View Full Version : The Younger Generation, Who's With Me?
I feel like sometimes as a young man by age that despite my integrity, pride, and power, that we as a younger generation get looked down upon because of our so called lack of experience. You know what that it isn't true. Now some young punks walk into the gym today and see it as social hour, happy hour in the weight room, some come in and do a little work but not enough, and some come in and show their veteran stripes regardless of their age. My experience I believe is vast. Now I'm not saying that I have the 30+ years that Vinny does under my belt but dammit I've been through my trials and tribulations. I have trained alongside pro's in both sports, powerlifting and bodybuilding. I have clients and friends from 21 years old to 45 years old, and I have to share my knowledge, scratch that I feel priveleged that I can share my knowledge. Does anyone else in the younger generation have their expertise to share? How many people in here in the younger generation have driven through their blood, sweat, and tears to tear apart the iron? Who else in here can show their scars and present to the world with a sense of pride? Raise your voice, let people know that young doesn't have to mean stupid or undedicated, but that young can mean another generation of Arnolds, Zanes, and even Cutlers that have something new to bring to the stage and who feel like we can keep the spirit of the Brotherhood Of Iron alive. Animals who's with me?
Liftbig21
01-17-07, 10:04 pm
I couldnt agree more brother...age means nothing you got 17 yr old kids who train hard and you got 35 yr olds jumpin and Fuckin around its all about morals and maturity rather then how long you been on this earth..Give everyone a chance then judge em
Train hard
Strength and Honor
Yeah I'll say i'm average. I have a reason, so that I can become that Animal w/ a capital A. I have goals I'm yet to meet. When I come closer to achieving those goals I might say I'm an animal, but i'm not yet there.
That doesn't mean i'm not paying my dues, cuz hell yeah I'm paying em. Stuffing my face, hitting the weights, it's what I need to do to achieve my goals. You must have a starting spot, and I've squared off at mine and i'm heading up to the top of that mountain. Until I get there with the rest of the Animals, I guess i'm more average than animal.
RedIron 392
01-19-07, 10:50 pm
There was a young man at the gym today that I had never seen before. He worked smart and hard, was polite, respectfull and picked his shit up when he was finished. That is what earns you a seat at the table no matter what age you are. Age is only numbers. This is comming from a "Old Fuck".
Later
MELTDOWN
01-19-07, 11:11 pm
There was a young man at the gym today that I had never seen before. He worked smart and hard, was polite, respectfull and picked his shit up when he was finished. That is what earns you a seat at the table no matter what age you are. Age is only numbers. This is comming from a "Old Fuck".
Later
ditto there Red. there are 2 lads that showed up right before Christmas.both seemed early 20ish. first day they strolled in, they were sporting all the right "look" with the tighty shirts, drop knee shorts ,blaring mp3 and pretty snow white straps. we looked, we ignored, we finished working out while they settled for "power cardio" as no machines seemed available to them. 2 weeks later, only 1 has returned, and he is down to business. asks to work in, wipes the bench after each set, stacks his plates and d/b,asks "real" questions, and has a good work ethic.his genetics look to be good and should grow to be a beast if he keeps digging like he is now. his pal decided he had more important things to do. he (ryan, i'm talking bout you, man) decided to make a difference.
The Wanderer
01-19-07, 11:28 pm
I have to say I am Animal, but as far as it goes, I'm nowhere near where I want to end. My journey is still beginning, to say that I know enough and that I am better is foolish, it is pride I cannot afford to have. If I learn from all my mistakes I can only grow stronger, to be Animal in my books is to accept where you are now and always strive for more.
There are certain codes and ethics that we all live by. Some call them morals and some call them standards, but fuck that. If you look into the eye of the man standing next to you in the iron jungle you can almost certainly tell if they have that metal glaze or a look of dullness. Whatever it is you have to respect them. Some are in there to rip their bodies to shreds, some are there to socialize and look pretty, but to each is his own. But don't underestimate respect for stupidity. Don't snare at someone you don't know, don't move their equipment or log or whatever they're using and barge in on their hard work. Let the men stand as men and the mere average mortals just stick to your ethics, don't disrespect anyone in the iron game, unless they deserve it.
Yeah I'll say i'm average. I have a reason, so that I can become that Animal w/ a capital A. I have goals I'm yet to meet. When I come closer to achieving those goals I might say I'm an animal, but i'm not yet there.
That doesn't mean i'm not paying my dues, cuz hell yeah I'm paying em. Stuffing my face, hitting the weights, it's what I need to do to achieve my goals. You must have a starting spot, and I've squared off at mine and i'm heading up to the top of that mountain. Until I get there with the rest of the Animals, I guess i'm more average than animal.
Honesty is the soul of prosperity. You have the courage to admit you're average but at the same time know that there is a hunger inside of you that has to be fed. Just smack a cougar on the ass and run up that fuckin mountain. Nothing like a little fear to get your head right and your heart pumping. I give you respect, I know there is an Animal inside of you.
I have to say I am Animal, but as far as it goes, I'm nowhere near where I want to end. My journey is still beginning, to say that I know enough and that I am better is foolish, it is pride I cannot afford to have. If I learn from all my mistakes I can only grow stronger, to be Animal in my books is to accept where you are now and always strive for more.
Hell yeah, big ups to you. Everyone always use to come up to me where I train and say, "All that heavy weight is gonna catch up with you in twenty years", I say let us make our so called mistakes and glitches, because the last time I checked but walking into the gym at 5'9'', 240 lbs, 18% body fat and squatting over 600 to the floor without any support spells one big word, ANIMAL!
im 17... im by no means big, strong, or anything i want to be right now. but i think compared to most my age.. lifters or not that i am an animal. i play football, bust my ass over the summer just to get to that varsity position. i got it. but i also got a torn ACL, MCL, and to top it of a torn meniscus. needless to say there go my season. here is the kicker.. 1st game with 2 minutes left on the clock.
i went to every practice that day on, rain or heat. though i couldn't do anything i was there. few months went by and i had to deal with the pain, i had no insurance, so surgery just wasn't as bright as i wanted it. 8month later, next week in fact i have surgery finally. for those months i worked out like there was nothing left for me, only being upper body i hated my condition. i started slow and began to squat again. i worked my way up to a 300lb max with torn ligaments, im i got there because i had the desire to be the animal i wanted to be.
young maybe, but heart i have. and heart i still have to this day. i don't let anything get in my way.
Everyone was young at one point. Which means everyone was inexperienced at one point. If you have the desire to gain experience, then thats all that really matters. Ive only been lifting for a few years but in that time i have read all i can about lifting and talked to anyone willing to give me advice about it. Im no expert by any means, but i definatly have the desire and will to get bigger and i think that matters more than what my age is.
ShavedSage77
01-20-07, 12:44 pm
That is the fuckn truth. Experience determines all. Age is just a number. A 45 yr old can know nothing n the scheme of things and a 16 yr old can overcome obstacles that the 45 yr old yielded 2. Thats the fuckn truth.
Testpolska
01-20-07, 12:59 pm
As a younger fellow in the gym I really do look up to guys like you Beast. Guys that have been around the block more than once. I really envy guys like you. You've done and seen it all. I've only been in the game seriously for about 3 years, which to you must seem like the blink of an eye. At 16 years old I really look up to guys like you, the strength, the longevity and the experiance. Hopefully I can make it to where you are today. A long road no doubt, But I'd pour every drop of my blood out to get there.
Arbalest
01-20-07, 1:21 pm
I'm 22. Considered young by most. I'm an Animal. I put in my 50+ hr work weeks with a full school schedule, walk into the gym about to pass out from exhaustion, lack of sleep, whatever, and i bust out my workout as intense as my body can handle it.
I have no problem sucking up my pride to ask someone more knowledgeable than myself about something. Not really any type of lifting, but mostly diet, as there are a couple competitors in my gym who are awesome and love to help hungry guys like myself.
I also have no problem helping others. But if they ever waste my time, i'm done with them. Some kid asks me how i workout, eat, or how to be intense and smart; i'll help the kid. If i continually see him being a lazy ass jacking around with his friends and generally not doing anything, and then has the nerve to come back to me and complain that he isn't growing... well, you know what happens.
Being Animal boils down to desire. How bad do you want to acheive your goals? What are YOU willing to sacrafice? How bad does your heart ache and bleed for what will one day be yours? Is there a blazing fire in your gut or just smoldering coals? I'll tell you this much, my gut is a ragin fucking inferno and I love it.
YoungDiesel
01-20-07, 4:02 pm
Age definetly means nothing, i'm 17. I don't talk in the gym, i dont chase ass, i dont sit around and take up space while asking people bigger than me dumb questions like "are you on steroids". I know it takes hard work and not everyone who has mucle has taken steroids. People ask me all the time i say no i'm on animal pack...there's nothing better. I clean up my weights and respect everyone around me. I personally hate the people who go to the gym to look good (even my friends). I go in wearing a hoodie with my ipod. I lift and go home to get back to eating and sleeping.
pumpaholic
01-20-07, 9:53 pm
Age means shit. In my professional life I work with guys that have been there 20+ years and don't get the simplest of concepts and they never will. They are only taking up space. I have been there 18 months and know more then they will ever know. Simply because I have put in my time and studied my ass off to learn what I needed to know. Knowledge and experience are earned. It is only a question of how much time you’re willing to put in to gain it quickly. Same thing goes with the gym. Learn what we can from the generations that I have put in their time moving mountains. Never let them look down on us because of age or inexperience, because we are coming hard. So turn the damn TV off and learn some more.
joe.ameen
01-23-07, 2:25 am
Hey, I'm 19 and I understand what you guys are all saying. There'll always be a place in the gym for the old guard, the guys that taught me how to lift and respect the gym. But we're growing up too. Let's work together. Every time I take the next step into this life I look back and can't believe how little I knew before. I just want to thank all the older guys that showed me the way. Taught me to squat the whole way, through the pain. Not just drop four inches, stand and repeat.
Pokoritel
01-23-07, 2:46 pm
Ya damn right. I agree with you all the way brother. Age is just a number I started training my cuzin and he is fuckin fat definatly over 20% fat but he puts out blood and guts. I told him to do push ups in the gym and he is frickin 14 and weak as hell but he tried 12 times and i counted until he banged out a rep, only 1 rep. Other guys would of said i cant do there first try but he kept going and yelled like a maniac to get out one push up. He is a fuckin Animal. He is determined. The kid started eating right and changed his entire life style. He already lost 5 lbs and saluted his ass and applauded him too. He wants to become a powerlifter and win competitions and let me tell ya i wont be surprised if he becomes worlds strongest man.
Remember Brothers, you are what you think. Your thought create actions. Dont just think your an Animal, frickin believe and you will become. Live Strong. Strength and Honor. This is a good thread.
is freaking pointless. I bust my ass at the gym everyday. The bodybuilders at my gym always ask me to spot them because they know I have the know how to spot without ruining their sets, and I won't let them kill themselves. I also watch to see whats going on when im just working and not lifting and there are people in the 30's 40's 50's who come to talk on the cell phone, flirt with each other, basically be in the way of people who want to use the gear.
Age ain't nuthing but a number.
In the gym, it doesn't matter if you're 15 or 51. In the gym, what matters is the focus you put to make every rep your best. What matters is the hunger to bust your ass.
Being looked down upon is never a good feeling, but you have to try to use it as an advantage. Use it as a source of energy. It's really nice to be underestimated, trust me.
Another thing, if the "older" guys look down upon you, it simply means you don't care about them and just do your routine. At the end of the day, what they've thought about you won't matter. When it's all said and done, it's your journey that will speak for you, Animal.
Strength, Honor, and Respect
Torque757
01-24-07, 2:21 pm
Totally agree. I would say the vast majortiy of younger kids are either punks, averege, or kids that think they know shit and they dont. There, however, a very small percentage of us who HAVE done our hw and know a thing a two. I probably know more than 99% of the peaple at my on-campus fitness center... staff included. No-one can compete with my intensity, no doubt in my mind. I am growing fast than all the other know-it-all ***gots there and I can see it in their eyes, they are either somewhat amazed or just plain irritated that I actully bust my ass and make good progress.
Steve B.
01-31-07, 2:27 pm
You are all correct age doesn't mean anything. I am 18 and I guess that I can say that I am self taught. I never had anyone to show me proper techniques to lift or nutrition. But, I bust my ass every single day in the gym. I don't talk to anyone I just go in and do my work and get out. Thats why you guys couldn't be more right, age doesn't matter.
not to say any of you are wrong but like i here people on here saying there not animals or they will be once there big, now i aint huge, 185 and like 5'9. but i know i push myself,i know i do everything a can to be better. and to me thats what being an animal is, its not some point you can reach where you are "that big". its a life style, and a passion. age dont meen shit if youve got the right attitude. those in the gym who are there to lift and outside the gym who are there to grow, those are my brothers.
peace
IronHouse
01-31-07, 4:07 pm
What more do you need to say other than: When your in gym you are there to workout, you can chat outside.
Age doesnt matter, I'm 17 training like if there is no tomorrow and doing everything possible to become the Swedish Animal of the young generation.
-peace out-
IronHouse
combatwombat
01-31-07, 7:11 pm
One thing to remeber. If you see an older dude in his routine and he is not talking or even acknowledges your exsistance. Don't think he is down on you.
It's just me in the corner working out my "issues" of the day. I will stop and give you spot. And I don't mind if you work in. As long as you keep up. Some of us are in our own little world battling our own personal demons.
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
-Abraham Lincon
The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.
- H.L. Mencken
As a younger fellow in the gym I really do look up to guys like you Beast. Guys that have been around the block more than once. I really envy guys like you. You've done and seen it all. I've only been in the game seriously for about 3 years, which to you must seem like the blink of an eye. At 16 years old I really look up to guys like you, the strength, the longevity and the experiance. Hopefully I can make it to where you are today. A long road no doubt, But I'd pour every drop of my blood out to get there.
I in no way feel like I'm the man but I appreciate the respect and props.
I was doing upright rows friday night at the gym and noticed this kid trying to do deadlifts. I watched him during one set and figured I'd kinda watch the second and then give him a few pointers. Like I said I was doing upright rows and working alongside some others guys that probably have me by 10 pounds, by the way I'm 5'9'' 240 lbs. at 17 percent bodyfat, and the kid waits and walks up to me at the end of my set. He says, "Hi my name is Andrew I wanted to know if you would show me how to deadlift because I want to have a back like you someday". I said ok. Went over to the squat rack pulled the bar off, showed him how, watched him try, positioned him I did everything with him and showed him how to keep himself safe, it took about 5 minutes. After that I kept eye over him from where I finished my workout and he did great, perfect form, and a decent weight for him, kid had to be about 5'5'' 120 pounds soaking wet and skinny as a rail, but he was doing it and I was appreciative. As I walked out of the gym he came up and gave me a big thank you and said, "I hope I can look like you someday". I thought right there that their is hope yet that it's not all about cell phones, booty calls, and no spare time so to speak. If these youngsters don't have spare time then how can they run the streets and hang out all night watching tv but can't hit the gym for an hour. That young man showed me though that their is hope for the teenyboppers yet.