I’ve touched on this subject before, but I think it merits another look. I cannot stand it when people try to tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing in the gym, what’s wrong with my diet or training plan, etc.
I was talking to a coworker last night about lifting and he was appalled to learn that I usually squat out of the Smith machine. I told him that when I switched from free squats to the Smith, I added 2 inches to my legs in a matter of weeks. He patted his leg and said: “See these tree trunks? They were made from free squats”. So, I lifted up one side of my shorts and flexed…he made a funny sound and said “OK, never mind”.
While I was at Falcon training legs, some guy came up and started chatting. It kind of annoys me when people interrupt me in the middle of a workout anyway…especially on leg day. This guy is 2 years younger than I am, has 7 years less experience lifting and 11 years less experience in martial arts, but he felt the need to tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing in the gym. I was doing squats on the Smith machine, and he tells me I should be wearing knee wraps at all times and use a belt if I go above 225. Then he tries to dazzle me with his stories of how much he used to squat before he blew out his knee, how much he used to deadlift before he tore his bicep and how much he could bench before he injured his shoulder. For someone who “knows the best way to lift” and “takes all precautions”, he sure does get hurt a lot. Here’s a tip: why don’t you lose the ego, drop your weights about 15% and concentrate on form. Just a thought.
Yes, I’m a female. Yes, I’m in the AF. Yes, I realize that I’m fairly strong and have bigger muscles than most females these guys see and that brings out all kinds of insecurities. No, I don’t need to have my hand held in the gym, so leave me alone!
I am by no means an expert on fitness and nutrition, but I know enough about my physique, my metabolism and the way my body reacts to the elements of training to keep myself growing. If I see someone doing an exercise I’ve never tried, I may give it a shot to see how my body reacts. I may tweak my supplement use a bit based on an article I’ve read. Everything must pass that basic bullshit test, though. I don’t change a thing without considering the depth of impact. After a period of time, if it doesn’t work, I go back to my old ways.
Back home, I have the incredible fortune of training under the guidance of Alan Anderson. This guy has been in the fitness & bodybuilding business for almost as long as I’ve been alive. If he suggests I try a new move for biceps or eat dinner an hour earlier, I know his reasoning is true. Experience and credibility are key. Forgive me, but I’m not going to listen really hard to some random guy who lifts a couple days a week for fitness and only eats 3 times a day. Our needs and goals are far too different. I don’t know what it is that makes anyone who’s ever touched a barbell think they’re an expert and that I need or want their advice, but it’s awfully tiresome.
Unless s/he trains Iris Kyle or Victor Martinez, the next person who sticks their nose in my business is going to regret it.
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