Hero Worship Doesn't Always = Great Workouts (explicit video)

(**WARNING** - there is some explicit behavior in this post. If you don't like that kinda thing, then you probably ought to just close this now and come back next time. Thanks.)

Well, unless you've been avoiding all the major sports news outlets as of late, you've already heard the results of the Hatton/Pacquiao fight this past Saturday night. And in case you haven't seen, oh, I don't know, a newspaper, TV, radio, internet, etc. - the Pac-Man won in convincing fashion via 2nd round TKO.


While I like Hatton - I'm a big fan of the "Hitman" - I didn't think he had a chance against the "Pac-Man". Manny is just too fast, hits too hard, and the somewhat intangible factor - Manny has (I believe) the best trainer in the game today in Freddy Roach.

Leading up to the fight, if you're any kind of fan, you probably watched at least an episode or two (if not all four) of HBO's critically acclaimed 24/7 series that they now do before every major boxing match.

One of the things I enjoy about 24/7 is seeing the training footage. (Guess that's no surprise, huh?)

I had to laugh during the 2nd episode. Ricky Hatton was shown working out, and at one point was cranking out reps on a pair of "perfect pushup" handles. I had to laugh because I was knew it wouldn't be long before I was seeing somebody, somewhere, think that if one of the best 140 lbs. boxers in the world was using these things, that they probably should, too.

Sure enough, the next day, I saw a thread on an internet forum I visit talking about how Ricky Hatton uses the "perfect pushup".

(Now, to the thread creator's credit, he wasn't asking if he should go out and buy a pair right away like many folks would - he was just pointing it out for conversation's sake. But still, Pacquiao was shown going for a jog...and nobody was posting about that.)

How did the "perfect pushup" fair for Ricky? Well, I guess you could say that Ricky...

(play below video)



Now, does that mean the "perfect pushup" was responsible for the outcome of the fight? Of course not - that would be a pretty stupid assumption to make.

Right?

Then why in the ever-living hell would you care in the first place? If the "perfect pushup" wasn't responsible for Hatton getting his clock cleaned, then would you say it could have been responsible had he beaten Manny?

Uhhhh....NO.

Too many people seem to have a complex about freakin' hero worship. In all my years of training, I can't tell you how many dudes I've seen or talked to that spent a ton of time trying to find the workout program of their favorite bodybuilder, strongman, fighter, football player, athlete, etc.

What a waste.

Now, it's not a waste to take find somebody successful, study what they're doing, and try to figure out how you can apply some of what they're doing to your own life. That just make sense. Studying what makes successful people that way (be they athletes, fighters, parents, managers, or whatever) is just plain smart.

But, just mimicking what other people do is kinda stupid. You're not a parrot. A parrot might repeat what you say, but it won't sound like you. It won't look like you. It won't have the meaning you do. In other words - it won't be you.

Well, workouts are the same way.

Knowing the workouts of Sean Sherk, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Fedor, Floyd Mayweather, Wladimir Klitschko, Lyoto Machida, Brock Lesnar, or anybody else won't make you those guys. All of those guys have found great workouts that work, and work well...for them.

Not for you. For them.

Does that mean that you couldn't learn anything by studying habit of great people? Again, of course not. But that doesn't mean you should just go out and copy what they do, just because they're winning.

I remember some 10+ years ago, when Ken Shamrock's book Inside the Lion's Den first came out. Quite a few people I knew (including me) were anxious to get the book. Personally, while I was interested in the stories can had to tell, and the biographical information in the book, I was pumped to read all the training info in the second half of the book.

And I wasn't alone - I knew a lot of dudes that were amped to try out the MMA workout of the "World's Most Dangerous Man". After all, Ken was a UFC Superfight winner, former King of Pancrase, and had just signed a big money contract with the WWE (then WWF). Ken was arguably one of the most popular guys in the fledgling sport that was MMA.

Fast forward to 2009. Ken Shamrock lost three fights to Tito Ortiz, hasn't won a fight against a decent opponent in a lot of years, and was just busted for steroids.

I could be wrong, but I don't see anybody lining up to find out Shammy's workout anymore.

So, does that mean what he did then was great, and what he does now sucks?

Not necessarily. Something has obviously changed over the years (aside from Ken getting old), but I don't think Ken's workout had anything to do with it.

See what I mean?

There is nothing wrong with wanting more "tools" in your "toolbox"...but copying somebody else just for the sake of copying them is unoriginal, lackluster, and in the end...you'll only be short-changing yourself.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com