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The afternoon was pretty cool, I had a sumptious lunch after a tough workout which encompassed, amongst other things, 450 squats – 150 odd Lumberjack swings – patented squats included – lots of stretching – the horse posture – dead hangs – pull-ups, 40 of them – and more.

Walks too.

So I had a nice rest after lunch, watched a bit of ESPN (from 2019) – an ole George Foreman interview, which I loved – one of the many great things he said

Muhammed Ali was the greatest man that ever fought; Joe Louis was the greatest fighter that ever fought!

Hehe.

So apt…

It’s not SIZE that makes a fighter. It’s This, he said – pointing to his heart.

Again, so true – it’s never the size of the dog that (ultimately) matters ,its the size of the FIGHT in the dog.

Then, this –

You gotta get up after every knockout blow – and not when the referee tells you to. BEFORE That, or its too late went the legend, citing an example from his own career – before – and after. (when he learned).

So true again, for life, fighting, boxing, anything, everything.

He was referring to the never stay down mentality of a TRUE contender, and of course, by proxy and extension why it’s one thing to get to the top, but STAYING at the top, now that, as Claude Bristol rightly said in the Magic of Believing, Success is a fickle bird, if you pause to rest on your laurels, it grows wings and flies away.

So it does, sir, so it does.

Quite the nice start to the evening, of course, that wasn’t to be when I went out in the park for a bit of an evening workout – loonies out everywhere.

First thing you know, there was a top heavy puffed up dude with a huge gut – potbelly, rather – that screamed two things out loud.

BODYBUILDER!

And …

FAT.

Certainly not someone that does a lot of squatting – the right way.

As I was doing sets of rapidfire squats, 50 in each set while doing pull-ups, ALL The way down and up on both squats and pull-ups, I noticed him watching me, but I ignored him, yet, I knew what was going to happen.

Sure enough it did.

“Sir, you shouldn’t go all the way down”, he came up to me uninvited and started on. 

I ignored him.

He repeated himself.

“Well I like it”, I said, hoping to end it there.

“Sir, you dont build the thighs that way” he went on.

“I dont do these to build the thighs- I build the entire body when doing ’em”.

he seemed aback at the vehemence with which I said this, the confidence, and the statement itself.

He then introduced him as “having a gym and yoga center” and “he’s a personal trainer”.

You dont look like it, I thought – but said nothing.

(well, to be honest, I did say “I dont do yoga”, after which he scooted off – thankfully).

Literally, guys with pot bellies wanting to be personal trainers, not to mention the beach boy “puffed up” look… is one thing.

But when they come up to yours truly telling me not to go all the way down in the squat, after listening to me tell them about flexibility and strength (of course – he pooh poohed the flexibility part) – then it’s too much, wouldn’t you say.

I was going to challenge him to do sets of TEN squats, let alone 50, ass to grass, regular bodyweight, not even Hindu, but I didnt want to waste my time – not to mention give him a coronary most likely.

Uggggggh.

Then another dude at the pull-up bar, of course, he had to show up with his phone blaring idiotic rock music while training.

“Can we turn that off”, I grimaced at him.

To his credit, he did.

His pull-ups, well, he WAS going ALMOST all the way down – but he ruined it by jerking up and not using his thumb.

For Gawd’s sake, guys, I’ve said this in the book on pull-ups – “Gawd” gave you your thumb for a reason, I see no reason why you wouldn’t use it, not to mention, you build your grip so much more when you do them that way as opposed to thumbless.

I guess the latter is better than nothing, but still…

Anyway, the way dude was contorting his way up in the leg raise, his weird interpretation of how to do it … UGH.

Luckily an “angel” showed up ahead of time and wanted to go home, so I did.

Hehe.

The angel was feeling the “idiot” vibe too at the park.

So that was the evening …

Back soon.

And in the meantime, remember, DO go all the way down and up in the squat and pull-up – BOTH.

Full range of motion is what does it.

Not saying semi range is useless, you’ll see plenty of basic and advanced isometric poses for both, but when doing exercises with motion, high reps, you do full range or not at all, in other words, right form or go HOME.

And thats that!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee