This is somewhat a venting post. My friends are all exercise science/athletic training majors in undergrad and are entering their 3rd year in their doctorate of physical therapy. They are more academia and don't really train that much in the gym. We constantly get into arguments about certain exercises and steroids. For example we were discussing bicep curls in terms of strength training. They said to get real strong biceps you want to focus on bicep curls. I said compound lifts are better for strength and bicep curls should be used as an accessory lift. They had no idea what a compound lift or accessory lift was. I said focusing on tbar/bent over rows and weighted pull ups with some bicep isolation is better for strength than just bicep curls. Again we are talking about strength training not body building. I said the extra release of hormones from your compound lifts will help your biceps. On your compound lifts obviously you will be able to increase weight more often than isloating small muscle groups, which will increase the stress and effort required of your biceps greater. Now for another example. I was doing dumbell shoulder press (something I rarely do) I was using 70lb weights in each arm (nothing amazing). They had no problem with my form but they said doing that much weight on shoulder press is idiotic. Then I was doing working sets with 425 lbs on deadlift ( not amazing considering i weigh 220lbs). They tried to tell me my form was incorrect. I have been deadlifting for 2 years now never experienced any sort of back,hamstring, or lower abdominal pain. They then demonstrated there form the guy was 215lbs and only could DL 200 lbs. He didn't use his legs at all and rounded his back and put all of the stress on the lumbar spine and lower abdomen. I wont even get into the steroid debate here. I never have used them but my brother has who competes at a powerlifting gym. I have done a lot of research and discussed with some of the lifters about their experience. I stopped arguing with them when they didn't know what a Leutimizing Hormone was. They have only academia and no experience. I am a business major who has done a lot of research on training and actually experiences it. Do you ever get tired of "qualified professionals" telling you you are wrong when they don't even train or know common terminology in the lifting world.