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This is a theory I have based on my observations of labor coworkers and dudes I know that don’t exercise who are far stronger than reason says they should causing me to hold this to be true.

Somewhere out there is a genetic freak who would destroy strongman competitions and powerlifting records who doesn’t compete and probably doesn’t even lift weights in the gym sense.

His feats of strength are simply work related or impromptu performances for friends, family, and coworkers.

He might be working in a Siberian rock quarry not realizing the potential he has to break the atlas stone record.

Maybe he’s working as a construction laborer for pennies in some third world country and impresses the hell out of his coworkers shouldering and getting overhead random shit. A clean and jerk record his, should he ever touch a barbell.

Or maybe he’s just this big, strong, athletic dude that spends his time not doing much of anything, but with a few months training time would have NFL scouts shitting themselves and running each other over to sign him.

The gym isn’t everything, and there’s a lot of missed potential out there both from genetic freaks and more normal people.

Food for thought.

-J

I view lifting weights as icing on the cake. It’s fluff, I enjoy it, but if you took all the gym shit away from me I’d be just fine and keep on getting better.

I’ve done it the past and am fully capable of doing it again.

I started training before I’d ever touched a barbell.

As a 2nd and 3rd grader I did karate and all that comes with it. In addition to the drilling, sparring,and wrestling we also threw medicine balls and did fairly high quantities of situps and pushups.

I can still hear my Sensei, and my mother’s imitation of his voice telling me to do poooshups (pushups).

That pushup ability I maintained over the years. Most can’t imagine how many I’ve truly done .

In 4th grade we moved across the country and being lazy , thinking it was hard I never went back to karate, instead spending the next few years playing PlayStation and getting horrendously out of shape.

However growing up I always thought that I’d be a US Marine.

The summer between my 8th and 9th grade years, my grandfather having just died, and searching for meaning I adopted a fairly intense mentality.

So it’s summer break, I’m at my now Grandma’s house, and am sleeping on a bed roll on the living room floor.

I’d wait until late night and turn the TV to MSNBC. I’d discovered Lockup Raw.

I’d watch an hour or two with the volume real low so as to not disturb anyone, then right there on my bed roll I’d PT having got myself into life or death mentality via amp up by prison documentary.
(Not my first method of amp up,but far more result yielding than metal before middle school baseball games)

All I did were situps and pushups, the only exercises I knew, but the beauty of it looking back was the mentality behind those few daily sets.

I worked it into my mind that not giving my all could be the difference between life and death in the future for myself and/or my comrades in the Marines or for myself in prison one day.

I’d visualize the Spartans at Thermopylae while viewing these sets as life or death.

I’d do as many reps as possible for 3 sets of pushups and 2-3 sets of situps. I’d exhaust myself, pant, regain a semblance of normalcy,then go again. When done I’d drink a little water and pass right out.

Now come freshman year I backslid on this mentality, having quit both football and wrestling while still being horrendously out of shape, but the roots had been laid.

Having quit wrestling was the last straw.

I did PT obsessionally for the rest of that school year.

Lots of pushups, situps, pounding a punching bag, some chins, and riding a stationary bike for 1000 calories burnt nightly.

I’d drop and do pushups practically whenever there was a gap. I still remember this kid saying I couldn’t even do a few pushups and I dropped right then and there backpack still on hitting far more than he gave me credit for, standing up,looking at him and saying something like “your turn asshole”. I still can hear his reaction,his excuses for not dropping, as he knew I won.

Over the years I’ve kept doing pushups, daily.

I’ve went almost as long as 4 years without missing a day. Currently I’ve went more than a year.

I still view exercise through the lens of survival and with a military mindset.

I’ll always PT, pushups I love, Hindu squats are close behind, and I always maintain the ability to hit at least 5 chins.

9 months of no gym in 2015 and I came back stronger from calisthenics, isometrics, and jump rope.

I will always PT.

It’s both a part of me at this point and a life necessity.

PT is my foundation not weights. It is readily accessible to all, and travels with you as it is a part of your body.

Gyms are nice and fun to use.

PT is part of survival and can never be taken from you.

I PT EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Weights? When I feel like it, anywhere from 2x to 10x weekly.
If I lose weight access, I’ll be annoyed that my fun is gone, but I’ll still be hitting the PT.
(Also I’ll be ramping up PT volume)

All would benefit from this mindset shift. You don’t need a gym it’s just icing on the cake. PT is necessary and is no excuses.

Get It.

-J

Newton’s first law states: ” An object in motion stays in motion, and an object at rest stays at rest”

Observe most humans and see how true it is.

Those who are most active are able to stay active, while those who laze around become more and more prone to sloth.

This can even be what causes a huge difference in the health and physical abilities of people with very close genetics. Lots of bodybuilding authors like to use twins for example, but I’ll use what I’ve personally seen; brothers about a year and a half apart.

One brother started doing track in middle school, and by high school was doing cross country,indoor,and outdoor track. This was in addition to PE, and generally staying on his feet both walking everywhere and for fun.

The second brother on the other hand ate the same way (they both eat garbage in stupid high calorie quantity) but didn’t exercise at all. All he did was watch Family Guy and play Playstation. While his brother walked to school he’d generally take the bus.

One could do around 20 chins, was decent at pushups and could run a ballpark 21 minute 5k, the other was a typical American youth, far weaker than young man was intended to be.

They both are 5’8″ or 5’9″.
One weighs 160, the other 220.

Any guesses as to who is who?

Care to predict which one is going to have health problems later in life?

It’s not hard to be in decent functioning health and shape.

It’s Newton’s first law in play.

Any activity will pay dividends down the road.

With my hurt I’ve taken to walking to keep active. Throughout the day I’ll climb my homes staircase for 5 minutes a session to keep on moving. PT is still doable so that is done as well.

I’m frequently testing range of motion and what does and doesn’t hurt.

Whatever your circumstance keep moving. I’m sure you’ve observed someone get injured (or even only hurt) take to the couch,and become part of it. Don’t let this happen to you.

I’ll paraphrase something I read online, but can’t quote as I no longer recall the source: “If you can’t run, walk,if you can’t walk,crawl, if you can’t crawl, blink. Whatever you do keep training.” I’ll add to this that even one in a wheelchair can still train upper body, just look at what Paralympic benchers can do.

-J

You’re watching daytime television, reruns from the 80s thinking about how you want to get into shape, when the scene ends and suddenly the volume increases, increases along with your ears being pierced by the voice, a voice  that can only mean one thing. No it is not a used car salesman live in person but an infomercial, the one infomercial that can actually change your life :

In the salesman’s voice:

On an installment plan of only 0 easy payments of $0.00 I’m going to reveal to you the ultimate in simple and easy fitness plans.

It’s surprisingly similar to how my grandfather stayed fit, and how I do as well when I don’t have access to a gym or weights.

The system involves only 3 simple components:

1. Drop onto the floor and start doing pushups.

Pick a number that seems ridiculous to both yourself and “common sense”, quite possibly double that number, and keep going​ until you’ve hit that number. Try to get it done as fast as possible, but it’s fine for it to take as long as it takes.

100 reps daily is a minimum. 500 is more like it to those who care about being in shape. 1000 is doable in a day, I’ve done it, hell Paddy Doyle’s world record for pushups in a year averaged over 4000 daily.

Hit the deck to repeat your pushups tommorow and every day after.

2. Go for a walk (jump rope is an acceptable substitute) 15 minutes as a minimum, that means walk a mile or more. If you substitute your walk with the jump rope don’t be a fat ass about it.

3. Whatever else you feel like doing.Have fun here, use this part to express yourself.

Golly gee willikers Batman! That shits rocket science!

No not really. Training is not complicated. You can make do in any circumstance, even a full lack of equipment. After all you can function as your own all the time travels with you gym.

Don’t wait! Call now and I’ll even throw in our time tested mind shattering World’s Easiest Diet, commonly known to our grandfathers as eating like a man, we’ll even throw in a belt for your pants a size or two too small!

Call now.

The commercial ends.

You sit there on your recliner phone in hand. Do you decide to call now? Do you decide to wait for the show to be over, and maybe the one after that? Or do you turn off the TV , get your fat ass off the couch, and hit a quick 250 pushups, some crunches, and go for a 20 minute walk?

It’s up to you.

-J