Old films can now be “colorized.” I love watching these documentaries, especially the ones about World War 2. I don’t know why that war and generation are so interesting. With the colored video now, it’s even more captivating. It’s easier to connect with those young men and women. You can look in their faces and see more of yourself. In black and white, something human is lost. It seems otherworldly. But in color, the film comes back to life again.
I feel like that with barbell training. There’s a connection to the old timers. The guys who came before and showed what was possible on minimal training equipment, minimal knowledge, and a whole bunch of guts.
An old standard for the men of the early and middle 20th century was to press your bodyweight overhead. I like that. Weights really haven’t changed much since then. Barbells haven’t changed much. I can set up in the rack and take out a weight as if Bill Starr himself were standing there watching. I can lift it or not lift it, and feel the rush of accomplishment that comes from putting heavy weight over one’s head.
Never stray too far from what has been done with great success.
