MacGregor and Mayweather are a good example of your stance. I can’t disagree.
I concur, tho I reckon many are probably on PEDS.
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Mos def. A few summers ago, I started watching old CrossFit Games on YouTube, and I couldn’t ignore how flat-out strong AND well-conditioned all of the Games athletes are. I also realized I like training in that style, with a few personal caveats (no supersetting heavy squats, deadlifts, or push presses to protect my back.)
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Hmm haven’t been paying super close attention to CF but I’m under the impression they ain’t particularly big or strong for people who train hard and juice up. They are lean physique wise though and can do a lot of cool things. Me goals are more bigger and strongerer so not much there for me. Each to their own I guess.
Id guess the top 20 men’s Games athletes each deadlifts 500+, squats 400+, OHPs at least 225, and can do all sorts of nonsense like handstand walks for 100 meters and walking overhead lunges for 100+ meters with 155 pounds. Most are seriously big and strong. #totesjelly
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Different perspective I guess. On the spectrum of daaaayummm to meh those numbers are towards meh for me.
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They have to be understood within context. A guy that can deadlift 500lbs in the gym is common. A guy that can do that AND run a 40 minute Murph is rare.
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True. To be fair anyone doing any weightlifting like the Olympic one at all is rare.
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Not to crap on your point, but a 500lb deadlift is for certain not common. Maybe in an elite gym, but that by definition is the outlier. So even THAT has to be taken within context!
Which was, ultimately, your point, so back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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In fairness, I use the term “gym” to mean something different than fitness center, health center, health spa, etc etc. That, in and of itself, is part of that elite/elitism.
I know. I just think a lot of people fall into a trap of defining “strength” too narrowly or in absolute terms. I prefer a broader view. Your own example was a good one.
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100%. “Progress” runs into that issue too. Hence the stupidity in the critiques of 5/3/1. “You progress TOO slow. You only add 10lbs to the lower body exercises each MONTH”
“Yeah, but I went from squatting 300lbs for 8 reps to 310lbs for 16 reps”
“Exactly: ONLY 10 POUNDS!”
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Haha, yeah. As a big fan of 531, I have come to appreciate the progress in sub max volume probably even more than 1RMs.
Also, earlier talk in this thread about boxing, MMA, etc., is relevant. I would go out on a limb and bet money that I could put up a better total on the big 3 than both Connor and Floyd. So am I stronger? What if it is a face punching competition?
Rich Froning clean and jerked 375 and snatched 306 at a BW of 195, and that’s while being able to do all those other things. I don’t think many of them care about PLing numbers.
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My perspective is that what you can do outside of the gym with your strength is what matters. I don’t care about numbers on a platform. Can you transfer that to real life? In static situations, most can, but add a short sprint to that and then it gets interesting.
CF swims, bikes, rows, and runs. Power lifters aren’t doing that. The first CF Games was scored by time. The first event was a trail run that was like 3 miles. The last place finisher got 15 minutes of rest and then started a deadlift ladder. Everyone else followed in order.
I don’t think many people who can lift numbers that aren’t meh to you can do many other athletic things well.
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I just had a discussion with another guy on another thread who was literally unable to understand that “strong” might apply to something other than the total of ones S/B/D.
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Well I mean it’d cool to be a god like runner to run away from as many of life’s problems as possible I guess. Imagine trying to catch one of em Kenyan long distance blokes if he doesn’t wanna chat with u. Be chasing him for 50km.
Become a one trip god for groceries by training farmers work religiously.
Work on walking speed/inefficiency so I save like 5-10% walking time throughout my life to spend doing other things
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Drives me absolutely bonkers. Like, did they just totally skip the estimated max part over, and over and over^n?
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Who would you rather hold the door when zombies are trying to push their way in?! I’ll take that 300# guy with the impressive 40.
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Agreed. But put it a different way…who would you rather BE when the zombies are trying to push their way in?
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I’d actually choose the CrossFit version of me haha. Strong enough to move some heavyish stuff and wield heavy weapons, and conditioned enough to outrun the horde for as many miles as necessary
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