James - looking forward to your site.
Thomas or should I say Freddie - what does that avatar mean? 
hahaha, I got into a massive argument with a guy using the powercage do to barbell curls for 30 minutes with 95 pounds on the bar. He’d do a set of curls, run over to the cable machine do a set of tricep press down and saunter back. I was going to snap
He was about 6 foot 4 230 pounds, wide belt on and the pins set so he only had to pick up the bar one inch and then start curling. He said he couldnt pick it up off the floor as his back was bad.
I told him he should stop doing swinging hyperextension cheat curls and start doing deadlifts.
He wasn’t too impressed LOL
Football coach,
Is the club you go to do cardio at Crome and Fern land?
[SIZE=1]yes[/SIZE]
I like the StepMill. Every other step. Easy on my knee. Knocks the shit out of me. Can’t wait for spring so I can get up to the stadium and start tempo runs.
yes I like those step things too, that machine kicks the crap out of everyone. during my internship we used that to torture the players who showed up late to practice.
I was at the club to do cardio and while warming up thought I would do a few light squats to help loosen up my knee. I was heading over to the one power rack next to 5 Smith Machines and 5 Leg Presses and a personal trainer-bodybuilder takes his 50 yr. old client, with no muscle whatever, over to the cage just ahead of me and has this poor bastard do shrugs. I do my best not to watch personal trainers but if there is a more ill-informed group I would like to know.
Thank God I have my own gym for strength training. Now, if I could come up with $6,000 for a StepMill … and some money for ferns and …
LOL! Money for ferns!!
It’s a sad state of affairs…
Football Coach,
Excellent point on the stains in the squat rack. I used to always think my squat weights were pathetic compared to other guys (and I’d blame it on my 6’4" height), but when I see what other guys consider a squat, I can see why they “squat” 405 for multiple reps…it’s easier when the bar only moves 6 inches.
James,
Looking forward to the full launch of your site. I think you might be on a track to really start something that’ll be helpful to a lot of folks.
Seems like there are still some 'ol time lifters on here. As I said before, I’ll take good advice where I can find it, it’s just that the DB stuff really isn’t that new in terms of exercises–it’s just a unique method of regulating workouts. While I can respect someone’s claim for “privacy” for his athlete’s, don’t make outrageous claims that can never be verified. If you’re gonna piss on my leg, don’t tell me it’s raining…
By the way, did I mention I trained a kid that ran a 3.9 40-yard dash and benches 640 for reps? I’d tell you who he is, but he’s under contract…
At my gym all the weenies know to stay out of the power rack or at least get out when someone (mostly me) is going to squat. But this weenie was different, I asked how long he was going to be and he said he had a few more sets. Here’s the thing he was doing some kind of giant set with 1. terrible imitation of side db side raises (yes dumbbells) 2. BB Curls. 3. BB Behind the neck presses and a few other exercises I’ve never seen. All the while resting (actually leaning over the bar looking at his physique in the mirror) I had to wait for close to 15 minutes. I told him he did not need a rack or a platform to perform his exercises, he didn’t care. Then when I’m finally into my workout I can hear said weenie all the way across the gym screaming through a set of cable rows or pulldowns. I yelled to him that it was not necessary and quite distracting. He left after that. If he’s there next time, let’s just say he better not be there next time.
There is nothing wrong with some experimentation provided the individual has actually used a specific program for some time on a consistent basis. My contention is that so many 1)execute the program they are engaged in improperly 2) don’t actually see the program through to completion(which in some cases would be a good move) 3)due to impatience and/or unrealistic expectations decide that the the program is either ineffective or even a failure(which it very well could be) in helping individual accomplish strength goals. Certainly anyone doing a program would hope that the workouts would be as productive and efficient as possible. In my experience, most don’t execute their programs long enough to achieve results and so many are either inconsistent(missing many of the days that they should be training) or overtrain attempting to tweak a system that they often don’t have enough practical experience to make such a call about in terms of “adjusting” a program. Some novice lifters think that the little bit they are doing just can’t be enough “to get strong” if the other guy is doing 5-6 exercises and 3-5 sets each, unaware that this other guy has 10 years of experience and just how important such a work capacity and background can mean in tackling specific programs.
Pioneer,
Great points…every newbie should read your post a few times and really let that sink in. A lot of trainers (and I include myself in the beginning) suffer from the “month magazine syndrome”, where they switch to a new plan whenever the newest Flex, M&F, Testosteron Mag., etc. “routine” comes out.
I wish more strength coaches would focus less on giving specific sample programs, which hurt more than they help in many cases, and focus more writing on long-term planning. Of course, writing sample programs is a heck of a lot easier to do.
Thanks NateM, I’ve been guilty of some of those same mistakes in the distant past as well and finally decided to give some programs a real go rather than bailing out not long after starting. It’s similar(in terms of lack of consistency) to some kids I have coached in track who for one reason or another(some legit and some not) have missed countless practices(though certainly at a point they are gone if the don’t have legit reasons/excuses) and then proclaim that track in general or my program specifically is not really doing it for them. I proceed to ask them how they could make such an assessment after missing so much training vital to their overall development and they usually just get this puzzled look on their faces. For some(much due to parents lack of understanding and communication as to the meaning of commitment/consistency/dedication) it has become acceptable to miss much of practice and training for things like I got this week-“it was my sisters’ birthday” to which I responded with “if we had all known that, we would have all taken the week enough in preparation for your sister’s birthday.” She merely nodded her head as though that would be the right thing to do. The parents actually tried to write an excuse for this. Sorry for the rant and the fact that I veered severely off course from the thread subject.