How'd your training go?

[DCR]

I have the same complaints about commercial gyms as anyone else (hell, I recently posted a lengthy bitch on the topic), but… I more so love them. Part of it for sure is nostalgia / comfort from growing up bro. Also, though, while the family atmosphere of a black iron spot can be great, the testosterone in a good commercial spot is just its own thing. I feel alive here lol.

[sklunk]

I recently started lifting a couple times a week in a commercial gym for access to machines. It’s a lot of fun and totally worth it for exposure to the personalities alone.

[dw]

I love commercial gyms for two reasons - (1) I love the machines ofc and (2) they give me the illusion that I'm actually good at this because man some of these people are decidedly not.

It's actually an interesting phenomenon to me, which we have discussed before here, the dedicated but casual gym goer, who spends a substantial amount of time in the gym, goes regularly, follows a routine, and simply makes no progress whatsoever because he or she just assumes that's how it's supposed to be.

And it's not just old people but plenty of 30ish men as well. Also a lot of young women seem to fit in this group even though they do go pretty hard in terms of RPE. I think they just don't understand they have to bulk if they really want those glute gains.

[DCR]

I love commercial gyms for two reasons - (1) I love the machines ofc and (2) they give me the illusion that I'm actually good at this because man some of these people are decidedly not.

Haha, yeah, very much that too.

It's actually an interesting phenomenon to me, which we have discussed before here, the dedicated but casual gym goer, who spends a substantial amount of time in the gym, goes regularly, follows a routine, and simply makes no progress whatsoever because he or she just assumes that's how it's supposed to be.

And it's not just old people but plenty of 30ish men as well. Also a lot of young women seem to fit in this group even though they do go pretty hard in terms of RPE. I think they just don't understand they have to bulk if they really want those glute gains.

I find that the biggest demographic failure is dudes in their teens/twenties. They don't do a single damn thing correctly, and it's not that they think no progress is how it's supposed to be; rather, they think that they are making progress because the weight on the bar for their quarter squats keeps going up, and that one day they suddenly will have the jackedness to match. It never seems to occur to them that a person squatting three plates for reps should have at least some appreciable amount of muscle and that, as they have absolutely none to speak of, perhaps they're doing something wrong.

[EggMcMuffin]

Something I've always found fucking surreal is sitting in my college classes with some incredibly bright and industrious people in like their early 20's talking about gym stuff and they just do like everything wrong lol. I genuinely don't understand how someone who takes the effort to actually go to the gym and like, "be about it" while clearly demonstrating competence in every other area of their life manages to mess it all up.

Maybe it's an emotional maturity thing?

[dw]

Something I've always found fucking surreal is sitting in my college classes with some incredibly bright and industrious people in like their early 20's talking about gym stuff and they just do like everything wrong lol. I genuinely don't understand how someone who takes the effort to actually go to the gym and like, "be about it" while clearly demonstrating competence in every other area of their life manages to mess it all up.

Maybe it's an emotional maturity thing?

My notion is that some people don't understand that working out can (and seems to me, should) be progressive. This goes for endurance activities as well.

You can get better and better at whatever it is you're doing, and that's what you should be aiming for. It's not just some thing you do over and over and over like a ritual.

Once you think in terms of making progress or failing to make progress it become a whole different challenge, even though you're not necessarily even spending more time than you used to when you were just treading water.

[ChasingCurls69]

Something I've always found fucking surreal is sitting in my college classes with some incredibly bright and industrious people in like their early 20's talking about gym stuff and they just do like everything wrong lol. I genuinely don't understand how someone who takes the effort to actually go to the gym and like, "be about it" while clearly demonstrating competence in every other area of their life manages to mess it all up.

Maybe it's an emotional maturity thing?

What are they doing in the gym?

[hector]

Something I've always found fucking surreal is sitting in my college classes with some incredibly bright and industrious people in like their early 20's talking about gym stuff and they just do like everything wrong lol. I genuinely don't understand how someone who takes the effort to actually go to the gym and like, "be about it" while clearly demonstrating competence in every other area of their life manages to mess it all up.

Maybe it's an emotional maturity thing?

Doing shit “wrong”, if you’re enthusiastic enough, can yield better results than some who do it “correctly.” Especially in your 20s.
True not only for lifting.

It’s when you’re older that your margin or error starts to slip.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

I don't think you can lift weights "wrong" if you:

- implement progressive overload
- show up to the gym consistently 3 to 7 times a week
- train hard (not maximal effort but high effort)
- eat enough to slowly gain weight and put on muscle and sleep to recover
- change the programming periodically to avoid stagnation and log their training to monitor how their body responds

Will doing those turn you into brett gibbs ? Will this lead you to reach the peak of your strength abilities ? Probably not, but do that for 20 years and you'll be jacked. That works for everyone. That does not require any intelligence or talent, just consistent time and effort. This is also why there are so little jacked people: almost nobody does anything consistently (apart from deviants like us who lurk on lifting forums), especially something as simple and redundant as lifting heavy things in various planes of motion and putting them down and repeat the process two days later.

This is why intelligence (referring to the remark about "some incredibly bright and industrious people") is a poor predictor of success for weight training. Broadly speaking:
- reddit is full of galaxy brain egg-heads who are "DoInG tHe SciEnCe" and cannot bench 220 lbs. But they craft their program using the latest ex-phys studies with RPE and RIR and MEV and MRV and INOLS and other cheeki breeki metrics for "OpTiMaL PrOGreSS BrO". Whenever they stall they figure out that it's time to go back to youtube and pubmed listen to some more "science-based lifting advice".
- every gym has some macho man randy savage meatheads who probably have a hard time writing their first name without a spelling error who bench 315 lbs with a flat back. Those guys never heard of Israetel, Rippetoe, Nuckols, Nippard either. They are doing fine without it.

Who's "lifting wrong" here ? The idiots with results or the geniuses with no gains ? Who's the actual idiot in this scenario ?

More generally, I think that people who are intellectually gifted (or who have never done anything physical in life, which in the 21st century is almost everybody who was not involved in athletics as a child and who didn't have to do manual labor to make ends meet) have a hard time when they have to do things that are both simple and hard. It's difficult for them to understand that lack of knowledge is not the cause for their lack of success, rather its lack of consistent effort and time. Intellectuals do not like to solve problems with brute force, but getting jacked is a problem that can ONLY be solved by brute force.

PS: understand that I am writing this rant not to attack anyone, i'm talking to my past self. If anything I qualify as an idiot.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

Something I've always found fucking surreal is sitting in my college classes with some incredibly bright and industrious people in like their early 20's talking about gym stuff and they just do like everything wrong lol. I genuinely don't understand how someone who takes the effort to actually go to the gym and like, "be about it" while clearly demonstrating competence in every other area of their life manages to mess it all up.

Maybe it's an emotional maturity thing?

Doing shit “wrong”, if you’re enthusiastic enough, can yield better results than some who do it “correctly.” Especially in your 20s.
True not only for lifting.

It’s when you’re older that your margin or error starts to slip.

I'm almost 40 and I am convinced that it works the same way whether you are 20 or 40.

[SnakePlissken]

I don't think you can lift weights "wrong" if you:

- implement progressive overload
- show up to the gym consistently 3 to 7 times a week
- train hard (not maximal effort but high effort)
- eat enough to slowly gain weight and put on muscle and sleep to recover
- change the programming periodically to avoid stagnation and log their training to monitor how their body responds

Will doing those turn you into brett gibbs ? Will this lead you to reach the peak of your strength abilities ? Probably not, but do that for 20 years and you'll be jacked. That works for everyone. That does not require any intelligence or talent, just consistent time and effort. This is also why there are so little jacked people: almost nobody does anything consistently (apart from deviants like us who lurk on lifting forums), especially something as simple and redundant as lifting heavy things in various planes of motion and putting them down and repeat the process two days later.

This is why intelligence (referring to the remark about "some incredibly bright and industrious people") is a poor predictor of success for weight training. Broadly speaking:
- reddit is full of galaxy brain egg-heads who are "DoInG tHe SciEnCe" and cannot bench 220 lbs. But they craft their program using the latest ex-phys studies with RPE and RIR and MEV and MRV and INOLS and other cheeki breeki metrics for "OpTiMaL PrOGreSS BrO". Whenever they stall they figure out that it's time to go back to youtube and pubmed listen to some more "science-based lifting advice".
- every gym has some macho man randy savage meatheads who probably have a hard time writing their first name without a spelling error who bench 315 lbs with a flat back. Those guys never heard of Israetel, Rippetoe, Nuckols, Nippard either. They are doing fine without it.

Who's "lifting wrong" here ? The idiots with results or the geniuses with no gains ? Who's the actual idiot in this scenario ?

More generally, I think that people who are intellectually gifted (or who have never done anything physical in life, which in the 21st century is almost everybody who was not involved in athletics as a child and who didn't have to do manual labor to make ends meet) have a hard time when they have to do things that are both simple and hard. It's difficult for them to understand that lack of knowledge is not the cause for their lack of success, rather its lack of consistent effort and time. Intellectuals do not like to solve problems with brute force, but getting jacked is a problem that can ONLY be solved by brute force.

PS: understand that I am writing this rant not to attack anyone, i'm talking to my past self. If anything I qualify as an idiot.

I can hear the Bald Omni Man in here lol. I think it's a good thing though because he's someone that does counter the BBM dweebs saying "actaully ______ is better than ______ based on _____ study."

I think a lot of people going to the gym also have different goals which can look stupid if your goals are a lot different from theirs. When I started lifting I was in college and did it with a friend that was just using cookie cutter BB.com templates (with sparing compounds and tons of machine work). Back then I was doing Spartan races with friends from my internship so my goals were different than they are now and putting on too much size wasn't a goal or something I worried about. My main goal was to be able to do these BB.com splits and run 3 miles at the end of it with progressively smaller mile times up to the race and it worked well. If I tried that programming for size and strength then yeah it would've been a dumb training plan.

Also had a few friends in college that lifted for raw strength and size (obviously to get chicks) by doing ball busting workouts with a ton of machine work too and it worked well for them. One of my friends wound up joining a frat and was jacked so he got laid a lot until he settled down with a one girl and they're married now. His goal was accomplished.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

I don't think you can lift weights "wrong" if you:

- implement progressive overload
- show up to the gym consistently 3 to 7 times a week
- train hard (not maximal effort but high effort)
- eat enough to slowly gain weight and put on muscle and sleep to recover
- change the programming periodically to avoid stagnation and log their training to monitor how their body responds

Will doing those turn you into brett gibbs ? Will this lead you to reach the peak of your strength abilities ? Probably not, but do that for 20 years and you'll be jacked. That works for everyone. That does not require any intelligence or talent, just consistent time and effort. This is also why there are so little jacked people: almost nobody does anything consistently (apart from deviants like us who lurk on lifting forums), especially something as simple and redundant as lifting heavy things in various planes of motion and putting them down and repeat the process two days later.

This is why intelligence (referring to the remark about "some incredibly bright and industrious people") is a poor predictor of success for weight training. Broadly speaking:
- reddit is full of galaxy brain egg-heads who are "DoInG tHe SciEnCe" and cannot bench 220 lbs. But they craft their program using the latest ex-phys studies with RPE and RIR and MEV and MRV and INOLS and other cheeki breeki metrics for "OpTiMaL PrOGreSS BrO". Whenever they stall they figure out that it's time to go back to youtube and pubmed listen to some more "science-based lifting advice".
- every gym has some macho man randy savage meatheads who probably have a hard time writing their first name without a spelling error who bench 315 lbs with a flat back. Those guys never heard of Israetel, Rippetoe, Nuckols, Nippard either. They are doing fine without it.

Who's "lifting wrong" here ? The idiots with results or the geniuses with no gains ? Who's the actual idiot in this scenario ?

More generally, I think that people who are intellectually gifted (or who have never done anything physical in life, which in the 21st century is almost everybody who was not involved in athletics as a child and who didn't have to do manual labor to make ends meet) have a hard time when they have to do things that are both simple and hard. It's difficult for them to understand that lack of knowledge is not the cause for their lack of success, rather its lack of consistent effort and time. Intellectuals do not like to solve problems with brute force, but getting jacked is a problem that can ONLY be solved by brute force.

PS: understand that I am writing this rant not to attack anyone, i'm talking to my past self. If anything I qualify as an idiot.

I can hear the Bald Omni Man in here lol. I think it's a good thing though because he's someone that does counter the BBM dweebs saying "actaully ______ is better than ______ based on _____ study."

I think a lot of people going to the gym also have different goals which can look stupid if your goals are a lot different from theirs. When I started lifting I was in college and did it with a friend that was just using cookie cutter BB.com templates (with sparing compounds and tons of machine work). Back then I was doing Spartan races with friends from my internship so my goals were different than they are now and putting on too much size wasn't a goal or something I worried about. My main goal was to be able to do these BB.com splits and run 3 miles at the end of it with progressively smaller mile times up to the race and it worked well. If I tried that programming for size and strength then yeah it would've been a dumb training plan.

Also had a few friends in college that lifted for raw strength and size (obviously to get chicks) by doing ball busting workouts with a ton of machine work too and it worked well for them. One of my friends wound up joining a frat and was jacked so he got laid a lot until he settled down with a one girl and they're married now. His goal was accomplished.

And I'm sure he achieved this goal without ever performing a ScIEncE BaseD OpTImaL workout. Makes you wonder.

[ChasingCurls69]

I liked that rant with the caveat that redditors aren't actually smart. They are nerds but overwhelmingly bad at nearly everything they do, and their version of science is just running 5/3/1 flippity floppity HD remix over and over until their next 6-12 month break from lifting.

[Wilhelm]

Let out a Grizzly roar after simply making it through my deadlift session today.
I immediately felt the need to signal to my wife i was ok.


It's usually not because of anything good if i'm yelling in the living room.
Bless her soul she asked me if it was a PR.

fwiw, 475X1/413X 4,4,4,4,4

I guess that 413 for 5 sets of 4 actually does match rep/set PR
Was dragging ass a little today after short sleep.
475 has moved faster, but all in all a good session.

[DCR]

That’s the spirit, @Wilhelm.

I tend to just holler profanity.

[augeleven]

Haven’t seen my brother since this summer. We met at the mall (he is a weirdo who is drawn to malls I guess?). His first words to me were “your pecs are looking solid!”. Not hi or I missed you, or I’m sorry for dragging you to a mall.

I’m taking this as a win AND a justification of my 6 week BBB block (and holiday binge). I won’t be convinced otherwise.

[janoycresva]

did 5 sets of db bench and 5 sets of neutral grip deficit pushups a few days ago, chest is still sore as fuck

highly recommended

[hector]

Benched 3 work sets of 270 x 5.

Then benched 245 for 6 sets of 5. Backoff sets. Chest sore.

Realized I’d forgotten to write down my third work set of 270 x 5. The anal part of me couldn’t risk the chance of living a lie, so, sore as fuck, finished my workout with benching another set of 270 x 5. (Maybe/probably a 4th set. Idk.)

[hector]

Haven’t seen my brother since this summer. We met at the mall (he is a weirdo who is drawn to malls I guess?). His first words to me were “your pecs are looking solid!”. Not hi or I missed you, or I’m sorry for dragging you to a mall.

I’m taking this as a win AND a justification of my 6 week BBB block (and holiday binge). I won’t be convinced otherwise.

This is a beautiful family reunion story centered around pec development. Love it and am jealous.

[DCR]

Benched 3 work sets of 270 x 5.

Then benched 245 for 6 sets of 5. Backoff sets. Chest sore.

Realized I’d forgotten to write down my third work set of 270 x 5. The anal part of me couldn’t risk the chance of living a lie, so, sore as fuck, finished my workout with benching another set of 270 x 5. (Maybe/probably a 4th set. Idk.)

This gave me every feel.

Today on my last set of paused bench (also 3x5), I forgot to pause on the first rep, so did extra long pauses on the next four, with an extra extra long pause on the last one. It was the only way for my neurosis to move beyond the error without doing a fourth set or, worse - since I may not have had a fourth set - repeating the weight next time.