The study sounds really interesting… I’d love to see two identical twins perform different training styles and compare the results.
When we look at pro bodybuilders the guys with the most dense/granite type look usually seem to be the ones with the toughest training style regardless of drug use (Dorian Yates comes to mind)
As cliche as it sounds I think at the end of the day we’re all different and different things are going to work for different folks. I never would have thought that the key for me personally (to bicep growth) would have been to cut the weight down to a third and simply rep out the weight mindlessly - It was a real eye opener ; )
It sounds like the answer is…train a hell of a lot;-)
And yes, I’ve acquired a whole lot of snap, crackle, and pop noises. It’s always fun to hear the chorus of joints going off on the first grand plié of the class.
I think I’d like to go back in time and tell myself not to be such a judgemental dick about people that I label as not knowing what they’re doing. Half of the guys I used to look at and think things like “pfft his squats are high” or “why’s that tool using so much body English on his laterals?” were fucking bigger than me anyway (not exactly hard given I was 5’ 11" 130lbs).
Everyone in the gym is trying to do something positive for themselves. Even if they aren’t going about it the “right” way (according to you), then who cares? Fact is they’re there trying to better themselves so don’t be a dick and just let them do their thing.
If some guy wants to do 500 types of curl in a workout and never trains his legs it has literally zero negative impact on your quality of life or workout in any way. In fact, it can only actually benefit you as it means one less person you have to fight for the squat rack.
I wish I would of known on a specific day, during a specific play, I would tear my hamstring. Ripping the muscle connection from my knee and ass. That the attractive 15-18 y/o girls that were watching me would only be impressed with me doing the splits for 3 seconds, before I roll over in pain and have to be carried to the trainers room. Where I would never be seen at that HS again. I would transfer to a different HS in a different city. This is the day my ego died.
… also, when I was 13 I wish I didn’t spend a few months trying to curl 135lbs… 60lbs more than my best squat or bench. Although, my dad seeing that atrocity is the reason he hired a trainer for me…
I would tell my former self, to slow the hell down. And probably also let former self know that it’s okay to be hungry for a bit rather than freaking out and buying a burrito from Jack in the Box.
Stop rationalizing: ‘It’s ok that I’m weak cuz I have nice abs’ and the opposite: ‘It’s ok that I’m getting tubby…cuz I’m getting strong!’.
For the first two/three years of lifting, focus mostly on mobility, squats & chins.
Training to failure is good…but use it in moderation…the best gains in size and strength come more from total good quality series of sets and reps as opposed to one, stroking 10 rep max-a-thon!
Do more glute work…chicks dig a good arse!!!
Experiment more, but in a more strategic fashion: Ie: 2 months at a time.
I wish I’d known that most supplements are a waste of money
I wish I’d known how much more progress I’d make if I just focused on eating more real protein
I wish I’d known how important diet is for both fat loss and hypertrophy
I wish I’d known that I should pick a reputable program and stick to it, rather than hopping all the time
I wish I’d known that a small, young, natural lifter has no place copying the workouts of arnold, coleman or anything else out of a muscle magazine.
I wish I’d known I should stick to big compound lifts for at least 90% of my training effort, and leave the tricep kickbacks for people with triceps.
I wish I’d known that waiting more than 5 minutes after my workout to consume my protein shake would not mean I would miss the ‘anabolic window’ and ‘lose my gainz’
I wish I’d known you cant out train a bad diet
I wish I’d known that, for me, more sets for lower reps with heavier weight is the way I respond best.
Sorry, this is old, but the first Mr Olympia, Larry Scott used to take that pad and either reverse it or go around to get the 90 degree angle he preferred.
That dumb bastards were going to ask me about where to get their hands on gear or what I was on …once I hit a certain level of development.
This is less of a wish I knew thing as much as a regret from my younger days… that when i was really jacked that I didn’t take the opportunity when I was asked to join a male revue and make some $$
Maybe you and I could join forces and start our own geriatric male revue? I mean, except for the fact that I can’t dance a lick, and would likely pop a hammie if I tried to gyrate, it’s a part I was born to play. If nothing else, I bet our wives would pay good money to see us try and perform.
