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I haven't been in a gym for decades, but the one thing I've noticed over recent years is the body shape or rather definition.
When I trained in a gym the 'body builder' types had real definition and very cut. I now see young guys I know go to a gym and six months later are massive, but it's all bulk not a vein in sight. Is it what I think it is?
I spent a good few years in the gym when I was competing in Triathlon and became freindly with guys that were bodybuilders, but they had been there day in day out for years trying to 'beef' up.
nandrolone
decca
stanazabol
ect
ect
ect
seriously, that is what it does.....i know from past use.
of which i am ashamed.
I just see a lot of fat kids down my gym lifting crazy weights and talking about going to mcdonalds when there done?
There's a few prima donna's who spend more time looking in the mirror putting their hair right than lifting owt, waste of £30 a month IMO
as above, the style of training has changed as have the participants,
1) Some people don't invest quite as much time in diet and nutrition believing chemicals will do the work for them.
2) Bulking and cutting phases are more defined now, the emphasis being on mass building and then rapid drops in body fat, as opposed to a gradual process, thus you see some tubby people pre cut.
When I used to go to the gym people were openly talking about what drugs they were taking and obviously people 'dealing' (if that's what it's called!). A lot of very big guys there lifting stupidly heavy weights.
*I know 'kall about this but, since we're on stw...*
Prob depends on the gym & what they're really doing it for
About 20yrs ago I used to get my hair cut by a lad who'd been a bodybuilder (not great, not bad - got to national champs twice but no big wins)
I asked him whether many of them got ill from using steroids and he said (20 yrs ago) "nobody bothers with them - it's all insulin & growth hormone"
He also once said that when he was getting ready for a comp & losing all his fat to look "cut", he'd starve himself (used to carry biscuits in his pocket in case he bonked walking home from the bus 😯 ) but when training & eating hard he just looked like a normal "big" but fattish bloke
my point?
err ....
Yeah they have competition and non-competition weights. In the run up to the comps they'll dangerously dehydrate themselves to get that "cut" look and minutes before they go on stage they gorge on sugar filled sweets and chocolate to get their veins pumped up.
Power-lifting is distinct from body-building - Body builders are obviously all about their look, the appearance of strength in the eyes of a judging panel. Power-lifters are about the reality of strength in the numbers they put up on the weight bench and the squat rack.
Most serious powerlifters are pretty fat IME, and always have been. It seems necessary to carry a lot of bulk if you want to lift serious weight, for whatever reason. Steroid use is endemic. The strongest guy in your gym is likely a powerlifter - they train quite differently from bbers.
ETA: Don't mean to disparage bodybuilders with the above - it's just that their goals are different. It's also a given that all serious bodybuilders will be exceptionally strong.
A few months ago, i was working in a gym doing basic maintance,the blokes would come in and spend the first 10 minutes preening, then a bit on the machines, then quite a while discusing their car,holiday or boss, then more poseing and preening,then 20 minutes in the shower, and spraying every type of smellie over themselves, then back to macdonalds or work.
Where as the women would come in say hello, and do some serious workouts and then a sort shower and home,or work.
Oh and the women looked fitter.
Weight lifting routines dont tend to be long and sweat inducing though AFAIK, you can do all you need in 30 mins a day if done right. However if you're going for cardio and weight loss (as most women are) there's no short cut to hours in the gym.