Pole Vaulters - They're freaks-athletes who can do anything.

[PVJunkie]

Page 4 of this article.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/question_of_strength_vol_47

Q: What single task would you say is the best test of overall strength and athleticism?

A: Ask any coach who has experience getting people strong (in other words, not the ones who have their athletes bounce around on BOSU balls), and he'll tell you: running with a load on your back will show you quickly if someone is athletic or not.

Think of the super yoke in strongman competition.

Side note: In Hungary, they used to have a competition where the athletes had to do all sports... except their own. Pole vaulters would always win. (Skiers would come in second.)

Why pole vaulters? Aside from the balls it takes to do that event in the first place, they need speed, lower- and upper-body strength, and great time and spatial awareness. They're freaks - athletes who can do anything.

[Lax PV]

ha.

Well, training three times a week for hypertrophy is like trying to fart against a hurricane. You're not going to get big like that; it's more like maintenance training.


...funny analogy.

[EIUvltr]

ha.

Well, training three times a week for hypertrophy is like trying to fart against a hurricane. You're not going to get big like that; it's more like maintenance training.


...funny analogy.

I very much disagree with this statement. With regular eating and quality workouts, you can get very large lifting 3 times a week.

Just to clarify, I think Charles Poliquin is the man. I just disagree with this statement, although I hypertrophy very easily when I eat accordingly (started lifting again 8 weeks ago after about a year, and got my bench back up above 300 already and have gained ~12 lbs.), so maybe I'm biased.

[Lax PV]

ha.

Well, training three times a week for hypertrophy is like trying to fart against a hurricane. You're not going to get big like that; it's more like maintenance training.


...funny analogy.

I very much disagree with this statement. With regular eating and quality workouts, you can get very large lifting 3 times a week.

Just to clarify, I think Charles Poliquin is the man. I just disagree with this statement, although I hypertrophy very easily when I eat accordingly (started lifting again 8 weeks ago after about a year, and got my bench back up above 300 already and have gained ~12 lbs.), so maybe I'm biased.

Just to clarify, I didn't say that I agree with it--I thought it was funny.

Nice work on getting back into it. The mass gain surprises me--thats intense. I know that you know, your nervous system doesn't take long to get back into firing the correct recruitment patterns, so getting back to lifting heavy weight for an experienced athlete/lifter shouldn't take long, but thats a great start either way!

[EIUvltr]

yeah I'm very aware that getting strong is easier when you've been strong before. Although I would never suggest that my results are typical. I am somewhat of a freak in the weight room, unfortunately that wasn't quite as true on the track. I should have been a wrestler or on a bobsled team, I would have fared much better. Oh well.