Becoming HARDER TO KILL

A few months ago, I was talking with a client about his workout and how well he performed. He had sent footage of his lifts and as always, I was extremely impressed with his ability. Ever since day one, this athlete showed growth in what he was already good at: everything. He not only had great conditioning and could withstand a fair amount of cardiovascular torment, but he also had the ability to lift some thick heavy weight. To understand, this individual weighs around 200 pounds and is six foot tall, portraying an athletic build that would intimidate any school yard bully. Although his weight was on the leaner side, during our programming he was inching his way to a 500 pound deadlift, catching a snatch of 255 pounds and a split jerk of 315 pounds. So although this person weighs 200 pounds and was noted to be on the leaner side, their frame actually looked to be 210 to 215 pounds. That’s how dense his musculature was, secretly a weapon ready to pounce on its prey. At the beginning our goal was to grow his major lifts of the squat, bench, deadlift and overhead press. During the programming and creation of his routine, he also noted that he wanted to keep his athleticism high and not to lose his ability to be dynamic. I was open to the idea because I respected his athletic ability, so I spent some time trying to be creative on how to not only grow his major lifts, but also promote athletic movement and conditioning.

As we were discussing the program and getting things started, we discussed his footage and technique and afterwards he made an impactful statement that I would never forget….

“I am just trying to become harder to kill!”

...this statement, without a doubt, is badass. I also think its a mindset that is undermined by many who participate in strength training, whether recreational or with a competitive approach. To paint a picture, let’s go back to our glory days. If you are reading this, you know darn well you were one of those lowleys (or maybe an observant) that would congregate with your brethren at the local YMCA to blast the iron for a vicious pump. Not only was I witness to this at the YMCA of South Arlington (whoop whoop!), I was a proud bystander of this at the University recreation center as it was always a treat on any weekday evening. All the frat daddies were busting a sweat before college night, getting a juicy pump that would hydrate the malnourished. I remember specifically one evening some class act jabroni stole my squat rack to get a bicep workout in while I ran to the restroom. We got into a heated discussion and I was asked to leave the squat rack since I left it briefly vacant. Karma was on the menu that night though, as I witnessed him at a local bar throwing up all over the dance floor and get escorted by security to meet the police outside. Justice is a dish best served cold. Because it was served warm, it would be justwater. This is a true story. Let’s shift our focus back on the topic.

Whether you are witness to these acts or have been a bystander to these situations, we can all collectively agree that inside the gym and weight room we all have experienced the mainstream movements that have gained popularity with time. We all are familiar with the bench press, bicep curl, leg press and much much more. These movements gained popularity and with reason! I want to stress that there is NOTHING wrong with anyone who wants to bench press or leg press, so don’t get it twisted. But what I have learned through my interactions with clients, just as the one previously noted, is that there needs to be more depth to a program or routine to help establish bigger gains in strength. We don’t want to stick with the traditional movements in order to surpass our fellow colleagues, we want to also promote athletic movement and programming to help not only make us stronger, but also “harder to kill”!

So how does this work? Well, let me frame out a routine for lower body strength that could seem very familiar in structure:

1. Barbell Squat 4x6

2. Walking Barbell Lunges 3x12 Steps

3. Lying Leg Curls 3x15

4. Calf Raises 3x20

I mentioned this before and will mention this again, there is NOTHING wrong with the traditional movements promoted to elevate strength. However, within the concept of becoming “harder to kill”, individuals would want to promote athletic movement and selection that could help develop strength that would be superior to anyone else. Maybe we could restructure this routine into something not only exciting but also can help improve conditioning as well.

1. Barbell Squat 4x6

2. Farmer Walks 3x10m

3. DB RDLs 3x12

4. Reverse Sled Drag 3x20 Steps

In this structure, we still have traditional movements but are incorporating some more dynamic selection of movement such as the farmer walks and sled drag to help grow the various extensors of the lower body that would have benefited from the original routine above.

There is no RIGHT or WRONG in either idea stated above or in this writing. The concept we are trying to ultimately discuss with you is that if you want to become a superior type of athlete, its important to break the norms of traditional strength by using unqiue, dynamic, explosive and creative movement that might serve many purposes and give you a better edge against the competition. Some of the best deadlifters in the world using movements such as farmer walks and suitcase deadlifts to increase their ability. Some of the best football players use tire flips and sand bag carries to increase their ability. It’s this ultimate mindset that you are not only strong enough to reach your goals, but you are becoming an individual that could very well be HARDER TO KILL!