What Penandbarbell.com has to offer

The ideal that is described here is what all the advices and examples on this site aims at. This is the ideal that I myself have always trained for and that I hope to illustrate through the photos featured on Penandbarbell.com.

All the different aspects that are highlighted here will be subject to  elaborated in-depth articles that you will be able to find on Penandbarbell.com.

I. Strength according to the Pen and Barbell ideal

Here on Penandbarbell.com I put emphasis on the aesthetic aspects of a well-trained physique. Weight training offers you the possibility to actually mold and form your body to your own pleasing – and this grand notion is largely responsible for my passion about lifting weights. That said, however, it must also be noted that the strength that follows from body sculpting is beautiful in itself. A body that inhabits strength will more often than not have an aesthetic edge when compared to a body that lacks this very tangible attribute.

Strength is a fascinating subject – and it is not as clear cut as it might appear at first glance. It can be defined in various different ways. Different people put emphasis on different aspects of strength. There are strongmen that can lift huge amounts of weight. There are power lifters and weight lifters that can press, push and lift incredible loads. And there are people – gymnasts being the obvious example - that can perform otherworldly numbers of push-ups, chin-ups and other body weight exercises. Both of these categories are of course impressive in their own right, but the Pen and barbell ideal aims for something else – a strength that can be summed up in 3 different parts:

1. Strength in relation to body size.

2. Everyday strength. This means developing the kind of strength that lasts for more than a rep or two, balancing stamina, endurance and raw strength. This is the kind of strength that will come in handy when you encounter everyday obstacles and challenges, be it carrying the groceries home from the store, shoveling snow on your driveway or helping a friend to move to a new apartment.  This is strength that is always at your disposal, requiring no warm-up, no assistance and no preparation whatsoever.

3. Strength that lasts. The Pen and barbell ideal advocates a workout regime that ensures the kind of strength that allows you to recover fast and to perform heavy and physically demanding feats over a long period of time.