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Explaining things to people with no exercise intuition

post #1 of 23
12/14/09 at 3:39pm
Thread Starter 
Have any of you guys ever come upon people who have absolutely ZERO mechanical intuition for how exercise and conditioning work? but nonetheless seem very confident about their beliefs? How do you deal with such people?

For example, I have a friend who was ranting to me the other day about how because I run, I'm destroying all the effort I put into upper body weightlifting: "you use your arms to run dude, it's a full body workout, if you run and weightlift your body is just going to morph into a scrawny runner's build" OMG, and on top of that, this guy works in the science field and is very educated, he knows about quadracepts and biceps. Another guy I know says if he does anything besides 10 sets of 2 reps, he will NEVER gain any muscle. So how do they come to believe such crap?

I've noticed in general that people are very defensive about their exercise method, and often won't even believe what their DOCTOR tells them about it. My gf for example refuses to do anything but very light hamstring work, despite my urgings that there are more muscles involved in the leg. I have a very liberal and rational approach to exercise, from years of reading about it and talking to friends in the medical field, I'm not gym nerd trying to impose orthodox beliefs on others. I try to be soft-spoken and explain how the muscles work to people, but it falls on deaf ears....
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post #2 of 23
12/14/09 at 3:47pm
I reject your truth;
your book learning and knowledge;
no value to me.

Please don't make me think
about my exercises;
don't want to be wrong.

If I'm wasting time:
so what? I still break a sweat!
sweating means I work.

If you get the urge
to show me I do it wrong:
my reply is brief.

I will close my eyes
and put fingers in my ears
la-la-la-la-la
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post #3 of 23
12/14/09 at 3:53pm
I have hired gyms for shoots. That is all I know of that of that. Bodies are flesh and blood... do they need anything bar fuel and life?
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post #4 of 23
12/14/09 at 5:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Svenn View Post
Have any of you guys ever come upon people who have absolutely ZERO mechanical intuition for how exercise and conditioning work? but nonetheless seem very confident about their beliefs? How do you deal with such people?

In Zen Buddhism, rather than trying to correct behavior with parables about sin and horror stories about hell, the Zen monk lives his life properly and demonstrates its benefits by example. Pretty much the same with exercise - when people see the results you're getting, that's when they will actually pay attention and seek out knowledge.

Of course, most will go back to their 2-rep-all-sugar-diet programs once they learn there's work and discipline involved, but nothing was going to help such people anyway.
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post #5 of 23
12/15/09 at 12:12am
Preaching to people is wasted effort in my experience, particularly with regard to diet and exercise, which tend to be emotionally entrenched.

My approach is just to work out and pay attention to good form. You do this primarily to benefit yourself, after all. If someone else benefits indirectly, so much the better.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Acéphale View Post
Bodies are flesh and blood... do they need anything bar fuel and life?

And those wonderful opioids released during physical exertion!
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post #6 of 23
12/15/09 at 9:06pm
To go along with this, I hate trying to explain an athletic movement to people with absolutely no athletic ability. While boxing yesterday, I noticed this guy flailing wildly and consistently falling off balance while using the heavy bag. His routine with the double ended bag was even more humorous. Normally I'd just ignore it and do my own thing, but then he asked me for my assistance in helping him with his form. I fixed his stance since his made no sense and then I tried teaching him the jab but he couldn't seem to manage that without cocking his arm in a weird way and almost falling backwards, not to mention fucking up the stance immediately. I gave up on that one but foolishly tried to teach him the right cross by explaining it's a full body movement, sort of "like throwing a ball". I asked him to show me a throwing motion since the movements are similar; his effort would embarass the wimpiest of girls. His right wasn't any better. Just a disaster all around. He should pick up checkers though even then he might screw something up when jumping another piece.
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post #7 of 23
12/16/09 at 3:47am
Life is so hard sometimes.
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post #8 of 23
12/16/09 at 3:37pm
I would just ignore it. Just do your own thing and disregard the rest. You will be much happier.
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post #9 of 23
12/16/09 at 5:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nil View Post
I fixed his stance since his made no sense and then I tried teaching him the jab but he couldn't seem to manage that without cocking his arm in a weird way and almost falling backwards, not to mention fucking up the stance immediately. I gave up on that one but foolishly tried to teach him the right cross by explaining it's a full body movement, sort of "like throwing a ball". I asked him to show me a throwing motion since the movements are similar; his effort would embarass the wimpiest of girls. His right wasn't any better. Just a disaster all around. He should pick up checkers though even then he might screw something up when jumping another piece.

I probably spent 3 months learning to properly kick without hurting myself.

Some people are just a little slower in some things. But weren't you there once upon a time as well?
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post #10 of 23
12/16/09 at 6:06pm
I find boxing pretty easy to teach to most people. The ones who dont get it...you hit 'em...then they learn really fast. I am friends with a party promoter here, a beginner at boxing, light sparring Tuesday night with him, makes the typical mistake of lowering his hands on recoil rather than bringing them straight back in the way they came. 'Careful dude, you do that, Imma tag you with the hook like this' (shadow throw it, don't connect, show him how to do it properly) ....next time.....'Careful dude, you do that, Imma tag you with the hook like this' (throw hook, tap jaw, show him how to do it properly) ....next time.....nail him with the hook ....next time....hand came right back into place
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post #11 of 23
12/16/09 at 6:39pm
^ Imma try this with my non-compliant patients except I will give them a heart attack. That'll show 'em!
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post #12 of 23
12/16/09 at 6:46pm
Just ignore it. People never change. The most persistent belief is that high rep/low weight lifting somehow makes you more toned.

The worst I've ever heard was that protein shakes dont "work" for certain blood types.
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post #13 of 23
12/16/09 at 7:10pm
You think exercise advice is bad. Try giving career and lifework advice. Last week when after telling an individual (who offered up no information when prompted) that figuring out what career path to follow takes time, introspection and effort, the individual blurted out, "Just tell me what to be and what to do to get there", I told him that he should be an Organ Grinder. After all, you get to work outdoors, with a monkey, and make people happy. Needless to say he was not amused.
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post #14 of 23
12/16/09 at 7:51pm
show them what happends when they do
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post #15 of 23
12/16/09 at 8:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kas View Post
I probably spent 3 months learning to properly kick without hurting myself.

Some people are just a little slower in some things. But weren't you there once upon a time as well?

Very true, but this wasn't just a beginner not knowing proper form. I'm fine with that since like you said, I was there at one point also. But this guy had zero athletic ability. He was quite literally one of the least coordinated individuals I've ever seen. And I've seen him at the gym fairly frequently the last couple of weeks, so it's not like it was his first day either.
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