The Internet, reality, and success

[R33t]

The Internet, broad band connections, and high output computers and servers have grown rapidly over the years. There are a ton of different boards, some for steroids, dieting, low carbohydrate diets (which I think are pretty bad, by the way ), and comprehensive boards.

Some of us spend 30 minutes a day on these boards and others up to several hours. We have our reasons. But what do these boards mean to you? How literally do you take advice of others via the Internet? How has the e-movement helped you with who you are today?

I have gathered a lot of information from experience, books, close friends, and even pros. But what I find nice is the ability, if I have a question, to make a quick post and see how others respond. Then something else I find interesting is how people merge the two together: the internet and real life. Although, in certain aspects, the two are very much the same.

Anyway, I don’t want to go off on a long tangent. If some bro’s, or a lot of bro’s, could post their Internet success stories, some answers to the questions, and how boards like this one have helped you outside all of the mumbo jumbo, I’d appreciate your intelligent responses. I’m sure there was a point when you were down and out, totally unmotivated to hit the iron, and maybe a message board or a story on a message board, gave you the drive to push further. Everyone has their different aliases on the Internet, but despite this, I see so many positives than negatives. I know I like reading success stories, and I am sure you do also.

Thanks,
R33t

 

[ham2]

well, i can safely say NO BOARD/WWW source ever "solved" any dilemma for me; neither did it get me past whatever impasse.
Of course i've been training 17 years & i've read a lot, thus perhaps beginners may answer "yes" to the above question.
The reason is there are way too many people on boards ( we've gotten a recent example here ) who fake internet charachters & go along with these personae.
Forging or pretending knowledge on the net is easy.
Besides cutting&pasting pubmed ( really absurd: that stuff means nothing as anybody uses it to prove no matter which point ), i can -say- go to a russian board, steal the most successful posts, rehash them & come here looking like the twin brother of Dan Duchaine.
Take ex people going around suggesting ( under the fake cover persona of being a champ or something ) to inject rip-off-or-not-so-rip-off supplements meant for oral use, without even mentioning what unchecked for endotoxins might do.
Should i get advice from these idiots?

I do think useful exchanging opinions on supplements etc. If a product has widespread bad feedback, i'd better steer clear.
And there are bits&pieces everywhere you may learn from.
I personally go with experience.
I was stuck with biceps.
I tried a new training schedule & i got 0,5 cm+ on my biceps: sounds like the right path.
Fuck pubmed.
Nelson recently suggested stacking proteins & fats *is* ( i'd rather say: might be ) the way.
Well, i have been taking my protein in water sofar ( very intolerant to milk & most proteins ), but i ordered some CLA: i will try Nelson's advice ( i stay clear of sugar packed drinks/MRPs etc ).

 

[Nelson Montana]

It's amazing how much the internet has changed bodybuilding -- most dramatically with the knowledge and appropriation of steroids. However...

It is a double edged sword. There's more information, but there's a LOT more BAD information. And as ham said, anyone can say anything and cut and pasted information of dubious reliability has become the new evidence -- idolized and unquestioned.

Still, as with any form of progress, it has its benefits and it's here to stay. I just wish message boards would be more exchanging of ideas and less cliquishness. But that's human nature.

At any rate, I think forums such aa this are a step in the right direction. Take a look at the posts here and compare it to most message boards. No contest. There's more useable bodybuilding information on the front page here than on 10 pages of other boards and a years subscription to any of the newstand mags.

But to loosely quote the Budda;


"Question every statement you hear...including this one."

 

[ham2]

that's the right example:
the WWW does render a GREAT service, EG, when i can find informative posts explaining & describing (pro)hormones etc: what they do; their chemical action; how "suppressive" or "lethargy inducing" a compound might be, etc.
But it would NEVER take most advice about EG homebrewing, injecting or any sort of "inner circle wizardry" from people who might just be teeners whose ego is three sizes bigger than their biceps.

 

[GoldenDelicious]

on the boards i found other people as interested in dedicated training as i, and it has helped motivate me. i rarely miss workouts, train very well, and most importantly, i eat cleaner.

not much of a success story i know, but i am achieving more than ever before, so its good enough

 

[R33t]

Yes, having common goals is a drive to success. Online communities have flourished because of this. Sometimes, just like our high school days, boxing matches break out after classes, but in the end everyone is learning, achieving, and working towards what they dream of having, whether it is a better physique, powerlifting goals, or better health.

My personal success with the Internet and bodybuilding is somewhat limited, but I have used boards to discover ideas and develop new concepts. We'll have our good and bad advice with AAS, training, etc, but can you imagine what would have happened with so many had they not accessed some kind of accurate information? I have seen several steroid cases gone bad because of an extreme lack of knowledge. It was not only the fact the person lacked common sense, but they didn't have the information required for safety precautions.

Sure, sometimes a lot of debating happens. Ultimately, however, online communities make sense. Anyway, remember this, science and scholarly journals are undoubtedly solid information and can help one separate good and bad research. But practical experience, my friends, is also helpful in achieving our dreams in the gym.

The thread is pretty dead with success stories, but I'm a "newbie" here, so I may not be taken as seriously in my threads. That's ok though...

Thanks for intelligent responses,
R33t