Has John done something bad recently? I’m out of the loop.
My impression is he’s publishing articles (two of which are on this site) about how he coached himself to lose 100+ lbs and still squat heavy, ignoring that he actually had well-respected coaches along the way. One of those coaches, I believe, is @The_Mighty_Stu, so we get a first-hand account.
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Given how long he has frequented these forums, gave out tons of advice, and even took part in the old Biotest lab rat experiments, he should be getting articles published on here himself. Oh, and having to take all that unwarranted crap from Paul Carter.
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Yep! Worked with him for a while, and he dropped a ton of weight. I have all the emails, with photos and bodyfat measurements and texts to prove it (it’s why he couldn’t sue me despite sending nasty threatening texts to my wife insinuating that he was going to… damn assclown). We had a deal that I’d help him, because he couldn’t do it on his own, and had even failed repeatedly after enlisting “help” from several other powerlifters he knew the years before. Then, after giving me nods when he posted progress, I’d let him take the byline in an articles detailing all the “bodybuilding” tricks he had learned from me, and how he had incorporated them into his program.
Months went by, and after repeatedly failing to give me any public credit (and a bunch of people started calling him out on his social media - he’d have to erase messages every day), I cut him off and made it public knowledge in a few places. THat’s when a whole slew of very respected names/coaches/pros in powerlifting all reached out to me with insanely crazy stories about how they had been screwed over or backstabbed as well.
A few weeks later, he started trying to hold seminars on weight loss! Seriously?! Some people have no shame. (I have the screen shots -lol)
There’s another big reason why other fitness sites have cleared all his old articles from their libraries, which I won’t mention on here, but let’s just say that I’m surprised TN, a site I’ve been on since 1998 has no issue giving him any publicity, regardless of the fact that he stabbed me in the back, and I used to feel that I was a respected and valuable member on here.
S
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Clown dick
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The introduction of that besmirchment was under unfortunate circumstance, but sometimes it just works. For JG, it’s like peanut butter is to jelly. Applied with a spatula. To a hoagie bun.
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He’s going to do a bodybuilding show?
Can we collectively do something to make @The_Mighty_Stu become an “author” for TN? If he wants it…
Everyone would benefit from it given the quality of the content he posted here.
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Ughh I’ll never understand how people can do this kind of shit
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If @The_Mighty_Stu ever published anything I’d buy it in a heart beat. If it turns out to be about his art, bodybuilding, or life philosophy it’d still be something I want to read. So I second this. A verified check-mark like the one I’ve noticed CT and Darden has (Wendler also, presumably) would be most apt IMHO.
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I am puzzled from someone thinking they can continue pulling fast ones on several people in a niche field and in the day of rapid communication, in which word spreads like wildfire.
It’s obviously not news here that Stu and I are close friends and that I can confirm he is a great guy of his word who bends over backwards for his friends and clients. When he coached me, I was actually surprised how much time he could invest in me while having so much else to do with his time. We’re talking very detailed coaching.
I actually first met Stu at JG’s seminar where he spoke.
So I was caught off guard at the time JG ghosted him after coaching had begun and there was no mention of Stu as indicated in their deal. That is very upsetting to do to someone.
I also gave another friend, another good guy, who was shafted by JG.
At the times I met JG he was helpful and friendly. So I at first found it peculiar that he does these sorts of things to some good people.
It wouldn’t have been hard at all and it would have been highly beneficial to him socially and financially to keep these good people around especially that he managed to get connected to highly regarded people.
I hope he stops doing this. No one looks down on people showing where and who they got help or knowledge and instruction from. I think they respect it and it makes someone seem relatable.
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Being an online ‘guru’ should make it not surprising that someone is living a lie, but it seems pretty wild in light of all of this that JG would be allowed to post a thread here detailing all of HIS fat loss work while there’s proof that it was mostly Stu.
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Yeah, I guess that’s something that’s pretty offensive IMO. This site is a business, and they run articles from authors with difference backgrounds, opinions, etc etc, but, at the end of the day, you assume that their is some type of vetting process, as they’re being paid for their “work” and you’re using them to represent your site.
In this case, the guy is a complete fraud.
-Selling/publishing articles based on the work of others (uncredited of course)
-Coaching and programing templates stolen (bought!) from others and presented as his own (and was busted and called out on it multiple times)
-Accomplishments (debatable) solely when being instructed/coached/guided by established and experienced experts (again, uncredited!)
-Lying about coaching accomplished athletes (paying them monthly fees for use of their names in your social media and articles)
This isn’t someone I would think it qualified to represent any type of expert, coach, author, anyone who should be respected let alone listened to.
Yeah, I’m biased, but I’ll admit it. Everything I just listed is common knowledge among most people in the sport and fitness community.
S
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Your not implying that the fitness industry has a ugly underbelly?
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Like this?
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Not what I was meaning… 
I was speaking figuratively…but if you want to be literal? Who am I to protest?
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Thanks for the lovely visual while I"m drinking my coffee. In any other circumstance I’d comment how it’s unfair to make fun of anyone’s appearance, but we all understand why I’ll never defend this clown.
I think anyone who has been around this industry knows how scummy some individuals can be. That’s not saying everyone in it is a horrible person, but in this case, I don’t think you’ll find anyone who would say otherwise (unless they have something to gain by their association with JG - or maybe they’re being paid monthly like certain “elite” lifters -lol).
People get duped. I assume no one falls prey intentionally, but this type of repeated behavior is intentional, no doubt. The list of people who would line up with similar stories would blow your mind. Even those who have fallen for his line of BS,… When I first publicly acknowledged his outright BS/Fraud/Stealing etc etc, I got a couple of emails saying that even though what he had done was unquestionably unethical and just wrong, he was still a “good guy” who didn’t deserve to be publicly outed. Well, a few months down the line, out of nowhere I started receiving DM’s from the same people who had initially defended this piece of garbage. Surprise, they now had even worse stories than I did! (again, I won’t outright say what type of allegations have been repeatedly made against him, but it’s pretty easy to find out)
There’s a reason he’s disrespected, disliked, and 99% of fitness/powerlifting sites won’t touch him or his articles.
S
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I’m no fan of Gaglione and I understand why you aren’t too happy with him, but as for this article he doesn’t say anywhere that he coached himself to lose all this weight and keep his lifts up. He also mentions working with a coach, saying that even coaches need coaches. So while all the criticisms of him seem to be totally warranted and publishing his articles is a somewhat questionable decision, I don’t really see anything wrong with this one article.
At the same time, being a fat blob like that and having trouble losing weight really gives the impression that he couldn’t control his appetite. Nobody gets that fat by accident, and it would take a ton of food (probably junk mostly) to maintain that size. Getting fat for powerlifting because you are stronger at that size is one thing, but being a morbidly obese strength coach doesn’t make much sense. He had the strength to squat 800, but not enough to put down the box of donuts.
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There’s much more to his portrayal of himself than just his article. I actually know Cody. He’s a good guy, personal trainer from my old gym. As a trainer trying to make a name for himself, he’s doing what most people would, offering to help anyone with any type of following. Cody knows the backstory and is making what he sees as a business decision, and I don’t begrudge him that. Heck, we just exchanged texts a few days ago.
John didn’t thank Him on his own social media, Cody had to do it, tagging JG himself! Hell, That’s why I originally posted this thread, because John wouldn’t acknowledge all my coaching on any of his own outlets, even when people asked him, so I was subtly hoping he’d see this and do what he agreed to.
Regarding the first/before picture:
I have a lot of respect for Gaglione. Thanks to him I’m a more tolerant person today than I used to be.
Back in the day, if I saw an obese guy walking down the street I would think to myself or maybe even comment to my buddies " lol look at that fat piece of shit".
Then JG’s articles started popping up here on T-Nation, with his picture, and my thinking evolved to “maybe he’s an athlete of John Gaglione’s caliber” whenever I saw an obese dude.
On the other hand I never cared what he had to say because if I wanted to look like that I would just stuff my face while watching Netflix. Probably even skip the gym to reach my goals faster.