Anyone can talk about how hard they train. Words are just words. The truth is, the guys who actually push as hard as what we are talking about in this forum would likely be seen as marginally insane in a regular gym filled with soccer moms and overly fat accountants on exercise bikes.
They get up and hit the gym when other people are sleeping…and they go hard when other people would have taken a day off.
Knowing that “hardcore” is more about action than words spoken, is it even possible to put that level of commitment into words?
What describes “hardcore”…and why is it seen as a bad thing lately?
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Anyone can talk about how hard they train. Words are just words. The truth is, the guys who actually push as hard as what we are talking about in this forum would likely be seen as marginally insane in a regular gym filled with soccer moms and overly fat accountants on exercise bikes.
They get up and hit the gym when other people are sleeping…and they go hard when other people would have taken a day off.
Knowing that “hardcore” is more about action than words spoken, is it even possible to put that level of commitment into words?
What describes “hardcore”…and why is it seen as a bad thing lately?[/quote]
Hardcore to me is watching those whose training is approaching insane levels of drive and far beyond the average lifter. Training hard and if you are a bodybuilder diet to insane levels of bodyfat while keeping up the intensity is my idea of hardcore. To see bodybuilders training for a show when their strength levels are severely compromised but still training like monsters.
When I think of hardcore, I think of atmosphere. The kind of atmosphere that will be impossible to replicate in a normal gym. You don’t NEED that level of “hardcore” to make gains. I crack up watching Konstantinovs or Zydrunas, because they have a bunch of vids of them deadlifting like 900lbs in a fucking 24 hour fitness gym or something lol. But in general, I think it creates a great environment for someone to get strong and see what hard training really is.
For example a while back I recall being at my gym with my two training partners, and there were at least 3 other powerlifters there. Squats, bench, and deadlifts were all being done simultaneously by various people. There was a cloud of chalk dust in the air, vile music was blasting from the speakers, the deadlift bar was draped in chains and literally covered with blood and all around people were going nuts smashing fucking weights.
I guess you were talking more about hardcore dedication though. If I may confess something, I have actually taken sick days off of work, because of how awful I felt, but I still went to the gym. I haven’t missed a workout in nearly a year now. I have a membership at two gyms, one is the “hardcore” gym and the other is a 24/7/365 commercial place. I have to keep that one in case I can’t get to the good gym in time or in case it’s closed for a holiday. You can bet I’m at the 24 hour gym on Christmas Eve. Sometimes I’ve had to go there at 2 or 3 in the morning to do what I wanted to do. Sometimes the other gym would be closing and I’d be the only one left, so I’d have to leave and go to the commercial gym to finish. For the past 12 weeks I’ve been doing volume based training, which takes a very, very long time. I am at the gym for anywhere between 3-4 hours at a time, four days a week. I take a late lunch break, go home to let the dog out, go back to work, and as soon as the work day is over I head straight to the gym for 3+ hours and get home at 8 or 9 something. On my rest days and in my free time at home on training days as well I will use bands and dumbbells to train arms and accessory work that I don’t have time for at the gym in addition to mobility work. For example I try to do at least 100 facepulls every day.
Not trying to brag obviously. In fact I should probably be ashamed at how weak I still am given how hard I’ve been training lol. Regardless, if I told “normal people” everything I just wrote, they would probably think I was literally batshit insane.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Anyone can talk about how hard they train. Words are just words. The truth is, the guys who actually push as hard as what we are talking about in this forum would likely be seen as marginally insane in a regular gym filled with soccer moms and overly fat accountants on exercise bikes.
They get up and hit the gym when other people are sleeping…and they go hard when other people would have taken a day off.
Knowing that “hardcore” is more about action than words spoken, is it even possible to put that level of commitment into words?
What describes “hardcore”…and why is it seen as a bad thing lately?[/quote]
Basically, no matter how you train, there is some training method that is harder and more effective than what you’re doing. (I don’t mean everything that’s harder is therefore more effective, i’m just saying hypothetically, a method does exist).
Now, the non-hardcore trainees won’t do it. They don’t care what’s more effective, they care what’s harder, and they want to do the easier thing. The hardcore trainees will do it. They don’t care what’s harder. All they care about is what’s more effective. A lot of times these guys have bad information and they do things they think are effective even though they’re not.
There is more of learning curve for the hardcore trainees as well, considering their priorities. It is very easy to figure out which training methods are hard or not. But it takes a lot of time to figure which ones are effectve.
You can see this sort of dichotomy in every aspect of training. Consider steroids. How many times has someone taken steroids to make gains that would’ve been naturally achievable, fucked up their PCT, lost everything, and then vilified steroid users? Its happened more than once, I personally know people like this. But they differ than people that use correctly, because the former wanted an easy fix, the latter, after years of hard work doing what they believed was effective, and after hitting what they sensed was their natural barrier, they did what they thought was necessary
When i see skinny dudes at the gym carrying gallon water jugs and sleeveless shirts I think of people trying to be hardcore. When i see a dude busting his ass, sweating and grinding at the gym I think peer.
[quote]browndisaster wrote:
IMO
-posting on lifting forums
-cycling preworkouts
-taking instagram mirror shots[/quote]
Nothing’s as hardcore as creatine.[/quote]
Yeah, I don’t f*** with that. I stick to insulin mainly. It’s near impossible to get the fast carbs timed with the creatine properly. Plus you don’t always know what’s made in German labs or in Chinese factories anymore.
i was at the gym and this old man came in and started racking the bar for some squats, when i realised he was only doing one plate so i got in his face and laughed so fukking hard, he just smiled, i backed off because the cretin had a look in his eye like he was gonna try and tug my shaft if i got any closer ( mincing phaggot ). so i sat back and watched him watching for him to squat so that i could critique his form but guess what, the bald old kunt started to stretch lmao, but in all seriousness this pissed me right off off , i needed to use the squat rack for curls so i shouted
" oi, what the fukk are you doing you ghandi looking spastick "
he wimpered " im stretching young man, its good for you "
I got all up in his space pulled up my sleeves and said " fisting your wife’s anus is the only stretching i ever do "
I got tired with his back chat at this point so i grabbed him, forced him under the bar and un-racked the weight, the pussy almost collapsed but he managed to regain balance and then proceeded to squat, 1 … 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 all good form, I was going to go and congratulate him and tell him how much protein i eat on a daily basis (450 g, all from raw eggs ) , but then before my eyes the twat went for a 6th i let out a huge “U WOT MATE” but he kept going then i saw a butt-wink on his 7th rep, this was the last straw i grabbed a medicine ball shouted " Mark Rippletoe says hi mother fukker "and threw it at his knee mid squat, the phaggot went down like a speared bison, pinned under the bar he squirmed and yelled for help but it was too late he was already dead to me.
Westside. Those guys are hardcore like it’s their job.
Another name that comes to mind is Dave Tate in his younger years and Meadows, all you have to do is watch their Youtube channels and realize they still go stupid hard even in their 40’s
[quote]browndisaster wrote:
IMO
-posting on lifting forums
-cycling preworkouts
-taking instagram mirror shots[/quote]
Nothing’s as hardcore as creatine.[/quote]
Yeah, I don’t f*** with that. I stick to insulin mainly. It’s near impossible to get the fast carbs timed with the creatine properly. Plus you don’t always know what’s made in German labs or in Chinese factories anymore.
first post was funny then you fucked it up
i was at the gym and this old man came in and started racking the bar for some squats, when i realised he was only doing one plate so i got in his face and laughed so fukking hard, he just smiled, i backed off because the cretin had a look in his eye like he was gonna try and tug my shaft if i got any closer ( mincing phaggot ). so i sat back and watched him watching for him to squat so that i could critique his form but guess what, the bald old kunt started to stretch lmao, but in all seriousness this pissed me right off off , i needed to use the squat rack for curls so i shouted
" oi, what the fukk are you doing you ghandi looking spastick "
he wimpered " im stretching young man, its good for you "
I got all up in his space pulled up my sleeves and said " fisting your wife’s anus is the only stretching i ever do "
I got tired with his back chat at this point so i grabbed him, forced him under the bar and un-racked the weight, the pussy almost collapsed but he managed to regain balance and then proceeded to squat, 1 … 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 all good form, I was going to go and congratulate him and tell him how much protein i eat on a daily basis (450 g, all from raw eggs ) , but then before my eyes the twat went for a 6th i let out a huge “U WOT MATE” but he kept going then i saw a butt-wink on his 7th rep, this was the last straw i grabbed a medicine ball shouted " Mark Rippletoe says hi mother fukker "and threw it at his knee mid squat, the phaggot went down like a speared bison, pinned under the bar he squirmed and yelled for help but it was too late he was already dead to me. [/quote]
[quote]Professor X wrote:
The truth is, the guys who actually push as hard as what we are talking about in this forum would likely be seen as marginally insane in a regular gym filled with soccer moms and overly fat accountants on exercise bikes.[/quote]
This is why I never understood personal trainers who used the client’s “rate of perceived exertion” guide the session. Somebody who’s never done a heavy set of 5 squats is going to think 12 reps of rope pressdowns are a “level 9” because their arms are getting kinda burny.
In short, I think “hardcore” is a combination of consistency and intensity. Training truly hard and moving towards your goals day after day, which seems to be the consensus so far.
But like with most serious clubs, whether it’s being a hardcore lifter, having a huge dong, or having a high IQ, if you go around telling people you are, you’re probably not.
I guess you were talking more about hardcore dedication though. If I may confess something, I have actually taken sick days off of work, because of how awful I felt, but I still went to the gym. I haven’t missed a workout in nearly a year now. [/quote]
If I’m sick I actually feel better after a workout, which I think has to do with endorphin release. I don’t know of any studies, but for me, I stay sick for fewer days if I continue to work out than if I avoid the gym alltogether.
Hardcore is banshee screaming until your tonsils bleed, dropping the weight as loudly as possible, then chillaxing on the pec deck to update your status as ‘pumping’ before diving back into hell.
I train in a gym where I have to punch a whole in the wall to chaulk my hands–thats HARDCORE
I used to mix my steroids and heroin in the same rig to save time—thats HARDCORE
BEAT THAT
