Relative Strength

Check out this video:



Now, that is a hardcore workout!! The core strength that guy has too - wow! Now, how many body builders do you think could do that kind of workout?

This got me thinking once again about relative strength (positive power to weight ratio)and how it's a much finer benchmark to aim for than absolute strength. I'll list a couple of reasons:

Firstly, it's more functional. By that, I mean it's more useful and transferable to everyday activities. If you only train to increase muscle size, then your ability to run or do chin ups will be decreased. What if you lift huge weights off the floor but can't haul your butt up a tree to rescue the cat or can't run around with your kids?

Secondly, and this is a personal opinion of course, the kind of body you're going to end up with is much more attractive. I'd far rather look like the dude in this video than a big and bulky meathead !! A RELATIVELY strong body is lean and ripped.

So, make sure you put bodyweight exercises into your programme (dips, chin, pull ups, press ups etc.) and use them as one of the bench marks, plus have a think about comparing your weight to what you're lifting. How soes your squat / deadlift weight compare to the scales?

This discussion also reminded me of another subject that I will be discussing in a different post, and that is BMI (Body Mass Index. I bet that guy would come out as overweight on the BMI scale, but that's just obsurd isn't it? I'll be back to discuss that later.

Until next time…..are you tough enough?

Andrew & Alex