Fitness influencers (and male motivators in general) love the idea of consistency.
“Just be consistent, bro.” it will come to you one day.
One cannot deny the need to be disciplined and persistent. You can’t build even a dog house without some “consistency”.
But very often, the idea of consistency is used as a camouflage hiding well-crafted lies (a.k.a. blue pills) and impotence.
The brutal truth is that if something works, it works fairly quickly. Of course, time is needed to reach the peak, but an endeavor that has a high chance of delivering results shows promise shortly after its initiation.
And if something has had enough time to work and yet has failed, then no amount of consistency will make any difference whatsoever.
This is a thin line to detect and understand. Hence I will present a lot of illustrative examples that will make everything crystal clear for everyone out there.
The World Of Fitness
One of the most logic-deprived theories on the planet is this:
A natty can keep gaining muscle for years consistently and eventually become REAL BIG.
This represents one of the most glorious copes in the universe, but many people continue to spread it. Some naive victims buy this nonsense and believe it consciously or not.
Here’s how things really work:
- You start training.
- You gain some muscle.
- You keep gaining a little bit of muscle each year but not enough to notice it.
- You hit a wall.
- You never break through that wall even if you keep training naturally for 2000 years.
This is reality.
And I don’t give much care how consistent you are with your training.
Even if you dedicate every single moment of your adult existence to lifting, never miss a meal, a workout, or a sleeping session for 40 years, you ain’t breaking that wall.
The only thing you’d be accomplishing by following this schedule is expensive maintenance of your natty gains as well as a glorious time-wasting marathon.
If you enjoy it, fine, but let’s not lie today, bro. We all know that no one enjoys being a 24/7 natty slave to the pursuit of muscle fibers that are never going to come.
The proof is everywhere.
If you spend an appreciable amount of time in any gym, you will see that most people there look the same for years…well not really years – more like forever.
Of course, some aren’t training hard enough. Others have nonsense diets. I know a guy who owns an entire gym and yet has a massive gut simply because he eats bad food all day long.
That’s different. In this situation, reversing the direction would be helpful.
Ultimately, this brings me to one of the most important rules I have learned in life:
If something works, it works quickly.
I’ve seen it in every segment of existence.
However, I realize that the statement above may be shocking and interpreted poorly, so some clarification is in order.
When I say that if something works, it works quickly, I don’t mean that you can reach the peak fast.
No.
But your strategy will show potential early on.
Let’s talk with examples:
Messi was already a superstar at 18. And before that, he was regarded as a very talented kid. He didn’t need 40 years to succeed.
Arnold was already a muscle wonder at 19. He didn’t become the King until a decade later, but he was already a prince.
Mike Tyson was a freak at 15-16 y.o.
Sam Sulek became a multi-millionaire Tik-Tok-prodigy, muscle-wonder at 21. He didn’t spend 20 years building his TikTok. It just blew up in “seconds”.
PewDiePie didn’t have to upload his stupid videos for 20 years. He became a big deal so many years ago that even he doesn’t remember his beginning.
Eminem didn’t have to rap for 30 years to become a sensation. It happened overnight.
Ed Coan was already the best powerlifter at 19.
Of course, the examples above are a little extreme as most of us can’t relate to those people, so let’s reduce the scale:
If you get on a diet and you fail to lose weight in a month, you ain’t really on a diet because if you were, your scale would be showing it very quickly (in a couple of weeks).
If you are meant to be successful in the world of dating, you won’t need to go to 1000 dates. The attention towards you will become evident almost immediately.
If you’ve been trying to build up your arms for months and have added 0mm to them, they ain’t going to magically blow up if you remain consistent. The only consistent effect will be the lack of progress unless you change something. And if you haven’t already peaked, you will see some results in a matter of months, not years.
If you have been working on a YouTube channel for a long time, it’s not going to suddenly blow up from consistently uploading the same type of videos. Unless you change something, it will stay the same or get worse.
People Confuse Patience With Pointless Waiting
The truth is that many people mistake pointless waiting with patience.
I will try to illustrate this as simply as possible:
Patience = Planting a tree and waiting for it to grow
Pointless waiting = Lifting naturally in the gym and expecting to eventually blow up
Or in short, pointless waiting is a futile form of patience that doesn’t give you much of a reward despite the passing of time.
So, why are they selling you the idea of “consistency”?
Many reasons, but the main one is to keep you in a perpetual loop. You see, brother, this world needs its minions to spin the hamster wheel while thinking that they are going somewhere.
Slaves who love the program are priceless.
And when you complain that the plan that you’ve been following doesn’t work, they always say – you want it too quickly.
Ok. Cool.
No one is saying that success should or can happen fast. That’s not the point.
However, if something is going to work, it shows small but favorable results as early as possible.
Sometimes it takes a week. Sometimes a month. Sometimes six months. Sometimes a year…but never 10 years.
Also, the journey has a ton of checkpoints that keep your morale up. For example, if you’re following a plan that can take your arms from 12 to 16 inches, you still have to pass through 13, 13.5, 14…etc.
And yet the experts want you to believe that you should keep silent when you aren’t seeing those checkpoints.
Тhe people who are the MOST consistent are those who see those gradual results.
Sam Sulek will be used as an example once again. I don’t know how he rolls today, but last year he was uploading a daily video of his workouts. Every single day. That’s consistent. Ok.
But he wouldn’t have done it if 10 people were watching. The more people watch him, the more money he makes and the better his consistency becomes.
Meanwhile, if you’re some kid who does the same for many months and has like 10 subs, your consistency won’t be so great and who can blame you?
Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler were also consistent with their drugs, lifting, and overeating. Why? Cause they were making bank and fame the entire time. Meanwhile, tons of amateur bodybuilders from the same era were losing motivation due to the lack of opportunities.
In their case, consistency would have been mega pointless. You gotta pick your battles as they say.
The Turning Point Proves The Consistency Lie
In some cases, people keep doing the same thing over and over again with no results, but eventually, get their breakthrough and “make it”.
And while this may serve as an example of “successful consistency”, it’s actually the other way around.
Why?
Because those seemingly overnight successes are usually the result of the following:
- A sudden, unexpected “climate change”
- A change of direction.
Let’s analyze.
In the first case, the user ends up in a favorable situation.
When COVID-19 dropped, restaurants and the like were destroyed. That’s an example of a negative climate change.
However, the cycling industry experienced an unprecedented boom. Cycling is by default an isolated sport. Even if you ride in a group, you still have to follow a safe distance. Hence more and more people saw it as a way out of the COVID misery and the industry won big time.
Some tech companies got even bigger too because people were working from home and spending more time in front of screens.
People involved in the cycling industry experienced growth and many shops (mostly online) thrived and made huge money.
There are also instances when an individual keeps ‘hitting the piano keys” in the hope that a good melody comes out metaphorically speaking.
One day, he decides to try something slightly or completely new, and the effort shows better results. This is the so-called turning point. Then, the individual focuses on the new strategy and “blows up”.
It’s also possible that an individual gets extremely lucky. E,g., Finding a winning lottery ticket during a mundane commute to the cubicle.
But those cases are exceptions and not a direct result of pure consistency. They are the result of an element breaking that consistency.
Ultimately, the choice is yours.
You can choose to remain a natty slave and keep pushing it until your 80s in the hope that a miracle will happen, or you can choose to embrace reality and move on with your life one way or another.
– Natty
Truthseeker, I have been doing cardio exercises recently like skipping rope. Is there a cardiovascular natural limit? If so can I reach it with skipping rope only or do I have to do multiple exercises like running and swimming?
Yes. Of course. Hence Armstrong needed EPO. But it’s really hard to measure it.
You can develop insane endurance naturally. So, I wouldn’t worry about it unless you want to compete.
Cardio is interesting because there are ‘central’ adaptations (mostly involving an increase in the size of your heart’s left ventricle, but also some other things), and ‘peripheral’ adaptations (increased capillarization of the active muscle beds, increased muscle-cell mitochondria, increased ability to remove or re-utilize waste products, changes in your muscle-cell enzymes that allow you to do more work using fat as a fuel instead of glycogen, and many other changes to the muscle fibers).
Central adaptations happen rather quickly, but the peripheral adaptations can literally take years of ‘base training’ to effect. This base training is colloquially called ‘old-man strength’ or ‘farmer strength’.
Central adaptations increase your VO2max and are non-specific in nature. That is, you can cross-train if you want. The peripheral adaptations (which also increase VO2max) are specific in nature, so you can min/max these sorts of fitness gains.
What do you think about youtuber “Natural Hypertrophy” who claims to naturally gain mass over period of 10 years.
I think it’s bullshit.
At least his progress video looks quite legit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yenqGI_FVQ4 At the end his 12% bodyfat body does not look like anybody who is on steroids…
You mean he is pinning?
Wow!…. this could be one of your best articles ! As you point out if something is going to work well you should be seeing signs of progress early on. Often more progress is seen at the beginning than later !! (Law of Diminishing Returns).
Thanks for the article.
“If you spend an appreciable amount of time in any gym, you will see that most people there look the same for years…well not really years – more like forever.”
This is so true. I used to occasionally train in the office gym before COVID. For years there were a few guys who were there consistently. Some time ago I had to go to the office after a very long remote work spell (years working from home). While there, I decided to visit the gym. Two of those dudes were working out there. They looked the same. I think they were doing the exact same exercises they did before COVID 😀 It was like I had opened a door to history. I went in but I had to get out quickly.
And as said, when it comes to athletes, most of the time I think they even have it, or they don’t, and it can be seen quickly and from a young age. It’s funny how in the interviews they always talk about the sacrifices and whatever they’ve done (which they mostly have done of course). But rarely do they say that “yes, what I have given up and sacrificed has been replicated by many, I just happen to have superior genetics etc. so no matter what, most people won’t get the same end results”. That would be refreshing to hear.
Adriana Lima actually said her fame is mostly based on her genetics. At least she is honest.
Truth.
I currently go to a gym that I know from years back. The owner there is still the same guy and he looks awful despite training (his problem is dieting mainly).
But the guys that I remember from 2019 look the same too. That gym is 95% filled with natties.
Becouse they trained with splits. Training all muscles many days in a row will give better results.
As someone who goes regularly to a local gym in my neighborhood since about 1 year and a half (so I’m already familiar with many faces), I’m also noticing this lol
Unless they were in pretty bad shape (too fat or too skinny), most people’s bodies rarely experience drastic changes just by exercise and diet alone. As Truth says, you will eventually hit a wall that is very hard to break with only natural means.
Training despite the gains stagnation is better of course than being 24/7 sitting without doing any physical work.
Excelent..truths like fists…you’re the best…thanks…greetings from argentina…hug.
Greetings from Uruguay dear friend
while i agree with the logic in this specific context (sports and bodybuilding) i find this post a bit too blackpilled. first thing “cope” is not always a bad thing. second there s so many fields where the exact opposite logic applies: no one expects you to be a lawyer at 20 or a university professor in astro physics at 30. some actors and arrtists become famous in their old age and so on….
Actually physicists that made breakthroughs peaked early e.g. Einstein second half of his life kind of wasted.
Tesla was a genius his entire life.
“Rome was not built in one day”
“Slow and Steady wins the race”
“Many newcomers quit after they realize it takes a lot of effort and hard dedication to transform their physiques”
“If you just add 1kg every other month for a given number of reps for any upper body’s exercice, imagine your gains in just four years”
And so on…
But reality is king.
If you were born to build muscles, any real effort in weight lifting will do the job.
If not, you are doomed.
End of story.
Another new excuse.
Consistency doesn’t work, sniff sniff…
Then spit some facts to refute it, sniffles.
Is it possible for you to make article about academic study?
I am stressed.
Or you recommend to change study methods because there might he the different way like your article said for the booming factor.
Studying would be a great article topic! I’m not Truth but I’d still like to talk about stuidying. But to start, what stresses you about it? Do you have studies that you should be doing but you have problems starting? What is the source of the stress?
I am studying IELTS for English Universities administration.
Currently, I have practiced via various websites for 6 hours a day.
However, my band score has never been improved by keep practicing as many.
As a result, I got burnout which has been happened since May 2024.
I need band score around 6.5 which is very high because I am not native-speaker.
Sorry for the late ass reply. I’m not too educated with the IELTS but I tried to quickly figure out how it works. I’ve been studying quite a lot during the last 5 or so years myself and I feel I’ve gotten better at it. But to the point. Do you have a feeling which part of IELTS is your strongest and what is the weakest? If you can recognize weaknesses, it could be one strategy to put more effort into those to get the band score higher. What kind of studying sessions do you do, what goes in to those 6 hours? Is there a possibility that you could get more done by studying less hours? Would that help so that you don’t get burned out.
I don’t know if you are already using some online courses etc. but if not, it could be beneficial to use one of them. I quickly checked that for example Udemy has many of them, for example https://www.udemy.com/course/ielts-band-7-preparation-course/ (IELTS Band 7+ Complete Prep Course), which seems to pretty good. It also has a practice test and I think those could be very beneficial. If you want to buy the course but you don’t want to pay that much, just wait for the sale, it’ll be a lot cheaper. Don’t know if this helps at all, but I know you’ll eventually ace the exam.
Sorry, I had to come back to emphasis the amount of hours when studying. Just by doing a quick internet search you can find out that when it comes to learning a language, 6 hours a day is considered very, very much and something that can easily lead to burnout. It seems that many resources advice that 1-2 hours a day is the sweet spot for most. So, if you can, you could try and limit the hours and think more about rest and recuperation and then again, think what goes into those hours when you do study. Maybe you can study more effectively when you have properly rested.
Hi Truth Seeker,
Please check out this video where the guy talks about how he trained 10 years and couldn’t build arms, now all of a sudden he found the secret.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV6__TiU6ws
What do you think?
@fake tren
That dude is zzzz… Bruh.
Like other millon of dudes like him now is just bored bro, what You win looking for other people body? You can do Even Best his “secret training” and get even more strongest that them and you just look like a natty the same that now You look, Best You just training as a hobby because You enjoy it bro.
Oh yeah, precisely. That’s why I gave this channel as an example.
I read this articole then opened youtube to get this video in recomended.
It was funny.
Natural natural natural. Train like this, eat like that. You’ll look like Riki Violino.
I recommend the book, btw. IT Will hit The nail on The head regarding the online fitness industry and more.
Dude, Natural Atrophy made to s of videos piggy backing your site.
What a brainwashed delusional moron. He looks just like when he started few years back. Wow! Natural Tren îs hidden în The core of his training program.
Some fitness ‘guru’ types try to encourage their students to keep doing it even if it doesn’t seem to be working. In fact, they develop meaningless, time-wasting practices that keep their students busy and keep the tuition money flowing. Let me give two examples:
One: I know a guy who is a martial-arts expert. He fought in the UFC a few times (many years ago) and he owns a gym. He says the main problem with the so-called ‘traditional’ martial arts is they put so much useless stuff into the art that you’re never finished training. You have to keep learning new Katas, or attending tournaments and trying to improve your competition results. In the words of an old-time internet martial arts guru, “you’ll never be their colleague; you’ll always be the student.” The only way to move on is to quit and train on your own or start your own school.
Two: I used to have a gf who was a Yoga instructor. She actually developed her fitness by doing ballet from the age of 4 until adulthood, and practicing dance and pilates. But yoga pays the bills. Students would ask her if she did anything other than yoga, and she would answer in the negative, despite the fact that she thinks Pilates is far superior. With Yoga, the student will never be finished. There is always something else that they have to learn to be considered legit. It’s a never-ending cycle.
In the ’80s Weider mags would say that if you went more than three hours without consuming protein, your body would eat its own muscle tissue.
I believed the reason I did not look like the men in the magazines was because I wasn’t consuming (Weider’s) protein every three hours, and my body was eating the muscle tissue that the Weider principles were building.
I don’t think this was just about selling pills and powders. It was also an out; a way to explain why you didn’t look like they said you would.
Sorry for the late ass reply. I’m not too educated with the IELTS but I tried to quickly figure out how it works. I’ve been studying quite a lot during the last 5 or so years myself and I feel I’ve gotten better at it. But to the point. Do you have a feeling which part of IELTS is your strongest and what is the weakest? If you can recognize weaknesses, it could be one strategy to put more effort into those to get the band score higher. What kind of studying sessions do you do, what goes in to those 6 hours? Is there a possibility that you could get more done by studying less hours? Would that help so that you don’t get burned out.
I don’t know if you are already using some online courses etc. but if not, it could be beneficial to use one of them. I quickly checked that for example Udemy has many of them, for example https://www.udemy.com/course/ielts-band-7-preparation-course/ (IELTS Band 7+ Complete Prep Course), which seems to pretty good. It also has a practice test and I think those could be very beneficial. If you want to buy the course but you don’t want to pay that much, just wait for the sale, it’ll be a lot cheaper. Don’t know if this helps at all, but I know you’ll eventually ace the exam.
Seriously, where are your TREN/ANAVAR/SARMs promo codes?