Resolutioners. Yes, you. The ones who jumped onto a gym membership the moment the New Year rolled around.
STOP CURLING IN MY SQUAT RACK IF YOU WANT YOUR HEAD TO REMAIN ATTACHED TO YOUR BODY!
Sorry, I've been holding that in since January 1st.
I have absolutely nothing against wanting to better yourself, to drop fat, to gain muscle, to get stronger, to get better conditioned, etc. I fully support this and anyone who truly wants to accomplish any one of those goals. One of those goals will support all the others if you actually focus on it, but we're not going to cover that here.
Resolutioners have one trait in common--most of them, at least--they disappear sometime between February 1st and March 1st. For some reason, they stop coming to the gym. They're on a contract and they still pay 40-80 a month, but they don't show up.
Now, I have no problem with an empty gym--I get to use the power cage more--but I do have a problem when people can't legitimately pursue a better them. I think that it is one of the manifestations of the general attituge of American society. It's a microwave attitude. A 'six-pack abs in 6 weeks' attitude. A 'vote for the guy that gives out the most free stuff' attitude. It's a disgusting attitude.
I'm not going to blame just the people themselves for having that attitude. No, the media is also to blame. Just watch a few late-night infomercials for fitness products. P90X. A 90-day program. Similar products dot the channels, all promising to deliver in 8 weeks, or 12, or 6. You get the idea. If I were to sit someone down, look them in the eyes, and say: "Building a body you can truly be proud of takes 2-5 years of straining under a heavy barbell and eating like you were made to eat" most people would display an astonishing 40 time as they ran for their room to cry in a corner.
People have no sense of commitment. People don't understand that great things take time. People don't understand that the kid in the gym benching 315 probably didn't start lifting 90 days ago. Yeah, a 12-week cycle of Smolov can bump your bench or squat up 50 pounds, but that's what we call 'peak strength' and is easily lost. If that confuses you, just Google it and stop being confused. Most people require a year or more of serious training(read: Starting Strength to Texas Method to 5/3/1) to reach a bench number like 315.
Yet you look at all these people coming in the gym on New Years, and they seem to think they can sculpt the body they want in a few months. It saddens me. What saddens me even more is that when I approach someone and tell them they might be better purposed by getting under the barbell, some sorry excuse such as: "squats screw up your knees" or "deadlifts are bad for your back" is given.
Overall, the attitude towards physical fitness is rather disapointing... People belive that it's an option. Sure, it is nowadays. But the human body was made to do amazing things. It wasn't made to grow a gut the size of Montana. I apologize if that offends someone, but seriously. Don't make it a resolution. Make it a lifestyle.
Now go forth and lift something heavy.
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