I was in a commercial gym for the first time in years yesterday.
This is one of the better gyms around. It has a separate powerlifting corner, some of the best equipment available, and Australian Powerlifting Champions training there. Its a serious gym.
While there for 30 minutes, I witnessed things I couldnt explain to Max. There was a guy squatting in a power rack, touch and go to a serious of stacked plastic seats, around 75cm high. I'm not kidding, he had a trainer instructing him, around 40kg on his back, a 6" dip. Stunning.
But the guy who was standing on a balance board, doing rack pulls, while sitting back to a bar, with his hands in the curl position, WITH AN EMPTY BAR, took the cake. Max was dissapointed that his dad with 30 years experience couldnt tell him what exercise the guy was doing. He too had a trainer.
This is a gym that has guys that squat 200kg raw and 280kg assisted lifting in the corner, and 300kg deadlifters on the platform.
The guy who took an $1800 Ivanko bar off the bench press, placed it in a power rack, put a 10kg plate on each side, then complete with gloves and a belt, proceeded to do military press.
I dont know how you guys can train in these facilities, that would drive me nuts. We had to go looking for the Ivanko bar as its the one to be used at the State Titles.
The gym was quite busy, but in the corner, there was thousands of kilos of Ivanko plates, bumper plates, 50kg chrome plates etc, unused, squat racks, lifting platforms, bench press, not touched.
Very strange.
I still class myself as a begginer. I train from home because I dont know of any gyms that have guys moving big numbers.
I'd say my biggest mistake is lack of drive. Im VERY determined to move the numbers that i have set in my goals this year, but I think because im stronger than the other 3 guys that come round (except 1 guy benched 130) im only pushing 90%.
I need to go to a strong gym in brisbane from time to time just for a wakeup call about how weak i really am.
Anybody go to a strong gym in brisbane?
Your not weak at all, in fact, your pretty strong, nice work
He's also constantly amazed at how fat people here are,
Training Ideology #1: Moving North of Vag
I can’t take credit for this name. I wish I could, but both the idea and the name come from my good friend Jim Messer. Jim and I have been friends since junior high, and we have the kind of friendship that doesn’t require us to talk every week. Or even every year. This is more of an idea. A concept, if you will.
Jim started training with the 5/3/1 method without my knowing it, and he’s had great success. He emailed me and let me know about this. Here’s part of an email he wrote to me:
I feel compelled to tell you that after a few months of using the now-legendary 5/3/1, I have now moved somewhat north of being an utter vag. I f**ked my body up pretty badly last winter, stopped all physical activity, and thought that was pretty much gonna be it. Just another skinny f**king wimp. It’s been a really long time since I’ve felt this good physically. By God, last week I puked in my mouth and almost blacked out squatting. I’d thought that time in my life was over.
After I stopped laughing, I began thinking about his statement and about how many people seem to be moving and staying well south of vag. To quote Black Sabbath, this is a symptom of the universe. Then I started to contemplate how one stays in the Northern Hemisphere of the Holy Holes. What followed was the training template I’ll show you now. It’s very simple to follow
1. Warm-up: foam rolling, static stretching and jumping rope (or something similar).
2. Lift Weights: 5/3/1; keep it basic and strong.
3. Condition: Run hills, push Prowler.
That’s it. Do this 3-4 times a week and you won’t fall into the trap of being normal. You’ll be strong, healthy and in shape. You won’t make New Year’s resolutions because you’ll be living every day. You can eat that final piece of pie and not count carbs because you just ran 20 hill sprints for the third time this week. You can wake up and not feel like shit because you’ve actually taken the time to foam roll and stretch. You actually have some traps from deadlifting.
You don’t fall for fitness trends, because you know what works. You stop caring what people say on the internet, because you’re always making progress. You’re always moving forward toward something. People ask you how to train, and you answer, “I look at what you do, and then I do the exact opposite.”
You’ll actually be able to move because your feet will be fast from jumping rope. You won’t be out of breath all the time. You’ll be able to take on any physical activity you want. You’ll be different once you’ve spent time straining to get a rep PR in the squat or pushed a Prowler for 40 minutes. Dealing with the idiots at work or your boss will no longer be an issue. It’s hard to bring a man down after he’s had three weeks of personal records in the gym. It’s hard to get mad at the guy who cuts you off in traffic after you’ve left your lunch on top of the hill after bearcrawling up it. Who cares about all that meaningless stuff? When your training and your life aremoving forward, you certainly won’t.
It doesn’t take a lot to do this. You already give 8-10 hours a day to your boss and to your work. To boredom and to people and organizations that couldn’t care less about you. Then your family and friends get the rest of your time.
What about you? Do you really think so little of yourself that you can’t sacrifice an hour or two, 3-4 days a week, for yourself? This “me” time isn’t spent shopping, watching TV or getting on the internet. You’re spending it reinvesting in your body, building strength, and building character. Kicking ass and training consistently – and with some balance – will do wonders for
both your body and your mind.
Get rid of all the meaningless crap in your life and your training. Get rid of the things that bleed your energy in the weight room and in life. What’s better for you? The Prowler or a stroll on the treadmill? What do you think is going to make you better?
Don’t fall for the crap that people are peddling on message boards, in magazines or on TV. Get your shit in order, and get your training in order. Start kicking ass, and take out the crap that doesn’t matter. Start doing and believing in the stuff that works, and do it today and forever. You
want science and studies? **** you. I’ve got scars and blood and vomit.
This is a call to arms for some of you. It is for me, too. Stop all the things that make you a pussy and steal your energy. Get your life back.
Not yet really, on honeymoon posting in quiet moments, not a PT till I get back. As you say, I have to have the experience to back up the qualifications. Unlike most PTs and most strength and conditioning coaches, I recognise that both experience and qualifications are useful.Slight correction Kyle, seeing your a PT now.
Truth is, sometimes it´s the coach/trainer, sometimes it´s the trainee, sometimes it´s both or neither. This applies whoever the coach or trainer is, though obviously some are better than others at motivating people, and some trainees just can´t be helped, while yet others would succeed whoever they worked with.
The beginners major error is being a fag and not lifting like a real man.
Ah, homophobia! Who says we've evolved since the 50's, folks?
Major error in the beginning is consuming numerous steroids as a teenager only to notice your balls have shrunk to the size of marbles by the time you're in your twenties.
Screw sex-ed classes in school, warn us about tiny testies teachers.
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