This past Friday I was talking with one of my personal training clients and she had told me she was interested in starting some sort of martial art. When I enquired further as to what type she was drawn to, she had said “Anything practical”

It’s actually kind of funny, because she shares her time slot with another clients of mine who is also an instructor/practitioner of Southern Style Praying Mantis (a Chinese martial art), and I have a bit of a martial art background myself. Back in the day I had practiced Tae Kwon Do, Isshinryu and Judo. I dabbled in different arts and sports even finding myself being offered the opportunity to work with a world class boxing coach. Honored by the offer, but I really didn’t like the thought of people who train to punch me in the face…punching me in the face.

Ironic also because years later I would later set a world record in a feat that drew lots of praise from boxing legend Evander Holyfield’s coach.

But also ironic because she sought me out for strength training. And my viewpoint is that strength training is a martial art and an extremely practical one at that. Legendary strength coach Mark Rippetoe had once quipped “Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general”

Strength training can be a stand alone martial art but can complement whatever martial art you happen to partake in (hence why my guy who practices Southern Style Praying Mantis trains with me). In sports taking performance enhancement substances is viewed as cheating. They don’t make you more skillful in the activity. What they do is make you stronger. All other attributes being equal, the stronger athlete will win.

Strength training can be considered a legal cheat code in sports.

And in terms of practicality, I can’t even tell you the number of times being strong has helped me out. Everything from carrying heavy furniture, to carrying both my daughters up the stairs at the same time, to getting yard work done, to pushing cars out of snow, to opening jars that were practically glued shut, to helping one of my clients bend a bike rack back into place after another car hit it the list goes on and on.

Many times people view lifting weights as a vanity oriented activity…and yes I like looking good to, but my real passion is helping people get stronger for the thing. What is the thing? Well you know…the thing is that thing that you happen to be passionate about that makes you happy. Whether it’s rock climbing, snowboarding, Southern Style Praying Mantiss, music, bending steel, competing in triathalons, rolling around with your grandkids or whatever. Whatever it is strength training should make it better.

Strength, for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We should all have the physique and physical capacity to do whatever it is that makes you happy.

If you need help with this, I have a free trial available. Just text me at 973 476 5328 to get started.

Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and moonlights as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. In the tradition of the strength performers more common during the turn of the century, he performs feats of strength such as bending steel and breaking chains as part of a live show and travels across the country doing presentations on goal achievement for conferences, corporations, associations, nonprofits, and government entities as well as for schools and universities. His personal training studio is located on Main Street in Boonton New Jersey and is close to Mountain Lakes, Denville, Montville, Butler, and Parsippany New Jersey.