Walk into any commercial gym and ask for a personal trainer. In front of you will be a man in the prime of his life. This man will posses a wealth of fitness knowledge and be in an ideal location to apply it. However, nine times out of ten that man with his full health and extensive knowledge, will be incapable of squatting 225 pounds to full depth for ten repetitions. In other words, that man will in all likelihood be a soft pussy.The question is why can't this man and the millions of men like him do what plenty of YouTube Butt-Sluts can?
The answer is simple. Specifics are completely useless, until the fundamentals are applied consistently. While the fundamentals are easy to understand, they can be difficult to actually do. There is a strong temptation among fitness professionals and enthusiasts to avoid the fundamentals and use their knowledge to rationalize substituting what's hard and works for what isn't and doesn't aka: a bosu ball stability prostate activation bootcamp. Luckily for you guys Red Pill Superstar GayLubeOil is here to help you lift with purpose, understand your body, and most importantly force you to flush your evil rationalization hamster.
Progressive Overload:
The basic tenant of fitness, is that you must continuously challenge your body in order for it to improve and adapt. This is done by lifting more weight, lifting weight for more sets/reps or decreasing duration of work while maintaining all other variables. Progressively lifting more weight every week is the optimal strategy for men who deadlift less than 315 pounds aka beginners. Intermediate and especially advanced lifters shouldn't try this unless they want to snap their shit up. A much better and safer strategy is to increase the number of sets performed every week. This allows you to use a safer weight while still increasing workload every week. The Shieko routine uses this approach, is an absolute Soviet Nightmare and got my deadlift to 600 pounds. Finally, whenever you complete any kind of progressive overload program, reward your joints and ligaments by decreasing workload and switching to a less taxing program for about a month.
Motivation
By challenging your body you also challenge the mind. The physical stress experienced during a grueling workout can and often does become psychological stress. The Progressive Overload doctrine dictates that workload must steadily rise with the exception of the occasional deload. In other words, stressful stimulus must be continuously increased for progress to be made. 80% of people will stop going to the gym within 5 months of joining for this reason. They either can't handle the stress or aren't pushing themselves hard enough to get results. Such systemic complacency is hardly a surprise in decadent society that fetishizes weakness. In fact it can be argued that much of the West has devolved into the Nietzschean Last Man, existing only to seek pleasure and avoid discomfort.
The people who generally do the best are the ones trying to create new identities for themselves. In my experience that list includes: 17-20 year old boys looking to become men, recently uncloseted gays trying to be accepted in the club scene, men who got dumped, women looking to hypergamy, former athletes and military who have no problem getting shit done. If you don't see yourself on the list most likely you lack the motivation to achieve and sustain substantive physical improvement. While motivation articles and videos might make you feel better, they wont sustain you in the long run. My advice is to go suck a dick because if you haven't achieved it yet chances are you won't.
Know Your Body:
About a month ago I had a Skype video chat with a man from Taiwan. He wanted to know what he should do to have Chris Hemsworth's body. The short answer is take whatever pills and potions Chris Hemsworth's took, hire an amazing post production crew, and bio engineer a virus that will change Han Chinese DNA to Saxon. Jokes aside, its important to have realistic expectations. When choosing a fitness role model find someone of similar ethnicity and nattyness level, as that will give you a reasonable idea of what can be achieved with your genetic ratios and muscular insertion points. Genetics also play a huge role in how you body responds to food and exercise. Maybe your insulin sensitive or maybe not? Maybe you respond best to high reps or maybe you respond better to low reps? The only person who can give you the answers is you. So do yourself a favor. Buy a notebook and track exactly what your eating and what your lifting. Weigh yourself and take pictures regularly. That way when you start looking thick solid and tight, you'll know what strategy got you there and will be able to expand on it in the future.
The average Red Piller is college age, 165 pounds and just under six feet. He shittily squats about 185 pounds deadlifts 225 and is inept at feeding himself. I know this because I skyped 400 of you. If each and every one of you went to the gym at least three times a week and consistently Stronglifted and maybe even Shiekoed yourself in the squat rack all of you could become 185 pound athletic dudes. I understand that the vast majority of people here are only interested in Pornographic Progressive Overload. I get that. But if you are going to subscribe to an elitist hyper masculine ideology that calls 90% of men beta cuckolds, you are obligated to be fucking better than those men. Walk the walk.
Get in on this Juicy Tank Summer Sale and pick up a soft, light, professionally illustrated tanktop
Then check out my sassy quips and muscle pics on Twitter.
If you have a history of Red Pill misogyny PM me for fitness advice.
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An_All-Beef_Engineer 7y ago
Hey GLO, how manageable is Sheiko without gear?
gostwiththemost 7y ago
Don't make the mistake like GayLubeOil of injecting yourself with a bunch of Trenbolone and other poorly studied compounds, lifting a bunch of weights, then calling yourself "fit" and passing yourself off as a fitness expert.
Can you run a 5K without puking your guts? Fight off an attacker? Climb a rock? Hike all day? Can you get through a beginner's yoga class without rupturing something? Can you walk a balance beam and not fall on your head? If no, are you truly fit? Only you, as a man, can decide what your fitness goals are.
Strength training is the core of men's fitness and health, but there is more to fitness than being able to lift heavy objects. And injecting yourself with Trenbolone and other chems like GLO is not part of a healthy lifestyle at all. Give it your all in the gym and lift hard. But don't listen if someone tries to shame you because of how much you lift, or sets arbitrary standards of what numbers magically make you not a "soft pussy". Especially chemically enhanced lifters whose strength comes out of a bottle, and are willing to put their health at risk to compensate for their own deep seated feelings of being a soft pussy. They're not setting an example anyone should follow.
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adam_varg 7y ago
Lol i actually do rockclimbing, run ultramarathons (up to unsupported with backpack in mountains for multiple days), walk slacklines all while being able to squat 300lb @ 185lb 6'1".
btw i would rupture something if i would try actual yoga poses no matter how long i would prepare. Not because my mobilitiy is shit, but because my joints and ligaments arent suited for that, which isnt rare, half population cant. And i cant figh off attacker with certainity, because after all that lifting, running, climbing and other shit to support that i dont have time a recovery reserves for mma classes (of course working on getting there, but ass/gh would make it instantly possible).
That being said i back up all of what i read about fitness from GLO and i am fairly sure you cant perform what you wrote, atleast not on decent level.
Only reasons i still dont do aas or gh is a) expensive as fuck b) i am only 30, not paid for my performance, so i have about 5 years left before they become necessity to keep progressing in my sports.
Numbers presented by OP are widely recognized as gold standard for strenght level in males. Not for lifters or bodybuilders, but for most of other sports except competetive extreme endurance sports. Of course these numbers are rule of thumb, not dogma. For example 2xbw squat 1,5xbw bench is significantly harder (i would guess up to 50%) for someone with my proportions than for male with average bone lenght.
massivewang 7y ago
I'm injecting testosterone under the direction of an endocrinologist and it's changing my fucking life. Low T has fucked with my mood and energy for years.
I feel awake and alert like never before, my libido is up, and my mood is stable. Before T therapy, every day was a battle to not be depressed even though objectively I had no reason to be down.
Any benefits that come from this in the gym are a cherry on top.
HiGuysiamkewl 7y ago
But don't listen if someone tries to shame you because of how much you lift, or sets arbitrary standards of what numbers magically make you not a "soft pussy". Whenever I see a guy bragging about his dead lift or how much weight he can throw up on bench like that is somehow the measure of a man I just chuckle to myself. All I have to say is this, there is nothing more eye opening than watching a musclebound guy getting his ass handed to him by a much smaller dude.
unptitdej 7y ago
I understand where you're coming from but usually the guys I hear saying this don't have impressive physiques. You're not fighting in a war so who cares if you're not an all around athlete. Lifting is supposed to increase your testosterone and your SMV. Steroids are one of the greatest tool available for this. Health risks are minimal. Although i've heard tren is horrible. I have gym buddies who take steroids. They want to go further in the hobby they love. I only wish them the best. They look healthy, I'm not worried for them. Arnold took steroids, he's alright too.
Geleemann 7y ago
Arnold's had multiple heart surgeries.
And steroids are not great for your health as you claim; they are great for performance though. The body does amazing things when supplied with high dosages of exogenous hormones, although at a risk
gostwiththemost 7y ago
Steroids do not increase your own testosterone, they drop it to 0. Then when you stop injecting the steroids (if you even can, because now you depend on them for your size and strength), you have to take more drugs to recover your own testosterone production and fertility. Which may "work", or it may not, in which case you will have to inject testosterone for the rest of your life just to have a normal level. The younger you are, the greater the chance this will happen to you.
The health risks of many of these anabolic compounds other than testosterone is unknown because they haven't been studied the way we study drugs before they can be prescribed to people. What we do know is largely bad news. Trenbolone specifically has been linked to brain damage and Alzheimer's disease(1). It is a drug that was developed not for humans, but to bulk up cattle so they would produce more meat. Like smoking and drinking, the effects don't show up until you are older. When you buy steroids from that dude at the gym, where do you think they came from? Most likely some amateur pharmacologist's garage or kitchen, that's where. Pointing to a few of your buddies or Arnold (how do you know he's alright? his health records are not publicly disclosed, but we know he had heart surgery) isn't a good way to decide about the health risks of steroids.
My own personal interest in this is that I'm a doctor, and I don't want to see TRP used to convince young impressionable guys to start fucking themselves up with steroids. You can get that impressive physique you're after with hard work, knowledge, and patience - applying those qualities will make you more of a man than taking a shortcut with steroids.
(1)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=trenbolone+alzheimer%27s
rbb091020 7y ago
Hey, man, I honestly appreciate your post. I'm not anywhere close to where I want to be physically (I lift 2-3x a week, run 2-3x a week), and I have been seriously contemplating using steroids to speed up the process. I'm gonna be a little more patient and go the natural route, thanks to you.
legallegends 7y ago
100% agree.
I don't get the way GLO has to go out of his way in his articles to shame anyone that isn't above average or close to his "standards".. just cuz you dlift 500 lbs doesn't mean you are a super alpha.
It reeks of insecurity on his part, one of the principles of Stoicism is humility, something I think he needs a dose of.
An_All-Beef_Engineer 7y ago
Still a true sjw at heart. Off to buzzfeed with you.
legallegends 7y ago
If you can't understand the concept don't comment, it just proves your ignorance.
An_All-Beef_Engineer 7y ago
Keep lecturing at us with your liberal arts degree, you tart limp-wrist you!
seeing_red_ 7y ago
Ah, you probably fall into the functional fitness camp. To play the devil's advocate, lifting is nice because it's easy to measure. Which hopefully teaches goal-setting. Certain lifts possibly boost natural testosterone as well. And you can time the "pump" from an upper body work out to come right before a party. Working hard and developing real strength and muscles is immensely gratifying. So lifting is all-around pretty good for beginners.
But you're right. Anyone who falls into the "athletic aesthetic" camp or the "functional fitness" camp should hop on board MMA, boxing, krav maga, jujitsu, and the works. Knowing you can physically defeat anyone who gives you shit is the most confidence-boosting thing in the world. I repeat. Knowing you can physically defeat anyone who gives you shit is the most confidence-boosting thing in the world.
Ask a Navy Seal instructor who survives the best in his class. The musclehead? Sometimes, but usually not. "No Team Guy who has ever been through BUD/S will ever say 'I wish I lifted more weights getting ready for BUD/S' "
As a final note, steroids are not inherently bad. They are certainly a serious, probably life-altering decision. But from what I understand genes play a role and people have taken steroids without any major side effects. Many older men with low T should consider TRT.
I hope any lurkers reading this can understand that the real point is to be proud of your body and what it can do.
Fap112233010 7y ago
Agreed, I can't hardly bench due to costochondritis in my chest, (brutal stabbing in my sternum when I try.) but i've hospitalized someone with several punches in a street fight and routinely grapple with guys that have 50-100lbs of mostly muscle mass on me and tap them sometimes. I've manhandled guys with powerlifting numbers far above mine. I use kettlebells and high volume training and calisthenics. I suck at lifting really heavy weights. Am I intimidated by 225lb muscleheads? Nope. My coach walks around at 165, bout 5' 9 and is a pro fighter with 18 knockouts and is a killing machine. Martial arts (and some other activities) will teach you how to use your nervous system and body efficiently, without needing to deadlift 500lbs.
bleomasters 7y ago
I would really appreciate a post from u about it. I am one of those skinny and short guys, but have always been more interested in Functional fitness than just lifting. Where should people like me start. I do a basic, run, skips, pull/push ups Everyday. Also signed up for Krav maga which is Twice a week.
Fap112233010 7y ago
I'll submit a post about combat training soon. I'm not against heavy lifting, as it will help build strength, but I highly recommend you try BJJ. Not only will your grip and back and arm strength increase a lot, but you'll of course be much better at defending yourself. Something else worth mentioning is that an hour or two of grappling 4+ times a week will boost your metabolism tremendously.
Krav Maga is kind of an iffy martial art, and there's a lot of good explanations in the martialarts sub. The quality of Krav Maga training varies a lot from school to school, and you want to be able to make sure you're getting good instruction. Things tend to be standardized as far as the type of training methods used in BJJ and MMA schools.
Things to know before you start training.
1.You will likely gas out extremely quickly in your first few rolling/sparring sessions, no matter how good you are at other activities like running, cycling, swimming etc. This is simply because you won't know how to move efficiently against an opponent and will waste a lot of energy. Also beginners tend to have a lot of adrenaline and nervousness during rolling and sparring sessions.
You're gonna be sore as fuck all over for the first month at least, bjj/fighting will make you contract muscles you didn't even know you had to complete exhaustion.
Don't get discouraged, i've seen countless new people leave after getting tapped out constantly by everyone else in the dojo. My first year of training was at a particularly ruthless school, and the first 3 months of training was being tapped every which way by everyone there at least 10-20 times a class. Any good fighter has taken countless beatings from better and more experienced partners in training. Same goes for grappling. The fact that someone makes you feel like a fool or small child when you try to choke them out is a good thing and means you can learn a lot by sticking around. That being said, a big indicator of a good school is one where higher level practicioners will give you numerous chances to work techniques and coach you through your mistakes instead of smashing you for an ego boost.
(Edits for punctuation and formatting.)
bleomasters 7y ago
That was very generous. So bjj is going to make me sore. How sore exactly? Can I still get to the office daily??
Joseph_the_Carpenter 7y ago
Before I get to my main point I'll highlight there is a difference between training and exercise: training is a designed, intended program you follow and see results from. It's specific (even if "specific" means "get stronger by lifting weights") versus exercise, which is just general movement without a goal in mind. The basic body stuff you are doing now can be considered training, although I would keep track of it and realize that if you want to improve them you have to find a way to increase the work load as there is a cap on the return you get after a certain amount of repetitions (~20). It's why weight training is effective, because it allows you to incrementally increase the work load.
That said, regardless of the application, everyone will benefit from strength training. Strength is a general adaptation for the body, with huge upsides and no downsides. A marathon runner who can squat 225 will run faster or further, a boxer or martial artist will hit harder with the same endurance and stamina (or more), and a soccer player will exert more power kicking a ball.
Nobody has every said "Damn I wish I wasn't so strong."
bleomasters 7y ago
Thanks for that elaboration.
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marinewannabee97 7y ago
Since I've started powerlifting the biggest difference I've noticed is how men treat me. I get much more respect and generally people don't try to provoke the big dude.
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gostwiththemost 7y ago
In my book, any guy who comes to the gym to lift a barbell is automatically not a pussy, he's a man who deserves respect for rising above his beta tendencies. I remember the first time I tried, I could barely squat 135x1. If someone had called me a pussy that day, I would have quit and never come back. Can you agree we shouldn't shame men who are trying to improve themselves? I'd really like to see you stop doing that. It doesn't help anyone and it hurts this community as a whole.
I'm a physician, not an endocrinologist, but I've rotated through the endocrine clinic plenty of times. We're the ones who have to clean up the mess when some guy starts injecting shit he buys from some dude at the gym. Can you agree not to endorse steroid usage in this forum anymore? As you said, they're probably not the answer for the majority of men who are trying to get stronger and build a masculine physique.
You are obviously stronger than 99.99% of men, and you know a lot about weight training. I think your experience and contributions in that area are very helpful. You could help this forum and the men who read it, if you were willing to make the two changes I listed above.
An_All-Beef_Engineer 7y ago
Where the hell do you see that here?
Please demonstrate where he forces you to take it. Are you the type of guy who takes LSD just because he's going to a rave later??
[deleted] 7y ago
haha. I just set a PR for my squat at 135 lb, 5 sets of 5 reps.
Definitely working to overcome my dainty betaness. Got a way to go. But I've stubbornly committed to a lifestyle of improvement. I will admit I am still a pussy. First step of Alcoholics Anonymous is to admit it. I am a pussy.
gostwiththemost 7y ago
Keep at it my friend. If you eat a high protein, high calorie diet and sleep 8 hrs every night, that number will shoot up faster than you would believe.
redpillschool Admin 7y ago
You can make a case against steriods without concern trolling.
TomilloDanup 7y ago
Society endorses steroids at large in some way or another. It's not only this or any other online forum. Just look at the fitness magazines directed to men, those guys in the cover I can bet my ass they use roids and then they where Photoshop enhanced. Actors you get to see shredded in huge roles, they took something. Hell even girls and fitness models at least shoot winstrol to aid the cut.
Then mass media comes and tells us all you need to do is follow some fucked up routine and eat clean to look like them.
Using steroids is not right or wrong if it helps some.one reach their goals, let them use.
I went from 95kg (~45% bf) to 70kg (18% bf) just by dieting, cardio and lifting and everyone in the fucking gym keeps telling me to do some tren or diana to gain muscle. Those same guys come out of their cycle and lose all their muscle. In a couple.of weeks. Just to look as thin as me.
thechariot83 7y ago
I think it's obvious you're either new to TRP or new to GLO. Posts like these are what he does and he does them well. Obviously, everyone has different fitness goals whether that be looking good in front of a mirror or being able to complete a 5K. Don't concern troll, dude.
Respect is earned. Just showing up to the gym doesn't earn you respect. Show up and continually lift for longer than 6 months and you can start earning respect.
Not trying to be crass, but there's no other way to say it. You sound like a pussy.
Steroids can be helpful to a lot of gym goers. Just because you juice doesn't mean you're trying to be Rich Piana. I personally have never used the stuff, but in the future I'm open to it.
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bebestman 7y ago
Thank you for writing this.
The sheer number of things a person can improve over their lifetime is just staggering. Although we can identify some as the basis for the rest or as extremely beneficial, they are not all there is to it.
There is a reason for the archetype of the feminine bodybuilder, someone with a very muscular body who is ultimately unappealing to women because he is - well - a girl inside.
Can't concentrate? Instead of manipulating your surroundings to minimize distractions, meditate some and look for a cause of your inattentiveness, just take some Adderall. Can't get thin? Instead of developing good eating habits and some discipline just take this pill. Sad? Pill. Weak? Pill.
Somehow the Greeks built their civilization without any of these. Yet, there are statues surviving showing very attractive bodies of either gender. The Romans followed them and brought civilization to the rest of Europe. The English conquered a quarter of Earth's surface.
Ronin11A 7y ago
You sound like a fucking butt-hurt male feminist. Get the fuck out.
EDIT: Aw, the White Knight Brigade is out in force. Harden the fuck up.
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getRedPill 7y ago
Get this, you are exprienced in YOUR field. But you aren't a doctor or pharmacist, you aren't qualified to pontificate about drugs.
An_All-Beef_Engineer 7y ago
He doesn't pontificate about drugs. But YOU do lots of whining.
reecewagner 7y ago
Is that what this page is about? Numerically defining who is or isn't "definitely a pussy"? I checked out your Twitter page, you're gigantic muscularly, but you've got minimal definition and appear to be going only for size, which isn't what everyone here is after. When I picture someone fit, I picture someone red-lining their heart scrambling up a mountain trail, not flexing in front of a gym mirror for a photo - which of those two can you do bud?
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[deleted] 7y ago
Seriously, half the posts I see here by GLO recommend (jokingly or seriously) that one start using AAS at some point or another. This is not a healthy life choice, and I do not believe this attitude should be perpetuated in this sub.
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[deleted] 7y ago
Take it from a medical student, using test and other compounds on a consistent basis is far less healthy than weekly fast food or recreational drug use, but it's really all about habits. Spending 2 months out of the year on test and maybe some tren/deca with a proper PCT for a few years in your twenties while giving your body lots of time to recover and hold that level (it's not just about getting bloods back to baseline, baseline should be your body's norm) is healthier than a lifestyle of weekly binge drinking and snacking on fast food at a caloric surplus (getting fat).
The big difference is the way people use these compounds. If you're on cycle after cycle with test + tren + orals or PH, or god forbid you B&C, you're living an incredibly unhealthy lifestyle. Your bloodwork is going to look like that of an obese man. Your health is going to be worse than an obese man. Here's the real kicker. You're directly fucking with your hormones, and they have a tendency to stay fucked up. With alcohol and other recreational substances the damage more or less stops when you stop abusing them. They are cleared from your system and you start functioning normally minus whatever damage you did while you abused it. AAS are different though. Once you use test you're shutting down the HPTA and suppressing natural T. You don't stop and go back to normal (it takes months), which is why people use shit like clomid/nolva to restart their system quickly. Do it long enough or enough times and you're going to end up dependent on it or on TRT for life as well as whatever other complications you suffered due to living with such poor hormonal balance and bad lipids/cholesterol. I think that's the real difference. You don't know when you're totally fucked and unable to walk away.
Now, I have no fucking problem with any of this. It's your body, do what you want with it. If abusing AAS is worth the risks to you, and you're fully aware of them, who the fuck am I to stop you? You can take these compounds relatively safely. (Just make sure you have private insurance because I don't want my tax dollars to pay for your fucking heart surgery or hormone replacement therapy.)
Also, let's be honest, if we were lifting for purely health we would be eating at maintenance after getting newb gains, riding our bikes like 20 miles every day for max cardio gains, and benching 135 for 3 sets of 15. Take whatever risks you want. There's a good argument to be made that you're risking your health by lifting heavy as well. I mean, deadlifting 225 I'm sure is quite healthy, but 500, 600? Our bodies weren't built for that. So we're all taking risks somewhere along the line. The key is to get in and get out. Get your gains, fuck some girls, lift some heavy shit, get out.
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[deleted] 7y ago
Well, at least we're starting to look into opiates. I'm going to have to take a whole fucking course on them next year because it's become such a problem. I mean, I got surgery about a month ago and woke up in a mild amount of pain. The doctor calmly asks me if I'd like some fentanyl. The fuck doc? Why don't I just take a morphine IV home with me for the next time I stub my toe? That's a straight up public health disaster. Adderall you're overblowing. Kids don't throw their lives away on adderall. Adderall and meth are really just perfect examples of the difference that a methyl group can make. From life-ruining drug to an overprescribed, glorified triple espresso without serious health risks.
People's risk assessment is also just completely off the fucking charts. In general risk = feelz. I mean, car accidents are the #1 cause of death and injury among young people, but I don't know anyone who even attempts to limit the amount of highway driving they do for safety's sake. Meanwhile those same fuckers who decided it's perfectly safe to take weekly trips to their vacation home up the coast aren't eating bacon anymore because they think it causes cancer, but still enjoy a pack of cigars on their porch every weekend. But that's fine, because it's just on occasion...
[deleted] 7y ago
I was under the impression Adderall was used to stay awake on conference calls. Oh, and to be in a permanent state of cutting.
[deleted] 7y ago
Racetams are way better for drudgery IMO.
[deleted] 7y ago
First of all let me clarify that I do not think steroids are the devil. In fact, I am considering taking test once my natural levels start dropping considerably. However, I'm talking about the far future, when I'm 55 or older, not when I'm 30. What bothers me is the idea being perpetuated by the online fitness community that at one point or another you have to take steroids. I believe it comes down entirely to personal choice, and being pummeled with the idea that you're gonna lose your gains soon unless you start shooting tren is not good for forming an educated opinion.
By the way, many people including myself don't do any recreational drugs or eat fast food regularly. The argument that recreational drugs and fast food are worse for you than juice, therefore juice is good for you is obviously invalid.
EDIT: Out of curiosity, what are you taking other than test?
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xBonerDetective 7y ago
You're.
Idk man. I'm not natty. I respect a lot of the content you post, but I wish for this community's sake it didn't come across as trying so fucking hard.
It's not a good look.
[deleted] 7y ago
That's really important to remember. A lot of workouts are designed for guys on gear. So guys see that and immediately think, "he's huge, all that volume must be what does it." Next thing you know a natty guy is attempting 2 hour gym sessions every day with no recovery and inevitably ends up hurt.
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[deleted] 7y ago
What do you mean Ronnie Coleman isn't natural?
HeadingRed 7y ago
But if you are going to subscribe to an elitist hyper masculine ideology that calls 90% of men beta cuckolds, you are obligated to be fucking better than those men.
Grinning from ear to fucking ear, holy shit that's beautiful man.
bourbonhipster 7y ago
Interestingly i find this almost never to be the case. Usually find older, washed up former wanna-be's. Which explains the bosu-ball training regimen.
to be fair this is no small feat to accomplish :/
You deadlift 600#s? I have a new-found respect for you.
Please bold and headline this.
[deleted] 7y ago
Great post, /u/GayLubeOil, the one thing I would add is that while motivation is great for inspiring somebody to start something, discipline is what drives somebody to finish it. I have plenty of friends who are motivated to become big and strong, but I have very few friends with the discipline to do.
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[deleted] 7y ago
few man have the balls to inject tren ace every day, i mean raisins
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[deleted] 7y ago
Does it matter if I'm in the ocean? That water is cold, not my fault!
nadolny7 7y ago
I have the impression that if I drop a bit my max weight pressed I can get a better form, pressing slowly all the way up and coming down. Is it better dropping some weight for this better "form" or should I just try to max it (while maintaining a good posture)?
WildmanThaGod 7y ago
Someone wanna give me good tips on a new diet plan? I eat like complete crap right now but I'm 18 so my body can handle it but obviously I need to change things, I want to eat a healthy diet and work on getting ripped
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WildmanThaGod 7y ago
You got it man, I will get that stuff purchased soon. I work at a grocery store with a pretty wide variety of organic and whole foods, I'm sure I can find some good stuff
Metalgear222 7y ago
Let me just clear something up, GLO isn't shaming people trying to improve themselves, he's shaming the weak goals when it comes to weightlifting because in his experience the problem is NOT SETTING THE BAR HIGH ENOUGH.
As a personal trainer I see it all the time, people taking for fucking ever just to push an extra 5 pounds. It's absurd and not conducive to growth.
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Kalikoenig 7y ago
Love this post. I want to add that how much you lift is not directly correlated with how you will look. Obviously, as GayLubeOil mentioned, genetics are a big part of it. However, form is by and large more important than how much weight you are lifting. The one greatest thing that helped my overall physique was throwing my ego out the door, dropping the weight, and concentrating on as perfect form as I can manage.
A large problem I see in the gym is people trying so hard to impress their friends and strangers with how much weight they lift, while using shitty form and wondering why they don't look like Captain America. If you can only squat 10 reps of 135, while making sure you have perfect form... then do so. If you can only handle 95 pounds... then do so. You are only hurting your gains by trying to rep 225 4 times without contracting your muscles in a way that will hit the area you're trying to hit.
Also, I saw a guy in the gym yesterday with a decent looking upper body and a lower body that looks like a concentration camp survivor. Don't be that guy. Don't skip leg day. Don't half ass leg day. If you can walk properly after a leg day, you're not doing it hard enough.
amateur_acrobat 7y ago
Personally, doing gymnastics has proven to be extremely effective in the strength and aesthetic physique department.
I still squat and deadlift for legs of course.
marinewannabee97 7y ago
Checked out up your Twitter, you are fuckin' awesome mate. On another note I am squatting for the first time after knee surgery, I will try 225 for 5 it's embarrassing because my bench is now stronger than my squat.
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marinewannabee97 7y ago
Well my deadlift is almost at 500lbs so I am not weak, but thanks, I'll keep my ego in check.
reddditreddditreddd 7y ago
Actually, what you're going to get is a guy making minimum wage with a BA degree in sports physiology. Anybody who would trust a staff trainer at a commercial gym with their fitness regimen is a fool. You wouldn't walk into a commercial bank and trust the schmuck making $65K a year to manage your retirement, why would you trust the guy making $7.50 an hour to manage your body?
HiGuysiamkewl 7y ago
But if you are going to subscribe to an elitist hyper masculine ideology that calls 90% of men beta cuckolds, you are obligated to be fucking better than those men. Walk the walk. This literally made me do a spit take. Well said.
[deleted] 7y ago
I have a question on form. Let's say 80% of the tine my form is right should I lift heavy or get my form to 100%? I am scared to weight lift heavy...
[deleted] 7y ago
What advice could I find for someone like me, a natural ectomorph, who was on Accutane for years as a teenager, which fucks your metabolism. I know I need to do things differently since whenever I eat too much it goes right through me (IBS).
adam_varg 7y ago
Try glutamine for IBS, its annecdotal, but its kinda cheap and i saw lot of guys swearing on that on forums.
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bornredd 7y ago
Hey bud, I have symptoms similar to IBS due to cancer surgeries.
The answer for me is a high protein diet. I'm talking 1g/lb of bodyweight per day. I tried all the fibers, the cholestyramine, the low fat diets. None of it worked until I tried this:
Breakfast: Turkey sausage. Every day. High protein, low fat.
Lunch: Cold cut sandwich(es). Little bit of carbs in the bread, everything else is protein and veggies. If you're out, go burrito bols at chipotle - I go steak because their chicken tastes like burned asshole.
Dinner: I prefer lean meat, like chicken breast or fish (white fish - tilapia and cod are great). Nothing wrong with doing red meat or pork here though. Eat veggies and beans that you cooked fresh.
Snacks are fruits, nuts, and jerky. Any caloric deficit I fill with a high protein, very low carb/sugar protein powder with whole milk.
None of this should be packaged (I do cheat on the breakfast sausages, because fuck keeping that in stock and on beans because fuck soaking beans for hours). Get your meat from the butcher and your cold cuts from the deli.
I went from spending 2+ hours a day in the bathroom to about 30 minutes with this diet, and it is working great for both fat loss and muscle gain.
Edit: for details on macros, I end up with (per pound of body weight):
1g protein
.5 g fat
Carbs vary a little bit, but usually settle in around .5-.7g
ponkyol 7y ago
This is bullshit. Track your calories, you're not eating enough.
StoicCrane 7y ago
Right now, I'm insanely cut and lean compared to a few months ago. At 5'9 180 I'm finding it difficult to bulk up and bench beyond 190lb consistently. My upper bodyis excellent but my lower is suffering.
Difficult to deadlift 205lbs and my squats are a measley 145lbs. It's pathetic. I get IOIs all the time and compliments but I can't help but feel my routines are lacking and my average stature inhibits my weight progression more than I care to admit. Should be more well-rounded by now. Any tips?
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reigorius 7y ago
Coool, Ilya Repin on your Twitter thingy. Ever see his work in real life?
dr_warlock 7y ago
In my experience, if they use anything other than the word 'lift' they dont know what they're talking about. Phrases such as "Hit the gym", "good workout", etc allows people to hide mediocrity such as rubber ball calisthenics on the floor and cardiobunnying.
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Dont even get me started with people that say "squatting is bad for your knees" and deadlifts and squatting below parallel is "bad for your back".
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If you say any of those things, guaranteed you dont do 225 ,315, 405 or higher. If you cant do that you are in no position to give advice. I've had several grown men telling me how to properly lift sub 100lb things off the ground. "You shouldnt be doing that by yourself, you could get hurt dr_warlock. Remember, Lift with your legs, not your back!" Nigga, I deadlift 500lbs. I got this. "But still... blah blah blah".
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Gainz goblinz, crab bucket mentality, and mediocrity is everywhere and it's disgusting. ever since I took the redpill, I've had no tolerance for it. A huge portion of the population is immediately wiped out when you apply this filter.
edit: /u/gaylubeoil
Link that 545 deadlift video on this post, better cred. Video speaks louder than words.
hunteeer 7y ago
So in 2-3 months a shitlord like me can give lifting advice? lmao
Diabolical_Nuke 7y ago
I pulled 601# at a powerlifting meet and some internet coaching specialist told me it didn't count because my form wasn't "perfect". These trolls are everywhere (including later in this thread) and it's absolutely hilarious to watch the male hamster run.
dr_warlock 7y ago
You can't cheat the deadlift. All lifts to lockout count.
Mudmen12 7y ago
Unless of course they are told by medical professionals that heavy weight lifting is detrimental to their health.
dr_warlock 7y ago
This is the same weak ass disclaimer shit people use for fatpeople
"hurr dur, but they might have a thyroid condition!!!!1!1!!"
Stop defending mediocrity.
Mudmen12 7y ago
I can't perform weighted squats below 20 degrees or deadlift close to "gym" standard weights without a high chance of blowing either of my knees out. (3 surgeries in 3 years 15-17yo, 1st due to rugby, 2nd and 3rd due to poor genetics)
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dr_warlock 7y ago
Yeah, that 5x5 and 1x5 for squats and deadlifts isn't cutting it anymore. I'm focusing on power-clean squats now to increase my power from the base (ass-to-grass). When I watch videos of non-competitors that do the oly lifts for fun, they always have massive numbers like 500lbs+ squats and 600lb+ deadlifts and are swole. There's something to these lifts and I want in.
idontwanttostart 7y ago
Wait. You do 500lbs? Holy fuck
holy_shit_bruh 7y ago
He's on roids and probably 200+ lbs. It's a good pull, but still.
DoubleTappp 7y ago
And your point is? But still what? #thefuckouttaherewiththat
holy_shit_bruh 7y ago
not that amazing given the circumstances, lol. Read later that he's actually 230. Barely double your bodyweight with steroids. You clearly don't lift much.
DoubleTappp 7y ago
First off, I'd like to thank you for your service there airman.
2nd, I'd like to thank the air force recruiters for getting all the hot chicks to enlist/commission. They give me and my Marines something to fuck when we come back inside the wire.
Go back to your POG hole, boot. I lift plenty.
holy_shit_bruh 7y ago
lmao, love when neckbeards got nothing better to do than look up redditor's history. Should go outside
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dr_warlock 7y ago
"Nice body, but what can you do with it?" - Some powerlifter
[deleted] 7y ago
I'll bet you flex in the mirror after every set don't you?
how do you think you get to that place?
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AskYouEverything 7y ago
Is this an accurate representation of your form?
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[deleted] 7y ago
You didn't lift to get your height bro.
maybe you're a natural, in which case, STFU, people are building better men here
unptitdej 7y ago
He's not wrong. Replace the deadlift with the barbell row or T-row. For legs there are many alternatives but personally I would also squat :)
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[deleted] 7y ago
Sure, 90% of men will be though
Ecanonmics 7y ago
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable" - Socrates 400BC
Now of course you don't have to squat or deadlift. You don't have to breathe either. There's no reason not to however.
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marinewannabee97 7y ago
Because of knee surgery I prefer the leg press to squat.
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[deleted] 7y ago
I say things like "good workout" because after lifting I'll go on a 3 mile jog.
[deleted] 7y ago
How are you getting the energy after a lift? On leg day, I have to fight to walk up stairs, let alone jog
ponkyol 7y ago
Foamrolling after legs is nice.
[deleted] 7y ago
Haha, yeah not after leg day. After leg day I can barely even walk up the stairs to my apartment.
-OMGZOMBIES- 7y ago
I do an hour of cardio (incline treadmill generally) after every lifting session. It's a son of a bitch on leg day, but it's really just the first 10 or 20 minutes that are harder than average, and those always suck for me. Gotta get into the groove. After that, it's just time.
I used to run after lifting but I'm a bit worried about my knees and I don't really give a fuck about running. Did enough of that shit in the Marines to last me a lifetime.
AskYouEverything 7y ago
If you're in good running shape you can run 3 miles in your sleep
source: Used to run 60-70 miles/week as a competitive high school runner, often times on top of weights and speed work
[deleted] 7y ago
After heavy squatting? I get the 5k is easy, I just don't see how you can heavy compound, then go for a jog is what I'm saying
crzygoalkeeper92 7y ago
It feels like your legs are going to collapse for the first couple of minutes, but that goes away in my experience.
maje5678 7y ago
It would probably depend on his training. For example a novice on a three day week split would probably be able to go on a light jog after their training as they are usually training at around 8-9 RPE on their compounds, but yeah it would be very hard to do that on an RPE 10 training day.
AskYouEverything 7y ago
I mean, I'm in better running shape than lifting shape, so probably an exception. But if you run a lot, you learn to recover fast, which I think is an often-overlooked benefit of tough cardio. Being in great cardiovascular shape can increase workloads immensely.
3 miles after lifting would definitely super tough for the average lifter, but it's really not difficult for people with endurance training backgrounds
[deleted] 7y ago
If you say so. Personally I would attribute it for shitty intensity on the workout, but I don't know enough about your training to say.
Schveen15 7y ago
As another former runner (ran a half-marathon last summer) turned lifter, it has nothing to do with intensity: it's recovery. As a runner practicing for a long distance race (like myself) or a series of them (like the guy you replied to), your legs have to be able to recover quickly between training sessions which in my case was 3-4 mile runs per day (during the weekdays) and 9-13 mile runs on the weekends with about one day off. After you've been doing this for a couple of years, your legs develop the ability to recover from intense leg workouts at a more accelerated rate than a non-runner can. So when I first started squatting I was capable of running a 2-3 miles afterward no matter how intense the squat workout was (even if done to the point where my legs give out on me mid-squat in the middle of a 3rd/4th set).
Like someone else said, it sucks immediately afterward and for the first few minutes of running that 3 mile run but you get through it because your legs have become accustomed to engaging in quick recovery.
AskYouEverything 7y ago
We're probably just very different athletes. If I squat heavy I can fully tax myself muscularly and anaerobically, but won't be taxed aerobically because of a background in tough endurance training (Was a 4:36 miler when I was 16/17).
A lot of athletes who are better strength athletes than endurance athletes will be tapping out their aerobic systems to lift heavy, so won't have leftover aerobic energy after lifting hard.
That all being said, if I'm lifting lighter weights with really high volume I won't be able to run as well after. If I'm keeping intensity up where it should be and tapping myself out muscularly then I should be fine to run after loosening up a little bit.
This might have gotten off track and long but I've been exercising hard my whole life and find exercise physiology to be really interesting
[deleted] 7y ago
Another former miler checking in to confirm. Recovery is not a problem (I don't mean between sets, I mean between movements/workouts).
[deleted] 7y ago
it's good to know. knowledge is power.
TheOtherEli 7y ago
I don't know man. I do the sheiko routine with a 1RM of 455 and honestly dont even feel tired after some of those days. On the days I do feel tired after it never fails that I can go eat and be fine the rest of the day. I come from a kickboxing background, so my legs learned to recover fast early on too.
[deleted] 7y ago
Tae kwon Do background here. Just makes no sense to me
TheOtherEli 7y ago
I guess it depends on the level you trained to. I imagine if you had trained to a semi pro or olympic level then your legs would recover as fast as any runner. That's just my theory though.
[deleted] 7y ago
I'm gonna offer a somewhat opposing view here. Personally, I love the barbell-based, powerlifting-influenced approach to getting in shape. It gives you goals and it gives you accomplishments. However, there's absolutely no reason that you need to approach fitness this way.
We're lifting for SMV. We're lifting for overall health. The fact is, you don't need to do stronglifts, and you don't need to be strong (the the sense that your "big 3" lifts are massive). You need to be big. You need to have low body fat. Now, big and strong are not mutually exclusive by any means, but there is a difference between training for strength and training for size. What I've found is that training for strength, while more fun and ultimately more rewarding when done right, can be more dangerous and somewhat unnecessary.
I only say this because I've seen a lot of guys get mixed up with the culture of strength training and wind up hurt. I'm talking about the guy who fucks up his rotator cuff on a failed 1 RM on bench. The guy who goes to snap city trying to hit 4 plates on DL or 3 plates on squat prematurely. That shit is a one way ticket to a life of being another skinny fat saying, "yeah I used to be in great shape, but I fucked up my [blank] a few years ago and it's just not the same."
If you're not lifting and eating right, shame on you. You're missing out. But powerlifting is a sport that you don't need to be involved in to be big. Be careful out there. Don't let your ego get the best of you. Evaluate what you want from your fitness program and chase after that. If you need to lift big and get huge numbers, make sure your form is tight and put in the work necessary (that means mobility, form, warmups, having a fucking spotter, etc...), but if you really just want looks from the girls there's no reason why you ever need to do any lift for less than 4 reps. You don't need to do stronglifts either. If your goal is physique, a good PPL might even serve you better.
You absolutely need to follow progressive overload and proper dieting though. Those are non-negotiable.
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bsutansalt 7y ago
I've been involved in weight training since I was a kid beginning in the summer of 1989. In this time I've developed some simple 1RM metrics men should strive for to be what I consider "strong".
Overhead Press = bodyweight
Bench Press = bodyweight x1.5
Squat = bodyweight x2
Deadlift = bodyweight x2. 5
That's it. It's that simple. If you can hit those marks you won't only be strong, you'll also look like it.
[deleted] 7y ago
I always warn people though, especially beginners, not to attempt a 1 RM too often. Let's face it, none of these lifts are bad for you, but they're all terrible for you when done with poor form. A recipe for poor form is beginner + the maximum you can handle. Hell, even a veteran will injure himself at his max at a relatively high rate. Until you have a 5 RM in the range of 115 lbs for OHP, 185 for bench, 225 for squats, and 275 for deadlift, with at least 6 months to a year of weight lifting experience, don't be doing 1 RM. I can't even count how many guys I've seen get hurt being an idiot and trying to lift too much on bench/deadlift before actually learning their limits and knowing the form. There's no reason to get hurt trying to deadlift 225. Be patient with yourself and learn some humility in the gym. You get the big boy weights when you're ready.
nzgs 7y ago
Genetics vary so much that someone could drastically exceed those numbers and still look small (Jonny Candito upper body) and another person could get nowhere near on some of them and look physically impressive. I can't do a strict military press with my bodyweight for example (push press no problem) but my delts have always been good. https://i.sli.mg/iwhdcC.jpg
So I think strength benchmarks are really only useful as a vague tool. So long as strength is increasing with a minimal increase in bodyfat, you're doing good and shouldn't worry too much about hitting arbitrary numbers that are really mostly down to your genetics (leverages, muscle fibre types etc). People who do have suitable genetics for these exercises tend to overrate the importance of these benchmarks as a kind of self-validation.
[deleted] 7y ago
Great point. Mark Rippetoe talks about that all the time, where genetics is the leading cause of being good at lifting and athleticism.
[deleted] 7y ago
That is the definition of strong in my book too. 2/3/4 plates works also, probably easier though, depending on your weight
Getting there with BWx1.2 Bench / BWx1.75 Squat / >2xBW deadlift
StupidStrong 7y ago
That would put you above most gym rats for sure, but for perspective, those are very modest goals for anyone training for strength. There are plenty of drug-free women outlifting that in judged competition.
colucci 7y ago
I'm glad you have your own definition of 'strong' but you're setting a bar a bit high. Within the subgroup of people that go to the gym, those numbers are acceptable and not uncommon. But if you consider the general population, yeah good luck finding people that are strong. I reckon less than 5% of any given sample you take will be able to OHP their own weight. What you call strong, I'd consider 'very strong'. But I digress.
Kwantuum 7y ago
Because this standard is not based on what percentile of the population you're in, it's based on what's humanly possible. If you have the discipline to eat and train to those numbers, you're a strong man in a vacuum, because it's hard to achieve, not because you're stronger than an arbitrary percentage of the general population.
StoicCrane 7y ago
Better to shoot for the stars and hit the moon than avoid pulling the trigger at all.
[deleted] 7y ago
Anyone with newb gains and relatively low BF is going to be "jacked" by average person standards. Why set the bar so low?
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colucci 7y ago
Why do people go to the gym? Do they consider it a sport?
I think it's safe to say that no one looks at their casual workout as a sport, it's rather self improvement. If you aren't doing olympic weightlifting at a specific gym geared towards that, you going to the gym to lift weights is self improvement and not a sport.
Nonsense. Two people do a 100m dash, one finishes in 9 seconds the other finishes in 10 seconds. Is the guy that finishes second not fast? Of course he's fast, they're both within a second of the olympic world record.
Omnisovereign 7y ago
I'd call that strong, and that benchmark should be a target which is achievable if you lift regularly and STRENGTH train.... I'm talking reps below 5.
Before I started competing in Olympic Weightlifting, I ran Starting Strength for 8 months... At 87kg bodyweight my numbers were.. SQ = 180KG PRESS = 80KG DEADLIFT = 200KG BENCH = 110KG
After regularly training in the OlyLifts my numbers were: SQ = 200KG PRESS = 80KG DEADLIFT = don't go maximal in these but easy 200 with double overhand and hookgrip BENCH = stopped benching due to it tightening up the shoulders...
And my competition lifts were: SNATCH = 120KG CLEAN AND JERK = 145KG
This is with 4 years of training in the lifts and at 85kg body weight.
Starting Strength with get you strong as fuck, and strict raw pressing of bodyweight is a feat not my much men can do...
This is totally achievable with training and nutrition... If you wanna dabble in drugs, this should be a minimum!
colucci 7y ago
Mediocrity in the gym would be considered strong outside the gym is my point.
StoicCrane 7y ago
Too true. It's sad how morbidly out of shapemost people are especially in the US. To stay focused instead of being satisfied have to scout out the strongest person in the gym and aspire to exceed their strength instead of being complacent by comparing oneself with non-lifters.
In otherwords to stay hungry it's best to compare yourself to those who are stronger to fuel to desire to progress.
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Geleemann 7y ago
To understand you properly, are you saying that it stops becoming self improvement once you start comparing yourself to others?
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colucci 7y ago
You're missing the point by hinging on the definition of sports. Yeah you're right that I may have defined it a bit awkwardly. I guess it could be a sport if you define sport as a physical activity, or leisure or whatever have you.
But my point is tangent to that. What I was getting at is that it's not a sport in the sense that the goal of people that work out casually is not to compete against others and outlift them. The goal for the vast majority is to look good and increase their market value, in which case you need to compare yourself not only to gym goers (people within the sport) but also to other people that don't go to the gym.
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The_Man11 7y ago
The guys squatting 400 aren't the ones skyping you.
An_All-Beef_Engineer 7y ago
The guys squatting 400 are out there helping others squat. What's your point?
[deleted] 7y ago
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the average red piller doesn't even lift. TRP is constantly like the gym in January. You've got a few regulars who've been here for years, but the vast majority have been here less than 3 months, won't be here 3 months from now, and aren't following most of the advice they are given.
carrotplanter 7y ago
For real though, I was like holy shit that's me. All my progress from years before down the drain. And it's all on me, obviously.
GLO, your posts have always been refreshing. Thanks again for this one. I'm gonna sort myself out and hit the gym.
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DJ_RP 7y ago
I was going to ask for the poll data. If TRP hasn't done one I think that taking a poll is something worth looking into. Allow the posters to better curate their posts, help the rest of us understand why certain topics seem to appear more often than others, and help our fellow Redpillers get the information they need.
nillotampoco 7y ago
Like a poll of TRP users wouldn't be vote brigaded like a mofo.
ThePantsThief 7y ago
Get a list of the current subscribers before announcing the poll, and only allow those users to participate.
nillotampoco 7y ago
Assuming our haters aren't subscribed on a few different, shill only SJW accounts, haha paranoia runs deeeep!
disposable_pants 7y ago
Track down a list of users who've posted, say, 10 times in the last six months. If they've done that and haven't trolled hard enough to be banned, you probably have a reasonable group of people to work with.
ThePantsThief 7y ago
That simply cannot be done automatically (or manually, given the number of subscribers)
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DarkExecutor 7y ago
Same with any financial posts...
EntitledShitHead 7y ago
What do you guys think about supplements? Which are necessary? I just started taking creatine and my stalled lifts are increasing
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iamgoingbald666 7y ago
Supplement things you aren't getting enough of in your diet. Or change your diet to accommodate. I supplement Fish Oil since I don't eat fish (I don't like it), and magnesium because I don't get enough in the food I eat. Vitamin D is also good if you don't get a lot of sun. (Vit D also helps boost testosterone.)
metallica11 7y ago
GLO, what are your opinions on "diminished returns" past the newbie gains, and balance the increased effort required to progress against your other life goals?
Basically, I keep my lifting philosophy extremely simple like yours: Aside from rest periods, Do more than last time or at least different than last time.
Using this philosophy I have seen my strength continually increase over the years, but it is VERY VERY slow, as I put more and more effort in. I'm getting the point where the time it takes to do my workouts is interfering with my other goals. I hate this because I want to keep progressing but also don't want to be a gym rat 24/7.
Example of progression of last set of flat dumbbell presses (failure at ~8 reps as last set)
4 years ago:
3 years go:
2 years ago:
last year
Each year involves doing more sets, more reps for chest, with very minimal gain in strength. I do at least .75 grams protein per bodyweight, and do a bulking session every winter (up to around 15-16% bodyfat..I have fast metabolism and don't want to be come a fatass), and deload every 4 weeks or so of going very heavy.
I have tried shocking my body by doing 2 hour workouts for one bodypart, taking longer rests (more deloading)..but the progress is the same...slow but sure. is this just how it is? It sucks doing a brutal chest workout sweating my ass of for 1.5 hours only to see my max bench increase from 260 to 262 in a month (yes we have 1 pound plates at my gym).
[deleted] 7y ago
You could see it as slowly gaining, but there is some amount of work that needs to be done to maintain. A larger percentage of your efforts are just maintaining your current strength and size at this point.
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Red_Faust 7y ago
Hey GLO, got a question for you if you don't mind. Thanks in advance.
What fundamentals for strength would you recommend for someone with back injury?
I'm early forties, couple years ago I developed a protrusion on a lumbar disc. After much researching I'm improving a lot by following the system of Dr. Stuart McGill on back recovery (http://archive.is/uUIEV).
However, my strength and size have been greatly impacted by this. If I deadlift even the smallest weight, my back hurts like hell the next day and I'm back to the therapist bed. I manage to keep in shape through diet and intermittent fasting and some little strength via push-ups and (assisted) pull-ups, but nothing to write home about.
Maybe I'm just being impatient but I'd like to recover and regain whatever strength and shape I can. If anyone has ideas I'm all ears.
grewapair 7y ago
You don't need to deadlift. Muscles are muscles and you can work the same ones in other ways that don't stress your back.
How to solve your back issues: ab exercises. Helped me.
JackGetsIt 7y ago
If you can do push ups and pull ups you should be able to eventually get back to squatting. Those are both compound movements that call on the back for stabilization and all the abdominal muscle groups as well. Build what you can.
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Marsupian 7y ago
Kelly Starrett and Chriss Duffin are the holy duo for fixing bad movement. Kstar for the mobility and the mad scientist for movement cues and telling you to hit a shot of whiskey before a max DL.
Red_Faust 7y ago
Thanks GLO and everyone else who replied!
I'll follow the pointers to the additional information, specifically the Kelly Starlets book. I hope with therapy, rehab and calisthenics I will progress. Hopefully will report back in several months with results.
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CreepyShady 7y ago
Hey Gaylube, I've started stronglifts for about two weeks now and I never feel that I'm hitting my upper back like I should. When I do barbell rows I just feel it in my lower back. Is it just my form?
DJ_RP 7y ago
Your lower back will usually be the limiting factor on this movement. Personally when I do barbell rows I prefer isometric holds at the top since the weight will have to be lighter. Since your just begging though I would have to agree with ponkyol. Rows and Pullups in any way shape or form will be beneficial.
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DannyDemotta 7y ago
do chest-supported t-bar row, seated cable row, or or a hammer strength ISO row machine.
The goal is to find a pull that comes directly towards your body, to go with a pull from below (deadlift) and one from above (pulldown/pull ups/chin ups)
ponkyol 7y ago
Probably bad form.
Give dumbbell rows a try. Keep your back flat, hips even, use the other arm to lean on a bench. Stay in a 0-20% back angle. Move the weight to your hip, move your elbow like you want to elbow someone behind you. Try to keep your shoulders even (a bit of deviation is fine).
CreepyShady 7y ago
But if I switch to dumbell rows wouldn't I be ruining the "compound lifts" program? Should I just completely switch to another routine or stick to SL 5x5?
ponkyol 7y ago
just give them a try, it's not a big difference.
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chazthundergut 7y ago
For someone who is morbidly obese (let's say 5'8'', 300lbs) ... do you think that movements like squats and deadlifts are a good idea? I know that strength training is supposed to be good for fat loss. However whenever I do deadlifts my lower back hurts. I'm worried that I am so fat that I am going to injure myself or something.
Advice is appreciated.
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chazthundergut 7y ago
I eat like a lonely man at a Vegas buffet.
Thanks. I will keep focusing on the binge eating, and worry about deadlifts once I've made more progress on the food addiction front.
disposable_pants 7y ago
Try this:
For me, it's the mental equivalent of making yourself strip naked and eat in front of a mirror if you want to have junk food -- you think a lot harder about what's in your food and naturally sub in better options. You naturally start to cut out soda, swap chicken or fish sandwiches for burgers, liquor for beer, etc. Think you're eating north of 3000 calories/day now? Cut it down to 2500 for a month, then down to 2000. You'll start to see progress.
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radianceofparadise 7y ago
Here's my question. How the fuck do I get 5,000 calories down in a day without turning into a fat ass?
b-raddit 7y ago
Cardio(work/sex), and meal timing and heavy lifting
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radianceofparadise 7y ago
I forgot to mention I'm 6'6 and 210 lbs at 14% body fat currently. I am trying to get to 230 lbs. at 10% bf. I also just started a cycle. I'm a competitive volleyball player that plays 4x a week. I need the extra calories just to compensate for that.
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SolidScorpion 7y ago
Great write up. As always. I've come to the point where i don't need any kind of motivation to visit gym. I go there in "joy and sorrow" no matter what. The sooner person realizes that there mustn't be any kind of motivation for this - it has to become a necessity, the better.
P.S. AWESOME twitter background picture!
TWYW 7y ago
Going to the gym is like showering. You just have to do it, it's physical and mental hygiene. Now I'm not saying you have to lift everyday (while you should shower everyday), but you know what I mean.
TWYW 7y ago
Going to the gym is like showering. You just have to do it, it's physical and mental hygiene. Now I'm not saying you have to lift everyday (while you should shower everyday), but you know what I mean.
[deleted] 7y ago
If you go into the gym happy, then it's a great workout. If you go into the gym sad, then it's a great workout.
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SolidScorpion 7y ago
I know, I'm from Ukraine. Unfortunately history repeats itself
Some other variations First Second
redpillbrazil 7y ago
Guys forgive my sheer ignorance,
I don't do deadlifts or squats, cause I have a trauma on my knees, I am still able to get big? I am now with 165 pounds at 6'0. And I feel I can't really go next level on my weights, it's hard to add weight, now it's been 6 months I got back to the gym but I've been on-off the gym for 4+ years, I don't juice btw..
I do mostly complex exercises, like a lot of bench variations, dips, rows, pull ups and military presses; but I see a lot of emphasis on squat and deadlifts, but in no way I am able to perform these.
How can I make it up for missing those key exercises to get big???
Thanks in advice for any help
DJ_RP 7y ago
I would try to get those in by trying different variations. Romanian deadlifts, Bulgarian Single Leg Squats, Box Squats, Single Leg RDL, etc. Find a variation that is comfortable and do the assistance exercises for what you are missing.
shadowq8 7y ago
I have a torn pcl. With certain injuries you have to read up on or see an expert.
In my case I have to be slightly careful squatting, as bending over 90 degrees puts a lot of stress on the joint.
But if you do it safely and consistency, I find no problem doing squats completely because I bear the weight on my muscles and the muscles develop to handle it.
Safety and correct form is most important overall you don't want to Fuck yourself over with making the injury worse.
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Tastetosis 7y ago
You don't need to squat or DL to get big.
I don't - I am an actively competing bodybuilder. There are a multiple of other exercises to target to muscles used by squats and DLs.
unptitdej 7y ago
Check oiut Rich Piana's videos. He has bad knees too. He just does leg extensions with an isometric hold, and hamstring curls.
XelentGamer 7y ago
Ha! Jokes on you I am 160! ... Oh nvm that's worse. Anyways I'm 20. Last year I weighed 250 @ ~30-35% BF and today I weigh 160 @ ~12% BF. I fall into the young adult new identity class. I won't stop. I never lose motivation. Even when my body is failing my mind doesn't. Also PR today at 225 x 10 squat almost ass to grass so happy to read that that is good enough to pt at planet fitness lol. Anyways great read.
playdontpay 7y ago
I'm 48 and on Trt for last year. Always been a gym goer 6ft1 and 225 @18% bf.
For older lifters I believe the most important thing is to stay injury free, as recovery takes longer as you age. I know squats are more effective than leg extensions/leg bicep curl alternatives but the extra risk of injury negates that benefit. I have also eliminated deadlift from my workouts for the same reason. If my back and knees become injured (and I have only injured both doing these lifts) then I will have to take time off to recover. For older lifters the juice ain't worth the squeeze imo, unless you are a hardcore bodybuilder you don't need massive legs anyway, you just need to be proportional. Do get your testosterone levels checked though I wish I'd done it years ago. I was at 556 and in normal range but lacked energy and libido not what it was. I now try to stay around 1300/1350 and feel like I did in my 20's , best decision I've ever made.
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mehdreamer 7y ago
hey GayLubeOil, Forgive my ignorance...but when you say deadlift 315 pounds.. Do you mean making 5 sets of 5 reps? or just one rep?
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[deleted] 7y ago
A ORM of 315 probably isn't what he's talking about.
If you can DL 600, can probably pull 315 more than once Looool
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ACE-JHN 7y ago
I honestly have some nasty tendonitis issues in my right knee and from years of gaming bullshit had my posture fucked up. Fixed most of it with the numerous mobility stuff from kelly starrett, joe defranco, alan thrall etc. The knee tendonitis still presists and the right shoulder is wobbly as hell so doing the conventional lifts with the barbell like bench/deads/squats are literally excruciatingly painful. I want to one day be able to do them again, but i'm 20 atm and need to get healthy. You know your shit and I respect most of your threads, but i've been doing the body beast program at home with dumbbells and the results have been great ! while i hit macros. Once rehab is over i want to sign up for one of your skype sessions to figure out a decent plan in the gym.
Baldr12 7y ago
I don't like how you equate fitness to weight lifting and specifically to squatting/deadlifting.
awalt_cupcake 7y ago
there there, you'll be alright
ThrowawayAccountOhYe 7y ago
That'll do pig, that'll do.
TheOtherEli 7y ago
How is it even possible to only squat 185? I warm up with 225 and a ton of the girls at my gym can squat that and deadlift over 225. For a community as intent on telling guys to lift I seriously can't believe the majority of TRP can't do better than that.