Dr. Squat - Dr. Fred Hatfield

You said the guy asked:

--I was just wondering what giudelines i sholud follow to help me find what works best for me for gaining strength and size. I am trying to bring up my squat, but i feel like i dont know where to start?--

Your reply:

--...It starts with commitment. Belief. Determination. Will. Indominatble spirit. Belief. --

Nope, totally wrong. He didn't ask you about becoming a champion or being 'the best.' The answer to HIS question was "Find something heavy, lift it, and have FUN, preferably with a similarly motivated friend or two!" My God, if I was asked to point out the single biggest change in the lifing community in the past 30 years that I've been a part of it, it's that the fun is mostly gone and I see waves of drones, slogging through endless sets as though they will be flogged to death if they don't complete their workouts. We used to head to the squat racks with smiles and laughter, encouraging each other through the sets and laughing together when we couldn't quite make that last rep or put a few too many pounds on the bar and had to dump it on the first rep. It was about fun first, health second, and anything else a distant third. That's where it starts - if it's fun you'll keep doing it and will find out what works best for you; otherwise you'll just be another statistic on the 'gym failures' list.

Good FUN Lifting!

Vaughn

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This isn't happening, it only thinks it's happening.

Easy to 'forgive' you Fred - those were the days you participated in first hand! I got Dave Drapers book 'West Coast Bodybuilding Scene' and it almost makes me cry for what once was. Personally autographed by Dave with the note - "To The Good Times."

Amen!

(would have LOVED to see Zabo squatting 500 in bare feet in the old muscle beach weight pit! )

Vaughn

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This isn't happening, it only thinks it's happening.

If it hadn't been fun in the first place, not likely you would have continued - certainly not for the MONEY at the time you were competing! Passion can be born of many things but in the Iron Game, Fun is certainly a good starting point and I think arguably the one thing that leads to real longevity! As I know nothing about the original person in question I can't comment for them but in my own case I can't honestly say I have 'passion' for the weights but I do certainly have a 'love' for them and it's still most definitely fun for me!

re: High Priesthood: Unfortunately, that Priesthood no longer comprises the same types of individuals that it once did, present company excluded. Laboratories, chemicals, statistics are no longer assists to admission but rather they have replaced training as keys to the temple in too many cases. (got into an argument with a Registered Dietician just last week about how 3 ounces of animal flesh became the standard serving size - sheesh! )

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This isn't happening, it only thinks it's happening.

That is a very general question, especially when knowing nothing about the specific individual. And that explains why the idea comes up of addressing all these different factors that come into play.

Being a student of science I recognize how easy it can be to get too caught up in details and theories, which without the proper guidance, it can cause one to get confused and lose focus of the actual goals at hand. While science can help us to design better programs for ourselves, it is still often that goals may be reached with dirt simple programs.

And for that reason I would always prescribe the same to anyone, something simple. Because that is the easiest way to learn. Of course that would still take into consideration the law of individual differences. A young newbie could easily do well with a cookie cutter program to start. Similarly an experienced athlete might just need a small change in their training regimen just to make the difference.

Putting all actual training programs aside, you have a good point there Doc. And you have said the same thing to me when it comes to dieting.

While all the factors mentioned do come into play, I think one of the most important one is your attitude, your mentality, the way you think. And that is one that nobody ever wants to know about. All they want to know is about strategy. But the truth is a rock solid training strategy alone cannot build a champion. No. Not without the right attitude. Not without the right mental strategy. If there is anything I think it takes to do good and be successful, you have to set goals, have a strategy, and be relentless about meeting that goal. It takes belief. Or even better, it takes for you to just give it all you've got and continue to try harder. You can easily have a strategy that is tried and true, but but you have to have goals and be willing to put in everything you've got.

There is one other thing to consider and that takes into account all the factors. How do you create a champion? I think the question is the same as how do you eat an elephant. One bite at a time. You learn things in steps. While I do have a great respect for science, the truth is that too much information is what confuses people. So if they need certain improvements you can try only telling them what they need to know so they can have a simple plan and focus on that and see the results. Then eventually they want to make some adjustments to fine tune their strategy. Again, you make only the proper steps for improvement, but nothing overwhelming or too much. The same holds true for both dieting and training.

And while speaking of simplification, this is the day and age when information is so vast. Its a lot better than the old days without the internet. But one needs not surf the entire internet for information in order to find what they are looking for to become successful. Seriously, there is a lot of people on the net giving each other bad advise. There is a lot of people who want to seem like they really know what they are talking about when really they don't. I don't know how one could be so lucky to find the right sources and good mentors right away. But I reckon you have to eventually narrow it down. And once you have a strategy that works for you, stick with it. If it isn't broke don't fix it. Don't try to make a rocket ship out of a bicycle. Thats why these days I have my trusted recourses including some of the guys on this site and some good friends on my team who give me advise about making the right changes to my diet and training. A lot of other people I just won't listen to. There is no point. Why would I need any extra information that probably isn't correct anyways? Do what works and only what works and don't let yourself get side tracked of your goals at hand and the simple but hard work that will be required to meet them.