Competition Makes the World Go 'Round

[stef]

by Matt Reynolds

If the question is whether you should compete, then the answer is yes. If the question is when, the answer is now. NOTHING will take your training to the next level the way training for a competition will.

Article (http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/competition_makes_the_world_go_round)

Resources Page (http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/resources)

[cfbf]

Great article Matt. I agree 100%.

[Matt Reynolds]

Thanks Rip for asking me to write an article for the site. It is a real honor to do so. I'm working on a few others right now, that will pair well with this first one, as well as one that KSC is about to launch with.

If anyone has any questions about the article, or how we do things at STRONG, or ideas for future articles, please feel free to post them here.

[homerj742]

Really great read. Articles like this really get me in the mood for my next competition. January 29th!

[damonwells]

Matt, this is the gospel. Thanks for posting.

[MazdaMatt]

This was actually a really good read and I'm not big on bravado articles - I was pleasantly surprised :-)

I'm waiting on my mother to get back to me on what is my family tartan so I can suit up for Highland games next year. Throwing heavy shit around for competition looks pretty sweet.

[pwn]

Competition makes EVERYTHING better. Period... Capitalism, democracy, an entire government, built upon the shoulders of competition.
Since we're citing historical examples, how do you explain the explosive rise of the Japanese economy, which is decidedly anti-competitive. Japanese society combines Democracy with a quasi-totalitarian economy. The Japanese feel that cooperation is the road to real progress and that competition, while not bad, should be kept within reasonable, disciplined bounds.

[Matt Reynolds]

I have no desire to get into a political discussion here. That's not the point of the article at all. However, what success Japan has had can be attributed greatly to their enormous sense of pride to do things the best, (and better than everyone else), which, in itself is very highly competitive.

Im also well versed in their school system, which is one of the most competitive in the world, and also one of the most successful.

I also know they are fairly shitty at sport.

But I'd really prefer to keep the discussion about how competition can help training. I mentioned cocks in the article as well, and I'm certainly not having a cock-off with anyone, nor a discussion of cock length.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Japan has had a long history of competitiveness, mostly in the form of internal warfare for ascendency of the Shogunate. Once they got religion (if you will) in the form of Westernization after the US forced them to open their ports, they got just competitive as hell with their neighbors in Russia, Korea, and China. Just look up the Russo-Japanese War or the rape of Nanking sometime. They won those matches with little trouble despite long odds and being highly outnumbered in all but Korea.

Somewhere along the line, I seem to recall they almost competed us (as in the good old US of A) right out of the Pacific Ocean. They lost that particular match.

In the 70's and 80's Japan nearly competed the US out of the automobile industry and most of the electronics products industries. This was accomplished with their deferential nods and bows and not having to spend too much for their own defense what with our bases assuring their national security against their former foes in China, the USSR (used to be Russia is again now, go figure), and North Korea.

I don't where you were educated but somehow they missed history and economics in their curriculum. It won't take a lot of work to get up to speed here, just a little independent study and thinking with less listening to professors with agendas for the new world order and kum-bah-ya.

Sorry to part company with you a little here Mr. Reynolds, but Japan is pretty good at some sports like judo, gymnastics, and ice skating. Funny you should mention their education system; Jigoro Kano, the guy who systematized judo was part of their Ministry of Education. He made judo a part of their national physical education program. No self interest involved there huh? Would that count as competitiveness too?

[Matt Reynolds]

Excellent points all around Mark.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Well I may be losing my mind here but I'll dive in with some trepidation anyway. I competed in football, shotput and discus in high school, judo during college and year or so after, and in handgun shooting sports into my early 30's. I have not however even contemplated competing in lifting until reading this article.

I find my drive at over 60 to compete pretty weak but maybe, just maybe this may be something I might want to do. Matt, (since I started off with a Mr. and you responded I feel better able to use your first name now) do you have information on master's level powerlifting records that you could refer me to for 60+ geezers like myself?

Dearly Beloved must never know of this, she'd kill me if she thought I was going to try this.

[Matt Reynolds]

Mark,

That's great to hear. You won't regret it - and you'll be amazed at the relationships you'll make along the way.

Powerliftingwatch.com (http://powerliftingwatch.com) is an excellent resource for all things powerlifting, including finding meets in your area, and they keep updated Top 100 lists across all federations, which is really, really nice.

[pwn]

Yeah I know that's nowhere near the point of the article. I was just suggesting that a part of American dogma holds that competition is the lifeblood of the market and society, and that no real progress can be made without it; that such dogma is a matter of style more than anything else. It's not the Truth.
Clearly that kind of talk doesn't lend itself to chest-thumping, which is the tone of the article. But we digest. Back to the real message of the article.
Mark H, lol. You misunderstood my statement, bro.

BTW I'm 3 inches... from the ground!

[Mark E. Hurling]

I was just suggesting that a part of American dogma holds that competition is the lifeblood of the market and society, and that no real progress can be made without it; that such dogma is a matter of style more than anything else. It's not the Truth.


Mark H, lol. You misunderstood my statement, bro.

Wrong on both of the above counts. I understood them then and if there were any possible doubts about your remarks remarks yesterday, after your comments today, I definitely understand all of your fatuous statements just fine. Despite your feeble and reflexive lol eraser phrase to try and laugh off your spanking. I don't have any brothers, and at my age I'm disinclined to adopt your silly nomenclature. Find better examples of something you know about before trying to make erroneous and irrelevant points.