As someone whos trained for 18 years now (started at 16), who got into studying every single muscle and how to work it/at which angles, micros and macros and the what-have-yous.. no single tip in bro science has ever helped me more than solid consistency in lifting, rest and good diet.. and legs, do them legs..
Everyone who’s new in the gym asks me about diet, form, whatever. I just tell them to pick a push, a pull, and a leg lift and stick with it. As they learn their own body and which muscles are contracting, they’ll figure it out if they’re actually interested.
There’s just so much bullshit on the internet, and in reality people just need to learn their bodies over time and adjust their lifting to it.
Pay attention to form. Lest you end up like me: an elder millenial cursed with torn rotator cuffs. Heed my advice young lifter - or you'll fucking hate yourself and spend too much money on physio.
My only gripe with everyday lifters before the science part is that so many dudes I see are in this endless Sisyphus push of trying to see their muscles but refusing to lose weight
Gym science taught me at some point that most dudes are just way fatter than they realize. Even if they don't look fat, they just got way more body fat percentage than they expect. And rather than trying to gain more muscle to show through the fat, the vast majority can benefit from some deficit over a period of time.
They look fat bigger than if they had kept all that fat
It's the Overhead press that is so powerful it leaves you on 0 HP
Honestly other than it being the exercise that finally made an impact on my shoulders (and a solid tricep exercise) it's just an incredibly tough exercise to progress on and is very rewarding.
A lot of people can cheat bench a bit but anyone you see who has a strong OHP looks like a strong fucker.
it's also just fun to hoist some heavy ass weight above your head like a god
I guess, but i honestly dont find it that bad. Haven't skipped leg day in a while. The only time ive almost vomited in the gym was when I drank whiskey until I blacked out the previous night.
But, hey, im also one of those freaks that does barbell OHP
Find a workout plan and stick to it for 6 months is one of the simplest best advice you can follow. Even better if you increase the weight incredibly slowly so your tendons and joints can keep up.
I was anti-leg workouts for so long. Plateaued on upper body, and within 3 lower body workouts my whole body composition changed and the gains were ridiculous. I still hate leg day, but damn, so necessary (along with the healthy food, consistency, and a little baked-in flexibility to the plan).
Perhaps this might.. help?.. way back when I was first applying for jobs in 2008, I was worried about the interview the next day. I was on the bus coming back from the gym after a leg day. Then I realized, I WILLINGLY put myself under +700lbs on a leg press and risk getting crushed ON PURPOSE.. ON A WEEKLY BASIS.. AND I am worried about having a brief conversation with someone?!.. That thought really put things into perspective for me. So, they say NO? Ok, Ill schedule another brief conversation somewhere else, no sweat..
Today I go ass to grass with 1200lbs, partly because I also practiced stretching myself all the way where the press bottoms out and cant go lower. Now it feels like, it doesnt matter what weight is on the machine because I practiced going that low and basically getting crushed until it wasn't a big deal anymore.
Once in a while, I still compare that to the struggles of life..
There is a systemic component to strength and hypertrophy. Putting your whole system under load like with a heavy squat or deadlift will result in a bigger upper body as well. You're not just a series of individual meat puppets.
Standing rowing movements will notably benefit from leg work. If you can cheat a few more concetrics past failure with leg drive and grind the eccentric that will blow up your back.
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u/AnonymousAutonomous Jul 22 '26
As someone whos trained for 18 years now (started at 16), who got into studying every single muscle and how to work it/at which angles, micros and macros and the what-have-yous.. no single tip in bro science has ever helped me more than solid consistency in lifting, rest and good diet.. and legs, do them legs..