Here’s somewhere that my mindset significantly varies from most gym goers:
A lift done no warmups at 80 or 90% of max or even more, maybe done outdoors with out the best footing is far more useful than a true max in the gym with nice plates, perfect footing, and a pristine Olympic bar.
Power cleaning 225 in running shoes outdoors in 30 degree temperatures on frozen dirt with no warmups is a better lift than 275 with an Olympic bar at the gym on the platform with every circumstance in your favor.
The latter is pristine. The former useable on demand, functional strength.
This is similar to my thoughts behind hitting the bag bare knuckle.
Like you get to say “Excuse me, will you wait a moment, I need to put on my gloves to hit you” Ha!
The majority of gym goers have this obsession with always warming up, and needing to follow splits.
It fucking hilarious. It’s like almost none have ever played a sport, or held any job involving manual labor.
The gym is the ONLY place people obsess over this shit.
You want to know what perfect form is?
It’s whatever finishes the task at hand. If you’re in a powerlifting meet obviously use legal form, but otherwise it’s open fucking season, have at it.
One time a storm brought down a tree in my neighbor’s yard. My buddy and I were helping him clear it. He chainsawed it, and we brought it over to his truck. He was cutting BIG pieces ~300 lbs. We picked it up and dropped it a few steps later, “Too big” he asked, the 70 yards it had to move looked far at this point. I thought for a second and flipped it like a tractor tire. Boom, easy. The job was far quicker cutting + flipping vs cutting + carrying.Flipping those pieces happened to be perfect form.
Gym goers need to get out of the common gym mindset. They need to get uglier, this is where the functional strength lies.
Both test the ability of, and train for strength in non-ideal circumstances.
How close to your deadlift max could you pull cold? 70%, 80%,90%, 95%+?
Same for your power clean.
What about tired, sore, and/or hungry?
What can you do with a giant sandbag or a heavy rock?
Get some of the ability that a strongman or a labourer has. That’s where functional strength lies.
Chrome and fern land (Brooks Kubick term) overall is rather faggy. Don’t get caught in it’s weak mindset. Get rugged, that’s what functional strength is.
-J