The idolatry of nerds ("pencilnecks") has infected the bodybuilding and fitness space

[Carl-Richard]

55 minutes ago, Vali2003 said:

@Carl-Richard So the notion of “pushing yourself,” doesn’t exist in your vocabulary then?

Pushing myself is fun to me. But it’s not what I’d usually call listening to my body. Maybe we have a difference of definitions here.

"Listen to your body" as opposed to listen to your abstract mind imposing abstract ideas and limitations onto your lifting. Then notions like "slow the eccentric", "pause at the bottom", "slowww slowww slowww" disappear and all that is left is the primal explosivity of your muscle fibers and the instinctive drive to push those muscle fibers until failure. And of course, there is a point where "pushing yourself" seems like a mental thing where you try to push the body beyond its current limits, but that's a much more primal thing than "🤓☝️ we are approaching 2 reps in reserve".

 

1 hour ago, Vali2003 said:

it seems like what I said kinda triggered you though? I said it more in a fun kinda way and didn’t intend it to be received like this. 

I talk like a meathead when I talk about lifting. Deal with it

[Vali2003]

1 hour ago, Carl-Richard said:

"Listen to your body" as opposed to listen to your abstract mind imposing abstract ideas and limitations onto your lifting. Then notions like "slow the eccentric", "pause at the bottom", "slowww slowww slowww" disappear and all that is left is the primal explosivity of your muscle fibers and the instinctive drive to push those muscle fibers until failure. And of course, there is a point where "pushing yourself" seems like a mental thing where you try to push the body beyond its current limits, but that's a much more primal thing than "🤓☝️ we are approaching 2 reps in reserve".

 

You’re definitely right about the tendency to over-intelectualize lifting in regard to RIR. It can be useful to be strategic about systemic fatigue though, if you have joint pain (especially over several weeks of training).

I think it’s less relevant for controlling the eccentric and ROM. You imagine controlling the eccentric as some slow ass shit, but - for me at least - it just means controlling the weight instead of letting gravity do the work. This doesn’t contradict the primal vibe you mean. I’d say you probably train like this, actually - I may be wrong, of course. 

With the more extreme ROM’s, like with Mike’s barbell rows for example, it most definitely eliminates the primal energy. With squats and deadlifts it also takes all the primal energy out. But with bench press for example, I don’t think it’s a problem. 

[Vali2003]

I care more about getting athletic and improving my movement quality anyway nowadays. Don’t do weightlifting anymore. 

 

Edited Sunday at 04:28 PM by Vali2003

[Carl-Richard]

On 26.10.2025 at 5:23 PM, Vali2003 said:

You’re definitely right about the tendency to over-intelectualize lifting in regard to RIR. It can be useful to be strategic about systemic fatigue though, if you have joint pain (especially over several weeks of training).

I would think high volume low intensity training is actually worse for this (with respect to joints). I believe Mr. Mike has commented on this.

 

On 26.10.2025 at 5:23 PM, Vali2003 said:

I think it’s less relevant for controlling the eccentric and ROM. You imagine controlling the eccentric as some slow ass shit, but - for me at least - it just means controlling the weight instead of letting gravity do the work. This doesn’t contradict the primal vibe you mean. I’d say you probably train like this, actually - I may be wrong, of course.

For you, yes, but for Mike, he has explictly said the words "slowww slowww slowww" when coaching a guest with his masochistic techniques, and I did not register that as merely not letting the weights free fall.

There is an element of controlling the weight in my lifting (and really any lifting), but it's not about "slowww slowww slowww" (except maybe for the very end of the set if I'm doing microreps at the stretch). Controlling the weight for me is about feeling like the weights are under control and not unstable (and also applying more steady pressure to the muscle). For example, if you do dumbell presses and your movement is absolutely unhinged — you bounce and wobble the weight, symmetry suffers, etc. — then that's a safety concern and it just feels better to be more controlled.

 

On 26.10.2025 at 5:23 PM, Vali2003 said:

With the more extreme ROM’s, like with Mike’s barbell rows for example, it most definitely eliminates the primal energy. With squats and deadlifts it also takes all the primal energy out. But with bench press for example, I don’t think it’s a problem. 

Mike's incline smith benches are still giving the anal-clenching vibes.

Edited Monday at 10:13 PM by Carl-Richard