with Danny that this may be a hard one to sell...

[Iceztiq]

i agree with Danny, too. Most serious lifters are very stubborn about the methods of trainings they're doing. Unless they see something they consider as a WOW proof, they won't do it.