"You Ought to Quit": The Discouragement Thread

[Gary Gibson]

I'm guessing many of us have people in our lives who tell us that all this squatting and trying to get bigger and stronger is ruining us. Tell your story of constant discouragement here.

[beastmaster103]

I have been dealing with my sister and brother-in-law about this bullshit since I've delved into SS. I have had some recent back pain issues that may be attributed to a pinched nerve and/or slipped disc. Of course, since both of them are D.O.'s (ostepathic medical doctors), they think that squats are ruining my back. My parents are the same way and it is infuriating. None of them have ever stuck with any type of training program that involved heavy weight. Add my wife to the mix on the "I told you that you'd hurt your back if you kept doing this," and the shit is flying at me from all sides.

She is the most frustrating about this as she tries to tell me that the "cracker jack box certified" PT's she's utilized at various gyms know what they taught her, which she never uses. I keep telling her they are all full of shit, but it falls on deaf ears, since I am not certifed (reads: you don't know what your saying).

I ignore them all and try to lift as much as possible. If I hear "you're not doing enough cardio" one more time, I'm going to explode. Oh, and no one understands the concept of needing to eat in order to maintain gains and increasing strength.

And did I mention that my BMI lists me as obese...for my size - 6'-1", I should be a buck 75 or so...essentially an emaciated person to be considered out of the "high risk" category. I'm 235 and think that I could cut 15 lbs or so, but that is it. The BMI is pure bunk. Another example of the uninformed believing anything they read.

Unfortunately, I really think I may have injured my back, as I'll have pain in my lower back and down my right leg after sitting for an extended period of time. I think the biggest thing I failed to do was supplementary core exercises to strenghten the lower back (good mornings, reverse hypers (I don't have access to a hyper)) and that helped to create my current pain I experience.

Why is it that family members just don't get it - people that lift weights DO get injured on occasion. It doesn't mean that lifiting weights is harmful to one's body. Any strenuous activity creates the potential for bodily injury. I guess I'll live with the ridicule instead of becoming "bubble boy."

http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/images/misc/progress.gif

[paguiob]

I went from 140 lbs to 185 in a few months and my mom was pretty vocal about me "ruining" my body. My wife thought I'd never lose the belly that had been growing. My dad said I'd be decrepit because I was putting too much compression on my bones. It was only for a couple months though, so it wasn't constant. But it felt like it during the time.

To make a point, I dropped weight down to 160 to show that I could lose fat whenever I wanted to, and they pretty much backed off. I'm back up to 180 and no one's really give me any problems. My dad still thinks I'm overdoing it, but he never really butted in like my mom did. Still love them though.

[MazdaMatt]

Wifey used to harp on me for gaining weight quickly, but now she likes the results. She still tells me that I'm going to die early drinking 1L of whole milk every day.

Everyone in my family says "be careful lifting heavy weights like that" as thought they really think it is a problem, but they aren't pushing me to stop.

[fnet]

I get it from my parents who think I'm too old to be doing such strenuous activity. As I just mentioned in a previous post, my dad accuses me of juicing because he thinks whey protein and creatine are steroids. My wife has made comments about how I've "changed" while referring to my body. I think she liked the 130 LB kid she met in 1987 better. She's a runner, so we continually debate which form of exercise is better. One would think she'd come around to my way of thinking after she's battled numerous foot problems over the years. I suppose when she sees me icing my elbow and my struggling getting up and down the stairs the day after volume day isn't helping my cause. Fortunately, she knows this is one of my better "hobbies" I've had during our 20 years of marriage so she's been cool with my converting our basement to my dungeon gym and she knows well enough to leave me alone when I'm grunting and swearing at myself down there. Plus, she allows chalk. Finally, there's my quack doctor who comments on my weight every time I go in for a visit. I tell him that I am a weightlifter. He's all for exercise but I think his idea of weightlifting involves a Bosu ball and pink vinyl coated weights. His idea of gear would not be a belt, but a headband.

[TomF]

Sure, the wife doesn't want me "to look blocky. Truthfully, most women don't really go for the hyoooge thing" she says. But at a ponderous 180, I'm hardly blocky ... even at my monstrous 5'9" height. Still, I think she's saying she wants to see my abzzz, like when I was #150 about 20 years ago.

I comment that I'm not training to look like anything in particular, but to be useful and healthy. Different goal than when I was young, randy and single.

But such "tales of woe" turn to "tales of whoa!" when something physical needs to be done. Like shoveling 11 yards of topsoil over a weekend, or setting large natural flagstones into a patio or walk, on a 4" base of gravel that you also dug out and shoveled by hand. Or stacking broken concrete into a retaining wall.

It's a Good Thing to be physically useful, a Good Enough thing that she's starting to appreciate the "blockiness" of my hips, back, and legs that makes it possible.

[sergeant_81]

The most common thing I hear is "don't hurt yourself." Get that one at least once a day.

[gzt]

Everybody is supporting, pretty much. Doctor doesn't like my weight, thinks I should do more cardio. When I first started, this neurotic runner girl who had been cheating on her powerlifter boyfriend with me but when they broke up she wanted to break it off with me and was trying to hurt me or something so she said I was getting "fat". I was like, whatevs. Later, I told her ex-boyfriend about how habitually unfaithful she had been, that was good for some lulz. [EDIT: Same girl, when I mentioned how I was lifting weights, was like, "You're not a weightlifter type."] That was a while ago, now I'm married to a girl who's actually nice to other people and supportive of my goals. She also doesn't seem to notice the weight I've gained.

I think my parents are mildly skeptical about my picking up heavy things, but the only person who actively opposes the 70s big lifestyle is my doctor.

[KONG]

Weekly annoyances: [format: "quote" (who said it)]
"You could blow out your knees with that much weight." (first ortho doc who never trained a day in his life)
"Let me know if you need me to stay with you." (in regards to a bench lift off)
"Be careful...I don't want you to hurt yourself." (various)
"Your knee hurts, why are you still squatting?" (co-worker when I explained how things heal)
"You're crazy." (anyone who doesn't train when I tell them my goals and plans for powerlifting)
"Something is wrong with you." (anyone who doesn't train who I explain how I'm rehabbing my injury)
"Don't you think you could lose some weight." (in regard to my knee hurting due to my injury whilst climbing stairs)
"We need to work on developing your VMO." (my fat ass ortho doc giving training advice)
"Man you are really tight." (the PT after realizing that I'm not a contortionist)
"I don't understand why anyone would want to lift weights." (the massage therapist while working on a knot in my upper back)

[Gary Gibson]

I know an ex-athlete who may or may not read these boards about 20 years my senior and whom I've know for 20 years. He met me as that skinny kid whose picture you can see in my first 70s Big post. He ran track and played college football, but they didn't lift weights for that kind of thing back in the day. He's always told me that I have the opposite of athletic genes and doesn't miss an opportunity to remind me that I shouldn't be doing this stuff or that I would have been even more athletic if I'd have stayed 135 lbs and leaner. Having to drain my knees myself after overdoing the squat volume has not helped my case at all in his eyes. It's like he wants me to stay small and weak, like watching as I get stronger annoys him a bit. I would destroy my old 135-lb self at any physical endeavor save repetition chin ups. I wonder how this can be refuted at all.

My sister constantly remarks on how fat I'm getting. My abs are still highly visible, but now they are muscular and protrude in a way that suggests I've been squatting with a belt. Mind you, I've yet to get over 190 lbs at 5'10". Of course, she thinks Zach Efram is hawt (I think he'd be very popular in prison). My sister is the one who took the vids of me at the USAPL meet in February. She's cheered me on and knows what I can lift, but she just thinks skinny looks better. Just a product of her time I suppose.

[fnet]

While I'm on the topic of the wife, I'm remembering years ago when we joined the Y, she refused to go down to the weight room with me. She referred to it as "the prison yard" for the intimidating looking cast of characters who resided down there. She preferred instead to stay up in the "high tech" room which I guess means treadmills and stationary bikes parked in front of TV sets. Come to think of it, I'm lucky I wasn't gang raped the first time I loaded up the Smith machine with a couple of 25 pounders and proceeded to do 3 sets of 10 half (okay, quarter) squats. When I eventually worked my way up to the Monolift to work in with the big boys, it was like being invited to join the grown-up table at Thanksgiving.

[Dastardly]

"We need to work on developing your VMO." (my fat ass ortho doc giving training advice)


x1000

PT's are obsessed with this! I dont thinks there is even a realistic way to isolate particular quad muscles. My therapist wanted me to do negatives on a leg extension machine.

When my actual problem was a ligament tear.

[kevintrangone]

My biggest discouragement comes from within. Everyone is pretty supportive.

I tend to just do what I want to do. I train BJJ three times a week. Besides that, I work out when I feel like it. I freely admit that I have been in better shape; I slept better and felt better when I worked out. The problem is that I just don't feel like it. I enjoy the challenges of squatting and deadlifting and running sprints. I just don't want to do it, which is why I haven't squatted in three weeks.

I blame my lack of motivation on myself and the fact that I can't seem to find a job that utilizes my engineering abilities more than where I currently work (and subsequently sit on my ass for eight hours making posts like this because it doesn't challenge or interest me).

[gzt]

I hear you on the first and last paragraph. I'm still squatting, though.

[SeanL]

My wife seriously hates it. One of the reasons I tried the home KB program was to get her to shut-up about it. At 260lb she kept saying "I didn't marry a muscleman!" Seriously pissed me off.

The funniest part about it is I've been 225-235 since my junior year of high school, and when we met I pretty reliably hit 225 in spring/summer and then added a little fat for the winter hockey/rugby season. I've always been large.

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

The biggest flack I get is from the guys I train judo with. ALot of them keep telling me "you don't need to get strong to play judo. Kano wasn't very strong. It' sall about skill, etc"

I then ask how it is I keep kicking their asses in randori when my skill is sub par?

THe guys that I have doing SS say their chicks dig the size and strength. How do you have sex against a wall without a good squat?

[OITW]

How do you have sex against a wall without a good squat?

Never had a problem with that, even when I was the 165lb weakling. What size women you running with?

[gamedog]

Family have started complaining about my drive and near exclusive focus on my goals.

I don't know what it is, but it always seems like nobody that cares about me has ever given me 100% support, whenever I tried to do anything. I always had to compromise, and try to meet them half-way, only, when I did try to meet them half-way, I had to go even further, because they wouldn't.

Well, those days are over. With the exception of snafus at work, like what happened that prevented me from lifting yesterday, I'm not letting anybody or anything get in the way of me reaching my goals. Work is one thing, I need the money to buy food, and rarely do I have to stay here until 3AM. But people, and family/social obligations... Fuck that. Time for me to live for me.

[allyn703]

I went from 145 to 195 and Family and girlfriend are very supportive.

Girlfriend says: "You look like an old timey weight lifter"

Doctor on the other hand...

"Are you a powerlifter?.....I told you light weights, high reps. Your getting to that age (26) where you can't recover properly" :confused:

[Gary Gibson]

The biggest flack I get is from the guys I train judo with. ALot of them keep telling me "you don't need to get strong to play judo. Kano wasn't very strong. It' sall about skill, etc"

I then ask how it is I keep kicking their asses in randori when my skill is sub par?



I really want to know what they say when you ask them this.

I've read that many teachers don't want their students to "rely on strength" instead of technique. But if strength kicks ass, then I personally want to rely on it very much. Maybe this won't take me to the higher levels of "the art", but it will mean that I can beat people up, which for me is the essence of a martial art.



THe guys that I have doing SS say their chicks dig the size and strength. How do you have sex against a wall without a good squat?

The muscles responsible for thrusting in sex are the same ones responsible for running and jumping, and the same ones the squat develops so well. This can cause a problem if your partner is not used to someone who squats heavy. The speed and frequency can be a novel experience. Be sure to get some gentler swirly motion in there, gents. That's just basic consideration.

[TomF]

Dedication to anything can get rough on relationships. Sometimes because it really can get obsessive. Sometimes because having firm goals does actively interfere with the time, or money, or brainpower people want you to apply to something else ...

And sometimes, I think, because the fact of having clear goals and a workplan can be pretty intimidating to people who don't have such themselves.

At the same time, there is a life beyond lifting - or oughta be. It isn't a compromise, for instance, to spend time with your kids ... though it will cramp your training time. My solution has been getting them training too.

[SeanL]

I really want to know what they say when you ask them this.

I've read that many teachers don't want their students to "rely on strength" instead of technique. But if strength kicks ass, then I personally want to rely on it very much. Maybe this won't take me to the higher levels of "the art", but it will mean that I can beat people up, which for me is the essence of a martial art.

The muscles responsible for thrusting in sex are the same ones responsible for running and jumping, and the same ones the squat develops so well. This can cause a problem if your partner is not used to someone who squats heavy. The speed and frequency can be a novel experience. Be sure to get some gentler swirly motion in there, gents. That's just basic consideration.

Speaking from my own experience in Buko, I find that I have a real tendency to rely on my strength and aggresiveness. Which enables me to kick the snot out of all of my fellow students and some of the senseis. That said, the really skilled guys can and do turn that against me and kick the snot outa me. I think the real trick is to learn the techniques then use size and strength to make them devastating

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

" I think the real trick is to learn the techniques then use size and strength to make them devastating"

That. I learned to not use strneght overtly, but it's still there. It's easier to learn not to use strength then it is to go and get it later.

The chicks I run with are about 120 - 160ish (she was also 6'). Smaller than that and they break too easily.

[Gary Gibson]

Aaaaahhhh, thank you, honorable teachers. I understand.


The chicks I run with are about 120 - 160ish (she was also 6'). Smaller than that and they break too easily.

This is half the reason I'd meant only to date black women from now on. 5'5" and 150? Mmmmm HHHHMMM!

Hope to god my current main squeeze does not read this. (I love you, honey!)

[thersites]

I don't get constant discouragement, but if I get injured, I get a version of I don't know why you do those if your going to get hurt (or you are going to be a wreck soon doing that stuff at your age, which is 45 btw). I remind them that I'm going to hurt eventually being sedentary, it will just be a different kind of hurt and probably much worse. And if I did the lighter intensity exercise they seem to think is safe, I'd likely end up with a lot of repetitive stress injury accumulation. You get to pick your poison.

I probably am guilty of thinking some of the same thing of folks who compete at the elite levels of powerlifting, as many end up with so many accumulated injuries I wonder if it is worth it. So, I try to just feel a bit sorry for the folks who question my exercise choices.

I'm glad that my wife is supportive, and I lift at home, so I don't get the unsolicited comments at the gym of ignorant busybodies and know-it-alls. My attitude would probably be a bit more hostile if these weren't the case.

[gordonrumble]

My family makes fun of my squattin' legs, and generally devalue heavy weight training.

They also brought up the fairly reasonable point that there is weight training to improve your long-term quality of life, and then there is weight training so heavy that it can degrade your long term quality of life (via injuries, etc). The difference of course is where we draw that line.

[sergeant_81]

...and I lift at home, so I don't get the unsolicited comments at the gym of ignorant busybodies and know-it-alls. My attitude would probably be a bit more hostile if these weren't the case.

A hostile attitude is a character flaw I've developed thanks to time in and out of gyms and while training for sports. Shit like waiting for the curl jockey to clear the one university gym squat rack for 45 minutes, on a night where I had to study and a final was the next day, and my rowing coach had prescribed many, many sets of squats for this particular session, and it's 9 PM as I'd just gotten out of my last class, eventually led to daydreams of walking in and shooting every last fucking putz in the place.

I'm working on the attitude, I promise. It ain't healthy.

[imnotbncre8ive]

But such "tales of woe" turn to "tales of whoa!" when something physical needs to be done.

Quoted for awesomeness!

[OITW]

A hostile attitude is a character flaw I've developed ... daydreams of walking in and shooting every last fucking putz in the place.

Whatever you do, don't go to work for the post office, okay?

[sergeant_81]

I've mellowed out. Promise.

Most of my aggravations these days are from hour-long commutes and tigers from London. A beer or two at the end of the day soothes the bad voices.

[TrackJunkie]

I had a couple of medically trained relatives try to tell me the saturated fat from my GOMAD would result in an early death for this 5'11" 190 lb 20 year old.

[GVA-66]

None of my family or friends are into training. They don't get it and have no interest in it at all, so I rarely talk to them about it; at least they don't pester me.

Several months ago I shared my lifting goals with a friend of mine who just moved out west from NYC. She looked at me like I was demented (more so than usual), and in an incredulous voice asked "Why"? I tried to explain why, but it was obvious she wasn't getting it.

Fast forward a month and she asked if I could help her move from one location to another. One of the things she needed help with was a television...she couldn't pick it up. I picked it up myself with no problem and threw it in the back of my car. I then turned to her and said "remember when you asked me why I had the goals I have, that's why, so I can move shit myself when I have to." Didn't mind helping her move at all, it was just a great opportunity for me to provide an example of why I think strength is important.

[Ian Kovtunovich]

Funny, nobody I know really gets it, either. But they sure as hell notice my being 30+ pounds heavier (mostly muscle, natch), and certainly seem impressed and/or amused when I pick them up, or regale them with my eating exploits.

[broseph]

I count myself super lucky, as my wife is crazy supportive of whatever goals I have, strength or otherwise. She gives me her leftovers, buys me beer when she gets groceries, loves my squat ass, etc.

However, I work with a bunch of annoying, super conservative, nosy, know-it-all, old ass ladies. Welcome to my every day:

"You eat too much."
"You eat too much fat."
"You're trying to GAIN weight!?!!?"
"You should run more."
"You're not supposed to exercise that much."
"You should eat more carbohydrates since you exercise."
"Are you doing that P90X?"
"You're going to hurt your back."
"Don't you know its bad for you to get sunburn?"
"I liked your hair better the way you had it before."
"You need to shave, don't you?"

I actually like my job... just hate my coworkers.

Here's a bonus heart warming quote from my brother: "Has your butt always been that big?"

[PVC]

"You need to shave, don't you?"

I hate shit like this. "Why don't you shave every day?" from coworkers. "I hate when guys have facial hair" from girls. What's wrong with letting some stubble accumulate for a week?

[ColoWayno]

From a guy who is naturally bigger and stronger and leaner than me: "you don't want to get big."

There was another guy I work with, also bigger and stronger than me that I talked to when I was first getting started in SS. I was far enough along not to be easily side tracked:
Big guy: "So how much can you squat"
Me: "I'm comfortable with 200lbs"
Big guy: (laughs) "You should ask Tim how much I was doing, try triple that".
Me: "Do you mean on a leg press?"
(An argument ensued as to whether there was a difference, but yes he meant on a leg press).
The next day I asked that guy Tim, Tim immediately started clowning on Big Guy and everyone around got involved in that (I actually tried to stick up for Big Guy who I considered a friend).
Well Big Guy caught word of that and cussed me out in front of co-workers.
Big Guy: "Put your money where your mouth is, a dollar a pound".
Me: "You mean if I squat 200 lbs, and you squat 601lbs, I owe you one dollar?"
Big Guy: "No, you owe me 401 dollars" (I guess he really wanted me to put my money where his mouth was.)

This guy was so upset (compounded by some of the younger guys who witnessed all of this writing uncomplimentary things on his white board) that he really hasn't talked to me since then.

Man... it feels good to tell that story... Thanks for the venue Gary

[Beltshumeltz]

My sister is very scared for me, in terms of injuries. She started exercising a lot and I'm happy for her. She does cardio and lifts weights using machines and I respect that as her goals are purely aesthetic, and she 's looking better and is healthier every week even if she was fine before. But given her bodybuilding trainer's advice (he wanted her to cut while doing VERY high rep, low weights) and him telling her what I was doing was baaad, I get stuff from her such as how I should think of her as she doesn't want to have to care for a crippled brother. (She said it in a nice, caring way, I explained to her that injuries aren't THAT bad when they occur).

My mother and sister both use my recent rib injury as an example of me going too hard. But my injury - the only "serious" one so far - was caused by a lifting belt that was too big and tight! And I kinda enjoyed that injury because I'm a bit masochistic and having a painful rib while sleeping made it possible to fantasize about getting my ass kicked (in a heroic way). Nevermind this :P

I tend to use "reframing techniques" to turn negative comments into positive. Also I have NO PROBLEM motivating myself for all the wrong reasons - like impressing others, for the girls, etc. If that superficial stuff such as a nice girl next to me gets me through a heavy squat, why should I intellectualize about how these are the wrong reasons? I have good personal reasons for lifting, but I use stupid shit to get me through tough moments because it works.

So whenever my work boss (6'4, 280 pounds, trains upper body only, still a beast) tells me I'll fuck up my back with deadlifts, squats... well, I just end up talking to him more and more about my lowly PRs because it feels badass to do risky shit with heavy weight. I know it's silly, but I don't care, even though I'm at a point where my inner motivation is through the roof.

Finally, this woman at work and I were discussing drinking lots of milk and I explained how milk is good for mammalian growth, has a ton of protein and other good stuff, etc. She started discouraging me from imminent death because "the cells in milk are too big for the human body because cows are big animals therefore we can't digest them, so you should drink sheep milk instead".

[Beltshumeltz]

My biggest discouragement comes from within. Everyone is pretty supportive.


Have you trained at least enough so far to be 30-40% stronger than you started off? For me that was the breaking point when I found my change in strength to be so awesome that I no longer needed any help in getting to the gym no matter what. Now, if my schedule is a problem, I'll wake up early or go to bed late, or do whatever is needed to make it, because this progress is ADDICTING.

My silly 225 squat was "light", but once I got past that, it felt so awesome, I pulled a Gary Gibson and trained myself into the ground after :P (jk, not really)

[Rorschach]

Didn't you know that more than two eggs for breakfast IS POISONOUS!

The fact that my cholesterol has dropped over the last year doesn't seem to faze them. :P

[OITW]

I count myself super lucky, as my wife is crazy supportive of whatever goals I have, strength or otherwise. She gives me her leftovers, buys me beer when she gets groceries, loves my squat ass, etc.

Just a reminder to let her know on a regular basis just how good it is to have such a wife.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

For about forty years my Mum has constantly asked me if I ate enough. At 6' and 170 pounds, I have always been quite slim and lanky.

In June 2009 I started SS, and last Christmas my Mum visited me here in London. As we were having dinner, I took my t-shirt off and for the first time ever she commented "I think you have gained enough weight for now". I was 190 at the time, and I have put 10' more on since then. I know, I could have done even better, but I'll use my age as an excuse.

I also got a positive comment from my physio, the first time he saw my legs a few months after starting SS. "Strong muscles and strong tissues make for solid joints", that's what he said.

Since starting to move weights in an organised way, I'm riding my motorbike far less. A lot of relatives appreciated this. Hard as being told you are going to get injured in the gym is, it's nothing compared to the barrage of doom that comes your way when people know you ride a bike.

IPB

[MazdaMatt]

I just got called fat yesterday!

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're getting fat" - female co-worker

[Dastardly]

Motor bikes or pushbikes are the only decent way to get around london.

I have that same thing with my mother, she loves feeding people. Throughout growing up I was kind of pudgy with skinny arms. She always wanted me to eat meat & eggs, I was always very reluctant (partly because I exepcted to make me even fatter) which made her literally furious.

These days, she actually tells me off for drinking too much milk, eating too many eggs & having finishing too much meat at family meals. Now she thinks it will make me fat.

[Dastardly]

I just got called fat yesterday!

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're getting fat" - female co-worker

You shouldve retorted with "thankyou, that is great news, you look like your getting bigger too"

[MazdaMatt]

Haha... i wasn't actually offended. I said "Yeah, I am and I'm still looking for another 15 or 20 lbs"

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

I had the opposite thing happen. ABout the same time I tore my rotator cuff, I had heartburn so bad I started throwing up. I couldn't sleep and couldn't eat for about 4 days or so and dropped from 230 ish to 214.

I was in the kitchen at work and a guy I trained was in there with this woman who had started a month before or so. I come in and she said "Wow, you've lost some weight, you look much thinner".

My buddy starts cracking up and says "You you look skinny, good job". I just kind of hung my head and said "I hate you bill". and grabbed a big glass of milk. The woman looked very confused.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Motor bikes or pushbikes are the only decent way to get around london.

Don't know about pushbikes, but I would not rate motorbikes for this purpose. I very rarely ride into town, it's not fun at all and too stressful. And in this hot weather, sitting in the traffic with the biking gear on is no fun, even if you decide to wear jeans instead of proper riding trousers.
If you really need a motor to move in town, I think big scooters are better.

IPB

[ColoWayno]

Mazda is a fatty

[TomF]

Mazda is a fatty(Nyaaa nyaaa.)

[MazdaMatt]

This was coming from a 110lb asian girl that is STILL trying to develope a slim waiste and "ghetto booty" by running on a treadmill. Everything is fat compared to her. I should go tell her she has a skinny butt... but then again, the latest revisions of the workplace harassment just came out... maybe not a good idea.

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

Those regs cut both ways. SHe called you fat, I wouldn't have let it go.

[MazdaMatt]

Sounds like reasoning enough for me. I'll tell her that her butt is too skinny.

[Chewie_jrc]

Warning: post contains another "big ass" anecdote.

Only real "complaining" is from my triathlon roommate who tells me how important working out my c*re is. I tell him I do by squatting.

Most other people just get a lot of kicks outta my ass, thats about it. Onto the story:

I was in south america on vacation staying in a hostel. Me and my friends were playing drinking games, being loud/obnoxious, ya know...making america proud ;) There were some pretty cute european ladies (college aged?) a few tables away from us in the common room. Everynow and then I'd catch them glancing, giggling, the usual. Wasnt too interested in picking up on them since we already met some latin hunnies the night before.

Let me back up and say one thing...they take Emo to the next level down there. I could not find a pair of jeans to get around my ass to save my life. I only brought two sets of clothes with me; I planned on buying more as I needed them...which I did. Long story short, jeans were fucking "toight like a toiger".

Anyway, we get up and leave to go out for the night. The next morning, the guy working at the front desk pulls me aside and says,

Front desk guy: "dude, you totally ruined my night!".
Me: "whachya talkin about Willis?"
FDG: "I was trying to talk to those girls right...remember the european chicks?"
Me: "yeah, so..."
FDG: "Well, they kept asking me if I knew the chap with the huge ass and were asking me if I'd introduce them to you"
Me: lulz

[Benthic]

<snip>
Finally, this woman at work and I were discussing drinking lots of milk and I explained how milk is good for mammalian growth, has a ton of protein and other good stuff, etc. She started discouraging me from imminent death because "the cells in milk are too big for the human body because cows are big animals therefore we can't digest them, so you should drink sheep milk instead".

That's the craziest thing I've heard in a LONG time.

Brian

[gzt]

Yes. Though sheep milk is easier to digest than cow milk.

[TomF]

Yes. Though sheep milk is easier to digest than cow milk.Hey! Just who are you calling "sheeple"?
:p

[Chewie_jrc]

That's the craziest thing I've heard in a LONG time.

Brian

Thats hysterical, that's the first I've ever heard of milk cells being too big to digest. Who comes up with this stuff??

[rockyshaun]

Thats hysterical, that's the first I've ever heard of milk cells being too big to digest. Who comes up with this stuff??

Cow Milk's fat globules are significantly larger than that which is in Goat's Milk. But the immenent death part is silly.

[PVC]

This was coming from a 110lb asian girl that is STILL trying to develope a slim waiste and "ghetto booty" by running on a treadmill. Everything is fat compared to her. I should go tell her she has a skinny butt... but then again, the latest revisions of the workplace harassment just came out... maybe not a good idea.

Next time she makes comments like that, open a window and let the wind carry her away.

[Dastardly]

Don't know about pushbikes, but I would not rate motorbikes for this purpose. I very rarely ride into town, it's not fun at all and too stressful. And in this hot weather, sitting in the traffic with the biking gear on is no fun, even if you decide to wear jeans instead of proper riding trousers.
If you really need a motor to move in town, I think big scooters are better.

IPB

I basically meant scooters, just anything with two wheels. Obviously a proper big motorbike requiring leathers and all that gubbins is a bit wasted in a crowded city.

But scooter or pushbike, you just filter all that shit and avoid congestion charges.

[Dastardly]

Front desk guy: "dude, you totally ruined my night!".
Me: "whachya talkin about Willis?"
FDG: "I was trying to talk to those girls right...remember the european chicks?"
Me: "yeah, so..."
FDG: "Well, they kept asking me if I knew the chap with the huge ass and were asking me if I'd introduce them to you"
Me: lulz

My whole life has been leading up to such a moment! Well at least I hope I nump into a bunch of girls one day who really dig a big squat ass, because thats the only part of me that is "hench".

[Monster]

Sadly, I have nothing to offer this thread.

Here is my unfortunate situation:


My girlfriend has 100% supported me with everything SS--diet, home gym, routine, etc. She also recently started the program.

My chiropractor strongly encouraged me to get into lifting: "You're plenty flexible, what you need is increased strength, not more flexibility. I squat all the time and you should squat too."

So I started SS.


A week ago I had lunch with a woman I hadn't seen for a couple months. As soon as she put eyes on me, she said, "You look strong." Lifetime first.

Several people have mentioned, "You look healthier."

Others have said in various ways I look better.

No negative comments.

If I did hear them, of course I would crush the person. (The only way out would be if they promised to start SS.)

[Gary Gibson]

^^^Yaaaaay!





But wrong thread goddammit!

Fixed: http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?p=140485#post140485

[Monster]

Mr. Gary Gibson: honorary Doctor of squat and unofficial ringleader of SS board.

Could be responsible for more non-bullshit posts in these here parts than anybody around.

[Gary Gibson]

Aw, shucks.

[misspelledgeoff]

might have better luck if you ditch the mom-jeans.


My whole life has been leading up to such a moment! Well at least I hope I nump into a bunch of girls one day who really dig a big squat ass, because thats the only part of me that is "hench".

[drewcarroll2]

I hate shit like this. "Why don't you shave every day?" from coworkers. "I hate when guys have facial hair" from girls. What's wrong with letting some stubble accumulate for a week?

We should all aspire to be bearded out to the extent that when people see us they feel the urge to ask us if we have trapped and killed any animals lately and if life in the mountains is everything we thought it would be. Clean shaves suck!

My demotivation is the Air Force. Everytime I look at the damn fitness chart and it tells me that I am supposed to be about 170 to be ideal I get sick to my stomach and wonder why they want half starved ethiopians fighting wars for them. If they kicked me out for not being "fit" and I could squat 500, dead 650, bench 400, clean 300, and press 250 I would laugh my ass off on the way to the commanders office to sign my seperation papers and all the way off base.

[gordonrumble]

I guess they like it if you can run around all day too, but I agree; the military's fitness testing seems to be fucked.

[Kate]

Well, I don't know if these two tidbits belong in this thread or not -- 'cause no one is actually telling me not to lift -- but here goes:

Sunday morning, I'm at Home Depot, loading up a platform-type cart with bags of paver base and four 50-lb bags of gravel. (Turns out that pushing the cart through the store is pretty good exercise in itself.) Get to the checkout line. Pay for the stuff. A young man working there asks me if I need help loading the stuff into my car. "No thanks." "You sure?" "Yup." (The checkout clerk, a young woman, then says to the guy, indignantly, "what, because she's a woman?!") And then the guy still showed up behind my car as I was loading it. (I had him put the light bags of paver base in the trunk, while I threw the 50-pound bags of gravel into the back seat. Heh.)

I know I don't look very strong -- and I'm actually not very strong yet -- but geez. (For the record, the initial offer of help is just fine; it's the "You sure?" part that's just a wee bit insulting. I know my own mind, buster. And how exactly do you think these bags of gravel are going to get out of the car later?)

Spent Sunday afternoon whacking away at some very hard ground (clay, rocks) to dig out a wide trench for the stone pathway I'm building. Just mentioned that to a friend, who then said suggested that I take up something like quilting (because "you're going to hurt yourself!"). Oy.

On the other hand, people do seem to admire the results of my handiwork (retaining walls and such), so that's something....

[TrackJunkie]

Some people just don't appreciate how heavy a 50-lb bag is. Actually, I guess it's more that many people don't fully appreciate how weak they are.

[Ian Kovtunovich]

Well, I don't know if these two tidbits belong in this thread or not -- 'cause no one is actually telling me not to lift -- but here goes:

Sunday morning, I'm at Home Depot, loading up a platform-type cart with bags of paver base and four 50-lb bags of gravel. (Turns out that pushing the cart through the store is pretty good exercise in itself.) Get to the checkout line. Pay for the stuff. A young man working there asks me if I need help loading the stuff into my car. "No thanks." "You sure?" "Yup." (The checkout clerk, a young woman, then says to the guy, indignantly, "what, because she's a woman?!") And then the guy still showed up behind my car as I was loading it. (I had him put the light bags of paver base in the trunk, while I threw the 50-pound bags of gravel into the back seat. Heh.)

I know I don't look very strong -- and I'm actually not very strong yet -- but geez. (For the record, the initial offer of help is just fine; it's the "You sure?" part that's just a wee bit insulting. I know my own mind, buster. And how exactly do you think these bags of gravel are going to get out of the car later?)

Spent Sunday afternoon whacking away at some very hard ground (clay, rocks) to dig out a wide trench for the stone pathway I'm building. Just mentioned that to a friend, who then said suggested that I take up something like quilting (because "you're going to hurt yourself!"). Oy.

On the other hand, people do seem to admire the results of my handiwork (retaining walls and such), so that's something....

Nice. We men (or is it "us men"?) need to get our stupid asses handed to us as many times as it takes. I like how you not only showed the Homeboys chump who was strong, but still duped him into doing some of the work. Sounds like a typical male-female relationship, in a nutshell.

[Gary Gibson]

It's "we men" in this case.

So I went to a cobbler today to get the heels of my squat shoes lowered. The cobbler looked just like Geppetto and had a faint European accent. I explained why I wanted the heel lowered and demonstrated my knee position at the bottom of the squat.

"So this is for competition?" he asked. "Because I don't see too much muscle."

[gzt]

Ouch. It just goes to show you're not meant for the 82.5kg class, much less the 75kg class. You need 90 or 100.

[homerj742]

Old folks have a higher standard for just about everything.

[Rorschach]

Old folks are allowed to be rude and patronising. I can't wait.

[MazdaMatt]

Haha, fucking Geppetto just crushed your heart. If only he'd made a joke about being a "real boy".

[Gary Gibson]

To tell the truth, I kind of like that I'm a lot stronger than I look. Not that I'm strong and not that I don't want to get a helluva lot stronger, but I like that people are generally surprised with my squat and deadlift. Not that they're impressive per se, but I'm really effin skinny (even after gaining 30 lbs) and I look like I'd collapse under just a 315 squat and just strain uselessly against just a 405 deadlift. In a few more months, I hope my bench press stops being so shameful, too.

[toddmr]

To tell the truth, I kind of like that I'm a lot stronger than I look.

I was at the gym once deadlifting 400 and change when some musclehead said, "you don't look like someone who could deadlift 400 pounds."

I said, "I'm the only person in this gym who deadlifts 400 pounds. Rethink what strong looks like."

[Moving_Target]

I was at the gym once deadlifting 400 and change when some musclehead said, "you don't look like someone who could deadlift 400 pounds."

I said, "I'm the only person in this gym who deadlifts 400 pounds. Rethink what strong looks like."
This made me chuckle.

[Carlos Daniel]

I said, "I'm the only person in this gym who deadlifts 400 pounds. Rethink what strong looks like."

I think the musclehead was thoroughly owned. Kudos for that.

[toddmr]

After years to get there, I had to swing when that softball was lofted my way.

[Jacob I. Briskin]

Finally, this woman at work and I were discussing drinking lots of milk and I explained how milk is good for mammalian growth, has a ton of protein and other good stuff, etc. She started discouraging me from imminent death because "the cells in milk are too big for the human body because cows are big animals therefore we can't digest them, so you should drink sheep milk instead".

As I was reading this thread, I was taking sips from a gallon jug of cow's milk, and when I read this I paused for a good ten seconds with my mouth on the rim of the jug, forgetting that I was even holding it, just looking at this post with an indescribable expression on my face.

[Beltshumeltz]

I said, "I'm the only person in this gym who deadlifts 400 pounds. Rethink what strong looks like."

What was his reaction?

[simonsky]

Finally, this woman at work and I were discussing drinking lots of milk and I explained how milk is good for mammalian growth, has a ton of protein and other good stuff, etc. She started discouraging me from imminent death because "the cells in milk are too big for the human body because cows are big animals therefore we can't digest them, so you should drink sheep milk instead".

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8619/2204355.swf