| Not long ago a training partner mentioned that he | | | | average sanitation worker in New York City lifts |
| was having problems finding help for his | | | | around 13 tons of trash into his truck daily. For |
| construction business. Every time he would hire | | | | real combat martial arts you need strength for |
| they would quit after just a few days, because | | | | the long haul. You shouldn't give up your weights, |
| the work was just too hard. He couldn't | | | | but they shouldn't be the only way you build |
| understand what the problem was - after all he | | | | muscle. If you want to survive a street fight you |
| spent every day for the past 20 years climbing | | | | need explosive power that will last, because you |
| ladders, hauling timber, and moving heavy | | | | won't get any breaks. |
| equipment. Well, unlike his younger employees | | | | Things like splitting wood will burn a ton of calories |
| who worked out in a weight room, he had spent | | | | while developing muscles, but not every body |
| years building functional strength, and when it | | | | lives on a farm. If you are stuck in a desk job |
| comes to fighting it will give you an edge. | | | | and only have a small apartment, you can still |
| The first time I learned about functional strength | | | | benefit from functional strength. Callisthenic |
| wasn't from a training book, fitness study or | | | | exercises are a great way to build muscle while |
| veteran coach, but a children's book about folk | | | | only using your own body weight. You don't need |
| tales. One story was about John Henry a railroad | | | | any equipment and there's no danger of "over |
| worker and the great strength he got from | | | | doing it" when you workout. You can get a lot out |
| pounding away with his sledgehammer day after | | | | of doing push-ups, sit-ups, along with other |
| day. In the story he proved what he could do | | | | exercises and simply running. If you're already |
| when he squared off versus a steam drill. He was | | | | doing weight training, include calisthenics in with |
| able to carve a tunnel through a mountain using | | | | your workout. You will find that you will need to |
| only a sledgehammer, iron will, and the brute | | | | spend less time pumping iron, and actually feel |
| strength to beat the machine. While it may be a | | | | stronger and more flexible. |
| work of fiction, the story reminds us that if you | | | | Many people practice martial arts because they |
| want to develop real power it takes a lot of hard | | | | aren't very strong and want a different kind of |
| work. | | | | advantage in a fight. While the right techniques do |
| Most body builders can lift an impressive amount | | | | help you out the better shape you're in the better |
| of weight, but they can only do it for short | | | | of you will be. Just because you are learning self |
| bursts. They can probably lift a weight ten times | | | | defense doesn't mean you shouldn't stop building |
| before having to put it down, but ask them to do | | | | up your body. The longer you're able to fight the |
| it until they can't do it any more and they | | | | greater the chance you will outlast your attacker |
| probably only have a few more reps left in them. | | | | and win - so keep working out and keep doing |
| While bench-pressing 500lbs looks impressive, your | | | | your self defense training. |