Tuesday, December 19, 2006

The Squat. Things Have Changed

2006 and 1962. Things have changed. Styles adapt to rules to allow athletes to push records within the confines of the judges observation and discretion. Old strongmen wanted to be strong all over, much like the World's Strongest Man Competitions. Today's powerlifters are specialists. Specificity is the rule if you want to be the best. Then again Arthur Jones said, "Specialization is for insects."

2 comments:

Cian said...

Heinlein may have said it first depending on the timing- Thought provoking stuff as always.
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. — Lazarus Long (Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love, 1973)

Court Wing said...

I think that's right about Heinlein 'cause I used the same quote on the CrossFit forum as a motto suggestion and was told the same thing; it was buried somewhere in the back of my hippocampus and just came up.