Both, good questions. And I plead guilty as charged. I got sucked in once or twice in my life. My friend still won't return my calls though. So I guess his embarassment is even eclipsing mine.
Online training forums are filled with 146 pound guys who carry a protactor, compass, metronome and a copy of the pythagorean theorem with them to the gym. They need to be sure that everything is at exactly the proper angle, that they are facing the right direction (based on time of day) and that their 4683 tempo is perfect. That is if they ever actually make it to the gym, of course. Most of them are too busy arguing training principles on the internet with some 17 year old kid in Kansas who has nothing better to do than quote The Science and Practice of Strength Training all day long.
There is no bigger waste of your time than to argue with people on an online training forum. Don't do it. Anyone who has more than ten years of experience and the results to back up what they say is not spending time on message boards. If someone is really busy training clients and gaining experience you will not ever see them on training forums.
For example, how many times have you seen Joe DeFranco, CJ Murphy or John Alvino on a training forum?
I'll give you a hint. Almost never.
They are too busy getting results with real clients in the real world. And for them to argue training with someone who just started lifting last year but has read every Russian manual ever printed is ridiculous.
That would be like me arguing film making with Steven Spielberg and telling him that I thought there were a lot things wrong with how he did Saving Private Ryan.
In college I took several acting and film classes. I even had a film I made get voted into a big film festival and it finished in the top ten.
So I am just as qualified as he is, right?
Obviously you can see how ridiculous this line of thinking is but it doesn't seem to be so to those that live on their favorite training forums.
All it takes is cute little nickname like LegPressLarry07 and you're an instant authority.
Before you get on a training forum again to watch kids argue about actin and myosin and debate neural vs. metabolic fatigue, ask yourself how many times any of the following guys have ever done the same. In fact, ask yourself how many of these guys have actually read all those studies and can quote them like the 225 pound squatting keyboard warriors out there:
- Chuck Vogelpohl- 1000 pound squat @ 220
- Travis Mash- Alltime greatest 220 pound powerlifter
- Ronnie Coleman- 8 time Mr. Olympia
- Jay Cutler- Current Mr. Olympia
- Mariusz Pudzianowski- Worlds Strongest Man
- Bill Kazmaier- Most Famous Strongman Competitor of all time
- Magnus Ver Magnusson- Legendary Strong Man Competitor
- Buddy Morris- Brilliant NFL and NCAA strength coach, currently at Pitt
- Joe Kenn- Award winning strength coach of Arizona State University
We should have a rule that would make online training forums much better. The rule should state that you are not allowed to post on training forum until you have ten years training experience.
Like Jay Z said, "when you're ten years in, holla back then."
