FITNESS, INSPIRATION, PROGRESS

In Defense of Resolutioners

Well it is a new year and that means the gyms will be packed with resolutioners. Who are the resolutioners? These are the people who swear this year is the year they will finally get into shape, get a gym membership, buy a bunch of spiffy new gym gear and pack the gym for 2-6 weeks before mysteriously disappearing.

Sure, there is plenty of stuff we can hate on the resolutioners for. They crowd the gym, hog the equipment (often using it incorrectly), they really don’t have the same level of passion for the game as we do and worst of all, not spending half their lives in a gym they do not have the etiquette down.

Yes, watching someone in 200 dollar lifting shoes on a treadmill (it is true, I’ve seen someone in Nike Romaleos walking on a treadmill) or totally decked out in top of the line GASP workout gear deadlifting less than you curl and doing it with bad form, will drive you nuts.

Not For The Treadmill

So while shitting on these people is both understandable and reasonable I would like to take the very unpopular pro-resolutioner stance and give the top 5 reasons to defend the resolutioners.

 

RESPECT

You Do Not Know His Struggle. Applaud Him For Putting In The Work.

Even though they are annoying, the resolutioners are showing courage by walking into the gym. I have been out of the game to rest and recover from some injuries before a big push so I am not at my peak at this point. However, at my peak I know that a gym newbie will see me working out and often times be self-conscious about what they are doing. Why? It is human nature. The gym floor is a place where the experts and the newbies are standing right next to each other. Try to picture yourself in their place. Think of something you suck at and then imagine walking right in and taking up a stance and doing it right next to a bunch of people who do it year round. Sure, some of them may just be jerks who are totally unaware of themselves, but many – if not most—of them are scared to death and just trying to push that aside in order to better themselves. So try not to be too much of a dick even if they are annoying and in your space. Remember, they are there because they want to be more like you and are often super nervous about it so be nice.

SELFISH PRIDE

That fitness is more and more a popular trend is a good thing for everyone. There is a reason people make resolutions to go to the gym for the new year – being in shape is something people want. This means that we are living in a society that values being in shape. When you are at your peak fitness and you can’t walk down a single street without being noticed, complimented or asked advice you feel good right?

Anyone who says that getting this look doesn’t matter is lying.

Well the reason that happens is because society values fitness. If society didn’t value fitness we wouldn’t have the resolutioners, but we also wouldn’t reap the social benefits of being fit. So when you see the resolutioners in the gym, realize that this is just the downside to your hard work being admired.

MENTAL GAINS

Why do we wear headphones at the gym? Why do we put a hood up? One thing constantly discussed in the weight lifting world is mental focus. Now the gym is crowded and noisy and you have to do your workout out of order because someone is snapchatting about being at the gym in a power rack and your focus is ruined. Well, so what? Are you going to give up? Think of this as a challenge. We add more reps. We add more weight. Why not add more distraction for mental gains? We do all these things to further challenge our body. But we need to also challenge our mind. The world may think we are just a bunch of meatheads lifting weights, but we know better. Think of the new year as a mental challenge.

This is not the look of someone who knows what the guy next to him is up to.

If you can get through your workouts and not even notice the few dozen extra people improperly using equipment and making new friends then you have strengthened your ability to focus and concentrate. We know that the only way to make something stronger is to offer it new and bigger challenges and this is all Jan 1 –Feb 14 is at the gym.

CHALLENGE

Often times we will say that this is a game where it is you against you. Even people who compete at the highest levels of both powerlifting and bodybuilding like Phil Heath, Kai Green, Eddie Hall or Ray Williams will tell you that they will not train focusing on their competition, they only train to be as good as they can be. Usually when we say, “Forget about what the person next to you is doing” it is because they are killing it at an incredible level. There is a guy at my gym that does lifts that even at my absolute best I could never imagine doing. When he is doing 10-12 reps of back squats at 500 pounds in the power rack next to me it is easy for me to lose focus and think, “fuck this noise, I’m going for a burger.” However, I keep pushing because his success and failure is about him and mine is about me. Now look at it the other way. You notice, while doing your concentration curls, that someone on the bench next to you is just fucking everything up and is either going to quit or hurt themselves….no different than noticing someone doing better than you. You are there for your game and they are there for theirs. Focus on what is important….you.

FINANCIAL GAINS

Let me let you guys in on an ugly fact. The ownership of the gym does not like us guys…not from a financial standpoint anyway. The gym does not make money on me. When I am training I go to the gym 6 or 7 days a week and often times it is twice a day. I beat up their equipment. I make a mess with the chalk. I leave blood in the knurling of the bars. I don’t buy any of their expensive swag in the store and I don’t need or want a session with their trainers. Compare this to the resolutioners who will go into the gym, buy the overpriced water bottles and shorts, buy the protein drinks at the juice bar, pay an ungodly sum to their trainers and then disappear for good (most likely leaving the gym on autopay so they can tell themselves they will go back).

Keep the bar as close to your legs as you can they said. Now someone has to clean this up.

The fact that you have a place to go work out at all depends on the people you are rolling your eyes at and making snide comments about. So when you are feeling annoyed at having to deal with the gym crowd for a few weeks, try to remember that the fact that the lights are on in the gym at all depends on the money they make from the resolutioners. The majority of them will be gone soon enough and the gym will have enough dough to keep the doors open to us brutes who are going to be a net loss on investment during the rest of the year.

So happy New Year guys. I am officially going back to the gym for what I consider to be light workouts over the next two weeks to get my body ready for the 6 months torture I intend to put it through. Whoever you are, newbie or regular, just coming back off an injury or downtime or even casual warrior….get in there and do your thing. It’s 2018 now. Lets kick some ass.

 

Side note on why gym owners hate us. Here is actual footage from a staircimber that I burned out.

WB FITNESS

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12 Comments

Jim Johnson

I would admit, I am a resolutioner myself. Yesterday, our family all made goals. Spiritually, I will study scriptures 15 min daily. Intellectually, I resolved to read “The Patriots History of the US” by the end of the year. Physically, I resolved to do 20 pull ups and 50 pushups by the end of the year. That will not only take practice, it will take me losing 20 pounds. I have my routine, and I need to break out of my plateau.

WB Fitness

With your level of being busy, Jim, this will be a huge accomplishment. If anyone can manage it, it will surely be you. If I may offer pull up advice….figure out the max number you can do now and then add some weight to your body. A back pack filled with 10 pounds of rock will do it. When you are able to get to the non weighted max again add more rocks. Keep doing this. Every 4 times you get back to that baseline, take the weight off and see what your new max is. Repeat. It will help move the chains along! Keep us posted on the progress!

Jim Johnson

Will do. Four years ago, I got up to 16. But then we moved and I no longer had a pull up bar in the house. Right now I am at seven and 35 pushups.

WB Fitness

So if you are at 7 drop 10 pounds in a backpack and bring it back up to 7. Progress will come so fast you will laugh. Actually works with pushups too if you can figure out the logistics of getting the weight on your back.

Thefourhorstmann

Thats easy, he has 6 kids just have one climb on his back. My 2 and 4 year old love doing that while i do push ups and planks.

WB Fitness

Very elegant solution! Start with the smallest, work your way up to the heaviest.

Thefourhorstmann

Its great motivation as well because they are always asking for more.

Consolation_of_Philosophy

I like this sentiment. I was in the gym yesterday (1/1/18), packed shoulder to shoulder with resolutioners. Looking at them, and then to myself, it made me feel gratitude for the progress I have made and the support I’ve felt (particularly here at Team WB). Everybody comes to the process of taking control of their bodies from a different place. They won’t all reach the same conclusions about what is right for them. Many will become quickly discouraged and bail. I’m just glad to be doing what I’m doing, and to not be doing it in isolation.

Lou Skunt

Anybody looking to improve the quality of their life should be applauded. The issue in many cases with Gym Resolutioners is that very few of them ever receive anything in the way of real support and/or guidance, whether it be from the gym staff or other gym members – they quickly become discouraged and they quit within the first 90-days.

I’ve always paid attention to the few new gym members that actually do stick around for the duration of the year… you’ll always notice a significant improvement in their physical and mental conditioning.

When I’m training, I prefer not to be interrupted during a workout, but if the person seems genuinely interested in the process, I’m always happy to provide advice and encouragement.

J.Nyx

Up at 4:30 am, at the gym by 4:55 this morning. The perks of going so early is that there is almost no one there, even during this peak of new memberships. That said, I was able to convince my brother to sign up at my gym and he actually met me there this morning saying “I could barely sleep last night knowing we were going to be lifting together today”

Never had a gym buddy but it was pretty fucking cool.

Boothe

At some point most of us were resolutioners. And at some point some of us actually became resolute. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially when you’re carrying more fat than you should and lifting weights that are embarrassingly light. But the fastest way to get these folks to give up, go home and resume their decline is to ostracise them or just glare at them when they are taking up the station you need next. Sooner or later, the rest of us may very well bear the burden of their poor health. So if you have a newbie or resolutioner that has questions or is struggling and is too self conscious to ask for help, stop and offer to help them. You might be surprised at how rewarding it will be for you.

That being said, a few months back I started corresponding with this body-builder in NYC. A hard headed character to say the least (not wanting to call WB by name or anything). He started prodding me to try this “high volume” routine of his. I have always been a hard gainer and being in my late fifties adds to the problem. I thought I’d humor this guy and drop my weights and increase my reps. So I did. I have been struggling with gaining weight (getting above 185 lbs.) for years. Within four weeks of higher volume (no where near what WB does) training, I have already put on nearly 5 lbs. of lean muscle and broke through my goal of 190 lbs. Thanks for the advice WB!

WB Fitness

Wow Boothe! Thank you so much for this comment. I can’t be happier and I always love to hear when it works out well for people. Reading this comment really made my day!

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