I am not meaning to imply that the people who frequent this forum are the average trainee, but generally speaking the average person at the gym (from my own personal experience) knows something less than anything about working out.
For reference, I am a CPT3 at 24 Hour Fitness. I work at the 5th most frequented 24 club in the U.S.
I have been observing typical gym goers, and they can be generally divided into three types. Genetic freaks, genetic freaks on drugs, and "the rest". The problem is the latter of the groups blindly follow the strategies of the two formers, and the results are nothing short of pitiful.
What's even more pitiful is watching the genetic superiors doing nothing but push dominant exercises - and bicep curls - the result being 200 pound physiques that should be in the 210-220 range within six months. Partial squats, no deadlifts, behind the neck exercises (which WILL impinge your rotator cuff with enough sets, I promise you, and likely screw up any opportunity you do have to continue lifting) demonstrate nothing other than utter laziness and distorted physiques.
As the largest fellow at my gym says as he talks to my brother and I doing squats, deadlifts, and t-bar rows: "Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder but nobody wanna deadlift." Echoing the wise words of Ronnie Coleman.
I'm not sure if exercise machines have been a god-send or a nightmare for gyms in general. When used with free-weight exercises, properly designed machines are as good as any exercise you can do (minus squats and deadlifts) as far as specific muscle development is concerned. Watching the masses use them demonstrate what I consider to be insipid, pathetic wasting of time.
Of the people I observe, people looking to typically optimize growth and development, I submit that maybe 10 percent do squats and deadlifts. But giving an unfair benefit, I will go with 20 percent, meaning that 80 percent of the people who are trying to get "big" are literally neglecting the two exercises that will do anything to the average physique in terms of real gains and benefit.
Regardless of your training philosophy, whether it be volume, intensity, westside, etc. , etc. , I would take squats and deadlifts and pick them over any shoulder, arm, ab, or chest exercise combined. And what's most interesting is you will probably get better results for your chest, arms, and shoulders performing nothing but squats and deadlifts relative to a routine that combines 30 exercises and ignores squats and deads.
It also appears to me that at least half of the routines posted here asking for advice include little or no back or leg work. So here's a nickels worth of free advice: if you are feeling small and not getting results, lower the volume, throw out your old routine and focus on bench presses, chin ups, militar presses, deadlifts, and squats. Or hell, just focus on squats and deadlifts for a month. They are brutally hard but fantastically productive.
I also would advice any person who comes in here and posts a routine to read this, and if you aren't doing any back or leg work, to build your routine around them. Because of the drastic imposition on the body, these exercises create an environment in the body that tends toward rapid strength and muscle development.
Thanks.
For reference, I am a CPT3 at 24 Hour Fitness. I work at the 5th most frequented 24 club in the U.S.
I have been observing typical gym goers, and they can be generally divided into three types. Genetic freaks, genetic freaks on drugs, and "the rest". The problem is the latter of the groups blindly follow the strategies of the two formers, and the results are nothing short of pitiful.
What's even more pitiful is watching the genetic superiors doing nothing but push dominant exercises - and bicep curls - the result being 200 pound physiques that should be in the 210-220 range within six months. Partial squats, no deadlifts, behind the neck exercises (which WILL impinge your rotator cuff with enough sets, I promise you, and likely screw up any opportunity you do have to continue lifting) demonstrate nothing other than utter laziness and distorted physiques.
As the largest fellow at my gym says as he talks to my brother and I doing squats, deadlifts, and t-bar rows: "Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder but nobody wanna deadlift." Echoing the wise words of Ronnie Coleman.
I'm not sure if exercise machines have been a god-send or a nightmare for gyms in general. When used with free-weight exercises, properly designed machines are as good as any exercise you can do (minus squats and deadlifts) as far as specific muscle development is concerned. Watching the masses use them demonstrate what I consider to be insipid, pathetic wasting of time.
Of the people I observe, people looking to typically optimize growth and development, I submit that maybe 10 percent do squats and deadlifts. But giving an unfair benefit, I will go with 20 percent, meaning that 80 percent of the people who are trying to get "big" are literally neglecting the two exercises that will do anything to the average physique in terms of real gains and benefit.
Regardless of your training philosophy, whether it be volume, intensity, westside, etc. , etc. , I would take squats and deadlifts and pick them over any shoulder, arm, ab, or chest exercise combined. And what's most interesting is you will probably get better results for your chest, arms, and shoulders performing nothing but squats and deadlifts relative to a routine that combines 30 exercises and ignores squats and deads.
It also appears to me that at least half of the routines posted here asking for advice include little or no back or leg work. So here's a nickels worth of free advice: if you are feeling small and not getting results, lower the volume, throw out your old routine and focus on bench presses, chin ups, militar presses, deadlifts, and squats. Or hell, just focus on squats and deadlifts for a month. They are brutally hard but fantastically productive.
I also would advice any person who comes in here and posts a routine to read this, and if you aren't doing any back or leg work, to build your routine around them. Because of the drastic imposition on the body, these exercises create an environment in the body that tends toward rapid strength and muscle development.
Thanks.
