Martial Arts

Check out Jeff Speakman in his prime:
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More recently:
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Just showing that age besets us all -- slowing down and losing the "lean look" from days past. He's still great at Kenpo, 20+ years later!

And to apply it universally (beyond Americans): the match where Sakuraba was finally beaten by a Gracie (Ralek Gracie), it was clear that he was nowhere near his prime, with very slow movements and a hint of paunch showing.
 
First video, very impressive. Second....not so...the "self defense" stuff like that always makes me crazy. One guy throws a punch and the other snaps our a dozen responses...while the original attacker just stands there and gets hit. Weird stuff.
 
Just showing that age besets us all -- slowing down and losing the "lean look" from days past..


Gary is still lean, so Am I. We are both older guys.
I weigh the same as when I was 25.

Something else is that right now 1 5 year old girl could probably beat me up.
I'm having some bad problems with the chemo.
 
I have started to think that body shape is very much influenced by the work one does. Most guys here are lean, but then again most guys here have been climbers or loggers for a good portion of their working careers. Climbing punishes large people, so you will be inclined to be very fit while not bulking up. Logging is almost the same, walking miles and miles keeping a quick pace will reward leanness, but the chainsaw work and hauling rigging will reward both leanness and muscle bulk. I know a man who is amazing at pipeline laboring. He's a big guy, 6'3 or so, with arms the size of my legs. He has a bit of a gut, because walking isn't needed that much honestly, and size is greatly rewarded in the working conditions that are experienced here. When i explain him to others, i say take the 5 best laborers you have ever met, glue them together, and that's this guy. He will work all day with hardly a break, in extreme heat or cold, rain, you name it. He works at a very fast pace, and is so strong he simply just overpowers stuff if he has to. He is paid very handsomely for his efforts, way over what scale would be even though he is a working supervisor. His gut does not interfere with his job, so it likely won't go away. I eat way more than he does, and have a bit of a gut myself, but there's no way i could even comes close to doing the amount of manual labor this dude does all day every day. He basically is the best laborer/ spread boss I've ever even heard about, and his body has developed as it has to handle this.

Like a blacksmith from back in the day will likely eventually become a hulking brute, i have seen that ones job will determine their shape and size. I can tell how long someone had been in the trades by how they walk and move, and i can usually tell what their profession was. I know nothing of martial arts, but those guys didn't have to perform manual labor all their lives, so their fitness is determined by what they did in the weight room, which would appear to be not very much. But just because someone has a bit of a gut doesn't mean they are fat and lazy. I will admit their nutrition is likely off tho, as I've noticed on myself living on the road like i have.
 
Wow I loved that post. Very interesting stuff. And interesting relating body dimensions to trades.

One thing I find fascinating about mma is the range of bodies and dimensions. Most of the guys are pretty ripped but definitely not all of them. Some guys are smooth and borderline soft looking but possess world class athleticism, speed and power. Some examples are Derrick Lewis and UFC champion Daniel Cormier at heavy weight. And Nate Diaz at 170 lbs- he's not chubby at all but is smooth without much definition. But he's a beast and runs triathlons too.
 
Exactly my point Cory, excellent examples too! Climbing rewards core strength, but many manual labor jobs don't. Digging ditches and humping skids around is incredibly hard work, but you can get by not having a 6 pack. In fact, many trades seem to reward a bit of a gut. Pipefitters and plumbers end up carrying heavy pipe on their shoulders around the site and up ladders, so a full chest and gut actually seem to support that better. Sprinkler fitters use pipe wrenches all day, and end up with massive arms and the same full torso. Blocklayers end up with massive arms and hands, and even though they do one of the hardest jobs in construction most use a gut to support their arm placing blocks. Concrete finishers are lean from bending over and troweling, and I've seen a female one that shut down jobsites :/:
 
Interesting stuff. I've never been a skinny dude. And was never a great climber. More like a bull in a China shop. Even when I was into rock climbing too. I powered through what others would do with finesse and technique. I often joke with people I'm the perfect labourer. Strong back, weak mind. :lol:
 
:lol:

A real stump puller. A friend of mine says there are two types of guys...big, strong, stump pullers and skinny whippy fast guys.

Each is useful at times.
 
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You know what the hard part in that exercise is?

Being the stand up guy/girl when the guy on the ground is a beginner.
They just pull you over.
 
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