I’m about 2 years from quitting baseball. At which point, I’ll just sit on my Paddle Board with my shirt off in the summer. I just want to look good.
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The more the years pass the more I want to train for looks. Even at my low level I’m still stronger than 99% of people and I’m not going to compete so… Sure I want to get stronger but I think I’ve had enough injuries in the quest for performance.
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My preferred way of training is to work up to a top set of 3 then go home lol
Totally get what you’re saying here.
Just out of curiosity, how do you perceive Paul Carter’s methodology in terms of ‘performance’?
And in this context, what are the criteria for/definition of performance?
I’ve thought about the same as you, but I’d say Paul is able to perform pretty well in terms of strength levels (how large a percentage of users on t-nation actually lift in the same poundage range as him - even the ‘functional guys’?) and GPP.
As I recall, he does hill sprints at a pretty decent clip, and he also once mentioned that someone wanted to challenge him on farmer’s walks, thinking he had a performance advantage.
As I remember it, Paul ‘out-performed’ him - and pointed out that a high degree of strength in general (even when living in the moderate rep range) will trump even the person who’s doing ton of ‘functional’ and specific movements.
Most would consider farmer’s walks a performance movement. Heavy external load combined with locomotion - often for time and/or distance.
But again, just have to be sure what level of performance we’re talking about (not trying to split hairs) - so we’re not talking apples, oranges, and bananas all at the same time.
Can Carter do a front lever, high roundhouse kick and free handstands? Likely not.
Can he outlift most people on big compound lifts? Absolutely.
Could he flip heavy tires, lift Atlas stones and do heavy KB snatches? I pretty sure he could, without much technique practice.
He does tons of heavy free weights exercises. Could be considered performance.
Sometimes does high-reps lunges in the 500 rep range. Could be considered performance.
Emphasizes eccentrics which a lot of performance coaches are big on (especially for hammies when talking sprinting.)
Emphasizes glute training. Glutes are pretty central for good performance in many “ground-based” sports.
BTW, cool discussion topic to revisit, brother.
I’d pay good money to watch him do that.
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I’ll be 35 this month and I’m still dunking.
My funeral.
I’m physique driven. I’m never going to squat 500 lbs or bench 400. By gym standards, I’m average. By serious gym standards, I’m weak.
But I can look better than most people in the world. I have some decentvreal world strength, but I’m not built for arbitrary barbell standards.
Lastly, I have a job where someone might try to kill me. I’d rather they look at me and decide not to try it compared to trying and being surprised by my performance.
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Lol exactly. I started lifting when I was a kid so I wouldn’t have to get into fights. If I wanted to fight better, I would have taken up boxing or something.
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I found that strategy can back fire when you get that one guy who has something prove.
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I carry weapons 
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At 66 & 66 (66" tall and 66 kg), I’m only going to look “so” strong. And while I’ve spent 2019 trying to optimize that by improving body comp and still would like to reach the Golden Ratio by the end of 2020, these days I’m increasingly in the BE strong camp.
“Tried the high kick today. Got my leg up to around hip height, but it’ll all come together and be there come meet day”
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I think another issue is that “aesthetics” is a relative term while “strength” simply is what it is. For example, many would rather have a physique that is pretty lean, with abs, probably good at bodyweight movements but would have relatively modest numbers on the big lifts. Others would rather look like a big, meaty, strong dude with a barrel chest, big neck, but not really care about abs or specific body parts.
For me, probably the “best” I looked was in my late 30’s. I probably weighted about 5 lbs less than I do now (more like 165-170) and my training was:
- Rings. Ring chin ups, ring rows, ring dips, ring HLR, ring push ups. Also did really hard stuff like ring muscle ups, ring front levers, 1-arm ring push ups, and 1-leg pistol squats. 3-4 days a week of this stuff.
- Hill sprints. I lived just around the corner from a perfect asphalt-paved hill. Would run 8x50 yard sprints maybe 3 times a week.
- One day of heavy pulling each week: High pulls, deadlifts, barbell shrugs, and weighted pull ups. My thoughts were this kept a bit more of “power look” by keeping my traps and upper back bigger than bodyweight-only ring training.
Now that I’m reading this, I should try that style again. My ring set up isn’t as good as it was, because of a lower garage ceiling. And I don’t have a nearby hill, though.
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Hi! I would say Paul’s philosophy is geared solely to “what is the best why to achieve muscle growth?” He doesn’t rely on the big barbell moves, because he’s not interested in lifting big for the sake of it, and would rather choose moves and rep ranges/strategies geared towards the look he wants.
I think Jim Wendler would think “what’s the point if it doesn’t make you stronger in the weight room and a better performer on the field?”. I don’t think he has much interest in the latest science showing what techniques lead to the greatest hypertrophy in a group of 20 women divided into two groups and did different variations of tricep kickbacks.
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When I was younger, I wanted both, then I realized that strength came faster than the bodybuilder look I wanted so I moved towards PL movements. With heavy weights came injuries over the years.
Now that I’m older and have had 3 shoulder surgeries and my knees ache, I focus purely on aesthetics. I have what I call, “functional strength” but I’m not dead lifting a ton anymore, not benching anything of note. Hell, I don’t even squat anymore, at least free weight.
I’m happy to be able to climb ladder to work on the house, and move shit, and have a ton of sex (at 54) and not be taking ibuprofen every day.
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Look.
Probably this will change later down the line as I get old, but for now I’d much rather look strong.
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Paul Carter is a DC training proponent. He’s pretty much like Wendler when it comes to weights, i.e, heavy weights for higher reps.
There really isn’t much of a difference when training to build strength and muscle.
There is, however, a difference between training for hypertrophy and training for bodybuilding proportions.
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Since I am only 5’8", I had to do both…
Fortunately, most of the general public thinks 5’8", 170lbs is “big” lol.
I don’t have this option. Otherwise, the temptation might be too great, given my love for my fellow man. 
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That might be his philosophy now.… But it sure wasnt a few years ago before he came on board T nation.
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You mean something like this guy?
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I think the internet has been selling the idea of “hypertrophy training” consisting of only light “pump training” too much. Bodybuilders I used to train with would use a barbell for something like tricep extensions and just pyramid up to the heaviest weight possible for a set of 6-8 reps. When training in a group, we would go pretty heavy lol.
Even in DC training, there would be a recommended rotation of something like board presses, close grip Smith machine presses and heavy tricep extensions.