I just love it when people on social media tell me that Im doing it all wrong because “science-based” training says I am.
ProTip: when you think you know everything, you know nothing.
Was I a posterchild for quick bodybuilding success? Hardly! I made every mistake in the book. Bodybuilding information in the pre-internet era when I started lifting was non- existant for natural bodybuilders. Because of all my mistakes it took me 20 years to hit my genetic max in 2001 whereas if I had access to the information avaible online for free now I could have probably done it in 8 years. Am I an expert? Certainly not. I am someone who has made a lot of mistakes and learned from them.
What is this 60 year old doing wrong?
So what exactly is this 60 year old doing wrong and how could “science based” training improve it?
For those who think I an an “aesthetic” lifter, guess again, I am in this for health.
What is science based training?
I also love it when people who have never taken a science class and cannot explain “the scientific method” go around crowing about how THEIR training is science based.
ProTip: Coming up with a workout program and then googling to find links to research abstracts that “prove” you are right is not science. Most people claiming “science based” have never read anything except the one paragraph abstract. The problem is that 99% of the time, that leads to incorrect conclusions. The devil is in the details and unless you have the science background to understand the terms and methods,and the days necessary to read and inderstand the research, you will come to incorrect conclusions.
When you are being given training/nutrition advice, examine the qualifications and motivations of those giving it. A scientist would never go around shouting how their running program is “science based” nor would a scientist say “trust me”.
The trouble with bodybuilding is that there are so few absolutes and even experts with numerous doctorates will disagree with each other. What workout program is best for you to build muscle is different than the one that is optimal for me. The best workout plan for you this month is different than the one last month. YouTube and social media amplify this problem. You get popular by doing a video titled “massive chest fast with my bench-405 program”. Doing a bench press video that explains the complexities of how to vary bench press based on your age, injuries, and goals would make peoples eyes glaze over.
I fully acknowledge that the fact I have had a reasonsble physique for 35 years proves nothing but I do find it very humorous when people use cries of “FAKE NATTY!!!” to try discredit my methods. Above is my physique history. Any one if the following could explain my physique
- I am in idiot with top 0.0001% genetics.
- I am an idiot who has used steroids for 35 years.
- Although not optimal, my decades of consistent, hard workouts, clean nutrition, and lots of sleep, got me to my genetic max in 2001 and minimized my losses after that.
In life, the simplest answer is usually the right one.
Using science is awesome, just be very careful how you apply it.