The Purposeful Primitive:
From Fat and Flaccid to Lean and Powerful:
Using Primordial Laws of Fitness to Trigger Inevitable, Lasting and Dramatic Physical Change
by Marty Gallagher
Have you ever read it?
You should, it’s a very good book with a wealth of experience in it and one simple take home message.
Success requires heart.
Morning All,
If you take the time to look there is a plethora of good books surrounding the realm of fitness.
Some are filled with numbers, plug & play programs, explanations of the basics and of course the principles/foundations of lifting, yet it’s the ones that are written in a story telling manor that hold the most secrets.
Ironically these are the books people will skip over because they want the quick answer.
This is understandable, however not too wise.
We can all read and gain a basic grasp of the numbers.
I’ve been such a person and has read hundreds of books of the years, admittedly skim reading the story-esc ones, due to my of foolishness at the time.
As I’ve gone back and reread these story books of lifting, Ive found new appreciation for them.
They hold not only training principles and methodologies.
Oh no, they hold something much more valuable as well.
Heart.
They hold heart, or what some might call indomitable spirit, perhaps even attitude, regardless of the semantics, the message is clear.
Those lifting legends thought differently, they had that extra gear as it were. That defined focus that many of us lack, hence why we only really make mediocre progress – yes, mediocre.
Even those who we think are training hard are lacking.
In the book mentioned above there are many excerpts that speak of people lifting only twice per week and hitting world record numbers (if you check the records you’ll find it all true).
Could you make such progress on two sessions a week?
I highly doubt it. I couldn’t, not with my current attitude in training.
This goes to show just how things have changed, and by things I mean people, or at least our resolve and work ethic.
We’ve grown lazy, so very lazy.
If you’ve just sat and thought “What… screw you, I’m not lazy” or something similar, that’s your ego talking and unless you’re at the peak of your own personal pyramid and chosen endeavour you’re not working hard enough, or rather, working hard enough in the smartest way possible.
Here is an example of just how an attitude was back in the day –
Bill Pearl, he used to train at 4am.
Yep, 4am, before the world got p he’d already be grinning away to forge his body in a fire of iron, sweat and many repetitions.
He had a normal job too, plus lived a fairly busy life, so before you bring up your excuses understand this person had them as well, he simply didn’t let them stop him becoming a legend of lifting.
From reading in to the lives of people form yesterday I fear we’ve grown soft, reliant on our comfortable lifestyles. We’ve lost our edge.
The attitude now is one of ‘I will do more but with less intensity’ – for most people anyway, I’m sure you will explain how you’re the exception, that being the case I wish I was you.
In the book you also get the sense that theme & women of yesteryear trained to break boundaries and hammer their of limitations, I’m not saying some don’t do this now, they just lack the conviction of old.
The modern world has beaten people down with how we ‘should’ look, behave, think, feel and ugh more. It’s no wonder people have so many mental health issues these days.
If you want to expand your thought and learn what it is to I speak of in this post, I suggest reading these three books:
The Purposeful Primitive – Marty Gallagher
Super Strength – Alan Calvert
Secrets of My Strength – Paul Anderson
There are many more great books of old, you can find them here:
http://superstrengthtraining.com
What’s old is new again.
Enjoy,
Ross