I've been on a mission the last few years to get people back to the roots of training; to get back to when training was fun, simple, and most importantly, free of the fluff and crap that has polluted MY WORLD. When training was about strength, about moving weight, and moving bodies. About being proud of an added rep or 5 more pounds. Where performance and kicking ass are more important than how you look. Where people eat to live, not live to eat. Where trucks are pushed and sleds are pulled. Where reps and weight are counted, calories are not. Where running isn't considered the Devil and you don't measure your workout by how much you threw up.
With that in mind, here's a list of simple rules that we follow:
- Squats are walked out.
- Lift-offs are not given on the bench press.
- If you're going to overhead press, it will be done standing.
- You don't debate about organic/non-organic, or about milk.
- Squats are done with a barbell on your back; this is assumed and are not called "Back Squats." You don't say you're gong to take a "standing piss" do you?
- No need for music or training partners or "the right atmosphere" to train hard. Sure, it's nice but not a necessity.
- There are no 8-week plans, rather year long goals and decade long achievements.
- All you need is a rack, barbell, platform and some weights.
- You realize stretching doesn't make you slow or non-explosive.
- You realize physical strength can develop mental and spiritual strength.
- You never fall for gimmicks; principles last forever.
Now there are quite a few more of these, but you get the picture. The point is this - training has become overrun with people telling US how we need to think, how we need to train, and what is acceptable. That is like me telling Fenriz what black metal is. I don't get to decide it, he does. So in sticking with the reference, there are two kinds of "hardcore" people out there. There are Metallica people and Darkthrone people. Metallica people are fine, but don't come into my Darkthrone world and tell me what is Raw or what is strong or how I need to eat. Don't bring your gimmicky elements onto my platform. And please, don't try to sell us on how hardcore you are or how dedicated to strength you are. Your lifts and your silence do more talking than your Internet chatter and bravado.
Do you lift for the admiration of others or do you lift to make yourself better? Is training fashion more important that PR's? Are you more concerned with "likes" than becoming a stronger person? So you can choose — do you side with Metallica or are you Darkthrone?