Groups, sports, gyms, individual sports, and coaches

Ethan Garcia8 said:Why should anyone take a word from a guy like Charles Chavez5 on this forum? 😁 Everyone should try it for themselves; it doesn't cost anything. It isn't exactly smart to sit here arguing and trying to convince people of something without actually testing it first. If you want to try it, go ahead. 🙂

If everyone else at BlackRock is this much of a genius, I don't see any reason not to listen to them. 😬

driftingwolf79 said:If everyone else at BlackRock is this brilliant, there’s really no reason not to listen to them. 😬

😁 Exactly.

And honestly, if all these self-proclaimed experts in Mr. Tabata or HIIT are stealing their clients, it might be an issue with the instructors themselves. Maybe they just lack basic communication skills. 😁

Ethan Garcia8 said:😁 It's the truth.

And honestly, if all these so-called Dr. Tabatas and Dr. HIIT types are snatching up clients, the fault lies with the BlackRock crowd too. Maybe they just lack basic communication skills. 😁

They probably don't have time for communication skills because they're too busy drowning in psychology. 😁

driftingwolf79 said:They can barely wrap their heads around psychology, let alone dive into communications theory. 😁

🤣🤣

Look, people, you're finally starting to talk like normal human beings again. Don't come for me regarding my previous posts; I just figured someone needed to shake things up and force everyone to actually listen to what’s being said instead of just hearing what they want to hear.

Take this guy who runs most of the discussions here—I’ve read everything he’s posted on the forum. The kid puts in the work. He knows the stuff they talk about in actual gyms, understands nutrition reasonably well, and actually gives a damn about people's joints. Honestly, he could easily land a job at a local fitness center, and he’d probably outwork most of the staff there. I’ve seen his progress photos; the guy built himself a solid physique, no question about it! But when it comes to actual athletics or the definition of a "coach," he hasn't a clue. He’s never even been in that world. (Hey, don't get mad at me, man, but you've definitely played us for fools here more than a few times.)

Since my whole point from the jump was to steer people toward recreational sport, I want to drive one thing home: gym workouts and those various group classes? They all stem from actual sports. I won't repeat myself too much—those of you following this since the beginning already know what I'm getting at, so just talk amongst yourselves. Basically, people coming from serious athletic backgrounds or from places like KIF (I think BlackRock is the only real heavyweight left in New York City) have all this knowledge at their fingertips. They can master in six months what takes certain big-box gyms years to cycle through. Why?

Because you rarely find an actual COACH in those places. In my opinion, most of the people working there are basically just glorified entertainers, which explains why they act the way they do!
I say "most" because I know any real professional wouldn't take offense!

But those of us who actually love this and want to do it professionally? We get constantly mocked or dismissed by people like that. It ranges from the guys working with casts and injuries to the ones training kids over at a local YMCA in Oakland (for example). When we try to get jobs at these centers, they ask us to tone down the "serious" talk because half the owners don't know any better. They won't hire a real coach because a real coach isn't going to grind seven days a week or go the extra mile for pennies$1167. Then people act surprised when a great trainer vanishes overnight. People walking in for the first time can't tell the difference between a coach and an entertainer, and some stay stuck in that cycle for years.

AND IT'S BECAUSE YOU DON'T ASK WHO THE REAL COACH IS, AND WE STAY QUIET AND DON'T POST ON THE FORUMS.

Anyway, enough of that. I'm not out here advertising anyone; I'm just pushing you to: vet the person training you. Demand more value for all the cash you're throwing around. By doing that, you're actually helping people like us—the ones who aren't there to entertain, but to actually train people.

For all these reasons, recreational sport is better than any commercial gym, whether it's boxing or anything else. As long as it's a sport, the focus isn't just on looking good—the looks happen as a byproduct. If you just want the gym life and care exclusively about aesthetics, find a place with actual coaches; it's not like the talent doesn't exist.

Personally, I think even just messing around in a sports-recreational club is better. But hey, that's just my take. I don't expect anyone to reply to this; I just think it's time this was laid out so people can read it, especially since they're reading all this other stuff anyway.

So, make your own choice, whatever works for you!!! Just stop insulting things you know nothing about. If you have something to contribute, stick to your own field of expertise. I’d love to read something similar from someone in a different profession.

David Long27 said:But this guy doesn't know the first thing about sports or what being a coach actually means—he’s clearly never even stepped foot in a gym! (Look, don't take this personally, old friend, but you've definitely outworked most of us here)

And what exactly is it that we (me included) supposedly know nothing about when it comes to sports? 😁

David Long27, most people here are primarily focused on hitting specific physical benchmarks—you know, building solid muscle mass while keeping body fat low—and we provide them with the means to get there.
For instance, from what I can gather, you used to play water polo. As grueling and demanding as water polo can be, you aren't going to walk away with a physique like that naturally unless you happen to share the genes of someone like Denio Lušić.😉

Honestly, I’m getting a little worried that this guy flagged all my posts. At this rate, I might end up with a SWAT van parked right outside my house, just like Kljajica did. 😬

Ethan Garcia8 said:Not true. It’s obvious you lack actual training experience. Practice proves it works. 🙂 I actually added three pull-ups to my max just by using dumbbells, even though I didn't touch a pull-up bar during that stretch.

That is called supercompensation. It sounds counterintuitive, but if you train constantly, your efficiency drops. Positive adaptations only occur after sufficient recovery. This mechanism is known as supercompensation. Without recovery—whether through rest, reduced intensity, or lower volume—there is no progress.

That explains why you saw an increase of three pull-ups; you gave your body time to recover, and in the next training cycle, the body compensated by overshooting your previous capacity, despite the lack of direct pull-up work.

Furthermore, your improvement in pull-ups has nothing to do with doing bell ringing during your deload week, as those two exercises are diametrically opposed.

For example: if you run a three-week microcycle increasing sets and reps weekly, then take a deload in the fourth week, you will naturally perform better in the fifth week than you did in the third. It is simple logic. Without recovery, there is no progress.

Do you understand now?

Charles Chavez5 said:That’s what we call supercompensation. It sounds a bit counterintuitive, but if you’re training non-stop, your performance actually tends to dip. You only see those real gains after giving yourself enough time to recover. That mechanism is called supercompensation—basically, without recovery (whether through rest, dropping the intensity, or lowering the volume), you aren't going to make any progress.

Honestly, what you're saying doesn't really hold water here. That logic only applies when someone is massively overtraining; it definitely doesn't apply to a three-month gap where I haven't done a single pull-up. 🙂

There's no way. There is absolutely no way that you, David Long27, slydriver52, and coastalbison12 are all different people. 😁

Ethan Garcia8 said:Of course, what you're saying makes zero sense. That logic only applies in cases of extreme overtraining, which certainly doesn't apply to a three-month break from pull-ups. 🙂

These are fundamental training principles. They don't fail during overtraining; if anything, they mitigate its effects through structured training and recovery cycles. Don't try telling me someone can actually overtrain at a local Gold's Gym.

It seems we have finally reached the inevitable conclusion that any form of basic recreational sport combined with a farm-to-table diet is the ultimate answer... ☕

Charles Chavez5 makes a valid point. You should probably go ahead and Google supercompensation to get the full picture.

nimblemarlin6 said:Look, I’ll ask you this since you’re an experienced David Long27. What’s your take on kettlebells?

The American outfit Dragon Door pushes their kettlebell system as the ultimate way to train, claiming in all their literature that it boosts athletic performance even better than other methods.
For instance, the trainer Tsatsouline claims in one of his books that there was a study where one group of athletes did pull-ups and sprints, while another group stuck strictly to kettlebells. When they tested them, the group doing just kettlebells actually outperformed the other group in both sprinting and pull-ups.
If that holds water, it’s pretty wild.
So, where do kettlebells fit into an athlete's prep? Is it really a superior tool? Do the pros actually use them often?

If you’re actually interested in kettlebells, there are guys in New York City who live and breathe this stuff—they can show you the ropes and walk you through everything. Just go grab a bell and incorporate it into your training however you see fit, instead of just listening to whatever some random person tells you about them. Especially if that person has only swung a kettlebell a couple of times in their life; you'll just end up hurting yourself. Personally, I don't use them in my own routine, nor did I use them back when I was competing. I've messed around with them a few times and I dig how they let you hit specific movements you just can't get with a barbell or dumbbells, but that's about it.

I've spent a massive amount of time in the gym, working with people in commercial gyms and outdoors, which is why I’m even typing this out. (And I'm saying it because I know the vibe in the US fitness scene; you guys are constantly bombarded with advertisements, so it's hard to tell when someone is actually trying to give you some decent, well-meaning advice.)

In the gym, I mostly stick to free weights. I know playing around with heavy iron isn't a joke, so it bugs me when everyone acts like an expert on the subject, only to run away from the actual work like the devil.

I actually like the idea of choosing a sport based on morphological characteristics. I tell people to pick a sport that matches their body type because that's where they'll see results fastest, plus they'll learn more about training than they would at some fancy boutique fitness center. They'll lose those weird prejudices about certain sports and athletes too. One person does boxing, another track and field, someone else swimming, maybe bodybuilding, and so on. I’m not telling anyone to stay out of the gym; I'm just saying be careful who you work with and stop trash-talking coaches. You don't become a coach via the internet, yet everyone feels entitled to spit on us. And if you want to lose fat? I still think running hills is king!

Look, little brat, quit shaking. Nobody has anything against you, but if you think you're being too smart for your own good, I bet you've heard that from me before! Stop worrying so much about what people say and stop bashing someone who put in the work just to help promote you to the world!!!

I still don't get this forum. It’ll never make sense to me why we couldn't have just left it at that first post from a few days ago!! If you like it, fine; if not, whatever. When I need something, I look it up and move on. I value getting an answer immediately without getting lost in a sea of information. I never had any intention of arguing with someone for five straight days.

Peace out, everyone. I won't bother anyone with these mile-long posts anymore!!! And honestly, I probably won't even turn on my computer for a week after all this!

Paul Baker29 said:Charles Chavez5 makes a fair point. Just Google supercompensation if you need to.

Are you kidding me? 😁 Are you suggesting that I—someone who can knock out 15 pull-ups, a number that’s stayed pretty steady for years despite occasional dips whenever I take a break—could suddenly switch to training only dips, bump my pull-ups up to 18, stop doing them entirely for three months, and call that "supercompensation"? Even though my numbers usually drop when I stop? 😁 That doesn't hold water. You lose your edge in three months, let alone your pull-up count. 😁

Ethan Garcia8, perhaps this is simply a matter of your own physiology; for instance, in my experience training at Gold's Gym, 😁 I find that my capacity increases significantly provided I incorporate a rest day between sessions... 🙂

Terry Wells56 said:Little Bear, maybe it's just how your body is built

Not really.

Perhaps you should attempt a month dedicated solely to advanced bodyweight movements... because consider this: narrow-grip pull-ups essentially force your biceps to move your entire body mass—not to mention your back, making it quite a complex exercise—and I wonder if you can truly replicate that intensity with weights alone?

Ethan Garcia8 said:Are you kidding me? 😁 Are you seriously trying to suggest that I—someone who can pull off 15 pull-ups, a number I've been stuck at for years, seeing it drop every single time I take a break—could suddenly switch to training on a gyro board, bump my reps up to 18, stop doing pull-ups entirely for three months, and then see that jump as the result of supercompensation? Even though my numbers always tanked during previous breaks? 😁 That just doesn't fly, obviously. You lose your shape in three months, let alone your pull-up count. 😁

My apologies. Supercompensation would only happen under the specific conditions that Charles Chavez5 described. After three months of inactivity, we are definitely not talking about supercompensation here.