No visible results - yet they keep going...

[benchmonster]

Great thread. I can top the story that started the thread.

I am now 27 years old. Last summer at the age of 26, I went back to train at the gym I trained at in high school, some 9 years earlier. Now mind you, I had not gained and inch in height, but when I was in high school training at this gym, I weighed 155lbs, and I built up to that.

At 26, I was 205, (now 225-230), and was much much more muscular and strong. I recognized some of the people when I was in there last year as "regulars" from when I was 17. I shit you not they looked exactly as they did 9 FREAKIN YEARS EARLIER!!!!

I was shocked. Why waste 9 years? In those same 9 years, I had managed to acquire a wife, 3 kids, a double major bachelor's degree, a law degree, a black belt in Karate, my license to practice law, and 50 lbs of muscle.

I am still flabbergasted. God Bless them for being in the gym and not on the couch, but if you can't make some gains in 9 years, you may want to switch up the ole routine.

B.

 

[FitFossil]

...I'm always learning and that's why I've made progress.

That sums it up exactly! Some people think they know everything, and they just stagnate. Others read one article and think that's the whole truth, and anything else they read or see after that is "wrong".

The main thing I've learned is what works for one body might not work for another. And what worked for me last month may not work this month. Change, experimentation, and upgrading skills are necessary for improvement, and not just in bodybuilding, but job, marriage, life, etc. There's a quote I like that goes something like "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."

 

[circusgirl]

well, not everyone is interested in muscle gain. Maybe they just want a healthy heart and lungs? My mom goes swimming 3 times a week for 30 minutes. She does it to maintain her level of fitness, relax, and stay healthy. She has ZERO interest in bodybuilding, getting very lean or building muscle, or in improving her fitness level, as she has not competed in the pool since she was 20 or so. She still swims faster than most though. Anyway, a lot of people go to the gym to hang out, meet friends, get a little exercise, keep healthy heart, and don't care as much as we do here about their body shape. Sounds ok to me.
circusgirl

 

[HulkRow]

ive been going to the gym for 3 years and my Biceps have grown 1.5 inchs...im a badass.

 

[kingslender]

Alright guys, first of all the point of my post was not to solicit training advice from you clowns.
The point I was attemting to make was that everyone has their own goals and their own desires, and therefore must be judged by their own standard. Some people train for looks, some for general health, and some (like me) do it for advancement in other athletic pursuits (playing organized sports). All I meant to say is that you can't look at someone you don't even know and tell whether or not they are making proper progress.

 

[coolcolj]

Nice quote

Here is a quote from Ian King that fits here nciely


In your view, why do some people's physiques never change even though they never miss a workout and maintain a well balanced diet?

Probably because they never miss a workout. There is a critical balance between being disciplined and being inflexible. Never missing a workout is usually symptomatic of someone who is training to meet their emotional needs, and when the training decisions are being made for reasons other than what gives the best physical results, you will receive compromised training. It is important to understand your emotional state, and ensure that your training decisions are not being made to meet your emotional needs. It actually takes a lot of emotional maturity to say - "I feel a bit tired, so I don't think it would be wise to train today," or to take a week's rest. Most suffer from the insecurity "I will shrink if I miss one day let alone a whole week!"

These emotional insecurities result in overtraining. Particularly for clean athletes, unless you are prepared to take your rest weeks and respect fatigue as it arises, you will always overtrain. This is why I tell clean athletes that athletes using drugs make the same mistake, but the drugs cover up for it to some extent - but even in the latter case, this decision making process based on meeting emotional needs still creates an impediment to progress.

The bodybuilding/fitness industry is a unique phenomenon. Can you imagine a facility called "Joe's Dental Center" where there are a hundred dentists' chairs and members of the public paid $10 per session to operate on themselves? Or "Downtown Legal Center" which provided a row of tables equipped for self-use? Most people hire dentists, doctors, lawyers etc. to provide professional advice to get it right. Yet the majority of gym users feel they can design their own workouts - no wonder there is a low success rate!

If I err when training a client, in either volume, intensity or frequency, I can detect that within a day and make an adjustment to training. If I can make an error on occasion, I can safely say that most lay persons make an error EVERY training session, don't have the skills to detect the error, and even if they did suspect an error, don't have the skills to adjust.

 

[MrMuscle]

after 1,5 months nobody makes visual gains in a big fashion. ive been in the game for 9 years now. And i still see some of the same faces, doing the same stuff they did 9 years ago, still in no shape. Some people just dont want to listen or learn, just let them be. They see the progress you are making, and maybe they will ask you for advice, most likely not, just let them do what ever they are doing.

 

[Imnotdutch]

Alright guys, first of all the point of my post was not to solicit training advice from you clowns.
The point I was attemting to make was that everyone has their own goals and their own desires, and therefore must be judged by their own standard. Some people train for looks, some for general health, and some (like me) do it for advancement in other athletic pursuits (playing organized sports). All I meant to say is that you can't look at someone you don't even know and tell whether or not they are making proper progress.

Ever get the feeling that nobody is listening to you??

Anyway, I agree with you and think this is a great post. Personally, I train for strength, and I couldn't give a damn whether my looks change so long as I get stronger.

Also, if I remember correctly, the original poster has 6 months or so experience......so he can be forgiven for thinking that his gains will keep coming forever

 

[aurelius]

I'm personally getting leaner and bigger everyweek, poundages going up slowly. Its definitely noticeable when your waist goes down half an inch at least a week and your weight stays the same.

any pics?