Body

6 Common Fitness Mistakes Men Make

104 Comments

Most people who regularly go to the gym don’t make quality progress.

They don’t burn much fat. They barely build any muscle. And they lift the same amount of weight they’ve been lifting for the past three years.

And the worst part is, it’s almost always due to the same few mistakes. Let’s cut through the bullshit and cover six of the most common errors guys make in the gym—and how they can be corrected.

1. Your diet is shit

Go easy on the Shake Shack

Go easy on the Shake Shack

The number one reason guys aren’t making progress is because their diet sucks.

Scrawny guys aren’t bulking up because they’re too big of pussies to eat the amount of food it takes to gain weight and build muscle. And fat guys aren’t losing weight because they lack the self-control necessary to restrict the amount of food they’re shoveling down their throats.

If you’re small and you’re trying to get big, then you need to eat more. And if you’re chubby and you’re trying to shed some fat, then you need to eat less. PERIOD.

2. You’re not lifting

Yes, there’s a time and a place for cardio. But it comes FAR after lifting weights… for general health purposes, yes, but especially for changing your body composition.

Resistance training and lifting weights applies a very important stimulus to your body that triggers improved nutrient partitioning – this means that when you’re lifting weights any weight that you gain is likely to be muscle instead of fat and any weight that you lose is likely to be fat instead of muscle.

Cardio simply doesn’t do this.

3. Your lifting routine sucks

Don't be like this fool

Don’t be like this fool

Way too many gym bros just do bench press and curls… they overwork their chest and arms and neglect the rest of their body.

For one, this won’t lead to a physique that looks good. Moreover, it’s fucking terrible for your posture and your long term health. Neglecting your legs and back is a quick way to develop back pain, knee pain, and other chronic joint issues.

Get on a proper, balanced routine and you’ll see far quicker results and build a body that will age well.

4. Your form sucks

Bad form is a quick way to get hurt. It also tends to alter the exercise that you’re doing in a way that prevents it from properly working the correct muscles.

For example, if you bounce the bar off your chest during a bench press, your chest ain’t growing, bro—but you are likely to tear a rotator cuff or even your pec by going overboard on the weight. Also, if you don’t squat deep enough or you let your heels come off the ground then you’re not really working your legs and you’re likely to ruin your knees and your lower back.

Take the time to do the exercises with correct posture, stop trying to lift more than you can, and you’ll start to see better, more sustainable results in the process. You’ll also feel better.

5. You compare yourself to other guys

Acknowledge guys who are ahead of you without comparing

Acknowledge guys who are ahead of you without having to compare

Constantly comparing your body to the biggest or most shredded guys at your gym is an easy way to lose motivation and feel shitty about yourself. Yes, it can be motivating in small doses, but it can also be frustrating and eat away at your self-esteem.

Every great body you see took time to be built. You have to go to the gym, eat well, and lift heavy as a regular habit for an extended period of time before your body will really start to show noticeable changes. Unless you want to compromise your health and take steroids, then adjust your sights to the long term and give yourself at least one year to make solid progress.

6. You rely on supplements

Pretty much all supplements that make a big impact are illegal – because they’re liable to fuck up your hormone levels.

Protein powder, a pre-workout supplement, and some amino acids aren’t going to magically “fix” your shitty diet and your lack of work ethic in the gym. It doesn’t matter how many post workout shakes you drink if the workout itself isn’t on point.

Solution: Eat well and lift heavy

Stay focused on making steady progress

Stay focused on making steady progress

The easiest way to avoid all of the above mistakes to simply eat well and lift heavy.

Depending on your goal your diet will vary. Scrawny guys should eat more in order to bulk up. Fatties should eat less in order to slim down. But everyone should be lifting heavy. And they should be lifting heavy for every major muscle group.

Adhere to these two simple principles and your progress will begin to skyrocket. It’s not complicated, it just takes time and effort.

Read More: 8 Tips For Accelerated Fat Loss

104 thoughts on “6 Common Fitness Mistakes Men Make”

  1. What if you eath more than enough food that the only thing getting bigger in your body is your stomach?

    3. Then your the guy who goes to the gym and benches with fuckaround weight, goes and sits on a machine for 20 minutes, leaves, then gets discouraged because he doesn’t get the results that the people who go in there and actually bust their ass do
      don’t be that guy

    1. imagine a male who is smart and got a big dick. and now add muscles to this superiour male. i can assure you: those guys exist. jealous? i somehow think you got none of the three things, meh.

  3. Another tip of advice: Spending too much time checking out the hot girls in their barely there workout attire. If you’re too busy checking out the hot girl’s form rather then your own, you’re not really focusing on what you should be doing at the gym. Sure those little gym bunnies make for good eye candy, but don’t let them distract you from what you should be doing in there. Which is lifting and getting into shape. You don’t want to become “that guy” that spends all his time flirting and trying to get numbers. Plus it’s an easy way to get a complaint and get your ass kicked out!

    1. If you’re there 30 min and aren’t visibly sweating, you’re not working yourself hard enough to gain. Plus, most people don’t drink nearly enough fluids during their routine.
      If you’re lifting so hard people are looking at you like YOU’RE the weirdo, then you’re probably on point. Plus, if you notice you’re intensity seems to make others around you start working harder, you’re doing it right.
      There’s a guy in my gym, who “trains” 4-5 people at a time, always loud encouraging them screaming shit to apparently gain attention.. but no one in the group has really made any notable change in their bodies. Sure, they’ve toned up a bit, but no muscle mass. He runs 4-5 different people on the same machine or area at the same time, making their time in between sets 3-5 minutes plus… even if using high rep, low weight. It’s gym hype.
      The the free “trainers” the gym offers always try to douche their way up to the hottest girl and direct them through the workout to have social proof and gym cred… and do any of these girls make any notable permanent gains? nope. Don’t fall into the gym-culture trap. It’s b.s. attention whoring.

      1. Yeah that’s annoying. Most of these clowns just talk more than they lift.
        Sometimes it works the other way though. If there’s a guy next to me on the bench press or squat rack who is the right kind of serious (I.E. not screaming after every single rep or dancing to his music in between sets) I’ll occasionally feed off of it.

  4. Those roided bodybuilders are not ahead of anyone. They have a very disfunctional body for almost every physical activity and relying on steroids is not a good thing and should not be promoted. Doing steroids makes your balls shrink and has a lasting effect on your system.

    1. I don’t know. I mean, I am against steroids too. However, it isn’t like they take steroids, toss on some cartoons and wait to get swole. Those guys are putting in a shit ton of effort and dedication. Yes, the steroids make the end result more inhuman in a way impossible to achieve without them…but they aren’t just on steroids. They are working themselves to exhaustion nearly every day in the gym, they have their diets worked out like scientists, they eat, sleep, breath dedication and are even willing to suffer the well known consequences of the steroids. These aren’t baseball players sneaking in roids to cheat. They are all on roids at the competition. It isn’t cheating…it is a sacrifice they make to be at the absolute top of that spectrum. It is an area that I wouldn’t want to be in and I wouldn’t take Jay Cutler’s body if you paid me…..but you can’t knock him by saying “oh he just did roids”
      Also, about ball shrinkage. I don’t know the science there. I guess it is possible. But it seems that every ‘they’ want to say something is bad for you they tell you it will effect your dick….roids, coke, jerking off too much whatever…..it’s like the go to when you are being told something is bad for you…..oh yeah, and it also makes your dick small….
      Im not saying roids are good…i think they are very very bad. I just see a pattern with dick/ball destruction and also wanted to point out that the top level body builders are using roids, but that they also have a level of dedication unheard of.

      1. The balls shrinking is from them not producing test anymore so thats why they do that but if you take hcg during a cycle it won’t happen and once you’re off and take a pct it goes right back to normal, both of those bodybuilders in that pic actually have had healthy children recently even after all the years of steroids but they also have doctors looking out for them and so they’ll probably still live longer than most dudes

        1. yeah i figured something like that. I don’t know the science behind steroids, but it just seems that everything people don’t want you doing seems to effect your dick. Thanks for the confirmation.

        2. It’s no problem, my oldest sister is a nurse practitioner and still says stupid shit all the time about medical shit she doesn’t understand, steroids aren’t bad in moderation with doctor supervision, he’ll TRT therapy is base steroid cycle. The documentary Bigger,stronger, faster goes over some of it

    2. And the bitch tits! Most men don’t even need that extra supplementation of these steroids because it would fuck up their system with more estrogen. Too much testosterone converts to estrogen. The only men that would need extra testosterone is the ones with low testosterone.

  5. “The number one reason guys aren’t making progress is because their diet sucks.”
    Absolutely!
    I’d add to this, go easy on the alcohol. I love the stuff, but a little too much can make it really difficult to lift the next day.
    That, plus its really fattening. After I stopped drinking wine, I lost about 15 lbs in a little less than two months. I pretty much stick to whisky now, with a beer every so often.

  6. I’d like to add the importance of recovery & SLEEP after you lift heavy & fill up your tank with the right nutrition. If you’re consistently getting under say, 6 hours of good sleep everyday, you’re not gonna be making much progress either. Other authorities would say no more than 8 hours of good sleep. Between 6 & 7 hours works best for me. So really it should be
    Train & lift hard & work up to realistic progressions
    Eat enough of the right stuff
    Sleep well
    Keep your discipline
    Rinse & repeat

    1. I would add that its not how much you eat but what you eat that determines your physique. Eating 3000 calories of donuts will never make you muscular no matter how much you lift. Also, you don’t need to lift to become muscular and fit.
      There is also a certain irony in showing a picture of a roided Arnie with advice to simply lift and eat well…

      2. You nailed it. I’m actually doing almost exclusively bodyweight workouts now. More by force of circumstance than an aversion to external weights. My explosive strength & agility have definitely improved over being a stiff wreck years before when i was heavy on the iron. Muscle tone is still there.
        Having said that i still find the barbell deadlifts, overhead press, front squats & various kettlebell work to be very beneficial.

        1. Yeah I had to stop the weights after a serious back injury some years back. However this caused me to focus on nutrition and bodyweight training. My physique has never been better.

  7. Jefe, tend to like your articles, but here I am going to give you a big….ok, you have convinced me, you are totally awesome. Not only was this short, sensible and correct…but NECESSARY. Please allow me the arrogance and vanity to point out what I really liked here.
    1) I see so many people with crappy diets lifting. Ok, if you are a dirty bulking powerlifter or, as a matter of fact, if you are happy with how you are and just enjoy lifting and eating crap….fine…but a guy a work is constantly shoving chipotle into his mouth telling me about how hard he kills it at the gym,
    2) I always get my cardio in. I run to the gym on non leg day mornings rather than take the train. It is a little more than a 5k. Also, I do 10 min of 10 sec on 50 sec off HIIT sprints after a workout. Feels great.
    Going to jump to 5) I deadlift 405 x 2. A guy was telling me how he wishes he could DL what I do. I was telling him that there are at least 20 guys in the gym who use 405 as a working set. It’s not the poundage….if you must compare, compare effort. Are you giving 100%? Me too! Awesome, we are on the same level.
    Lastly, I want to say something about suppz. It is a topic i am fairly passionate about. You are dead right. When I am on program (break time over tomorrow btw!) I am pretty simple but use them. Multi V. Fish Oil. L-Glutamine. Pre-Workout. Protein. BCAA’s. Creatine. However, I agree with you whole heartedly. When people ask for supplement advice i tell them that the first supplement they need to use is water. When the are religiously drinking a gallon of water a day and they have a tight diet then we talk about supplementation. Not like guy at work who once every few weeks pops into a gym loaded to death on Beta Alanine and then immediately spends the next few weeks eating pizza and wondering when his gains are showing up.
    Thanks for letting me soap box. I needed that!

  8. It took me far too long to realize that it is physically impossible to look anything like a bodybuilder or a professional fitness model without the use of illegal drugs. Let me state this clearly: Unless you are gifted with incredible genetics (which you almost certainly aren’t) you will never be both big and lean at the same time unless you take anabolic steroids, GH, insulin, or some combination of the three. The unfortunate thing is that virtually every supplement and fitness company makes outrageous claims in order to market to the uninitiated folks who then spend $40 on a tub of amino acids or some other overpriced product. Legal supplements, if taken properly, will not give you a significant advantage compared to just working out and eating healthy – no matter what you read in Men’s FItness, bodybuilding.com, t-nation.com, etc. So either take the “real stuff” if you deem that it is worth shooting hormones into your ass in order to be big, or just work out and eat somewhat healthy in order to look like a normal fit male. Stop spending $150 month on supplements that don’t work. Take care of your diet and lift. It is that simple. One more thing: it is worth the time to research what kind of physique is actually attainable naturally. There is no such thing as “natural bodybuilding” – period. Guys like Mike O’hearn and Kali Muscle are straight liars. They lie in order to make money by telling people that they achieved their look naturally in order to make money.

    1. compared to guys who dont workout, guys who actually do still look impressive. you dont have to look like markus rühl to look awesome, and a good look is very possible without roids.

      1. A good look is certainly attainable without PED’s. People just need to understand that no matter how many tubs of protein and AA’s they slam down, they won’t ever be 225 at 8% body fat. It is simply not attainable without drugs. I know firsthand what is does to a man when he gets addicted to the iron game and believes that he can look like the guys on the TV screen if he just works and diets harder. It can definitely become an unhealthy addiction. Do I look fit now? Of course. But I now know it was totally attainable by just lifting and eating healthy. Screw the snake oil salesmen that market to teens by using roided-up models in order to sell product. It got me “hooked on the dream” early and I wasted a lot of time and money for nothing. It’s poisonous to a man’s psyche anyway. Being fit is crucial to a well rounded and masculine lifestyle, but don’t fall into the trap and let it become the center of your life.

        1. The human body just can’t go past 200 pounds. Muscle or fat, it’s just not healthy..

        2. im at 115kg now, before i started working out i was at 98. i wasnt fat before, and wasnt muscular at all either. at the moment, there is still a good way to go. im 203 cm tall.

        3. If you want people to see your muscular development I would advise you to immediately cut at least 25 lbs.

        5. You are 6ft 8. When people say you can’t go over 200, they are referring to an average sized man with average genetics, at a pretty low 10 or sub-10% bodyfat. Or men within a reasonable spectrum, say 5’5″ – 6’3″. You are big in total height and weight, but a 5’9″ guy at 170, would probably always beat you in a ripped to the bone, bodybuilding style competition. No matter how much you train, or how big you get.

        8. “When people say you can’t go over 200, they are referring to an average sized man with average genetics, at a pretty low 10 or sub-10% bodyfat.”
          I didnt know that. when i heard it first that you cant go over 200, i was like what the fuck simply because im easily above that and dont even look THAT jacked, which means i have alot of space upward. as or competitions, i dont mind. im okay with my body and the way i develop it, so if some smaller guys win some contests, im fine with that. i go to the gym because im curious about my limits, and at the moment im not close.
          at the moment my bodyfat is somewhat like 17%.

        9. I just mentioned the competition because it highlights how small these guys are, it’s deceptive the differences height, weight, shape make to a physique, smaller guys can look really huge when ripped at light bodyweights. You on the other hand have potential to be a HUGE guy, but you’ll never compete with what those guys can achieve aesthetically or by way of illusion. An average guy, lean at 200 is pretty freakin huge. would be winning “natty” bodybuilding contests, be a model or minor celebrity fitness guru lol etc

        10. I’m the same height and weight as you with visible abs, although still carrying a little more fat and a little less muscle than ideal due to neglect of weights in favour of pilates. It sounds weird, but for a tall guy Pilates makes you look so much better because it gives you a better posture and more graceful movement. Plus its mainly just me and room full of young girls with great asses. When I lift heavy for a year I maintain about the same weight or just over while leaner. Just starting fight fit and Brazilian Jiu Jujitsu and will perhaps ad in 2x heavy all body sessions which work great for big frames — mine anyway.

        11. pilates ))) if it wouldnt be so boring i`d do it. just going for the girls will get me to lose interest. i started with weightlifting this way and got frustrated very fast. now i do it for myself, and since doing so i enjoy it alot more. also congratulations to your choice doing a martial art; it will definitly improve your agility. when i did only weightlifting i felt somewhat stiff and my movements somewhat uncoordinated. boxing changed that for me. it also improved my posture. maybe you can cut out pilates and stick to the Jiu Jujitsu.

    2. Anyone who’s has about 185+ of muscle on their body is most like on roids.. You can’t get that big.. If your natty then the best thing for you is power lifting for you big muscle groups and body building type of movements for your arms.. But the truth is you an most likely never get 20 inch arms..

      1. At 5′ 10″ and 8% body fat you’re going to be a beast at 165 with 16″ arms. You’ll have to buy European cut dress shirts and still have them taken in an inch at the waist if they aren’t going to hang off your shoulders like a sack.
        You won’t look “impressive” while wearing them, but you will look “fit,” and that’s OK.
        You’ll look damn fine nekkid. Use the mirror and stop worrying about the scale.
        http://www.weightrainer.net/potential.html

        1. I’m 5’10 210 pounds at 18-20 bmi and with 165 pounds of lean muscle…. At 5’10 You could be at least 180 pounds at 8 percent.. My ffmi is 24 so at most I could put on another 10 pounds muscle, my arms are 17 inches if drop down to 8% my arms would most likely drop to 16.5 inches, my arms are toned so most likely won’t lose much.. My point you could put on more weight at 165..

        2. “I’m 5’10 210 pounds at . . .”
          . . . 30.1 BMI.
          “My ffmi is 24 . . .”
          That would put you at 20% body fat, although I would want to see your Bod Pod print out.
          In getting down to 8% you’re going to lose 10 lbs. of lean mass and about the same in water.
          “You could be at least 180 pounds at 8 percent.”
          See the linked article.

        3. Do you measure your arms cold or pumped? … I’m 5’10 185lbs w/ 33″ waist. I measure cold and get 16.75″ on my biceps. I have a really hard time gauging my physique because I never pose against anyone. I’m guessing I’m about 12-14%bf. It is extremely difficult to gain lean mass at my age (47). I’ve considered using gear to help layer on some more muscle but I feel if I do I might regret it. I don’t want to get so big that I look bad in nice duds. I workout now just for deeper cuts.

        4. “I workout now just for deeper cuts.”
          Take your waist down to 30″ and your arms will be more cut. They will be a bit smaller, because you will have less subcutaneous fat, which is what is filling your cuts.

        5. The leanest I’ve ever ben as an adult is 176lbs. – even then my waist is still 32″. I usually lean out in the warmer months to look better when I wear less clothing outside. …But you are correct. It sucks to have to lose the muscle along with the fat.

        6. Lmao if you got 16.75 inch arms cold why the fuck would you need gear? You good but you should maybe go to a doctor he would most likely give you trt.. With trt you would put on so much mass..

      2. It is possible to have a bodyweight of 185 lbs at 5’11 with less than 10% bodyfat. Provided you have some decent genetics and your training and diet are top notch.

    3. 100% true
      I did the experiments on myself, i did sets and checked what kind of recovery i had if i ate certain nutrients and protein
      and guess what? for years i was overeating FOR NO REASON, none of it was worth a shite
      all it does is add a layer of fat ontop of your muscles so that you look big in a t-shirt,
      Until the technology to take steroids without side-effects emerges sometime within the next 30 years, Being a big muscle bound jock is a pipe dream unless you want to gamble with your health
      imagine that women’s standards are so deluded that they don’t find us sexy unless we take massive doses of dangerous steroids and live in a gym which give us a fake 8-pack like their fake tits

    4. Correct assessment.
      Those guys aren’t even just taking Test.
      They are taking an oral (Winnie or Anavar), Test and Trenbolone. They often couple this with HGH and insulin. They often add a stimulant such as Thyroxine, Clenbuterol or even Cocaine to “lean” out even more. Right before “competitions” they take Lasix or Aldactone to “lean out”.
      This isn’t even mentioning the “adjuvant” medications such as bHCG to keep the nuts going, Arimidex as an anti estrogen due to testosterone, etc.
      You can never achieve the level of leanness and muscle development without the drugs.

  9. I would especially agree with #1. 70% of the battle is in the kitchen. I think what most guys underestimate is the larthargy involved in eating a LOT. The extra weight, and the constant fullness is something most people just can’t become comfortable with, thus don’t make gains. Moreover, the $$ and time it costs to constantly eat quality food knocks most guys off the jacked category.

    1. This is a hurdle I have trouble getting over.
      I have pretty well-rounded strength and comfortably low body-fat but I seem capped at just over 180 pounds. I’d like to get to 190 but eating enough to gain weight feels like a chore.
      Will probably need to revamp my diet with overall higher calorie foods.

      2. Yeah I went through the same thing. In order to increase muscle mass to the next level at my former weight, the amount of protein I had to eat would always make me full, sluggish, and bloated. The extra 10 pounds on the bench press was simply not worth it.
        I just said screw it and lost about 15-20 pounds by eating what I knew would make me feel healthy. Yeah I’ve gotten a little weaker, but I’m in great shape to play sports, look better, and have lower blood pressure.

        1. Nice man I totally understand.
          I love weightlifting and just want to peak in strength while I’m young. If I could hit 190-200 and cut most of my fat I think that would be happy with that. I’m just curious what kind of strength I could reach at that weight.
          I’m not too crazy about being over 200 pounds to be honest… Seems like an entire lifestyle just to maintain that kind of bulk. I also would prefer to maintain mobility.

      3. Your maximum muscular potential can be calculated, using your bone structure and hight as input. There are a few formulas that can be used for that.
        http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html/
        Martin Berkhan of Leangains.com has a simpler formula that looks like this:
        Height in centimeters – 100 = upper limit of weight in kilograms in contest shape (4-5% body fat).
        Now the key to gaining lean mass is to take the intelligent approach rather than stuffing yourself, otherwise you will just pile fat which you will need to strip off anyway. That is a waste of time and energy.
        Also, it is most likely all the extra fat that makes you feel sluggish, not muscle mass. The stereotypically sluggish, so-called muscle bound people are taking hormones.
        Building muscle takes time. The rate at which you gain muscle will slow down over time. And at a certain point, there will be no more gains simply because you have reached your genetic limit.

  10. Ultimately our system is based on time scarcity, we all compete and undercut eachother to scramble over time which is our most limited resource, if we are lucky and hit no bumps we get 80 years however, this is with 80 year old data, pre-internet and pre-genetic enlightenment, a man who applies himself supplementing and lifting every single day can expect to at least make it to 90 by mid century, and if you make it this far, you might aswell just live to 120 as biotech may have a revolution as every century has a revolution
    Think about it this way, Millionaires on average live to 90. not a huge gap from the common man you may say, however their lives have about 5 times more freedom, and so not only do they live longer but the quality of their time is better in varying degrees, so you may aswell just say that they have 300% more life IN their years, whereas you are pretty much a slave so 300% of your time is directed as basic survival, a rich man may aswell already be living to 300 years old,
    ^This is the explanation for why billionaires are not funding anti-aging research, at least not publicly, they aren’t “feeling” the time scarcity like you are for some reason
    that is why the middle class does not envy the rich, they don’t understand what they are missing
    -the gods keep mankind ignorant to the ways of living, else they would do enough in one day to last a year(socrates)
    Defense budget was 581 BILLION $’s in 2014
    Know how much is spent on anti aging research? 5 million, It is disgusting…
    Our number one enemy as a collective is AGING and DISEASE, maybe we would value life more if we had more to live for and that would end war and the un-necessary hundreds of billions spent on warfare, because warfare comes about from a de-valuation of life
    Aging is hell, Whoever denies that is just a BETA who wants comfort, but time is a slavemaster whipping us all day and is our biggest enemy, we may soon be able to do something about it through technology but it is grossly underfunded,
    yes lifting and diet is important but we have what is called “programmed cell death” it’s a losing battle if we dont develop the proper technology to interfere with it on the cellular level, ultimately physics could create some kind of energy warping frequency which confuses the telomere cellular timing using ultrasonics or some shit, which would slow down the aging,
    when you get really fit and you love life you see what a travesty it is that it ends and you slowly age and go insane and rot in the ground what an empty feeling is the abyss
    imagine if we did not lose our top scientists to aging, where our civilization would be right now,
    also if we developed brain enhancements, we would speed progress even more, and end the “brain drain”, Our potential is massive, much more massive than right now, and ultimately instead of travelling to countries on vacations we could become an immortal inter stellar species

    1. “”they have 300% more life IN their years, whereas you are pretty much a
      slave so 300% of your time is directed as basic survival, a rich man
      may aswell already be living to 300 years old,
      “^This is the explanation for why billionaires are not funding anti-aging
      research, at least not publicly, they aren’t ‘feeling’ the time scarcity like you are for some reason”
      In the USA at least, it isn’t just the rich.
      http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/welfare-better-deal-work
      We found that, just to break even, a person on welfare would often
      have to take a job that paid considerably more than the value of the
      forgone welfare benefits. In Hawaii, for example, a person leaving
      welfare for work would have to earn more than $60,590 a year to be
      better off. In fact, welfare currently pays more than a minimum-wage job
      in 34 states and the District of Columbia. In Hawaii, Massachusetts,
      Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and
      Washington, D.C., welfare pays more than a $20-an-hour job, and in five
      additional states it yields more than a $15-per-hour job.
      Consider this: In ten states and the District of Columbia, welfare
      pays more than the entry-level salary for a teacher in that state. In 38
      states and the District of Columbia, welfare is more generous than the
      average starting salary for a secretary. And in the three most generous
      states, welfare pays more than the wages for an entry-level computer
      programmer. In eight states, welfare recipients receive benefits worth
      more than the median salary there.This is not even to consider the other
      costs of going to work. As Casey Mulligan of the University of Chicago
      recently testified before Congress:
      Earning income requires sacrifices, and people evaluate whether the
      net income earned is enough to justify the sacrifices. When [welfare
      programs] pay more, the sacrifices that jobs require do not disappear.
      The commuting hassle is still there, the possibility for injury on the
      job is still there, and jobs still take time away from family,
      schooling, hobbies, and sleep. But the reward to working declines,
      because some of the money earned on the job is now available even when
      not working.
      Likewise, we should consider that, as the Congressional Research Service has pointed out:
      Leisure is believed to be a “normal good.” That is, with a rise in
      income, people will “purchase” more leisure by reducing their work
      effort…. Thus, the increase in [the value of welfare benefits] is
      expected to cause people to reduce work hours.
      “Our number one enemy as a collective is AGING and DISEASE, maybe we
      would value life more if we had more to live for and that would end war
      and the un-necessary hundreds of billions spent on warfare, because
      warfare comes about from a de-valuation of life”
      Anti-aging and greater wealth would only make people value their own lives more. They’ll value the lives of others less (even those of their own children). Therefore, there would be more social unrest and war, not less. Which country consumes the lion’s share of the world’s resources (about 25% of the coal, 26% of the oil, and 27% of the natural gas) and yet is also the world’s most aggressive against other nations?

      1. “Anti-aging and greater wealth would only make people value their own lives more”
        of course, there’s more to lose, which is a good thing. The essence of self-improvement is the word “self” that means, being selfish,
        Read the virtue of selfishness by ayn rand (she was an advocate of “mankind”, even though she was a female)
        “They’ll value the lives of others less”, “resource depletion”
        ^Classic outdated and debunked arguments
        There exists 10,000 times more energy in the form of sunlight than the entire planet needs for energy requirements, the sun is one giant ball of energy and will last for a billion years minimum, and we are getting better and better at capturing it’s light and solar is becoming cheaper,
        Our transportation is becoming more efficient with self-driving cars so we will add whatever is lost in the commute back into our lifespan, this is a good couple hours of less stress and b/s and also, electric car tech is getting major funding its all looking very good in terms of energy and population management
        also, verticle farming and cellular meat farming, where meat is brewed in cells as just protein instead of slaving animals is another emerging tech
        by the time we reach immortality all these basic population management problems will be worked on
        Think back in the year 1950, what a hysterical time that was, and now imagine 2050, this time will seem insane, shit cars with pollution will seem like a joke, also
        imagine now that these cars will be safe enough to travel at very high speeds, it wont make sense to have them going 60mph if the tech is safe, why not 120?
        Virtual realities will enable you to mentally float around in space, or do whatever the hell you want, and with no risk at all
        think how much money a sporty car costs you at least 200-400 grand, but you can simulate 90% of that feeling with only 10,000$ worth of simulators, screens, and other technical junk right now, and the experiences are getting more intense with virtual reality ETC
        imagine NEED for Speed VR , its gonna be good, or look at third person view in GTA5
        that is the abundance technology will give us all, it will be a world of haves, the cheap ass chips computer tech will give us any experience we can dream up, and it will all be cheap
        We will look back at 2015 is a nightmare just as most of us look back as 1950 as a nightmare
        this is why you have to be aggressive and take care of your health and be into-self improvement, and longevity research, and also turn off the male-hamster of doom, just admit it
        the future is going to be a million times better than now.. the excuses to say it will suck are bitter and beta

    3. Bloody hell did no one teach you about brevity? You know, given the scarcity of time and everything. Btw, can you tell me what you mean by “millionaire”?

  11. Sure, “eating well” sounds good, but what does it entail? Which foods should one eat? There are hundreds of different opinions on this matter.

    1. Eating well means NOT eating processed foods, foods with sugar, fried foods, foods high in trans fat.

      1. yeah, eat all the veggie shakes you want you aren’t going to turn off ageing genes,
        there is evidence to suggest that too many veggie shakes damage your body because plants produce natural carcinogens especially with all the GMO, don’t over-do it
        go and find me a 150 year old who ate plants and took their vitamins, ah,.,, they don’t exist?
        Our exercise and diet will help our health-spans but until we have serious technology to undo aging and programmed eventual health decline, it’s a losing battle
        advocating for longevity is just as important as all the steps you take to increase your life-span

        1. Veggies have all kinds of toxins in them to protect them. Our bodies can negate the toxins but excessive juicing, especially the kind that filter out a lot of the fiber, could really tax your system.

      2. Some guys may find a cheat meal here and there is a good way to get in calories. Clean food is not always the most energy dense. It Can also give the digestive track a break eating by dirty food, because oats and other Super bodybuilding foods are very filling and high in fibre.

        1. “Clean food is not always the most energy dense.”
          There’s nothing “dirty” about ghee.
          “Super bodybuilding foods are . . .”
          Beef and eggs.

        2. Your digestive track does not need a break by eating dirty food. That is broscience.

      1. Not necessarily. If you’re strength athlete who is trying to gain muscle muscle mass and get stronger, you will need those carbohydrates.
        A person who is lean can eat more carbs since leaner people have better nutrient partitioning abilities compared to fat people.
        A low carb diet is useful if your aim is body recomposition.
        There is a useful table in the “Summing Up” section:
        http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/how-many-carbohydrates-do-you-need.html/

        1. Yeah ok. So it depends on your goal. If you want to be super massive you perhaps need another diet. LCHF stills allow you to grow decent muscles though, and it will remove you body fat better than anything I’ve seen so far. So the end result is you getting slim with nice muscle tone.
          I don’t want to look like some of those fools in Jersey Shore anyway, they are buff, but it’s like a mirage. There’s no substance at all behind it. Of course they probably do everything wrong and many depends on roids anyway.

        2. Depends on what you define as “super massive”. That look you often see in bodybuilding magazines is only attainable with the use of PEDs. A natural trainier will never achieve that look, no matter what diet is applied.
          Many guys comment that they want to train but don’t want to get too big. If you are a natural trainer you will never look like that so it is a moot point really. On top of that, most do not even have the discipline and willpower to reach their natural potential anyway. It is like saying “I want to start my own business but I don’t want to become too successful.”

        3. “I want to start my own business but I don’t want to become too successful.”
          That’s a perfect analogy, I have to steal this.

    3. That depends what your goals are, what stage of your training you are at, what your current body composition is. You are not going to find this advice in an article the authour has been paid $20 for and is the 10th he has written on the subject.

      1. You know what, I’ve been harsh on the authour there. He outlines the basics pretty well and provides links. Anyone in doubt should go and buy Starting Strength, read that.

  12. This article is mostly bullshit without discussing the ANABOLIC Game that these guys play.
    No matter how hard you “workout”, you will never be large and shredded like these guys.
    They usually are taking an oral (Winnie or Anavar), Test and Trenbolone. They often couple this with HGH and insulin. They often add a stimulant such as Thyroxine, Clenbuterol or even Cocaine to “lean” out even more. Right before “competitions” they take Lasix or Aldactone to “lean out”.
    This isn’t even mentioning the “adjuvant” medications such as bHCG to keep the nuts going, Arimidex as an anti estrogen due to testosterone, etc.
    You can never achieve the level of leanness and muscle development without the drugs.

    1. Does the picture of the author look like he’s giving advice to people juiced to the gills?
      Did you actually read point 5?

      1. The pictures of the guys in 5 are clearly on those drugs.
        Arnold was known to be on steroids as well.

        1. Certainly, as an example of people you should not be comparing yourself to:
          “Unless you want to compromise your health and take steroids . . .”

        2. Ok well show a dude that has a natural physique then as a model, that would help more.

  14. Arnold must have been having an off day w/ only 100ish lbs. on there & screaming for mercy, lol

  15. I don’t understand why every article on fitness has to feature these plodding circus freaks. Well, at least Arnold was lean all year and could do an easy jog, but modern bodybuilders are just dysfunctional and mentally ill IMO.

  17. I was waiting for such a long time for ROK to post something like this ..just so I can put the fitness industry on blast. All those youtube fitness models (Jeff Sied, Chris Jones, Vince G, Kali Muscle etc) and other IFBB Pros all take some sort of steroids. IT is nearly impossible to attain those physiques. I’m tired of those dooshbags claiming to be natural fooling beta ass men that you can achieve their looks. I found a really good site that compares “natural bodybuilders” to steroid users… red pill shit ->
    http://nattyornot.com/chris-jones-physiques-greatness-steroids/

  18. People who want good advice should just watch Elliot Hulse’s channel on Youtube

  19. Could I get bigger using adjustable dumbells. Sorry I have a small space with not a lot of space and I can’t afford a gym membership.

  20. I love to lift. I wish other dudes would believe me when I say lifting is awesome. They give me a bit of meh. Then the shirt comes off at the beach and jaws drop. I was always skinny, crappy eater, sucked at sports. Now I have been lifting solid for more than 2 years only (I am 35) and boy what a difference eating a lot and lifting heavy makes. Actually eating cleaner and more is cheaper than all the rubbish I used to go through. My weak points – don’t always lift 3 times a week (wife, kids, business), still do too many beers (wife, kids, business) and not enough cardio – no excuses, just hate it.

  21. Thanks! I was a weak man,but after following all the program’s advice on nutrition,training and recovery to the letter I was able to make size and strength gains faster than I ever imagined possible,see my review of it:>bestfitnessandmusclebuilding(dot)com/ms2<I am SURE you will benefit a lot!

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