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Ive a gym buddy we do the training toghter... im far more stronger than him, almost twice stronger, and his phisique by looking, its twice better than mine, life its sad haha.
@Dany Henriquez I'm not disappointed that its a sales funnel. I mean the guy needs to make money too. He isn't just here giving advice out of the goodness of his heart. The part that is disappointing though is that the only question on the quiz that matters is the last one. You can say you are 5'5 and weigh 330, but if you say that you are skinny than you get the skinny video.
@@katorogi14 For sure. Really there aren't any supplements that are recommended for fat loss. 1. Protein supplementation just makes life easier as I just don't want to cook/eat that much chicken 2. Creatine supplementation/caffeine just helps gym performance That is really all you need.
Years ago, I was 5ft-10in, and weighed 150lbs. Skinny ectomorph. So I took "Joe Weider Weight Gain Formula" and lifted weights everyday. For a year. Guess what happened? ( NOTHING. I stayed exactly the same. )
i coined a term to describe precisely that feeling, i called it the 'bodybuilder syndrome' . which Is basically the opposite of how an anorexic feels. the anorexic despite being skin and bones feels fat , thé bodybuilder inspite of looking big feels skiny
1. Genetics matters a lot 2. Many influencers aren't natural, use Photoshop, and upload only their very best photos 3. You have to choose between being big + fat or lean + small + less energetic 4. Muscle growth is not linear, it's logarithmic, so your gains will slow down 5. Most supplements are BS 6. You'll never be satisfied with your body 7. Good physic will make your a only a little bit happier and attractive, there are more important things
@FeathersMcgraw I still watched it for the other smaller tips and stuff, and also i like to listen to him while i work or study, as a beginner who just started to work out and lift, listening to a lot of advice and guides and stuff is nice, every little infomation that i see not BS is helpful, im kida late to theese as well i think, as in mean im watching stuff weeks after which is also ok ))))
@FeathersMcgraw I'm talking about fake influencers who lie for views and people trying to sell you their bullshit products. When you're a beginner It's hard to figure out who is giving good advice and who is trying to get your attention.
As someone who is currently doing a PhD in physics I do feel obligated to tell you that the correct term would be "median", not average Also, I LOLed :D
Another red pill is that as you age, you will have to face the reality that your strength and bulk will also decrease no matter what you do. You may also start questioning whether all the time you spent in the gym was time well spent or whether you have neglected other aspects of life that are also important. For me, at 62 years of age, i have shifted from wanting an exceptional physique to just growing old as healthily as possible.
Yep, getting too wrapped up in the "aesthetics" side of things can make you both more confident yet more insecure at the same time in this sort of weird paradoxical way.
@@user-zk4dv2nx8k I used to feel that way in my 20’s and even a bit in my early 30’s. At some point around the time when I had kids, my priorities changed as it forced me to lead a more selfless life (as parenthood should do if you’re being a good parent), & I stopped trying to be the strongest or biggest guy (always been natural), and instead focused on overall health & fitness. I’m still in great shape as you can see, but I’m happy to say that the feeling of insecurity & not being happy with my current physique, always chasing more, has mostly worn off. I still push myself to keep slowly improving or at least maintain, but it’s coming from a totally healthy place now where it was coming from a mostly competitive place a decade or more ago.
Body Dysmorphia so real. I lost around 20+ lbs and am pretty cut. But literally didnt see it, everytime i looked in the mirror i still thought i was fat. My friends and girlfriend kept telling me how cut i looked but i couldnt believe it. Still dont, and this really hit home! going to appreciate my gains alot more now. Thanks Sean
Wait, that sounds so relatable. I'm on a weight loss program and lost 16 pounds in roughly a month, give or take a week. But, whenever I look in the mirror I always see my old fat self. My family regularly tells me that I look a lot slimmer, even my pants are getting loose. My waist measures at least 2 inches less than it used to. Still I'm not satisfied. Body Dysmorphia is actually so real. Thanks for the comment man, and thanks to Sean as well.
I feel ya man. I personally feel like my belly sticks out too much, even though in reality it most likely doesn't. Enough people have told me so. But my brain is such a see you next Tuesday to me. So yeah, can definitely relate. I just gotta keep going. All the best with your progress man.
Red Pill Truth: the positive changes you make in your diet and training, the ones that get you to your goal, will have to become permanent if you want to keep your gains for life. In other words, you can’t go back to a poor diet and no exercise, and stay sculpted.
@@Returningtoithaca It's not permanent one time decision, either. The gained benefits are there even if you don't live that lifestyle always or even majority of the time.
This might sound weird but when you mentioned "never being happy with your progress" that was actually a relief for me, my biggest fear is reaching "the spot" I was aiming for and then slowly phasing out workouts and losing interest. In everything else I do I always strive to improve, so I'm not opposed to it and if anything I think it's a great motivator.
That happened to me. I overworked myself for a long time and reached a peak or plateau. Then I slowly but completely went off the rails. Now I have to start all over again. I lost strength, gained weight, and look crap again. The desire to work out hard and eat good is coming back but it has been really hard motivating myself again.
"It's all about genetics.....", this is the truth that needs to be told (and not an excuse for being lazy), and yet still seems to not be believed by many. I started off as a road cyclist, hoping to do well and finding out soon enough that I didn't have the genetic ability (never explored the science behind why, any one or combination of producing too much lactic acid/not being able to efficiently flush it away/lung capacity/power output/natural haemoglobin and iron level etc). I also found out through weight training that I was a natural ectomorph and that weight training created no visible difference. To top it all off, I seem to have a significantly low amount of fast twitch muscle fibre. In conclusion, I'm terrible at endurance sports, unable to sprint well, not naturally strong and don't appear to change from dedicated weight training. I believe that people like myself suffer mentally in some way as the real difficulty lies in staying motivated to train with such little reward for all the effort and sacrifice. I wonder if the genetically blessed can ever appreciate this.
I feel the same with no way of knowing, but my upper body is disproportionately weak and I think I had to do exercises as a kid just for posture. Going to do as many tests as I can on my own time to figure out if it's true or not
I think it's the opposite. People overestimate genetics way too much in the physical training world. They are still very important, though, and are important specially in the elite levels.
It's not about being as good as others but being the best you can and mKing the most of it. That should motivate you to workout, being the best you can.
The genetics crap is the biggest nonsense ever. Everyone is genetically really close to each other. If someone else has better genetics or worse genetics its not going to be more than 8% difference either way. Bunch of excuses, usually used to mask steroid use or lack of gains
@@berosar Look around you next time you walk down the street. People are different heights, shapes, different eye colours, different sized muscle bellies.... a midget won't become an NBA player. He can blame this directly on his genetic make up, regardless of how much time or training he puts in to shooting hoops. And these are just the differences that are visible. As big a difference between people is also internal. We're typically very close in terms of chromosomes, but your physical development and performance and it's limitations will always be directly affected by your genetic potential.
Man I'll tell you, I've been a trainer for 20 years, and own my own gym where I train a variety of clients including professional athletes. The reason I say that is ONLY because I want to mention that this guy is the real deal. Absolutely everything I've heard thus far is BANG ON. No fluff, no fake promises, no BS. I wish I would have known half this stuff 20 years ago, but thus is life. I couldn't agree more with his view points.
Deep down anyone who has lifted for a while and is relatively intelligent knows these truths, it’s accepting them that’s the hardest part. Thanks for articulating them. Great content.
absolutely , some truth are not easy to accept , especialy if it's someone's reason to start lifting , every new lifter needs to see this video although it might demotivate some , it's always better to know the truth .
I love how Sean just cuts to the point and let's everyone know the cold hard truth about fitness. We need more fitness people like you in the field. Thank you so much for the honesty 🙏 💯👏
I’ve been chasing an elite physique for years… even after a 75 pound weight loss I’ve never been happy. The only thing I accomplished was getting discouraged and frustrated by my lack of success and progress. So understanding this perfect goal that I’ve been chasing forever doesn’t exist has been helpful. I’d rather have a more healthier looking physique, feel better about that, and focus on the areas in my life that matter more. Thank you as always for dropping the truth bombs that you do
Not accusing you of not knowing that or looking good though. People use genetics as an excuse more often than not. Especially their “metabolism”. Everyone is a self diagnosed hard gainer. I’ve only diagnosed them as not hard working.
This is 100% true Cspin. You will never be completely satisfied and it kinda sucks. I know this because I'm extremely good looking in real life and have people mention it all the time. I still don't feel satisfied despite someone in public walking up to me saying "you could make a million pound with your face".. It makes me feel OK and slightly happy but trust me I'm never satisfied. I still want to be taller, have a smaller nose, bigger muscles, whiter teeth etc... It never ends, so I have learnt to accept it, I will never stop improving but I have to realize that life is also short, just make the most of it.
The last point about how lifting wont make you happy on a deep level actually kind of relieved me. I havent been my happiest these past times and i kind of started lifting because i thought it would make me happier and raise my self worth (it is helping with that), but i had this fear that once i get shredded what if i dont feel the things i was hoping i would. I understand now that i should focus on the more important areas in my life like school and my family since i havent really had a conversation with my mom in a long time
You nailed it. You guys should listen to what this man is saying. If you live long enough, you eventually figure these things out. This guy has just saved you a lot of time to reach a certain level of wisdom. I am 73 years old. I have been training with weights since I was about 13. I’m a lawyer who is still working. I’m financially independent. It took me about 60 years to figure out what he just told you.
Alleged 73 Year old claiming to be financially independent, to prove to people on a video about fitness that it took him time to become wise... With the name "alphamale3141". Nice.
As someone who has trained seriously for 10+ years. Shoutout to Sean for keeping it real about both training and life. Much respect brother✊. Thanks for being a great voice for those who are newer to fitness and are looking for the truth.
but those videos showing 1 year transformations say it only takes 1 year. I dont know man, if it takes 10 years to get a great physique it's probably due to bad genetics.
You're absolutely right about the body dysmorphia. I'm trying to get one of my friends into lifting. I am taking every precaution possible for her mental health. She seems to think it's weird that I'm having her track her lean muscle mass and BF% and lifts when she's not really trying to lose/gain weight and just wants to gain strength. It's because I know she's prone to having body image issues due to her demographics and mental health issues. I absolutely can't wait to have a gym bro, but as the more experienced lifter, it's also my job to make sure that I take every precaution possible to protect her. If she's ever feeling like she's not making any progress, we can pull out the charts and I can show her how far she's come since starting. I don't remember what my starting lifts were. I just know that I want to improve my current ones. I wish I tracked them from the beginning, but I know I've made progress and that's enough for me.
“We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact.” -Tyler Durden
Doesnt mean we shouldent give everything we have. For example i dont have good genetics for arms, im training them extra hard and with a vendetta knowing i will never have the arms i want.
I’m glad that I passed on the V-shred click bait that I saw before I started my fitness journey. I remember seeing one of his ads which was saying things like “you can eat a ton of pizza and LOSE weight if you eat these foods with a high thermic effect” and of course I wanted to believe that being an overweight guy, but in the back of my mind I knew it was too good to be true that some foods burn calories rather than provide them. Glad I found your channel Sean, you’ve helped me a ton thank you
You are spot on with it being g to good to be true. I just turned 40 and been in the gym since I was 13. I've been through so many programs, hacks, supplements, tricks and so on. Nothing comes easy, it's all about consistency, proper programming and diet. Good luck and Godbless with your fitness journey. When you slip don't get down just recharge and refocus. My weight yoyoed my entire life it wasn't until the last 2 years I was able to dial down and keep it off
I really don’t care about anything other than maintaining and growing my strength. I’m 73 and try to get a little stronger every month I lift heavy and concentrate on form I find great satisfaction in this method and realize my body will never be as it was in my younger days but my strength can be maintained well into old age😊
You're not gonna sell anything keeping it this real. I think it's kinda funny to see people hiring trainers and buying many supplements, while believing that they will achieve their fitness goals much faster than if they just stick with grinding it out day after day. I enjoy the fact that you always give your honest opinion on subjects that you cover and don't promote a bunch of shortcuts or other nonsense.
Nothing wrong with creatine monohydrate and protein powders and maybe nutritional supplements if you are lacking in vitamins or anything and have found a legitimate supplement but yeah beyond that most do nothing.
For me losing 50lbs actually kind of hurt my confidence and well being I was getting attention from girls that I never got and it just reminded how shallow people are. I would always ask myself “what if” and it kind of drove me crazy for a while. Remember to do this stuff for you and you only.
Agreed. Spent half my life overweight and many times I was treated poorly because of it. Since recompositioning my body, losing 70 pounds of fat and putting on nearly 20 pounds of lean, I notice so much more positivity and friendliness from strangers. It’s a sad truth.
@@lonewolf604 when I was fat, my wife and I would make a game of it. We noticed that people working the counter at fast food places would ignore me but wait on her. So we began standing together so close that we were against one another, or hold hands, and guess what, It Still Happened! They would ask her what she wanted, then wrap up the order and give her the total, without ever asking me what I wanted, as if it was a separate order! We’ve been married 30 years but apparently a fat guy couldn’t possibly be with a slim, fit woman even if they are holding hands at the counter! 🤦♂️
That truth about physique hit home with me. I've been strength training for over a year now and I've had people compliment my appearance or flat out assume I work out just by looking at me. Yet when I look in the mirror I can't quite see what they're seeing. Definitely won't stop as I've grown to love it. Made some good friends at the gym and continue to get inspired by people such as yourself with this kind of knowledge. Much appreciated 🙏
Last month after year and half i stared to really enoy and looking forward going to gym. I think it just take time to make of it what is for u and how to do it. Started alone and didnt know shit. Now i cant wait to go ;O
I started going a couple of weeks ago and have a personal trainer. I’ve always liked the gym but haven’t been motivated to do so. I’m a skinny lean guy but I know putting on muscle may be difficult, like he said in redpill truth #6. I wanna put on a bit of muscle but I know it may be difficult
@@lukeclark3506 of course it is difficult. I strongly suggest watch greg doucette youtube channel. That channel help me a lot. I will say uou should do calorie surplus. Add more calories eat more protein and carbs. Atleast eat 4 times a day.
Just found this channel by chance and for once I'm not narrowing my eyes at the algorithm. Good stuff Sean! It's nice to see another fitness educator that doesn't come across like a predatory manipulator.
Point no. 6 hits home. I think im suffering from body dysmophia. At the beginning my goals were realistic. But Now im literally chasing an imaginary dragon.
I've lifted on and off for the past 20 years. I like to think I know what I'm doing, but every now and then I find out that what I'm doing is old knowledge that no longer applies. It's happened enough over the years that I try to keep an open mind about it. When I started and was 16 all I wanted was the aesthetics, to get big like the older guys with the hot girls in the clubs. But I am very thankful for starting to get serious about martial arts soon after around 17 because since then, my workouts are focused on strength, and improving my performance for striking and grappling, and I mostly left the aesthetics aside. Being able to kick ass has also made me much more comfortable in my average/small stocky build. The aesthetics have become a side effect, not at all the goal, and I think that is much heathier for both my mind and body. Also, I only started to get proper gains in my arms after my 30s which blew my mind, as that is one of the things I never could get, and it's really not like I'm doing anything different. Genetics play a huge part, just try to be better than you used to be, don't compare yourself to others.
I think there is also a serious learning curve when it comes to training styles... I know far more about training than I did a couple years ago. No matter how many videos you watch, some 'red pill truths' only come after getting humbled in the gym and learning about what works for you
A journey indeed. Theres a reason “everybody is different” is said, things truly do work differently for each individual. Gotta figure that out on your own.
point 6. My LIFE goal at 16 was 85kg when I was 58kg. Nearly 22 made it to 85 and I was totally satisfied with that and now I'm going back down to try and stay and at a more lean 80
This video was absolutely GREAT! A complete reality check. Number 7 was the best for me, building a big or lean physique will NOT make you happy. I get leaner and leaner and just want to get leaner and when / where does it end? I get irritable and tired in the process and for what? What am I expecting? And the worst part is that everyone notices and comments which gives me a temporary boost but then puts on more pressure for me to keep it up. I must stop! Thank you Sean! You are amazing
I know the clips been up for some time but I just watched it and wanted to thank you. I'm a realist but since I'm relatively new to gyming, I was looking for brutal honesty. I think it think it tells you about your limits but at the same time encourages you to reach them. Being content with life is something I've grown accustomed to in some aspects but I believe each individual should always try to better themselves. If we reach our max limit in one thing, we should try to keep at it and try to improve on other things as well. I'm straying off now but yeah, thanks, man. I was looking for this kind of honesty. It's why I love your clips, you say it like it is. Thanks man! 👍
This is easily one of your best vids ever. The thing about genetics took me a good 20 years to finally accept but when I did I felt a lot better about myself lol. I will never ever look like Frank Zane or be as strong as Franco Columbu (even if i took roids and grew sideburns) but i can certainly be a better version of ME and that's the goal these days. I think the majority of people training start for the wrong external reasons but if they keep at it long enough (and have develpoed a reasonable degree of maturity) it starts to become a much more positive internal thing. At this point (53 yrs old) I just enjoy the challenge of my training, keep trying to improve step by step, and also try to avoid injuries.
I’m gonna give you props for your videos because of the fact that you just stand there and speak instead of constantly having to edit it over and over so it chops around because that’s the most annoying thing on the planet
9:53 thank you so much for saying that. I spent most of my late teens early 20s using so many different supplements with trial and error. None of them except for creatine really did anything for me. People need to realize they realize can't replace proper nutrition and hard work.
Supplements are not meant to REPLACE proper nutrition in the first place. So your approach was already wrong. They are designed to COMPLEMENT regular diets
@@jkkim6928 even though I agree with you, the problem is exactly that. Supplement companies, many times, sell all this products implying that it will solve everything. Mass gainers are unhealthy but still they push it a lot, aswell as fat burners which doesn’t really burn fat but makes burn a little bit more calories and kind of makes your calories deficit a little bit easier to handle and stick to it. The problem of not having the proper diet is not his fault but the industry. Misleading information and really bad advices in order to sell useless products and really bad programs.
@@ot1346 oh I know. Like a lot of people, I used to think I could get around eating right by using supplements. After many years of trial and error plus research, I have my diet part down and found which supplements work best. For me.
I absolutely agree. I just scheduled a video for tomorrow on why I decided to gain a bit more body fat. But these are harsh truths that most people don't want to hear, especially newcomers to the fitness community. Props to you for saying it as it is
Damn I appreciate your honesty. I think the hardest thing for me was the realization that I will never be a 20-something elite army infantryman ever again. Realistically adjusting your expectations goes a long way to making you happy in your own skin. Now days it’s all about feeling good and being physically able to do the things I want to do. A healthy life, a healthy diet, and the ability to keep up with my kids and the ranch.
Letting go of expectations helps a lot in general in life, even though it sounds grim at first: if you don't have the perfect genetics, you won't reach that top 1% - let go of this thought and just go with the flow. If you stop expecting anything from other people, you cannot be disappointed anymore, and only pleasantly surprised. if you accept that life is meaningless, and nothing means anything in the face of death, you realize that meaning is whatever you give it. There is no pressure to do anything. Success in jobs, getting money, a house, a family, all of this shit is made up by us and it can put a HUGE burden on your shoulders, followed by a huge relief once you just let go and once again, go with the flow.
I think all of these are important facts to learn to deal with, although I would disagree with the last one. I genuinely feel that working out makes me happier. My girlfriend broke up with me last January, and for the first few weeks after I felt the worst I'd ever felt in my whole life. Then I started hitting in the gym. The situation still sucked, but it gave me a sense of purpose again. Fast forward a few months being 25+ pounds heavier, I'm living my best life. Every time I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of the hard work I put in and that I'm a valuable person. Having support in other areas of my life definitely contributed, but damn, was working out one of the primary drivers of my mental improvement.
I've trained in one sport or another all my life including strength and physique training. I've coached too. I can find no fault in what has been said at all. It's just spot on truths. I don't get to say that often because not many people give it to you straight in this industry.
I’m a qualified nutritionist who lifts weights 6 days a week. Started doing this almost a year ago. I’m about to turn 45. I feel about 25. But I’m not delusional about the physique aspect... anymore 😎I’ve stoped watching 25 year old influencers showing me the latest exercise- it can be sooooo unrealistic. I’ve had to shift my health paradigm-and focus on the pleasure and mini successes I get every time I perform progressive overload. Like men, I think women have so much pressure to look a certain way- small waist, big ass, etc etc….mannn it’s potentially demoralizing-- unless I stay with clear goals -- to feel good- to be stronger than ever and avoid all the crippling co- morbidities that come along with the average aging body. Lifting has actually taught me to be present in the moment, to celebrate my own mini successes and subsequently I enjoy moving around with confidence and strength in the world. Thanks for this video 🙌🏽🙌🏽
Similar experience here, I feel younger at 45 than I did at 35. I dont watch many fitness influencers though, my main way to measure progress is by how horny I am lol, and just not getting fat again.
6 месяцев назад
This guy is undoubtedly the best on youtube on this issue, he has much more than muscle
yo- i rewatch this video so often now, it's just THAT good. thank you for these truths, so rare to hear fitnesss professionals being so genuine, realistic, tactful and grounded.
I'd amend the opening line to "you'll never be happy enough with your physique until you get into your 50s". Once you get past all the ego and lifting for aesthetics, you shift into longevity. You look around at other guys your age and realize that you do look damn good compared to your peers and sarcopenia or breaking your hip in the bathtub is the least of your worries. It really doesn't take much muscle mass to feel like you're jacked in your fifties. Just being reasonably fit feels pretty amazing.
Man that last part where you speak about what's really going to give you satisfaction in life is so true. It might seem a bit out of place on a video about fitness, but it's absolutly important to know.
Damn when he said you’ll end up fat and injured You struck a heart chord brother In 2012 I was practicing parkour and working out every day fast forward to 2015 I was so injured I couldn’t workout or do parkour anymore Then I became a depressed fat and injured guy Now 2022 I’m finally correcting my mental health and also getting back to the work out deal
This genetics point is so true. Although many people use it as an excuse, but reality is that it is more important than anything else. Muscle bellies, insertion and origins, proportions, all these are designed by birth. No amount of lifting, hard work, PED and steroids, etc is going to change it. We can only reach whatever is possible within our genetic limits. Some people have higher levels of myostatin, some possess fewer androgen receptors, some have certain genes expressions not conducive for robust hypertrophy, etc. Christian Thib has written thoroughly about it in a T-Nation article.
Totally agree most “fitness influencers” don’t have people’s best interest in mind & are just looking to make a quick buck 💵 by selling or promoting nonsense products or services. Great video Sean 👍
For me, being in my late 40's, I find it easier to adjust to not having the perfect body. I've got good genetics. When I first started out trying to get shredded, I wanted to look like the cover of a fitness magazine, I was expecting a hard road. As I got more into it I realized that it's EXTREMELY hard but also that it's short lived for the vast majority of people. So it's part, what it takes to get there, what it takes to maintain it, and what it means to even try for it. Once I realized what it took, I had already gotten into the best shape of my life, albeit not as good as when I was in high school but even then I was propped up by age and metabolism. So looking as good as I do I switched my focus to being as healthy as I can, while still living a life that made me mentally healthy as well. It worked for me. I'm happy, I look great, and I can still drink booze and eat a totally horrible meal or two once or twice a week. I can see how someone who has the ability to get shredded, but cannot get to the top tier of people who look great, might destroy themselves trying to get to a point that is unsustainable. It's hard to tell someone how to be okay with their limit until they have gone there and broke. But it's important.
The best fitness vid I’ve seen for a while. What a well rounded common sense trainer. Very refreshing to hear the truth for a change. I would love to hear Greg comment on this because I reckon he’d agree with it all. Best regards from a 58 year old ‘newbie’ whose working his ass off !
I wish I had known how hard it truly is to gain muscle as a woman! I’ve been working out for 7 years and of course have made many mistakes but being a woman and having a certain type of genetics it is extremely hard to gain muscle. I’ve had to adjust my expectations quite a bit over the past few years. I admit I get jealous of the amount f muscle men can build! Lol
14:13 This is a very good point. *Muscles don't determine your worth as a human beeing and you don't need to workout to be happy but it is definetly something that makes you happier, gives you more confidence and improves your health in the long run*
Hi Sean, thank you for just bringing out content such as these. A lot of people don't want to hear that truth or not ready to hear it, but it needed to be said. The superficiality of the social media has brought out the false sense of expectations and insecurity amongst us. I always recommend your channel to alot of people and you are the very few fitness youtubers I look up too. Thank You!
This may not work for everyone but something that’s kept me motivated is chasing performance goals over chasing physique. I first got into regimented fitness in the army. Lots of cardio and lots of weight lifting. By necessity, that shredded look is actually not good for performance in combat and environmental scenarios. You need that fat for both insulation from cold, the water weight for the desert, and the extra energy for the days you really stuck in the field with limited rations. With that as the circumstances, my self esteem was less about how I looked and more about what I could do. It was the same for the whole unit. I’m 34, I’ve kept my routine up but got a little pudge and some creaky joints now. I still get my ego-boost from out lifting and out running the other guys. TLDR: it’s not always about looking good. For some of us it’s about being good.
The only thing that keeps me going is that the more i workout the stronger and healthier i become. Each time you workout you're a tiny bit stronger than last time thats what truly motivates me
As a beginner sometimes it's hard to even get started when u place such lofty goals as the perfect physique on yourself. So now my goal is simply to maintain a gym schedule.
Bro where were you like three four years ago I could have used all this advice then. But in all seriousness I really do appreciate what you're doing for people
I really like how Sean articulates himself. He seems very diplomatic, yet uprfront. And whenever he does videos on BS advice or misinformation on the fitness side of youtube, and he roasts the person like Vshred he always says something out of left field, that makes ke crack up. I also find his information legitimately useful and well informative.
I'm not your typical viewer as a 43 year old Woman who has been lifting for a few years. I lift for many purposes with the primary goals of -Functional Strength Independence (do things on my own) -Maintain as much bone density as I can -Deal with stress/Feel good. Also, it has helped very much with muscles imbalances around the pelvis/hips/low back. It seriously isn't about Physique for many people, we aren't lying. Lol.
Right? I know this comment and video is old but that part kind of had me squinting. Don’t get me wrong, this video is extremely valuable and I think there needs to be more content like this. However, I do get sick of hearing about how EVERYONE is super shallow and only motivated by looks. Been hearing it my whole life and been called a liar more times than I can count. Sorry it’s so hard for most of you to accept that not everyone has the same goals and motivations. I have a chronic illness that’s extremely painful and constantly interferes with my life so no shit my primary goal with health/fitness isn’t to look as sexy as possible. It’s to NOT BE IN CONSTANT PAIN! Shocking, I know.
Finally, somebody who speaks the truth. When you have experience from 1975 to 2021, and tried every hype out there you have no choice but to come to terms with your genetics. Still I workout to maintain what little progress I have made throughout the years. I started bodybuilding in1975 with old school training, martial arts using cement floors (no mats), used every diet fad from keto, vegan, miami diet, mass eating, etc. I got to train with many professionals, Navy Seals mass training (in the military), Chuck Norris, many Asian martial arts, MMA (at 50), and now I just maintain with basic workouts. Supplements are just marketing tools to make people rich. Best solution I have found is naturally eating clean, rest, sleep, and recovery. This is the best video I have seen in a long time.
This is a fantastic video! Nothing more to say really. Some of these things I've experienced first hand. Most recently the fulfillment/real satisfaction one. About lacking purpose. About enjoying the process of life instead of trying to check off items on a list that never ends. I sincerely believe that people like you are the reason the fitness space isn't ruined yet. Keep doing what you're doing!
Thank you for touching on "not making you happy." Happiness will never be a static state. It's an emotion. Trying to be happy doesn't work, it comes and goes like the tides on a beach. Living by your values will create long term satisfaction, which doesn't necessarily look like "happy" all the time.
This time I'm trying to get to and stick to what I believe is my natural best. Three times I've gotten 200lb 15-20% body fat (I'm 6ft and 39 btw) and felt great, then pushed harder (three times) and it all falls apart. Last time I got to 210lb 12-15% and it took up too much of my life and I felt like crap! So I quit! My plan this time is to set my goal at 200lb at 15-20% and stick to it for as long as possible! I'm too old to be a professional athletes or Instagram model, I just want to eat well, feel good and fight off old age lol.
Sean, I trust you implicitly, and your content is not only extremely helpful physically but mentally as well. This is rare in the world of online fitness videos. And I am truly grateful you save us all from the steaming piles of worthless stinky horseshit.
Not the fitness instructor they wanted at first... But the one they needed 😤💪🏼. So many good points covered here. You give whole life advice man, what a great mind. Subscribed for sure & excited to see more of your videos !
Man I just found this channel recently having started with AX before realising he has terrible advice on things like squats and bench press and deadlifts !!! Nothing important really for a “strength coach” to be wrong about 😳( check out Curlean X plus many others critiques) and uses fake weights, and sells nonsense exercises to fill out his channel, plus only just kind of admitted to being on TRT ! I left Greg because although he has done some good stuff he has become very drama focussed and I really stopped enjoying his content - Geoffrey Verity Schofield has a good critique of him. This guy is the real deal so I would stick with him! 😉
@@MarquitoRH I have no clue why I put Athlean X. Also Greg has gone downhill tbh but I’m biased towards him since his older videos changed the way I look at fitness and helped me get in better shape.
💪 Important Reminders:
1) Take the physique quiz and build your best body ever: Quiz.SeanNal.com
2) Use coupon RUclips15 to save 15% off your first order of our research-backed, clinically dosed supplements at www.RealScienceAthletics.com
3) Follow over on IG for more helpful fitness tips and strategies: @sean_nalewanyj
Ive a gym buddy we do the training toghter... im far more stronger than him, almost twice stronger, and his phisique by looking, its twice better than mine, life its sad haha.
Hi bro. I want a body lean but not as lean you showed on the video. Can I achieve lean body without supplements?
@Dany Henriquez I'm not disappointed that its a sales funnel. I mean the guy needs to make money too. He isn't just here giving advice out of the goodness of his heart. The part that is disappointing though is that the only question on the quiz that matters is the last one. You can say you are 5'5 and weigh 330, but if you say that you are skinny than you get the skinny video.
@@katorogi14 For sure. Really there aren't any supplements that are recommended for fat loss.
1. Protein supplementation just makes life easier as I just don't want to cook/eat that much chicken
2. Creatine supplementation/caffeine just helps gym performance
That is really all you need.
Years ago, I was 5ft-10in, and weighed 150lbs. Skinny ectomorph. So I took "Joe Weider Weight Gain Formula" and lifted weights everyday. For a year. Guess what happened? ( NOTHING. I stayed exactly the same. )
" The day that you started lifting is the day you became forever small, `cause you'll never be as big as you wanna be" - The Brofessor
You're only ever as big as your next pump 🤣
Sad but it’s true
Pretty true, I'm getting smaller and smaller by the day, especially after they closed the gyms again. Sanity checks is to look at old photos.
i coined a term to describe precisely that feeling, i called it the 'bodybuilder syndrome' . which Is basically the opposite of how an anorexic feels. the anorexic despite being skin and bones feels fat , thé bodybuilder inspite of looking big feels skiny
@@marialondon1411 We call it "bigorexia" in the lifting community. It is absolutely real.
1. Genetics matters a lot
2. Many influencers aren't natural, use Photoshop, and upload only their very best photos
3. You have to choose between being big + fat or lean + small + less energetic
4. Muscle growth is not linear, it's logarithmic, so your gains will slow down
5. Most supplements are BS
6. You'll never be satisfied with your body
7. Good physic will make your a only a little bit happier and attractive, there are more important things
@FeathersMcgraw I still watched it for the other smaller tips and stuff, and also i like to listen to him while i work or study, as a beginner who just started to work out and lift, listening to a lot of advice and guides and stuff is nice, every little infomation that i see not BS is helpful, im kida late to theese as well i think, as in mean im watching stuff weeks after which is also ok ))))
It just feels like everybody is trying to work against you.
@FeathersMcgraw I'm talking about fake influencers who lie for views and people trying to sell you their bullshit products. When you're a beginner It's hard to figure out who is giving good advice and who is trying to get your attention.
@FeathersMcgraw thanks for the advice. Sorry about that, no hard feelings I hope.
You have save us all, we are greatful
"Think about how bad the average physique is, and realize that half all people are even below that"
- Albert Einstein
😂
Lol actually pretty true
Correction: That was Greg Doucette whilst talking to Albert Einstein in 1940.
@@JoyfulSeas Time travel further back than last time!
As someone who is currently doing a PhD in physics I do feel obligated to tell you that the correct term would be "median", not average
Also, I LOLed :D
Another red pill is that as you age, you will have to face the reality that your strength and bulk will also decrease no matter what you do. You may also start questioning whether all the time you spent in the gym was time well spent or whether you have neglected other aspects of life that are also important. For me, at 62 years of age, i have shifted from wanting an exceptional physique to just growing old as healthily as possible.
Based
I would say strength increases up to 40-45.
It’s relatively true. I know a man who is at his physique peak at age 55 but he is more worried about being healthy and active
@@j0hn451guy is probably not natural if he peaked at 55
@@Antonio_Serdaryeah but if you only care about muscle but your stamina flexibility endurance will decrease vo2 will also decrease
The opening statement is so true. The longer I lift weights the more I feel like I suffer from body dysmorphia.
Yep, getting too wrapped up in the "aesthetics" side of things can make you both more confident yet more insecure at the same time in this sort of weird paradoxical way.
@@Sean_Nalewanyj any way to overcome that feeling ?
Same here man that hit me like a truck.
@@user-zk4dv2nx8k I used to feel that way in my 20’s and even a bit in my early 30’s. At some point around the time when I had kids, my priorities changed as it forced me to lead a more selfless life (as parenthood should do if you’re being a good parent), & I stopped trying to be the strongest or biggest guy (always been natural), and instead focused on overall health & fitness. I’m still in great shape as you can see, but I’m happy to say that the feeling of insecurity & not being happy with my current physique, always chasing more, has mostly worn off. I still push myself to keep slowly improving or at least maintain, but it’s coming from a totally healthy place now where it was coming from a mostly competitive place a decade or more ago.
@@FitLabb ohk , so I should like fitness instead of being competitive in it .
Thnx for the detailed ans . Srsly appreciated 🙏
Body Dysmorphia so real. I lost around 20+ lbs and am pretty cut. But literally didnt see it, everytime i looked in the mirror i still thought i was fat. My friends and girlfriend kept telling me how cut i looked but i couldnt believe it. Still dont, and this really hit home! going to appreciate my gains alot more now. Thanks Sean
Wait, that sounds so relatable. I'm on a weight loss program and lost 16 pounds in roughly a month, give or take a week. But, whenever I look in the mirror I always see my old fat self. My family regularly tells me that I look a lot slimmer, even my pants are getting loose. My waist measures at least 2 inches less than it used to. Still I'm not satisfied.
Body Dysmorphia is actually so real. Thanks for the comment man, and thanks to Sean as well.
take regular pictures to keep track of your progress and you'll never regret it
I feel ya man. I personally feel like my belly sticks out too much, even though in reality it most likely doesn't. Enough people have told me so. But my brain is such a see you next Tuesday to me. So yeah, can definitely relate. I just gotta keep going. All the best with your progress man.
I think that’s when you stop the cut and start eating . Body dysmorphia is the brain telling you to stop .
I have low body fat but libido is 100% absent. no sex drive, never even mind ED (I am just old though regarding this).
Red Pill Truth: the positive changes you make in your diet and training, the ones that get you to your goal, will have to become permanent if you want to keep your gains for life. In other words, you can’t go back to a poor diet and no exercise, and stay sculpted.
Decide yourself and keep it up. Way to go!
Exactly this isn’t a fad it’s a lifestyle . You decide if you want to live it it not .
Yep .
@@Returningtoithaca It's not permanent one time decision, either. The gained benefits are there even if you don't live that lifestyle always or even majority of the time.
The good news is that gains come back much more quickly because of muscle memory.
This might sound weird but when you mentioned "never being happy with your progress" that was actually a relief for me, my biggest fear is reaching "the spot" I was aiming for and then slowly phasing out workouts and losing interest. In everything else I do I always strive to improve, so I'm not opposed to it and if anything I think it's a great motivator.
You and me, both here hehe. I know I can't get satisfied but I will still try harder and harder
That happened to me. I overworked myself for a long time and reached a peak or plateau. Then I slowly but completely went off the rails. Now I have to start all over again. I lost strength, gained weight, and look crap again. The desire to work out hard and eat good is coming back but it has been really hard motivating myself again.
@@skycloud4802 But now you're an expert in the journey and process, no need to fumble at the start. You'll be back there in no time.
The harsh truth was that I could not, despite my best efforts, train under 100x gravity.
I will never be the super sayin lol
@@zadh ...oh great, another harsh truth for me today lol
"100 times normal gravity? That's for pussies"
Vegeta train for 300x and still loose to genetically better goku , sure man, reality in fiction harsh too
@@indrakariadi4411 Gene lottery affecting even godlike DBZ characters smh
"It's all about genetics.....", this is the truth that needs to be told (and not an excuse for being lazy), and yet still seems to not be believed by many. I started off as a road cyclist, hoping to do well and finding out soon enough that I didn't have the genetic ability (never explored the science behind why, any one or combination of producing too much lactic acid/not being able to efficiently flush it away/lung capacity/power output/natural haemoglobin and iron level etc). I also found out through weight training that I was a natural ectomorph and that weight training created no visible difference. To top it all off, I seem to have a significantly low amount of fast twitch muscle fibre. In conclusion, I'm terrible at endurance sports, unable to sprint well, not naturally strong and don't appear to change from dedicated weight training. I believe that people like myself suffer mentally in some way as the real difficulty lies in staying motivated to train with such little reward for all the effort and sacrifice. I wonder if the genetically blessed can ever appreciate this.
I feel the same with no way of knowing, but my upper body is disproportionately weak and I think I had to do exercises as a kid just for posture. Going to do as many tests as I can on my own time to figure out if it's true or not
I think it's the opposite. People overestimate genetics way too much in the physical training world. They are still very important, though, and are important specially in the elite levels.
It's not about being as good as others but being the best you can and mKing the most of it. That should motivate you to workout, being the best you can.
The genetics crap is the biggest nonsense ever. Everyone is genetically really close to each other. If someone else has better genetics or worse genetics its not going to be more than 8% difference either way. Bunch of excuses, usually used to mask steroid use or lack of gains
@@berosar Look around you next time you walk down the street. People are different heights, shapes, different eye colours, different sized muscle bellies.... a midget won't become an NBA player. He can blame this directly on his genetic make up, regardless of how much time or training he puts in to shooting hoops. And these are just the differences that are visible. As big a difference between people is also internal. We're typically very close in terms of chromosomes, but your physical development and performance and it's limitations will always be directly affected by your genetic potential.
"Just take roids then lie about it"
- Mike o'hearn
Underrated comment XD
I love Cycle O Hernia
This is GOLD. 😂
😂😂😂😂💪💪💪💪
While he lives a life he desires you live a miserable life by choice f**kn wake up man 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️😤😤😤
Never being satisfied with the way you look is positive from where I see it, it means that you want to progress and move forward. Thats a good thing
Wish people had the same attitude regarding education and philosophy
The higher the expectation, the bigger the disappointment.
Sounds like my marriage 👫🤣🤣🤣
@@junkyard-p1s that’s sad 😂
@@karenina10 That was in 1980. I'm divorced in 1993. I'm way better now. Retired and happy!🤸♂️🤼♂️🤣
@@junkyard-p1s Hahaha okay 👍
@@karenina10 😍👍🍻
Man I'll tell you, I've been a trainer for 20 years, and own my own gym where I train a variety of clients including professional athletes. The reason I say that is ONLY because I want to mention that this guy is the real deal. Absolutely everything I've heard thus far is BANG ON. No fluff, no fake promises, no BS. I wish I would have known half this stuff 20 years ago, but thus is life.
I couldn't agree more with his view points.
Deep down anyone who has lifted for a while and is relatively intelligent knows these truths, it’s accepting them that’s the hardest part. Thanks for articulating them. Great content.
absolutely , some truth are not easy to accept , especialy if it's someone's reason to start lifting , every new lifter needs to see this video although it might demotivate some , it's always better to know the truth .
Free your mind
Very true. If you get into lifting to just live a healthy life, nothing else, all the other crap won't matter.
I love how Sean just cuts to the point and let's everyone know the cold hard truth about fitness. We need more fitness people like you in the field. Thank you so much for the honesty 🙏 💯👏
I’ve been chasing an elite physique for years… even after a 75 pound weight loss I’ve never been happy. The only thing I accomplished was getting discouraged and frustrated by my lack of success and progress. So understanding this perfect goal that I’ve been chasing forever doesn’t exist has been helpful. I’d rather have a more healthier looking physique, feel better about that, and focus on the areas in my life that matter more.
Thank you as always for dropping the truth bombs that you do
It’s a learning process and many of us go through similar things on our “fitness journey”to ultimately arrive at a healthier place with it.
Yea but if you don’t like really really good compared to most people, that’s not genetics. That’s work and diet not being properly implemented.
Not accusing you of not knowing that or looking good though. People use genetics as an excuse more often than not. Especially their “metabolism”. Everyone is a self diagnosed hard gainer. I’ve only diagnosed them as not hard working.
Raiden from Metal Gear rising is my kind of physique lol
This is 100% true Cspin. You will never be completely satisfied and it kinda sucks. I know this because I'm extremely good looking in real life and have people mention it all the time. I still don't feel satisfied despite someone in public walking up to me saying "you could make a million pound with your face".. It makes me feel OK and slightly happy but trust me I'm never satisfied. I still want to be taller, have a smaller nose, bigger muscles, whiter teeth etc... It never ends, so I have learnt to accept it, I will never stop improving but I have to realize that life is also short, just make the most of it.
The last point about how lifting wont make you happy on a deep level actually kind of relieved me. I havent been my happiest these past times and i kind of started lifting because i thought it would make me happier and raise my self worth (it is helping with that), but i had this fear that once i get shredded what if i dont feel the things i was hoping i would. I understand now that i should focus on the more important areas in my life like school and my family since i havent really had a conversation with my mom in a long time
You nailed it. You guys should listen to what this man is saying. If you live long enough, you eventually figure these things out. This guy has just saved you a lot of time to reach a certain level of wisdom. I am 73 years old. I have been training with weights since I was about 13. I’m a lawyer who is still working. I’m financially independent. It took me about 60 years to figure out what he just told you.
So if the math is correct
That means you just found this stuff out in 2021??
Started lifting at age 13
You finally figured it out 60 years later
73?
Alleged 73 Year old claiming to be financially independent, to prove to people on a video about fitness that it took him time to become wise... With the name "alphamale3141". Nice.
@@sulaymanhaq5630 It’s true. Back in 1960, RUclips wasn’t around. At that time, bodybuilding magazine articles were not based on scientific research.
You must be so alpha
okey alphamale3141
As someone who has trained seriously for 10+ years. Shoutout to Sean for keeping it real about both training and life. Much respect brother✊. Thanks for being a great voice for those who are newer to fitness and are looking for the truth.
Another red-pill truth is that it takes years of consistent diet & training to get a good physique, and a HUGE amount of dedication and consistency.
THIS❗❗we should continue working out and moving forward every year not just for months in order to get a good physiquw.
I wouldn’t say huge amount, like train hard and eat pretty good over many years is mostly good enough?
@@TheNimbleOwl Yeah it’s enough I think, unless you want extreme results
but those videos showing 1 year transformations say it only takes 1 year. I dont know man, if it takes 10 years to get a great physique it's probably due to bad genetics.
It depends on what you consider a good physique i've seen people have a tremendous body improvement in a year and even less.
You're absolutely right about the body dysmorphia.
I'm trying to get one of my friends into lifting. I am taking every precaution possible for her mental health. She seems to think it's weird that I'm having her track her lean muscle mass and BF% and lifts when she's not really trying to lose/gain weight and just wants to gain strength. It's because I know she's prone to having body image issues due to her demographics and mental health issues. I absolutely can't wait to have a gym bro, but as the more experienced lifter, it's also my job to make sure that I take every precaution possible to protect her. If she's ever feeling like she's not making any progress, we can pull out the charts and I can show her how far she's come since starting.
I don't remember what my starting lifts were. I just know that I want to improve my current ones. I wish I tracked them from the beginning, but I know I've made progress and that's enough for me.
“We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact.” -Tyler Durden
I blame goku :(
And were very pissed off
Doesnt mean we shouldent give everything we have. For example i dont have good genetics for arms, im training them extra hard and with a vendetta knowing i will never have the arms i want.
@@ratkovac7 alphadestiny got all the arm tips you need bro
Hows clever working out for ya"
I’m glad that I passed on the V-shred click bait that I saw before I started my fitness journey. I remember seeing one of his ads which was saying things like “you can eat a ton of pizza and LOSE weight if you eat these foods with a high thermic effect” and of course I wanted to believe that being an overweight guy, but in the back of my mind I knew it was too good to be true that some foods burn calories rather than provide them. Glad I found your channel Sean, you’ve helped me a ton thank you
You are spot on with it being g to good to be true. I just turned 40 and been in the gym since I was 13. I've been through so many programs, hacks, supplements, tricks and so on. Nothing comes easy, it's all about consistency, proper programming and diet. Good luck and Godbless with your fitness journey. When you slip don't get down just recharge and refocus. My weight yoyoed my entire life it wasn't until the last 2 years I was able to dial down and keep it off
Sean redpilling the normies, what a beautiful sight
Based
@@Baltimore_Hood_Vines_2014 Mogged
I only care about the black pill u chad. Blue pill and red pill are npc normies lol
@@Wolfdorf what's a Chad?
@@vulturesiii6450 u
I really don’t care about anything other than maintaining and growing my strength. I’m 73 and try to get a little stronger every month I lift heavy and concentrate on form I find great satisfaction in this method and realize my body will never be as it was in my younger days but my strength can be maintained well into old age😊
You're not gonna sell anything keeping it this real. I think it's kinda funny to see people hiring trainers and buying many supplements, while believing that they will achieve their fitness goals much faster than if they just stick with grinding it out day after day. I enjoy the fact that you always give your honest opinion on subjects that you cover and don't promote a bunch of shortcuts or other nonsense.
If I don’t keep it real then I can never feel good about my business anyway so I have no choice haha
Nothing wrong with creatine monohydrate and protein powders and maybe nutritional supplements if you are lacking in vitamins or anything and have found a legitimate supplement but yeah beyond that most do nothing.
Yup. Dude keeps it real. Best way to know supporters are genuine.
That's why its called a red pill...
If you grind day in day out with the proper nutrition and lifting plan you will achieve it faster
This channel became a hit with me 10 min ago. I immediately sensed the heart felt no BS approach in a realm that is 90 percent BS. Great content
For me losing 50lbs actually kind of hurt my confidence and well being I was getting attention from girls that I never got and it just reminded how shallow people are. I would always ask myself “what if” and it kind of drove me crazy for a while. Remember to do this stuff for you and you only.
Agreed. Spent half my life overweight and many times I was treated poorly because of it. Since recompositioning my body, losing 70 pounds of fat and putting on nearly 20 pounds of lean, I notice so much more positivity and friendliness from strangers. It’s a sad truth.
Haha as a guy that lost shy of 100lb, I can confirm this is true!!! 😂
Same bro..."oh you look great now!" cuz i didn't look good before? bitches...hah
@@lonewolf604 when I was fat, my wife and I would make a game of it. We noticed that people working the counter at fast food places would ignore me but wait on her.
So we began standing together so close that we were against one another, or hold hands, and guess what, It Still Happened! They would ask her what she wanted, then wrap up the order and give her the total, without ever asking me what I wanted, as if it was a separate order! We’ve been married 30 years but apparently a fat guy couldn’t possibly be with a slim, fit woman even if they are holding hands at the counter! 🤦♂️
Hey, I lost weight and gains a little bit of muscle and people still treat me likes a shit.
That truth about physique hit home with me. I've been strength training for over a year now and I've had people compliment my appearance or flat out assume I work out just by looking at me. Yet when I look in the mirror I can't quite see what they're seeing. Definitely won't stop as I've grown to love it. Made some good friends at the gym and continue to get inspired by people such as yourself with this kind of knowledge. Much appreciated 🙏
*#8- Smelling your own Protein Farts will not contribute to lean tissue gain*
So you're saying recycling the protein doesn't work?
@@abdelrahmansalama7338 exactly
hahahahahahaaaaa I can only imagine some people doing that unironically hahahahahaha
More like nasal tissue loss.....
Underrated
You’re the best! You’re destroying the game in a great way. Thank you for being 100% real
Just train harder and trust the process, i dont mind naysayers, im just going to the gym to lift and it makes me happy
Last month after year and half i stared to really enoy and looking forward going to gym. I think it just take time to make of it what is for u and how to do it. Started alone and didnt know shit. Now i cant wait to go ;O
@@josipmarasovic7084 gym is life bro
I started going a couple of weeks ago and have a personal trainer. I’ve always liked the gym but haven’t been motivated to do so. I’m a skinny lean guy but I know putting on muscle may be difficult, like he said in redpill truth #6. I wanna put on a bit of muscle but I know it may be difficult
@@lukeclark3506 of course it is difficult. I strongly suggest watch greg doucette youtube channel. That channel help me a lot. I will say uou should do calorie surplus. Add more calories eat more protein and carbs. Atleast eat 4 times a day.
Some people care about the results, though. You aren't everyone.
Just found this channel by chance and for once I'm not narrowing my eyes at the algorithm. Good stuff Sean! It's nice to see another fitness educator that doesn't come across like a predatory manipulator.
This has to be the most valuable fitness related video I've ever watched.
True!
So much wisdom in this video!! (specially at the end).
Point no. 6 hits home. I think im suffering from body dysmophia. At the beginning my goals were realistic. But Now im literally chasing an imaginary dragon.
I've lifted on and off for the past 20 years. I like to think I know what I'm doing, but every now and then I find out that what I'm doing is old knowledge that no longer applies. It's happened enough over the years that I try to keep an open mind about it. When I started and was 16 all I wanted was the aesthetics, to get big like the older guys with the hot girls in the clubs. But I am very thankful for starting to get serious about martial arts soon after around 17 because since then, my workouts are focused on strength, and improving my performance for striking and grappling, and I mostly left the aesthetics aside. Being able to kick ass has also made me much more comfortable in my average/small stocky build. The aesthetics have become a side effect, not at all the goal, and I think that is much heathier for both my mind and body. Also, I only started to get proper gains in my arms after my 30s which blew my mind, as that is one of the things I never could get, and it's really not like I'm doing anything different. Genetics play a huge part, just try to be better than you used to be, don't compare yourself to others.
I think there is also a serious learning curve when it comes to training styles... I know far more about training than I did a couple years ago. No matter how many videos you watch, some 'red pill truths' only come after getting humbled in the gym and learning about what works for you
A journey indeed. Theres a reason “everybody is different” is said, things truly do work differently for each individual. Gotta figure that out on your own.
Your following has grown but I still feel you are super underrated in the community. Just straight up factual, practical and helpful advice
"Fat and injured" has got to be the worst outcome possible... damn you Sean
😂😂😂
Happened to me before and I was in denial lol
@moustachio334 fr? How did it happen? You bulked too much or injured yourself trying to push too hard on something? If you're comfortable sharing
point 6. My LIFE goal at 16 was 85kg when I was 58kg. Nearly 22 made it to 85 and I was totally satisfied with that and now I'm going back down to try and stay and at a more lean 80
Did you make it?
are you still alive
RIP, the cut killed him :(
how is it going?
This video was absolutely GREAT! A complete reality check. Number 7 was the best for me, building a big or lean physique will NOT make you happy. I get leaner and leaner and just want to get leaner and when / where does it end? I get irritable and tired in the process and for what? What am I expecting? And the worst part is that everyone notices and comments which gives me a temporary boost but then puts on more pressure for me to keep it up. I must stop! Thank you Sean! You are amazing
I know the clips been up for some time but I just watched it and wanted to thank you. I'm a realist but since I'm relatively new to gyming, I was looking for brutal honesty. I think it think it tells you about your limits but at the same time encourages you to reach them. Being content with life is something I've grown accustomed to in some aspects but I believe each individual should always try to better themselves. If we reach our max limit in one thing, we should try to keep at it and try to improve on other things as well. I'm straying off now but yeah, thanks, man. I was looking for this kind of honesty. It's why I love your clips, you say it like it is. Thanks man! 👍
This is easily one of your best vids ever. The thing about genetics took me a good 20 years to finally accept but when I did I felt a lot better about myself lol. I will never ever look like Frank Zane or be as strong as Franco Columbu (even if i took roids and grew sideburns) but i can certainly be a better version of ME and that's the goal these days. I think the majority of people training start for the wrong external reasons but if they keep at it long enough (and have develpoed a reasonable degree of maturity) it starts to become a much more positive internal thing. At this point (53 yrs old) I just enjoy the challenge of my training, keep trying to improve step by step, and also try to avoid injuries.
I’m gonna give you props for your videos because of the fact that you just stand there and speak instead of constantly having to edit it over and over so it chops around because that’s the most annoying thing on the planet
9:53 thank you so much for saying that. I spent most of my late teens early 20s using so many different supplements with trial and error. None of them except for creatine really did anything for me. People need to realize they realize can't replace proper nutrition and hard work.
Supplements are not meant to REPLACE proper nutrition in the first place. So your approach was already wrong. They are designed to COMPLEMENT regular diets
@@jkkim6928 even though I agree with you, the problem is exactly that. Supplement companies, many times, sell all this products implying that it will solve everything. Mass gainers are unhealthy but still they push it a lot, aswell as fat burners which doesn’t really burn fat but makes burn a little bit more calories and kind of makes your calories deficit a little bit easier to handle and stick to it. The problem of not having the proper diet is not his fault but the industry. Misleading information and really bad advices in order to sell useless products and really bad programs.
I am avoiding creatine and protein shakes. While foods is my main source of protein right now.
Year old comment but they’re quite literally called supplements, because they’re supposed to supplement.
@@ot1346 oh I know. Like a lot of people, I used to think I could get around eating right by using supplements. After many years of trial and error plus research, I have my diet part down and found which supplements work best. For me.
My man is blasting those truth bombs non-stop.
I absolutely agree. I just scheduled a video for tomorrow on why I decided to gain a bit more body fat. But these are harsh truths that most people don't want to hear, especially newcomers to the fitness community. Props to you for saying it as it is
Damn I appreciate your honesty.
I think the hardest thing for me was the realization that I will never be a 20-something elite army infantryman ever again. Realistically adjusting your expectations goes a long way to making you happy in your own skin. Now days it’s all about feeling good and being physically able to do the things I want to do. A healthy life, a healthy diet, and the ability to keep up with my kids and the ranch.
The “what’s going on Guys it’s Vince” clips ALWAYS get me haha Love the content as usual Sean!
Cracks me every time🤣😂
I almost spit my drink when i saw that clip 🤣🤣🤣
Letting go of expectations helps a lot in general in life, even though it sounds grim at first:
if you don't have the perfect genetics, you won't reach that top 1% - let go of this thought and just go with the flow.
If you stop expecting anything from other people, you cannot be disappointed anymore, and only pleasantly surprised.
if you accept that life is meaningless, and nothing means anything in the face of death, you realize that meaning is whatever you give it. There is no pressure to do anything. Success in jobs, getting money, a house, a family, all of this shit is made up by us and it can put a HUGE burden on your shoulders, followed by a huge relief once you just let go and once again, go with the flow.
Damn it as soon as I get ahold of a time machine I’m showing this video to myself 5 years ago
I think all of these are important facts to learn to deal with, although I would disagree with the last one. I genuinely feel that working out makes me happier. My girlfriend broke up with me last January, and for the first few weeks after I felt the worst I'd ever felt in my whole life. Then I started hitting in the gym. The situation still sucked, but it gave me a sense of purpose again. Fast forward a few months being 25+ pounds heavier, I'm living my best life. Every time I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of the hard work I put in and that I'm a valuable person. Having support in other areas of my life definitely contributed, but damn, was working out one of the primary drivers of my mental improvement.
And you're happy with yourself, best thing. You don't have to be with someone to prove how much of a great and strong person you are :)
These are the videos that separate Sean from all of the rest of the fitness you tubers. Much respect brother, keep it up. ✌️😎🤘
“ONE OF THEE ONLY GUYS” keeping it honest, on this specific topic” online! Thanks for this Sean, I’ll pass it along🙏🏽💪🏾👊🏽
I've trained in one sport or another all my life including strength and physique training. I've coached too.
I can find no fault in what has been said at all. It's just spot on truths. I don't get to say that often because not many people give it to you straight in this industry.
Came here for muscle advice. Left with some high quality life advice.
What you said at the end was very well put and true. Amen to that
I’m a qualified nutritionist who lifts weights 6 days a week. Started doing this almost a year ago. I’m about to turn 45. I feel about 25. But I’m not delusional about the physique aspect... anymore 😎I’ve stoped watching 25 year old influencers showing me the latest exercise- it can be sooooo unrealistic. I’ve had to shift my health paradigm-and focus on the pleasure and mini successes I get every time I perform progressive overload. Like men, I think women have so much pressure to look a certain way- small waist, big ass, etc etc….mannn it’s potentially demoralizing-- unless I stay with clear goals -- to feel good- to be stronger than ever and avoid all the crippling co- morbidities that come along with the average aging body. Lifting has actually taught me to be present in the moment, to celebrate my own mini successes and subsequently I enjoy moving around with confidence and strength in the world. Thanks for this video 🙌🏽🙌🏽
The young men are on crazy amounts of drugs.
Similar experience here, I feel younger at 45 than I did at 35. I dont watch many fitness influencers though, my main way to measure progress is by how horny I am lol, and just not getting fat again.
This guy is undoubtedly the best on youtube on this issue, he has much more than muscle
Went from gym to life advise good stuff man
yo- i rewatch this video so often now, it's just THAT good. thank you for these truths, so rare to hear fitnesss professionals being so genuine, realistic, tactful and grounded.
I'd amend the opening line to "you'll never be happy enough with your physique until you get into your 50s". Once you get past all the ego and lifting for aesthetics, you shift into longevity. You look around at other guys your age and realize that you do look damn good compared to your peers and sarcopenia or breaking your hip in the bathtub is the least of your worries. It really doesn't take much muscle mass to feel like you're jacked in your fifties. Just being reasonably fit feels pretty amazing.
Man that last part where you speak about what's really going to give you satisfaction in life is so true. It might seem a bit out of place on a video about fitness, but it's absolutly important to know.
Damn when he said you’ll end up fat and injured
You struck a heart chord brother
In 2012 I was practicing parkour and working out every day fast forward to 2015 I was so injured I couldn’t workout or do parkour anymore
Then I became a depressed fat and injured guy
Now 2022 I’m finally correcting my mental health and also getting back to the work out deal
This genetics point is so true. Although many people use it as an excuse, but reality is that it is more important than anything else. Muscle bellies, insertion and origins, proportions, all these are designed by birth. No amount of lifting, hard work, PED and steroids, etc is going to change it. We can only reach whatever is possible within our genetic limits. Some people have higher levels of myostatin, some possess fewer androgen receptors, some have certain genes expressions not conducive for robust hypertrophy, etc. Christian Thib has written thoroughly about it in a T-Nation article.
Totally agree most “fitness influencers” don’t have people’s best interest in mind & are just looking to make a quick buck 💵 by selling or promoting nonsense products or services. Great video Sean 👍
Or promoting useful products but over-pricing it .
U know who I'm talking abt
For me, being in my late 40's, I find it easier to adjust to not having the perfect body. I've got good genetics. When I first started out trying to get shredded, I wanted to look like the cover of a fitness magazine, I was expecting a hard road. As I got more into it I realized that it's EXTREMELY hard but also that it's short lived for the vast majority of people. So it's part, what it takes to get there, what it takes to maintain it, and what it means to even try for it.
Once I realized what it took, I had already gotten into the best shape of my life, albeit not as good as when I was in high school but even then I was propped up by age and metabolism. So looking as good as I do I switched my focus to being as healthy as I can, while still living a life that made me mentally healthy as well. It worked for me. I'm happy, I look great, and I can still drink booze and eat a totally horrible meal or two once or twice a week.
I can see how someone who has the ability to get shredded, but cannot get to the top tier of people who look great, might destroy themselves trying to get to a point that is unsustainable. It's hard to tell someone how to be okay with their limit until they have gone there and broke. But it's important.
The best fitness vid I’ve seen for a while. What a well rounded common sense trainer. Very refreshing to hear the truth for a change. I would love to hear Greg comment on this because I reckon he’d agree with it all. Best regards from a 58 year old ‘newbie’ whose working his ass off !
Honest, smart and funny, love it mate
I wish I had known how hard it truly is to gain muscle as a woman! I’ve been working out for 7 years and of course have made many mistakes but being a woman and having a certain type of genetics it is extremely hard to gain muscle. I’ve had to adjust my expectations quite a bit over the past few years. I admit I get jealous of the amount f muscle men can build! Lol
you dont need muscle to look good as a women. all that matters is if you are slim.
@@RAHULTMNT100 you know we all have different tastes? Maybe this woman prefers the "bulky" look, as opposed to being just slim.
14:13 This is a very good point.
*Muscles don't determine your worth as a human beeing and you don't need to workout to be happy but it is definetly something that makes you happier, gives you more confidence and improves your health in the long run*
Agree!
Hi Sean, thank you for just bringing out content such as these. A lot of people don't want to hear that truth or not ready to hear it, but it needed to be said. The superficiality of the social media has brought out the false sense of expectations and insecurity amongst us. I always recommend your channel to alot of people and you are the very few fitness youtubers I look up too. Thank You!
This may not work for everyone but something that’s kept me motivated is chasing performance goals over chasing physique.
I first got into regimented fitness in the army. Lots of cardio and lots of weight lifting.
By necessity, that shredded look is actually not good for performance in combat and environmental scenarios. You need that fat for both insulation from cold, the water weight for the desert, and the extra energy for the days you really stuck in the field with limited rations.
With that as the circumstances, my self esteem was less about how I looked and more about what I could do. It was the same for the whole unit.
I’m 34, I’ve kept my routine up but got a little pudge and some creaky joints now.
I still get my ego-boost from out lifting and out running the other guys.
TLDR: it’s not always about looking good. For some of us it’s about being good.
Sean, you're one of the few trustworthy guys.
The only thing that keeps me going is that the more i workout the stronger and healthier i become. Each time you workout you're a tiny bit stronger than last time thats what truly motivates me
“High quality, phamarceutical grade Creatine” lmaoooooo 😂😂
As a beginner sometimes it's hard to even get started when u place such lofty goals as the perfect physique on yourself. So now my goal is simply to maintain a gym schedule.
You look like your getting bigger and leaner man great . I know you said last year was one of the worst years of lifting you’ve had, great vid too!
Thanks man. I’ve been really dialing in my training and nutrition the past few months.
Bro where were you like three four years ago I could have used all this advice then. But in all seriousness I really do appreciate what you're doing for people
I really like how Sean articulates himself. He seems very diplomatic, yet uprfront. And whenever he does videos on BS advice or misinformation on the fitness side of youtube, and he roasts the person like Vshred he always says something out of left field, that makes ke crack up. I also find his information legitimately useful and well informative.
Love your style and dry sense of humor -- not to mention quality content. Keep up the good work!!!
Red Pill #8 You will get tons of compliments on your physique from other guys and none from girls.
They like it, they won’t tell that to your face though because they are used to be the ones receiving comments and not giving any in return
@@simpbeforeusleep yeah,they usually tell you after they’ve slept with you. It kinda just comes out.
Says who? If u dont get any compliments from females u probably overestimated how good u look
One of the most needed vids on YT. Thank you for this.
I'm not your typical viewer as a 43 year old Woman who has been lifting for a few years. I lift for many purposes with the primary goals of -Functional Strength Independence (do things on my own) -Maintain as much bone density as I can -Deal with stress/Feel good. Also, it has helped very much with muscles imbalances around the pelvis/hips/low back. It seriously isn't about Physique for many people, we aren't lying. Lol.
Right? I know this comment and video is old but that part kind of had me squinting. Don’t get me wrong, this video is extremely valuable and I think there needs to be more content like this. However, I do get sick of hearing about how EVERYONE is super shallow and only motivated by looks. Been hearing it my whole life and been called a liar more times than I can count. Sorry it’s so hard for most of you to accept that not everyone has the same goals and motivations. I have a chronic illness that’s extremely painful and constantly interferes with my life so no shit my primary goal with health/fitness isn’t to look as sexy as possible. It’s to NOT BE IN CONSTANT PAIN! Shocking, I know.
Finally, somebody who speaks the truth. When you have experience from 1975 to 2021, and tried every hype out there you have no choice but to come to terms with your genetics. Still I workout to maintain what little progress I have made throughout the years. I started bodybuilding in1975 with old school training, martial arts using cement floors (no mats), used every diet fad from keto, vegan, miami diet, mass eating, etc. I got to train with many professionals, Navy Seals mass training (in the military), Chuck Norris, many Asian martial arts, MMA (at 50), and now I just maintain with basic workouts. Supplements are just marketing tools to make people rich. Best solution I have found is naturally eating clean, rest, sleep, and recovery. This is the best video I have seen in a long time.
This is a fantastic video! Nothing more to say really. Some of these things I've experienced first hand. Most recently the fulfillment/real satisfaction one. About lacking purpose. About enjoying the process of life instead of trying to check off items on a list that never ends. I sincerely believe that people like you are the reason the fitness space isn't ruined yet. Keep doing what you're doing!
Thank you for touching on "not making you happy." Happiness will never be a static state. It's an emotion. Trying to be happy doesn't work, it comes and goes like the tides on a beach. Living by your values will create long term satisfaction, which doesn't necessarily look like "happy" all the time.
This time I'm trying to get to and stick to what I believe is my natural best. Three times I've gotten 200lb 15-20% body fat (I'm 6ft and 39 btw) and felt great, then pushed harder (three times) and it all falls apart. Last time I got to 210lb 12-15% and it took up too much of my life and I felt like crap! So I quit! My plan this time is to set my goal at 200lb at 15-20% and stick to it for as long as possible! I'm too old to be a professional athletes or Instagram model, I just want to eat well, feel good and fight off old age lol.
Appreciate how real you are, its a breath of fresh air, especially with all the misleading confusing channels out there
Sean, I trust you implicitly, and your content is not only extremely helpful physically but mentally as well. This is rare in the world of online fitness videos. And I am truly grateful you save us all from the steaming piles of worthless stinky horseshit.
13:58 resonate with this a lot. I find satisfaction in the mindset of constant improvement, rather than the results itself.
Can’t wait for your Creatine Monohydrate formula.
Hopefully about 12 weeks away!
Thank you. Finally a fitness influencer on social media who is perfectly honest about it.
Not the fitness instructor they wanted at first... But the one they needed 😤💪🏼. So many good points covered here. You give whole life advice man, what a great mind. Subscribed for sure & excited to see more of your videos !
Great piece of honesty, I have been training for 14 years its about the endorphins and general health in the end.
This channel, Greg Doucette, and athlean X are on a whole new level.
Man I just found this channel recently having started with AX before realising he has terrible advice on things like squats and bench press and deadlifts !!! Nothing important really for a “strength coach” to be wrong about 😳( check out Curlean X plus many others critiques) and uses fake weights, and sells nonsense exercises to fill out his channel, plus only just kind of admitted to being on TRT ! I left Greg because although he has done some good stuff he has become very drama focussed and I really stopped enjoying his content - Geoffrey Verity Schofield has a good critique of him. This guy is the real deal so I would stick with him! 😉
@@MarquitoRH I have no clue why I put Athlean X. Also Greg has gone downhill tbh but I’m biased towards him since his older videos changed the way I look at fitness and helped me get in better shape.
Sean is S-tier in fitness.
Laughed my ass to that shameless and emotionless IG plug. Serious underrated humor