The Purposeful Primitive

Since the birth of the Olympics in 776 BC, humanity has celebrated the struggle for physical transformation—and exalted to almost godlike status those men and women who have succeeded in transcending their common mortal frames through a combination of supreme effort and dedicated will.

In the 21st century, this drive, this search for the Holy Grail of physical perfection has climbed to ever-greater heights —but has also plunged us to unforeseen depths.

Elite athletes worldwide continue to shatter records that would have been considered inconceivable only decades earlier. Our current stars are unimaginably bigger, stronger and faster than their earlier counterparts. And yet, for the general populace the story is quite different. Obesity and abject weakness have exploded across our land like an all-consuming virus. And the gap between the super-fit and the obscenely unfit widens by the day.

While an elite minority seems to possess the secret to supreme physical transformation, our fitness landscape is littered with the road kill of those who failed to make genuine progress in their quest for change.

According to leading fitness author, world powerlifting champion and coach extraordinaire, Marty Gallagher, the reasons for this sorry state of affairs are clear and the solution obvious. In The Purposeful Primitive, Gallagher exposes the flaws and myths rampant in the modern fitness community, then reveals what could be termed The Way of the Masters—his foolproof program for guaranteeing physical transformation, based on the received wisdom of the greats who have gone before us.

As someone who has trained with some of the greatest strength athletes of the century, as someone who has coached numerous world champions to ever more impressive records and as someone who has had spectacular results applying these same methods to average folk, Marty Gallagher knows whereof he speaks. His inspirational message: simply follow The Way of the Masters—with the necessary drive and desire—and you CANNOT fail, you WILL transform physically. Change—change for the better—is inevitable.

The problem with modern day fitness, says Gallagher, lies in the sheer plethora and over-complexity of methods, the fragmented partiality of specialized systems and the general confusion about what really works to gain and retain muscle while losing significant body fat.

The great masters of fitness became masters by following a four-fold path: right weight training, right cardio, right eating and right mind-training. All four modes have to be practiced together as a synergistic whole. Then 1+1+1+1=16, or even more… For those who are up to the challenge, Gallagher lays out every detail of this four-fold path to supreme physical greatness—teaching only the methods that worked for his masters, for himself, for his champions and last—but far from least—his every day clients.

The purposefully primitive Way of the Masters is deliberately and potently stripped down to the core essentials of truly effective training methods. Cutting-edge science combines with Old School basics—forcing the body to transform, whether it likes it or not.

Discover:

• How to completely transform your body—in 90 days or less
• How to train for only five hours a week— yet be superbly lean and strong
• The two best eating plans to optimize your fat loss while gaining muscle
• Training protocols favored by the legends of champion-level strength
• How combining an Eastern mystic's mind secrets with a Western scientist's brain train methods can lead to massive leaps in your performance
• What foods will certainly sabotage your progress and what foods put you on the fast track for glory
• The very best cardio methods to complement rather than hinder your weight training

From the foreword by Pavel Tsatsouline:

Since their overwhelmingly warm reception of Paul Anderson half a century ago, the Russians have always been respectful of American strength and I am no exception. Anywhere Marty and I met, be it in a powerlifting meet where he was my 'corner man', on a meditative walk through the mountains, over a glass of wine at the Ritz in Washington or a fine Mennonite-raised steak at Marty's country compound, I prodded and cajoled my friend for more knowledge. What I have learned has blown me away by its beauty and simplicity. I invite you to be equally blown away from your reading of The Purposeful Primitive.

Marty Gallagher is the best writer in the iron game, period. He is so far ahead of the competition, both in his inner and outer knowledge of his subject and in his masterful delivery, that he is in a league of his own and the second best is not even in sight. It only took him forty years to reach his overnight success…Read Pavel's complete foreword

I would venture to say that I have read every book pertaining to weightlifting over the last three decades, and I have probably read the majority of the articles in this area. There are two things I can say unequivocally about what I have read. One, Marty Gallagher is the best writer in the world of physical fitness and strength, bar none, and two, Gallagher's newest book The Purposeful Primitive is the best manuscript ever produced in this field.

Teeming with esoteric information on training, biomechanics, nutrition, and sport psychology, The Purposeful Primitive is a wealth of information that every serious lifter needs to read. You are going to like this book. NO! You are going to LOVE it. I promise you that. It's Gallagher's best work, and that means it is strictly world class.
—Dr. Judd Biasiotto, author of 46 fitness and health-related books, world powerlifting champion

I really only have two things to say about Marty Gallagher that bear on his new book, The Purposeful Primitive. The first is that there are two classes of writers in powerlifting: 1) Marty Gallagher and 2) all others. The second is that one day, ten years ago, Marty called to say he knew a Russian guy who he thought might be a good writer for MILO, so we invited the guy to submit an article: It was called Vodka, Pickle Juice, Kettlebell Lifting and other Russian Pastimes, the author was Pavel Tsatsouline, and rest, as they say, is history.
—Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D, Publisher and Editor-in-chief, Milo Magazine

As a student, athlete, teacher, researcher, professional coach, and businessman I have spent over 60 years in health, fitness and sport, devoted to 'how to become the best you can be'. The Purposeful Primitive has been a very interesting journey for me... back-to-the-future...

Marty does a wonderful job bringing out the art and science of training, extracting many of the critical universal and specific principles (guiding rules to action—social, emotional, mental, physical and spiritual) that are applicable to living a productive life in general, and in training for health, fitness and sport, specifically. In addition, I like the way Marty personalizes the lives of outstanding athletes and shows how they applied these fundamental, can't-miss principles in their training to help them become the best they could be in their sport. My recommendation: if you want to achieve something 'great in your life', add The Purposeful Primitive to your training library… yesterday.
—Dr. Bob Ward, Sports Science Network, former head strength and conditioning coach, Dallas Cowboys

For those who buy or judge reading material by size, number of pages, volume, or distance able to be thrown and cause damage, Marty has your back on this one. For the intellectual athlete who actually thirsts for knowledge and sees content as King, you will get 30 years of genius and experience in the Iron Game mixed with the passion and ability of Hemmingway all wrapped up in one book and the result is The Purposeful Primitive. From me to you—Go buy the book and enjoy!!
—Rickey Dale Crain, IPF/WPC/AAU World Champion, 2000 Powerlifting Hall of Fame Inductee

Marty Gallagher is a brilliant writer who thinks deeply about subjects he knows and loves. His manifesto/encyclopedia contains a ton of wisdom, one-of-a-kind role models, awesome color photos… a truly fascinating read.
—Clarence Bass, author of the Ripped series, Lean For Life, Challenge Yourself, and Great Expectations

Marty Gallagher has written a most interesting book that contains not only telling first hand biographies from powerlifting's heyday, but the routines and mindset of the top practitioners of the strength pursuit. His style is rich with anecdote, at the same time being right on point regarding the many divergent paths to the attainment of fitness. The basic truths underlying those paths have been distilled down to a certainty, allowing the reader to intelligently compose their own program. Good job from one who sought intensely over many years to grasp the essence of power and fitness and most importantly loves what he does.
—Hugh Cassidy, first world heavyweight powerlifting champion

What can one say with certainty about the author of this book—Marty Gallagher? Nothing other than the facts that he has 'been there and done that' as an 800-plus pound squatter! That he has written over a thousand articles about fitness and nutrition in the published print media (not to include his amazing blog). That he is not just a genius, but the best interviewer and storyteller going. And that he has not only truly trained the world's strongest athletes, but that he has distilled the most useful information from 15 of the foremost weight lifters, bodybuilders, psychologists and 'bodymaster' nutritionists of the last half century into a form that can be used by anyone from overweight, exercise-adverse beginner to world champions in their sports.

From Olympic lifting to power lifting and bodybuilding, whether muscle gain or fat loss, from cooking to supplements, from changing exercise and eating habits to molding the psychology of a champion (whether one is even remotely interested in competition or not), Marty has covered it all. I only wish I had had a book like this when I was growing up and trying my best to get bigger and stronger. Marty has demonstrated, without question, that he is the current and undeniably best 'trainer of champions' and 'ultimate guide to physical—and mental—transformation.' This book not only provides the simplest instructions and cheapest financial and lifestyle requirements, it is absolutely the single best book ever written on being the best you can be physically and otherwise.
—James E. Wright, Ph.D, former Director of Sports Science, U.S. Army Physical Fitness School; former Health and Science Editor, Flex Magazine

Absolutely magnificent. What a breathtaking book on a life with iron. Marty Gallagher delivers an outstanding, comprehensive book with a writing style worthy of Hemingway himself. This book takes you on a journey through the iron-history of the great ones and in the most sophisticated way Marty presents probably the best ever written material on life, iron and mental fortitude.

This book is impossible to put down once you start reading it. It should be the first read of any who aspire to lift weights and be healthy. There are not enough words in the English language (or Danish for that matter) to describe how excellent this book is. It is an absolute must to any Strength & Health enthusiast. I give it my highest recommendation!!
—Kenneth the Dane of Pain Jay, MSc, Sr. RKC

Gallagher takes the gems of the greatest strength athletes in history and distills the keys to success for all of us.

After reviewing profile after profile after profile of great strength trainers in history, Gallagher goes the next step: he sums up their approaches then shows that all of them are right. As a person trained in the basics of theology, I understood immediately Gallagher's great point: it's not 'either/or' when it comes to strength and body mass, it is 'both/and'. I live by the coaching point: 'Everything works...for a while,' and Gallagher breathes flesh and blood into this principle.

There is so much more to this book, of course. The mental training section blends the Western and Eastern approaches to the mind game of training. Again, we find 'both/and', but Gallagher also spends a lot of time detailing how to incorporate these tools in one's training.

But wait, there's more! There is a section on cardio training for strength athletes that really makes me more comfortable with this notion of 'doing cardio'. It's nice to see the return for the widely misunderstood teachings of Len Schwartz's Heavy Hands. Moreover, we see a commonsense approach to this whole overhyped field.

The section on diet towards the end of the book again reflects the idea of both/and'. It is simply this: refreshing. Gallagher gives clarity to the calorie conundrum. Yes, every diet approach works, but Gallagher shows us a way to link them together. Truly, this man of experience understands that success leaves footprints and every approach is worthy of discussion.

Oh, this book is a joy. I put this book next to Tommy Kono's Weightlifting, Olympic Style for sheer fun and delight and love of training. I am convinced that I will probably keep reading The Purposeful Primitive in bits and snips for years. It's just fun and funny while pounding into the reader the 'secrets' of advanced training. Many won't like the message. The secrets involve training really hard and really heavy.
—Daniel John, Head Track and Field Coach, Juan Diego Catholic High School, American Record Holder, Masters Weight Pentathlon

The Purposeful Primitive both inspired me, and also challenged some of my long-held notions about strength and athleticism. In the foreword, Pavel calls Marty Gallagher his mentor, and once you read this book, you'll understand why. The Purposeful Primitive is the most significant strength-training book I've read in 10 years.
—Charles Staley, Staley Training Systems

Marty's literary style intrigued me and I could not put the book down!! I was drawn into being educated by a powerlifter that made points that would make me a better high school teacher/coach as well as an excellent Olympic weightlifting coach.

I was hooked by page 263, with Marty's 'physical and psychological weak points'. What's the toughest lesson to learn in all of fitnessdom? I would nominate prioritizing weaknesses and not continually playing to our strength.' There it is! That did it! If nothing else, this chapter needs to be read by all coaches and by all athletes and all trainers in the fitness world…

I highly recommend The Purposeful Primitive as a must read.
—Mike Burgener, Senior International Weightlifting Coach, Coach for the Junior World Women's Weightlifting Team

Marty Gallagher has convincingly presented the concept that successful people in all domains 'stand upon the shoulders of those who have gone before them.' He has accurately indicated that most of the fitness gurus and elite athletes of today are chasing after the golden fleece instead of following the tried, true and scientifically and empirically proven and validated principles of physical training, cardiovascular training, nutrition and psychology.

Marty characterizes this by stating; 'Old school methodology is the modern solution for achieving true physical transformation.' Readers will sink their teeth into the substance and procedures of the masters found between the covers of The Purposeful Primitive.

The Purposeful Primitive is an enlightening read, filled with great insights into the masters of the last century in Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting, Bodybuilding, Cardiovascular Training, Nutrition and Psychology.

Great job Marty Gallagher, master of: writing, powerlifting, physical training, cardiovascular training, nutrition and psychology.
—Dr. Paul Ward, PED, QPT Publications

WOW! My old friend Marty knocked this one out of the park.

I was so fascinated I could not put the book down. These are exactly the routines most of us experienced in those days. It brought back a lot of memories.

For all you young powerlifters out there who want to build real power like we did it in the old days this is the book to get. Thank you so much Marty.
—Dan Wohleber, former national powerlifting champion, multiple world record holder, 1st man to deadlift 900 pounds

When Marty called and asked if I could pose for a few photos for his new book, I knew I didn't have to worry about associating myself with anything he was writing. I knew it would be a quality book focused on proven, basic training principles and based on Marty's vast store of real, first-hand knowledge. What I didn't know until receiving my copy and really giving it a close look, was that I was stumbling across a small role in one of the most comprehensive, well-written, and above all else, entertaining, books on weight training that's ever been written.

I have a pretty extensive strength training library, and Marty's book belongs on the top shelf with Dreschler's Weightlifting Encyclopedia, Starr's The Strongest Shall Survive, McCallum's Keys to Progress, and McRobert's Brawn. I realize now how lucky I am to have been in the right place at the right time to be a small part of Marty's crowning achievement and lasting contribution to the Iron Game. Thanks so much Marty for not letting these great stories and this wealth of information fade away with the old masters!
—Chuck Miller, attorney, journalist, C.S.C.S., AAU world and national powerlifting champion

I enjoyed Marty Gallagher's new book and particularly liked his 'resurrection' of the methods of the Iron Masters. So much of that Old School training wisdom has been forgotten or discarded in our modern era. The training philosophies of men like Bill Pearl and Ed Coan are timeless and grounded in principles that have stood the test of time. These philosophies are based in the idea that first and foremost, hard and sustained physical effort must be implemented for a protracted period. This requires using lots of Old School discipline.

I agree with Marty's premise that to modify the human body, to improve it, to make it more muscular and leaner, requires real work. Too many individuals in this day and age want to believe that some miracle method exists that can magically bypass the requisite pain and struggle. By spotlighting men from a simpler era, Marty shows that real gains can be gotten from methods that need not be unduly complicated. I would hope that modern readers could absorb some of the iconic lessons he relates in his own unique way.
—John Parrillo, CEO Parrillo Performance Products

I have been studying the industry for 20 years. Marty is in a class of his own. Combine his fitness knowledge with a unique talent for writing and one has an unbeatable combination.
—Larry Christ, multi-time national master powerlifting champion

Once again, Marty Gallagher has proven that he is powerlifting's most articulate and informative writer. The Purposeful Primitive is an outstanding read, with credible and essential information for beginners and elite lifters alike. I will be honored to promote the book at my gym and the many contests we host each year.
—Dr. Spero S. Tshontikidis, R.A.W. United, Inc.

Wow! Marty Gallagher did a tremendous job! Not only was it a very interesting and entertaining read, but it can be used as a reference manual. A must read for anyone interested in fitness and or strength.
—Bob Gaynor, WPC World Record holder

The Purposeful Primitive is Marty Gallagher's magnum opus. It's the most entertaining book about physical culture I've read in a long time. The hilarious over-the-top reminiscences of Old School powerlifting and powerlifters is combined with the basic, bare-bones, best-practice information needed to dramatically change your physical appearance and become radically bigger and stronger as long as you are willing to sacrifice your blood, sweat, and tears to the loa of The Purposeful Primitive.
—Steve Shafley, Powerlifter and Highland Games thrower

Marty Gallagher has laid out simple tried and true old school principles that yield results. I believe that is what this book is all about; results. In a world full of bells and whistles, this book is a great reminder of what training should look like. I think this is an outstanding resource for physical transformation. I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about building a real-world body.
—Tim Anderson, RKC Level II, CPT

The Purposefully Primitive Manifesto

Doing Fewer Things Better

Executed with the requisite tenacity, intensity and precision, Purposefully Primitive methods can and will favorably alter the compositional makeup of the human body. Primitive tools and simple modes are used to power sparse methods. By generating a methodical and sustained physical and psychological effort, the human body is forcibly morphed from what it is into what we want it to become: leaner and more muscular. The human body is not seduced, lured, cajoled, convinced or persuaded to alter itself—it is forced to alter itself. We force the body to favorably reconfigure itself by generating physical and psychological fierceness during training. This intense, protracted physical effort is amplified and enhanced by the studied and sustained use of specific nutritional strategies. Commonsense nutritional strategies and Old School training tactics are synchronized and placed within a periodized timeframe.

The three interrelated Purposefully Primitive disciplines (weight training, cardiovascular training and nutrition) need to be regularly and routinely practiced in a balanced and proportional fashion. Lock down all aspects of the program and within seven days of full implementation tangible results appear; by the end of the first month, body composition (the fat-to-muscle ratio) undergoes a dramatic turnaround; those who commit completely for 90 days undergo a total metamorphosis. Does this mean everyone will end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger on his best day? No, but no matter how deep a physical hole you are currently standing in, 90 days of maniacal discipline and teeth-gritting effort will enable you to utterly and completely change the shape, texture, efficiency and hardness of your body.

Our Purposefully Primitive Methodology is a loose amalgamation of methods and modes absorbed from genuine Masters. This cumulative, combined knowledge is grouped into one of four categories: Iron, Mind, Cardio or Nutrition. These are the four avenues of transformational progress. The Purposefully Primitive amalgamated philosophy is not time intensive, but it is physically intense: total training time for a beginner or intermediate athlete does not need to exceed five cumulative hours per week—not much time at all when one considers the innumerable physical benefits derived. The caveat is that you must generate extreme physical effort during those five hours. Sub-maximal training yields sub-maximal results; we consciously and continually push against the lip of the limit envelope because we understand that extreme physical effort is the transformational precursor.

Disciplined nutrition underpins gut-busting training. Eat plentiful amounts of wholesome, nutritious and delicious tasting foods. Bias food consumption towards nutrients preferentially used to build muscle and accelerate the healing and recovery process. Avoid foods preferentially shuttled into body fat storage. Purposefully Primitive training is self-inflicted physical trauma. We need to supply the battered body with ample amounts of regenerative nutrients. Certain nutrients ingested at specific times will accelerate the physical recovery process. Physical recovery is the precursor to actual muscle growth.

Certain foods accelerate results and other foods undermine hard training. We consume foods that amplify our efforts and jettison foods that subvert and derail the transformational process.

Those disciplined few able to attain and maintain that delicate, elusive balance between resistance training, cardiovascular training and precision nutrition, ignite physiologic synergy. When synergistic critical mass is attained progress compounds at an astoundingly fast rate; results exceed realistic expectations. The transformational total exceeds the logical sum of the deconstructed parts: 2 + 2 + 2 = 10. A fully instituted Purposefully Primitive regimen always transforms the physique. The human body subjected to our peculiar and particular procedures and protocols has no biological choice in the matter: when the human body has been successfully served with certain physiological imperatives the laws of causation must be obeyed. Enact our procedures in the prescribed fashion and muscle must be manufactured; stored body fat must be mobilized and oxidized.

I have provided you with a series of tried-and-tested tactical training templates. I have provided you with nutritional strategies used on a worldwide basis by the athletic elite. Hopefully I have shed the light of truth on a few basic physiological facts-of-life. There are certain laws of science and biology that are profoundly applicable to the process. All fitness-minded individuals need to understand these facts-of-life if they are ever to gain any traction in their own transformational quest.

I have empowered you with classical knowledge gleaned from true Masters. You now know precisely what procedures and protocols will work. By replicating and instituting Purposefully Primitive training and eating strategies, you will be able to engineer your very own physical metamorphosis.

Your search for effective transformational methods is over.
—Marty Gallagher