Excellent Article on "Fitness Bullying"

chuisle

Good article! This is definitely a phenomenon in the MFP community.

This line made me laugh...
"I deadlifted a new max tonight while the dude next to me did bicep curls. What a loser!"
Personally, I still do bicep curls. I like them and I like the results I see in my arms.

Also... I'm just going to come out and confess - I don't lift heavy anymore. I almost never talk about my strength routine here because the current thinking is seems to be that lifting heavy is the only thing that works, and if you do anything else you're probably wasting your time and you might be unwilling to listen to reason.

I follow my own 'lift medium' program and it gets me the results I want. I tried lifting heavy for a few months, but honestly - even though I was stronger, my muscle endurance diminished and my legs started getting really tired on my long hikes and backpacking trips. My 'lift medium' plan means I do longer sets (three or four at 15-20 reps) at about 50-60% of my 1RM, rather than short sets of 6-8 at 80% of my 1RM. I do this 2, sometimes 3, times a week.

It seems to get me the results that I personally am working toward. I'm glad other people have found programs they enjoy and believe to be effective.

I agree with all of this!

I lift medium too.. and love the results I see from it. Once had a poster here tell me that I should ditch my trainer, and come talk to him when I educated myself on real lifting. Well my response was right.. and with my trainer I've lost 30 pounds and 6 sizes.. that shut him up quick and now he doesn't bother me.

Do what works for you and what you love. As long as you are moving more then sitting, thats all that really matters.

I'm a 'lift heavy' person...that said, my goals are strength/muscle maintenance/building, and fat loss (which I don't achieve through heavy lifting but which heavy lifting complements). You made your point perfectly - you have a goal which a different routine is better for. Period. I think that's great you've found what works for you. Rock on. I think you might get some resistence too because for too many people there's not a happy place between 1 lbs pink dumbbells and 25 lbers. That's silly on their part. I just think its important to be able to engage in debate over what's best without taking it personally - which people seem to have a problems with, heavy lifters and non.

Plus - here's the important part - the best exercise routine is the one you will do. Simple movement gains the bulk of health benefits from exercise the rest is icing on the cake.

Meggles63

wow, I didn't know that this was an issue.

^^^ Me too! I know people feel strongly about their exercise routine, etc. but "bullying"?? C'mon now. That's the new catchphrase, I guess....sigh....

CarsonRuns

I make fun of everyone regardless of what they're doing. None of my friends are so delicate to get their feelings hurt by it.

this is why we're MFP friends :laugh: i also make fun of myself. when i tell people offline about my lifting routines, i do it in a ridiculous hans und franz style.

but seriously as an adult, if i'm going to get my feelings hurt simply by someone mocking my workouts, then i have bigger emotional problems to deal with. if people are that fragile then maybe they need to examine why that is.

some of these "bullied" people just need to put on their big girl/big boy undies and tell people to STFU if what they are hearing bothers them that much

I think the point is more about the attitudes of those doing the bullying, not so much its impact on anyone.

Jennacita

Good article! This is definitely a phenomenon in the MFP community.

This line made me laugh...
"I deadlifted a new max tonight while the dude next to me did bicep curls. What a loser!"
Personally, I still do bicep curls. I like them and I like the results I see in my arms.

Also... I'm just going to come out and confess - I don't lift heavy anymore. I almost never talk about my strength routine here because the current thinking is seems to be that lifting heavy is the only thing that works, and if you do anything else you're probably wasting your time and you might be unwilling to listen to reason.

I follow my own 'lift medium' program and it gets me the results I want. I tried lifting heavy for a few months, but honestly - even though I was stronger, my muscle endurance diminished and my legs started getting really tired on my long hikes and backpacking trips. My 'lift medium' plan means I do longer sets (three or four at 15-20 reps) at about 50-60% of my 1RM, rather than short sets of 6-8 at 80% of my 1RM. I do this 2, sometimes 3, times a week.

It seems to get me the results that I personally am working toward. I'm glad other people have found programs they enjoy and believe to be effective.

I agree with all of this!

I lift medium too.. and love the results I see from it. Once had a poster here tell me that I should ditch my trainer, and come talk to him when I educated myself on real lifting. Well my response was right.. and with my trainer I've lost 30 pounds and 6 sizes.. that shut him up quick and now he doesn't bother me.

Do what works for you and what you love. As long as you are moving more then sitting, thats all that really matters.

I'm a 'lift heavy' person...that said, my goals are strength/muscle maintenance/building, and fat loss (which I don't achieve through heavy lifting but which heavy lifting complements). You made your point perfectly - you have a goal which a different routine is better for. Period. I think that's great you've found what works for you. Rock on. I think you might get some resistence too because for too many people there's not a happy place between 1 lbs pink dumbbells and 25 lbers. That's silly on their part. I just think its important to be able to engage in debate over what's best without taking it personally - which people seem to have a problems with, heavy lifters and non.

Plus - here's the important part - the best exercise routine is the one you will do. Simple movement gains the bulk of health benefits from exercise the rest is icing on the cake.

This last line is the most important. The best exercise routine is the one you will do. I do everything from Zumba to weights. I try to keep a mix of everything. I lift medium to heavy depending on what workout I have chosen. My cardio varies depending on my mood.

docktorfokse

I make fun of everyone regardless of what they're doing. None of my friends are so delicate to get their feelings hurt by it.

this is why we're MFP friends :laugh: i also make fun of myself. when i tell people offline about my lifting routines, i do it in a ridiculous hans und franz style.

but seriously as an adult, if i'm going to get my feelings hurt simply by someone mocking my workouts, then i have bigger emotional problems to deal with. if people are that fragile then maybe they need to examine why that is.

some of these "bullied" people just need to put on their big girl/big boy undies and tell people to STFU if what they are hearing bothers them that much

I think the point is more about the attitudes of those doing the bullying, not so much its impact on anyone.

Wow, people care enough to tell people how to regard others? No wonder they're on the internet writing articles about fitness bullying.

CarsonRuns

I make fun of everyone regardless of what they're doing. None of my friends are so delicate to get their feelings hurt by it.

this is why we're MFP friends :laugh: i also make fun of myself. when i tell people offline about my lifting routines, i do it in a ridiculous hans und franz style.

but seriously as an adult, if i'm going to get my feelings hurt simply by someone mocking my workouts, then i have bigger emotional problems to deal with. if people are that fragile then maybe they need to examine why that is.

some of these "bullied" people just need to put on their big girl/big boy undies and tell people to STFU if what they are hearing bothers them that much

I think the point is more about the attitudes of those doing the bullying, not so much its impact on anyone.

Wow, people care enough to tell people how to regard others? No wonder they're on the internet writing articles about fitness bullying.

You still missed the boat. It's not about the "bullying" per se, but rather about the attitudes in the fitness community, from the amateur level to the professional level, that there is only ONE way to get fit. Their way. Clearly, that isn't the case.

Matiara

Good article! This is definitely a phenomenon in the MFP community.

This line made me laugh...
"I deadlifted a new max tonight while the dude next to me did bicep curls. What a loser!"
Personally, I still do bicep curls. I like them and I like the results I see in my arms.

Also... I'm just going to come out and confess - I don't lift heavy anymore. I almost never talk about my strength routine here because the current thinking is seems to be that lifting heavy is the only thing that works, and if you do anything else you're probably wasting your time and you might be unwilling to listen to reason.

I follow my own 'lift medium' program and it gets me the results I want. I tried lifting heavy for a few months, but honestly - even though I was stronger, my muscle endurance diminished and my legs started getting really tired on my long hikes and backpacking trips. My 'lift medium' plan means I do longer sets (three or four at 15-20 reps) at about 50-60% of my 1RM, rather than short sets of 6-8 at 80% of my 1RM. I do this 2, sometimes 3, times a week.

It seems to get me the results that I personally am working toward. I'm glad other people have found programs they enjoy and believe to be effective.

I agree with all of this!

I lift medium too.. and love the results I see from it. Once had a poster here tell me that I should ditch my trainer, and come talk to him when I educated myself on real lifting. Well my response was right.. and with my trainer I've lost 30 pounds and 6 sizes.. that shut him up quick and now he doesn't bother me.

Do what works for you and what you love. As long as you are moving more then sitting, thats all that really matters.

Another "lift medium" person here. It's likely sacriliege to say on this board, but my goals are mainly aesthetic and I'm getting the desired results from what I'm doing (currently bodyweight exercises and exercises using medium weights). I just want to keep the muscle that I have firm while losing the excess fat and that is what's happening with my routine. Strength gains are not a priority for me because I have no problem lifting, moving, and carrying what I need to in real life and I don't have a desire to lift my body weight.

And I have nothing against heavy lifting, just like I don't have anything against running, Zumba, Jillian Michaels, Insanity, or they myriad other exercise programs and regimes out there that I have no interest in. If I needed to do any of the aforementioned things to reach my goal, I would do it. But since I don't, then I don't.

mrsmarit

For me I get the stares at the gym from guys when I am in the free weight area. Like what is this overweight woman doing over here but I don't give flying fig.


I am there for me and me alone and if they don't like it they can kiss my... well you know.


I go to aqua class 4-5 times a week because that is cardio that I enjoy the most and it's something I can do with my family.

I try to do lifting 3 times a week and that's MY gym time. I want to get the muscle definition and I also have arthritis in my left elbow from a fall at work over 5 years ago so I cannot lift as heavy as I would like but I am building it up slowly but surely.

No one has the right to criticize what someone else does in regards to exercise. I hate running.. alot but I know people who love it. I am also not a fan of Zumba as it's just not enjoyable for me.

To each their own I say.. but I will add that I hate those guys in the free weight area on a machine (like a seated tow) and do the max weight and 3-4 reps and on the last one let the damn weights slam back into place. Can't they lower it like a normal person cause when I am on the floor with my headphones on working out and that thing clangs near my head it scares the crap out of me.

I just think it's rude and unnecessary.