all posts post new thread

Off-Topic People in the fitness world that have been an inspiration to you?

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

steve-in-kville

Level 5 Valued Member
Can be someone you know personally, a famous person like a celebrity, athlete... doesn't matter. Maybe it was a personal trainer or coach. Its all open game.

For me, in no particular order:
1- Brian Shaw. Dude is huge but is a gentle giant. Kind to everyone around him. Did you know he's a math teacher?!

2- Mark Wahlberg. Got a felon as juvi and then straightened himself out. Has a spiritual side that I can respect. He's an early riser but in bed by 7pm. My kinda guy.

3- Kenny Johnson (from the TV series SWAT). Did you know he had a learning disability that made it hard for him to read scripts? He only learned to read as an adult and went on to be a successful actor and model. Enjoy his character on SWAT.

Keep it fun. Post yours. Can be one, van be several.
 
When I was in high school in the late 90's, Craig Wolfley and his wife Faith Wolfley. They ran the M.A.S.C. gym (martial arts and sports complex) in Pittsburgh. Craig is a former Pittsburgh Steeler and World Strongest Man competitor (the early years), and really into grappling long before UFC was popular. Imagine wrestling with a guy who was 290 lb (not fat), squatted 1000lb raw, and very competent at Jujitsu.... A Grizzly Bear would have trouble... He is currently a broadcaster for the Pgh Steelers. Faith was into boxing and Muay Thai. She was undefeated with over 100 competitions. Craig was the easier one of the 2! They got me started on my lifting, boxing, and Muay Thai path. And I am very happy they got me off to a great start.

Later in life, I would say the books by many authors such as Pavel and Brooks Kubick, especially. They re-lit a fire under me. I tried everything under the sun related to barbells and kettlebells.

In recent years, Brian Carroll and his 10/20/Life method and his powerrackstrengthtraining concepts (including his lumbar focus and work with Stu McGill). Brian is a great mentor. He is much more than just a powerlifter and could help any athlete or anybody. Including nutrition and also life-balance...

Also, this forum. The folks are great. I get lots of ideas from people. This is as close as I get to a social network. I'm not into FB or twitter, etc...

Also the #1 Slacker!

Regards,

Eric
 
I am mostly and almost entirely affected and inspired by...

Pavel, and Mark Rippetoe.

There is a sense in which these two characters seem to approach getting the common man stronger in the most serious way. Their endeavor to provide the everyman with the knowledge of how to become stronger seem to me to be unparalleled.

I am on the lowest part of some fitness totem poles of fitness, or athleticism.

My interest is low.
My aptitude is mediocre.
My abilities were moderate.
And, I don't value physical exertion as highly as others do.

In my life, after over a decade wandering through the wilderness of socalled fitness, and exercise information, they've provided me with maps that were navigable, where before I was lost for more than a decade of searching. I was previously supplied with nonsensically cluttered maps that left me going in circles, rather than making progress.

I found myself dazed and confused by kitchen sink programming with 7 - 15 exercises or movements that touch on every human movement. They were muddied, nonsensical meanderings through a gymnasium, which got me nowhere after weeks or months. Now I feel as though I am equipped to program healthy progress into perpetuity.
 
Last edited:
- My older brothers
- my buddy in high school with the herniated disk who etched good form into me with a laser beam
- his older brother who was a tremendous martial artist and an even better brawler
- all the meatheads who trained at Brad SIlver's Gym back in the day, special nod to Ozzie Sussman, "The Jewish Buzzsaw"
- Steve Maxwell
- too many people on this forum to name them all
 
I am mostly and almost entirely affected and inspired by...

Pavel, and Mark Rippetoe.
Me too. Those two are my biggest influences as far as impactful leaders and teachers, providing effective methods in strength and fitness activities.

I love following the "debunkers"... Experts who get down to what really works and actively slash the BS and fluffy stuff in the fitness industry. We all need that simplification and clarity. Dr. Feigenbaum and Dr. Baraki from Barbell Medicine, and Dr. Layne Norton, and Aaron Kubal, to name a few.

A bit closer, the three people I've been fortunate to have been coached by: Al Ciampa, Bill Been, and Randy Hauer.

Being part of the StrongFirst community is huge -- getting to know so many awesome people, then following them through their life and fitness journeys. Really helps you see what works, what the impacts are, what separates the "what works now" from "what works forever". So, there are a couple hundred people I could list there! Social media (and this forum) is really helpful in keeping up with them. A few standouts: Karen Smith, Dr. Mark Cheng, Pavel Macek, Brian & Roxanne Meyers, Tim Almond. Some people have a way of sharing their authentic selves in a professional way, allowing excellence to shine through, promoting what has been passed along to them and the results of their own work without seeming to be overly self-promoting.

And lately, since I've been into weightlifting for the last almost 2 years, I am inspired by weightlifters -- mostly women. Olympians Kate Nye, Mattie Rogers, Sarah Robles; and national level or other Mira Gracia, Jocelyn Forest, Christina Richards. Also Greg Everett and the Catalyst Athletics team.
 
I remember my jaw-dropping as I read Art Devany’s original essay on ‘evolutionary fitness’. Focus on what you eat, not how much. Eat less high carb food in order to eat more healthy food, not just to lose weight. Skip meals without concern. Exercise across the rep ranges, never to failure. Sprint. Embrace variety and randomness, don’t worry so much about the “program”.

Back then this stuff was not only new (to me) but deeply confronting. Art made the comment, “leave the gym feeling fresher than when you entered.” Art was claiming muscle could be built without near death experiences. I was like, “what the??????” I thought it was squat until you puke and was leaving the gym on all fours, too tired to even walk.

Art reckoned everyone should lift weights. Everyone! EVEN YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!!!! Apparently she would just get fit and healthy and not turn into the Incredible Hulk.

Back then everyone was jogging, it was THE way to be fit. Art agreed you could get fit that way but said it was a waste of time. He advised to just go to the park and do some sprints - for the same result only much quicker.

As I say, this stuff was very contrary to the prevailing narrative. For me, reading Art’s words was life changing.
 
I am on the lowest part of some fitness totem poles of fitness, or athleticism.

Maybe you were at some point. You need to give yourself more credit.

My interest is low.
My aptitude is mediocre.
My abilities were moderate.
And, I don't value physical exertion as highly as others do.

Nobody who spends as much effort and resources as you have has low interest. Nobody who spends this much discussion and thinking time on the subject has low interest. And some of the stuff you have tried is fairly hard core. I don't judge your abilities but in terms of interest and effort you are probably above average for those that actually pursue these things, and as those folks are a minority, overall you are a long ways up from the lowest part of the totem pole. From what I read my impression is that you make progress, you try to help others, and you are doing right by and setting a good example for those actually close to you. The current you is pretty darn OK and doesn't need those disclaimers.
 
I never had someone in my life to serve as a role model so my inspiration comes almost exclusively from people on the internet like Pavel, Dan John, Tim Anderson, the Kavadlo brothers.

Sometimes I wonder how things might have been different if I had access to good coaching 35 years ago.
 
For inspiration to just get up and move, utilise whatever is in your environment all whilst dealing with a lot in your personal life. Bud Jeffries can get me off the couch and be active in any way I can imagine just by watching some of his video clips on Instagram. He has an enthusiasm for finding new challenges that is boundless, entertaining and certainly very difficult. He inspires me to get up and go after something. Not necessarily to attempt the feats he does, but his enthusiasm for challenge in infectious.
 
I've always enjoyed Bill Starr, Stuart McRoberts, Robert Kennedy, Dan John, and Pavel. Lots of great books and articles.
 
In my fitness world , it's my father. A college hall of fame athlete who let himself go, ended up having triple bypass at 54, Type 2 Diabetes at 60 and the last few years of his life, lived with congestive heart failure, and the pins and needles from the diabetes. Finally passed 2 years ago from it. His choice was wheelchair, oxygen and dialysis. He chose hospice.

Watching him suffer over the years has inspired me to stay fit. I'm 10-15 lb. heavier than when I graduated high school and college.

I like Geoff and Mike Mahler's kettlebell stuff. They inspired me enough to buy their products. But I'm not a disciple of anyone.
 
You need to give yourself more credit.

Nobody who spends as much effort and resources as you have has low interest. Nobody who spends this much discussion and thinking time on the subject has low interest. And some of the stuff you have tried is fairly hard core. I don't judge your abilities but in terms of interest and effort you are probably above average for those that actually pursue these things, and as those folks are a minority, overall you are a long ways up from the lowest part of the totem pole. From what I read my impression is that you make progress, you try to help others, and you are doing right by and setting a good example for those actually close to you. The current you is pretty darn OK and doesn't need those disclaimers.
I appreciate the vote of confidence.
Maybe you're right.
 
I've always enjoyed Bill Starr, Stuart McRoberts, Robert Kennedy, Dan John, and Pavel. Lots of great books and articles.
I've progressed significantly more since moving away from Stuart McRoberts philosophy. Though I caveat this with me also having moved away from a bodybuilding style of training to strength focused. And, to be fair, this distinction alone may be the origin of this progress.
 
I've progressed significantly more since moving away from Stuart McRoberts philosophy. Though I caveat this with me also having moved away from a bodybuilding style of training to strength focused. And, to be fair, this distinction alone may be the origin of this progress.
That's interesting because someone can be a significant voice for their time even though they don't get everything right. McRobert's work was a response to the Schwarzenegger era, programs with high numbers of exercises, high volume sets/reps, high frequency etc, resulting in injury and burnout for many lifters. A lot of the science of hypertrophy has become clearer since Brawn. It's apparent now that McRobert was advocating sub-optimal volume and frequency for those of us who want to look like the Incredible Hulk, but what he got right was that your average lifter could avoid injury and stress and still become pretty 'hyuuuge' by moderating their exercise selection, volume and frequency
 
If it wasn’t for stumbling across Smokin’ Joe Frazier’s book “Box like the Pros” when I was a young teenager, I’d probably have obesity and not even care about health right now.

So #1 would have to be Joe Frazier for that.

As far as more modern influences, Matt Schifferle of The Red Delta Project on YouTube is who helped get me into strength training/calisthenics once I had to retire from boxing… and I still dig his content and philosophy.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom