From This Issue
Courtesy of Michael Murphy . . .
Thank You, Sir!
Every story is irrevocably ruined by launching into prosaic details. No one pays any attention to details -- at least no exerciser or lifter does. Even if there are exceptions I won't admit it. I am sure you will all fail to pay attention to my "prosaic details" and will only remember the poetry.
Note: I love Hise's articles! What a guy.
All progress depends on the "if." If we know enough, if we rest enough, if our folks are able to feed us, if we have the proper and adequate equipment to exercise and lift with -- we are automatically in our "golden age" such as the mystics tell us was so in Atlantis and Lemuria -- when philosophers -- not "bushwahs" ruled the people.
If we can increase the number of strong men sufficiently, these philosophers would end all crop surpluses (page the appetites of Mitchell, Klein and John Terry), all overwork (who ever saw a man that seeks to gain strength that can tolerate overwork) and find rich wives for the strong men -- our Golden Age will be here. Of course some totalitarian economic dictator could probably fix it so we could support ourselves after our parents lose WPA [works progress administration] jobs -- you may be sure that the chamber of commerce and news publishers won't help us.
You need not commit suicide because your soul transmigrates you at the wrong historical period. Paradise can never entirely be eradicated from the globe -- in spite of the diligence of the commercemen, missionaries, and other patriots. There is such a place yet -- where people for centuries have acted as tho they are waiting for someone to rebuild a new Atlantis.
The slander that Byrd -- one of the Cavaliers of Virginia -- poked at them in the 17th century -- (you may have read it in Colonial English) is said to be just as true today.
These lucky people that live along the "sound" region of North Carolina will go to any length of Ghandism to abstain from all utilitarian exertion. Utilitarian exertion makes everlasting mediocracy -- instead of philosophers. In fact some Smoky Mt. Tarheels in CCC camps [civilian conservation camps] told me that no CCC boy from this Lotus Land would ever work -- even to keep from freezing -- and build fires -- heavens, that is an indication of willingness to work and no philosopher from the sea coast was ever guilty of such indiscretion.
Those who know me best will wonder why I prate of Atlantis and Lemuria and the mystic philosophers when I already have heard of a 1938 realistic paradise.
All lifters are divided into three parts -- one part is the multiple pull lifters like Terlazzo, Terpak, and Bill Good -- the second part are the one pull lifters and exercisers whose lifts class them as 10th raters with one notable exception -- Charles Rigoulut -- also such horrible examples as Boone, Walter Good, and myself and all the rest of you who will read -- not study this. The third part of the "lifters" are either in prison -- on parole, or the police and judges are looking for them -- they're not our business. We can't "lift" watches, railroads, purses, Brokerage houses and diamond garters -- so we will give them the "silent cure" from here on.
Rigoulot et all -- you and I are the victims of "natural pull" -- a think all of we "failures" are rich in. If you will dive and grasp a bar and heave -- where does it go? UP? Yes, if light enough. Up and back? Or up and forward? If thou art a 10th rate lifter you have an active up and FORWARD "natural pull" -- you don't fold it in at all do you!!! That is the reason why the dreams of champs are not disturbed by the industry of the exercisers.
What do our "coaches" say?? "Pull up and over" -- Yeh? And the weight flying to front at great velocity and you pull it back? Alright, reduce the weight 80 or 100 pounds so you can -- but you say you are a heavy and can grab in ONE MOTION 280 high enough for a two hand snatch -- there it is -- a foot in front of you -- pull it back? Oh Yeah! Reduce the weight to 200 and the -- what? You are at the foot of the class with all "one pullers" -- except Rigoulot. That is where you and I are boys, we pull like Rigoulot and try to finish like Terpak -- it may be permissible in this democracy to do this BUT NONE of US get Gold Medals from the judges.
Almost without exception all great exercisers in the U.S. and throughout the world are VERY INFERIOR lifters, not because they are "not strong" or necessarily "not skilled" as compared with lifters, but for some reason that anatomizes with their X-ray machines and charts might explain. Those who are "good lifters" did not devote "years" to cultural exercise and I am sure that there are many exercisers who have wasted more time than they care to admit at lifting styles and yet in the end they find that they can lift almost as much "without science" as with the most scientific styles used by present experts.
I say "used by experts" instead of "most scientific styles known" because many of us believed and I am confident that we "know" a style that will put all the "exercisers" lifting records far beyond all the "present" lifting records. It will not come into general use until records are easily smashed with it, and I can not say that present "champions" will adopt it as present champions can force their cleans and snatches much higher with an exercise widely known and used very little. (i.e., the stiff legged dead lift on a hopper.)
But the style that has to be used by "exercisers," as contrasted with "lifters" is the style based on the "daddy of 'em all," Rigoulot. From the style that Rigoulot used, I will hazard that in orthodox style he is about as helpless as you "successful exercisers" are as compared to Terpak. In other words, I do not believe Rigoulot had any "natural" style.
Take any group of males and ask them to make a two hand clean showing the "two pull" clean of "natural" lifters -- you will find that one or more of them does this just as easily and instinctively as the most skilled lifters of the present day -- such as you or I have never had and show no indication of EVER acquiring.
For this reason we have "lifters" and "exercisers." The "natural" will exercise awhile and because he lifts so well, will drift into it exclusively -- while the poor "exerciser" will quit lifting altogether because he knows he can "out-exercise perhaps the best lifter in his bodyweight class in every type of exercise except pressing.
I feel that the "compensation" necessary to exercise is a more efficient lifting style, a style that is not used in competition today.
- continued next issue -
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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