MalachiMcMullen
07-15-2008, 02:57 PM
It is quite common to go on a strength sport board or even BBer board and see at least 1 thread about idiots in the gym or about guys giving advice who can barely figure out how to get under a bar let alone squat. I have a good one for ya, but it doesn't involve some idiot and it doesn't involve some inexperienced guy thinking he knows it all.
I go a YMCA to train. It's a newer "fluffier" one but it gets the job done and the staff backs me when someone complains about what little noise I make. Anyway, this Y is right next to our local high school and usually around 3-8pm you see a lot of the kids who just got out of school for the day going in to play basketball or swim. Occasionally you'll see someone go into the weight room and do a set or two of bench in 2 minutes and leave. Whenever I go, I go to press or pull so I'm always in the weight room. That means I don't often run into the high schoolers. Well, about a week ago, that was tossed up. There was a kid who came in, probably 5'8" 100lbs and didn't look to be past Sophmore year(I'm a bad judge of age anyway but he looked young). I was in the open area doing overhead presses and saw him come in. I didn't really think much of it other than "Ope, hears another 2 minute workout" and just went back to my stuff. To my surprise the first thing he came in and did were deadlifts. He actually had decent form, no rounding of the back at all through what looked like his work sets. He didn't just do 2 reps and leave either. Just taking a guess but he seemed to be doing 5x5(I noticed that because he was 10ft in front of me the whole time). What did he switch to after that? Front squats on the smith machine. They were a bit high for my tastes but he was hitting IPF parallel for, again, what seemed to be 5x5. He went on to do some back squats, something that looked like good mornings, BB rows, DB snatches, and then some overhead presses as I was leaving. This kid was busting his ass and doing it in a smart way. I didn't talk to him, I didn't think it was necessary. He had good form on a bunch of exercises that I never see the 2 minute kids doing. He was in there for an hour at least, that's when I left, and he was still doing his thing. I thought it was pretty damn inspirational! Here's this kid, skinny as a twig, who's coming into a weight room filled with "the regulars". Guys who come in with me, some BBers and recreational lifters who are all on the upside of 6' and 230 besides myself. He wasn't intimidated and worked harder than I have ever seen any of "the regulars" work AND in less time. A kid who wants to change and actually has the cajones to do something about it.
I go a YMCA to train. It's a newer "fluffier" one but it gets the job done and the staff backs me when someone complains about what little noise I make. Anyway, this Y is right next to our local high school and usually around 3-8pm you see a lot of the kids who just got out of school for the day going in to play basketball or swim. Occasionally you'll see someone go into the weight room and do a set or two of bench in 2 minutes and leave. Whenever I go, I go to press or pull so I'm always in the weight room. That means I don't often run into the high schoolers. Well, about a week ago, that was tossed up. There was a kid who came in, probably 5'8" 100lbs and didn't look to be past Sophmore year(I'm a bad judge of age anyway but he looked young). I was in the open area doing overhead presses and saw him come in. I didn't really think much of it other than "Ope, hears another 2 minute workout" and just went back to my stuff. To my surprise the first thing he came in and did were deadlifts. He actually had decent form, no rounding of the back at all through what looked like his work sets. He didn't just do 2 reps and leave either. Just taking a guess but he seemed to be doing 5x5(I noticed that because he was 10ft in front of me the whole time). What did he switch to after that? Front squats on the smith machine. They were a bit high for my tastes but he was hitting IPF parallel for, again, what seemed to be 5x5. He went on to do some back squats, something that looked like good mornings, BB rows, DB snatches, and then some overhead presses as I was leaving. This kid was busting his ass and doing it in a smart way. I didn't talk to him, I didn't think it was necessary. He had good form on a bunch of exercises that I never see the 2 minute kids doing. He was in there for an hour at least, that's when I left, and he was still doing his thing. I thought it was pretty damn inspirational! Here's this kid, skinny as a twig, who's coming into a weight room filled with "the regulars". Guys who come in with me, some BBers and recreational lifters who are all on the upside of 6' and 230 besides myself. He wasn't intimidated and worked harder than I have ever seen any of "the regulars" work AND in less time. A kid who wants to change and actually has the cajones to do something about it.