Birthdays, Challenges and the Inman Mile

The Blog has just turned one year old and while i jave not always been able to give it as much attention as i would like it has helped me define my training philosy as something more than lifting to look good or to win. I have many plans for the future and lots of blog post ideas still to come. The training style has come down to develop maximal strength, develop relative strength, lift weights, lift your own body, lift awkward objects, do conditioning. Do basic compound exercises with barbells and Stive for progressive resistance. Start with basic bodyweight exercises like chin ups and dips and build up to more difficult skills such as one arm chins and handstand push ups. Lift and carry awkward objects, sandbags, kegs, logs, rocks, strongman equipment. Condition yourself steady state easy cardio like power walking and swimming and build up to more useful forms such as sprinting, fighting, and carrying things. To me this sums up being a good all rounder but with an emphasise on strength. This is not cross fit. You are always striving to make your body stronger in one of these forms.

Its good to set challenges for yourself these can anything from hitting a specific weight, bodyweight feat or doing a powerlifting competition. For example to long term challenges for me are to lift all the Scottish manhood stones outlined in the book Of Stones and Strength by Steve Jeck.

Another challenge I want to do is to swim the lake Ulswater in the Lake District as my Grandad swum this lake when he was younger.

A more recent challenge I have come across is the Inman Mile.
This is where you take 1.5xBodyweight on your back like a squat and attempt to walk a mile with it. Its never actually been done with the record standing around 800metres. There is a yearly charity attempt at this challenge held in Tiverton in Devon by Tiverton weightlifting club. Its held on the 4th May and next year I plan to compete. While the challenge is seen as a novelty I think it is the perfect kind of training to develop what I am after. Anyone who can complete the challenge would be an absolute beast. While you would possess incredible endurance you would also needs to be very strong as well. It personifies be strong to be useful.

How do I plan on actually training for this? Well I have no way of taking a bar outside for a walk and wouldn't be able to load it to my shoulders without help. I'm going to have to rely on gym work alone. Some useful exercises i've been thinking of are weighted lunges in the squat rack, hise shrugs for time with the working weight, good mornings and marching in place in the squat rack. I'm currently around 83kg sitting between 2 weight classes of 80kg or 85kg. The difference making me have to carry 120kg or 127.5kg. I plan to cut to under 80kg for this challenge. A lighter weight and better conditioning.

Challenges like this are not the sole reason or emphasise for training. It still comes back to getting stronger at barbells, bodyweight, awkward stuff and conditioning. They merely add fun and enthusiasm to your training and a sense of accomplishment to your life which carries over to other things. Find your own challenges and strive to achieve them. Use what you learn and apply it to the rest of your training. Revel in their completion.