MILO OF KROTON
Milo's Story
Milo's Methods was developed in honor of the practices and teachings of Milo of Kroton. Milo of Kroton, a pupil of the philosopher Pythagoras, created practical training and is the most famous athlete in Antiquity. Born over 2,000 years ago in the Greek colony of Kroton, Milo used his logical training style to win the Olympics 6 times between 536 and 516 B.C. He first won in 536 B.C. in the youth wrestling event and subsequently five times later in the men's wrestling events. In fact, in the games of 520 B.C., Milo was the only wrestler to attempt to compete as no other competitors would challenge him. He also won seven times in the Pythian Games, nine times in the Nemean Games and ten times in the Isthmian Games. Spectators would marvel about Milo's inner strength; a strength that he developed due to his training style, which today would best be described as core strength.
As legend goes, Milo's father gave him a calf to care for. The calf had to be taken to the fields daily. However, the calf was stubborn and would not walk down the hill. Thus, Milo decided to place the calf on his back and perform a farmers carry down to his house in the evening, while repeating the same movement up the hill in the morning. As time passed, the calf gradually grew larger, requiring Milo to carry more and more weight. This simple, but effective strength training enabled Milo to win the Youth Olympics.
After this impressive victory, Milo decided to augment his training routine before the adult Olympics. Milo would start training with a newborn calf, and carry it around the stadium in Kroton every other day. By the end of his training four years later the same calf had become a full grown cow. Another training tool Milo used is similar to a modern day Bosu. Milo took a flat rock (also know as a discus), greased it up and put it on another rock. Milo could be witnessed on the rock for hours exercising. Milo was considered the strongest man alive and people would travel from miles away to attempt to push him off the rock, or best him in other strength challenges. There are many stories of Milos training regime that should inspire us to work hard and give tribute to this man of ancient times, who is considered by many to be The Godfather of Practical Training.
The Legend of Milo is composed of different stories that have been translated over time. We composed a few of the recurring themes, but unfortunately, when The Byzantine Empire took over the city of Kroton, most things were destroyed. The most common painting or sculpture you will find of Milo is the one of his ultimate demise. Milo was walking through the forest and came upon a tree that had been wedged slightly apart. Milo, who was always up for a challenge, tried to pull the tree apart but unfortunately both of Milos arms became stuck in the cleft of the tree. Milo was eaten that night by wild animals. Milo of Kroton had an amazing life and was the first person ever documented to use strength training to improve his life and help him achieve his goals. Therefore, we hope to educate people in his philosophy, while always maintaining its integrity.
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