The general public's view of Weight Training

BrianD3

Does anyone here who does weights find that the average Joe Soap has a completely stupid and ignorant attitude to it if you mention it. The sort of comments I've heard include:
-weight training is for gays
-weight training is for thugs
-weight training will cause you to die young because your heart will explode with the pressure
-weight training will cause you to become muscle bound and inflexible. Your cock will probably shrink too.
-you shouldn't left heavy weights as you will become too big, you'd be better trying to "tone" by lifting pink dumbbells for high reps.

Mention supplements and they really show their ignorance. Many have heard of creatine and it's all bad. Tell them you take creatine and you might as well have pulled out a syringe and started injecting heroin into your arm in front of them. They also mix up whey protein supps with steroids, believe that all supplements are "contaminated" with steroids etc.

I suppose hysterical and inaccurate articles in the print media are to blame for a lot fo this. What do others think? What other stupid comments have you heard?

g'em

Ha!! Try being a GIRL who lifts heavy.

And no, I don't weigh 17 stone and have 'rather too much facial hair for a lady'. I love weight lifting, I'm good at it, and it makes me look and feel great.

I don't lift ridiculously heavy, but certainly more than 99% of the women at my gym (and probably 50% of the guys too ). But tbh, most guys find a strong woman pretty threatening. My last boyfriend couldn't handle the fact that I trained so much and was getting to be as strong, if not more so than him. I started training to gain strength- I'm a scuba instructor, another male-dominated sport, and I got so sick of the boys (well-meaning as it was) always offering to take my tank for me, assuming that I couldn't do it for myself. Now I only let the cute ones do it:D (well come on.. its a good way to get talking to someone!!!).

There's always going to be misconceptions about weight training, because it's such a highly involved sport. But so what? As my trainer always says to me, its no big deal- chances are you could bench press them anyway, that'll shut them up pretty quickly, so just leave them be with their uneducated views.

joc_06

You think thats bad then try doing OL's for a while. Even muscle heads give you a stupid look when they see you hoist a hundred kilos over you head.

Lots of ppl ask "do i have to drop it all the time?"
I guess they've never tried to lower a decent weight to the ground gently.

I get all that sh!te you all get plus the same again from guys in the gym.
And i get the "you must be on steroids" crap all the time. And im not even big.

Now i just keep my mouth shut and wear baggy clothes. People assume so much when you fit a build

dudara

Ditto what g'em said. I've evenhad gym instructors and doctors tell me that lifting is bad for a woman!!!

Sangre

Theres a huge ignorance about fitness and diet in the public fullstop.

The big one for me is telling people they're just aswell running 5 miles as walking (calorie not aerobic wise). Never had someone agree with me, usually turns into about 10 people against me.

But its simple physics really

RonanC

If your friends/colleagues are that ignorant, then why not take the time to educate them?

Boru.

I'm a huge supporter of heavy lifting. I'm a qulaified trainer an I still ahve other trainers coming up to me telling me that's not a good way to go. I'm told all sorts of silly things. Most people just get annoyed when my clients end up outlifting them after a few days. (1 girl I'm training is a lingere model and was doing 30lbs leg presses because the gym instructor felt that was all she could handle. Her technique at the time left an awful lot to be desired..but far be it or him to o his job...anyway after two sessions she now is on the max weight of the machine at 190lbs. Her legs are truly stunning and most of the guys in the gym hate her for it. Its as g'em said, men are really intimidated by beautiful, strong women of which she is a prime example)

As joc also points out, it can be quite bothersome when people atomatically assume your doing drugs of some nature because of your lifts. I'm by now means big, I wouldn't even say toned, but I always where baggy clothing, simple because when they see a small skinny guy dong single leg squats and then lifting every weight you can put on a bar (believe me its a very poor gym and the don't have a lot Of weight..) for your squats they tend to lash out.

Just take comfort in the fact that thier ignorance and inability to learn is indicative that you have larger mental muscles too. Lift heavy, look great and spend more time doing other things with friends, family and loved ones. Let them spend all their free time acomplising little, and don;t waste your time trying to teach them better. When their ready they'll learn themselves.


(sorry reading that over it was a bit harsh...put it down to a lot of rude people upsetting my clients today).

Boru.

Cravez

BrianD3 wrote:

Does anyone here who does weights find that the average Joe Soap has a completely stupid and ignorant attitude to it if you mention it. The sort of comments I've heard include:
-weight training is for gays
-weight training is for thugs
-weight training will cause you to die young because your heart will explode with the pressure
-weight training will cause you to become muscle bound and inflexible. Your cock will probably shrink too.
-you shouldn't left heavy weights as you will become too big, you'd be better trying to "tone" by lifting pink dumbbells for high reps.

Mention supplements and they really show their ignorance. Many have heard of creatine and it's all bad. Tell them you take creatine and you might as well have pulled out a syringe and started injecting heroin into your arm in front of them. They also mix up whey protein supps with steroids, believe that all supplements are "contaminated" with steroids etc.

I suppose hysterical and inaccurate articles in the print media are to blame for a lot fo this. What do others think? What other stupid comments have you heard?

I really have to agree with you, and unfortunetly my parents feel the same as what you just mentioned. Like all of you, i love weightlifting and ill continue to do it for many many years to come, until im an old man. My parents always nag me about 3rd,4th and 5th point that Brian mentioned (but disregard about a small cock). And they go absolutely nuts if i mention creatine, now it doesnt mean im gonna take it but i would like someone here to please explain to me why people think its extremely bad? Its one of the subjects about supplements im not familiar with an awful lot but my parents react exactly like as if it were steroids. If i were to go up to a doctor and say " Would it damage my health in any way if i took creatine? " would they say yes or no? Or is it also Doctors perception of Creatine as being a harmful supplement?

I brought home ProX Protein supplement a while ago and when i took it out of my bag they immedietly suspected the worst of it. I would really like myself to get more information about this subject myself, i am not an "ignorant" person as many of you have mentioned, as i said earlier, I love weight lifting and i have came across many of these "ignorant" people as well and its getting quite annoying at this stage when i feel i have to prove my points or defend myself.

Digitally

1 girl I'm training is a lingere model

And how do you become a fitness instructor...:D

Totally agree, I know of only 2 other lads that use protein and supps, its like a secret society, ye cant talk to anyone else about Supps and results with out Steroids/Drugs coming into question..

"you dont want to be doin that, I'll kill ye"

And yet the same people go out twice a week and drink themselves stupid, and thats ok.....

FX Meister

I've never had anyone think any of those things about people who do weights. I have come across the idea that lifters are dumb though.

hardtrainer

Yup, I think we've all encountered at least some of those negative attitudes at some point, be it the usual accusation that protein supps=steroids or that enjoying lifting means you're going to become freakishly big and grotesque. It gets very annoying when you have to deal with it too often, but thankfully the folks in my gym are all fairly serious about what they're doing and mostly very supportive towards each other. Of course it doesn't mean you don't those who look down on weight lifting as if it is less valid than any sport.

The negative attitude towards women lifting heavy is usually a case of jealousy on the part of the whimpy guys who like to huff and puff in front of the mirrors.

g'em

Boru. wrote:

Its as g'em said, men are really intimidated by beautiful, strong women of which she is a prime example

Me or the lingerie model?:p

And yes, supplements are totally misunderstood. Fact is, I don't eat enough protein in my diet naturally to provide my body with the amino acids it needs to rebuild the muscle fibres I break down when I train. Therefore I take whey protein. No, it won't turn me into hulk. No, its not going to make me put on weight, in fact quite the opposite. I'm really sick of blokes looking at me funny when I take my protein shake into the gym...

RPGGAMER

plato was right. most people are definately stupid. not to be condesending or anything but weight training is just one example. take health/fitness or any other area of life. the know all attitude pervades these modern days. not the knowledge seeking attitude. people use their mouths too much and don't listen enough. The best thing to do is to let this ignorance in all walks of life remind you that YOU ARE NOT MOST PEOPLE. that makes you smile inside. not a better than you smile but a content smile that knowledge brings.

A famous man (in the strength training world at least) said once why he trained: because he doesnt want the world to change him.

RPGGAMER

RPGGAMER wrote:

plato was right. most people are definately stupid. not to be condesending or anything but weight training is just one example. take health/fitness or any other area of life. the know all attitude pervades these modern days. not the knowledge seeking attitude. people use their mouths too much and don't listen enough. The best thing to do is to let this ignorance in all walks of life remind you that YOU ARE NOT MOST PEOPLE. that makes you smile inside. not a better than you smile but a content smile that knowledge brings.

THe key to getting this smile when everything goes click/eureka/aha! is to be able to filter out the good knowledge from the huge pile o ****e. Using fitness as an example this means using science and empathy as your tools to discern between the $ induced nonsense and the truth. aS Dave Tate would say: get under a bar and then go home and read(the right stuff)

PJG

BrianD3 wrote:

Does anyone here who does weights find that the average Joe Soap has a completely stupid and ignorant attitude to it if you mention it. The sort of comments I've heard include:
-weight training is for gays
-weight training is for thugs
-weight training will cause you to die young because your heart will explode with the pressure
-weight training will cause you to become muscle bound and inflexible. Your cock will probably shrink too.
-you shouldn't left heavy weights as you will become too big, you'd be better trying to "tone" by lifting pink dumbbells for high reps.

They only one I have come across and part of it is true

-weight training will cause you to become muscle bound and inflexible.

The first part is true with the right training but the second part ‘inflexible’ is rubbish.
If you start your session with the right warm up/stretching and finish with a cool down/stretching this can be overcome.

As for the supplements there is a lot of misunderstanding from both sides. If athletes are educating themselves about supplements from the gloss mags and certain websites that get revenue from advertising the products they will be mislead. Best think to do is head down to the library and study a few sports nutrition and sports science books to get independent advice.

Weight training has countless benefits for the body and mind.

Big Balls

Weights are one of the best ways to burn fat nevermind even going into all the possibilities of bulking yourself up.

But jesus I feel sore from it today...

tribulus

yeah it's the same for me in college. It's not so much the weight training as what i eat. I normally just bring in a big tub of rice and another of chicken and eat out of it for the time i'm in there. Poeple are like " that can't be healthy" yeah all those good carbs and protein can't be good for me:mad: :rolleyes:

Then at the mention of creatine...."oh that's a steroid isn't it? i heard....blah blah blah"

Then when trying to explain things as simply as possible like why it's better to eat 5/6 times a day than 3 - people look at you as if you're talking out you arse

You get used to it though, people never really like what their not used to seeing

Farls

I don't get this so much, mainly because I don't bother talking to people about training if I feel their going to be like that. Get a bit of stick from my friends when were in the pool/jacuzzi about my "size" but if anything it makes me proud .

I make it my business to not tell anyone about what supp's I take because their like I used to be, uninformed and ignorant. I get a lot of newbies in the gym now asking my advice on what to lift etc which i find very good, it's how i got hooked.

In general though friends praise me and strangers are just jealous.