I have a couple of college guys who train at my gym, and they read the magazines. They work hard, but they lose patience. They don’t understand that for the people they might see in M&F or some of the other publications, it took time to build their muscle. It takes time to take off fat. They don’t understand that if you do a six- or eight-week program, sure, you’ll be better off—on the right track—but real fitness never ends.
Train With Perspective
Another thing guys don’t take into account is what else is going on in their lives. If you’re stressed out from a job or a bad relationship, and you’re not sleeping or you’re skipping meals, all of that adds up and will hurt you. I trained my butt off and did every single fitness event you could think of, from bodybuilding to Olympic lifting to powerlifting. I learned a lot from each discipline. I still think that I’m a bodybuilder at heart forever, because it taught me discipline and consistency to realize a goal. It also had carryover to my career and to my school. I wasn’t staying up at night partying with my buddies. I owe a lot to bodybuilding. I tried everything. I did CrossFit competitions. I even ran half marathons. I thought that if I was going to write or talk about something, then I’d better have gone through it. But nothing was as hard as bodybuilding. With guys, I fight the more-is-better mentality, and I can’t stand it. I’ve got college kids who want to come in and do 30 sets of arms. Over time, those are the same guys who develop muscle imbalances and have mobility issues. Meanwhile, those compound lifts they’re avoiding would help even more, because that’s what releases more testosterone and growth hormone.
