The Strength and Conditioning world has been meeting a lot of resistance from self-proclaimed tough guys lately. Here's the argument: "I can't squat or bench, but I can sure sling bricks and lumber around with the boys. That's all I need."
While there is a great deal of ignorance in this statement, it seems to be a mantra that is regurgitated by many. My first question is, why would any man be against getting stronger? Do they not realize that, especially if they have an active job, getting stronger would just make their job a lot easier? Does a 10-brick Tong not feel lighter if you are stronger? Does climbing a ladder on the job site all day not feel easier if your squat numbers are up? If you are moving furniture all day, who do you think will perform better, with more ease: the guy who never lifts, or the guy who has a decent deadlift? One more: when you have to move 65 wheelbarrows of concrete that day, which person do you think will have an easier time: the bigger, stronger guy, who has big squat and deadlift numbers? Or, the skinny guy who is only "worker strong?" How simple logic goes over the heads of so many is simply beyond us in this field.
I believe these anti-strength arguments come from two places:
1. The 1970s myth of "if you lift weights, you'll become big and bulky."
2. Instead of admitting that they are embarrassingly weak, most of these men would rather hide behind these cult-like statements because it sounds cooler than going to the gym and putting in actual work.
The first argument is easily destroyed after anyone attempts to get big and bulky for a few months, or even a few years. As it turns out, even the most genetically gifted, drug-using pro bodybuilders must still put in decades of work. For many, they will spend 10+ years working hard, doing all the drugs, but are still never big enough to even step on stage. Despite what your aerobics-loving mom told you, just lifting a few weights does not make you big and bulky. In fact, if anyone could benefit from getting stronger, it would be both you and your mom.
The second argument seems to stem from whatever is trendy online. A decade ago, Crossfit helped demonize actual strength training and got most people on board with performing highly technical lifts, to failure. It seemed cool because it was different, the "athletes" (who are also on drugs) looked normal. It also mocked anyone who performed basic strength training. You know the type: the average guy who performs the compound lifts year-round, eats right, and actually has the physique you have been pursuing for years. Yea, screw that guy; he doesn't know anything. Another version of this "farmer strong" argument comes from the rough and tough workers, or at least the men who think they are rough and tough. Then the younger kids get ahold of that, and it goes on and on...
I could simply point out the logical error that if working on a farm or construction site made you jacked, we'd only see jacked tradesmen, and there would be no fat farmers or ranchers. We could also point to the actually jacked workers, who do train for strength, and mention their physique and job performance. You know that jacked pipe fitter on your crew? The guy y'all pick on for bringing eggs and protein to work? Yea, he's in much better shape than all of you. But why? Notice, after your 12 hour shift, you are crushed and only have the energy to hit the drive through and then your couch, in front of the TV. What about the jacked guy on your crew, the one you pick on for not joining in on poker night? He's drinking his pre-workout while walking to his truck, then he heads to the gym. Not only does the work day not crush him like it does you and your buddies, but he even has the energy to go train afterward. Is he crazy? Is he on drugs? Did the job make him this strong and energetic? Or, did him putting up some standard man numbers in the gym make him this way?
Don't get me wrong; a man who has an active job is much better off than someone with an office job. The problem is the ignorance that the active job makes someone strong. So, let's break it down in knuckle-dragger terms:
"Strength:" Overall force production. It is measured by force generated against the environment, or an object, i.e. - a barbell. How do we measure strength? Easy: we measure the weight on the bar.
Now, some might argue the following: "I load 100, 75 lb bails of hay everyday. Let's see your average bodybuilder do that." A strong argument, but does it hold any weight? Of course, if you start that job completely fresh, moving such weights all day will absolutely break you off. You will be sore for a few days; maybe even a few weeks. However, after a while, your body adapts, and this job, that was once training, now has simply become an activity. Unless you add an extra pound or two to each bail of hay each week, you will never get stronger doing this work. Of course, you are stronger than the average male who does nothing. You might even see the bodybuilder, the fake argument you have created, struggle in this environment. However, what you fail to recognize is that, once the bodybuilder adapts to this type of work, he will actually become better at it than you. As long as his strength numbers in the gym continue to improve, and he continues bailing hay, he will continue to out-perform you. Why? Because he is stronger!
I could offer 100s of examples as above, but we don't have all day. The bottom line is that being stronger improves literally every aspect of one's life: performing at work, performing in the field, and performing in daily life. We all have to sit down and get back up eventually, right? We all carry groceries and load our trucks with equipment. We're not telling you to become obese and only care about a 600 lb deadlift. For some reason, that's what everyone jumps to: the mythical, obese power lifter. Here's a simple test for all of you. First, turn off the TV and stop watching other people live. Second, spend two months simply performing the compound lifts, progressively getting stronger in each. Then, observe how you feel doing literally anything afterward. As long as you train for strength and train properly, you should notice a drastic increase in performance, both on the job and in your personal life. Afterall, we do want to be strong, manly men, right?
Give strength a chance
Carry on
