Giuliano Stroe was discussed on my forum several months ago, but it wasn’t until this week that he became an Internet sensation. Earlier in the week, his story was featured on numerous sites including Yahoo. Within a matter of days, my inbox has filled with emails about the young boy.

The messages that I’ve read indicate that there are mixed feelings regarding his development. Some parents labeled his upbringing as child abuse, while others asked how they could train their own children similarly. Some even thought I was training my kids like Giuliano. Based on the confusion and influx of questions, it is time to address the topic.

To begin, I am not here to judge this boy or his family. I know nothing about them other than what I’ve seen on a brief Youtube clip. I’d like to believe that this child is a young phenomenon. I hope that he isn’t being pushed to do something against his will. My comments within this entry do not apply to him specifically, but rather the broad topic of childhood development. It’s also worth noting that I am obviously impressed by Giuliano‘s ability.

Yet despite his ability, I hope that other parents do not try to replicate his early success. Kids need a chance to be kids. They need a chance to play and enjoy childhood. They should not be forced to exercise or train. Some may counter these statements by saying that it is better for a child to exercise than sit in front of the television.  I agree with this statement, but it is still just a partial response.  Almost any activity is better than sitting in front of the television.  What about practicing the alphabet, learning to count, learning to read and write, playing a musical instrument, working on various art projects, learning to become self sufficient, and learning to behave with proper manners.  Why doesn’t anyone mention these other pertinent tasks?   Childhood development includes much more than hanging from a pull-up bar. In my opinion, physical development ranks nowhere near the top of the priority list. Children must also advance socially, emotionally, cognitively, etc.

Over the years, I’ve met several young adults who were pushed into sports by their parents. After early success, they eventually burned out, and some even rebelled against their parents. Not only did their athletic pursuits fail, now they are dealing with damaged relationships that go far beyond the playing field. Many also deal with social problems. After years of being pushed and told that their best isn’t good enough, these young men are socially challenged, confused, and lacking in confidence. The candle that burns twice as bright often burns half as long.

Leading vs. Forcing

I have a three year old son and a 16 month old daughter. As I mentioned recently, they both love to play in the gym. They have been around professional athletes since day one. It is normal for them to see fighters at the house training. My son still thinks that everyone is a boxer. It’s the lifestyle that they have grown up around.

I never force my children to do anything however. They are far too young to be pushed into any physical activity. When my son comes to the gym, he is there to play. I don’t make him do anything. He keeps himself busy by copying those around him or creating his own games. Just the other day, he was playing a game with a pile of sandbags. He would climb to the top and then jump down to a punch shield. When I asked what he was doing, he said that he was pretending to jump to an island that was surrounded by alligators. It was all a big game to him. He laughed and giggled the entire time.

Leading by example is far different than forcing a youngster to perform an activity. Children imitate their parents. If you are active, there is a good chance that your children will follow the lead.

Children Are Not Financial Investments

I’m sure many who read this entry are familiar with the Richard Sandrak story. Refer to the clip below if a refresher is needed.

As a young boy, Richard’s father was suspected of mixing steroids in with his supplements. The family then launched a supplement line, using the young boy’s picture to market the product line. Soon after, Richard’s father was jailed for assaulting the boy’s mother. It was not until his father was jailed that Richard was allowed to socialize with children his own age. Fortunately, Richard appears to be doing well now. It is sad though that any child would be raised in a manner that prevented him from playing with friends his own age.

After all, what happens if a child prodigy is injured? What if he doesn’t make it? There are far more failures than success stories. What happens then? Why aren’t parents spending as much time encouraging their toddlers to read and write? Could it be that some parents are living out their dreams through their children? Could it be that a father who didn’t make it wants to capture fame and fortune by living vicariously through his child?

It is pathetic to live your dreams through a child by forcing him into specific activities. You had your own chance at life. It isn’t your right to live out another life through your child. Leading from the front is different than abandoning your responsibility as a loving parent. If your child is destined to become a champion athlete, it will happen in time. You don’t need to jump start the process at age 3. Hanging from a pull-up bar at 3 isn’t going to be the deciding factor between success and failure when he is 18 years old.

Toddlers have limited attention spans. Any toddler who is training for hours on end is being forced to do so. I don’t care if he is smiling or not. Even terrible two toddlers have moments when they laugh or smile. That doesn’t mean they are doing something by choice. There is reason why almost every toddler class in existence is an hour or less. The last thing that anyone wants is a crowded room filled with over tired toddlers.

It is also worth noting that children advance exponentially in short periods of time. The difference between my son at age 2 and 3 is incredible. There are often significant changes in just a month or two.  Each month my daughter is able to say and do things that she couldn’t the month before.  It is incredible to witness.  Encouraging a child to work hard at a little league practice (in a sport that he chose) is far different from forcing your child to do something as a toddler. The difference between a 3 and 9 year old child could be calculated in dog years. It isn’t even close.

Final Thoughts

Personally, I don’t care if my children become future world champions or future piano players. I’ll support whatever it is they aspire to become.  If I can help, I will do everything in my power to assist, but I will never force them to do anything. My children are not financial investments. On the contrary, having children has only motivated me to work harder than ever before. My primary objective in life is to care for my children. I’d rather work hard so they can have a better life. I would never look to my child as a way to cash in.

Lastly, I’m not here to raise your kids. I am simply sharing my own thoughts on the general subject, but I can’t imagine that anyone would argue against letting a kid be a kid.

At age 14, William Kamkwamba set out to build a windmill that could generate electricity and pump water to his village.  Everyone thought he was crazy, including his own mother.  He didn’t have any materials, other than those he gathered from a scrap yard.  He could barely read the English language, yet used English books and diagrams to teach himself how to build his first windmill.  The odds were stacked against him.  Fortunately, William did not listen to those who said it couldn’t be done.   The picture above confirms that he was everything but crazy.

Below are two videos that tell his amazing story…

A related article from CNN can be found below:

Malawian boy uses wind to power hope, electrify village

At first glance, you may be wondering why I am posting this story to a blog that focuses primarily on physical training.  Perhaps the story is not directly related to training, but it is relevant from the standpoint of personal development and accomplishment.  William set out to accomplish something that others said couldn’t be done.  Many youngsters in his position would have given up.   When adults suggest that something is impossible, it is natural for impressionable teens to listen.  There have been countless stories of coaches who told young players that they didn’t have what it takes to succeed at the next level.  Many athletes give up as a result, while some refuse to believe and instead seek to find out for themselves.  Fortunately, William is a member of the latter crowd.  He decided to find out for himself.

As a father, I see firsthand how adults influence the beliefs of youngsters.  My three year old son recently tried to lift a 585 lb trap bar.  He had seen me lift it so he wanted to try.  No one told him that it was too heavy.  He wasn’t influenced by others around him.  I never tell him that he isn’t good enough or strong enough.  I let him find out for himself.

When he sees me miss a lift, I never tell him that I can’t do it.  I always tell him that I’ll get it soon.  I won’t stop trying until I do.  And even if I am wrong, I’d rather live my life believing in myself, rather than giving up when something doesn’t initially go my way.  To stand out in this world, you must step up and separate yourself from the doubters around you.  If you do what everyone else says or does, you will be just like everyone else.

Imagine if William gave up on his ideas after listening to the opinions of those around him.  All of the lives that he has changed would still be suffering without electricity.  His refusal to give up has not only changed his life, but the lives of many around him.  And based on what he has accomplished thus far, I’m sure that this is just the beginning of his own success.

In summary, don’t be afraid to go against the grain and defy the odds.  If you believe in yourself and refuse to give up, you’ll often surprise even yourself.

Below is a link to a 2007 interview with legendary strength athlete Marvin Eder.  It was posted to my Facebook page earlier today, so I thought I would share it with everyone here.

An Interview With Marvin Eder

If you have never heard of Marvin Eder, take a look at some of his stats below.  When someone with his ability speaks, it makes sense to listen…

• Olympic press – 330 pounds.
• Deep squats – 50 reps with 300 pounds.
• Side laterals – reps with 120-pound dumbbells.
• One-arm-chins – eight consecutively with each arm.
• Press behind neck – 305 pounds.
• Side press, left hand – 220 pounds (with a man sitting on his hand).
• Parallel bar dip with 434 pounds (two men hanging from his feet!).
• Bench press – 515 pounds.
• Still arm pullovers – 250 pounds.
• Wide grip chins – 80 with his bodyweight and 8 reps with 200 pounds attached.
• Consecutive handstand push-ups on a horizontal ladder – 25

Another interesting Eder article can be found at the link below:

Marvin Eder – By Gene Mozee

One of the points that I try to emphasize throughout this blog is that what many consider to be original ideas are everything but new. Man has displayed incredible feats of strength for hundreds of years. Such feats were accomplished long before the development of modern equipment, supplements, and the countless certification programs that have emerged within our industry.

Just last weekend, I received a message through my forum from a man who has been working to improve his grip strength. Since focusing more attention to his grip, he’s noticed that he can snatch a much heavier dumbbell. The timing of his email couldn’t have been better. It essentially verified a quote from Earle Liederman’s book, Secrets of Strength (recently discussed here).

As quoted within (from 1925)

Strong wrists are indispensable to strength. In most ordinary feats of strength the object to be moved or lifted, swung or broken, is gripped by the hands; and those hands must be strongly coupled to the arms, so that there will be no break in the delivery of power. A famous veteran, advising a new-comer in the professional ranks said, “Young man, you will never be any stronger than your hands and wrists.”

Liederman’s words are still as valid as ever. The development of strong hands certainly has carryover towards many other lifts. Perhaps the greatest display of grip strength ever can be found by looking back to Hermann Goerner.

Goerner was born in 1891.  His training was everything but outdated however. Many from our era would be completely blown away by his physical accomplishments.  I know that I am.  The image below shows him deadlifting 595.5 pounds using just 2 fingers in each hand. He is also said to have deadlifted 734.5 pounds with ONE hand.  Talk about incredible strength!

Next, you can see him pressing a 330 pound barbell overhead. While certainly an impressive load, it is even more impressive considering that the barbell is 2 and 3/8” thick.  Thick handle lifting certainly isn’t new…

As for Goerner’s past, I highly suggest reading through Edgar Mueller’s, Goerner The Mighty (published in 1951). It’s a great read which tells the story of one of the strongest men to ever walk the planet.

Goerner The Mighty

Aside from an interesting story, the book also offers a peak into his training. A few notable lines are quoted below.

He trained always as the mood took him – varying his program to suit his energy and condition of the moment and never did he force himself to perform any workout when not feeling just in the mood…  He did not have or follow what might be really termed a “set” training program – he always varied his workouts and mixed his work so much that one could truthfully say that he never worked through exactly the same program twice.

I enjoyed reading about this aspect of his training.  I too have followed a similar system without restricting myself to a set program. More along these lines can be found within the past Think For Yourself series (Part I and Part II)

What about training with a variety of tools?

Who said odd objects were new?

His inventive mind was always scheming out new and different ways of lifting all kinds of weights – kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, block weights, barrels, loaded sacks, etc.

Mueller also goes on to discuss activities such as throwing weights, putting the shot, jumping, and swimming. On certain days, Goerner would swim for over an hour, and then continue through a free weight workout. Goerner was clearly fit as well as incredibly strong.

For more info regarding Hermann Goerner, please take a look at the two links below:

Goerner main page via Sandowplus

Herman Goerner – A Man of Super Power (excellent site)

As a father of two, I’m amazed at how physically active children are by nature. My three year old son would play outside all day if we let him. He loves to run, jump, climb, wrestle, ride his bike, hit the bag, and throw the ball.

He often tags along at the gym and keeps himself busy by making up his own games and “moves” (as he calls them). When it is time to pack up and leave, he does his best to delay the exit. He always looks to extend the gym stay by a few more minutes.

My 15 month old daughter is following closely in his footsteps. One of the first things she wanted to do after learning to walk was put on her brother’s gloves and hit the punching bag. She was obsessed with her big brother’s gloves. My wife and I finally broke down and bought her a pair to help keep the peace.

She now brings the gloves and mitts to me. She smiles and laughs as she plays with them. And just like her big brother, she too is sad when it’s time to put them away. I’ve learned to distract her when it is time to clean up, otherwise she would keep the gloves on all day.

Lead By Example

I am not writing this entry to suggest that we push our kids to become champion athletes. If my kids want to play sports when they are older, I will support them, just as I’ll support them if they want to play the piano instead. I will never push them towards something they don’t enjoy.

Yet based on my own observations, it is clear that children imitate their parents. Their view of normalcy is based on what they encounter each day at home. I happen to be in the business of training fighters. My kids have seen fighters training here, and at the gym since day one. They are surrounded by a gym scene. It is both normal and fun to them. I first bought my son boxing gloves so he would stop taking dirty gloves out of the gym. He wanted to imitate what he saw around him. My daughter now imitates her big brother.

When my son was two, I asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He asked for a pull-up bar. Initially, I thought I misunderstood what he had said. But in fact he wanted a bar to imitate what he saw at the gym. Almost a year later, my son and daughter both pull at my leg to ask for a turn on the bar. We can’t get upstairs without one of them asking.

My kids find these physical activities enjoyable. I’ve never asked or pushed them to do anything. Kids by nature do what is fun. They will not actively do something that they do not enjoy. It is their nature to seek out and do what they find fun.

Responsibility

As a parent, it is my responsibility to prepare my children for the world around them. I don’t care whether they participate in sport or not, but it is important to foster physical, mental, and social development.

Unfortunately, many parents seem to believe their responsibility ends in the bedroom. I’ve met parents whose idea of entertaining their children is to sit them in front of the television. They don’t want to be bothered playing with their kids. They are too busy to play, yet oddly enough find time to update Facebook, track their favorite sporting teams, and keep up with their favorite television shows.

How do kids go from laughing and playing at the park to becoming sedentary, overweight teens and adults? It certainly isn’t natural. By nature, humans were born to move. Unfortunately, as children grow older, they are often encouraged to do otherwise. It’s easier to plop your kid in front of the TV as opposed to taking him outside to ride his bike or throw the ball.

Clearly, there are other causative factors, but the inactivity of our children is without question a contributor to the continuously increasing rate of adult obesity. Consider the link below for some recent statistics:

The Cost of Treating Obesity

It is sad to think that children who by their own accord would gladly run around all day will eventually become overweight adults. All too often parents look elsewhere for solutions, rather than taking a moment to ponder their own responsibilities. No one is more responsible for a child than the parents. It isn’t the responsibility of the school or government to develop a healthy child. Parents must take it upon themselves. The ability to freely move and enjoy the world around is something that all kids should enjoy. No parent should deprive their children of this simple pleasure.

We as parents need to take it upon ourselves to foster an active lifestyle for our children. Making time for active play is the most enjoyable part of my day. I wouldn’t trade those smiles for anything in the world.

I’m amazed at what many consider to be such a complex topic (ex. childhood obesity) is actually so easy to correct.  The first step is for parents to begin leading from the front.  Is that really too much to ask?  I can’t think of anything more important (to me) than my children and their health.  How could any parent think differently of their own children?

Parents need to wake up and take matters into their own hands.  They must put their children first and stop making excuses about what the world owes them.   They should instead worry about what they owe their children.

After the recent 70+ entry, I received several emails from readers who wanted to know about older athletes that started training later in life.  Despite the agreed upon impressiveness of the 70+ year old displays, many thought it showed nothing but the results of a lifelong dedication to exercise.  It did little to motivate those looking to reverse several years of inactivity.

Since I do not know the background of those from the prior entry, we can instead look back to a woman I’ve discussed here before.  When I first read of this woman (Gayle), she was 63 years old and had deadlifted 275 pounds.

Perhaps most impressive are the rapid and dramatic improvements that Gayle has made in recent years.  She didn’t become serious about weight lifting until 2003.  Here is a picture of her from the 1990′s.

She is now 65 years old and continues to improve.   The Youtube clips below show her deadlifting 342 pounds and squatting 250 pounds.

Motivation

It isn’t difficult to be motivated by this woman’s accomplishments.  She has literally turned back the hands of time.  Her physical appearance and performance are that of a well trained woman half her age.   She doesn’t just look the part though, she’s an active, competitive powerlifter.  Her Bodyspace page lists several of her accomplishments such as setting the NASA AZ state record for powerlifting. She is also listed as a top female lifter in the Arizona Senior Olympics.

Her story in many ways reinforces the power and importance of passion.  When you are passionate about achieving specific goals, the work tends to take care of itself.  You begin to enjoy the process, rather than laboring through activities that you despise.

Clearly, not everyone will aspire to be a competitive powerlifter at age 65, but it is nice to be reminded that the possibility does exist.  There are competitive options for those who are interested.  Life doesn’t end in your 20′s or 30′s.  You can still seek out ambitious, challenging, and enjoyable goals regardless of age.

Age isn’t the crutch that many believe it to be.