What are the stories you’ve always told yourself about your body? If you’re like most people, you either believe you were born strong, or you weren’t. The role of genetics in body type, physical capacity, and longevity has been emphasized for so long in the scientific literature and pop culture alike, that a whole lot of people have subconsciously resigned themselves to what they believe is their fate.
But CJ Gotcher never bought into that. After he discovered weight training through his experience with CrossFit at the Naval Academy, he embarked on a mission to find out just how strong he could make his 165lb frame. His exploration of his own performance potential eventually led him to Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength system, and CJ fell in love.
He sat down with me to explore some of the ideas he recently presented in a talk at the Starting Strength Coach’s Conference, including what the interference effect is, and how to mitigate it in your training. We also cover how people mangle the idea of sport-specific training, and why strength is your best defense against the effects of aging.
