Guest Blog: Jack Kottwitz
Introduction
Dave, I don't know if you realize it or not, but you (and Elitefts) have really made me the powerlifter I am today. I have put in some good numbers. I have beat the living shit out of myself throughout the years with some real fun injuries - not in the gym, but living life - and come back from them to lift more. I am not competing right now, not because of an injury, but because of work and school commitments. I'll be back on the platform as soon as I have completed my PhD, maybe earlier. The one constant thing we always have in our lives is the iron.
I got into this sport long before the internet was around...well, it was there, sort of, but it was back when we had dial-up and used the internet for what it was intended to be used for, emails and research. For me, the golden age of the internet for powerlifting was about 12 years ago. I used to rush home from work to read the Elitefts training log updates. I bought every e-book. Rhodestown is and always will be a classic place to be. Before that, I waited every month for PLUSA to read Lou's latest article. I watched the first set of his VHS tapes until they wore out. I bought a second set and have kept a working VCR just to watch those tapes...along with the Elitefts training videos...and some others. Why? Because you never know it all. You learn, then you go back and you review, you rethink, and you realize there is more to know.
I never dreamt that one day I'd meet the people whose logs I was reading, much less be able to bullshit with them on Facebook like we do. Or even better yet, go attempt for attempt with them at a meet, or set for set in the gym.
They all did the same basic things.
The thing is, getting to that point is amazingly simple. People keep looking for a magic bullet, some miracle pill, some special supplement, some special code word to replace the basics. I didn't have the luxury of training with superstars in the powerlifting world all of the time, but I did train with some strong people. And you know what? They all did the same basic things.
1) Work.
You have to work. Period. You realize there are good days and there are bad days, but you don't miss a training. It may be a shorter workout, but if it's a training day, you train.
2) Keep it simple.
There is no magic bullet. Getting stronger comes from putting more weight on the bar. You can calculate mass to velocity ratios and acceleration of bar speed all you want, that still isn't the same as adding a 45 on each side of the bar. More weight = more strength. It is very simple.
3) Attack your weak points.
We all have them. Admit them, objectively assess them, and destroy them. If a weak point gets stronger, you get stronger. Period.
4) Accept constructive criticism and be honest.
I'm stronger than most of the guys I train with. That doesn't mean they can't tell me when a lift goes to shit. They do. I expect them to. I'm more likely to throw someone out of my gym for being a nut swinger than for ripping into a person for shit form and a shit lift. Honesty makes you stronger.
5) Always help each other get stronger.
That means you spot, you load, you help others. That is more rewarding than you will ever imagine. If you can help others get stronger...help others be successful, then their success is yours and it breeds further success in every aspect of your life.
That's it. Those five things are all that matters. You can RPE, AMRAP, ME, DE, CM, TM, PRE, INTRA, POST...and move from milligrams to grams per week until you are blue in the face.
I'm a zoo veterinarian finishing my PhD in Clinical Pharmacology. I can bore you into never never land talking about the "area under the curve" of pharmacokinetic studies of some supplement. It doesn't matter. It doesn't replace those five things.
- Jack Kottwitz
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Jack,
Thank you for writing and allowing me to share. You are a wealth of information and I would be honored to have more guest posts from yourself and others who have spent decades in the trenches. If someone reads this and would like to contribute please let me know in the comments or on my facebook or Instragram.
- Dave Tate
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