The story of Milo of Croton is one that should be read by anyone interested in improving strength. He was a Greek Wrestler who years before the Olympics, started carrying a new born calf on his back and walked a distance - everyday. Long story short - As the calf grew, so did Milo's strength and muscle. He would carry this animal on his back till it was a full grown bull! I don't need to tell you he was really strong at the end of it and really muscular - Not bulky and fat! This story goes around a lot of times but here is the key we learn - If you want to get stronger - start small and steadily challenge your muscular system.
I would like to pull lessons for strength development out of this little story.
1) Without progressive resistance there is going to be no new demand for your body to adapt to. If ever there was a golden rule in the fitness and strength world this was it. Which is why the same old walking on a treadmill for an hour for 3 months just does not cut out. In training for any form of strength, there has to be progress regularly.
So how exactly do you build up progression? Increase intensity - Lift heavier weight, increase reps and sets, shorten down rest times.
2) Start small - This is really important when starting out. Milo was an Olympic wrestler but he started with a new born calf. Start with a manageable weight and then progress- do not stay in that comfort zone. Sometimes starting or going back to ridiculously light weights can give the biggest strength gains. However, the main reason for doing this is to build your confidence. Your mind and nervous system will know what you can handle and from there you can work on increasing the load, intensity or volume.
3) Increase slowly - Add just one or two more push ups per week or every third training session. Add 0.5 kgs to the bar. Do not just slap on 5 extra reps on a set or 5 extra kgs on the bar. Look for the least increase you can make. That calf in Milo's story might not have put on 5 kgs in a day. But its a safe assumption to say at least 0.5 kgs per day as it grew. Milo's body could incorporate and adapt to that easily. As that calf grew in strength and size so did Milo - daily!
4) Slow and steady - Strength takes time to develop. It's a slow process. I agree today we have advances in science and scientific training and new discoveries to how to efficiently train- but still the strength factor does take the longest to develop out of all other fitness factors. However, its the only one which actually stays the longest. It works into something called muscle memory. It also has the maximum benefits when you take time to develop it.
5) Consistent - The increases have to be consistent. Milo carried that calf daily from the time it was a newborn till the time it was a full grown bull.
Results:
Milo went on to win 6 Olympic crowns in wrestling. It is said his career spanned 25 years (and we are talking about Olympics of nearly 3000 years ago). Back then the Olympics were still every 4 years.
You set your goals for strength and work towards it. Remember.......locate yourself and then move towards your goal.
Courtesy: http://temple-of-fitness.blogspot.in/
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