Advices for the youngsters

[Mike Gill]

Inspired by this:

Today is my birthday. I am officially 16. i take my written/drive to get my licence. and best of all, i get a olympia bar, weights and my brother custom made me a squat rack so i can now squat at home! so i now have a bench, atlas stone platforms (no atlas stones yet), and a bench


oh man (at 16), i was still wanting to be jay cutler and doing dumbell kickbacks.


I'm 33, been training since 16 and am now dedicated to strongman for the last 7 months. I did a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong. Older guys; let's point the kids in the right direction and pass on some general pearls of wisdom:

-Food. You have to eat to grow. This is the hardest thing to get into someones head. Trust me, if you aren't eating you aren't going to get bigger

-Don't fall for fad workouts. If your training is not based around squats, deads, and presses you are not on the right track.

-Don't confuse bodybuilding with competative bodybuilding. If you are training to get bigger and stronger you are bodybuilding, and that's good. If you have goals of stepping on stage you are about to enter a very weird world that is not the same one it was in the 70's.

-Set some goals and stick to them.

-Its not important to have abs year round. But don't use that as an excuse to walk around at 25% BF either. Your health is important to; remember that you are most likely going to make a living doing something else.

-A supplement will not cause muscle growth. A supplement is not going to get you to your goals. Food and hard work will.

-Use your power for good, not evil.... Don't be a bully.

-Read. Develop your knowledge of training as you grow the smarter you train the stronger you will get.

What else vets?

[Brandon Campbell]

Dont think your better then other kids just because your stronger!

Dont give up and dont get discouraged when you miss a PR attempt, or if someones is stronger and better then you.

find a good training partner makes all the difference

Help out other new comers if you notice they are doing something with horrible form, Be nice dont say "hey you suck this is how u do it"!!

dont listen to everything you hear on how to train right, if your a newbie stick with teh basics, If you been doing it a while then you know what your body needs to become better. This comes with experience as you lift more. Not every two people are the same, so dont change your workout routine everytime you see some guy stronger then you and ask him for his workout. Stick with a workout plan longer then 2 weeks before you drop it

[Justin Stratton]

im glad that i inspire you! you vets have taught me a lot of things. i've dont more good than i have bad because i set my life around goals and family. my main goal is to be a strongman. yes that is a huge goal but if i set a big one ill more than likely not achieve it for a long time and when i do it will be the best feeling i will have ever felt.

ive helped a lot of youngsters that have bad form or are just working out for the first time with their form. ive also help 30+ year old guys that are bigger than me but i see something they are doing wrong and i let them know. sometimes i get blown off and sometimes they take my word and try what i just told them.


and one thing that you forgot:

eat big, rest big, and lift big!

[Kevin McNease]

You dont need the needle to be good. Hard work x dedication x time = improvement.

Kevin

[Brandon Campbell]

sorry i left out a really important ONE!!!


DRINK MILK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Justin Stratton]

^^beat Me To It!

[Matt Meinrod]

Don't get stuck on one program for ever. Have your staple of exercises (squats, OHP, Snatch, Deadlift, Cleans) that you'll always prioritize, but always be sure to change things up. If not in entire programs, then in reps, sets, rest, time of day you workout, etc..

There's only a handful of supplements that actually are beneficial. And even the supplements that work more than likely don't have a good Price vs. Results ratio.

Training outside is more beneficial than indoor training. I didn't believe this until I began doing it 4 months ago. EVERY SINGLE time I train indoors (about twice a month) I'm considerably stronger than previously. Taking out the baking Sun and adding some cool A/C can make a huge difference in poundage. Train in grueling conditions, it'll make you better!

Read your body. What works for me, Jesse, Mariusz, your best friend, Ronnie Coleman, or whoever doesn't mean it will work on you. Trial and error is the best way to learn. The key is once you learn something about yourself, don't make the same mistake twice.

Chalk up! Don't miss a lift because your grip slipped

[Justin Stratton]

i havent tried chalk. what is benificial about it. and what is tacky?

[Mr_T]

i havent tried chalk. what is benificial about it. and what is tacky?

chalk=better grip. I haven't used straps for a loooong time and my grip is as strong now as ever. Chalk is good for extra grip when your hands are sweaty and start slipping. Tacky is used for better grip on the stones. I don't know much about it, but others will chime in...

[chrisklavette]

Love your callouses (sp). A guy in the gym with scraped up shins is your friend. Only give advice to those who want it (other wise you are being THAT guy). And IMO don't skimp on the cardio. As stated above you will more than likely have a full time job outside of strongman and you don't want to be the guy who gets winded just walking up the stairs.

[Jesse Marunde]

great idea for a thread. great stuff above as well.

It cannot be said enough, so I'll say it again. You can't GROW without eating more. Even if you are fatter than you want to be, it still takes TONS of good food to change your body into a lean/muscular machine. eat more! eat cleaner! and avoid CRAP!!!! Come on ding dongs stop drinking soda pop, eating cookies, pie, cake, doritos etc. Eat muscle food! BEEF, FISH, CHICKEN, MILK, MILK, MILK, EGGS, POTATOS, BROWN RICE, YAMS, YOGURT, OATS, FRUIT, MILK, MILK, MILK, and for the love of all things healthy eat your veggies ya goof balls!!!

For supplements, don't waste your hard earned cash. Stick with what works best and is cheapest; basic protein or weight gain powder in the big jugs. But remember, eating too much protein will cause you to lose weight because there isn't enough calories in it to put you into calorie surplus where you can grow. So be sure to add carbs to your shakes like bananas, yogurt, milk, fruit, berries and even oats. And REMEMBER; shakes are meal SUPPLEMENTS, not meal REPLACEMENTS. 3 shakes + 3 solid meals works b est for 99% of young up and comers.

Forget about the magazines. There is nothing new under the sun, so the writers of the mags have to either repeat themselves or come up with crazy/new stuff that will only confuse you. Stick to the basic compount movements; squats, overhead presses, deadlifts, powercleans, squats, pull ups, squats, bench presses (with moderation) and squats. Have some one knowledgable and accomplished observe your technique to make sure you're doing the movements correctly. Or better yet, video yourself and post it on here so the MANY experts on the forum can offer their advise!

[Jesse Marunde]

oh ya I forgot one thing; WORK YOUR GRIP! your hand strength is an indicator of your strength potential. Stronger hands eventually leads to a stronger back. You're only as strong as what you can hang onto.

Also, don't forget that for every body part you see in the mirror there is something behind it. don't neglect the muscles you can't see in the mirror like your lats, traps, back, hamstrings, etc.

[ron max]

As stated above you will more than likely have a full time job outside of strongman and you don't want to be the guy who gets winded just walking up the stairs.
WORD.

also it can be a very calming religious experience and help relieve a lot of stress

[lhprop1]

dont listen to everything you hear on how to train right, if your a newbie stick with teh basics, If you been doing it a while then you know what your body needs to become better. This comes with experience as you lift more. Not every two people are the same, so dont change your workout routine everytime you see some guy stronger then you and ask him for his workout. Stick with a workout plan longer then 2 weeks before you drop it

And for the other side of the coin (not to be confusing), don't be afraid to try something new. I don't mean to completely change up what you're doing, but if someone who's been around the block a time or two tells you that you could really benefit from doing this or doing that, don't be afraid to try it.

And ALWAYS REMEMBER, no matter how long you've been doing it, you don't know everything. You can always learn something new.

[Mac Smith]

Great advice all around!! I'll just add, don't neglect your school work!!! There is nothing worse than a dumb muscle head. If you look on this board, not only do we have former pro/current professional athletes, we also have doctors, lawyers, and engineers as well. Not to mention many in law enforement and other mentally and physically challenging endeavors as well as current athletes in college.

Plus, remember, you are still young. Don't neglect your social life and remember to enjoy these carefree years. If you get too serious about sports, weightlifting, etc., you will regret it later on in life (take it from someone who knows).

Stay healthy and above all... HAVE FUN!!!

[davebeers]

don't listen to any one person on what they do with their diet and expect to have the same results. Eat for your body type, find out what type of metabolism you have, and eat accordingly.



don't descend into any type of squat movement if you have to fart.....stay upright and wait for it to pass. Trust me on this one!

[ron max]

Don't neglect high rep work

It helps to have an off day in between training days

Read as much as you can, but train more

For some, volume is everything

[Tony Moses]

Train progressively!!!!! Keep a training journal and write down all your sets and reps.

Never train for soreness or a 'pump' as these are not signs of progress. Being excessively sore only means you forced your body to do something it was not conditioned to do.

If you squat 275x5 one week, then 280x5 the next, and 285x5 the next, and a year later you're squatting 375x5, then you made progress and your body has no choice but to be bigger and stronger so long as you're in a caloric surplus. However, if you squat 275x5 one week, then get bored and squat 315x1 the next and 225x10 the next, then switch to leg presses for a month, then the hack squat machine for a month, then back to squats and in a year's time you're still squatting 275x5, then you didn't train correctly.....guage your strength and success by your progress.

Learn how to train yourself.....understanding and application of training theory is how to train yourself successfully for life, blindly following somebody else's workout will fail.

And, it has been said before.... DRINK MILK , drink it in abundance.

Spend your money on food, supplements are a waste and the supplement industry (along with the bodybuilding industry) is a joke.....protein/gainers are good to add WITH food, but again not in place of it....if you've got $50 burning a hole in your pocket, don't buy the latest creatine product or nitrogen booster, treat yourself to a steak dinner instead, it'll do you more good.

[tackle78]

There is such a thing as training too much. I know some people don't agree or believe in overtraining. But in my expierience it exists. Or at least I should say there is a point where you cannot possibly get enough rest/ eat enough food to recover.

When I started lifting weights I was a freshman in high school. I had 5 am practices for basketball everyday. And everyday after school I would do the off-season football players workout. Then at home after diner I would lift with a barbell set we had until I literally couldn't move even the bar on whatever lift I was doing at the time.

What happened? I got weaker, smaller, and my school work suffered due to lack of rest.

[Matt Meinrod]

There is such a thing as training too much. I know some people don't agree or believe in overtraining. But in my expierience it exists. Or at least I should say there is a point where you cannot possibly get enough rest/ eat enough food to recover.

When I started lifting weights I was a freshman in high school. I had 5 am practices for basketball everyday. And everyday after school I would do the off-season football players workout. Then at home after diner I would lift with a barbell set we had until I literally couldn't move even the bar on whatever lift I was doing at the time.

What happened? I got weaker, smaller, and my school work suffered due to lack of rest.

I agree 100%. A lot of people on this board don't believe in overtraining, but I do. Even if you can get past the burnout phase of training 2x a day or even 7 days a week with 1 workout a day the negatives will start to outweigh the positives. IMO 5 days a week is perfect. Either Monday-Friday weekend off or 2 on 1 off 3 on 1 off...again, to each their own and learning what your body responds to is the most important lesson.

[Tony Moses]

Also....some non-weightroom related advice for younger guys. This falls under the unbrella of DON'T BE A PUNK!!!

Being bigger/stronger than someone does NOT mean you're better than them and it does not give you the right to disrespect people. Confidence and self-assuredness are great attributes that weightlifting's positive effects will bring you, and there is nothing wrong with them, but don't take those good things to the extreme and be a moron. Be thankful that you have the opportunity to better yourself, because it can be taken away from you at any time.
Always respect women too, you can never show women enough respect, remember that. While it is healthy to let your emotions flow, always be humble in victory and gracious in defeat and maintain self-control. Always cduct yourself with class and treat others with respect. Look others in the eye, offer a solid handshake when you meet someone, and speak clearly and confidently.

Respect is EARNED...it isn't demanded.

Just some stuff every younger guy should give some thought to.

[Rhonda Fore]

As the mother of a teen competitor I just wanted to thank all of you for posting any and all advice to the young ones just getting started. When my son first became involved in strongman I was not sure what to expect or where to go, but we have been guided and directed by some pretty awesome people. When we went for him to compete in his first competition he was approached by many athletes who were willing to help him with the proper technique and advice for each event. He was then invited to join a great deal of these guys to train on a regular basis and goes every saturday. I was amazed at the team spirit in what I thought of as an individual sport. The Fenton strongman club has really gone above and beyond to help my son in any way they can and as a mom I really apprectiate any and all advice we get. My son has made it into the teen nationals and is so looking forward to attending this year. Although we know he is probably not ready to walk away with the title yet the experience in itself will be a great learning experience. He is also hoping we can come down and attend the nationals as spectators. Of course his dream is to compete against someone like Jesse someday in the near future. He says just the opportunity to be in the competition would be an honor. Well thanks again and you all keep on doing what your doing. This is an awesome sport and with athletes like the ones we have it will only continue to grow. :YR: :YR: :YR: