Building Muscle = Ego?

[Matt Skinner]

1 hour ago, Enlightenment said:

It's GENETICS.

Yep. Not all metabolisms are born equal. I know people who eat like pigs and barely work out and literally cannot NOT have a six pack

[28 cm unbuffed]

@Leo Gura

I don't give a damn about anyone to give me props or to brag myself or anything. Just an example, that you can, without roids, with hard work and discipline reach a great physique. Frank is another great example: https://www.instagram.com/being_frank_Yang/ He is aesthetic, natural, and spiritual (enlightened from what he claims).

Aesthetics is another form of God's beauty for me, as your body is your mind too. 

Edited May 14, 2021 by 28 cm unbuffed

[Anon212]

Just because someone is big and lean does not mean they use performance enhancers. Before lockdown I was big, lean and strong. Everyone thought I was on steroids or at least SARMS but I wasn't. I have a genetic mutation such that my body produces low levels of myostatin. Myostatin inhibits muscle growth, if there are low levels, there is less inhibition of muscle growth. There are many other genes that result in a dude being jacked and lean. However most people in the public sphere are using stuff. BUT just because most do, it does not mean that all do. I am not saying the above to brag. I was vain, I was a narcissist. I got big and strong to get girls and attention. In fact I was quite sophisticated. My excuses covering the image issues were quite good if I do say so myself haha. Now I just do some yoga, a bit of running and some weight training just to keep the body strong and healthy. BUT I am still jacked. There is nothing I can do about it. Don't label me an egomaniac just because I'm big. I'm a nice guy, I swear... The whole lifting industry is a sham, from supplements, to the silly youtubers, to the fake natties. It is all image issues, ego, pride, narcissism, getting hot girls, attention, alpha male rubbish... blah... do it if you want, though eventually, especially if you are spiritually inclined it will fall away.

[Karmadhi]

A lot of things in life are just ego. No need to pick the gym only as a "its just ego" case.

[RendHeaven]

@Enlightenment Bruh did you seriously just call David Laid natural lmao

Obviously the least natural people will claim that they're natural. Read between the lines!

@28 cm unbuffed You're shredded but don't have anywhere near the same bulk as Chris Heria. Not a comparison.

Everyone reacting against Leo is dodging this:

6 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Dudez, I've done bodybuilding. Don't bullshit me about why you're doing it. I know exactly why you're doing it. It's vanity.

But if you enjoy it, knock yourselves out.

What's possible or not possible is not the point.

The point is that this stuff is all ego. And, it doesn't have to be that way for you if you listen to your higher values. Go meta.

[Enlightenment]

15 minutes ago, RendHeaven said:

Bruh did you seriously just call David Laid natural lmao

Yes, skinny David Laid before lifting was certainly natural. IDK if he's natural now (his FFMI is definitely possible naturally) and it doesn't matter

[28 cm unbuffed]

@RendHeaven

Yeah, as I wrote I'm not exercising regularly for like 2 years or more now.

[JohnnyAb]

You can easily benefit from building muscle/strength training. Starting from injury prevention, preventing osteoporosis, improved balance, sleep, metabolism, control of sugar in blood, stronger immune system, increased energy levels... I could still go on. You don't get these simply by doing cardiovascular exercises. Your older self will definitely thank you for that effort too.

The rest of this thread is extremely cringe worthy though. 

As much as I appreciate egoic reasons for pursuing aesthetic physique it's hard to deny obvious benefits.

Edited May 14, 2021 by JohnnyAb

[Globalcollective]

You can absolutely lift weights purely for the love of it, whilst in lockdown I created my own retreat as i was furloughed and incorporated weight training along side meditation and yoga and found it very beneficial, mainly because I was lifting the weights for how it made me feel and to be abit more stronger however its very easy to fall into a trap of doing it for ego reasons.  I find if I workout in a gym I'm more likely to be sucked in because of the collective energy in the place, also constantly looking at your progress is another way for you to fall into this trap. Do it purely on making yourself feel better.  

[Bogdan]

If you take care of your tendons, joints, ligaments and bones, as well as your organs, glands & nervous system (so basically the whole body), then you will have a strong, athletic, endurant, coordinated, stable, balanced, agile, flexible and PAIN-FREE body, that will most likely remain that way until "your death". 

That will inevitably result in muscularity, that of course will start to decline as the body ages.

During a lifetime there are many fun things and skills that you can learn and acquire (regarding physical exercise), such as 

- all the kettlebell moves

- calisthenics skills

- olympic lifts

- climbing

- parkour

- ground-based locomotion & flow

- strongman stuff, carrying & throwing stuff

- acrobatics, gymnastics, trampoline

- martial arts

- barbell & dumbbell training

- all sorts of sports, sprinting, jumping, swimming 

- achieving the middle and front splits, back bridge, etc.

All of them will produce muscle growth, some more than others. But what i think matters most for longevity & health, but mostly for general well being and not having an achy body is to get decently flexible. That also means getting strong in those end-range positions. Make sure that your muscles and tissues are evenly flexible from one side to another, front to back etc. That will produce basically all the muscle you need, if you're not into "working out".

I recommend learning from guys like Jeffrey Wolf - TheFlexibull on IG and Lucas Aaron - Range of Strength on YT and IG. They work together and have tons of experience in combining strength and flexibility the right way.

[vinc3nc]

3 hours ago, rounder said:

It's so sick that people actually click on and watch videos like this.

Everyone is full of misinformation, do you really think you aren't?

I don't need to click the video to know the guy talking is a clown. You can go eat your banana and talk to him about my ego if you want while I'm working out. 

It's not sick to watch them any more than it's "sick" to watch Chris's videos and other similar videos. People in the fitness industry are full of ego and full of misinformation, which can hurt people watching those videos. So there come the counterbalance videos, so to say, which call those people out.

If you're making YT videos and your information is bad overall, don't be surprised if you get called out for it.

[Vision]

@Leo Gura

When I visualize myself being in my dream body it makes me feel like I'm heading towards being more "alpha-male" and "dominant", a body of someone who is a CEO of his own life, is true to himself, and is independent of the good and bad opinions of others. The true "Chad". 

This is ego and self-image right? But then again, how does this negatively affect the quality of your life? We build a healthy ego before transcending it right?

As long as you don't stay attached to how you look, isn't it best to push yourself to your full potential? 

I like to treat my "self" and my "body" as the avatar/vehicle through which I'm experiencing reality, and I want it to function to its full potential - agile, strong, flexible, etc. Is that still ego? 

[ilja]

On 14.5.2021 at 10:43 AM, Leo Gura said:

Dudez, I've done bodybuilding. Don't bullshit me about why you're doing it. I know exactly why you're doing it. It's vanity.

But if you enjoy it, knock yourselves out.

Besides that I find that highly questionable, yeah bodybuilding for vanity reasons is not weight lifting for strenght and the pump.

Edited May 15, 2021 by ilja

[Nahm]

Feeling good, actual. Looking good, projection. Some projection is natural, healthy, like inspiration. Too much projection, not so well being oriented. A blanket which covers the prior mentioned, feeling good.  Attachment to thoughts of what others think of you, or that there are and that they even are. (Motivation - ‘getting it done by avoiding circumstances & situations’... inspiration, what you actually want, unwrapping the real gift you are.)

[Vision]

@Nahm

What do you do to feel good in terms of exercising? 

[Vision]

On 14/05/2021 at 8:43 PM, Leo Gura said:

Dudez, I've done bodybuilding. Don't bullshit me about why you're doing it. I know exactly why you're doing it. It's vanity.

But if you enjoy it, knock yourselves out.

@Leo Gura

Bodybuilding != Health. The excess caloric surplus over a long period of time will cause problems down the line. I feel bad for their livers.

Also, weightlifting doesn't have to mean you're a bodybuilder. It can be used as a means for that end, yes. But not automatically. 

Resistance training still has its own benefits independent of aesthetics. Looking better is best to be seen as a byproduct. 

[Leo Gura]

I have weights and Olympic squat and bench rack in my house.

I got nothing against pumping some weight. It's good for ya.

[Vision]

@Leo Gura

What do you do to keep up your fitness? Do you have a fitness routine?  

[Leo Gura]

11 minutes ago, Vision said:

@Leo Gura

What do you do to keep up your fitness? Do you have a fitness routine?  

Currently nothing because I have a serious stomach disorder that makes it very painful for me to eat anything. So I conserve calories as much as possible.

Once that's healed I will be doing jogging, weightlifting, and maybe I'll buy a bike.

[bazera]

@Leo Gura Hey Leo, how is your carnivore diet going? Is it still helpful? Or did you move on to other things after your last update on your vlog?

I find your health update vlogs very helpful for figuring out new ideas for my autoimmune disorders. 

Edited May 17, 2021 by bazera