A Perspective On Who Trains For Longevity And Those That Train To Win

GOOOODDDD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!

Hope you guys are having a bad ass Monday so far and hope you're already having success in your endeavors. So far today, I got in my Joint Loosening Routine and my 2 & 1 Sapate HIIT Workout. With the big workout, I added a couple rounds so it was 30/90 For 10 Rounds and managed 6 Reps each time. Totaled 60 Push-ups and 120 Squats in under 20 minutes. 

I was watching a podcast the other day from Stories With Brisco & Bradshaw that had Scientific Wrestling's Jake Shannon on as a guest talking about Karl Gotch and their book No Gas, No Run. It was a few months ago when the episode aired but I thought I'd get into it. Really interesting stuff about Karl and his philosophy on things while Jake was being realistic about his opinionated thoughts on things and his rugged interior. Worth the listen.

Towards the end, Jake brought up a distinctive outlook that caught my eye (or my ears since I was listening intently) and I wanted to share my perspective on the idea and accurate approach to athletes or those that want to be fit......

He had said there were two different people and the distinctive differences to how their bodies become later on in life. There were those that train for longevity and well-being and then there are those that train to win. From a fitness perspective, those that train for longevity tend to have a greater quality lifespan and work towards protecting the body from injuries as much as possible and be able to function for the long haul. The second was more talked about from a wrestling idea but this can apply to any athlete, it was about those who train to win. In this case, a person who's a pro or whatever athlete, have a specific duty to work on their sport and do whatever it takes to overthrow the competition. 

In more of the case of those that train to win, it's pushing the body to its absolute limit in order to formulate skills that help the person win in their chosen sport. Football players have specific positions and train for skills that make those positions their specialty on the field that correlates to working as a team. In the case of wrestling which is the roughest sport anybody can do, you develop skills by drilling and conditioning the body to withstand and control an opponent. Defending or going on the offense using takedowns, holds and pinning/submitting someone. It's extremely hard on the body and over time, the body eventually will break down. 

In many cases especially these days, athletes have shorter careers and accumulate more and more injuries. In baseball, it's almost become mandatory for a pitcher to have Tommy John Surgery or a football player sustaining concussions, torn ligaments, broken bones and knee/hip replacements before the age of 50. Bodybuilding has lost it's roots when it comes to health, the sport itself today has many men and women pushing beyond limits of what the body can take both physically and supplementally. Several have dropped dead before the age of 45 and many these days never see 60. Training to win has become a sacrifice to one's health and well-being. From a statistical point of view, way, way less than 1% of athletes ever come out of a career with very little injuries and live a long life. 

In the case of the episode I watched, Jake was honest about what guys like Karl & Billy Robinson had done to themselves to be the best catch wrestlers in their respective generations. They both sacrificed their bodies and although Karl was the fitter of the two old timers by the end, it's still a thing to look at that after doing so many matches, so many drills, so many hindu squats & push-ups that the road leading them to having several body parts replaced is a sad thing to look at even though there is great respect for what they have done in the sport. The philosophies and outlook between Karl & Billy were very different. Billy looked at conditioning by pure wrestling and building up the stamina, Karl took the approach from learning to condition the body through calisthenics and such from guys like Benny Sherman & the Wrestler that taught Karl the Hindu Style along with Club & Mace Swinging. Both weren't wrong in how they did things and were among the very best in the last 60 years. 

Winning does come with a cost beyond the physical and for many, it has destroyed their bodies and it's a miracle some have lasted this long. As we get older, the ability to adapt becomes something we don't have a choice in the matter. We can't train the same way at 50 or 60 from when we were 25 or so. When you go so hard for so long, it will come back to haunt you if you keep it up. Longevity is about patience, awareness, adaptability and individual reactions to certain methods. Training to win becomes a necessity to do whatever it takes and do what must be done to overthrow an opponent. Like I said earlier, very very few can walk away from that life maybe not completely unscathed but know what their body can do or can't do anymore and can consciously be able to understand what's more important in the moment than chasing fame, fortune and glory. 

This doesn't mean I don't respect an athlete's sport or doing certain things to win a game or a match. I may not like the methods and degrees of sacrificing themselves but I do respect how they perform in the sport. I loved watching guys like Sammy Sosa & Brian Urlacher do the things they did, it was incredible and pound for pound, Rickey Henderson was the greatest scorer and base stealer of all time. Guys like Kurt Angle & Brock Lesnar were phenoms in the WWE and had some of the best matches from a technical and even entertaining stand point. However; the things they did in order to make those things happen were beyond what a person's limits was able to do. Henderson out of the list of people I mentioned was one of those extreme few athletes that had a very long career and took care of himself. 

What would be your perspective on this subject? Let me know in the comments or DM me through email. Let's read your take on things. 

Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it everyone.      

The Perils of Pushing Too Far: Unveiling the Dangers of Extreme Workouts

In the relentless pursuit of peak physical form, many fitness enthusiasts charge headlong into the abyss of extreme training, driven by the siren call of "no pain, no gain." But what if that pain signals not triumph, but impending catastrophe? I've spent years dissecting the highs and lows of strength training, I've seen the wreckage left by overzealous regimens and what extreme training can do to the body over time. Drawing from my own experiences and the timeless wisdom of old-school icons, let's embark on an epic journey through the shadowed valleys of extreme workouts—where glory fades into injury, burnout, and regret. This isn't just a warning; it's teaching you the ways of being smarter, and sustaining your strength.

Open your mind's eye and imagine: You're in the gym or doing some bodyweight training, heart is pounding like a war drum, pushing through rep after rep until your muscles scream in protest. The "influencers" scream "go harder!" and the mirror promises aesthetics that make you look like a God among immortals. But beneath the sweat and swagger lurks a hidden enemy that creeps up on you—overtraining. It's the silent assassin that turns your body against itself. Daily sessions to exhaustion, coupled with poor habits such as chain-smoking and doing One Meal A Day without sufficient nutritional values for example, aren't badges of honor; they're recipes for disaster. Heart strain, nutrient deficiencies, and severe mental health risks accumulate like storm clouds, ready to unleash a torrent of consequences.

 I've railed against this madness because it's not just unsustainable—it's downright dangerous. Why court fatality when true power lies in balance? One of the gravest dangers is the toll on your joints and connective tissues. Extreme workouts on a frequent basis often involve heaving massive weights or endless high-impact reps, grinding down cartilage and inviting injuries that sideline you for months—or worse, permanently. I've shifted my own training to joint-friendly methods like isometrics, band work, movements such as from Movement 20XX and Rucking precisely to avoid this fate. Picture holding a wall sit with feet flat, then heels up, then toes up—intense, yes, but without the wear and tear that extreme lifting or endless squats inflicts.

Overcoming isometrics, where you push against immovable forces like with the WorldFit Iso Trainer, build strength and power while yielding varieties fight gravity for stability such as push-up holds and the Horse Stance. Combine them into a hybrid or super style, and you get crazy gains in functionality without the risk of snapped tendons or blown-out knees.

Don't need to go to extremes to kick things into high gear; that's an option like when you want a challenge, not a prerequisite. Then there's the burnout beast, feasting on your motivation and mental fortitude. Extreme training doesn't just exhaust your body—it drains your soul. I've watched so-called "alphas" or "sigmas" preach warrior mentalities while their routines leave them sore, sluggish, and have a horrible attitude problem.

Stress and overtraining steal the fun from fitness, turning what should be a lifelong adventure into a grueling chore. Focus on progress, not perfection; a balanced approach with recovery baked in—like cold showers, stretching, or low-intensity walks—keeps the fire burning without scorching everything in its path. Remember, you won't always be the strongest or fastest, but training to be less winded reveals your true strengths and getting the most out of what's possible without killing yourself in the process.

Modern bodybuilding and even some calisthenic training amplifies these perils, prioritizing aesthetics over authentic health. Those shredded physiques? Often built on shortcuts that lead to shorter lives. I draw inspiration from the old-timers—before 1960, when fitness was about vitality, not vanity. Guys like Bill Pearl or Reg Park were monsters of their era, yet smaller and healthier than today's inflated idols (Ronnie Coleman anyone?). Bodybuilding today is a facade, chasing looks at the expense of longevity. Extreme habits erode your quality of life, leaving you vulnerable to bruising, bleeding, or worse if underlying conditions lurk.

I've battled sciatica myself, crippled to the point of barely standing and this was at 38-39 years old, but reclaimed my mobility and flexibility through mindful practices like DDP Yoga and band training—shedding more than 40 pounds over a period of time and emerging stronger at 41 than in my 30s. I've done extreme training in my youth, at one point even near blacking out and also waking up so stiff, it took me time in the double digits to get out of bed (This was at 19 years old). Many workouts in the past 2 decades were hard to a degree where some days I just wanted to quit and give myself real time to recover and not do a fucking thing. I've even pushed myself in strongman feats that I bled just from trying to bend something. I had to learn how to pace myself. Over the years, once I began to truly understand it, I was doing things that were just awesome to pull off. At this age, I'm in no pain, don't go as crazy as I used to (may seem crazy to those who've seen me train even now) and I have greater joy in what I do that benefits the quality of my life.

Moving on...Let's not forget the psychological pitfalls. Extreme workouts breed obsession, turning fitness into a toxic grind. I've called out those who mask their anger and insecurities behind "extreme" personas, bashing others while barely touching on real training. True fitness uplifts; it doesn't demean or throw horrific gestures and obscenities that make you question the person's sanity . It’s about encouraging journeys, giving props in the gym or those who train outside of it, and fostering community—not ego-driven extremes that isolate and harm.

So, you maniacs of the fitness world, heed this epic tale: The dangers of extreme workouts are real—joint destruction, burnout, health crises, and a hollow pursuit of perfection. Instead, embrace sustainable paths. Train with isometrics for joint-resilient power, incorporate playful movements to keep things fresh, and prioritize recovery or recovery style training like Joint Loosening Exercises for enduring strength and health

Fitness is a journey to many places; let it build the best version of you, not break you down. Rethink your approach, consult pros if needed, and train for longevity. Your body—and your future self—will thank you. Now, go forth and conquer wisely! 💪

Be amazingly awesome.