FitnessBore - 2018 edition

[Cormacaroni]

Come on, oatmeal ain't so bad. I'll eat a little oatmeal every now and then.

I think you gotta draw a line somewhere in the war on carbs. Like, telling people to not eat bananas? Seriously, fuck you, a banana is the essence of wholesome.

I've owned up to eating fucktons of carbs several times ITT, actually. I know I post a lot here and don't expect anyone to keep track but nevertheless I'm on the record for not practicing what I preach

No way I would have put on 15-18lbs in the past 6 months without pizza etc. But I hate the way it makes me feel and I'm cutting back down now that I'm not attempting squat PRs 3 times a week.

If someone asks what's healthy and what's not, though, the answer doesn't change because of what I'm eating.

As for bananas, I eat them all the time. I eat lots of fruit. The one thing I do is try to always have some yoghurt or nuts with it so I have some fat to blunt the insulin spike. Yoghurt gives you some protein as well. The main problem with fruit is that most people just eat it all by itself. It's pretty f'in hard to combine it with protein. That's the prob with oatmeal and other cereals (i'll grant that 99% of cereals are worse...)  - people eat a whole meal of it.

You could make a very decent, very healthy meal out of half a bowl of oatmeal, an omelette and some sausage, say. Almost anything can be rationalized as part of a balanced meal. You can eat decently at Burger King from a macronutrient ratio standpoint if you're careful. That's not to say it would be quality, nutritious food. Like the oatmeal, there would be a lot of junk calories from bread or potatoes in there. But it wouldn't be fucked up totally like just having oatmeal, which is >90% carbs in most cases (assuming no cream, obviously worse if you add honey or other sweeteners).

[The Fake Shemp]

Cormac only eats lightning and shits thunder!!!

[Draft]

The biggest, scariest monster at my gym (he pulls like 650 and benches 400+) swears by oatmeal for bulking. Oatmeal and sweet potatoes are his carbs of choice.

[WrikaWrek]

Oatmeal is absolute key for bulking according to 4 guys i've talked to. But it's really hard to take anybody's word for granted these days.

I try to balance it, i eat 50 grams of oatmeal mixed with almonds and milk, and 3 eggs (2 without the yolk) for breakfast. I think it's pretty great myself, i can't stand actual meat of any kind when i wake up in the morning.

[Cormacaroni]

Fair enough, but Himuro asked if it was healthy, not if it was good for packing on the pounds. I presume he meant quite the opposite.

[duckman2000]

So are people still working out and stuff?

I'm on hiatus during this hellish move. It's funny, you can spend hours 4 days a week bulking up and getting used to heavy loads, but a move feels no less physically draining than it did 4 years ago. The only difference (a big one, admittedly) is that I'm not hurting after the move.

edit: I guess I also lost 10lbs, wtf

[G The Resurrected]

Will if you don't mind me asking what was your beginning working out regiment. As someone who is similarly shaped and sized I'd be curious to know. Someone bought me a gym membership for easter and I don't want to waste it.

Also what kind of diet changes did you implement in your everyday life.

I gotta start somewhere, after a whole fall/winter being affected by chronic pneumonia I'm ready to get on the FitnessBore band wagon.

Another question, what about Diet Soda? I've been drinking about a can a day. Should I cut it and just stick with water?

[The Fake Shemp]

I pretty much kick the diet soft drinks out completely. I won't lie, I'll have a Diet Sprite every now and then. I had three last weekend! But I mostly stick to water; when I'm pretty strict with the water consumption, that's when I notice the weight loss. I don't think it's a coincidence, so I'm guessing while the diet soft drinks aren't necessarily bad, they probably retain water weight or something.

I'd recommend cardio initially, just to build your stamina. Cormac might disagree with me, but if I didn't lose some immediate weight and build up any kind of stamina, I wouldn't be able to lift weights. I'd probably die.

I'm usually strict about calories, I prefer to keep them in the vicinity of 1,500 to 1,800 per day. I eat mainly poultry and seafood, all my carbs are whole grains (whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, etc.) and even those are monitored. I try to plan out my day, that way I don't go hungry. I'll eat snacks. I eat spinach, asparagus, green beans, etc.

My "diet" is not really restrictive; I eat whatever I want, but everything is measured and in moderation. Buy one of those scales to measure you food, and it'll be a life saver. I know exactly what goes into my body and how much. For instance, today it'll been:

BREAKFAST: 1/2 CUP EGG WHITES, TSP PAPRIKA, 1/8TH CUP FAT FREE CHEDDAR CHEESE, 3 TURKEY SAUSAGE LINKS (1 SRV), 2 WHOLE WHEAT TOAST SLICES, 1 TBSP MARGARINE SPREAD

SNACK: 1 APPLE

LUNCH: 4 OZ. GRILLED LAMB, 1/4 CUP OF QUINOA, 1 TBSP OF CHOPPED GARLIC, 3 OZ. FROZEN SHRIMP, 2 TBSP OF PARMESAN CHEESE

SNACK: KASHI PROTEIN AND FIBER BAR

*Time to workout on the elliptical for 40 minutes, then do some crunches and push ups!*

DINNER: 4 OZ. TILAPIA, 2 OZ. WHOLE GRAIN PENNE PASTA, 2 TBSP OF PARMESAN CHEESE, 1 TBSP OF LIGHT EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, 3 OZ. SPINACH

DESSERT: Either JELL-O or OATMEAL w/ SPLENDA & CINNAMON (sorry, Cormac!)

... That'll put me a little over 1,800 calories for the day (but not much) and I'm okay with that. And you'll fall off the wagon. I know there's some hummus downstairs that's pretty tempting, and I might succumb to it, but the key is not to go crazy. 80 calories of hummus and 35 calories worth of wheat crackers is not going to kill me.

I won't lie, monitoring your portions and everything is tough. The first few weeks were brutal, because my body generated the stomach acid necessary to digest two to three times the amount of food I was eating - and the acid reflux was epic as a result.

Sunday, I have the benefit of my father coming over and working me out for 70 to 90 minutes. We work with half a dozen dumbbell sets and focus on working almost every muscle I got with weights, restriction bands, medicine balls, etc.

I try to lift once a week at the gym, but sometimes I can't make it. I fill out the remainder of the week with three days of cardio, and always make sure to lift with dumbbells every other day. I'll do push ups, crunches, squats, etc. after my cardio.

And that's how I'm doing it. I've fallen off the wagon thanks to all the holiday meals, but I plan to be pretty strict this week.

[demi]

As someone who is similarly shaped and sized

[The Fake Shemp]

Don't laugh, demi - you're totally turned on.

[demi]

lol, I already saw Bz naked. What's your excuse?

[The Fake Shemp]

My excuse to what? Not get naked?

[demi]

Mmmhmm.

[The Fake Shemp]

Some things are better left to the imagination.

[G The Resurrected]

Thanks Will, I'll have to get me one of those food weights. Its good to have the support of your father along this journey however hard it is. Don't take this the wrong way but I'm proud for ya. But now I gotta get working on myself. Keep up the good work.

Demi just likes blackmail, don't give him nude pictures!

EDIT: I purchased a digital scale from Amazon and it already shipped, gotta love prime. I do wonder how much I put into my body. I cook for my girlfriend and her father every night so I'm gonna have to make a lot of changes to the normal menu. One thing I wont cut back on is my red meats! I love me some fillet Mignon. As long as its lean right?

[The Fake Shemp]

You can eat red meat, just watch your portion sizes and make sure it's lean. I'll eat lean pork from time to time. Most of my beef is substitute with ground turkey, though.

Hit up sparkpeople.com, create an account and plug in how much you eat. It'll give you a pretty good breakdown of what you're actually eating. Most people are surprised.

[duckman2000]

Chances are that once you get used to not eating red meat, it won't be very desirable. Everyone is different, but I know that I haven't appreciated beef all that much since switching to turkey and fish for most recipes. At this point I'd rather spend the extra coin and acquire game meat for a fancier meal.

That said, you should probably let some things slide if you think it will murder your soul if you tried to cut it out, as long as you use common sense about it.

[Mupepe]

I can't give up red meat.  I definitely don't crave it like I used to.  But fucking hell, I cannot replace it. 

I'm up to 95 pounds on shoulder press and it's finally starting to be a real bitch.  The last rep is finally turning into a challenge.  Deadlift is up to 220 and after I finish deadlift I'm usually wishing I was dead.  The next day I'm pretty sore but by the 2nd day I'm usually good enough to go again.  I've started doing the alternate grip.  The bar feels a lot more stable now. 

[Cormacaroni]

Trust me, the bar isn't going anywhere

Did some split jerks today, then a Crossfit workout called "Grace", which is 30 clean and jerks for time. It sounds relatively easy, and I used a light weight, but man, I'm in no kind of shape for this stuff right now. Ugh.

[Mupepe]

I'm still working on those thrusters, man.

My God.  It wasn't so much the weight, but how damn uncoordinated I am. 

[The Fake Shemp]

Dude, don't force him to post pictures, it'll make me feel bad about myself. The guy is basically like a sculpture at this point.

[Draft]

Cormac talks a lot of shit, but where are the pictures?  The best people to take advice from are people that look like how you want to look.  How does Cormac look?

Sure, if that advice is have good genes.

[WrikaWrek]

Good genes, lol, such a cop out excuse.

Anybody who says genes gets -1 on their opinion. Only thing genes should be affecting is how you look aesthetically, like the configuration of your abs etc

Genes does not, in no way shape or form, affect whether you are able to achieve a level of form or not.

[Draft]

Good genes, lol, such a cop out excuse.

Anybody who says genes gets -1 on their opinion. Only thing genes should be affecting is how you look aesthetically, like the configuration of your abs etc

Genes does not, in no way shape or form, affect whether you are able to achieve a level of form or not.

You can get very fit no matter what your DNA contains. If you want to have a tiny waist and broad shoulders, which I think pretty much everyone does, then you are going to need a little help from your ancestors.

Good genes is not a cop out at all. Genetic potential is fact in all aspects of physical performance. It has a profound impact on your ability to perform, how you look, and all sorts of shit.

[Rman]

Good genes, lol, such a cop out excuse.

Anybody who says genes gets -1 on their opinion. Only thing genes should be affecting is how you look aesthetically, like the configuration of your abs etc

Genes does not, in no way shape or form, affect whether you are able to achieve a level of form or not.

Tell that to the NFL.  A lot of lineman are just genetic beast.  Obviously, skill level and motivation are a factor.  But after thinning the ranks from junior high, high school, college, and then the pros.  Many who are left over after that decade or so culling are also genetically blessed.

[Draft]

Good genes, lol, such a cop out excuse.

Anybody who says genes gets -1 on their opinion. Only thing genes should be affecting is how you look aesthetically, like the configuration of your abs etc

Genes does not, in no way shape or form, affect whether you are able to achieve a level of form or not.

Tell that to the NFL.  A lot of lineman are just genetic beast. 

Good genes are a requirement to play professional sports. Think about how many kids really, really want to play in the Major Leagues or the NFL. And only what, .01% will ever make it? Probably less than that. Why does that .01% make it? Because they want it more? Because they have better coaching? Bullshit. It's because they were just born better. It's the reason professional athletes begin dominating sports when they're like 8. It's the reason NFL linemen were also sick on their high school basketball or soccer team.

Every lineman in the NFL is genetically blessed. They are also super dedicated and all that shit, but make no mistake, they were literally born to play.

[WrikaWrek]

Good genes, lol, such a cop out excuse.

Anybody who says genes gets -1 on their opinion. Only thing genes should be affecting is how you look aesthetically, like the configuration of your abs etc

Genes does not, in no way shape or form, affect whether you are able to achieve a level of form or not.

You can get very fit no matter what your DNA contains. If you want to have a tiny waist and broad shoulders, which I think pretty much everyone does, then you are going to need a little help from your ancestors.

Good genes is not a cop out at all. Genetic potential is fact in all aspects of physical performance. It has a profound impact on your ability to perform, how you look, and all sorts of shit.

Yes, but you don't need good genes to get ripped, and that's the point. Will you look as nice as other people? Well, obviously, it depends a lot on your genes, in the same way that you can have your face fat or skinny, but whether you'll look as good as somebody else depends entirely on what you look like by default.

That said, you will always look your best when you're at your best. And that's got nothing to do with good genes or not. And The Business is right, for someone who commands the thread so vigorously, has such a strong opinion on what works and what doesn't, and types at length about what he can bench or not, would be nice to have that extra sauce with a photo.

I'm cool with tips, and theories on diet and workouts, but months pass and all we read is about "i bench 200 pounds" and shit, well fuck that man, show me what a guy capable of lifting 200 pounds looks like, and hey maybe i'll try and do what you do.

Good genes, lol, such a cop out excuse.

Anybody who says genes gets -1 on their opinion. Only thing genes should be affecting is how you look aesthetically, like the configuration of your abs etc

Genes does not, in no way shape or form, affect whether you are able to achieve a level of form or not.

Tell that to the NFL.  A lot of lineman are just genetic beast. 

Good genes are a requirement to play professional sports. Think about how many kids really, really want to play in the Major Leagues or the NFL. And only what, .01% will ever make it? Probably less than that. Why does that .01% make it? Because they want it more? Because they have better coaching? Bullshit. It's because they were just born better. It's the reason professional athletes begin dominating sports when they're like 8. It's the reason NFL linemen were also sick on their high school basketball or soccer team.

Every lineman in the NFL is genetically blessed. They are also super dedicated and all that shit, but make no mistake, they were literally born to play.

Of course, but i was talking about something entirely different. I wasn't saying genes aren't a big factor in what you are able to achieve and how it affects aesthetics, but genes have nothing to do with whether you are in tip top shape or not.

Anybody can have a 4, 6, 8 pack, everybody can have a big muscled arm, etc. What can happen is, the other dude looks better than you, and is stronger and faster than you even though you've been doing the same thing as him. That's genes.

But that's not the discussion anyway. I was talking about whether you can reach that level of your body or not based on genes.

[Draft]

Anybody can get their bodyfat pretty low and their muscles pretty big, no doubt.

Cormac commands the thread because he is the best. You don't have to read what he writes, but you should, because he gives good info and then backs it up with research.

[WrikaWrek]

Anybody can get their bodyfat pretty low and their muscles pretty big, no doubt.

Cormac commands the thread because he is the best. You don't have to read what he writes, but you should, because he gives good info and then backs it up with research.

I'm not saying he doesn't, i do research of my own, and i've been building a plan of my own based on that. Whether i'm basing it on stuff that i've found out in this thread, stuff i've found out in other places on the net, or stuff i've found out talking to people who either train others, or have themselves as examples.

For example, due to this thread i've definitely grown the balls to start bench pressing, either with barbell or dumbbell. That said, i still feel pretty confident in diving the days by muscle groups, and mixing in good cardio and resistance training in the week, and also compound exercises. In 1 month's worth of decent work, i've managed to really improve my strenght, resistance, muscle mass. And i don't notice that just when i'm in the gym or looking at the mirror, but when i play football. Suddenly i find myself faster, with 3x better cardio than before, and now i can actually go shoulder to shoulder with bigger guys without feeling like i'm being hit by a moving wall.

Started a new plan now for the next 3 months, because i feel like i'm in shape now, and i'm pretty confident in it given the kind of results similar plans have brought to other people.

And so it's always hard to swallow some of the comments, when i'm getting results, others are getting results yet "we" are fools. And even when i threw the "big and fat" line out there, putting myself right in line to get the fuck owned by a picture of a dude who looked top top, cormac just said "i was ripped, i looked like what i wanted, now i'm doing this real workout for real men, suck it".

Nukes were dropped. Give me a break.

[Draft]

I hear ya. While I am most definitely firmly in the Rippetoe/xfit/squat squat squat camp, that is becoming a bit of a mantra in the fitness threads here and on GAF.

You gotta do what works for you. But at the same time, if you're going to mix it up and argue the merits of your program versus some other program, I feel like you need to bring more to the table than some anecdotal evidence of success.

[WrikaWrek]

I hear ya. While I am most definitely firmly in the Rippetoe/xfit/squat squat squat camp, that is becoming a bit of a mantra in the fitness threads here and on GAF.

You gotta do what works for you. But at the same time, if you're going to mix it up and argue the merits of your program versus some other program, I feel like you need to bring more to the table than some anecdotal evidence of success.

Well, i will only be able to fully argue my way in 3 months. Which is the deadline i've set, right now, the merits of the program i'm using can only be seen in others. Because i just ended one month, that's it.

And, it started because i asked for specific exercises, best chest, back, arms workouts. I was actually asking for help, not saying my way is better than "your" way.

All i can do is, choose the best workouts that fit the kind of plan i believe in, and 1st of July i'm posting a picture here showing what i managed to achieve in 3+1 months. I'll pick up a picture of me before also, to contrast. And then, shit, if i failed i'll probably blame it on genetics

Obviously if i'm not happy with results, i'll have to change the plan. I have no problems changing my body anyway, i gain and lose weight easily, and just like i said before, i was fat when i was a kid. Like, at the end of the ninth grade i was weighting like 210 pounds, at the end of 10th grade i was weighting in at 140 pounds, like i didn't get my foot out of the accelerator. Then i had to gain weight.

Was never good at sports before the 10th grade, and then at the beginning of 11th grade i gotten myself into a football club, which i dropped out later because  it was way too much work, all that running with no ball.

Point being, change comes easy to me, and if i'm wrong i'm wrong, i won't say it had something to do with my body, because i don't believe in that.

Big tangent i'm sorry....was just saying, post pics and i'll really believe in you, if you happen to achieve better results than me. But if a wall of text is all i have to compare my future results to, then fuck.

Shit i can point to a crossfit post by cormaconi to July of 09. Almost a year ago. Just sayin, if you have nothing to show, then holy fuck.

[Cormacaroni]

At least on real fitness forums like bodybuilding.com everyone posts before/after pics to give it a little bit of legitimacy.  Cormac just wants to tell everyone he knows best.  Let's see a pic!  If everyone in this thread giving advice posted a picture it would help a lot in deciding which posts to ignore. 

I've posted pics, even vids. Not that I, as a 38yr old married man, really give a crap about what my abs look like. All pics do is show that I walk the walk, and the only reason you are asking for them is because you  cannot find fault with the talk I talk

[Cormacaroni]

Alright chumps, fire away.  

This is me deadlifting 375lbs in May last year, the most recent vid I have. I was 74kg then, approx. 10% bodyfat (using scales, which I don't trust but I don't care enough to measure any other way).

I've put on about 5kg since then after doing Starting Strength for 4 months or so. I look quite a bit bigger, but since my back squat went up by 25% during that period, I'm pretty fuckin' sure it wasn't ALL fat. I'm back doing mostly Crossfit stuff now so am aiming to get back to that kind of weight in the next few months, God willing and the creek don't rise.

http://vimeo.com/4747242

Anybody thinks they can lift 170kg at 74kg at age 37 while getting to a significantly lower bodyfat %, step right up! I know it can be done, but it requires a bit more dedication and time than I have right now. I know that it CAN'T be done using the typical GloboGym circuit of machines and light cardio. Just cannot.be.done. Never mind also being able to run a decently fast 5k, 800m and 400m, doing high rep pull-ups and other gymnastic exercises.

This was done after approx. 1 yr of Crossfit, pretty much all done during my lunch breaks, no workout longer than 40 mins. I started out on Crossfit weighing 86kg, totally sedentary apart from a half-assed GloboGym routine of elipticals and treadmills and light weights on machines.

Am I Christian Renaldo? Of course not. He's 15yrs younger and a professional athlete with top-flight genetics. But you know what? I probably train better and smarter than he does. As a trainer, I'm pretty sure I could take someone like that and make him better in weeks, not months.

[Cormacaroni]

I would be pretty smug too if I worked out in a gym full of Japanese people.

Fucking hell, it's hard being the alpha male in a room full of bitches

[Fresh Prince]

Nah it's mostly dedication and desperation regarding professional sports people. Like in the NBA in the 90's it was poor black people, then poor Eastern Europeans. Soccer, cycling are the same as well.
Lance Armstrong who may be 'genetically blessed' has a very low lactic acid level of around 6 compared to other cyclists (around 20). It gives him 3-4% advantage- enough to win by but not insurmountable.

[Cormacaroni]

Are you seriously suggesting that the poorest countries produce the best athletes? Can I point you to the results of every Olympic Games ever?

[Fresh Prince]

You look at the sports I talked about. Training hard as hell in their youth, 'discovered' and then use 1st world expertise and money to make sure they are performing. 

Most countries have a similar Olympic youth scheme as well.

[Cormacaroni]

That makes a lot more sense, but you're still stating that genetics is not a major factor, am I correct?

[Fresh Prince]

Yes in my ill-informed opinion 'genetics' are vastly overrated. Much like the film Gattaca.

[Cormacaroni]

Well, I think that a very large percentage of people can accomplish a very large percentage of any list of athletic tasks you care to name. But I think that it plays a much larger differentiating role in determining the performance of the elite. It's almost impossible to prove or disprove, given the lack of separated-at-birth twins available for lifelong studies. It will always be fun to argue about...until we gain the ability to tinker directly with our own genetics, then we'll find out.

edit: changed 'I agree' to 'I think' 'cause I realized that I was putting words in your mouth, which I something I find irritating when it happens to me...

[Fresh Prince]

I think social factors especially in a professional athlete's youth are vastly underrated.

[Cormacaroni]

Ah, you've been reading Gladwell.

[Fresh Prince]

Haven't heard of him until you mentioned him. But yeah it seems our ideas are closely related.

[Cormacaroni]

Really? Damn. OK, read the books. They're best-sellers for a reason.

[BamYouHaveAids]

Am I Christian Renaldo? Of course not. He's 15yrs younger and a professional athlete with top-flight genetics. But you know what? I probably train better and smarter than he does. As a trainer, I'm pretty sure I could take someone like that and make him better in weeks, not months.

understatement. as someone who has trained with and watched professional athletes train (one of which who is fighting for a world boxing title next month) you would be surprised by their regimens. at my old gym, the trainer wouldn't allow you touch weights over 20 pounds for fear of impeding mobility. most professional athlete succeed despite their training, not because of it.

[Fresh Prince]

I've heard of Tipping Point but yeah didn't know the author.

[Boogie]

Alright chumps, fire away.  

This is me deadlifting 375lbs in May last year, the most recent vid I have. I was 74kg then, approx. 10% bodyfat (using scales, which I don't trust but I don't care enough to measure any other way).

I've put on about 5kg since then after doing Starting Strength for 4 months or so. I look quite a bit bigger, but since my back squat went up by 25% during that period, I'm pretty fuckin' sure it wasn't ALL fat. I'm back doing mostly Crossfit stuff now so am aiming to get back to that kind of weight in the next few months, God willing and the creek don't rise.

http://vimeo.com/4747242

Anybody thinks they can lift 170kg at 74kg at age 37 while getting to a significantly lower bodyfat %, step right up!

That's f'ing crazy!  Well done!

[Cormacaroni]

Am I Christian Renaldo? Of course not. He's 15yrs younger and a professional athlete with top-flight genetics. But you know what? I probably train better and smarter than he does. As a trainer, I'm pretty sure I could take someone like that and make him better in weeks, not months.

understatement. as someone who has trained with and watched professional athletes train (one of which who is fighting for a world boxing title next month) you would be surprised by their regimens. at my old gym, the trainer wouldn't allow you touch weights over 20 pounds for fear of impeding mobility. most professional athlete succeed despite their training, not because of it.

Well, I *wouldn't* be surprised but I know what you mean. Yeah, I keep hearing that the main thing pro-level trainers do is try not to break the client. If you're not strong enough for the NFL by the time you get out of college, you're not going to get there by the training they do. Everyone is terrified of injury. Even the ones who seemingly have nothing to lose - LeBron James won't be playing for the US this summer because he'll be a free agent. He could probably blow out his knee and still get a max contract, but why take the risk? Very few trainers will risk screwing up a client like that. You try to keep the Ferrari running, not turbo charge it. I can afford to take much bigger risks.

[Draft]

Nah it's mostly dedication and desperation regarding professional sports people. Like in the NBA in the 90's it was poor black people, then poor Eastern Europeans. Soccer, cycling are the same as well.
Lance Armstrong who may be 'genetically blessed' has a very low lactic acid level of around 6 compared to other cyclists (around 20). It gives him 3-4% advantage- enough to win by but not insurmountable.

That's nuts. Watch Hoop Dreams. Dedication will only take someone so far. For every 1 dedicated, desperate guy who makes it into the NBA there's 10,000 just as desperate, just as dedicated who never even get a chance to play Division 1, or even Division 2.

Talking about Lance Armstrong being "not insurmountable"? Didn't he win the only bike race worth racing like 6 years in a row? Exactly how dominant does he need to be for his whale lungs and immunity to lactic acid to get some props?

You look at the sports I talked about. Training hard as hell in their youth, 'discovered' and then use 1st world expertise and money to make sure they are performing. 

Most countries have a similar Olympic youth scheme as well.

The discovery happens because these kids out perform their peers. They play the same games, go through the same training, but excel in a way their peers do not, and that's what gets them put into elite level programs that ultimately aspire to Olympic or professional performance.

I mean, pro football/basketball players get eye balled first in middle school. Middle school. These kids are 13-14 years old and already being scouted by high school coaches to play on the state level teams. You really think it's because these kids, barely old enough to have hair on their nuts, are more dedicated than their peers?

[Cormacaroni]

While Draft is here - thanks for the props above! The respect is mutual.

[Draft]

While Draft is here - thanks for the props above! The respect is mutual.

[Fresh Prince]

7

Lance Armstrong has many things from what I've read. He's an asshole but it helps him. He has had a good teams- road cycling is not a wholly individual sport. And he is one of these guys that loves technology and uses it to get any advantage possible. A whole lot of things.  

All I'm saying is genetics is overrated. In my uninformed opinion 'talent' is created by dedication first, social factors second, money third, genetics last.  

I mean, pro football/basketball players get eye balled first in middle school. Middle school. These kids are 13-14 years old and already being scouted by high school coaches to play on the state level teams. You really think it's because these kids, barely old enough to have hair on their nuts, are more dedicated than their peers?

Yes. And yes. When people reach their teens is probably more important since then they decide, 'Is it really worth it?'.

[Draft]

7

Lance Armstrong has many things from what I've read. He's an asshole but it helps him. He has had a good teams- road cycling is not a wholly individual sport. And he is one of these guys that loves technology and uses it to get any advantage possible. A whole lot of things.  

All I'm saying is genetics is overrated. In my uninformed opinion 'talent' is created by dedication first, social factors second, money third, genetics last.  

I think that's completely backwards, but honestly I probably know only as much or even less than you when it comes to true genetic science. Genetics is what whittles 10,000 high school quarterbacks to 100 division 1 quarter backs to 32 professional quarter backs.

[Fresh Prince]

I'll concede genetics may be the deciding factor but I think 'use it (often) or lose it' is apt when describing any genetic advantage.

[Cormacaroni]

*snip*

That's f'ing crazy!  Well done!

Cheers Boogie! One day we will work out together and go for beers afterward, and it will be good

[Cormacaroni]

http://vimeo.com/4747242

I will not ignore your posts in this thread anymore.  

awww, that's sweet

spoiler (click to show/hide)

assume the position bitch

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[Cormacaroni]

My lunchtime Crossfit WOD today, in case anyone feels like playing at home:
 
5 rounds for time of:
5 deadlifts at 100kg/220lbs
10 burpees

'For time' means just do the whole thing straight through as fast as possible and record your time with a stopwatch.

Tip: do a couple of heavier deadlifts first and then the high rep stuff feels relatively light. Doing this basically tricks your nervous system into a heightened state of readiness. Imagine tensing to help lift a car out of the mud, and it being replaced by a motorbike at the last second - it would fly right up, right?

[Fresh Prince]

Everyone else is still on notice until they post pics though. 

It is odd. I look here and most things run contary to cycling. Carbs for example. And working out your arms.

[Cormacaroni]

Fresh Prince - you are mainly a cyclist?

If you have specific goals, post 'em and who knows, maybe someone can help. It's true that upper-body strength doesn't have a whole lot of direct application to cycling, say, but there is an awful lot to be said for addressing the weakest points in the system. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, at first glance, to make a downhill skier do pull-ups...but for many skiers, that's the weakest part of their body, and addressing that weakness is like releasing a brake on their athletic performance. Strong legs held back by weak upper body. They don't need a STRONG upper body, necesssarily; they might just need for it not to be WEAK. Then boom! Better results.

[WrikaWrek]

Damn, that's a lot of kilos in that deadlift. Nice, specially since you look like a rather small guy (height), but i maybe i'm seeing it wrong.

Regarding the genes talk, the reason why Bolt, the Aquaman dude, and Armstrong are so superior to others is because of genetics. Clearly.

That said, the guys that have a great advantage due to genetics, are what we usually call the most gifted ones, like Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bolt, etc etc whatever The Ultimate Avengers and shit.

But 90% of all athletes in the world aren't genetically blessed. We just pay more attention to the blessed ones.