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Powerfreak
08-23-07, 10:59 am
Just because the juice bar at your gym doesn't have your favorite flavor of protein drink or there is a crack in one of the hundreds of mirrors in your gym does not make it a hardcore gym.
Most of the members here are not old enough to remember when Powerhouse, Olympus, and powerhouse gyms were at least border line hardcore gyms. This was before ellipticals, stair master, power yoga, and Tae bo.
There were no televisions playing Dr. Phil and oprah, and x-m radio playing endless elevator music.
Hard core gyms have dumbells that actually go over 100 lbs. There are benches and power racks , lots of plates and bars. The equipment isn't all clean and shiny because IT GETS USED. There are not 100 different machines that are designed to make working out EASIER! training is hard work and it should be.
A gym should smell like a gym and not fucking wildflowers!
Now, I am not suggesting that there has to be a dirt floor and a fire pit, (but that would be kinda cool) but come on, the gyms today are designed to attract fat lazy hpusewives and the average 9-5er, they are not hard core. Holy shit!, some gyms have actually installed alarms that go off if you make too much noise of any kind while training, WTF!!!
Chances are that even if you think you have been to a hardcore gym, you are probably still pretty far off.
I could go on forever about the candyass gyms of today, but I think you get the idea.
The Next thing that makes a Hardcore gym is the people that train there and how they train. I don't care if you are a Bodybuilder,Powerlifter, Olympic lifter or what ever, you can see who is hardcore with there training and who is just going through the motions.
If you wear gloves while you train, you are not hardcore, if you wear your belt for every rep of every set of every exercise, you are not Hardcore, I won't even say how that looks. Don't even get me started about the Pad on the squat bar!
When you walk into a true hardcore gym the hair on the back of your neck will stand up, the blood will start pumping as your heart rate increases and you haven't even touched a weight yet.
It ain't about how much weight you lift but how you lift it, the intensity and your commitment to the moment.
All of this is actually too much to try and explain with just words, the few of you that have been there know what I mean, it has to be experienced first hand. You will know it when you see it, you won't just think it's hardcore you will KNOW IT!
Unfortunately there are not very many of these types of gyms around, but their numbers are actually increasing because more and more people are beginning to want this kind of atmosphere and are opening gyms to satisfy that need.
There are a couple around, you just have to search them out. Once you have experienced it there is no going back.

brandonA
08-23-07, 11:11 am
I wish I could find one here in town, but I think that the best thing I could do is just build my own in the back yard, or move to Allentown....hahahah....It is a shame really, people look at me crazy cause I leave the gym with chalk all over me, from my face to my feet. I look like I just got done digging a hole, not "working out"....

-B

krazyassmexican
08-23-07, 11:15 am
i hate my candy ass gym u describe the shit out of it
i dream of training at B&w

ChandlerXJ
08-23-07, 11:19 am
Awesome.

Riesjs
08-23-07, 11:37 am
Holy shit!, some gyms have actually installed alarms that go off if you make too much noise of any kind while training, WTF!!!

I would probably shit if i heard any sort of alarm like that go off. IF there is something like that in anyones gym, the owner has some real issues

gnoll5
08-23-07, 11:40 am
any gym i go to is as hardcore as i want it to be. i couldn't give a shit if i train in a dungeon or a pink fur lined princess pad; give me some weight and a bar and stay outta my way. its the people that make it hardcore, not the place. a shithole is only hardcore if the people in it are. my gym ain't hardcore? oh well, i am.

Powerfreak
08-23-07, 11:44 am
I would probably shit if i heard any sort of alarm like that go off. IF there is something like that in anyones gym, the owner has some real issues

some Gold's gyms have it

brandonA
08-23-07, 11:49 am
any gym i go to is as hardcore as i want it to be. i couldn't give a shit if i train in a dungeon or a pink fur lined princess pad; give me some weight and a bar and stay outta my way. its the people that make it hardcore, not the place. a shithole is only hardcore if the people in it are. my gym ain't hardcore? oh well, i am.

I agree fully bro, it would be nice to train in one of these hardcore gyms. The atmosphere would be electric. It is great when you train with like-minded people. Being by myself is ok, but the harder I train, the more I feel that having a solid partner or being part of a team would push my game up to the highest level..

-B

dominatetheiron
08-23-07, 11:59 am
I go to a very small college and they just put in a new huge fitness center/weight room. they only want people to use that one so much so that they made the other one seem like a hole in the wall. it has one exercise bike a tread and then its just benches, power racks, a leg press and barbells. it has a few mirrors one space is bare because the mirror fell off the wall while i was working out one day. Its a hole in the fucking wall with nothing but iron and its all mine and i think of it as my cathedral in my worship of the iron. you cant be hardcore if you dont live hardcore.

Toni69
08-23-07, 12:05 pm
Powerfreak..you said it! I have 2 gyms at 2 different bases here in the UK. One is my hole in the wall you see in all my pics..the other is the offical base gym...all pretty and fancy with all the high tech cardio equipment and state of the art machines..which is nice at times, but not what I prefer at all.

I may not be as "old skool" as some here, but Im pretty sure I understand what your talking about and I agree. Whenever I take my friends to train at my hole, they hate it..they love the other gym with the 10 plasmas hanging on the wall, the air conditioning, even the dam soap in the bathrooms!

I much prefer my hole...masking tape and sweat stains on all the benches, chalk dust everywhere, its dimly lit, humid with no reliable heating or cooling at all in the whole building. And of course, that musty smell that I take home with me every single day in my clothes, on my towel, even on my skin.

"True humility is intelligent self respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.”
Ralph W. Sockman

mikeveli
08-23-07, 12:14 pm
If you are ever in the Southern California area train at Hardbody Fitness. I trained there when I lived in California, I still train there when I visit. Old school gym equipment, some rusty bars, smells like sweat and puke, only 4 beat up treadmills, some bikes and steppers tucked away in the front corner. It's the a great place to train.


Hardbody Fitness
15725 S Vermont Ave
Gardena, CA 90247

(310) 329-0496

Riesjs
08-23-07, 12:20 pm
some Gold's gyms have it

just not fair.

gsb239
08-23-07, 12:22 pm
Nice post.

I just disagree with one thing: the thing about the gloves and belts. Ronnie Coleman (and numerous other pros) wears both almost for almost every exercise. Its just personal choice.

IRN-NML
08-23-07, 12:54 pm
Just because the juice bar at your gym doesn't have your favorite flavor of protein drink or there is a crack in one of the hundreds of mirrors in your gym does not make it a hardcore gym.
Most of the members here are not old enough to remember when Powerhouse, Olympus, and powerhouse gyms were at least border line hardcore gyms. This was before ellipticals, stair master, power yoga, and Tae bo.
There were no televisions playing Dr. Phil and oprah, and x-m radio playing endless elevator music.
Hard core gyms have dumbells that actually go over 100 lbs. There are benches and power racks , lots of plates and bars. The equipment isn't all clean and shiny because IT GETS USED. There are not 100 different machines that are designed to make working out EASIER! training is hard work and it should be.
A gym should smell like a gym and not fucking wildflowers!
Now, I am not suggesting that there has to be a dirt floor and a fire pit, (but that would be kinda cool) but come on, the gyms today are designed to attract fat lazy hpusewives and the average 9-5er, they are not hard core. Holy shit!, some gyms have actually installed alarms that go off if you make too much noise of any kind while training, WTF!!!
Chances are that even if you think you have been to a hardcore gym, you are probably still pretty far off.
I could go on forever about the candyass gyms of today, but I think you get the idea.
The Next thing that makes a Hardcore gym is the people that train there and how they train. I don't care if you are a Bodybuilder,Powerlifter, Olympic lifter or what ever, you can see who is hardcore with there training and who is just going through the motions.
If you wear gloves while you train, you are not hardcore, if you wear your belt for every rep of every set of every exercise, you are not Hardcore, I won't even say how that looks. Don't even get me started about the Pad on the squat bar!
When you walk into a true hardcore gym the hair on the back of your neck will stand up, the blood will start pumping as your heart rate increases and you haven't even touched a weight yet.
It ain't about how much weight you lift but how you lift it, the intensity and your commitment to the moment.
All of this is actually too much to try and explain with just words, the few of you that have been there know what I mean, it has to be experienced first hand. You will know it when you see it, you won't just think it's hardcore you will KNOW IT!
Unfortunately there are not very many of these types of gyms around, but their numbers are actually increasing because more and more people are beginning to want this kind of atmosphere and are opening gyms to satisfy that need.
There are a couple around, you just have to search them out. Once you have experienced it there is no going back.

"dirt floor and a firepit" Wasn't there some Arnold moview where the start of the movie is in a gym like that?

'fitness and 'family friendly' and (right and wrong) equality; they finally learned make the cash registers ring. Thus, imho, after 'Pumping Iron' gyms 'hardcore atmosphere began to dissipate rather than increase. Plus, more and more wanted to flash a brand name for THEIR gym; not some old guy maybe not unlike Vince Gironda running a paint blistered store front gym with two kinds of members; iron pumpers or wanna be iron pumpers who've shown the others they're serious about the sweat and struggle and are worthy to be there.

Now, you have to BYOB(odybuilding) atmosphere; the mgmt sure as hell isn't going to supply any. Who's at fault? Actually not many Animals here; most weren't around at the beginning of the decline. Sad it's down to bringing your own bodybuilding/powerlifting/Olympic hardcore lifting attitude/atmosphere. It's good, it works, but it still doesn't fill up the gym like it used to.

sorry for the ramble.

NPC Chicka
08-23-07, 1:02 pm
You're a better writer then what you've produced here, Brian. You're making me "read," but you're not making me "think," which is what you've done with your other articles. In the past, your other pieces were right on- they were from the heart.


Don't get lazy on me. Try again.



NPC CHicka

billmd1334
08-23-07, 1:24 pm
any gym i go to is as hardcore as i want it to be. i couldn't give a shit if i train in a dungeon or a pink fur lined princess pad; give me some weight and a bar and stay outta my way. its the people that make it hardcore, not the place. a shithole is only hardcore if the people in it are. my gym ain't hardcore? oh well, i am.

I agree... the surroundings don't make the workout... the person makes the workout. If you have a gym that has a noise limit, or you can't drop some weights from time to time, then find a new gym.

Testpolska
08-23-07, 1:36 pm
In my opinion hardcore is what you make it. Sure coming out to the Arnold Classic and hitting up a golds down in columbus is tight. You got alot of diehard mother fuckers in there killin it. Your in your element, everything is good. Sadly, on the daily, In order to fit it all in I can't commute halfway across the state to hit up a hardcore gym. So I'm left to gyms that are near by my home.

If you live near a place like Naz Barbell gym, or East Coast gym (depicted in The animal DVDs), I envy you. But for me I gotta kill it at 5 AM with old people and cardio bunnies doing their thing in the background. Thats just how it is.

Powerfreak
08-23-07, 1:38 pm
You're a better writer then what you've produced here, Brian. You're making me "read," but you're not making me "think," which is what you've done with your other articles. In the past, your other pieces were right on- they were from the heart.


Don't get lazy on me. Try again.



NPC CHicka

Give me a break Woman!!! LOL

ironshaolin
08-23-07, 1:42 pm
you say in there that hardcore is the people, not the atmosphere. I totally agree with that 100%. Although some atmospheres breed hardcore. No size 26 waist skin tight jean wearing guy is gonna want to train in a place that smells like piss and chalk. Long before I got into lifting, hardcore was my life. The music that is. Me and 4 guys, going to parties, bars, backyards, clubs, churches, large venues, wherever the hell we wanted to transforming a seemingly ordinary place into a den of destruction and mayem through the simple breakdown riff. I remember we got banned from the first place we played because I kicked the singer off the stage, he toppled onto a crowd of people and several chairs got broke, we broke equipment, people's images, tables, the works. Not because we were the disrespectful destructive type, but thats just what happened when we played people went nuts.
The point is, after my daughter was born and I couldn't get down anymore, I needed something to fill that void. IT seems hurling around heavy pieces of iron, getting deep into the squat, and yanking a pile of plates off the floor seems to almost bring me back to those glorious times. And despite the fact that my gym plays techno, has 2 group fitness rooms, not enough power racks and dumbells that only go to 150, I still feel like I'm relishing in the moment of being hardcore. That same feeling I had, pacing back and forth backstage, waiting to be called out into performance is the same feeling I get, pacing back and forth in front of the squat bar. I don't care there about who goes to my gym, or how it smells, or how well lit it is, all I care about is being in the moment. Showin myself whats really up.

G Diesel
08-23-07, 1:44 pm
The truly great gym is a dying breed... Generally these are privately owned establishments owned and operated by folks that take the sport and lifestyle seriously. For many of us, that hardcore element becomes internalized and is simply an ethic you bleed regardless of your surroundings and it is most evident by your approach. Hardcore is a state of mind. Peace, G

gnoll5
08-23-07, 1:53 pm
hardcore gyms are probably just not economically sound ideas. who can own a gym that is a dank stinky pit and hope that the few hardcore lifters in the area can pay memberships and keep the bills paid. the money is in the franchise unfortunately, and the franchise has to appeal to the masses, not the few.

NPC Chicka
08-23-07, 1:56 pm
Give me a break Woman!!! LOL



No rest for the wicked, baby..........


You've got talent, and that's your problem..........Time to work, hun. Work hard for what you want.


So..........TRY AGAIN!


ROFL



NPC Chicka

MO_500057
08-23-07, 1:58 pm
I may be a young man, a mere 23 years old, but I have been a "member" of probably the only hardcore gym in my area. I was just 15 my buddy invited me to go to "his" gym after our regular mon-fri powerlifting "practice for school.
We drove past my home, which is on the outskirts of town, down a highway I forgot was there. After about 10 min on the road we pulled behind this guys house up to a building which you could tell wasn't intended to be a gym. The only identifying mark around was a 4X4 sign near the road that said "GYM". As soon as I got out of the truck I could smell it, the chalk, the sweat, the iron. This was a true gym.
Inside all of the benched were made by the owner as well as all of the racks. The only thing store bought were the plates and the bars. I think the whole damn place only had life 5 or 6 fluresent lights left. The rest either burnt out or broken.
There weren't many people there. I think 3 besides us. One of which was a very large woman whom if I recall correctly was incline benching 225. It's been a long time so I could be wrong. The owner gave me the tour all 3 min of it. Set down the rules and then showed me what I was doing wrong. At first I thought ehh he just owns the gym probably doesn't really lift. Come to find out this guy was Mr. Louisiana for about 3 years in a row back in the day.
Man I miss the place. Maybe one day when I go home I'll pass by and see if it still exists. I hope so, and I hope some other young man with that burning inside finds it.

Powerfreak
08-23-07, 2:01 pm
hardcore gyms are probably just not economically sound ideas. who can own a gym that is a dank stinky pit and hope that the few hardcore lifters in the area can pay memberships and keep the bills paid. the money is in the franchise unfortunately, and the franchise has to appeal to the masses, not the few.

Thankfully, a hardcore gym, if run properly with the best equipment and atmosphere can survive and actually make a little also.
Now, aside from my hardcore power section we also run a "regular" gym and personal training services, but my power section pays it's bill's and is growing on a daily basis, it has only been open for about two months and the new section only for about a week.

Lowdown5
08-23-07, 2:01 pm
Powerfreak,

I found a gym of old as you described. It is such a different vibe than the Gold's where I train at occassionaly. Dumbbells to 200 pounds, plates everywhere, old school shit that is all you need covered in a fine layer of chalk that the gym provides. It is refreshing to walk through the door and smell the hard work being done, not deodorizer because we don't want to offend anyone.

Powerfreak
08-23-07, 2:02 pm
No rest for the wicked, baby..........


You've got talent, and that's your problem..........Time to work, hun. Work hard for what you want.


So..........TRY AGAIN!


ROFL



NPC Chicka

I am....Look at mt gym!

dIdDy
08-23-07, 4:47 pm
LARRY'S GYM, NC

-Pics of Arnold, lou, MACHINE, Cutler, Coleman, Duvall, etc all over the walls
-Movivational quotes painted on ever suqare inch of the place
-Huge public tub of chalk
-if you compete, Larry will put your pic on the wall
-Larry encourages all his members to get on stage
-very "old school" feel to the place
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaQM1giH4M4<-vid of Larry's GYm

Freakshow
08-23-07, 5:03 pm
You're a better writer then what you've produced here, Brian. You're making me "read," but you're not making me "think," which is what you've done with your other articles. In the past, your other pieces were right on- they were from the heart.


Don't get lazy on me. Try again.



NPC CHicka

Ouch!

Great post Power Freak.

We need more hardcore gyms in the world. All the Ballys and 24 Hour Fitnesses are getting on my last nerve.

Arnold Is Numero Uno
08-23-07, 6:50 pm
i hear ya man, there are about 3 new "mega" Gold's Gyms going up around me and each and every cardio machine has its own television and you can switch it to whatever channel you want.....WOW...that says it all right there....there's no fuckin way i would join one of those unless it was 20 bucks a month, but no....they wanna charge like 70-100$ a month....yeah right, im in college and im poor....I'll just train at home, the only reason i would join would be to have more leg training options

Roland
08-23-07, 7:00 pm
Great thread...What you described in the first post is what I have found. Milos sarcev's Koloseum gym(formerly gold's). Place is hardcore, like you said first thing when you walk in, you can already tell. No air conditiining and pretty smelling gym. There are 110 pound plates, dumbells to 250, and other shit that i still have to explore. It is sick and motivating seeing milos and other pros training there every day. It is about 15-20 mins from my house but worth the drive.

Far Beyond Driven
08-23-07, 8:08 pm
I'm actually pretty lucky. There's a gym in syracuse here called "Hercules". You walk in, and it smells like sweat and rust. Pictures of bodybuilders and fitness models everywhere. 2 dumbbell racks that go to 180, and only 3 treadmills. 4 benches, 3 squatracks, and a deadlift area in the back that looks more like a shrine. It has a pad, centered in the gym all the way in the back, with no mirrors in front of you. Just a 6 foot by 6 foot painting of a man deadlifting that looks like he's about to have a stroke. So many rusty plates that you never have to go looking for one, there's so many. There's a free range dog there, too. It belongs to the owner. If it sniffs your balls in the middle of a set, that's your problem. The lockers in the locker room are all rusted out at the bottom, and it has one bench and posing mirrors. The place is awesome. Anyone else ever been there?

Machine
08-23-07, 8:17 pm
" I can take a phrase thats barely heard...flip it...now its a daily word"

To a certain degree , the modern warrior must seek to define his surroudings. One must never let the circumstances of their daily life or the atmosphere of the places they choose to inhabit...dictate the way in which they live their life. Your depth of character and your level of comittment should be evident to all those who cross your path...without you having to say a word...or plant your "hardcore" flag in the sand. Much power lies in words that are unspoken. Many battles are waged without actual battle lines being drawn. We...as modern athletes in our own right...must operate as cells. Power cells. If Bla Bla Bla Family Fitness Center doesnt want us...we dont want them. We will find an adequately outfitted weightroom somewhere...or we will pool our resources and create a new weightroom stocked with the tools of our warfare...the tools of our trade. Those tools , that rub the flesh from our palms until they are raw...they are no different...or of any less value than the chisel of a renowned sculptor. As I have said many times , it is pointless and futile to waste prescious energy trying to win acceptance or adoration from people who do not respect our way of life. There is a new wind blowing this time around...intolerance isnt as popular as it once was...we are stronger now than we have ever been before...we are armed with the knowledge derived from countless un-named troopers who tore themselves apart over years of painstaking experimentation...their quest was to become something different...to challenge the very concept of evolution. We are engaged in hyper-evolution...and we are empowered by our own mortality...mortality is nothing more than a reminder to move your fucking ass like you have a purpose. Your mortality should serve to motivate you beyond anything that I...or any man could say to you...it is your birthright...and a big part of your destiny to call on the strength of those who came before...use their strength and defy any categorey or judgement...defy those who would seek to disallusion you...defy those who would try to restrict your growth of spirit or physical prescence...defy any man or any group of men who would block your path...when they tell you what you are...you say FUCK THAT...and then you show them WHO you are. Together...together is the only way we can stand against the rising of the tide. We will see who is left standing when its all said and done. With brothers like you...I wouldnt bet against me.

MACHINE

Lowdown5
08-23-07, 8:26 pm
" I can take a phrase thats barely heard...flip it...now its a daily word"

To a certain degree , the modern warrior must seek to define his surroudings. One must never let the circumstances of their daily life or the atmosphere of the places they choose to inhabit...dictate the way in which they live their life. Your depth of character and your level of comittment should be evident to all those who cross your path...without you having to say a word...or plant your "hardcore" flag in the sand. Much power lies in words that are unspoken. Many battles are waged without actual battle lines being drawn. We...as modern athletes in our own right...must operate as cells. Power cells. If Bla Bla Bla Family Fitness Center doesnt want us...we dont want them. We will find an adequately outfitted weightroom somewhere...or we will pool our resources and create a new weightroom stocked with the tools of our warfare...the tools of our trade. Those tools , that rub the flesh from our palms until they are raw...they are no different...or of any less value than the chisel of a renowned sculptor. As I have said many times , it is pointless and futile to waste prescious energy trying to win acceptance or adoration from people who do not respect our way of life. There is a new wind blowing this time around...intolerance isnt as popular as it once was...we are stronger now than we have ever been before...we are armed with the knowledge derived from countless un-named troopers who tore themselves apart over years of painstaking experimentation...their quest was to become something different...to challenge the very concept of evolution. We are engaged in hyper-evolution...and we are empowered by our own mortality...mortality is nothing more than a reminder to move your fucking ass like you have a purpose. Your mortality should serve to motivate you beyond anything that I...or any man could say to you...it is your birthright...and a big part of your destiny to call on the strength of those who came before...use their strength and defy any categorey or judgement...defy those who would seek to disallusion you...defy those who would try to restrict your growth of spirit or physical prescence...defy any man or any group of men who would block your path...when they tell you what you are...you say FUCK THAT...and then you show them WHO you are. Together...together is the only way we can stand against the rising of the tide. We will see who is left standing when its all said and done. With brothers like you...I wouldnt bet against me.

MACHINE

Intense, actually left me speechless.

dIdDy
08-23-07, 8:28 pm
" I can take a phrase thats barely heard...flip it...now its a daily word"

To a certain degree , the modern warrior must seek to define his surroudings. One must never let the circumstances of their daily life or the atmosphere of the places they choose to inhabit...dictate the way in which they live their life. Your depth of character and your level of comittment should be evident to all those who cross your path...without you having to say a word...or plant your "hardcore" flag in the sand. Much power lies in words that are unspoken. Many battles are waged without actual battle lines being drawn. We...as modern athletes in our own right...must operate as cells. Power cells. If Bla Bla Bla Family Fitness Center doesnt want us...we dont want them. We will find an adequately outfitted weightroom somewhere...or we will pool our resources and create a new weightroom stocked with the tools of our warfare...the tools of our trade. Those tools , that rub the flesh from our palms until they are raw...they are no different...or of any less value than the chisel of a renowned sculptor. As I have said many times , it is pointless and futile to waste prescious energy trying to win acceptance or adoration from people who do not respect our way of life. There is a new wind blowing this time around...intolerance isnt as popular as it once was...we are stronger now than we have ever been before...we are armed with the knowledge derived from countless un-named troopers who tore themselves apart over years of painstaking experimentation...their quest was to become something different...to challenge the very concept of evolution. We are engaged in hyper-evolution...and we are empowered by our own mortality...mortality is nothing more than a reminder to move your fucking ass like you have a purpose. Your mortality should serve to motivate you beyond anything that I...or any man could say to you...it is your birthright...and a big part of your destiny to call on the strength of those who came before...use their strength and defy any categorey or judgement...defy those who would seek to disallusion you...defy those who would try to restrict your growth of spirit or physical prescence...defy any man or any group of men who would block your path...when they tell you what you are...you say FUCK THAT...and then you show them WHO you are. Together...together is the only way we can stand against the rising of the tide. We will see who is left standing when its all said and done. With brothers like you...I wouldnt bet against me.

MACHINE

Right. My former gym, Golds, had a change in management. Along with that change came the removal of the rubber mats to discourage deadlifting. They got rid of most of the free weights. The few they kept were stuffed in a corner about one third the size of the machine area.

All of the bodybuilders and even the personal trainers left that gym. We told them they can have it. Now I'm at Larry's and couldn't be happier.

NPC Chicka
08-23-07, 8:36 pm
" I can take a phrase thats barely heard...flip it...now its a daily word"

To a certain degree , the modern warrior must seek to define his surroudings. One must never let the circumstances of their daily life or the atmosphere of the places they choose to inhabit...dictate the way in which they live their life. Your depth of character and your level of comittment should be evident to all those who cross your path...without you having to say a word...or plant your "hardcore" flag in the sand. Much power lies in words that are unspoken. Many battles are waged without actual battle lines being drawn. We...as modern athletes in our own right...must operate as cells. Power cells. If Bla Bla Bla Family Fitness Center doesnt want us...we dont want them. We will find an adequately outfitted weightroom somewhere...or we will pool our resources and create a new weightroom stocked with the tools of our warfare...the tools of our trade. Those tools , that rub the flesh from our palms until they are raw...they are no different...or of any less value than the chisel of a renowned sculptor. As I have said many times , it is pointless and futile to waste prescious energy trying to win acceptance or adoration from people who do not respect our way of life. There is a new wind blowing this time around...intolerance isnt as popular as it once was...we are stronger now than we have ever been before...we are armed with the knowledge derived from countless un-named troopers who tore themselves apart over years of painstaking experimentation...their quest was to become something different...to challenge the very concept of evolution. We are engaged in hyper-evolution...and we are empowered by our own mortality...mortality is nothing more than a reminder to move your fucking ass like you have a purpose. Your mortality should serve to motivate you beyond anything that I...or any man could say to you...it is your birthright...and a big part of your destiny to call on the strength of those who came before...use their strength and defy any categorey or judgement...defy those who would seek to disallusion you...defy those who would try to restrict your growth of spirit or physical prescence...defy any man or any group of men who would block your path...when they tell you what you are...you say FUCK THAT...and then you show them WHO you are. Together...together is the only way we can stand against the rising of the tide. We will see who is left standing when its all said and done. With brothers like you...I wouldnt bet against me.

MACHINE




Machine-

Excellent ideas. Great points........ But, they are posted in the "wrong" thread. Your thoughts deserve their own space; their own place. Create a thread to explore your ideas and we'll all go over there to discuss them.

We're in Powerfreak's Playground now, so In Powerfreak's thread, we're discussing "his" ideas. Only one "King" in this castle, son. Go play on your own playground, lest you steal someone else's thunder.




NPC CHicka

Machine
08-23-07, 8:40 pm
Story of my life...getting told whats what by a no nonsense lady...and the lady wins this one...although Brian understands me and my ideas without me saying or writing a word...and his thunder cannot be stolen...its too fuckin loud!!!!!

MACHINE

NPC Chicka
08-23-07, 9:11 pm
Story of my life...getting told whats what by a no nonsense lady...and the lady wins this one...although Brian understands me and my ideas without me saying or writing a word...and his thunder cannot be stolen...its too fuckin loud!!!!!

MACHINE




This is why we have a King, a Queen, and lastly............a Master.......


Respect to you always..........



NPC Chicka

naturalguy
08-23-07, 9:25 pm
Back in the day I used to train at a gym named, believe it or not, "The Animal House" it was a long, long time ago but I will never forget it. It's where I cut my teeth as a newbie. The lessons I learned there I still live by today.

I wish there were such a place like it where I am today but alas there is not.

TylerC
08-23-07, 9:38 pm
My gym may be considered hardcore, maybe not compared to Powerfreaks gym lol. I dont kno

1. 100 lb plates STAY on the leg press, if you cant move it...you dont need to be on the leg press.

2. Chalk pan is always filled

3. Two deadlifting platforms, 2 power racks

4. No Tv's, only a big loud radio

5. Damn AC doesnt work lol, only 2 big...idk industrial fans I guess is what one might call them.

6. Holes in the walls from makeshift T-Bar rows

7. 2007 NPC North Carolina Heavyweight 1st place winner owns it lol, he knows what bodybuilders need to work out.

8. Trophy case for all gym members who compete (2nd place is not acceptable)

9. Its hardcore because I train there hardcore haha

dIdDy
08-23-07, 9:45 pm
My gym may be considered hardcore, maybe not compared to Powerfreaks gym lol. I dont kno

1. 100 lb plates STAY on the leg press, if you cant move it...you dont need to be on the leg press.

2. Chalk pan is always filled

3. Two deadlifting platforms, 2 power racks

4. No Tv's, only a big loud radio

5. Damn AC doesnt work lol, only 2 big...idk industrial fans I guess is what one might call them.

6. Holes in the walls from makeshift T-Bar rows

7. 2007 NPC North Carolina Heavyweight 1st place winner owns it lol, he knows what bodybuilders need to work out.

8. Trophy case for all gym members who compete (2nd place is not acceptable)

9. Its hardcore because I train there hardcore haha

sounds like a sweet gym

Bigarexic
08-23-07, 11:37 pm
it doesnt matter what kind of gym youre in, its about how you train. granted, i know some gyms dont allow loud noises or deadlifts and whatnot but for the most part, most gyms can produce great results. look at golds in venice, thats a high class gym yet it churns out more pro physiques then metroflex

gsb239
08-24-07, 12:14 am
it doesnt matter what kind of gym youre in, its about how you train. granted, i know some gyms dont allow loud noises or deadlifts and whatnot but for the most part, most gyms can produce great results. look at golds in venice, thats a high class gym yet it churns out more pro physiques then metroflex

very well said.

jeff00z28
08-24-07, 12:53 am
eagle gym in st. louis is a good hardcore gym im not a regular there tho

M60
08-24-07, 1:17 am
hardcore gyms are probably just not economically sound ideas. who can own a gym that is a dank stinky pit and hope that the few hardcore lifters in the area can pay memberships and keep the bills paid. the money is in the franchise unfortunately, and the franchise has to appeal to the masses, not the few.Metroflex.

bigrhino
08-24-07, 1:33 am
look in the AOM. this is a really cool section when Machine, Schak, and a few others talk about the definition of hardcore.
i recently went to a Powerhouse for the first time. it was the coolest place i have ever been to. that is not saying much about my gym experience.

bigrhino
08-24-07, 1:36 am
eagle gym in st. louis is a good hardcore gym im not a regular there tho

i am in st louis now. but i dont think i would have the balls to go into a place like that. now...

hjayss
08-24-07, 2:28 am
I feel you on that one...they are starting to die of to like the buffalo

Toni69
08-24-07, 2:59 am
I think the bottom line is the gym doesnt make us, we make the gym. The types of gyms we prefer may or may not be an extension of who we are and how we represent ourselves...but again, who are we out to impress?

I can go train at a foo foo gym, get my shit done and never think twice about who was watching me and what they were thinking as they watched me train. Its all in how you carry yourself, take care of your own business, and make do with what you got within your surrounding.

Powerfreak
08-24-07, 7:16 am
Well, while most of you can get away with training at a"foo foo" gym I cannot.

Chalk is a MUST for benching, deadlifts and squats, not having it could lead to injury while trying to lift with sweaty hands.
Let 700 lbs "pop" out of your hands one time and hit the floor in a regular gym, I guarantee you will be asked not to return, straps are not an option in powerlifting.
Bend up a couple of their cheesy bars while squatting,and again you will be asked not to return, and i am sorry, but if I have 1000lbs. on my back I am going to make some fucking noise.
i sure as hell can't train to Brittany Spears, and any kind of personal music device just gets in the way.
You can all go on and on about how you can train in any gym, and maybe YOU can, but I can't.My style of training and the weight that i lift does not allow it.
I have been thrown out of quite a few gyms, not because I ,or my training partners did anything wrong, but because we were too intense, and pushed too much weight and it intimidated the "regular" members.
These fancy franchise gyms with their freezing ass air conditioning, hundreds of mirrors, shiny plates and dumbells all of the little signs that tell you what you can and cannot do, sorry, it is just not work for my kind of training.

BigAnt
08-24-07, 9:18 am
Hard core gyms are few and far between all the money is now with
"family fitness centers"

Hard core and Intensity come from within, but when I went to POWERFREAKS, I just knew, if I trained there that day, it would of been one of my best workouts!

SpartanGlory96
08-24-07, 9:24 am
any gym i go to is as hardcore as i want it to be. i couldn't give a shit if i train in a dungeon or a pink fur lined princess pad; give me some weight and a bar and stay outta my way. its the people that make it hardcore, not the place. a shithole is only hardcore if the people in it are. my gym ain't hardcore? oh well, i am.

Couldnt of places my answer any better, The Fact is you gonna make the best of what you got.

MO_500057
08-24-07, 11:15 am
So check this. I am currently deployed right and we have one gym on the FOB "base". The other day I am deallifting just reppin away not maxing or anything. Doing like 12 reps or so, then this guy walks up and says couls you set it down softer we don't wanna break those. No I ain't slammin that shit. I am not settin it down like a newborn either. But Damn I had the 100lb plates on there and those dont just snap when you plop them on a rubber floor. My liftin buddy Gator and I are the only fuckers who even move the 100lb plates. And they go where we go.
I've also been told to quiet doen because they dont need to hear my grunts. Man these people chap me.

GatorMP_69
08-24-07, 11:49 am
I guess you could say the only real hardcore thing about the gym I'm goin to now, is the fact that you never know when a mortar is gonna hit it. It's been hit 3 times now since we've been here. THANK GOD!!! no one was injured. However, since its been hit for the 3rd time, some of those who were going and starin at the mirrors for hours, have stopped goin. I guess its safer in their own lil AOs.
GOD BLESS ya Mo...THANK GOD you are my roomy Brother!!! If it weren't for you everyday, I wouldn't have gotten back into lifting the way I have. Thank you. I totally agree with you about the pansies at our gym. They want it nice and quiet so they can listen to their iPODs and whatnot. They don't like to here plates slappin together to form a massive amount of weight to be moved. They don't wanna hear the grunts of TRUE effort, because it breaks their concentration and takes away the attention of others off of them. You know who I'm talkin about. The guys that wanna jam out to the Backdoor Boys while they do 20 - 30 reps @ 30# dumb bell curls and wanna look like they're workin hard. Funny thing is, when they walk out, their shirts are still that light grey color and their towels are still fairly dry. When WE leave, our shirts are dark grey, soaked with sweat and our towels are dripping wet. HELL, even our boots are leakin sweat out the sides from our workout. And these pansies wanna say somethin to US about the way we work? FUCK THAT!!!!! When you push as hard as we do or better, when you're covered in sweat and drippin wet from the work, THEN, maybe you can walk up to me and say somethin about the way I am workin....until then, FUCK OFF!!!!

dIdDy
08-24-07, 11:58 am
I guess you could say the only real hardcore thing about the gym I'm goin to now, is the fact that you never know when a mortar is gonna hit it. It's been hit 3 times now since we've been here. THANK GOD!!! no one was injured. However, since its been hit for the 3rd time, some of those who were going and starin at the mirrors for hours, have stopped goin. I guess its safer in their own lil AOs.
GOD BLESS ya Mo...THANK GOD you are my roomy Brother!!! If it weren't for you everyday, I wouldn't have gotten back into lifting the way I have. Thank you. I totally agree with you about the pansies at our gym. They want it nice and quiet so they can listen to their iPODs and whatnot. They don't like to here plates slappin together to form a massive amount of weight to be moved. They don't wanna hear the grunts of TRUE effort, because it breaks their concentration and takes away the attention of others off of them. You know who I'm talkin about. The guys that wanna jam out to the Backdoor Boys while they do 20 - 30 reps @ 30# dumb bell curls and wanna look like they're workin hard. Funny thing is, when they walk out, their shirts are still that light grey color and their towels are still fairly dry. When WE leave, our shirts are dark grey, soaked with sweat and our towels are dripping wet. HELL, even our boots are leakin sweat out the sides from our workout. And these pansies wanna say somethin to US about the way we work? FUCK THAT!!!!! When you push as hard as we do or better, when you're covered in sweat and drippin wet from the work, THEN, maybe you can walk up to me and say somethin about the way I am workin....until then, FUCK OFF!!!!
what base you at man, I'll be headin your way in a few

Toni69
08-24-07, 12:05 pm
Well, while most of you can get away with training at a"foo foo" gym I cannot.

Chalk is a MUST for benching, deadlifts and squats, not having it could lead to injury while trying to lift with sweaty hands.
Let 700 lbs "pop" out of your hands one time and hit the floor in a regular gym, I guarantee you will be asked not to return, straps are not an option in powerlifting.
Bend up a couple of their cheesy bars while squatting,and again you will be asked not to return, and i am sorry, but if I have 1000lbs. on my back I am going to make some fucking noise.
i sure as hell can't train to Brittany Spears, and any kind of personal music device just gets in the way.
You can all go on and on about how you can train in any gym, and maybe YOU can, but I can't.My style of training and the weight that i lift does not allow it.
I have been thrown out of quite a few gyms, not because I ,or my training partners did anything wrong, but because we were too intense, and pushed too much weight and it intimidated the "regular" members.
These fancy franchise gyms with their freezing ass air conditioning, hundreds of mirrors, shiny plates and dumbells all of the little signs that tell you what you can and cannot do, sorry, it is just not work for my kind of training.

I totally understand where your coming from here.....makes total sense. Your one of the elite Powerfreak...I would be happy to learn even a quarter of the training experience you have under your belt. I have many years to go before I come even remotely close to your level of training...or that of any of our other elite athletes here. I can see you in my gym though...not the foo foo one..well, actually I could see you there, tearing shit up of course!

Powerfreak
08-24-07, 12:39 pm
I totally understand where your coming from here.....makes total sense. Your one of the elite Powerfreak...I would be happy to learn even a quarter of the training experience you have under your belt. I have many years to go before I come even remotely close to your level of training...or that of any of our other elite athletes here. I can see you in my gym though...not the foo foo one..well, actually I could see you there, tearing shit up of course!

You are always welcome at my house Baby!!!

Toni69
08-24-07, 12:47 pm
YAY me!!!! LOL

Powerfreak
08-24-07, 12:55 pm
YAY me!!!! LOL

You won't be disappointed, not that you can't hang with the guys, but i have quite a group of ladies here that I am sure you would realy enjoy training with, they are as hardcore as they come.

Toni69
08-24-07, 12:59 pm
Ok...I promise you..one day you can take me in your dungeon and teach me a thing or two...have your ladies try and break me...hmmmph! LOL

Ok..foot in mouth, shit..cant reach..too late now! ROFL

Powerfreak
08-24-07, 1:13 pm
Ok...I promise you..one day you can take me in your dungeon and teach me a thing or two...have your ladies try and break me...hmmmph! LOL

Ok..foot in mouth, shit..cant reach..too late now! ROFL

It's gonna be fun getting you down here. One of my favorite people and i have not even met you face to face.

Everyonedoes
08-24-07, 1:39 pm
For about a year I worked out of a YMCA and it had the oldest shit ever. They had these 3 sets of dumb bells that were (i think) cannon balls with a rod welded between them. The small set had med painted on it and middle set heavy and the largest set had v heavy painted on it in white. Now that place didnt have all the equipment to be a hardcore gym but it definitly had the atmosphere it was down in a basement ceiling leaking, stinky and moldy, missing tiles everywhere, no windows, half the lights didnt work and there were some rather crazy dude who worked out there always screaming and shouting at themselves.

darkside64
08-24-07, 5:32 pm
Im sitting here and seething with every word that I read. Because right about now I would give 10lbs of muscle to have one of those 'wanna be' hardcore gyms(not to mention a real gym like you were describing I only dream about that). Let me introduce germany to you. The country that has disapointment beyond words. First off. Im too heavy to join the military(mind you im less than 15% bodyfat). Second off, the pussy pad is permanently attached to the bar(so people dont get any hardcore ideas). Third and fucking last, the godamn dumbells only go up to 90lbs. SO NEXT TIME YOU WHINE ABOUT PUSSY GYM JUST REMEMBER THE FELLA FROM GERMANY WHO HAS TO PRACTICE TRAINING HARD WITHOUT SWEATING TOO MUCH, BECAUSE OF THREATS OF MY MEMBERSHIP GETTING REVOKED.

dIdDy
08-24-07, 5:43 pm
Im sitting here and seething with every word that I read. Because right about now I would give 10lbs of muscle to have one of those 'wanna be' hardcore gyms(not to mention a real gym like you were describing I only dream about that). Let me introduce germany to you. The country that has disapointment beyond words. First off. Im too heavy to join the military(mind you im less than 15% bodyfat). Second off, the pussy pad is permanently attached to the bar(so people dont get any hardcore ideas). Third and fucking last, the godamn dumbells only go up to 90lbs. SO NEXT TIME YOU WHINE ABOUT PUSSY GYM JUST REMEMBER THE FELLA FROM GERMANY WHO HAS TO PRACTICE TRAINING HARD WITHOUT SWEATING TOO MUCH, BECAUSE OF THREATS OF MY MEMBERSHIP GETTING REVOKED.

I guess Markus Ruhl got to be 300+ lbs of shredded freak from 90lb dumbells?

darkside64
08-24-07, 5:55 pm
I guess Markus Ruhl got to be 300+ lbs of shredded freak from 90lb dumbells?

haha. I love it when people bring up markus rühl. There are gyms that have are more bodybuilding oriented. However they are only in the major cities. Munich, Berlin, Hamburg. so on. The nearest gym that would resemble any golds in america is about 40 miles away from here(mind you I live close to cologne). Im not kidding when I say that people think that Im way too big, it just a different culture, I mean look at their sport of choice(soccer).

MO_500057
08-24-07, 7:02 pm
So what is the military weight cut off? I wish we had one. We have more fatasses in the military than I see back home. We do have bd % limits, but people find ways to work around them. Stupid shitasses

jeff00z28
08-24-07, 8:37 pm
i am in st louis now. but i dont think i would have the balls to go into a place like that. now...

where at in st. louis

darkside64
08-25-07, 12:46 am
So what is the military weight cut off? I wish we had one. We have more fatasses in the military than I see back home. We do have bd % limits, but people find ways to work around them. Stupid shitasses

if your 6'4 (like me) the cutoff is 108 kg. Im a 113. There are nothing but scrawny pencil necks in germany

MO_500057
08-25-07, 2:59 am
Yeah in the US ARMY I am 5'10 5'11 ish and my cut off is 194lbs I think. I know it is right around there. It's stupid.

Powerfreak
08-25-07, 7:05 am
haha. I love it when people bring up markus rühl. There are gyms that have are more bodybuilding oriented. However they are only in the major cities. Munich, Berlin, Hamburg. so on. The nearest gym that would resemble any golds in america is about 40 miles away from here(mind you I live close to cologne). Im not kidding when I say that people think that Im way too big, it just a different culture, I mean look at their sport of choice(soccer).

Sometimes ya have to travel to find a gym worth training at. Once I had used up all of my options in Maryland, I began a three hour one way commute to Pennsylvania so that I could train with the equipment and atmosphere that I needed. Every weekend, and eventually just moved.

Giant Killer
08-25-07, 9:52 am
11) Be Above The Fray...
You're hardcore... Great. You're bigger than that kid training in your gym. Super. You're stronger than anyone in the room... Fantastic. So what? There's always gonna be someone bigger, stronger and more hardcore than you. So there's no need for you to post your exploits about you showed someone up here. No need to rub it in the faces of other members. We're all here to help one another become better individuals. Be yourself. If that chip on the shoulder, that attitude, is what defined the true Animal, then The Pros here would look down on the rest of us with nothing but scorn and disgust. But they do not. They are here and they help. They are here and they support. Being an Animal is about showing respect and humility. We are ambassadors of this great sport. We are role models. We do not want to become a negative bodybuilding stereotype or caricature. So, posts that ask this kind of question, "I'm more hardcore than you because..." or "I'm more Animal than you because..." will be locked and deleted.

Freakshow
08-25-07, 6:42 pm
If this is going to turn into a piss-fest, I would just recommend that you walk away from this thread. This is your only warning.

adidas
08-25-07, 6:51 pm
If this is going to turn into a piss-fest, I would just recommend that you walk away from this thread. This is your only warning.


11) Be Above The Fray...
You're hardcore... Great. You're bigger than that kid training in your gym. Super. You're stronger than anyone in the room... Fantastic. So what? There's always gonna be someone bigger, stronger and more hardcore than you. So there's no need for you to post your exploits about you showed someone up here. No need to rub it in the faces of other members. We're all here to help one another become better individuals. Be yourself. If that chip on the shoulder, that attitude, is what defined the true Animal, then The Pros here would look down on the rest of us with nothing but scorn and disgust. But they do not. They are here and they help. They are here and they support. Being an Animal is about showing respect and humility. We are ambassadors of this great sport. We are role models. We do not want to become a negative bodybuilding stereotype or caricature. So, posts that ask this kind of question, "I'm more hardcore than you because..." or "I'm more Animal than you because..." will be locked and deleted.

maybe this thread should just get deleted then.
as rule 11 here wasnt even directed at me.
i didnt create this thread nor did i bash or belittle those who wear gloves or use the P pad. i didnt call any one un-hard core. nor did i declare myself hard core.

gsb239
08-25-07, 7:02 pm
I gotta agree with adidamps on this one. You can't place a label on someone and differentiate between the hardcore and non-hardcore very easily at all. I've heard a lot of people say that Jay Cutler trains like a pussy, especially after they see Ronnie train. If you ask me, that's the dumbest shit I've ever heard. Because hes Mr. Olympia and hes clearly done whatever was neccessary for HIM personally to get to that stage. I use the pad on the bar. I don't consider myself a pussy. My neck just gets really sore if I don't use it. Arnold used to wrap a towel around his bar for squats too. Now hes not hardcore? Some guys are just more prone to injury than others (including me), some are built like rocks (take Johnnie Jackson for example). I've still puked after legs while using the "p-pad", and I've still managed to make my legs my biggest bodypart.

This might be more of an issue for powerlifters than it is for bodybuilders. I'm not in the gym to train my ego... I'll do whatever it takes to prevent injury while still making gains in strength and size.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying powerlifters are there to train just their ego. But their goal is a max lift, not necessarily muscle hypertrophy and their means are different in many cases.

eblnyc
08-25-07, 7:07 pm
guys please be respectful in powerfreak's thread,he is a seasoned powerlifter and knows what he is talking about..he has been around long enough to watch the hardcore dungeons of the past become extinct one by one as have I..it makes me sad..thankfully i still get to train in one of those old school basement gyms with no windows and equipment that is older than dirt...

Freakshow
08-25-07, 7:09 pm
maybe this thread should just get deleted then.
as rule 11 here wasnt even directed at me.
i didnt create this thread nor did i bash or belittle those who wear gloves or use the P pad. i didnt call any one un-hard core. nor did i declare myself hard core.

Bro, I dont feel that this thread needs to be deleted at all, the reason that we warned you is simple: you and Powerfreak and having an argument. Now, we can all certainly disagree with one-another, that is allowed, but if you want to continue to address Powerfreak's opinions/standpoints in this way, please do so in a PM, and lets keep the threads free of arguements.

adidas
08-25-07, 7:13 pm
Bro, I dont feel that this thread needs to be deleted at all, the reason that we warned you is simple: you and Powerfreak and having an argument. Now, we can all certainly disagree with one-another, that is allowed, but if you want to continue to address Powerfreak's opinions/standpoints in this way, please do so in a PM, and lets keep the threads free of arguements.

i was simply defending a view point.
that was it.
he made blaket statements, i disagreed.
rule 11 is quite clear cut IMO. PF made claims for hardcoreness and what wasnt hardcore. this clearly is agaist the rule set in place. i mearly defended the fact that not all who use gloves or P pads are non hard core. i feel as though i am being singled out here due to the fact that he is a sponcered athlete or watchmen. and the rules dont seem to be applying to him.

Far Beyond Driven
08-25-07, 7:49 pm
If this is going to turn into a piss-fest, I would just recommend that you walk away from this thread. This is your only warning.

A PAK PISS fest? HAH HAH! I made a funny! Seriously, this thread needed a little humor. Unless all of you are just yellow. HA HAH! There it is again! Urine trouble now, guys!

maddawg
08-25-07, 8:27 pm
It ain't about how much weight you lift but how you lift it, the intensity and your commitment to the moment. PowerFreak

that is a bad ass phrase thats what i tell the people i lift with, i dont care how much you lift as long as your bustin your ass every rep every set to get bigger and stronger ill train with anyone.

the gym i go to isnt really hard core there are a few old school guys in there who are stong as fuck. they dont care how much noise we make, there are tons of 45lb plates every where you look, every time you step to hard there is a cloud of dust that lifts from the floor , the air never works so its always hot as fuck, half the stationary bikes dont work, but its what i call home, and all that dirty lookin stuff is what i live for it will drive almost all new customers away but its fuckin sweet.

gsb239
08-25-07, 8:40 pm
apparently i didnt say anything in this thread that you can agree with.

it never happened.

dude wtf

Girevik 69
08-25-07, 10:30 pm
Hard core gyms have dumbells that actually go over 100 lbs. There are benches and power racks , lots of plates and bars. The equipment isn't all clean and shiny because IT GETS USED. There are not 100 different machines that are designed to make working out EASIER! training is hard work and it should be.
A gym should smell like a gym and not fucking wildflowers!
Now, I am not suggesting that there has to be a dirt floor and a fire pit, (but that would be kinda cool) ...


LOL @ "dirt floor and fire pit"--that would indeed be cool, especially with the musical score to the first Conan film playing in the background.


In any case, your grievances against modern gyms is one reason why I choose to train at home--especially outside.

Powerfreak
08-27-07, 7:31 am
This actually turned out to be a pretty good thread.
What some of you need to understand is that this is my opinion and point of view from my experience. I have been in this game longer than alot of you have been alive. Does that make me better than you? No. But it does make me more experienced, and I enjoy sharing that experience wit the people on this board. That is what i am here for. Of course I am going to ruffle a few feathers now and again, so be it
I hope that the people here will see that I speak from years of training, working, and managing gyms all across the country, and now I own one. I believe that I have damn near "Seen It All".LOL

GatorMP_69
08-27-07, 8:09 am
How much weight, how many reps, how much sweat, how many days, how many medals, how many podiums does it take to make you HARDCORE? Who gives a shit. If you are givin your all, everyday with what you got to work with...you my friend are HARDCORE. Sometimes it takes that extra point of view from a HARDCORE pro with experience to give us all that kick in the ass to re-evaluate our performance or our standards and appreciate each other for what we have accoomplished. Every man/woman in here has their own goals. They can be as HARDCORE as they wanna be. The harder you work, the faster and better the results. I need that good kick in the ass from time to time, no denyin it. I get lazy. BUT, thanks to Mo_500057 and his push and the push from ALL of you here, I can get off my lazy ass and be as HARDCORE as I wanna be everyday. For me, its leavin the gym with some Indian Third Country National moppin up a pool of sweat from where I just finished up for the day. Or throwin that soakin wet towel in the bin after a good push in the gym. It's walkin out with my boots squishin with sweat drippin out the canvas sides and my ACU pants soaked at the knees and ass from the work. When I think HARDCORE, i think givin your all at whatever it is you're doin, and no matter what happens, you get up and come back for more.....


GOD BLESS YA POWER FREAK

niladmirari88
08-29-07, 12:38 pm
[QUOTE=Machine;160300]" I can take a phrase thats barely heard...flip it...now its a daily word"



Thinkin of a master plan
Cause ain't nothin but sweat inside my hands

Time to Get Paid in Full.

G Diesel
08-29-07, 1:08 pm
[QUOTE=Machine;160300]" I can take a phrase thats barely heard...flip it...now its a daily word"



Thinkin of a master plan
Cause ain't nothin but sweat inside my hands

Time to Get Paid in Full.

Machine has the right pedigree and got his undergrad in the streets... Any shit we spit Rakim already said better. Peace, G

BAD ASS MARTIN
10-27-07, 1:08 pm
What is hardcore?

The definition of “hardcore” is the guy who makes sure he gets all his meals in every single day, every 3 hours, for months on end. It's the guy who makes sure he sleeps 7 or 8 hours each and every night. It's the guy who keeps a log book and writes down all his meals and workouts every day year after year. It's the guy who continually tries to increase bar weight and who monitors his scale weight and body-fat on a weekly basis. It's the guy who deprives his friendships and relationships to be at the gym. That's hardcore. (Yes, and more then just a little obsessive too).

Hardcore is not the guy who dicks around for 23 hours of the day and then comes in the gym and walks around like a bad-ass and then gets in the squat rack and yells while doing one set of squats.

Are you hardcore?

B.A.M.

Powerfreak
10-27-07, 1:17 pm
What is hardcore?

The definition of “hardcore” is the guy who makes sure he gets all his meals in every single day, every 3 hours, for months on end. It's the guy who makes sure he sleeps 7 or 8 hours each and every night. It's the guy who keeps a log book and writes down all his meals and workouts every day year after year. It's the guy who continually tries to increase bar weight and who monitors his scale weight and body-fat on a weekly basis. It's the guy who deprives his friendships and relationships to be at the gym. That's hardcore. (Yes, and more then just a little obsessive too).

Hardcore is not the guy who dicks around for 23 hours of the day and then comes in the gym and walks around like a bad-ass and then gets in the squat rack and yells while doing one set of squats.

Are you hardcore?

B.A.M.

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Fury317
10-27-07, 1:21 pm
It's the guy who deprives his friendships and relationships to be at the gym. That's hardcore. (Yes, and more then just a little obsessive too).
B.A.M.

Ok this is the part that grabbed my attention. Dont get me wrong, I love the mentality you have, but there is absolutely no reason to deprive relationships to "go to the gym." Im not talking about taking a girl who you have been dating for a month to the movies in place of going to the gym- that you shouldnt do obviously. But to deprive long lasting friendships and family time for the gym is not right. These things are neccessary in life, and to be honest are much more important than bodybuilding or powerlifting or whatever. So, make sure you stay true to your training and lifestyle, which it seems you do, but dont loose sight of other important aspects of life that dont involve bodybuilding.

wolfsburg2
10-27-07, 3:10 pm
you can have your hardcore gym and your hardcore life i guess. i don't lift and eat to be hardcore. i do it because it makes me feel good, gain strength, gain muscle and stay healthy.

i like my golds gym with it's machines and tv's and everythign under the sun. as long as it has the training equipment i want, squat rack, big boy dumbells etc, i am happy.

i don't care about suzy soccer mom on the treadmill the same way i don't want her to care about me.

but the second i need to do some cardio you can be damn sure i am happy to watch sportcenter.

hardcore or not.

Giant Killer
10-27-07, 3:26 pm
Hardcore is a guy who doesn't sit around and think about WHAT hardcore is, he just IS.

Gas Can
10-27-07, 4:29 pm
Iam Hardcore i dont use a neck pad to squat iam hardcore i dont have friends iam hardcore because i work out in a basement... shut up get some shit done this is coming from someone with almost a fuck'n thousand posts i tell you now that shit aint hardcore brotha

wolfsburg2
10-27-07, 4:40 pm
Hardcore is a guy who doesn't sit around and think about WHAT hardcore is, he just IS.

well put.

lycan_warlord
10-27-07, 9:37 pm
I have these. http://www.harbingerfitness.com/cgi-bin/6fyd-xxe5x.cgi?130&&sku I use'm when i need extra wrist support. does that make me not hardcore? I've never used the pussy pad for squat. The weight doesn't feel the same with the "manta ray" on it. i WANT that line across my back to prove I just took 2x my body weight down to the floor and back up again.
as far as harcore gyms....well. The gym I'm at is called Lafayette Health club (http://www.lafayette-health-club.com/site.php). I joined originally b/c my at the time workout partner went there. He has long and quit working out and left me on my own. I do like it there tho. I'd say i'm one of the few "hardcore" guys there. Or at least the ones i see. They do have 100+ weights. up to 150. :D i'll be tossin those around eventually. The other main gym here is Red's http://www.redlerilles.com/ one of top 10 in country. The one reason I love LHS is its open 24 hours monday-thursday. Very handy for those morning i can't get up in time. anyway....I wish there was a hole gym around here. I would definately be there.

-lycan

benmatthews90
10-28-07, 2:30 pm
mine smells like a butchers shop, we have a sides of pork hanging up on my chinup bar (its actually a beam holding the top flood up but whatever)
see below for a picture

bobbymart
10-28-07, 5:48 pm
I don't understand the need to grunt I consider myself hardcore I workout hard every day but I never grunt and have only droped weight's a handfull of times by accident I just don't understand the need to scream when you'r lifting and I have been under alot of weight we have some body builders and power lifters at my gym and none of them scream grunt or drop weights I guess it just confuses me when I work out at any gym and I can here some guy in the back screaming at the top of his lungs because he is leg pressing 1200 lbs.

Far Beyond Driven
10-28-07, 6:06 pm
Adjective
hardcore (comparative more hardcore, superlative most hardcore)
Positive
hardcore
Comparative
more hardcore
Superlative
most hardcore
1. Having an extreme dedication to a certain action.
He's a hardcore gamer.
2. Resistant to change.
3. Obscene or explicit.
4. (pornography) Of or pertaining to pornography that depicts penetration.
5. (music) Faster or more intense than the regular style.
Having an extreme dedication to a certain activity
Resistant to change
Obscene or explicit
Of or pertaining to pornography that depicts penetration
faster or more intense than the regular style

Noun
Singular
hardcore
Plural
uncountable

hardcore (uncountable)

1. (music) Hardcore punk or techno music.

Let's listen to some hardcore.

2. broken bricks, stone and/or other aggregate used as foundations.

Could we possibly be arguing about a more ambiguous term? Even if we assume it's to have an extreme dedication to a certain action, then to what degree? Extreme dedication could just be meticulous diet and training, it could be drug use, it could mean dressing the part(or their vision of it), it could be a lot of things. So here's the deal. If you can look yourself in the mirror, and be able to honestly say that you're 100% satisfied with your application of your regimen, with no regrets, and no halfassing, then you're hardcore enough for yourself. And that's all that matters. As for your gym, as I've said in a previous post, Don't worry that it's not a hardcore gym. Worry about being hardcore IN your gym. Do what it takes, given your circumstances, to get done what you need to.

Toni69
10-28-07, 6:07 pm
Far Beyond Driven, that was deep man. Love it!

Crap! I cant underline your name...sorry!

Far Beyond Driven
10-28-07, 8:01 pm
Far Beyond Driven, that was deep man. Love it!

Crap! I cant underline your name...sorry!

S'all good!

karthik
10-28-07, 11:07 pm
speaking of hardcore, mr.powerfreak, I am sure you will find Eagle's Gym in Woodson, MO just as hardcore as Southside Barbell, I promise no lie whatsoever. Heck, Willie Wessels the co-founder of North American Strongman Society trains there. For those who don't know, Willie was at one time one the best American Strongmen out there who squatted 1088 lbs at 220 lbs weight class, if it wasn't for leukemia that he tragically suffered from who knows what he would have achieved. The gym also has Rob Kolberer who squats 995 lbs with a close stance ATG, 725 lb deadlift, and 575 lb bench, considering he is 43 yrs old, not bad eh?
He was even stronger when he was younger but is working on being elite and lifting at the Arnold Classic again.

The young bucks in the game are Greg, who at the age of 23, already squats in the mid 800's, with just belt, briefs, and knee wraps. This dude is such a freak, he sometimes doesn't even bother wearing shoes and squats 600 lbs raw BAREFOOT for many reps.

Anways enough writing, here's a SAMPLE VIDEO to prove my point,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNXJRPMgYr8

Thrawn
03-19-08, 5:14 pm
I can still remember entering the gym i work out at now. I quit my old gym because, and sit down for this one, the trainer there wanted me to start lifting LESS weight. I looked at him, packed my gym bag, left and never set foot there again. I went straight to this other gym i knew, but already knew when i entered. That one was not for me. I did the free training session for introduction, but it was more like a dating show for 30-40 year olds... Next day i was walking around town, found a small ally and saw the sign. Gym.
Went upstairs, could HEAR ppl training already. Smell sweat. First thing i noticed: olympic barbells everywhere. Like you describe: old, beaten up, but solid equipment. Squat rack.
Started there and been there since. The ppl who train there are mostly not into real hard training, but there are some there. Its the best i could find AND they let me use an old corner for deadlifting =)))

BrotherInArms
03-20-08, 12:43 am
Powerfreak: Amen, brotha. 5-star post.

sanga
03-20-08, 4:23 am
Just because the juice bar at your gym doesn't have your favorite flavor of protein drink or there is a crack in one of the hundreds of mirrors in your gym does not make it a hardcore gym.
Most of the members here are not old enough to remember when Powerhouse, Olympus, and powerhouse gyms were at least border line hardcore gyms. This was before ellipticals, stair master, power yoga, and Tae bo.
There were no televisions playing Dr. Phil and oprah, and x-m radio playing endless elevator music.
Hard core gyms have dumbells that actually go over 100 lbs. There are benches and power racks , lots of plates and bars. The equipment isn't all clean and shiny because IT GETS USED. There are not 100 different machines that are designed to make working out EASIER! training is hard work and it should be.
A gym should smell like a gym and not fucking wildflowers!
Now, I am not suggesting that there has to be a dirt floor and a fire pit, (but that would be kinda cool) but come on, the gyms today are designed to attract fat lazy hpusewives and the average 9-5er, they are not hard core. Holy shit!, some gyms have actually installed alarms that go off if you make too much noise of any kind while training, WTF!!!
Chances are that even if you think you have been to a hardcore gym, you are probably still pretty far off.
I could go on forever about the candyass gyms of today, but I think you get the idea.
The Next thing that makes a Hardcore gym is the people that train there and how they train. I don't care if you are a Bodybuilder,Powerlifter, Olympic lifter or what ever, you can see who is hardcore with there training and who is just going through the motions.
If you wear gloves while you train, you are not hardcore, if you wear your belt for every rep of every set of every exercise, you are not Hardcore, I won't even say how that looks. Don't even get me started about the Pad on the squat bar!
When you walk into a true hardcore gym the hair on the back of your neck will stand up, the blood will start pumping as your heart rate increases and you haven't even touched a weight yet.
It ain't about how much weight you lift but how you lift it, the intensity and your commitment to the moment.
All of this is actually too much to try and explain with just words, the few of you that have been there know what I mean, it has to be experienced first hand. You will know it when you see it, you won't just think it's hardcore you will KNOW IT!
Unfortunately there are not very many of these types of gyms around, but their numbers are actually increasing because more and more people are beginning to want this kind of atmosphere and are opening gyms to satisfy that need.
There are a couple around, you just have to search them out. Once you have experienced it there is no going back.

This is one thread I missed before, dunno how but seen it now.

My gym is a pit, stinks of sweat when you walk in, very rare is there any women in there and when they do go in they get stared at, there are TVs but I take no notice as I have my I-Pod on to drown out the trance music other than that its all builders/construction workers and bouncers.

I don`t use gloves, I take my own protein, I don`t currently use a belt but will do on last set or 2 of squats and deads, I wouldn`t dream of using a pad on the bar for squats and don`t even know if the gym has one, guess I am hardcore then.

Good thread. :)

callme47
03-20-08, 10:04 am
good post

MRmichael.hooker
07-08-10, 4:12 pm
Alright brothas, shit needs to change. I was doing parking lot lunges yesterday with just a 45lb plate on eachside of a barbell, and this guy goes "thats the most hardcore shit ive seen" and i couldnt believe my ears! THAT is the most hardcore thing? Animals do that shit all the time. I wanna get some hardcore stuff going on, so give me some of the most hardcore things youve done or seen done so i can let the guys at my gym know they need to step it up if they wanna grow.

g_mau18
07-08-10, 5:41 pm
doing lunges with 4 45s on each side.

IronWilson
07-08-10, 6:43 pm
At this one gym I used to go to, there were always naked old guys talking to eachother in the locker room. Thats as hardcore as they come if you ask me.

jeff00z28
07-09-10, 1:50 am
when i went to a powerlifitng gym crazy shit on occasion. Most impressive was a 1000lb suit squat that was actually below parallel, and not a ridiculously wide stance 1/2 squat. Now pretty much nothing at the commercial gym, some people are good at bench, but if all you can do is bench ur not shit imo.

N. Motta
07-09-10, 1:59 am
As of recent? My buddy maxed out our heavy ass hack squat machine. Built by hand, by the gym founder, this thing is easily the heaviest hack squat I have ever seen/used.

9 plates per side. 4 full reps, below parallel. Was probably his 5th or 6th set, working up to that weight too.

Also, a 60 + year old friend of mine, dragging the weighted sled with me out back, for a few sets. Same weight I used, step for step, 90 degree heat.

mcbeast
07-09-10, 2:05 am
An amputee vet comin in to the gym, and still tossin iron. I have seen a few guys come in wheelchairs, crutches etc. Yeah, they may not all be able to do the big stuff, but put in work nonetheless. Besides that, I had a friend/neighbor who was in a wheelchair and benched 405 like it was nothing. Crazy stuff.

Legacy
07-09-10, 9:14 am
I would probably shit if i heard any sort of alarm like that go off. IF there is something like that in anyones gym, the owner has some real issues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzKSfcBIHRs

RogueLion
07-09-10, 12:03 pm
I think that the closest "hardcore" gym to me would be Strong and Shapely in East Rutherford NJ. I live down the highway. ABC worked out there once, and it was a blast. I've been there twice and really enjoy it. However, I have not been there recently so I do not know if it continues its intense tradition. I remember 250 dbs and tons of weights and rooms, including a posing room. I currently work out at World Gym in Paramus, NJ, it isn't really hardcore, but it is convenient and I like it. And as many others have said before in this thread, "make your environment a product of you, not you a product of your environment". Once the headphones go in, you enter another world, in which you are the maker and the master. I am learning more and more, as I get older, to construct a space around me, and focus on what occurs within it, not outside of it.

Sprint
08-23-10, 10:57 am
Once the headphones go in, you enter another world, in which you are the maker and the master. I am learning more and more, as I get older, to construct a space around me, and focus on what occurs within it, not outside of it.

x2

G Diesel
08-23-10, 11:06 am
Once the headphones go in, you enter another world, in which you are the maker and the master. I am learning more and more, as I get older, to construct a space around me, and focus on what occurs within it, not outside of it.

Very well said as usual my brother.

Peace, G

Brick By Brick
08-23-10, 11:32 am
I have two gym memberships at the moment, one at 24 Hour Fitness (which I hate) and one at Genesis Gym, which is a great gym. I try to go to 24 Hour late at night, or between 1-4 p.m., when the place is pretty much empty. Then it's my own personal playground, and all is well. I don't sweat other people too much, I just like it better when they're not around.