Do you know anyone like this ?

[chicken_hawk]

The other day the gang of guys that I run with at the gym where having this discussion. We were talking about people we knew of even if we didn't know them personally that have been training for years but, made no progress. I mean guys who came 4 or 5 days a week, but still look the same after 2+ years.

Myself I couldn't do it ! I could not keep coming back to the gym only to look the same. It's clear what they are doing wrong, the majority of them just don't work hard enough. Partial smith benching, partial cable push downs and 1/4 squats. We watch as the higher these guys go up in weight the shorter their ROM becomes. One guy, Russ, gets all his strength from spotters, that guy will wear you the FOK out ! With every plate he adds the more his spotters need to pull. The result is he still looks the same since I met him 2.5 yrs. ago.

Truthfully I imagine their diets mirror their training and that they don't get enough protein or even spring for a whey shake. I just don't know what motivates them to come back ?

Hawk

 

[Rory]

Lol I know a few like this. Some of them say its "easy" for me. I call them out on their bullshit. I've noticed most refuse to diet, drink all the time, and cheat on workouts. Same people that can't understand why on Friday night I went to the gym instead of the bar. I think a lot of them keeping showing up cause it makes them feel they are doing something, even if its nothing and they can brag about how dedicated they are on Facebook lol.

 

[srd1]

I know alot of people that think of the gym as a social hangout place to sit around and shoot the shit and in between all that get a few half ass sets in. Not sure what the point is of all that to many mirrors in there for them to think its getting them anywhere. When im in the gym im there for a reason with certain particular goals im focused on. Working out is the easy part for me keeping my diet solid is the hard part if those people cant do work in the gym you know they dont have the discipline to maintain a clean diet. Ergo no results

 

[Enigmatic707]

Isn't that 95% of gym goers? Seems like it to me at least.

 

[Magnus82]

Yea, i know many people that lift that don't look like they lift and they spend more time in the gym than i do. I am there fore one reason, change. They dont realize its about progression and not just about putting in your time doin the same thing over and over. Many of them also do not realize progression is not only limited to the gym, but nutrition and recovery as well. Their half assed efforts in the gym are reflected by their half assed efforts to put in the time to learn what it takes to progress which is the exact reason we are on great boards like this.

 

[Ironbuilt]

Yeah lotta beauty pumppers out there that show up for 15 minutes and some mirror time ..
I shake my head every time I see them..

 

[turbobusa]

Well I was buck wild in my younger days so I did get periods of "down time"
in jail. I'd come back to the gym after being away 6 months -yr .
Those same guys looked the same way as when I left. They'd get that big smile seeing I'd lost a bunch since they saw me last. Inactivity and living on the counties nasty catfood samwiches will do that. Be about 8-12 weeks
and i'd be my old self and progress on to nice gains. That just galled the hell out of some guys. What Chickenhawk describes is fairly common.
For reference and clarity refer to CH's stop training like a pussy thread.
I too just could not stay in a stagnant state and reap the benefits and enjoyment that gains / progress/ changes give me.
To each his own. Thanks , T

 

[turbobusa]

Oh yeah one more thing. Though we here have our ways I don't want to disuade the "running in place" crowd. T

 

[chicken_hawk]

In all reality, I am glad that there are only a few of us that do things right...hell I don't want everyone looking like me LOL.

tt reminded me of a true story. I stopped training from 22-30 (kids) and when I joined back at my local "Y" I saw most of the same crew when I left. They trained chest MWF and would do flat,inc, and decline bench followed by flys every week. Usually 3 of them who could hit 315 for an ugly rep or two. I made it my goal to surpass them even though I could only handle 135 for a few reps. I stayed at the "Y" for 5 years and when I left I was doing 315 for a few clean reps.

And today, I doubt they still go LOL

Hawk

 

[Thor]

yup

see them all the time at every gym ive been to , that is why I lifted naturally for 3 years then started taking creatine and HMB and everything else that came out til I found a source for the juice and now if I ever go back to those same old gyms some of the regulars there that knew me then are like " Wow dude, you dont even look like the same guy" ha ha cuz IM NOT :headbang: I know what youre saying CH just cant stand workin that hard to spin my wheels.

 

[thebrick]

Yeah, I have seen those guys too. The worst example is a man I have seen for years at the gym (like clockwork lifting) and if you saw him on the street, you wouldn't even know he was a lifter. To top it off, the guy is SOFT. Almost like no muscle tone. Makes you wonder about their diet in cases like this, or maybe its just shitty genetics.

 

[chicken_hawk]

Yeah, I have seen those guys too. The worst example is a man I have seen for years at the gym (like clockwork lifting) and if you saw him on the street, you wouldn't even know he was a lifter. To top it off, the guy is SOFT. Almost like no muscle tone. Makes you wonder about their diet in cases like this, or maybe its just shitty genetics.

Here is the thing...has he ever asked for advice ?

Have any of these dudes ever asked anyone for help?

In my experience they don't feel they need any, shit they create their own crazy ass exercises LOL

Hawk

 

[srd1]

I feel like the majority of it is shitty diet garbage in garbage out. Alot of people do not realize how important it is for your diet to be goal oriented not just shovel in what looks good. Far as the lifting their just going thru the motions they feel like if they show up and push some weight however incorrectly theyll grow.... not the case. Sorry guys my time and money are more valuable to me it would absolutely drive me nuts wasting time effort and money and not accomplishing my goals.

 

[chrisr116]

The big thing I see is improper form and cheating with heavier weights than they can handle. I've seen them in the locker room, most are fat asses. I saw one putting a girdle on to hold his belly in this week.

 

[turbobusa]

The big thing I see is improper form and cheating with heavier weights than they can handle. I've seen them in the locker room, most are fat asses. I saw one putting a girdle on to hold his belly in this week.

Maybe that was to hold his gut up to clear the path to use the blow dryer to fill the breathing air with pube leavins..T

 

[FordFan]

In all reality, I am glad that there are only a few of us that do things right...hell I don't want everyone looking like me LOL.

tt reminded me of a true story. I stopped training from 22-30 (kids) and when I joined back at my local "Y" I saw most of the same crew when I left. They trained chest MWF and would do flat,inc, and decline bench followed by flys every week. Usually 3 of them who could hit 315 for an ugly rep or two. I made it my goal to surpass them even though I could only handle 135 for a few reps. I stayed at the "Y" for 5 years and when I left I was doing 315 for a few clean reps.

And today, I doubt they still go LOL

Hawk

I quit for about the same age range. When I started back, sure enough ran into some of the ol' guys.

They looked the exact same, doing exact same exercise like clock work. Fast forward one year after I restarted. One of the guys actually asked how do you do it. "You took a break and one year later you've blown me out of the water."

Funny enough his truck is at Pizza Hut picking up dinner after the gym almost every night!

 

[chicken_hawk]

I quit for about the same age range. When I started back, sure enough ran into some of the ol' guys.

They looked the exact same, doing exact same exercise like clock work. Fast forward one year after I restarted. One of the guys actually asked how do you do it. "You took a break and one year later you've blown me out of the water."

Funny enough his truck is at Pizza Hut picking up dinner after the gym almost every night!

So, you know exactly what I am talking about ha ha. I am glad they stall, but have no idea why they keep going. I remember I had a goal when I started to hit my old numbers and then when I did I set new goals. My lifetime goals were to bench 400 and squat 500, now I am chasing 500 and 600 respectively.

Hawk

 

[tWack]

Isn't that 95% of gym goers? Seems like it to me at least.

So true. Lots of people go through the motions and think they did great never making any real changes.

 

[Concreteguy]

The other day the gang of guys that I run with at the gym where having this discussion. We were talking about people we knew of even if we didn't know them personally that have been training for years but, made no progress. I mean guys who came 4 or 5 days a week, but still look the same after 2+ years.

Myself I couldn't do it ! I could not keep coming back to the gym only to look the same. It's clear what they are doing wrong, the majority of them just don't work hard enough. Partial smith benching, partial cable push downs and 1/4 squats. We watch as the higher these guys go up in weight the shorter their ROM becomes. One guy, Russ, gets all his strength from spotters, that guy will wear you the FOK out ! With every plate he adds the more his spotters need to pull. The result is he still looks the same since I met him 2.5 yrs. ago.

Truthfully I imagine their diets mirror their training and that they don't get enough protein or even spring for a whey shake. I just don't know what motivates them to come back ?

Hawk

So true buddy! But what you see may not be whats looking back at them in the mirror.
It all goes full circle back to the very most basic thing about training. You MUST send the message of change when your training. Whether it's HIT or reps you MUST have that moment of failure or very close to. This is what tells the body to change. The folks that fall into your discription ALL fall well short of this. They NEVER grow bigger because they NEVER ask for more from thier bodies. They will always look at guys like you and think your some kind of God......

CG

 

[The Grim Repper]

This happens much the same way where people buy monthly muscle magazines, waiting for that 'magic' workout, supplement that will make them look 'like a bodybuilder'. They read and reread articles never coming away with the basic knowledge of training hard, eating a clean diet and living the lifestyle and constant progression. I've dealt with health issues, I am a family man but I enter that gym each and every time like it IS my job. I am there to work. That is why I'm there. I have poured myself into my training with a vengeance over the past 4 months after receiving a doctor's blessing and since then I've had numerous people ask me everything from how much I weigh to what I'm on to if I'm preparing for a show. Because they notice progression. Weights, reps and my overall size and conditioning. They don't progress because it doesn't mean to them what it means to me. Long before ever touching an anabolic, I was asked numerous times (aka accused) of it because of my dedication and conditioning. "You didn't look that way 6 months ago bro, wtf? C'mon now..." I answered, "Right. Why would I want to look the same 6 months later?"