would you take advice from a skinny guy?

**helium3** · 05-07-2006, 03:00 AM

how many of you would turn your nose up at training advice given to you buy someone half your size,i once tried to share some training knowledge with a big guy at the gym,he wasnt impressed,would you take it as an offence? are you too big to take advice?

**Kale** · 05-07-2006, 03:03 AM

If it sounds like he knows what he is talking about why not. I have also had advice from some huge guys which I laughed at. I would depend a loy on how he presented. If he came across like a smart ass I would wipe him on the spot, as I would a big guy.

Most coaches of super atheletes look nothing like super athelets thats for sure.

**MilitiaGuy** · 05-07-2006, 03:04 AM

size doesnt matter in training and knowledge issues, look at the football caoches and trainers some of them are skinny or fat but they know the game and they lead the team, same thing in the army its not mandatory for the officer to be in the fitness and endurance of a surgeant or a soldier yet he can run a base.

**chest6** · 05-07-2006, 04:15 AM

Just depends. Can pretty much spot good advice when I hear it

**farrebarre** · 05-07-2006, 04:41 AM

define skinny, if he is smaller than me, but still trained just less mass then sure if its sound advice its cool. if the guy is really skinny then i must be doing something right, i just shake my head and keep doing what i do.

**marcus300** · 05-07-2006, 04:47 AM

depends on the advice given and if he had years of experience

**1buffsob** · 05-07-2006, 04:55 AM

Originally Posted by marcus300

depends on the advice given and if he had years of experience

Ditto.

1buffsob

**Timm1704** · 05-07-2006, 05:22 AM

like marcus said, depends on the advice. if he seems to know what he is talking about, and comes across well, then yes ofcourse. i have enough training and physiology knowledge to know if something is logical or not. good point about the football coaches, the guy who was the instructor for our personal training course, he knew his shit, but was really, really out of shape and fat. he knew all the things he needed to do to get back inshape, but i guess he just wasnt wanting to

**Katelette81** · 05-07-2006, 05:32 AM

I've never really been offered advice... of course I"m not big like you guys.. but I've befriended a couple trainers (only because I'm there so damn much) who periodically will give me tips which is nice. When I first started working out I would watch the big guys and other women as well to learn new techniques and exercises which was cool because I learned a lot and theywould usually see and explain or help me out which always surprised me.. I've only ever given advice if I've been asked,and it's usually just how do you use this machine, or what does that exercise work on...
But more on the topic I odn't think being skinny isn't necessarily out of shape and there are scientists and pros out there that know a lot about the body etc. . it would probably not be bad to listen to what they had to say and then judge....I don't know why people are going around offering advice though if they aren't asked.. I could never do that

**king diamond** · 05-07-2006, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by helium3

how many of you would turn your nose up at training advice given to you buy someone half your size,i once tried to share some training knowledge with a big guy at the gym,he wasnt impressed,would you take it as an offence? are you too big to take advice?

99.9% of the people that train are so ego driven they won't listen to advice from anyone! they are more or less immune to advice from almost anyone....they couldnt imagine that someone on this planet could possible know more than them about lifting!! even the scrawny little know nothing little fvcks that are so god damn new they are reading the instructions they post by every machine that tells you what muscles the machine works....even they are too ego driven to learn something new....or right is more like it.

**Katelette81** · 05-07-2006, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by king diamond

99.9% of the people that train are so ego driven they won't listen to advice from anyone! they are more or less immune to advice from almost anyone....they couldnt imagine that someone on this planet could possible know more than them about lifting!! even the scrawny little know nothing little fvcks that are so god damn new they are reading the instructions they post by every machine that tells you what muscles the machine works....even they are too ego driven to learn something new....or right is more like it.

Tell us how you really feel King...

j/k

**Oki-Des** · 05-07-2006, 07:29 AM

I think it all depends on how the person approches another person. Obviously size does not necissarily mean better form. I have seen plenty of genetically better sized people lifting with terrible form. I did not say anything because I knew they would take offense. Especially since they were already larger than me. If anyone has people telling them they are doing something wrong, you should listen, even if it makes you angry. You dont have to do what they say, but at least try to figure out why they would say something to begin with. There is always a slim chance they do know what they were talking about.

**SwoleCat** · 05-07-2006, 07:34 AM

I find myself laughing at the "advice" people give to me in the gym.
Hasn't happened in a very long time, but when I used to overhear people telling others what to do, or telling me what they do and that I should try it, etc., freakin' hilarious some of them.

~SC~

**Carlos_E** · 05-07-2006, 07:44 AM

I'm of the belief, practice what you preach. If some fat or skinny guy came up to me giving me advice I'd say why should I do it. Doesn't seem to work for you.

**SwoleCat** · 05-07-2006, 07:45 AM

Precisely.

~SC~

**Pooks** · 05-07-2006, 07:55 AM

I have always gotten 10fold better advice from people that were stronger than me, than from people that are weaker.

We tend to look at superstars as RoleModels anyways.
these guys know waht they're doing. Debating them at the subject would be dumb.

**SwoleCat** · 05-07-2006, 08:24 AM

Here's my response from a copy/paste from the diet forum. Some rather clue-less individual was questioning me as to whether or not it matters what you look like when you are a trainer/coach/idol/figure/etc. I am in CAPS and he's asking the rhetorical idiotic questions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

you are saying you have to be in shape to be respected?

YOU DON'T "HAVE" TO BE, BUT ANYONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT REAL WORLD BUSINESS AND LOOKING THE PART (ME) KNOWS THAT IT HELPS YOUR BUSINESS TENFOLD. BEING WELL EDUCATED IS ONE THING, ACTUALLY PUTTING THAT INTO PRACTICE CREATES AN ENTIRELY NEW/DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL. ONE WHO CAN RELATE TO THOSE HE HELPS, NOT JUST HAVE "READ" ABOUT WHAT THEY MAY BE EXPERIENCING. THE BOTTOM LINE THAT I KNEW LONG AGO, BUT IS CONFIRMED NOW THROUGH 5 YEARS OF THIS, IS THAT HOW YOU LOOK HAS EVERYTHING TO DO W/THOSE THAT HIRE YOUR AND WISH TO WORK W/YOU. YOU YOURSELF AND THOSE THAT YOU IN TURN GET INTO SHAPE, THOSE ARE YOUR "IDOLS" IF YOU WILL AND THE "PROOF" THAT PEOPLE SEE. THEN THEN SAY, "SHIT, THIS GUY REALLY KNOWS HIS SHIT".

THEY NOW KNOW THAT I KNOW MY SHIT REGARDLESS OF HOW I LOOK, BUT U THINK I'M GOING TO GET LAZY AND NOT LOOK THE PART? THAT'S NOT ME, NEVER WILL BE, AND IT'S NO EXCUSE FOR OTHER TRAINERS TO NOT BE IN TERRIFIC SHAPE AS WELL. THE OLD ADAGE, "A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS", MAN, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE TRUE. THE SAYING "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" IS ALSO VERY TRUE.

SO YES, IMAGE IS VERY VALUABLE, THOSE WHO SAY IT'S NOT ARE EXTREMELY CLUELESS. IGRNORANT EITHER BY NOT HAVING EXPERIENCED BEING IN SHAPE, OR OTHERWISE, BUT IT'S CLUELESS NONE-THE-LESS.

i am saying you have to have knowledge to be respected. is every soccer coach a great soccer player?
---------------------------------------------------------------------

ME IN CLOSING OUT OF CAPS/OUT OF THE QUOTE:

In closing, yes, knowledge earns respect for sure. Pictures earn respect and also burn an image into the head's of those who view them. I'll take a burn over an earn anyday, especially when the earn is already quite full.

~SC~

**MilitiaGuy** · 05-07-2006, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Carlos_E

I'm of the belief, practice what you preach. If some fat or skinny guy came up to me giving me advice I'd say why should I do it. Doesn't seem to work for you.

this is wrong logic because the skinny or the smaller guy may have bad genetics yet he is practising what he preach.

**Carlos_E** · 05-07-2006, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by MilitiaGuy

this is wrong logic because the skinny or the smaller guy may have bad genetics yet he is practising what he preach.

Then he should use a different approach to work around his genetic limits. Still would not take his advice.

**GQ-Bouncer** · 05-07-2006, 11:38 AM

I find it insulting for someone to come up to me and give me advice, like most men, i hate being told what to do - I interpret it as "Your Stupid, and I'm Better than you"

Now, having said that, when I first started working out, I did once politely ask for advice - I asked a football guy if he would please show me how he was doing his deadlifts. (he was doing deadlifts already) and he was very polite and told me all the main points.

Even when i see people grossly working out improperly I would never bother them. In turn, i don't like to be spoken to - When doing benchpress, I pyramid my sets, so my 3rd set I will be doing 3-4 reps of 315 (3 plates) - I absolutley hate it when people just go out of there way to go spot me w/o even asking (though i understand there intentions are good, i intrepret it as "Oh, this guy is to weak to take care of himself".... even though i'm positive that they're intrepretation of me is much different than what I think)

**Polska** · 05-07-2006, 12:00 PM

I've always kept an open mind, i.e, the guy skinnier than me might know of an exercise he found out about from a guy that's bigger than me, etc.

I wouldn't go out of my way to give training advice to a guy bigger than I am though. Unless he asked for it, and that has never happened.

**helium3** · 05-07-2006, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Carlos_E

I'm of the belief, practice what you preach. If some fat or skinny guy came up to me giving me advice I'd say why should I do it. Doesn't seem to work for you.

interesting point!

i think when it comes to a buisness point of view and your body is part of that buisness,your body would be a marketing tool the more attractive the product the more likely people are to put their money behind it.however i wouldnt turn down good advice just on looks.but i think you get to a stage when you know your own body and how it responds to certain stimili.

**king diamond** · 05-07-2006, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Carlos_E

Then he should use a different approach to work around his genetic limits. Still would not take his advice.

prime example

**king diamond** · 05-07-2006, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Katelette81

Tell us how you really feel King...

j/k

yea aahh my bad went too far,

**Katelette81** · 05-07-2006, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by king diamond

yea aahh my bad went too far,

Nah .. I thought it was funny.. LOL, i like it when people rant.

I think if someone were to offer me advice I would definnitely listen towhat they had to say, don't have anything to lose and i think it owuld be rude not to. And since I live at my gym I wouldn't wnt to offend anyone or get a bad rap.;.

**Carlos_E** · 05-07-2006, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by king diamond

99.9% of the people that train are so ego driven they won't listen to advice from anyone! they are more or less immune to advice from almost anyone....they couldnt imagine that someone on this planet could possible know more than them about lifting!! even the scrawny little know nothing little fvcks that are so god damn new they are reading the instructions they post by every machine that tells you what muscles the machine works....even they are too ego driven to learn something new....or right is more like it.

Originally Posted by Carlos_E

I'm of the belief, practice what you preach. If some fat or skinny guy came up to me giving me advice I'd say why should I do it. Doesn't seem to work for you.

Originally Posted by king diamond

prime example

You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Why would I take someone's advice when I can look at them and SEE they haven't used it themselves. It's not about ego. Proof is in action not word.

**cfiler** · 05-07-2006, 09:28 PM

It depends. If it's something like "I wouldn't stand there, the ceiling looks like it's about to cave in" I'd listen to them. If it was something like "You should shop at GNC" I'd totally ignore them. You can generally tell right away if someone has something productive to tell you.

In regards to advice about training or diet I would not listen to them.

One time I was told "You know that body builders take Estrogen to help them train. It allows them to train muscles that they normally can't. That's why bodybuilders nuts shrink."

**MrMeathead** · 05-07-2006, 09:30 PM

I was in this situation the other day when a guy half my size came up to me tapping me on the shoulder while he sees me listening to my ipod getting ready for my next set in between my sets of squats telling me how I should do this and that. It really pissed me off. It is insulting in a way by basically telling me I do not know what im doing. I definately agree with Carlos E on practicing what you preach IMO.

***Narkissos*** · 05-07-2006, 09:41 PM

I dunno why someone would offer unsolicited advise in any case.. so yes i'd take offense if it was given.

Has nothing to do with who it is.. or why.

For someone to see me doing something and take it upon themselves to walk up to me.. with no knowledge of me; my training history; goals.. or even WHY i'm doing what i'm doing... and offer me advise.. They'd get put on immediate ignore.

I was at work.. in full clothing.

A guy who was a former bodybuilder walks up to me and tells me "i can't see your legs but i think you should deadlift."

I'm bottom heavy for those that don't know.

He can't see my back.. but claims i have no lats and i should chin.

He then goes tru all the exercises i should do.. assuming that i'm not doing them already.

Then he goes on the subject of posing... I felt stuffing him in a can filled with piss.

Unsolicited advice =shit

Narkissos

**C_Bino** · 05-07-2006, 10:17 PM

Swole, I remember that thread man. I went in there and was cracking up for a while...

**USfighterFC** · 05-07-2006, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Carlos_E

I'm of the belief, practice what you preach. If some fat or skinny guy came up to me giving me advice I'd say why should I do it. Doesn't seem to work for you.

In terms of weight lifting I dont know, but one of my Sambo instructors was a fat out of shape smoker who in my mind is one of the top 3 trainers I have EVER had in the 15 years I've been practicing. HE trained me for 3 months and took my ass to the finals in a year that heavily favored for Russians. Its hard to take people like that seriously but i wouldnt write them off so quickly.

**SwoleCat** · 05-08-2006, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by C_Bino

Swole, I remember that thread man. I went in there and was cracking up for a while...

It was ridiculous man.......some people brutha, some people.

Elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor that's for sure.

~SC~

**1buffsob** · 05-08-2006, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

It was ridiculous man.......some people brutha, some people.

Elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor that's for sure.

~SC~

That was a good thread. Shut the little prick up real quick.

Still waiting on those pics.

1buffsob

**SwoleCat** · 05-08-2006, 08:26 AM

Pics that he will never produce of course.

~SC~

**stayinstacked** · 05-08-2006, 09:22 AM

As far as training advice and/or nutritional advice, I hardly take anything from anybody anymore. I've been in this game long enough to know what works for me and how my body responds to it. I've basically tried so much different shit I know what to do to get to where I want to be. However, I'm always open to supplementation.