Competing with others

[OldGuy]

I say save the competitiveness for competition. Otherwise be inspired by others who are doing well and help and encourage all. Only by exchanging ideas and advice do you benefit. Being better or worse than the next man does not ammount to much. So to repeat, be inspired by the best and help the rest. There are those on here who are genuinely modest, and no doubt do not want others to boast on their behalf either. Nuff said!

[mobsterone]

Let's all keep our reps and poundages a secret. Thus Joe will never find the truth/real weight used. We will never be able to compare ourselves and the only info here will be in the form of tips about some mysterious trainee - but not ourselves that'd be bragging.

If thats the way we're going I will (again) volunteer to put together the grip encyclopedia - at least there will be some info to help and educate.

Perhaps, as was suggested in another thread, we should have a records section or people that want to put up their reps and weigh used could use the training diary. Or, as I am sure someone will remind those that care, and as we have seen at the Garage Gym page, one can always go elsewhere - just a thought

Last thought  and I know I'm gonna get flack for this but what the ####... It seems to me (IMO) that all this stems from a posting or three by myself and or Scott back around Semptember 11th (give or take a day). It seems as though one or two took things personally and low we have arrived at todays deleted postings. No one was slagged off and as usual if you don't want to vote you don't have to. I re-read the original posting on the most recent deletion and 'in the style of Heath' - who can of course post if he so wishes (without bragging - all he needs to do is vote) - I saw nothing that would be deemed in anyway offensive.

Lets not go down a 'them and us' road. If you don't want to put up numbers don't and if you do -do. I'd only ask that you might prove it or get witnessed. At least that way its not BS.

Peace.

Your thoughts?

[Roark]

Steve,

If I am the Joe to whom you refer, I have no clue

what you mean.

If I am not, ignore this.

[mobsterone]

Ok Joe - it was you - I cannot tell a lie. To clarify: If no one posts at all with either reps, weights or stats, then your chosen path as statician and historian of all aspects of the Iron Game will be that much harder. Or am I wrong?

[Roark]

Posts that are simply descriptive in nature- my wrist curl

reports etc., that are of no claim to elite level achievement,

or someone closing a 2 for a few reps, are not matters that

I track. Frankly, even though I could be lying about my best

wrist curl effort to date (225 lbs for a set of 6), since it is so far below the best efforts of others, either I need to refine

my lying techniques, or I am simply gym-reporting.

If my claims were of world record level, then they should be

verified. If not verified, ignored.

If there has been a common thread in my posts these past

15 months, it is for verification of history's lifts. And, by

implication, of today's contest lifts, or personal bests of

record proportions.

You give me too much credit, Steve, I have special interests

in certain feats and certain periods of iron history- I cannot,

nor do I desire to, track all aspects. But I am obsessive about

what does interest me. And grip has ALWAYS fascinated me.

[mobsterone]

I agree in part with what you say but I question one aspect. In order for you to know (by the way 225 full range wrist curls is #### good) that, as you put it,  'is so far below the best efforts of others' you will have to have had a number to compare it with. I have seen little or no posts on full range wrists curls so you have either (a la Old Guy) not given your self enough credit or compared it to some world record or read here a poundage by which you compare your effort.

A better question/s and one which might resolve the current dilema. What is the diffrence between saying what you lift and bragging? Is mentioning a weight which may or may not be a WR bragging? Or is having someone else mention that you are good bragging? If so you're great Joe - we best get this post deleted :p I'm kidding before someone gets their gun and declares war :p

[Roark]

Steve,

Valid point about what's the diff between saying

(the best) one can lift, and bragging.

In my view, regarding this subject, to brag would be

to assert abilities at elite levels without verification.

If I say I can close the #1, probably no one would challenge

me; if I claim the #3, people want proof. The #1 may be the

best I can do, and it may therefore appear to be bragging

to those who cannot close a #1. To those who can close a

#2 or #3, it probably brings back memories of long ago

when there were mired at that level, and rather than see

me as a braggart, they will offer me tips on improvement.

Regarding my wrist curl, I have had a COC tell me that he

cannot imagine wrist curling that much- that it would snap

his wrists. Grain of salt. If he put his mind to it, he would

be passing me shortly. The figure I was comparing to was

John Brookfield's ability where he once told me he got (this

is from memory) 18 reps in the wrist curl with 300 lbs. I

asked him if he quit at 18 because of failure- he said no,

he was becoming style-sloppy and it was therefore dangerous.

The other day I got 18 reps with 150, so I hardly think it bragging when I specialize in the movement and when John

did the above, it was off the cuff, pardon the pun, and it had

been a long while since he trained on the wrist curl.

I have no illusions that any lifting feat I will ever be able to

perform will rank anywhere above the average level of anyone

who trains on the same feat.

With that, I take my unflexed 26" arms and walk away.