Pissed

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My mom likes to leave the tv on as she goes through her morning routine. One show called “The Doctors” pissed me off this morning. For those of you who don’t know, there is a medical doctor, an OBGYN, a plastic surgeon, and a pediatrician. Today they were giving fitness advice, and it was a fucking joke. Let me clarify something: just because you are professionally called a Doctor — even if it’s a Doctor that treats the human body — it doesn’t mean you know dick about fitness or exercise.

These hosts of the show were demonstrating some kind of vibrating machine that you stand on. The main host, who is a young pencil-neck medical doctor, was sitting on this vibrating machine and said that it “really engages your abs”. I started cussing at the TV. A second later he pulled out a shake weight, and I left the room. Later, the OBGYN — who, by definition, inspects vaginas — was telling people to do wall sits in order to build muscle and burn fat (not to mention her own knees weren’t at a 90 degree angle, which was one of her requirements in her “explanation).



Here’s the problem: we all know that this stuff is bullshit. I can make fun of these idiots every day, but it won’t matter because the viewers that buy into this malarkey don’t know the difference. It’s your responsibility to educate other people on what is or isn’t worth a damn. That means it’s your responsibility to learn not only “what to do”, but “why to do it”. I try to go over this stuff regularly so that you’ll have a conceptual understanding of the “why”, but I only reach three or four thousand people a day. There are millions — fucking MILLIONS — of people who now think wall sits will build their glutes.

I don’t want you go about this like an asshole, though. You need to respectfully inform — you know, teach them. If you go and say, “Oh, that’s a bunch of bullshit. You need to do this”, then you just drive people away. You owe it to people in your life, particularly those that you care about, to help them get on the right track. They all aren’t going to start squatting two or three times a week, but if they learn why compound strength movements not only build muscle, but that muscle helps burn fat, they may want to change their habits. But then again, most people are hopelessly stupid with their health. We can still try to help anyway by teaching, not bashing. Good luck. I’m here if you need help on how to do it.

38 thoughts on “Pissed”

  1. Kudos Justin,
    I am home for the holidays and my mom loves watching The Doctors as well. I saw the preview for this episode yesterday of them sitting on the vibrating platform and using a shakeweight. I expressed my opinion and made sure everyone knew the difference between ‘engaging muscles’ and building muscle and strength.

  5. Ha, my wife loves that doctors show. She didn’t see it yesterday or I would have heard about how stupid it was though (she reads this site as well). As far as getting people to get over the notion of mainstream fitness, I’ve had success with two people. One is my aforementioned wife. Another is a guy I work with who used to be all “gotta do cardio” on the treadmill for an hour. Now he squats, presses and deadlifts and plans to do one or two PL meets this year. I don’t have the knowledge to go in depth about why the stuff works (this site is helping!) but I just convinced him to come to the gym and I wasn’t a dickhead about it. The key factor was his desire to get yoked. That’s a rare trait.

  6. “It’s your responsibility to educate other people on what is or isn’t worth a damn.” I’m on it. You’re absolutely right that there’s a right way and wrong way to go about it. I’ve found that the right way is to explain that I’ve tried other methods and know that nothing replaces hard work, going past the comfort zone and real weights. Cheers.

  7. Almost forgot my PR Friday report:

    Squat: 305# x 5 x 2

    Deadlift: 363# x 5 – this is a double PR as it is also the heaviest I’ve ever pulled with a hook grip.

    Happy New Year

    M / 50 / 6’1″ / 213#

  8. Deadlift PR again this week, 325 lb x 5. It actually felt easier than 320 last week.

    I also got back up to my previous Squat PR of 255x5x3.

    Myself and a good friend of mine are having a mini PL meet this weekend to start the New Year. Basically I will be doing my lifts at home and he will be doing his at his gym on the other side of the country. We came up with this idea to make it an annual or twice a year thing so we can track our progress and challenge ourselves. This will be my first time attempting max squat and bench so I am looking forward to the results!

    Happy New Year Everyone!

    And, oh yeah, that shake weight thing is one of the most ridiculous things ever!

  11. Curl 160 (semi-strict, no knees/hips)
    Dip 110×8
    Pullup 90×8

    Teaching PR:
    A 5-year-old kid lost in the weight room decided to ask me what a certain machine was (lat pulldown).

    I told him it was for people who weren’t strong enough to do pullups. And he wanted to try.

    He could do 2 good reps at the pullup with the narrowest grip I’d ever seen, 4″ between the hands! And when he widened it, he was actually weaker!

    Then he wanted me to show him more things to do so I gave him dumbbells to overhead press. He managed 10, then the 15 for 3-5 reps on each side. Then pressed a 30lb barbell for 3 reps. Finally I showed him deadlift with the lightest full height plates we have and he demolished 65.

  13. Push press: 1 x 138 lbs

    Squat:
    3 x 5 x 193 lbs
    1 x 220 lbs

    I have promised Glenn that I am now switching to high bar squats. To be specific, front squats twice a week and HBBS once a week. I am super sad to say goodbye to LBBS.

    Our gym is having some 90 day New Year’s challenge again. Last year, I gave up alcohol (again) for 90 days. Fuck that. So, one of the coaches there asked me today what my 90 day goals were. I have two goals for the first 90 days of 2011:
    1)Qualify for the Masters Pan American Games and for Worlds.
    2)Force my husband to FUCKING OUTSQUAT ME.

  15. Deadlift PR 280×5 AND 315(!!!)x.95 (failed to lockout due to grip)

    I’m excited about having to move my expected numbers UP for the meet in Feb!

  16. hello. squatted 190×1 last night even though it was supposed to be my light squat day and i was still fatigued from my tuesday workout. gym will be closed most of the weekend so i tried to anticipate the lost training days. next time i try a max effort squat i know the number is going to fly through the roof.

  17. This weeks PRs:

    Squat 365 3×5
    Bench 285 3×5
    Press 180 3×5
    Deadlift 425 1×5
    Power Clean 195 5×3

    Continuing Linear Progression using Starting Strength and the gains just keep coming. Need to switch to 5/3/1 next week though. Rugby Season is starting.

  18. PRs

    Bodyweight 185lbs (PR)
    Squat 305 x 5 x 3
    Bench 235 x 5 x 3
    Press 140 x 5 x 3

    taking a couple of weeks arm so hopefully my left arm can heal up, it’s getting in the way of workouts now

  19. Justin, I think it is great that you take the time to educate people who want to be educated.

    But I think there are a couple of things you haven’t appreciated yet.

    (i)”Education is the responsibility of the student, not the teacher”
    The fact is, we all listen to you because we want to learn and improve ourselves. The average person just simply doesn’t want to improve themselves.

    (ii)”you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”.
    The reality is that most people are not willing to change, and there is nothing you can do to change that. All you can do is let them know that they have the option,a nd let them know of the benefits, and then let them come to you if they choose. Doing anything else will just piss them off. In the medical world this phenomena is known as “stages of change model” used in drug cessation: http://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/ResourcesForProfessionals/PublishingImages/Stages%20of%20change.jpg

    (iii)Being elite is not the means of the masses. For example, your o-lifts are considered awesome because most people cannot do it. What makes certain girls arses better than others is the fact is it better than the vast majority.
    So often you must accept that most people will not have the ‘testicular fortitute’ to become awesome, and remain average. If they did they would have taken the path that the likes of us have.

    (iv)most people are too apathetic to take up a hobby that will make them happier and improve their lives. They would rather sit in the present moment watching tv, and now and then vaguely plan to something in the non-existant future.

    I don’t mean to put a downer on your views. But i just want to throw a few kidney stones of wisdom out there. Food for thought if you will.

    R P McMurphy

  21. PRs
    Me:
    Bench 128kg x 6
    Deadlift 218kg x 6
    Squat 153kg x 10
    M/38/6’1/240

    Wife:
    Bench 43kg x 3
    Clean and press 41kg x 2
    Squat 68kg x 5
    F/34/5’8″/140

  24. Hello:

    I’ve never posted PR’s on PR friday. So here is my PR’s for the year.

    Squat: 185*5 in April, 315*5 Last week.

    Deadlift: 375*5

    Press: 45*5 in Nov, 105*11 last week.

    Weight: 185 in April, 220 after Christmas dinner.

    I was a crossfit moron for 1 year, tore my labrum (why my press sucks, but I’m gonna get back to my PR of 180 by the end 0f 2011), did nothing for a year, got fixed slowly recovered, found 70s Big, and grew a beard. Hell yeah.

  25. PR’s
    Squat 330*5*3
    Bench 209*5*3
    Press 137*5*3
    Dead 385*5

    Doing well on the SS LP, started out i september with 220 squat, 176 bench, 88 press, 264 deadlift and a bodyweight at 176 and 5’10 height. Today i’m 198lb (down from 210 in November)
    continuing in 2011 with SS (still making 5lb jumps in squat)

    I was wondering if somebody in here have experience in training specific for Judo and other grappling sports? I’m an old judo fighter but dislocated my knee 1 year ago in training, but now when i have regained some strength I been thinking to start again. Was thinking of maybe adding some hang power clean/snatch that kind of stuff, any thoughts?

    Marry new years to everybody by the way!

  28. Conversation with friend of relative:
    Them-“I heard you work out, I’ve been using the shakeweight and my arms are pretty sore. Have you tried this?”
    Me-“Have you heard of the principle of specificity?”
    Them-“No, what’s that?”
    Me-“It means what you do is what you’re going to be good at. (motions like using a shakeweight that isn’t a shakeweight, plus pursing of lips with sound effects)”
    Them-“uh. OH. oh. o man.”

  29. I gave up on my “responsibility” to give the people closer to me a better understanding of fitness. I went from 130->205lbs in a short time on a linear progression and people noticed and complimented me, but everyone I know wants to lose weight and the myth that strength training is only good for gaining weight and that one must do cardio exclusively to lose weight is firmly entrenched in most minds. The high-rep isolation toning myth is also tenacious. It’s just not worth it to give unsolicited help that will be brainlessly dismissed. If somebody ever asked I would be glad to help, but most people really just “work out” to clear their conscience.

  35. size PR…. got fitted for a gentleman’s suit. 52 Long! BW 282.
    PS- I heard Arnold’s secret weapon pre-contest was an early crude version of the shakeweight

  37. The great Peter North used to swear by the Shake Weight.

    If I recall correctly, his morning routine was 3×100 Shake Weight snatches on each arm, followed by 12 egg whites and 2 litres of yoghurt.

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