DYEL Month: Do You Even...

[Phrost]

...Lift?

Anyone who tells you strength doesn't matter in a fight either selling you something or is a damn liar. Weight classes in combat sports don't exist to make it easier to figure out who's going to eat the most hot wings at the Hooters afterparty; they exist because it takes an astronomical amount of skill superiority for a smaller guy to overcome the strength advantage that comes with having more pounds of muscle.

If you're not regularly lifting heavy things, you are, plain and simple, not doing everything you can to prepare for a fight. And if you're not preparing for a fight, then why the hell would you bother learning how to punch and choke people?

This month, Bullshido focuses on the fundamental movements necessary to increasing strength. We're also going to sing the praises of the strength prophet himself, Mark Ripptetoe (PBUH), and how his Starting Strength program will put you on the road to being your own goddamn power animal.

Do you even... you'd damn well better.

Use this space to post your favorite lifting videos, bask in the glory of men named Magnus, and discuss whatever it takes to get your ass under a heavy bar.

[Mister]

I TRY TO LIFT BRO BUT I AM SO WEAK

Notice how they're flipping cars like they're pancakes.

Oh 250kg front squat with 5 second pause? Okay forget I said anything, I don't lift.

[RynoGreene]

That front squat is ridiculous. I was stoked to have finally gotten my back squat up over 300 lbs again, but now I feel inadequate.

[Mister]

After seeing this, I don't feel inadequate, man.




















































I am inadequate.

[Phrost]

15 reps 1x BW overhead squat.

[Phrost]

[Seedle Avenger]

The first vid posted was badass. I'm completely biased because of how much I love Clutch, though...

Does lifting yourself count...? :l

[Boydy83]

Functional Muscle is exactly what a martial artists needs to compliment his skills,

Bruce Lee comes to mind and dare I say Jhoon Rhee whos body at his age makes guys in there 20's look bad.

Review on rippetoe http://scoobysworkshop.com/starting-...mark-rippetoe/

"You must tuck your elbows in quickly when a blow is directed to your midsection," he explained. "Some bodybuilders are so bulky that they have no way to defend the solar plexus area with efficiency. They can't cover the area with their elbows, so when they use another method to protect it, they leave other parts of their body open. Weight training is supposed to help you, not screw you." Bruce Lee

[Bezmond]

If you are relying on strength, it means your technique is bad. My sifu told me that and he's the real deal.

[Mister]

Functional Muscle is exactly what a martial artists needs to compliment his skills,

Bruce Lee comes to mind and dare I say Jhoon Rhee whos body at his age makes guys in there 20's look bad.

Review on rippetoe http://scoobysworkshop.com/starting-...mark-rippetoe/

"You must tuck your elbows in quickly when a blow is directed to your midsection," he explained. "Some bodybuilders are so bulky that they have no way to defend the solar plexus area with efficiency. They can't cover the area with their elbows, so when they use another method to protect it, they leave other parts of their body open. Weight training is supposed to help you, not screw you." Bruce Lee

Look I think no matter how big you get you will only be inflexible and slow if you don't train your speed, conditioning, explosiveness and flexibility, and you only lift weights.

The notion that "being bulky" is bad for you is ridiculous, come on it's not Y2K anymore.

Muscle is good.

[Chili Pepper]

If you are relying on strength, it means your technique is bad. My sifu told me that and he's the real deal.

I remember when John Allen from the Green Dragon School made the comment in an Inside Kung Fu article, that with all other factors being equal, the bigger man will defeat the smaller man.

From the shrill outrage that followed it, you'd have thought he'd advocated kicking puppies as a training method.

[legomepanda]

To be honest, the only reason I kept coming back to Bullshido was the advice in the PT forum. It's the reason I started lifting to begin with. Thank you Bullshido. Thank you for the knee-jerk "Starting Strength or Stronglifts" reaction to every question about strength. I'm not a pussy any more.

Well, I'm not small any more.

[Phrost]

I remember when John Allen from the Green Dragon School made the comment in an Inside Kung Fu article, that with all other factors being equal, the bigger man will defeat the smaller man.

From the shrill outrage that followed it, you'd have thought he'd advocated kicking puppies as a training method.

That's because a significant portion of people who train in Martial Arts do so because they're unathletic, awkward, and weak and looking to make up for it (or live out the fantasy that they did); everyone else played Football, etc.. It's only been recently, due largely to MMA, that naturally athletic/strong people have gotten involved in the Martial Arts in large numbers.

But you don't compensate for weakness by ignoring it; you attack it directly.

[Bezmond]

That's because a significant portion of people who train in Martial Arts do so because they're unathletic, awkward, and weak and looking to make up for it (or live out the fantasy that they did); everyone else played Football, etc.. It's only been recently, due largely to MMA, that naturally athletic/strong people have gotten involved in the Martial Arts in large numbers.

The best martial artists I have trained with also had physically demanding jobs. At my old karate club, the toughest guy there was a roofer. My sifu drives a truck and humps stuff round all day. They might not be doing any specific strength training but they sure as hell are stronger than some desk jockey who trains a couple of times per week.

I need to do strength training to compensate for my sissy job teaching kids to paint.

[Phrost]

Yet, they could be stronger if they squirreled away 45 minutes, 3 days a week...

You're right that people who sit on their asses all day in the air conditioning should go above and beyond to catch up to those who have physically demanding jobs. But everyone should be taking advantage of every opportunity to get stronger, especially martial artists.