VeganEssentials

There really isn't anything that's a specific vegan-friendly weight gainer out there. That being said, not losing weight is about keeping calories up - easiest way to do that is pack in some additional high-calorie foods if you're worried, even just having a few handful of cashews, almonds, peanuts, etc. can easily give you another 500+ calories of protein and fat very easily without filling you up too much. I'd suggest considering nuts and nut butters by themselves or nut butter blended in with smoothies or protein shakes to pack in the calories, a cheap and easy way to make sure you're getting plenty for what you need.

Great work at the comp, Mini Forklift!

Hey, Mini Forklift!

Log pressing is different, since you're going to have to keep your hands palms-inward toward each other and space them exactly where the handles are (which could be advantageous, or, might put you in an awkward position, depending on your normal grip for barbell overhead pressing). It's a bit more brutal on the front delts and triceps since the log is in front of you a few inches further than a normal barbell would be for pressing overhead, and usually I've found that my log press max is about 20-30 lbs. behind what I can do with a bar. I've hit 295 for a barbell push press but never more than 270 on a log, and that was a really small 8" diameter one (only hit 260 with a 12" log), the larger the log, the harder the press for me (only advantage to a large 12" standard competition log is that the press will actually start about 4"-5" off the top of the chest due to the handles being in the center of the log).

Definitely a good thing to throw in and mix it up with, I'm finding that working with the log is definitely keeping my bench from sliding and is helping my lockout strength a bit, too!

deadlifts are for deadlift day, most people won't be using enough poundage for it to matter a great deal though.

Agreed. Precisely why I typically only do some overhead work on deadlift day as a "warm up", I prefer to have all my strength ready once I move to deadlifting as it takes everything I've got.

It would always be a pleasure, Giacomo! A shame we are so far apart, but of course, I'm always open to train if you happen to pass through again some time!

Did legs and chest tonight, a good session for sure.

Squats to parallel -

1x10 @ empty bar

1x8 @ 135 lbs.

1x5 @ 225

1x3 @ 275

1x2 @ 315

5x5 @ 335

Barbell flat bench press -

1x10 @ empty bar

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x3 @ 185

1x2 @ 225

1x1 @ 255

1x1 @ 275

Put on Slingshot

1x1 @ 310

1x1 @ 315

1x1 @ 320

1x1 @ 325

1x1 @ 330

3x3 @ 295

Took off Slingshot

2x8 @ 225

1x20 @ 135

Front squats -

1x2 @ 135

1x2 @ 165

1x2 @ 185

1x2 @ 205

3x2 @ 225

Safety Squat bar squats to below parallel -

1x2 @ 225

1x2 @ 245

1x2 @ 275

Lying leg curl machine -

3x20 @ 120 lbs.

Panora press downs for 3x12 @ 150 lbs to finish.

Planning on upper back work Tuesday!

Hitting 395x8 for my final set of deadlifts last Friday, was nice to pull a nice set at a decent weight.

Hey, ChaserHUN! Sorry that you didn't receive a reply, I can't find any note of you contacting us, not sure if maybe the email didn't make it through but I'm happy to help!

It all depends on what you're after. I usually recommend the DEVA 1-a-day that you have in the link, it's low-cost and covers the basics that you need without going overboard. It's the one I take when I have my occasional dose (I usually just take a multi 2-3 days/week, rarely do I remember to take one every day), and has always done well for me.

There are tons of options, but most aren't that different from each other beyond different dosages on vitamins or a few things added that affect the pricing, I usually just recommend what's going to have you covered on essentials for the best price, and the DEVA formula will definitely do that for you!

Another crazy week, but sticking with plans to still make sure I get in at least twice weekly until things calm down in late December.

Overhead pressing and deadlifts yesterday for a quick session -

Log press in the power rack -

1x10 @ empty 75 lb. log

1x5 @ 125 lbs.

1x3 @ 175

1x2 @ 190

15x1 @ 200, would press a rep, walk about 30 feet out from the power rack, turn back and press again, repeat until all 15 singles were done.

Deadlifts -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x5 @ 225

1x3 @ 315

4x5 @ 395

1x8 @ 395 (added a few more reps on with the last set)

As noted, I dropped the weight back down and am just doing 5x5 for a bit, hoping to get things a bit stronger since 435 was feeling not-so-easy a few weeks back when I was pulling it for singles. Next week, I add 10 lbs., we'll see how December goes for this one.

Overhead log press half-presses, done from collar to just over top of head then back down again to work on my weak point -

3x10 @ 165 lbs.

1/3 ROM standing partial overhead presses in the rack, bar has about 6" ROM to lockout -

1x5 @ 225 lbs.

1x5 @ 275

1x5 @ 315

1x25 @ 225, did 20, rested 10 seconds, 5 reps to finish

That was it for the day, nothing too complex, should be doing some upper back work again on Sunday!

Today, plenty of metal on rotation. High on Fire, Mastodon, Orange Goblin, Black Sabbath and Motorhead to make for a good work playlist.

A belated welcome to the board!

Saw that you went to Wauwatosa East high school, small world, our first store location was just a few short miles away from there. We lived in Tosa for quite a while right in the heart of the village, but sadly, couldn't afford to buy a home there and relocated to Waukesha some years ago where the cost of living (and having a business) was much more reasonable.

Hope the training goes well!

I can definitely be included in this. I had a major growth spurt early on, but seemed to get as wide as I did tall (in 4th grade, I was about 8" taller than most kids in my class but also around 50-100 lbs. heavier than most of them as well). Had lots of weight fluctuations through my teenage years - I'd be in the low 200s most times during the summer from going skateboarding for 4-8 hours/day, then during the winter I'd get back to 250-275 lbs. from not being as active and eating junk food all day and night. Not good on the body to shift 100 lbs. over the course of a year, but I did it for the greater part of a decade.

Didn't see a number under 200 on the scale until I started lifting when I was 21 or 22, that was short-lived because a few years later I'd get hooked on strongman and got chubby all over again in the name of strength

Still trying to figure out how to get rid of that last 10 lbs. of crud weight that never seems to go away, but considering what I used to be like, I'll take it and be happy with it for now

Lost most of last week due to holiday shipping madness at our warehouse, but getting back on routine this week again. Started things out with chest/upper back work -

Flat barbell bench press -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x3 @ 185

1x2 @ 225

1x2 @ 255

1x1 @ 275

Put on Slingshot

5x5 @ 275

Took off Slingshot

5x1 @ 275

Reduced weight, added doubled yellow mini bands on bar loaded with 135 lbs. (about 135 on chest and about 200-210 lbs. tension at lockout)

3x10

Worked all my upper back stuff in between the chest sets -

Pull-ups -

1x5 @ bodyweight (229 lbs. clothed last night)

1x3 @ 45 lbs. added on

1x1 @ 75 lbs. added on

5x1 @ 105 lbs. added on, pushing myself to get comfortable with triple digit weight for singles now. First single went really easily, 2nd was good, 3rd and 4th were just barely legit, last single was questionable, but still getting ahead!

3x10 @ 45 lbs. added on, done as singles with a breath or two between each

Dumbbell rows -

2x15 @ 150 lb. dumbbell each arm

Band rows done with Elite FTS black monster band looped over top of power rack, V handle attached to one end, rowing into abdomen with body nearly flat on floor -

2x25, tension about 120 lbs. at start, about 180 lbs. at finish

Had to edit to note that I forgot to list my circuit of rear delt work, just 3 sets alternating between rear delt band pull-aparts (3x20 with red band) and face down on incline bench DB front raises (3x15 @ 30 lb. DBs with a little English thrown in on the last few reps to get 'em moving), and that was it.

Was going to do some trapezius work but was feeling a bit queasy at the end, decided to postpone it for when I do leg day tonight or tomorrow instead.

I always keep deadlifts separate from anything other than chest or shoulders so that I can be as fresh for them as possible, but if I were going to combine them with either upper back or legs, I'd do them with upper back for sure.

Either you're going to be pre-fatigued to some degree in the lower back and hamstrings from doing legs beforehand, or vice-versa. Upper back, while having some carryover (deads always hit my lats and traps fairly hard, but do much more to my lower back and hams) won't be as affected, as your entire lower half will still be fresh for the bulk of what is involved in the lift, which should translate to better performance.

If nothing else, try it once on each day for upper back and legs and see which one feels better, you'll know pretty fast as to which way your body prefers it!

VE you sound like a hoot! Bet you were the life of the party huh?

Well, the problem being, my idea of a party was drinking fast and furious before most of my friends even got home from work (I'd be done at 5, a few of them didn't get home until 9 or 10 at night), so I was always the first one out cold and usually the victim of someone's prank. I started late, though, most of my friends got their partying out of their systems at college, and being as I didn't really drink until I was legal at 21, I was a few years behind the curve and seemed to be intent on making up for lost time

Now, if I have more than 3-4 in a night, I usually pay for it the next day, no more of that stuff for me except perhaps once a year on a special occasion!

Sadly, almost every photo that is sheer embarrassment gold that involves me pre-dates digital photography, and I've never had the chance to scan things in.

Most involve me wearing some of the loudest 80s skateboarding clothing combined with terrible hair (I had a long flap of bangs over one eye for about 2 years, not a wise style choice), or, they involved people doing interesting things to me while passed out during my "blackout weekend" days of my early 20s. I believe that somewhere, one of my friends has a photo of an grand plastic Army figure battle that was waged on my chest and forehead after polishing off far too much Jack Daniels one night.

If I ever get around to finding my photo stash and scanning them in, it'll be good for contributing to this thread for sure.

Thanks, MiniForklift!

Squats were my biggest love in lifting for quite a long time, and nothing gets me more excited than the prospect of being able to knock out a good heavy squat again down the line as my strength comes back. No slacking on the squats now, time to keep moving forward!

I own and operate VeganEssentials.com and VeganCats.com as my main work, and am part owner in a gym called Winner's Edge Performance (of which, for me, it's a labor of love and probably won't make a dime for me for years to come, all money made pays my business partner and gets re-invested in new equipment).

Can't go wrong when you happen to be able to work in your two favorite fields for a living!

Thanks, mrbear666!

Lots of long workdays coming up in the next month with holiday madness starting now, going to try to at least get into the gym twice weekly until things get back to normal in January. Not like last year where I believe I trained all of 5 times total in November and December, can't let work get the best of me this time around and screw with my training progress.

Leg training tonight, plenty of squatting -

Barbell squats to just under parallel -

1x10 @ empty bar

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x3 @ 225 lbs.

1x2 @ 275, paused 5 seconds rock bottom each rep

1x1 @ 315, paused 3 seconds rock bottom position

1x1 @ 355 to parallel

5x5 @ 325 to parallel

In between regular squats, I did front squats -

1x2 @ 135 lbs.

1x2 @ 155

1x2 @ 175

1x1 @ 195

1x1 @ 215

1x1 @ 235

1x1 @ 250

3x8 @ 175

Just planning on working those front squats again where I can get them for some added core stability work. While my abs still have great supporting strength, they lack endurance and tend to cave in a bit on squats more than they used to, so time to get them stronger again.

Lying leg curls -

3x12 @ 200 lbs.

1x20 @ 120 lbs.

Ab wheel, part of the "fix those damned abs" work I need to do -

2x10 from knees, full extenstion where chest is just an inch off the floor

Walking lunges w/ safety squat bar -

1x150 feet

That was it, nice quick session with nothing that was too tough, just doing as I have with deadlifts where I need to slowly rebuild for a few months to get to where I need to be. Feeling good with squats again, 400 or so to parallel should be possible on any given day again, but it won't be right until I'm back to 500. Hopefully by next summer I can be back there, but for now, time to take it slow and steady and make staying injury-free top priority!

MIA most of last week due to long days at work, got in to lift last night for chest/upper back -

Barbell rows -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x5 @ 185

1x5 @ 225

1x6 @ 280

1x6 @ 285

1x6 @ 290

1x12 @ 225

Flat barbell bench -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x5 @ 185

1x3 @ 225

1x2 @ 255

1x1 @ 275

9x5 @ 240, last set took everything, skipped 10th and final set afterward

Weighted pull-ups -

1x10 @ 45 lbs. added on

1x9 " "

1x8 " "

1x15 wide grip, no weight added

Horizontal banded bench machine setup, one green Monster band, one medium black band -

5x20, changing grips each set, tension around 120 lbs. at start of reps and around 170 lbs. for first 3 sets, final 2 were around 90/140 and tricep-focused

Vertical row to navel w/ V-handle and black Elite FTS monster band for resistance -

3x20, weight about 120 lbs. at start, about 170 lbs. tension at finish of each row

Circuit of trapezius and rear delt work, 4 sets as follows, 30 seconds rest between circuits -

Snatch grip shrugs - 4x25 @ 330 lbs.

Band pull-aparts, 4x25 w/ red mini band

Face down on incline bench DB front raises, 40 degree incline - 3x15 @ 25 lb. DBs, 1x25 @ 10 lb. DBs on final set

That was it, in and out in just over 90 minutes total, leg day tomorrow!

I get crabby as hell if I have to take a week or more off from training. It's how I blow off steam, and without being able to get to the gym, I'm always tense and wound up.

Maybe one day they will really care about peoples health and not push certain foods because there is big money behind them.

Not likely to happen in this lifetime. Any time the government gets involved in trying to give "good" advice and recommendations, you'll usually want to do the opposite of what they say The USDA will always be in the back pocket of whatever industry lobbies the hardest, so whoever had the most money and clout at a given time will undoubtedly be who they recommend the most. Hell, if the cardboard box manufacturing industry wanted to have their product classified as an "essential food group" and paid enough money to lobbyists, I'm sure the USDA would be making sure at least 2 oz. of delicious grade-A corrugated was on every kid's school lunch tray

As you can see, I neither like nor trust pretty much anything our government pushes on us. I've worked with enough of their departments to know what a bloated, crooked entity they are, but sadly, most people still cling to the false notion that they're actually looking out for our health, safety and best interests!

Had to take off for 4 days post-surgery as usual (last thing I want is an eye infection from getting chalk in my eye while it's vulnerable, or something of that sort!), got in tonight for some overhead pressing and lower back work -

Log press in the power rack -

1x8 @ empty log (75 lbs.)

1x5 @ 125 lbs.

1x3 @ 150

1x2 @ 175

1x2 @ 185

1x2 @ 195

1x2 @ 200

1x2 @ 205

1x2 @ 210, I think that was the best I've strict pressed a log in a LONG time from memory

1x5 @ 195

1x10 @ 175, done as 8, rest 10 seconds, 2 reps to complete the set

Deadlifts -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x5 @ 225

1x3 @ 275

1x2 @ 315

1x2 @ 365

1x2 @ 405

5x1 @ 435, just didn't have much in me for deadlifts tonight, stuck with singles, will be changing the program up early next week and dropping to doing 5x5s with 395, adding 10 lbs. weekly and hoping to get comfortable with it @ 435 in December for good sets

Overhead press lockouts in the power rack (press off safety pins for about 6" ROM to lockout) -

1x5 @ 225 lbs.

1x3 @ 250

1x2 @ 275

1x2 @ 295

1x2 @ 305

1x2 @ 315

1x1 @ 335, too 3 setup attempts to get it moving, dropped weight down

2x10 @ 275, fellt like nothing after being in the 300s

Safety Squat bar good mornings to parallel -

3x15 @ 185 lbs.

Seated Barbell overhead press, wide grip -

1x5 @ 155 lbs.

1x5 @ 165, barely made it, shoulders done for

Fat rope pull-throughs with medium size Elite FTS black band tied around support beam -

2x20, no idea on tension, just done fast and with quick hip/glute drive

Great overhead day, not so great for deadlifts, but that just means it's time to change up. Was a stressful week and I didn't eat as much as normal (only about 2500-2700 cal./day instead of the usual 3000+), so that may have kept me from feeling my best, but we'll see how the next month or two goes for deadlifts with the upcoming changes!

Workout from election night for upper back -

Weighted pull-ups -

1x5 @ bodyweight (228 clothed)

1x3 @ 45 lbs. added on

3x5 @ 82.5 lbs. added on, done as singles with 2 seconds deload with toes on floor between each rep

Started doing shrugs in between pull-up sets -

1x10 @ 225 lbs.

1x10 @ 315

1x10 @ 405

1x10 @ 455

1x10 @ 465

1x10 @ 475

1x25 @ 405

All the deadlifting again must be helping my shrug work, haven't been that strong on them in quite some time

Barbell rows -

1x5 @ 225 lbs.

3x12 @ 255 lbs.

Barbell overhead shrugs in the rack, press about 4" to lockout before shrug -

1x25 @ 225 lbs.

1x25 @ 250

1x25 @ 275

MUCH easier to keep these stable with a barbell vs. using the axle as I have in the past.

45 degree pulldowns using blue EliteFTS monster band with v-handle attached, tension about 150 lbs. at start, a bit over 200 lbs at finish -

2x15

Seated V handle row using same band setup on a support pillar instead of slung over the power rack, set at navel height for a straight pull-in on the rows -

2x20, roughly same band tension

Called it a night, eventually I had to go home and see which of the poor offering of candidates we were given was elected to run the country. Watched the remainder of the election, felt despair about the outcome for many reasons, and called it a night.

Got the latest eye injection yesterday, so no training until Saturday, but I'll be back on it once I can get in the gym again!

Push/Pull on a 4-5 day split, depending on my life schedule. I do four sets of each exercise, and generally between 12 and 16 reps per set, depending on the size of the muscle/muscle group worked (larger gets 16). Exercises include: mil press, shrugs, db press, db fly, tris, cable cross, lat pulldown, low row, underhand pull (not sure of the correct name), assisted chinups, and curls. I also do treadmill intervals that generally last about 30 mins.

Are you doing any lower body work? Everything you note is upper body, if you're not training legs, then you're missing out on potential that can help change your body further. Also, are you changing up your exercises and rep schemes ever? Everything has diminishing returns, if you keep on the same plan for too long, you'll get less and less out of it over time. Not to mention, training the same body parts frequently without much recovery time might be hampering things a bit as well, I usually suggest that after doing a routine where you're doing something like you noted above 4-5 days/week to eventually change (at least for a while) to try program were you change up to hitting major muscle groups only once per week and minor ones twice at most. Sometimes less really is more.

Diet includes:

 

Breakfast - 1 cup quinoa, 1 apple, cinnamon

Lunch - Big salad (romaine/carrots/mushrooms/celery/vinegar/oil) w/ quinoa or beans and 1/2 avocado

Post Workout - Vega shake with 1 banana

Dinner - 1 cup sauteed veggies/beans over 1 cup quinoa and 1/2 avocado

Before Bed Snack - 1 cup quinoa, 1 apple, cinnamon

You might potentially be ready to increase your calories a bit, especially with the amount of training you are doing, you may be underfeeding yourself (which will eventually case fat loss to stall out, no matter how much you train or how lmuch you might cut back further on calories). Personally, I'm an advocate of higer protein, ESPECIALLY for fat loss, but that's because I can't lose fat worth a darn if I eat high carb and low protein. If you do anything, I'd suggest adding in a bit of extra protein, perhaps another 40g or so per day in addition to what you normally eat to see if that makes a bit of a difference. I'd also make sure the "before bed snack" was at least 90 minutes to 2 hours prior to bed, it doesn't help fat loss to eat a load of carbohydrates just before your body is about to do the least it can to process them efficiently.

I've purchased Schwarzenegger's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding to learn more about training and diet.

Do not, I repeat, do NOT use that book as a total guideline of anything that's going to be amazing for body transformation. I've seen it before (a friend of mine had a copy), and it's not going to be of any real use other than to give you some new ideas, but following Arnold's plans (if they're still similar to the book I saw about 15 years ago) are not meant for a vegan diet, nor are they made well for people who train naturally.

I've also decided to adopt the training method of Lyle McDonald in his Weight Lifting for Fat Loss (basically a four day split of heavy lifting 2 days, metabolic lifting 2 days). I would like to continue my push/pull schedule, as I find it enjoyable.

Not sure how Lyle's training protocol is, but usually his diets involving fat loss tend to be REALLY low-carb style programs, so something to consider. And, if someone is recommending a specific plan for training, I wouldn't try to modify it much, the more you do what's "comfortable" or what you like vs. what might be effective, the more you might be short-changing yourself on results.

Therefore, I've been considering the following, along with my current diet. Since I am largely meso-endomorphic, and I currently require 2919 calories to maintain current weight, I would like to create a 750 cal deficit putting me at 2169 (before exercise).

Calorie intake sounds better than what you have now, which looks much closer to about 2000 cal./day, definitely too low for regular intense training while expecting to make progress.

1. Is my diet sufficient? Do I need more fats, or should I follow Arnold's advice and keep fats low?

Healthy fats are good, and with eating the amount of avocado you do, you are probably getting in a pretty fair amount. A bit more probably wouldn't be bad, but I wouldn't drop the fats too much despite the Arnold book info. Considering he was swallowing handfuls of Dianabol tablets like candy during his prime, it isn't like he trained naturally or was even much of a diet expert, in fact, it has been said that a lot of his "advice" was meant to actually hurt competitors who took his suggestions, so that's one more reason to not always take his book at face value.

2. Am I getting enough protein?

I say no, some might say yes, but the only way to know for sure is to see how you feel on the plan and increase protein if you're not seeing results after a while. Protein in reasonable amounts is not something to fear, but sadly, a lot in the vegan community treat it as if it were the plague and avoid it as much as possible for no real reason other than bunk science and myths. If anything, perhaps increase protein by 40-50g/day for the first few weeks, and then slowly decrease it to see how you fare at lower amounts after having gone with more instead of less at the start. That should help find a place for you that will get you to the right level for what your body is needing on the program.

3. Did my losses cease because I have only been doing metabolic lifting?

I could be a number of things, including undereating, overtraining body parts, not varying exercises enough as well as sets/rep schemes, etc. Sometimes the best way to get past a sticking point is to jump ship on what you've been doing and try something completely different, so it's worth a try to do something that's very much unlike what you've been doing up to this point, even if it doesn't necessarily sound like it will get you the results you're after. I found that I can lose FAR more fat effectively eating 3000-3600 cal./day with high protein and only 3 days/week in the gym than I ever did by eating 2000-2500 cal./day with 50% less protein and more carbs while lifting 5 days/week and going for runs every other day.

Finding out how best to train your body for what you're after is a journey, and not always one that you're going to complete in a short time frame. I'm STILL figuring things out after training for about 17 years, but I've also known people who learned a great deal about how to best work with their body in the first 2-3 years of training and made incedible changes. Some people are lucky in that regard, and some of us need many years of experimentation through trial-and-error to get on the best course. You won't know until you've put in more time, but just remember -

- Sometimes less is more when it comes to time spent training, and training longer/harder does not automatically equal better, sometimes it's just more work with no added benefit

- Abs are built in the kitchen, and finding the diet that works best for you might be totally different from what you're used to doing as far as macronutrient ratios for how you eat

- Don't be afraid to experiment, but don't abandon ship on a program in the first few weeks unless it is making things worse. Sometimes a good program for diet and training take a month or two before you realize that they are actually working well

- When you find programs/diets that work well for you, just remember that they won't ALWAYS work as well if you keep doing them straight without changing things up. Put time in between the "great" diets and training programs every so often with others you experiment with in order to keep from stagnating on your results, because nothing works forever, but it MIGHT work well again if you abandon it for a few months and go back to it later on.

- Be patient. Rome wasn't built in day, and neither were the best bodies out there. If it took years of neglect to get out of shape, you can't expect to look like you'll be ready to do a Calvin Klein underwear fashion shoot in 6 weeks, and anyone who promises you such results should be avoided like the plague

- Have fun with training, but don't be afraid to be uncomfortable from time to time. Like most of what happens in life, those who stay clear of discomfort and only want to be doing what they like are usually the ones who never get as far as they want. Sometimes you're going to have to eat or train a certain way that's best for you but is less than ideal for enjoyment. Just remember that it's not that you'll ALWAYS have to do things you don't like, just that you can't always do what's plesurable and expect to reap the best rewards from it

As always, I could ramble on for hours, but hopefully something in here will be useful!

Ballys - had a share of bad experiences there when I used to train there for about 10 years during the 90s through the mid 2000s. Usually it was because some a-hole manager-of-the-month wanted to flaunt his power and show how well he could make everyone play by his rules. One time, the manager who couldn't stand me (and I could not stand him as well, so the feeling was mutual) shouted at me for bringing in a thick dumbbell handle that I'd load plates on for grip training. He inisited that it was "dangerous" and that I couldn't bring my stuff in, I told him that if he was serious about having a good gym for people who want to get strong, he'd get in better equipment or would let people bring their own when they needed and that if he actually were strong himself, he'd understand (I couldn't resist the dig at him for the way he came after me). He then yelled at me about using chalk, to which I replied that after tearing off multiple calluses over the years and leaving gaping bleeding holes in my hands, it kept my hands safe and free from ripping apart, and told him that it's better than me handing him a hospital bill if I ever tore my hand deeply enough to need stitches from a bad palm tear. After a minute of shouting at each other, I told him that I was over and done with training there, I put my stuff back in my gym bag and walked out, and didn't renew my membership for the next 2 years until he was long gone, fortunately he was fired for incompetence a few months after that fiasco and that was it.

Only other bad experience was at Anytime Fitness where I'd been training for 3 years after I finally dumped Ballys for good, new owners that took over the franchise where I trained said to me "We're making this into a great facility for people who love strength training, we'll be adding lost of free weight equipment, new machines, and getting heavier dumbbells", which I'd been aching to hear for a long time. Well, a few weeks later, I find that instead of doing what they said, they cut off about 30% of the free weight area, jammed all the machines into each other so there was almost zero room to walk between them, and added no new dumbbells or equipment. Instead, they decided to go the group fitness workout route and made a studio in the back where I was used to lifting, which sealed the deal for me to get out. Fortunately, that was right when my friend Kirk started talking about opening his own facility, so I partnered up with him and now we've got a place that I truly feel at home in. When I told the manager at Anytime why I was leaving for good due to doing the exact opposite of what they told me (that manager was the one who had given me the story about the new changes being ideal for me), she simply shrugged, didn't care one bit, and then said "Well, since you're two days after the start of your new month's renewal, we have to charge you for the full 30 days anyway". Needless to say, I was completely mad, but figured that taking $500 a year out of their pockets was justice enough and left before I blew up about it.