What they were designed to do..

We all know how much I love strength. Hopefully, I've conveyed the utility of "More" strength to you all enough. In fact, strength might as well be the main tenet of BHIP. It should be BSBSHIP (Bruin Strength Building and Subsequent Health Improvement Program). You like that?

Here's a pretty good read about combat athletes and the need for them to develop strength.

Combat Strength 101

"In the simplest of terms, strength is the ability to produce force and at the end of the day, producing force is all your muscles are really designed for."

Brilliant. So simple and so right.

Those of you into watching two dudes hammer at each other for 15 minutes inside a cage until one is just lightly bloodier and pulpier than the other realize that this is a bit of a paradigm shift in the training methods and ideology. Much like it has been in the endurance world.

See, barbell training for strength, as of the last 50-60 years has been reserved exclusively for people who want to get strong with barbell training (power lifters and Olympic lifters) and football players, with the exception of frat-boys and gym "bros", but they're just trying to emulate football players anyway. Every other sport was all about developing and honing the skill-sets required and then celebrating any incidental strength gains in jest and calling them "good genes" and "talent". Think about all of those Kung-Fu films. You don't see them pumping iron. You see them in their stances practicing the same stupid punch over and over. But in then end, I'd put my money on Conan or Thor over any of the skinny little dudes with the high-pitched squeals. Other than Bruce Lee, of course; he was the man (and a huge proponent of strength training).

Consider this: Tennis. Is it really surprising that the best tennis players ALSO have the most powerful serves and returns? Is it a coincidence or is it a crucial component of winning: dominating your opponent by imposing your will upon them? That's the idea behind "More" strength; to have just that little bit over your opponent so that at the end of the game or race, you can hammer down on the gas pedal while he or she struggles to stay alive. It's an awesome feeling when you really dominate rather than just barely beat someone because they fizzled before you did.

Today, it's a different game. Athletes and coaches know better and are getting busy developing some of the most powerful athletes ever seen. Usain Bolt does a lot of Oly lifting. So does Michale Phelps (although his coach tried to keep his training methods a secret). It's no secret that having more strength means you're less prone to acidosis and you recover faster and can train with higher intensity and frequency.

When I was a little kid and was picky about eating, as little kids get, my grandma told me: "Boys have to be strong." That was it. She didn't say I had to be fast or jump higher or comb my hair a certain way or listen to the best music; I didn't even have to brush my teeth. All I had to do was "BE STRONG!" So I ate whatever she wanted me to. It was a simple correlation that I have carried with me to this day. (Although I have adopted the culturally-imposed hygienic aspects as well..) I can't say that I haven't benefited from being stronger than others...


- The workouts have been a bit intese, so I don't think you all need any supplementary workouts, but if you get bored, you know where to find more. Otherwise, Mobility!