Milo of Croton was a famous wrestler who lived in the 6th century BC, famous for his athletic feats and strength which earned him 6 victories at the Olympic games!! The story of how Milo got his great strength has been passed down for 2000 years and is well known in the strength training community. However for those who haven't heard the tale, here you go;
As a young lad Milo was tasked by his father to carry a young bull calf around a field. Everyday he had to repeat this feat. Overtime the bull calf grew into a large adult but as the bull grew so did Milo's strength. Even when it was a full size adult Milo was still able to carry it around the field.
Now even though this story is highly likely to be nothing more than a myth it does contain a very important training message. In order to gain impressive levels of strength you need to follow a program of progressive resistance for an extended period of time.
The two key words here are 'progressive' and 'extended'. It is no use simply sticking with the weight you always have lifted, your strength will quickly plateau. In order to increase your strength you will have to challenge your body with progressively heavier loads. On the flip side, you cannot expect dramatic strength gains to happen overnight. You cannot go from struggling to perform elevated push ups to performing one-arm push ups in a day. There are several other progressions you will need to move through in order to gain the strength required for the the one-arm push up. Strength is earned by putting in a lot of hard work, over a long period of time. There are no short-cuts that don't lead to injury!!
As a young lad Milo was tasked by his father to carry a young bull calf around a field. Everyday he had to repeat this feat. Overtime the bull calf grew into a large adult but as the bull grew so did Milo's strength. Even when it was a full size adult Milo was still able to carry it around the field.
Now even though this story is highly likely to be nothing more than a myth it does contain a very important training message. In order to gain impressive levels of strength you need to follow a program of progressive resistance for an extended period of time.
The two key words here are 'progressive' and 'extended'. It is no use simply sticking with the weight you always have lifted, your strength will quickly plateau. In order to increase your strength you will have to challenge your body with progressively heavier loads. On the flip side, you cannot expect dramatic strength gains to happen overnight. You cannot go from struggling to perform elevated push ups to performing one-arm push ups in a day. There are several other progressions you will need to move through in order to gain the strength required for the the one-arm push up. Strength is earned by putting in a lot of hard work, over a long period of time. There are no short-cuts that don't lead to injury!!
I hope this tale of Milo and his bull will help motivate you and boost your training efforts. Remember, if a sensible program of progressive resistance is followed for a long enough period of time almost anyone is able to make really impressive strength gains. You may not be able to pick up a bull but you will be able to do plenty of other cool stuff that you were previously incapable of doing. It is well worth the effort.
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