Gym Idiots !

[old] Yoda1 · Post by **[old] Yoda1** » December 22nd, 2004, 4:18 pm

Diesel, GW, Kudos, jus gray, and any others that may want to try this. Years ago a bar was use by the old time strongmen. It was called a "Buffalo Bar". I don't think anyone is making them any more. Anyway, in 1967 I was invited to train with Bob Hoffman at his gym in York, Pa. to get ready for the olympic trials. There was a Buffalo Bar at the gym and Bob would make us do sets of squats with it. One day one of the fellows there asked if there was another exercise he could do in place of the Buffalo Bar squats. Bob told the young man to way while he went to get the piece of equipment he would use for his replacement exercise. Bob returned with a wooden barrel. It was about the size of today's plastic 30 gallon drum. He told the young man to put 300 pounds into the barrel. Now remember these are olympic lifters with years of experience and plenty of strength. This young man was a light heavyweight, so he weighed in at around 181. They placed plates into the barrel. Then Bob said, "Squat down, give that barrel a bear hug, and do some squats." The first rep was okay, the second was okay, but the third one was really slow. The young man didn't even attempt the 4th rep. He turned and looked at Bob and said, "I thought I was going to get to do something that was easier. I'll do the squats." <br><br>For those of you that would like one exercise that will just blow your whole body away, try the Barrel Squats. And if you'd like to gain some body weight that is MUSCLE try doing a set of 20 reps with a weigh that you can only handle for 10 reps. Think about it.<br><br>Yoda

[old] Kudos · Post by **[old] Kudos** » December 22nd, 2004, 4:26 pm

Right D, I have nothing but respect for those individuals out there who choose to row and train on their own. Its the member on some of the teams that I have been on that get on my nerves. Some of them are just there for the social part of rowing, not the grunt work. But you are right, you don't have to use weights as a rower to be hardcore, the motivation to perform and test yourself with no ones expectations but your own requires you to be. Some of the individuals out there who have never been on a team astound me with their performances. I know that a lot of my success has come from my competitive nature to beat others on my team which motivated me to work extremely hard on my own. Now that I am exclusively by myself, I have to really dig deep everyday to find the courage to beat only myself. But I like the digging <br><br>I'll post that workout later, I have it at home written down and don't want to ad lib it without the proper data

[old] GeorgeD · Post by **[old] GeorgeD** » December 22nd, 2004, 6:45 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (DIESEL @ Dec 23 2004, 05:01 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>What other reason is there for us to undertake this illogical madness we call rowing? <br><br>peace, <br>D </td></tr></table><br>I guess that means the treatment I took didn't actually work after all <br><br>- George

[old] gw1 · Post by **[old] gw1** » December 22nd, 2004, 10:49 pm

Yoda,<br><br>Back in the early 80's i trained with a well known strength expert named Chuck Coker at the time he was around 65 years old, yet he was as strong as a bull and could wear us out even though we were 1/3 his age. He used to tell us some great old time strong man stories including some of Bob Hoffman.<br>So much of today's approach to training is around machines that are designed for comfort and convenience. The old basics of squats, deads, dips, chins, cleans, overhead press and leg raises, IMO will always be the basic builders of real strength. <br><br>Cheers<br>Gary<br>

[old] remador · Post by **[old] remador** » December 23rd, 2004, 4:57 am

At Holmes Place, one time, there was an idiot personal trainer who came to me saying I should not row with the full range of my legs (as if I was on a leg-press machine!) - What should I call this? Maybe "professional idiot"!<br><br>At the gym where I am presently working out, some guys that keep giving me training tips about how I should do this or that, or how much weight I should be putting on! God! I am the kind of guy that is lean and everything but bulky, and who lifts more weight than those 115kg "oxes" with arms as thick as my legs - they just get confused, I guess. I would call them the "can't-face-reality-I-am-not-an-athlete-I-am-just-an-idiot" guy!<br><br>AM

[old] jus gray · Post by **[old] jus gray** » December 23rd, 2004, 5:47 am

I think the general feeling is that in the gym you should row your own race, lift your own weights and totaly ignore these sort of people.<br><br>If all else fails just shout F*CK OFF

[old] Thomas · Post by **[old] Thomas** » December 23rd, 2004, 4:15 pm

If things got so bad that I actaully have to take a defensive stance, I would go get the manager. <br><br>The good thing about these type of confrontational people are that they usually don't come back to the gym. They don't know what they are doing, get frustrated, and quit going altogether. When they initially joined, particularily when the gym first opened over a year ago, they probably had the right intentions of joining to improve or change themselves for the better but their ignorance takes over, they are not focused, and only see things in the short term. Because the gains don't come right then and now, they don't like it.<br><br>

[old] Yoda1 · Post by **[old] Yoda1** » December 23rd, 2004, 6:57 pm

Gary,<br><br>I don't know if it is still available, but a few years ago I subscribed to a magazine called "Hardgainer". It is one of the best I ever saw relating to the old timers and the way they trained. I believe it was an every other month publication. If you haven't seen it you might check it out.<br><br>Speaking of Old Timers. In 1960 I met and shook hands with Paul Anderson. I was just starting out and it was and still is one of the biggest thrills of my life. Here was this man, just over 400 pounds, laughing and joking with me like I had known him for 20 years. It was at a meet in N.Y. in the basement of an old High School. Bob Weaver from Pa. had just broken the Squat record with an 800+ Squat. Paul was on the lifting platform and said, "There's a lot of people that question whether or nor I'm still the strongest man in the world. I'm going to show you that I am." With that, the loaders began putting one 100 pound plate after another on to the bar. We were all counting the plates and couldn't believe how much they were loading. It was just over 1200 pounds. Paul walked under the bar, there had to be 15 spotters around him. I swear he raised the center of the bar a foot before it left the cradles. The spotters ripped the the squat racks out of the way and down old Paul went. It looked legal to me and to everyone else. Then he just stood up. Like it was 50 pounds. The spotters replaced the racks and guided the bar back into the cradle. Paul climbed out from under the bar and said to everyone, "What do you think about that?" The place went crazy. Hands down the most amazing feat of strength I have ever seen.<br><br>Hey, everyone have a Great Xmas,<br>Yoda

[old] TheHagueDragon · Post by **[old] TheHagueDragon** » December 24th, 2004, 4:22 am

In this thread we find the others "gym idiots". But i never read something about ourselves.<br>Here are a few about me.<br><br>I am "the-i-hold-every-erging-record(except for one)-in-this-gym-guy". <br>I am "the-you-want-to-race-me-on-the-erg?-name-the-distance-guy". <br>I am "the-look-at-me-sweating-after-only-5-minutes-rowing-guy". <br>I am "the-i-was-16th-on-the-European-Championships-Indoor-Rowing-guy".

[old] Xavier · Post by **[old] Xavier** » December 24th, 2004, 7:00 am

I'm glad someone else has taken the other stance.<br><br>Reading these posts, you have to be very careful not to become the Arrogant Rower. <br><br>Xav<br>"Guilty"

[old] gw1 · Post by **[old] gw1** » December 24th, 2004, 11:56 am

Must have been great to see Yoda, in '60 i was just a lustful glint in my Dad's eye, however in '61 i was the result of said glint!!!!!<br>Check out the link i just posted in the General Forum under "interesting reading" especially interesting for on water rowers!!<br>GW

[old] PaulS · Post by **[old] PaulS** » December 24th, 2004, 1:17 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (Xavier @ Dec 24 2004, 03:00 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Reading these posts, you have to be very careful not to become the Arrogant Rower.<br><br>Xav<br>  </td></tr></table><br> Why?

[old] Coach Gus · Post by **[old] Coach Gus** » December 24th, 2004, 1:41 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (PaulS @ Dec 24 2004, 09:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (Xavier @ Dec 24 2004, 03:00 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Reading these posts, you have to be very careful not to become the Arrogant Rower.<br><br>Xav<br>  </td></tr></table><br>Why?  </td></tr></table><br> Because being arrogant is just a different variation of the "gym idiot."

[old] Xavier · Post by **[old] Xavier** » December 24th, 2004, 2:00 pm

Right on.

[old] TheHagueDragon · Post by **[old] TheHagueDragon** » December 24th, 2004, 4:53 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (Coach Gus @ Dec 24 2004, 07:41 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (PaulS @ Dec 24 2004, 09:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (Xavier @ Dec 24 2004, 03:00 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Reading these posts, you have to be very careful not to become the Arrogant Rower.<br><br>Xav<br>  </td></tr></table><br>Why?  </td></tr></table><br>Because being arrogant is just a different variation of the "gym idiot."  </td></tr></table><br> Don't take it too serious. I am just (too) enthousiastic about erging after 3 months training. <br>I (think) i am not really arrogant. mmm, that sounds arrogant. <br><br>Just look in the mirror and you may find something of a "gym idiot" in yourselves.