advice from Ex-lifters?

[chodan9]

do you ever have people who used to lift or workout give you advice?
I know most of the time its well intentioned but mentally my mind goes on cruise and I just wait for them to wind down.
the other day someone was telling me how they used to hit the gym so hard and all the stuff they used to do, then warned me of the perils of burnout, which he did after about 6 months, I reminded them that I have been consistenly working out for 3 years now, so I think I am past the 6 month burnout phase.
Or the guy who is 100 pounds overweight teling me the best methods for weight loss.
It's like getting relationship advice from a guy on his 4th divorce, the advice may be correct but no one gives a **** LOL.

[dbx]

...... telling me how they used to hit the gym so hard and all the stuff they used to do, then warned me of the perils of burnout, which he did after about 6 months,.....

Learning this ^, is where the conversation would have been cut short .

[thepainter5]

This sounds all to familiar. Sort of like arm chair quarterbacks.

[ArchAngel'73]

These people really irritate me.
"Oh yeah, I used to be the same size as you..."
"Back in my 20's I lifted all the time and was even bigger than you."

Like phuck you were.


My fav though is when they tell me it will all turn to fat when I stop.
Maybe if I had never started I would be skinny.

[StressMonkey]

My fav though is when they tell me it will all turn to fat when I stop.
Maybe if I had never started I would be skinny.

I truly do not understand how people think that. Do they think that muscle undergoes a magical metamorphosis when you stop training?

[67fastback]

It's a particularly yappy time at my gym when i go now.

There's this one kid there telling some guy how he "almost" went to the olympics, and the BS went on from there. spends more time chatting than lifting

I just wonder if the people who he chat with buy the story

I hear him telling people what they should be doing, lifting.

[Skidmarx]

It's like getting relationship advice from a guy on his 4th divorce.

lol yeah

[ntrllftr]

Same here. When ever I hear the words "I used to".

All I hear next is...

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

[_VL]

Wahh, wahh, wahhh ... if you all think you get it as men, imagine what it's like for us WOMEN in any gym!!!!

Do you know how many times, when a young horn dog walks up to me to offer me his "macho" advice, that I have to stop myself from saying..."Thanks, but I've lifted weights for more years than you've had testicles"... instead, the kind mom in me just quietly smiles and listens while proceeding with my workout.

After all, you just never know who might actually have something of value to say. Appearances can be deceptive.

There's a famous story of a highly regarded bb expert gent (who at that stage in life was more of a runner and his body simply looked like a trim older man when "hidden" in his sweats) who was walking through a gym and stopped to give advice to a young man once. The young jerk cut him off by saying "What the F*** would you know?!" That kid lost a moment of advice that most of us would've killed for.

[KeepItMoving]

These people really irritate me.
"Oh yeah, I used to be the same size as you..."
"Back in my 20's I lifted all the time and was even bigger than you."

Like phuck you were.


My fav though is when they tell me it will all turn to fat when I stop.
Maybe if I had never started I would be skinny.

LOL! Good thread. If the guy talking to me didn't used to be bigger than I, he presently has "a buddy" who's bigger than I am.

[Marius_Ursus]

do you ever have people who used to lift or workout give you advice?
I know most of the time its well intentioned but mentally my mind goes on cruise and I just wait for them to wind down.
the other day someone was telling me how they used to hit the gym so hard and all the stuff they used to do, then warned me of the perils of burnout, which he did after about 6 months, I reminded them that I have been consistenly working out for 3 years now, so I think I am past the 6 month burnout phase.
Or the guy who is 100 pounds overweight teling me the best methods for weight loss.
It's like getting relationship advice from a guy on his 4th divorce, the advice may be correct but no one gives a **** LOL.

There's a scene in Eraser where James Caan tells the guy who used to do black ops for the CIA, "Yeah? I don't give a f**k. All I care about is what you can do for me now."

That's what I always think of when I hear the "used to" stories. The only time it makes a difference what they used to do is if they learned from it and went on to be better or do something else they can use that experience toward. For instance someone who used to do Olympic lifting but is now a bodybuilder probably has a lot of information that's valid...but some guy who used to do a push up now and then trying to explain the threat of overtraining to me?

Fuggeddaboudit.

[IronCamp]

Yes, I hear it quite a bit actually. I am also told that eventually I will stop, b/c I will get tired of all the work...you would think that would've already happened over the course of 13 years of training, if that were the case.

[Marius_Ursus]

Yes, I hear it quite a bit actually. I am also told that eventually I will stop, b/c I will get tired of all the work...you would think that would've already happened over the course of 13 years of training, if that were the case.

Aren't you afraid of bulking up???!!!

[Old-Time-Lifter]

A friend of mine's Dad was a 'Spook' for the CIA, he spent alot of time in Vietnam during the war, well........ he was supposed to be in Vietnam, he was usually in other countries so to say.

He was a bonafide bad dude, but you won't know it now to see his pot bellied being.......... course I think he could probably still kill you in a heart beat with his bare hands.

I agree with VL, you don't always know what that crusty old dude may know. Now if it's a 20 yr old, forget about it............

[IronCamp]

Aren't you afraid of bulking up???!!!

lol...I might get too big by just looking at a weight. If only it were that easy! I have never had any fears of bulking up! I have a real fear of looking emaciated and like a string bean!

[Skidmarx]

Do you know how many times, when a young horn dog walks up to me to offer me his "macho" advice

Don't forget us older horn dogs.

Hey let me show you how to get better ROM on your pec squeezes.

[Capt_Lou]

A friend of mine who used to lift and is still pretty big, still tries to tell me what I should and should'nt do. The whole time that he is talking to me, I just stare at his huge budda belly. He does not like that so much.

[Old-Time-Lifter]

What if this old fella walked up and told you how to lift......... would you blow him off? He may now look like just another old cop......... but oh baby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2AGR...eature=related

[KeepItMoving]

Wow! That blows my mind! I have often wondered what became of The Myth! He defined size.

As for old guys in the gym. I consider myself one of the older guys, and I don't just walk up and give advice to people on how to lift, get bigger, or look like I "use to" look or whatever. If someone asks, I'll help.

[ironwill2008]

Same here. When ever I hear the words "I used to".

All I hear next is...

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

Their side of the conversation usually goes like this, and is only slightly less irritating:

[ultim8-one]

lol...I might get too big by just looking at a weight. If only it were that easy! I have never had any fears of bulking up! I have a real fear of looking emaciated and like a string bean!

Besides the crappy diet advice from the obvious over weight co-worker that is a "former" weight trainning and diet guru ..... the one you mention here is the one that really gets me. If any one has ever spent any time in a gym they'd see a whole gaggle of men and women that spend countless hours lifting weights ... TRYING to bulk up ... and most of them only succeed at a small level. Most of us try and fail at attaining the "too bulky" look. To me, the "aren't you afraid of getting too bulky" is yet another excuse for being lazy.

And through my high school years I was relentlessly picked on and ridiculed for being "skinny" (which I was .....) and the nickname so conveniently given to me was "string bean". Thanks for the memories ..... lol

[crupiea]

I like this thread.

I used to have a co worker, little guy. We were talking about lifting one day and he said that he used to spend 3-4 hours a day in the gym and was huge. He said he could lift 300 lbs over his head in that lift where you lift the bar over your head.

He forgot the name of it.

[chodan9]

I think its hilarious how many people think you can accidently "get too big" LOL,
Like your working out one day and BANG!!! all the sudden your 300 pounds of ripped muscle.

[batteryrequired]

My fav though is when they tell me it will all turn to fat when I stop.
Maybe if I had never started I would be skinny.

My mom to this day still tells me that....LOL

Thanks, but I've lifted weights for more years than you've had testicles"....

Now THAT is funny

[IronCamp]

Besides the crappy diet advice from the obvious over weight co-worker that is a "former" weight trainning and diet guru ..... the one you mention here is the one that really gets me. If any one has ever spent any time in a gym they'd see a whole gaggle of men and women that spend countless hours lifting weights ... TRYING to bulk up ... and most of them only succeed at a small level. Most of us try and fail at attaining the "too bulky" look. To me, the "aren't you afraid of getting too bulky" is yet another excuse for being lazy.

And through my high school years I was relentlessly picked on and ridiculed for being "skinny" (which I was .....) and the nickname so conveniently given to me was "string bean". Thanks for the memories ..... lol

Sorry for the trip down memory lane! I can't say I can relate as I have always been "bulky"...lol! I played sports all my life, mainly soccer, and developed large quads fairly early...I have to work real hard to stay lean, but putting on muscle has never been an issue. At least half of my genes are good.

[Marius_Ursus]

I think its hilarious how many people think you can accidently "get too big" LOL,
Like your working out one day and BANG!!! all the sudden your 300 pounds of ripped muscle.

Hahahahaha...I love that one, too. A few years ago a couple of people had asked me how I lost so much weight in just a few months. I told them I started lifting really heavy with progressive loads for low reps, and they both said they couldn't do that because they didn't want to get too big. LOL

There were so many things wrong with that statement that I didn't know where to start, so I just shrugged and went back to the squat rack.

[ultim8-one]

Sorry for the trip down memory lane! I can't say I can relate as I have always been "bulky"...lol! I played sports all my life, mainly soccer, and developed large quads fairly early...I have to work real hard to stay lean, but putting on muscle has never been an issue. At least half of my genes are good.

Judging by your popularity here I reckon any trip with you is a good one. lol

I grew up playing soccer too but never had the "large quad" issue. Which worked out for me considering the nicknames I carried.

My daughter plays high school basketball and her coach calls her "String B." (which is a combination of first and last name) ....... which threw me a bit the first time I heard her yell it during a game. For a second I thought I heard "String Bean" ..... so this wasn't the first flashback I've had about this in the last month. Ever heard how things happen in 3's ..... I guess I have one more flashback to endure.

[ironwill2008]

I like this thread.

I used to have a co worker, little guy. We were talking about lifting one day and he said that he used to spend 3-4 hours a day in the gym and was huge. He said he could lift 300 lbs over his head in that lift where you lift the bar over your head.

He forgot the name of it.

ROFL!

[GreenWave1]

I tend to smile and nod. It can be amusing, or simply head scratching.

A couple of examples:

A guy I work with was telling me about how he used to lift (way over weight now) and asked if I do pyramids, then went on to tell me what they were. Except he was completely wrong. Smile, nod, head scratch later.

I was in Sports Authority about a month ago and asked a guy working there if they had chalk. He said let me get "Ted" (or something), he'll know. So Ted comes over and says without being asked "Yeah, I bench like 400". "Like 400"? Is that the same as "'bout tree fiddy"? The kid weighed about 165. If he was benching 400, it would have been very impressive. Smile, nod, chuckle later.

One of the gifts that the Lord has given me is that I am aware of how little I know about anything. I wish more people were given the same gift.

[ironwill2008]

One of the gifts that the Lord has given me is that I am aware of how little I know about anything. I wish more people were given the same gift.

LOL! The makings of a great signature line!