I was quite athletic in my youth. I had a unique physique. I used to run a lot (15 miles per day) and also squat a lot (1300 in my peak) every alternate day.Now you know that running breaks down a lot of muscle also while squatting makes a lot of them. Strength , stamina and endurance all have different forms of exercises and routine. I was a combo-natural. I never planned my exercises and also never bothered about sets etc..

I recently started gym. I was always a ground athlete. Running, beams, rope climbing, long jumps were my favorites. My father was in Army and we always had army grounds and army men to motivate us. Army men don’t use weights and always use body weight. I used to hand walk also. Being a natural, I tried my hands with yoga also.

[pullquote]Combining high reps with low weight and low reps with high weights is the best way to go. I always surprise my muscles. I never follow any routine (I started with a routine and was bored by ‘set’ theory.[/pullquote]

Now when I joined gym few months back, I was surprised by people’s obsession with ‘who can lift the heaviest weight’. I learnt some where that mixed workouts are by far the best in the world. Combining high reps with low weight and low reps with high weights is the best way to go. I always surprise my muscles. I never follow any routine (I started with a routine and was bored by ‘set’ theory. I have enough of them in my maths curriculum as I am a maths professor!).

Now in the gym I lift one of the heaviest weights, pull the heaviest cable weight (maximum they have) and also do heavy bench presses. I don’t count my sets or monitor my weights. I do what I like.I don’t have a lot of muscles but I have sheer power (Which is my goal.I don’t want starved 7% body fat six packs!).

The compliment which I got was that ‘You don’t have muscles (definition) to show but you have power’. I also have been complimented a lot on my stamina. I don’t take many breaks and can continue to work out for 2-3 hours at a stretch.

I think the reason for this strength is squats and running, the deadly combination!

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