When I think about the Ultimate Kū Body, I think of a hybrid beast, a superhero, a legend, or some mystic being that separates himself from mediocrity.
In reality, to me, the ultimate Kū body has the capacity of strength and power, fast, mobile, and has stamina. Elite CrossFitters fit into this category like Kawika Henderson, Rich Froning, Ben Smith, Noah Ohlsen, and Dan Bailey to name a few.
You watch those guys train and you just shake your head in amazement.
This doesn’t mean I’m going to start doing CrossFit.
Performance Coach, Alex Viada, emphasizes on developing ‘hybrid athletes’ to have strength and endurance. Coach Viada is an ultra-marathoner who also squats 700-lbs. True story.
I’ve been playing with the proposition of transforming myself towards the Ultimate Kū Body. This isn’t about looking better with a muscles and a six pack, although it may be a side effect.
I remember hearing stories of Kekūhaupiʻo, who became Kamehameha’s teacher in the ancient martial arts and followed him into many battles. As a young warrior, Kekūhaupiʻo learned the warlike arts such as spear throwing and dodging, boxing, and wrestling. His father trained his to run swiftly with the lesson that, ““One who is learning the warlike arts of the land does well to accustom himself to swift running whereas, by speed, the fleeing enemy can be pursued from the battlefield and caught.
Kekūhaupiʻo and Kamehameha were known to have the ultimate Kū body.
So How Will I Transform?
Honestly, I donʻt know. But I want to put it out there to you guys to hold myself accountable. I know several of the guys I train will jump on this transformation and once I have a plan, I will be sharing it with you.
The goal of this transformation isn’t about building a good looking body, rather than a body that is geared towards performance. Maybe this means I’ll have to take part in some sort of test like a powerlifting competition and a marathon since they are two extremes.
In order to make such a transformation, you have to dial everything in; training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset.
The Plan
For sure, this transformation towards the Ultimate Ku Body will involve lifting weights, running, speed work, and proper nutrition.
This means that training will take a concurrent approach where we focus on several aspects such as strength, power, and endurance, at once. Again, this won’t be CrossFit. CrossFit is a sport and I sure won’t be doing any handstand walks, kipping pull ups, among other things unless I find a need for them.
The nutrition side will be interesting because of the energy demands, so I’ll need to do some research.
Lastly, the mindset.
I am actually telling my wife what I am planning on doing and why so that she is on board. I’m also telling you and the people I train, because then it’ll hold me accountable and hopefully gain support.
Are You Down?
How does this sound? Are you interested in following along on the transformation and journey? Do you want to be a part of the experiment?
Or…
Do you think I’m being crazy?
2 Responses
I agree with every aspect of this, and it sounds awesome! I’ve been having somewhat of the same predicament for almost a year – I have gotten into obstacle course racing (because it’s mentally and physically tough and I love the competition) and I’ve been having a tough time devoting workouts solely to endurance, which is crucial in OCR. I’ve been lifting heavy for so long it’s difficult for my body to transform. But if there’s a fusion of the two, or some sort of middle ground it sounds like the ultimate Ku body is that.
So you are in! Iʻm still hashing out the details so be on the lookout for details to come in on Sunday. There is a good group of guys interested in doing it so this may just be an interesting experiment.