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Everyone works out really hard to stay fit.
But everyone has a certain area where they are proud of there improvement.
Mine was getting my glutes in shape, just was a area I had a hard time paying attention to.
I’m so thankful I had someone to show me
death marches and squats it sure made
a difference.
So what part are you proud of?

When you start being more proud of your physical abilities than how you look, like maybe making moving your squat from say, 60lbs ro 5 reps to 100lbs for 5 reps, then, only then will you start to make real progress in how you look.

yes your physical abilities is important,but seeing results is just as important don’t you think?

when you gauge your progress by the weight on the bar, the changes to your body will be much faster and more noticable.  Folks who show up at the gym day after day for years and make no real progress are the ones who gauge progress by the mirror.

Well i have been going to the gym for years and have seen amazing progress, I’m always learning something new. What works for some may not work for others.
Thanks.

 That is a bit harsh and I would have to say untrue at least from a bodybuilder point of view. I would say most people enter the gym initially to do one thing. Look Better. The mirror is a great place to start. What ever brings you in is different for everyone. I don’t bench 400 bls. but if someone asks I look like I could. No one sees me squating 500lbs. You have to be happy with what you see and I would say that is the thing that changed most of my training as I got older. Doing a lot of weight getting bigger didn’t make me look better. Yes uncovering what you have built over years makes a huge difference too. But as I was sayong when you first walk in there is nothing wrong with being happy in the mirror and I would argue that most people will try to progress in strength and size as they continue the journey. I f you enjoy what you are doing and how it makes you look and feel chances are you will continue which is probably the most important thing. I loved training legs because size and strength came easy, but I would have to say my arms and back are what I have made the most improvement in. Stength and size.

  That is a bit harsh and I would have to say untrue at least from a bodybuilder point of view. I would say most people enter the gym initially to do one thing. Look Better. The mirror is a great place to start. What ever brings you in is different for everyone. I don’t bench 400 bls. but if someone asks I look like I could. No one sees me squating 500lbs. You have to be happy with what you see and I would say that is the thing that changed most of my training as I got older. Doing a lot of weight getting bigger didn’t make me look better. Yes uncovering what you have built over years makes a huge difference too. But as I was sayong when you first walk in there is nothing wrong with being happy in the mirror and I would argue that most people will try to progress in strength and size as they continue the journey. I f you enjoy what you are doing and how it makes you look and feel chances are you will continue which is probably the most important thing. I loved training legs because size and strength came easy, but I would have to say my arms and back are what I have made the most improvement in. Stength and size. 
Thank you I would agree it is harsh you work hard to see results….. That’s the point of working out plus to be healthy and fit. So if you have a place on your body your proud of keep it up….
I sure feel great when I see results!
:)

If you want to SEE results and you only squat half your bodyweight, then the first thing you should work on is getting your squat up to at least a beginner level.  I would say that at least bodyweight in this exercise is a beginner level.  Half bodyweight means you are a very de-conditioned person, and need to concentrate on the basics just to get up to what the average beginner does.

Glenn, I agree that you should be doing big lifts but I can say that most people don’t do what they should or do it correctly or with effort. Like I said before if you are into power, strength, bodybuilding, marathon running. The average person doesn’t know what those are or less clue as to what it takes to compete in them. It is freakish to most people. They don’t want to know how or what to do. They want to talk to their friend that just lost 20 lbs. and ask what magic they used to achieve it! It sucks but definitely a reality. I as you have been in this racket for a long time and stay in better than average shape. I love when someone who just lost some weight and everyone swarms around and asks “what did you do?” Kind of like every biggest loser becoming a personal trainer!!! Lets take advice from someone who has lived unhealthy for most of their life instead of someone who has taken care of themselves all of their life. Do you want your arm put back on by a doctor who has done one surgery or by a doctor that has done a thousand? I get your point. Do you want people at least making an effort or sitting on their a**? Moving is always better than not moving and the gym will always be filled with guys and girls who will look the same doing the same routine day in and day out. Hopefully you will inspire the slackers to be better than they are. Help the ones who don’t know what to do. It is frustrating position. I live in an area where eating is more important than exercise. I drive to bigger places where people are moving in large groups caring about themselves, pushing themselves and always say to my self wtf is wrong with the people where I live? One person at a time, change is slow and exercise is hard and uncomfortable. I try to get people uncomfortable.

And Glenn does it say on your profile you like to train your back. Are you proud of your back? Just asking. Trying to stay with the theme of the thread.

 
I don’t disagree.  But the best way to get someone started who is so de-conditioned that they cant do just basic, normal human movements is to get their basic strength levels up.

 
If you want a big back, the starting point would be to get your barbell row and your deadlift poundages up.

I have trained several people who had almost no condition. I actually had a kid 14 that could not do one single push up. He actually spent more than 8 hours a day playing video games. He has since grown leaps and bounds stronger with great form on all lifts and even corrected some serious curvature of the spine. He had some serious posture problems. I am guessing from all the gaming. Another 60 yr old 135 lb guy with past injuries that started at litarelly ground zero. The beauty of starting there is that they know nothing but proper form and technique. That period of just learning proper form is not just critical, it is very time intensive. Trying to form that pathway. The 135# man who could barely squat with 10 lbs dbs can now squat 175 10 times deadlift 180 for a double. Those lifts took some serious work. Many people aren’t willing to seek out help. That is a shame.

 
Exactly.  And in these situations, the first order of business was to restore some basic level of strength and condition to allow normal mobility and function, which it sounds like you accomplished.
I would argue that while not as severe, Lori1971 is in somewhat the same situation.  difficulty squatting half her bodyweight and being sore days after attempting to do so points to severe deconditioning, and a body that is severely lacking in muscle tissue means that before anything more complicated is attempted, she should try to build some basic strength.
I am sure you are familiar with the term “skinny-fat” meaning that although you might be a size 2 or weigh only 120lbs, you still have a very high bodyfat percentage, Its just the complete lack of muscle tissue that keeps you small.
If the end goal is a nicer looking body or to look good in a bikini, that will be achieved the quickest by building up to at least a “normal” level of strength, with the muscle mass that comes with it.  THEN all the fat burning, conditioning, and whatever else you want to do will be much more effective.

 
 
Exactly.  And in these situations, the first order of business was to restore some basic level of strength and condition to allow normal mobility and function, which it sounds like you accomplished.
I would argue that while not as severe, Lori1971 is in somewhat the same situation.  difficulty squatting half her bodyweight and being sore days after attempting to do so points to severe deconditioning, and a body that is severely lacking in muscle tissue means that before anything more complicated is attempted, she should try to build some basic strength.
I am sure you are familiar with the term “skinny-fat” meaning that although you might be a size 2 or weigh only 120lbs, you still have a very high bodyfat percentage, Its just the complete lack of muscle tissue that keeps you small.
If the end goal is a nicer looking body or to look good in a bikini, that will be achieved the quickest by building up to at least a “normal” level of strength, with the muscle mass that comes with it.  THEN all the fat burning, conditioning, and whatever else you want to do will be much more effective.[/QUOTE]
I will have to disagree with you Glenn , that is why we have forums to discuss these topics. I may not be be lifting the weight you may think I should, but I have worked hard squatting 60 Kl, moved to 66 KL in the last 4 months. I also do other exercises that have given me the body to look good in a bikini. My soreness has gone away I’m not sore anymore days after. What works for me I say is the main achievement, and I’m happy with my results.  I also have a bodyfat of 19%, weighing 115, size 4. I think that is pretty good for me.
But that is my opinion. I agree learning proper form is very critical and time intensive.

If you have worked hard to move your squat from just under half of your bodyweight, to just above half your bodyweight in the last FEW MONTHS then you are doing it wrong and wasting 99% of your effort.  It is too bad that no one else here has the balls to give you a little tough love, but even if they did I doubt you would listen. 

Plus, you aint no 19%.  I have seen the pics, women who are 19% look in shape, usually with abs.  I would guess youa t 28-30% at least.  Sorry, but the “trainer” at the gymis usually an uneducated dipshit who wants to tell you what it will take to keep you coming back.

But, it is obvious that you are to “smart” to listen to anyone who tells you something you dont want to hear.  Enjoy spending several more months getting your squat from 66 pounds to 70 pounds.

 

Done with this, and you.  Banging your head against a wall hurts after a while.

I would have to say that I’m proud of my hips and legs.
I had larger hips, and chunky legs about a year ago. I strarted taking Zumba, doing squatts, and lost a lot of the weight from that area. It’s great if you can have one area you are proud of that you can maintain.
Thanks for creating that thread.

I am very proud of my leg strength, I was really always a leg guy, and that is what I like in my women too lol. But I am deffinitly most proud of my leg strength and glute strength, That is why horses are my favorite animal, because of thier great leg srrength.

Im proud of my back and butt. I got a lot of power in both of those.

 Its good to have strong legs… Horses sure can run far. :)