HOW MUCH YA BENCH?

Oh boy do I love to ask that question, or any permutation of it.  “How much ya bench/squat/deadlift/press/etc”.  Why?  Because whenever I’m asking that question, it’s immediately after someone has given a LOT of advice on that movement.  And what do I get?  Silence, re-direction, insults, indepth explanations on how that doesn’t matter, poor analogies, etc.  Very rarely do I actually get a number back.  Why?  Because these people are charlatans that are all too willing to give advice but totally unwilling to provide examples of their own success in following this advice.  People are all too willing to open their mouths at any opportunity but once it comes time to put money where their mouth is, they back off and bring up the defense mechanisms.  Here’s a thought; if you are unwilling to answer this question, you should be unwilling to provide advice on the matter.

I realize I am dating myself with this reference

“But coaches aren’t always the best athletes!” Shut up: you sound stupid right now.  Know what my follow-up question is whenever I hear that defense?  “Cool story bro: how many people have you trained and what do THEY bench?”  Because the best coaches didn’t BECOME the best coaches by just reading a lot of online abstracts and then spewing out theories; they tested out their ideas on themselves and their athletes, refined the process, and produced RESULTS.  Theories are meaningless without data to back them up, and you parroting greatness doesn’t in turn make YOU great.  That’s a cheap trick used by people who are incapable of original thought or success.  If you want to play the coach defense, then be a coach.

But furthermore, let’s go on to explore more about refusing to give an answer.  What does THIS prove?  Shame.  Absolute shame in one’s own lacking accomplishment.  I’m far from the strongest dude ever, but I take pride in what I’ve done and how hard I’ve worked to get there, and if someone asks me the question of what I lift, I’ll share it.  Hell, I’ll give them a video if I have one.  I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done, and I’m willing to let my results speak for themselves.  If YOU are unwilling to do the same, ask yourself what that means about your own confidence in your advice. 

Although sometimes confidence isn't all that great

Look; not everyone deserves to give advice.  I know this is upsetting in a world where people want to cry “free speech” any time they are challenged, but the truth is, all opinions AREN’T equal, and some ARE more valuable than others.  You submitting your opinion on training is only muddying the waters and diluting the pool of good information.  Yes; even if you have good intentions.  Yes; even if you are quoting the experts.  People screw up what the experts say ALL the time.  Do you know how many times I cringe seeing people talk about “accessory” exercises in 5/3/1?  I went through and control+f’d all the books I had from Jim; he doesn’t use that word.  How about how much people jack up the Westside Method, especially considering these people never actually TRAINED at Westside?  How about people that talk about “Coach Smolov” like he ever actually existed?  How about people that took Bill Starr’s 5x5 program for football players and decided to apply it to lifelong couch potatoes?  Let me put it simply; you’re not helping.

Meanwhile, those that succeeded tend to “get it”, even if they lack the cited sources and peer reviewed studies to back it up.  They “get” what Wendler means when he says you can build maximal strength with sub-maximal weights.  They “get” the difference between straining and testing when it comes to the max effort method.  They “get” how you can still make progress even if you aren’t training a muscle group the idealized amount of times a week.  They “get” the difference between effective cheating and poor form compared to ineffective training.  There’s a certain level of understanding that simply cannot exist purely academically; it needs to be experienced and replicated in order to be understood.  Many times, these guys that are moving heavy weight “in spite of themselves” are intuitively familiar with the exact concepts you feel that they are unaware of.  They may not have read it in a study, but it’s there.

Some dudes may not have even had internet access when they got jacked

Does this mean you always have to be stronger than the person you’re giving advice to?  Not at all.  Again, we’ve seen super strong athletes coached by weaker coaches.  However, what this DOES mean is that you have to be unashamed of your own accomplishments if you’re willing to advise others.  You have to be willing to proudly produce an answer when asked “how much ya bench”, and gladly let the number stand on its own.  You have to be willing to say “this is my advice, and this is my proof that it is good advice”.  And if you can only say half of that sentence, you shouldn’t say any of it. 

Until you are willing to do that, don’t give advice; listen to the advice of those who ARE willing to give an answer.