Grease the Groove, Build Real Strength

Josh and Paul in 2005

One of the first times I rolled into Metroflex with Paul Leonard, we spotted this semi big-name pro bodybuilder we’d only ever seen greased up on glossy magazine covers. Never saw him before or since. He strutted in with a bikini gal on his arm, more focused on getting lucky later than getting strong now.

The man got under 315—about his own bodyweight—and shook like he was on a three-day truck stop meth bender fueled by gas station coffee and a fistful of Mini Thins, barely hitting quarter-depth before bailing out. Should’ve parked himself on the good-girl/bad-girl machine, where the only thing in danger would’ve been his dignity, not his spine.

Fast-forward to Big Paco “El Chokehold” Ramirez—a local legend, part-time bouncer, full-time battering ram in cowboy boots—at the now-defunct Chicas Locas off Division Street in Arlington.That joint looked like it was welded together from stolen shipping containers, painted with nail polish, and powered by a lawnmower battery with a loose connection.

The crowd? Tejano cowboys, oilfield roughnecks, a few “off-the-grid” border crossers, and some fellas who looked like they’d stopped in on their way to negotiate plea bargains.

Paco? He rolled in, tossed on five plates, and hammered 10 sets of 3 like he was training to German suplex a drunk in a parking lot gunfight later that night. Paul and I threw him a few tips between sets—you need to stay efficient when bouncing at Chicas Locas, it’s basically pit fighting with a cover charge, bad lighting and various weapons.

The IFBB pro? Not a bad dude—unless you count hawking “underground supplements” on Myspace and hitting on every client in a 20-foot radius. Paco’s proof that the road to Carnegie Hall is paved with practice, practice, practice—skip it, and you’re just another juiced-up Venice Beach drifter plinking a ukulele for beer money.

Technical Efficiency

Turning slabs of raw muscle into firing tissue starts with technical efficiency. Whether you’re a Metroflex rookie, an IFBB pro trying to look impressive for a bikini gal, or Big Paco “El Chokehold” Ramirez cranking out squats like he’s prepping for a parking lot German suplex, technique is the difference between real strength and shaky fluff.

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One essential concept for mastering technique is Greasing the Groove (GtG). Strength is a skill. Like Paco’s 10×3 squats, you build it through quality practice, not random heroics. Every perfect rep lays insulation (myelination) on your brain-to-muscle wiring, making signals faster and movements snappier. That’s why Paco’s barbell looked like an extension of his spine while the IFBB pro rattled like a busted screen door under 315.

Here’s the full breakdown, no fluff left behind:Enhanced Neuromuscular Efficiency: GtG sharpens the connection between brain and muscle. The bar moves because your nervous system fires like a high-voltage line, not a flickering Chicas Locas neon sign.

• More Strength on Tap: Stronger motor patterns = more fibers firing at once. Paco’s squat wasn’t magic—it was dialed-in wiring and practice.
• Bulletproof Technique: Sloppy reps are like crooked nails. Practice right, and every lift is straight and solid, reducing injury risk.
• Speed Kills: Faster nerve signals mean quicker, more explosive contractions. Your lifts stop feeling like a wrestling match with gravity.
• Endurance Upgrade: Efficient pathways let you knock out more reps with less fatigue. Paco hammered 10 sets of 3 and walked out fresh enough to bounce drunks later that night.
• Skill Mastery: Lifting’s no different than learning guitar. Practice wrong, sound like trash. Practice right, you shred. The IFBB pro? Ukulele money on Venice Beach. Paco? Carnegie Hall with a squat bar.
• Time Efficiency: Frequent, short sets grease the groove without frying your CNS. Think 10×3 instead of 3×10—more first reps, more chances to perfect the movement.
• Fight-Ready Strength: Efficient reps mean force you can actually use—under a heavy bar or when some oilfield roughneck decides to test you outside Chicas Locas.
• Long-Term Gains: Technique built today pays off for decades. Max strength climbs, injuries stay away, and you don’t stall out like the Myspace supplement peddler.

Practical takeaway: stick in that 70–80% 1RM sweet spot, avoid failure like gas station sushi, and move the bar fast and clean. Strength isn’t just size—it’s skill. Train like Paco, rep it right, rep it often, and your barbell IQ will climb higher than a West Virginia mountain goat on a cliff face.

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