I have always been a believer in lifting and training. And I can say with 100% certainty, if I had not started lifting weights and training at a young age, I would not have earned a scholarship or played in the NFL for a decade.

When I was young, 18-19 years old, I thought the the road to success ran through the weight room. In many ways it did, as I need more size and strength to be competitive. But in my third year, I realized the weight room alone would not get me there. I need to study my craft and learn to play the game. I never really like the game of football, but I loved the physical combat and competitive nature playing on the line. I knew to be successful, I needed to not only be strong and fast but a technician who could use those skills honed on the field and weight room.

I realized many athletes become obsessed with weight room numbers. They focus all their attention on their lifts, and forget that the game is played on the field. Rather than improving their skills and technique, their focus shifts towards becoming a weigh room warrior. They become more interested in a 10 lb PR, than increasing their skill.

We had a term for this, “Look like Tarzan, play like Jane.”

TARZAN OR JANE?#1
It doesn’t matter what you look like, if you can’t perform. Competition is more about performance than looks…unless you are doing bodybuilding and then you probably won’t be reading this.

Recently, I have been bombarded with questions about aesthetics. If getting stronger will take away from visible abs, or if too many squats will make for a big big backside.

One in particular asked, if CrossFit Football would help him build a physique like the guys listed in the Top 30 Most Jacked NFL Football Players.

Could it be the NFL players listed in Top 30 Most Jacked are a byproduct of their training?

That the extra muscle acts like a suit of armor allowing them to do their jobs day in day out?

That lifting heavy weights and moving as fast as you can over a number of years will result in a strong physique?

Know what you are training for.