When I first started reading about lifting weights and muscle construction, I made a classic rookie mistake – I fell into the trap of the fitness gurus.
I thought that they were really trying to help me and didn’t see their actual goal – to make me subscribe to their ideology and profit from me.
I am familiar with most popular Internet muscle experts from the past decade. The common denominator is that they all want you to drink their Kool-Aid. They are extremely stubborn and rarely open to change. Seeing a popular fitness guru admit a mistake is extremely rare.
Back in the day, I was going from guru to guru, looking for answers. I gathered a lot of information and learned a lot, but there was a topic ignored exclusively by all gurus – the drugs.
Consequently, for the first 5 years of my training career, I was one of those guys who believe that miracles can happen even if you are a regular natural bodybuilder. I was inclined to believe that a 6′ tall man can weigh 200lbs in a shredded condition naturally. Yes, I was that naive and unaware of the actual natural potential.
The gurus are constantly talking about methods that make you “grow like a weed”, but their followers rarely display similar metamorphoses. The before and after photos are either fake, non-existent or reveal obvious drug abuse. In other words, we are fed with a classic sandwich of truths and lies. They give you some truth as a bait, stab you and leave you like a fish on dry land.
“You should have known better,” they say.
On that occasion, I have prepared a short list of signs that you have become a slave to the fitness gurus.
1.You are blindly repeating the words of your favorite “coach”.
Arguing with the disciples of a fitness guru is not a pleasant experience The sicker they are, the more they behave like a brick wall.
Those poor souls usually just repeat the principles installed in their little heads by their favorite guru.
A good example would be permabulkers quoting Starting Strength and Mark Rippetoe in their sleep. I am sorry, brahs. It’s fat, not muscle.
2.You refuse to change your training approach because your leader says everything else is inferior.
The most annoying thing about training gurus is that they love to work with absolutes. They have the “you either do it my way or you are a low life” mentality. Very, very few fitness gurus are opened to mixed training. It’s either just barbells, kettlebells or bodyweight. How can you trust those guys when they are so stubborn and refuse to change?
Sadly, many people limit themselves by trying to satisfy the sick aspirations of muscle businessmen.
3.You forgive the mistakes too fast.
Some people forget too fast. They call it compassion, but more often than not, the right word is softness.
I am not against forgiveness, but it’s deserved only when the person has truly changed. Forgiveness should be earned not derived from speculations.
4.You fail to see the marketing strategies.
The world is a business, my friend. Money dictates the strategy for better or worse. Never forget that.
5.You believe that there is only one way to reach your goals.
If you work, almost every routine will work too. In the long run, all paths lead to your genetic potential. Some are faster, some are slower, but the destination is always the same.
Note: This site is not perfect.
NattyOrNot.com has educated many people, but this does not mean that you should subscribe to the site blindly. Always question the presented information. Not everything that I write will match your experience. To be honest, that has never been my intention. Don’t treat me as a fitness guru because I am not one.
