Question for men!

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Replies

  • ctooch99
    ctooch99 Posts: 459 Member
    I am 46 now, so my years of heavy squatting are behind me (pardon the pun). When I was in my 20s - yeah, I squatted regularly and made some gains. I find them to be more damaging then good now. Wall squats and Plyo do the job for me now.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    Since when is shirking away from the most difficult exercise manly? (Or shirking away from the most difficult things in life in general?)

    Man up, and do your squats and deadlifts!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Thanks for the replies! Haha, I meant specifically I was making these men do these certain lifts and they all complained that the *kitten* out, neutral spine position was "uncomfortable" "unnatural" or "awkward" feeling. They were totally cool with leg press or "other" exercises, but anything with this position was like pulling teeth.

    I wonder if it's their ego or if it's simply our culture....

    To those who have never seen the men being forced to deadlift or squat with the awkward "I'll just drop my shoulders, look down, and bend awkwardly so i don't have to stick my butt out"; then cheers!
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
    Deadlifts for me are the best exercise in my routine, I love nothing more that picking up that heavy arsed barbell and completing my sets. Now squats on the other hands are the oposite, I do them for I just don't like the range of motion or the position you end up in correct form.

    Squats the necessary evil!
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Men tend to have tighter hamstrings than women, so they have more difficulty sticking their butt out on squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, etc. Maybe that's what you're noticing.

    ^This, my squats and deadlifts suffer if im to tight. I have to properly stretch out and warm up before doing them.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    um,,,,
    never ever heard of that before.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    Oh dude, I might have a solution for you here... standing cable crunches. Takes a few tries to get the form down, but it beats the crap out of all the other ab exercises.

    Awesome! My gym has one of those machines - I use it for tricep pulldowns. Thanks for the tip!
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    So I've worked out with a few untrained/newbie lifters (all men) and I've noticed a pattern...


    Why is it men (sorry if this is a broad assumption) feel uncomfortable doing squats, dead lifts, good mornings, etc.? It's like they all have said it feels unnatural to stick their butt out or perform exercises in these seemingly compromising positions.

    Is it simply normal to feel awkward in these positions initially? Or is it because men generally lift "manly" (chest, abs, biceps)?

    Also, anyone notice this as well? Or maybe you were one of these men?

    In my opinion it's just that training legs when done right is hard work and most "men" don't like to work that hard. That's the honest truth. It's a little weird but I've actually been complimented in the gym by other men no less about how hard I work my legs.

    Not gonna' lie though, there is one exercise that I feel awkward doing because it looks like you're having sex with the barbell and that's the Glute Bridge. A little awkward but I'll find a quiet low-traffic area of the weight room to do it as to not draw weird stares. LOL