The Ludus

In Roman times there was a place called "The Ludus" which first started out as a place for children to play sport. A playground, if you will. It eventually became a training ground for gladiators. It seemed appropriate for our degree of work. I think competition is an interesting thing. Straight in the womb we were battling for that singular egg. And now here we are, constantly fighting urges to be hyper-competitive, yet cheering the ones who are.

My first initial text to my workout buddies is that we need a really cool name for what we do. I suggested "The Institute" as in...this place will be scientific and clinical in your workouts and build you into the machine you want to be. My buddy Brad came back with "The Ludus." Which was drawn from "Spartacus." Having that show fresh in my mind, it was very appropriate. And here's why...

You see, we are a very ugly bunch. Time has taken its toll on our bodies. As well as abuse of food, booze and sometimes drugs. And now we were in the hands of a higher being. We shifted our mindset to be the slaves and toil in the fields. And if we were to survive, the next logical step would be to get strength to live thru the day. And there was no other choice. Remember the "Wheel of Pain" from "Conan"? Not sure he would've chose that vocation in life.

I want to believe that back in the day, the gladiators used their physique and bulk to intimidate their competition. Ugliness is scary. Scars meant the other guy probably isn't on this planet anymore. So we conscienciously decided to make the workouts ugly. It has to be in the trenches..clawing and fighting your way to the top of the hill. This is not fighting a Hammer Strength machine here. Get your cyborg fix watching...um..."Cyborg"...nope...we're fighting other humans.

So we get dirty. I roll in the dirt. Drive my shoulder into the ground as I jockey the 50lbs sandbag for position. My shoulders explode with searing pain trying to push off the bag. Meanwhile I'm cursing every single Dorito I've eaten. Every vodka/tonic I've consumed. I slam the medicine ball into the ground. Pushing down so hard I hear the report echo against the apartment buildings that surround the park. The focus is no longer about how I feel, but when will it end.

There is a great strength condition coach that many in the NFL have sworn by. I love his videos. Joe DeFranco. If you don't know him and want to get strong...look him up. For me, he's his philosophy. If you want to get stronger, you must want it. There are no ordinary workouts for his ballers. He pushes everyone to their max and rewards them for conquering their fears. He is some of the inspiration for our workouts as well. Drive hard. There is no other way.

By the end of the session, rolling around in dirt (and most definitely dog crap) we usually leave the field, triumphant yet battered. And we know the enemy will have us to fear instead of the other way around. The arena awaits.
Next up: Eating for a lean body