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Maximising Minimalism

I have alway done close grip chins. Started a program today with wide grip. Heaps harder. Sadly will have to do lat pulldowns when doing the program without my PT. Can't reach from the little step up to the bars with a wide grip. Oh the humiliation...
 
Speak for yourself Kylie, I personaly dont like boot camp style trainng but frankly it was nice having someone about who actually knows wot there talking about, and gets people motivated.
You didnt like his methods becos it didnt fit into your way of trainning.
At least he speaks from experiance. What have you offered?
 
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this could get ugly lol

I hope marcos comes back...I liked the attitude.... and agree why stuff about, if you wanna do something do it..More info would also be good..

I am probably one those he hints at in his newsletter, but hope it was just because i have had a poor traing routine until now..

for the record i did chins wide grip, bw x 10, bw x 7, bw x 5, then 5 close grips, I was surprised, how well I did, my shoulder presses will need work, as I lack mid section strength, and can feel excess pressure from starting to arch up. I will have a go at what i can acheive on squats and deads wednesday. then work on a routine to incorportae the new lifts, So I can aim to be doing the 6 basics, 3-4 times a week.
 
I don't think his style is "boot camp" at all. That stuff is bollocks.

I agree, it was nice having someone around knowledgeable and motivated. I already said that. Did you think I was being sarcastic? I wasn't.

I only say that he is not the only knowledgeable and motivated person on this forum. Which I think he disagrees with

I think his methods are good, it's not that it's not my style of training - I just couldn't do it. I absolutely agree with focusing on the big lifts to build strength. However, that is not entirely compatible with a lumbar scoliosis. But as you know from my workout journal, I'm trying anyway - slowly but surely I'll get there (I hope).

I didn't attack his contributions, so I don't have to defend my own contributions. In any case, a person's contributions have to stand on their own. Saying, "I gave so-and-so to the forum" is as useful as saying "I am honest" or "I am loyal."

If I contributed anything worthwhile, I don't have to tell anyone, they'll know already. If I didn't, then I still don't have to say anything.

The only thing I'd criticise about Markos is the way he presents himself on forums. It gets tiresome being told you're an idiot all the time, and for a guy who likes to take the piss out of others pretty thoroughly he's pretty bad at copping it himself. Again, that's only how he presents himself online. That's often different to how someone is in person.
 
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I don't know about his methods. He talks so much about the big excercises, but going through his training pics, I saw a few of his clients curling an EZ bar. WTF?! OMG?! ISOLATING A MUSCLE?! AT PTC?! He makes such an emphasis on this yets puts pics like that up.

He actually mentioned me in his newsletter about my question and gave an example of a workout.

Squats 3 x 8
Leg extension 3 x 8
Leg curl 3 x 8
Leg press 3 x 8
Calf raises 3 x 8


I don't know about you guys, but I like to devote around 8 sets to squats, or the main excercise whatever it may be, 5 sets dont really do it for me, I might do some leg extensions when I can hardly stand after doing squats to like he said finish off that muscle.


Most of the pics he has of his clients are not big, they are powerlifters, the difference is clearly visible. He trains his clients for strength, if you want to gain size, doing the same workout someone for powerlifting does is not going to help you as much. He came here, trolling, saying this and that, but he failed to realise this is a bodybuilding forum and there is a difference.
 
How so? I was making a valid statement.

He runs off on generalisations. I realise that a lot of people don't do the basics, but there is also a lot that do.

Also the two pics he posted are the only ones that stood out to me as having good builds, not so much the first as the second in the blue Everlast shirt.
 
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howzit said:
I saw a few of his clients curling an EZ bar. WTF?! OMG?! ISOLATING A MUSCLE?! AT PTC?! He makes such an emphasis on this yets puts pics like that up.
Click to expand...

i think you'll find those pics are tongue in cheek. the ez-girl bar is a bit of an in joke at PTC. im not gonna bother backing him up in this thread as its apparent that its a pointless exercise and i doubt he'll post here either as he's going to be spending less time on forums (including the one he moderates). who knows he may respond though...
 
Ah, that explains it. I was going say it was pretty ironic.

Anyway, I respect him, but don't completely agree with his training method when it comes to size.
 
Oh well, he obviously hates my guts. But still think he is a guy with a lot of experience and plenty to offer, but just needs to get over himself.

Saying that, probably part of why he is so successful. Completely believes in his own methods, outside all others. But results are swayed when you pick and choose your clients. I think one of the measures of a good trainer is getting someone to do something that they never expected- including those who at first look at weights with disdain.
 
Howzit, you're being unfair in that...

A thorough look at his website shows a vast number of people doing the big lifts, so no contradiction there

Workouts are individual, and you know my philosophy - the best workout is the one you stick to, provided you don't injure yourself, so if you want to do 3 or 8 or 80 sets, go for it. Markos is speaking from the perspective of being there to instruct and push clients, rather than speaking generally as I'm doing here - when you're there to push and instruct them, you can give them the "right" number of sets/reps, whatever "right" is for them in particular.

In the photos, he presents all his clients, big or small, just as he mentions their personal bests, whatever their level. If I showed up he'd probably post up pictures of scrawny weak old me, and if I did a measely 2 reps of squats with my bodyweight, he'd probably mention it in a newsletter or forum, "personal best for Kyle."

So it's unfair to say, "but they're not all big!" Of course not, they're a mixture of people, some been there for a week, some for a year. If we imagine a Magic Perfect Gym where 100% of people who go there get a perfect physique in 36 months, take a picture of a random bunch of them at any one time and you'd get some big, some small, some fat, some thin.

This I think is one of the good things about the guy. Other trainers will just show you the brilliant success stories, the scrawny guy who turned big and buff in 18 months, the fat woman who became a fitness model in 12 months. He puts them all up there, and praises the progress of anyone who comes along and busts a gut. That's what a good trainer does - supports all their clients, whatever their level. And then you turn around and say, "but they're not all big!"

And all that is why I say you're being unfair. But again, he's unfair to us so it balances out.
 
breebreerocks said:
But results are swayed when you pick and choose your clients.
Click to expand...

he doesnt pick and choose clients anyone can train there, they just have to train with effort and no ego. one my training partners last week was 60 years old, the group before me was all female with varying ages and weights. all of them train with effort and enthusiasm.

Edit: without trying to speak for Markos, Kyle i think your pretty much on the money in your last post

Double edit: couldnt help myself i just had to post again when i said i wouldnt lol
 
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aww...
his newsletters are good...
i kinda like his style of training thou..

and from his newsletters, he welcomes anyone that goes to his gym to train...
just that alot of people would "quit" after 1 session...

i would be over cloud 9 if i ever manage to bench/squat/overhead press my bodyweight...
 
Well, even weak old me can manage the bodyweight bench, lucku, and if you are not a weak cripple the BW squat is quite doable. The BW is pretty remarkable, though...

But if you stick to it, then you will get there. Well, provided you don't get distracted by curls, dumbell lateral raises, Swiss balls and keto diets
 

Yes, but how he speaks of his clients makes them sound like gods. I am making a generalisation, like he has done so many times on here. Like I've said, I have only seen two or so guys on there with impressive physiques.

Sure they can move some weight but they don't look like they can. Bodybuilding and powerlifting are two different things and since this is a bodybuilding forum (Australian Bodybuilding), I am here to talk mainly about bodybuilding and training, not to be told what I'm doing is wrong, when it is right for what I want to accomplish, mainly pack on some size and strength (main emphasis on size). I have talked to many bodybuilders (one of which has also done powerlifting) and I learned most of what I know from them. One was a guy that was benching 200kg at 105kg and importantly, looked like he could do it aswell. The other was a former pro bodybuilder in New Zealand, who was strong aswell.

How he shows even the new members achieving personal bests is great, I bet it is very encouraging for them to be praised for their achievements, whatever they may be. But seeing has how he talks all his clients up and make them sound like Goliath, I was pretty underwhelmed.
 
lol...

I'm sticking to strongfit 5x5 workouts

with my current condition... i cant even do a prone pull-up, bodyweight is still so far...

but im working towards it!!
 
Like I said, lucku, if you stick to it you'll get there. Or further - unless you get injured, how far you go is up to you.
 
howzit said:
Like I've said, I have only seen two or so guys on there with impressive physiques.
Click to expand...

most of the guys that train there have minimal interest in looking good before being strong, im pretty sure Markos was training one of them for a bodybuilding comp awhile back though. basically he trains the clients based on what they want using his techniques, if you want a sculpted body he can train you for it. A lot of guys go there solely wanting rock hard abs, big guns etc but the strength bug hits pretty hard once you see a guy deading 200kg and their goals change to strength first pretty quickly. the impressive physiques are there, dont worry about that, plenty of them cut going into summer. you'd be surprised what kind of muscle is unearthed after shifting that type of weight all winter long

Your pretty keen on bodybuilding, are you planning on competing Howzit?

edit: i havent looked through many photos on the PTC website until now. Just about everyone is wearing hoodies and pants, no wonder you cant see their physiques lol
 
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I'm not that keen for it, I just want to gain more size and up my weight a bit. I do mixed martial arts and would be keen for some good weight behind me, strength too. I weigh in at 95kg atm at 6ft.

There is a lot of pics with guys in singlets and t-shirts.

Edit: Also, I'd hate to compete. Seems kind of gay to me, dancing in front of guys in speedos.
 
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