10 Things That Make You Stronger

These are things you can do to aid you in your quest for strength.

1.      Read and comprehend the book “Super Training” b Dr. Mel Siff.  He was a genius and his work is still considered to be like the bible for strength coaches around the world.

2.      I’ve already mentioned this one in a previous article but it is important enough to mention again.  SLEEP!  Sleeping eight plus hours per night can literally pull all of your other work together.  It can heal mysterious pains and save you lots of healthcare dollars.  If you can’t get the eight then take naps, but you have to sleep.

3.      Contrast showers are great for recovering from intense workouts or when you are starting to feel beat up.  You simply make the water as hot as you can take it for a couple of minutes, then make it a cold as you can for a couple of minutes.  That is one set and you should aim for three sets.  

4.      Massage has been a proven to have therapeutic benefits and can help reduce pain and increase mobility.  Finding the right type of masseur and the right type of massage is the trick.  I tend to throw foam rollers, tennis ball trigger point massages, and chiropractors into this category.  Research and find what you need to move forward.

5.      Eat for your training.  The saying goes some people live to eat while others eat to live.  You should eat to train.  If you are an endurance athlete, your diet should look different from an Olympic weight lifter’s diet.  Research this well.

6.      Cardio is great for moving waste out of the muscles.  Even though you might not want to move much the day after a rough workout, light cardio can help get you back to 100% faster.

7.      Stretching and mobility work can and should be performed regardless of your sport.  This not only serves to help you get stronger, but it may help prevent injuries as well.  Stretching can be as elaborate as you have time and / or effort, but it should at least cover the most used ranges of your particular sport.

8.      Supplements are a numerous and it can be easy to get caught up in the hype.  Some older supplements have been proven to help you recuperate faster and you should at least know about these.  I recommend not spending too much time researching supplements.  Generally they tend to be much more trouble than they are worth.

9.      Take a hot bath.  While it may seem feminine to some, taking a hot bath can help you heal from minor injuries and help you get some deep sleep.  

10.    Find freakishly strong people with whom to train.  In life you become like the group of people with whom you associate.  Some scoff at this theory but history has shown us (sometimes in grizzly ways) that this is true.  If you want to be a wolf, then stop standing with the sheep!

****Not included but always implied is Nietzsche 's "That which does not kill you, makes you stronger" theory. ****