New machines

gravityfighter · May 30, 2003

I'm in the squat rack gasp'n for air & someone comes over and asks if I've tried the new xyz leg machine... next day I'm pull'n dead lifts try'n to keep from pukin & someone asks if I've tried the new abc lat contraption... O yea there also real smooth & you can do a full range of motion.... am I missin something... or just too old school... someone told me that I'm not in a gym anymore it's a health spa......WTF IS HAPPENING TO OUR SPORT!?

Ry Roid · May 30, 2003

If you were a middle aged out of shape person would you want to share a gym w/ huge guys that intimidate you?LOL

RY

vitor · May 30, 2003

L

Let me tell you what is happening. Guys like us are not good for gyms and health clubs. We are big, intimidating, we dont spend any money at the gym, I imagine we all have our own protein powder, drinks, supplements, and clothes. SO basiclly we pay our dues, and are always there.

THe ideal gym member is older, wealthy, hires a trainer, buys a carbo force drink, a ripped force, has a golds gym bag, t-shirt the whole 9 yards. And that guy doesnt give a crap about free weights, or anything, make me look better, get some exercise in, and call it a day.

homonunculus · May 30, 2003

gravityfighter said:
I'm in the squat rack gasp'n for air & someone comes over and asks if I've tried the new xyz leg machine... next day I'm pull'n dead lifts try'n to keep from pukin & someone asks if I've tried the new abc lat contraption... O yea there also real smooth & you can do a full range of motion.... am I missin something... or just too old school... someone told me that I'm not in a gym anymore it's a health spa......WTF IS HAPPENING TO OUR SPORT!?

Old school is just fine by me!

BUT - variety, I have found is VERY effective for my training. I always go back to basic free weights, but will mix it up as much as possible. As a BB, I also consider balance, as well. I love the challenge of the basics, but find that that is not always the best way to balance my physique.

An example: I LOVE SQUATS! Nothing like the nervous feeling you get during the day knowing you're soon gonna fear for your life when you climb into the squat rack.

I had squatted religiously for 7-8 years. Had worked my way up to 585 for sets of 10 (no belt, wraps, etc.). It started to take its toll - specifically on my small frame at my SI joint (where the base of the spine joins the hips). The pain there was constant and debilitating. When I switched to leg presses - no longitudinal loading directly on the spine, my back got better.

I also noticed the my legs were growing! My structure was one where doing heavy squats greatly engaged my glutes, giving me a large ass, that overpowered my thighs (check my pics). I still have the problem, but have remedied it to a certain degree.

I hadn't squatted for about a couple years, but tried it the other week. I worked my way up to 495 for 10 (I was pretty amazed actually). The workout was a definitely puker. God love it. I actually came down with a fever and the flu later that day that I attribute to the workout impairing my immune system.

But check this! My legs were hardly sore. (I did tweak the old injury a bit, though.) 99.9% of the time when I hit an exercise I hadn't done for a while, especially that hard, I'll be completely debilitated. (God love it.)

By learning to work around not using my glutes and low back for leg training (I still do leg presses, hacks on occasion and lunges less frequently), I had trained my legs so well that they were "resistant" to the normally decimating effects of a "new" exercise.

So, I realize that leg presses, etc. are not new fancy-schmancy exercises, but in this case because I had to switch from a basic compound free weight exercise (the king daddy of 'em all) and learn how to focus my efforts, I made gains. The new fangled machines can be very effective in helping form that "mind-muscle connection" (I feel like I need to call it a Weider principle... LOL). Machines have their utility but if I had to pick one or the other (in lieu of an injury), for most muscle groups it would be free weights all the way. (I say "most" because for instance, training calves w/ only a bar or DB's doesn't work too well for me.)

-Randy

Hypertrophyguy · May 31, 2003

YOu guys will get a kick out of this.

I grew up in a ski resort town lots of yuppies running around. The gyms however, gold mines for rich broads and business men willing to shell out anything to obtain that coveted "mens health" look lol.

Well anyways I was a personal trainer at this gym for over a year and everything was great, met a lot of winter olympians, movie stars, and it was an over all good gym. Well this was about the time I started getting serious about competing and my buddy and I started hitting it hard. well yada yada I got fired for not fitting the image they were trying to portay, and complaints were coming in that i was intimidating the patrons?? . WTF?? Im 19 in good shape a hell of a nice guy, and very well versed in what it takes in the real world to get into shape. NOt one of those lets balance on a god damn swiss ball all day with 10lbs dumb bells, breathing loudly while trying not to grimace type of trainer??

Thing Is i wasn't THAT big I was about 5'10" 230lbs I mean I was thick but not a freak by anymeans???

It just goes to show that people want the polished truth about being in shape they dont' want to know that it is a lifestyle that isnt always glamorous and a lot of fun.

homonunculus · May 31, 2003

BS

HTG,

That shit's got law suit written all over it. I can totally believe it, though.

There are a few trainers at the gym where I train who love that swiss ball shit, too. One proudly displays her swiss ball certifications on the wall, which go well with her I can't tell if you workout or not physique...

-Randy

Hypertrophyguy · May 31, 2003

Yeah lawsuit material totally but im trying to pay for school (and was at the time) so i didn't have the $200 an hour to pay for an attorney. OH well. shit happens.

gnpower · May 31, 2003

hahaha

Listen to this, I recently moved to a new town. There is a big name corporate club not 5-min away from me now. Great, I thought, being that my old gym was going to be a long drive. But when I checked it out, the dumbells only go to 95 lbs. They also only had one squat rack that some guy was using to do his bicep curls on. The sales guy told me they don't have any heavier dumbells because the club doesn't want to attract "that kind of crowd" as he put it so nicely. I had been clean for about 4 months and had lost about 25 lbs of my normal weight. They seemed all impressed though and were asking if I compete, and they were going on about not many guys were very big at the club. Whatever. So now I have to drive 35 minutes to go to my old gym.

I feel your pain brothers. God forbid someone actually dedicated and serious joins their "fancy little club". LOL.

vitor · May 31, 2003

I

I am a big guy and I love you big guys, but You do scare customers away, and the Grunting can be intimidating. There is a few hardcore gyms in everytown, Most GOLDS, and PowerHouses will take you in and treat you nicely,

Crowler · May 31, 2003

Re: hahaha

gnpower said:
Listen to this, I recently moved to a new town. There is a big name corporate club not 5-min away from me now. Great, I thought, being that my old gym was going to be a long drive. But when I checked it out, the dumbells only go to 95 lbs. They also only had one squat rack that some guy was using to do his bicep curls on. The sales guy told me they don't have any heavier dumbells because the club doesn't want to attract "that kind of crowd" as he put it so nicely. I had been clean for about 4 months and had lost about 25 lbs of my normal weight. They seemed all impressed though and were asking if I compete, and they were going on about not many guys were very big at the club. Whatever. So now I have to drive 35 minutes to go to my old gym. I feel your pain brothers. God forbid someone actually dedicated and serious joins their "fancy little club". LOL.

I understand it DOES suck for you. This is exactly why I had a 'Health Club' and a 'GYM'.

One had the big dumbells the other didn't and it had more machines etc. One had rock music the other had softer music.
It all comes down to business and dollars.

Personally I like the old school gyms. If their isn't some rust on the equipment I feel out of place.

gravityfighter · Jun 3, 2003

Thanx, Bros, Ya'll make me feel better, I guess change is inevitable.... Randy I know where your coming from, you don't have to be away from the squat rack long for that bar to feel awfully heavy, especially w/ 5 or 6 plates on a side

homonunculus · Jun 4, 2003

LOL

gravityfighter said:
Thanx, Bros, Ya'll make me feel better, I guess change is inevitable.... Randy I know where your coming from, you don't have to be away from the squat rack long for that bar to feel awfully heavy, especially w/ 5 or 6 plates on a side

When you mentioned how many plates were on the bar, it reminded me of one of my "favorite" questions I get asked at the gyms where they don't like the "big" guys:

As you're gasping for air, face red as a stop sign, vision blurry, "How much weight is that?..." My answer is usually - "I really dunno - I can barely count the plates much less do all that math!!!" LOL

-Randy