Trying to get in shape.

[Atty]

I'm 18 years old and I'm trying to get in shape, for the last month and a half I've been working out 5 days a week (sometimes more or less, depends on how I feel or my schedule) with four different work out routines (Arms, Back/shoulders, Chest, and Core) trying to get in shape.

I'm 5'10 and 213lbs (so said the scale at the Gym earlier today, no shoes, basketball shorts and a t-shirt).

I usually spend about an hour and a half working out each day, usually I do 8 work outs split into 4 sets, two work outs (each work out in the set is different areas, arms I do one bicep and one tricep in each set, same with back/shoulders, and chest I target different areas, except in Chest I only do one workout the first time, which is benching) 3 times (4 times the first set, one warm up), 8-10 sets each time. After that work out I'll either do some running or some abs/legs, depending on how long it took me to finish my work outs, how I feel, and what I've been doing that week.

In the last month I've only lost about 10lbs but I've gained about 20lbs in every area in the amount of weight I can put up. I've also gotten myself to the point where I can do 4 dips with no aid but when I started I couldn't do one. I've noticed in most my body I've lost weight and toned up. I've changed my diet as much as possible. I don't drink soda or any carbonated drinks (its been almost a year since I drank them regularly, I can only remember 3 times I've had a soda and its been at a party with very limited options.) I want to be making more progress more quickly but I'm not sure how.

With all that information, what do you all think of this?

Also, I've got a question, no matter what I do or how hard I work out each day I never really feel sore, and always have high amounts of energy, even after I've done a day where went to the gym 3 times and did about 5 hours of working out. Is that normal? I'm not using any steroids or enhancers or even taking vitamins.

 

[irishScott]

I don't lift much, so can't help you there. I'd throw in some more cardio to improve endurance/general health. How man miles do you typically run?

You've modified your diet, and you're losing weight, so no problems there.

In terms of soreness, after the first month or so (depending on how hard I hit it), my muscles also cease to get sore. Fatigued maybe, but not sore/stiff. From what I've heard, that's normal.

Major progress takes major time. No way around it. Also, your progress will slow as you get closer to your genetic potential.

All in all, sounds pretty good. Just add some cardio and you'll be very well off.

 

[paulxcook]

From just glancing through I'd say you're ignoring legs entirely too much when you lift.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Muscles not sore at the end of workout? You're not lifting heavy enough. Hit it to the max. Increase weight, reps, sets. Try compound exercises - doing biceps and curls won't have a big effect on you. Try Stronglifts 5x5 program (or Rippetoe) - central exercise is SQUAT.
You must work legs to have a balanced body. Legs are biggest muscles in the body, and when you train them, they speed up the hormone release and get the whole machine moving.

For example for me, at the end of each workout I am so tired I just wanna drop on the floor. (I am gaining muscle - too skinny).

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: paulxcook
From just glancing through I'd say you're ignoring legs entirely too much when you lift.

Yup. I' recommend a better routine. Beginners are usually best off doing a full body routine 3x a week, something similar to Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, the 5x5 novice routine on stronglifts site, or anything else that is full body 3x a week that focuses on the main compound lifts. At this point there's not much need for anything besides squats, deadlift, rows, bench, OH press, pulldown/chins, ab/low back work, and dips. Anything else (with the exception of cardio, of course) isn't needed at this point.

 

[brikis98]

man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

it is typically a bad idea for a beginner - or really, anyone who is not a professional strength trainer - to make up a weight lifting routine on their own. Such routines almost always overdo some exercises (usually the "pretty" muscles, like chest, abs and arms) and completely neglect other important ones (legs and back). This leaves your body unbalanced and often neglects important core and stabilizer muscles, both of which can lead to injury. Moreover, beginners often choose a random number of exercises, sets and reps to do which is often going to be far from optimal for their goals. The good news is that, as a beginner, you will probably still see great results - the change from couch potato to regular weight lifting shocks the body and produces very quick strength and size gains. The bad news, is that these ad hoc routines will become significantly less effective after a relatively short time.

So, if you value your own time at the gym and want to do things properly, I *strongly* urge you to follow a routine developed by experts. One of the most popular ones is the Rippetoe Starting Strength routine. It is specifically designed to build strength through out your body using a handful of compound motions. There is an -excellent- writeup here that includes the routine, how to do the exercises, videos, etc. Read it, follow it, and as long as your diet is even half way decent, you will see good results. This program lays down a fantastic foundation for long term strength training and there are minor variations of the program for more advanced lifters as well.

 

[dakels]

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

Actually, I'm writing one right now. Talked to Koing about it. Don't worry, it's long and detailed. I'm on page 3, double spaced right now

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
Muscles not sore at the end of workout? You're not lifting heavy enough. Hit it to the max. Increase weight, reps, sets. Try compound exercises - doing biceps and curls won't have a big effect on you. Try Stronglifts 5x5 program (or Rippetoe) - central exercise is SQUAT.
You must work legs to have a balanced body. Legs are biggest muscles in the body, and when you train them, they speed up the hormone release and get the whole machine moving.

For example for me, at the end of each workout I am so tired I just wanna drop on the floor. (I am gaining muscle - too skinny).

Actually, that's not quite right. Muscle soreness is mainly lactic acid buildup. You actually wanna try to minimize this, especially while lifting, because it can sometimes hinder recovery and such. I mean, being sore isn't necessarily bad, but you shouldn't do extra reps or sets to GET sore. You should just increase weight and soldier on. I did the MAX-OT program and was really only sore the next day each time I changed my workout. I was lifting quite heavily and tried to minimize soreness. I gained 80 pounds on my squat and 30 pounds on my overhead press and increased a lot of other things in the process. So you don't have to be sore to progress Just wanted to point that out.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

Actually, I'm writing one right now. Talked to Koing about it. Don't worry, it's long and detailed. I'm on page 3, double spaced right now

I was actually planning on writing one too. Thankfully I'm too lazy and never got around to it or else it would've been pointless with us both writing one.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

Actually, I'm writing one right now. Talked to Koing about it. Don't worry, it's long and detailed. I'm on page 3, double spaced right now

How many years have you been lifting to make you an expert?

 

[Atty]

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

it is typically a bad idea for a beginner - or really, anyone who is not a professional strength trainer - to make up a weight lifting routine on their own.

Lucky for me I didn't develop it.

I forgot to mention, all I've learned about working out I've gotten from a co-worker/friend who has been sort of my PT. He's been working out since high school and he's 22 now. He's had at least 4 years of doing it and he's in amazing shape, he knows a lot of what he's talking about. I've also got other friends who say have been coaching me, all of which have been working out steadily for years and who are all in their early to late 20's. Everyday I go I'm usually with my friend.

About the legs, I've already got pretty built legs, most of that is from Skateboarding most of my life until about 16. I'll see about adding more leg routines to the work out though, thanks for the suggestion!

About the cardio thing, I ride a bike when I get to the gym for a mile to two miles every day, just to get going.

And the soreness, when I finish my work out I am tired, my muscles hurt, and I make sure that I'm pushing myself to the max, its afterwards I'm not sore. I've never been sore the next day, where as other friends of mine are still drained sometimes the day after, and have soreness in their muscles days after that. I just don't get that. I max myself out every time too, I'll be out of breath, face red, etc. I can try and push myself further but I'm not sure I actually can. For example, when I did my burn out, I almost fell on the floor after finishing it, I did a 21 routine with a 50lb curling bar, and at the end I just wanted to lay down and die, but 10 minutes later I could go another round, and now, a few hours later, and after three hours of work on my feet working in the hot sun, I'm still energized enough to go back to the gym and do a whole other work out.

 

[KoolDrew]

Why did you post this topic if you were just going to say "my PT friend helped me and knows what he's talking about" and not follow our advice? Your routine is far far from optimal, and that's putting it nicely.

 

[spamsk8r]

No, no, no! Legs are not to be an afterthought. They should be the basis of your workout! Squats and deadlifts should make up the majority of your workouts, along with pull-ups, dips, bench press, and overhead press. You're just wasting your time unless you already have a squat that's 1.5x your own bodyweight with a 2x bodyweight dead lift. When you have that, you'll be out of the beginner programming, and into more intermediate level programming. Doing bicep curls and tricep extensions isn't going to get you the results you want, period. You need to move big weights using the largest muscles in your body (legs & back) to elicit any solid results.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

Actually, I'm writing one right now. Talked to Koing about it. Don't worry, it's long and detailed. I'm on page 3, double spaced right now

How many years have you been lifting to make you an expert?

I'm currently an exercise biology major at UC Davis. I have been an athlete all my life, learning the science behind injuries, nutrition, etc ever since I started high school. I also have a brother's experience to learn from. On top of that, I didn't say I was an expert on lifting. I do, however, know how the body responds to weightlifting, how you should lift for certain goals, how you should eat, and how you should deal with certain situations. If you've read some of my posts, you'll realize that when I talk in detail about things, I know what I'm talking about. I'll be the first to admit it when I don't, however the article I'm writing deals with what most posts on the H&F forum revolve around - losing fat, maintaining muscle, getting a healthier lifestyle, gaining muscle, nutrition, etc. Really though, read some of my posts and you'll see for yourself, good sir

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: iAtticus

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

it is typically a bad idea for a beginner - or really, anyone who is not a professional strength trainer - to make up a weight lifting routine on their own.

Lucky for me I didn't develop it.

I forgot to mention, all I've learned about working out I've gotten from a co-worker/friend who has been sort of my PT. He's been working out since high school and he's 22 now. He's had at least 4 years of doing it and he's in amazing shape, he knows a lot of what he's talking about. I've also got other friends who say have been coaching me, all of which have been working out steadily for years and who are all in their early to late 20's. Everyday I go I'm usually with my friend.

Ok, here's the problem with this. You're not getting a good routine. Your friend may be in "amazing shape," but he's not in amazing shape if he's not squatting, deadlifting, etc. You can look good and be extremely weak. Also, a lot of kids in high school don't know what they're doing and carry terrible habits out of high school with them. You're not getting any solid advice. These guys are just guys. They don't have degrees, they're not coaches, and obviously if they're not revolving most of your workouts around compound movements, they shouldn't be giving tips. Look up Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. These are both made by serious athletes and experienced coaches who live and breathe exercise. Abide by them and you will get in good shape. Listen to your friends and you may hurt yourself, may get disappointed, or may not get any results. Really though, stop listening to your friends and do some research. Friends aren't always right, and they may just be spouting off BS and you wouldn't know any better 'cause you haven't hit the books to see what's best.

 

[Atty]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
Why did you post this topic if you were just going to say "my PT friend helped me and knows what he's talking about" and not follow our advice? Your routine is far far from optimal, and that's putting it nicely.

Thats not what I'm saying, I was simply saying I wasn't stupid enough to go in by myself, I got advice, and I'm looking for more advice.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: iAtticus

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

it is typically a bad idea for a beginner - or really, anyone who is not a professional strength trainer - to make up a weight lifting routine on their own.

Lucky for me I didn't develop it.

I forgot to mention, all I've learned about working out I've gotten from a co-worker/friend who has been sort of my PT. He's been working out since high school and he's 22 now. He's had at least 4 years of doing it and he's in amazing shape, he knows a lot of what he's talking about. I've also got other friends who say have been coaching me, all of which have been working out steadily for years and who are all in their early to late 20's. Everyday I go I'm usually with my friend.

About the legs, I've already got pretty built legs, most of that is from Skateboarding most of my life until about 16. I'll see about adding more leg routines to the work out though, thanks for the suggestion!

About the cardio thing, I ride a bike when I get to the gym for a mile to two miles every day, just to get going.

And the soreness, when I finish my work out I am tired, my muscles hurt, and I make sure that I'm pushing myself to the max, its afterwards I'm not sore. I've never been sore the next day, where as other friends of mine are still drained sometimes the day after, and have soreness in their muscles days after that. I just don't get that. I max myself out every time too, I'll be out of breath, face red, etc. I can try and push myself further but I'm not sure I actually can. For example, when I did my burn out, I almost fell on the floor after finishing it, I did a 21 routine with a 50lb curling bar, and at the end I just wanted to lay down and die, but 10 minutes later I could go another round, and now, a few hours later, and after three hours of work on my feet working in the hot sun, I'm still energized enough to go back to the gym and do a whole other work out.

a lot of ppl already responded to this with good info, but just to reiterate:

1. Judging by the routine you posted, and your description of your buddies, they are anything but experts. They are as "expert" at weight training as you are at landing an airplane - sure, you've seen it done in the movies, maybe you even did it in a video game, but wouldn't you rather the trained pilot take care of it? When I say strength training experts, I mean people that have actually researched strength training, have spent years studying human biology and have helped train countless athletes.

2. The strongest and biggest muscles in your body are in your legs and back. When you describe someone as "strong" in any practical sense - that is, in actually moving heavy objects in the real world, performance in sports, fighting, etc - it is the legs and back that count.

3. The most effective exercises - that is, those that produce the greatest gains in size and strength - are compound motions. You always want to base your workouts around lifts that involve multiple joints and muscle groups, such as squat, bench press, deadlift, rows, etc. I wouldn't go so far as to say you should completely avoid isolation exercises - such as bicep curls, triceps extensions, etc - but these should be tossed in at the very end to hit areas you can't get otherwise. the core of the workout should ALWAYS be compound movements.

4. The squat in particular is one of the most effective exercises you can do. It uses a huge number of muscles, including your quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, hips, back and core. Not only does this strengthen your whole lower body, but as it uses multiple joints and a huge number of muscles, the squat is also known for significantly improving muscle growth *everywhere*. As odd as it sounds, you may actually see your bench press and other unrelated exercises improve if you base your workouts around squats.

5. Don't just take our word for it as, to be perfectly honest, few people on this forum are "experts" either. However, some of us are smart enough to do our research. Go read online about how professional athletes, power lifters and body builders (these 3 should be a pretty good sample of the weight lifting population) train. You'll find that just about every single successful routine used by the pros includes tons of compound lifts, including plenty of squatting.

6. Of course, if you choose to ignore all this and just listen to what a couple of your "buddies" told you... why did you even bother posting?

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

Actually, I'm writing one right now. Talked to Koing about it. Don't worry, it's long and detailed. I'm on page 3, double spaced right now

How many years have you been lifting to make you an expert?

I'm currently an exercise biology major at UC Davis. I have been an athlete all my life, learning the science behind injuries, nutrition, etc ever since I started high school. I also have a brother's experience to learn from. On top of that, I didn't say I was an expert on lifting. I do, however, know how the body responds to weightlifting, how you should lift for certain goals, how you should eat, and how you should deal with certain situations. If you've read some of my posts, you'll realize that when I talk in detail about things, I know what I'm talking about. I'll be the first to admit it when I don't, however the article I'm writing deals with what most posts on the H&F forum revolve around - losing fat, maintaining muscle, getting a healthier lifestyle, gaining muscle, nutrition, etc. Really though, read some of my posts and you'll see for yourself, good sir

You are more than welcome to post that thread but only as your opinion and you don't need the permission of Koing, myself or any other Mod to do it. However since you are not an expert any request to have it stickied will be denied as it is just your opinion albeit an educated one. I would do the same for a Medical student posting a thread about diabetes, etc. Since this forums deals with health we are very hesitant to sticky any thread as it could been seen as being endorsed by Anandtech like the one by SVT Cobra regarding Teenagers, Steroids and ProHormones.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

Actually, I'm writing one right now. Talked to Koing about it. Don't worry, it's long and detailed. I'm on page 3, double spaced right now

How many years have you been lifting to make you an expert?

I'm currently an exercise biology major at UC Davis. I have been an athlete all my life, learning the science behind injuries, nutrition, etc ever since I started high school. I also have a brother's experience to learn from. On top of that, I didn't say I was an expert on lifting. I do, however, know how the body responds to weightlifting, how you should lift for certain goals, how you should eat, and how you should deal with certain situations. If you've read some of my posts, you'll realize that when I talk in detail about things, I know what I'm talking about. I'll be the first to admit it when I don't, however the article I'm writing deals with what most posts on the H&F forum revolve around - losing fat, maintaining muscle, getting a healthier lifestyle, gaining muscle, nutrition, etc. Really though, read some of my posts and you'll see for yourself, good sir

You are more than welcome to post that thread but only as your opinion and you don't need the permission of Koing, myself or any other Mod to do it. However since you are not an expert any request to have it stickied will be denied as it is just your opinion albeit an educated one. I would do the same for a Medical student posting a thread about diabetes, etc. Since this forums deals with health we are very hesitant to sticky any thread as it could been seen as being endorsed by Anandtech like the one by SVT Cobra regarding Teenagers, Steroids and ProHormones.

I don't quite understand why you wouldn't sticky something that applies to nearly all the posts here on Anandtech. I was going to have it proofread by several people, including a couple of professionals, to get it right. If, by what you're staying is true, no stickies would ever get posted because nobody is an "expert" without some sort of godly degree and research completion. I'm just as much of an "expert" on weight loss and nutrition as SVT Cobra is about steroids and teenagers so that doesn't make sense. It will make the jobs of the frequent educated posters here much easier since I'm frankly getting tired of repeating myself in every single thread. The mods may want to discuss exactly what "stickies" should mean in the H&F forum because as it stands, it's a poor policy and hinders the education of many newcomers.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: brikis98
man, we should really put a sticky up, cause i'm tired of writing the same thing:

Agreed. Not by me though because I know nothing

Actually, I'm writing one right now. Talked to Koing about it. Don't worry, it's long and detailed. I'm on page 3, double spaced right now

How many years have you been lifting to make you an expert?

I'm currently an exercise biology major at UC Davis. I have been an athlete all my life, learning the science behind injuries, nutrition, etc ever since I started high school. I also have a brother's experience to learn from. On top of that, I didn't say I was an expert on lifting. I do, however, know how the body responds to weightlifting, how you should lift for certain goals, how you should eat, and how you should deal with certain situations. If you've read some of my posts, you'll realize that when I talk in detail about things, I know what I'm talking about. I'll be the first to admit it when I don't, however the article I'm writing deals with what most posts on the H&F forum revolve around - losing fat, maintaining muscle, getting a healthier lifestyle, gaining muscle, nutrition, etc. Really though, read some of my posts and you'll see for yourself, good sir

You are more than welcome to post that thread but only as your opinion and you don't need the permission of Koing, myself or any other Mod to do it. However since you are not an expert any request to have it stickied will be denied as it is just your opinion albeit an educated one. I would do the same for a Medical student posting a thread about diabetes, etc. Since this forums deals with health we are very hesitant to sticky any thread as it could been seen as being endorsed by Anandtech like the one by SVT Cobra regarding Teenagers, Steroids and ProHormones.

I don't quite understand why you wouldn't sticky something that applies to nearly all the posts here on Anandtech. I was going to have it proofread by several people, including a couple of professionals, to get it right. If, by what you're staying is true, no stickies would ever get posted because nobody is an "expert" without some sort of godly degree and research completion. I'm just as much of an "expert" on weight loss and nutrition as SVT Cobra is about steroids and teenagers so that doesn't make sense. It will make the jobs of the frequent educated posters here much easier since I'm frankly getting tired of repeating myself in every single thread. The mods may want to discuss exactly what "stickies" should mean in the H&F forum because as it stands, it's a poor policy and hinders the education of many newcomers.

SVT Cobra's Sticky was allowed because it reflects the staffs viewpoint regarding steriods. As you can see there aren't any other stickies in this forum besides my initial greeting.

Unless your thread can address every single situation regarding a members physical situation it will not be stickied as it will be seen as an endorsement of Anandtech and could lead to a legal situation if a member who follows it ends up getting hurt. That doesn't mean you can't post it as an opinion and link to it when someone asks a question if you do not feel like typing out your opinion regarding another members question.

 

[gramboh]

I'm one who will probably bump Socially's post on a daily basis as I expect it will cover all the newbie questions which most (including myself) will have around an intro level lifting program, cardio, HIIT, basic nutrition. I understand the legal liability issue, but most of that info is widely accepted, especially with a (large, bolded) caveat around individual body types, safety etc.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

SVT Cobra's Sticky was allowed because it reflects the staffs viewpoint regarding steriods. As you can see there aren't any other stickies in this forum besides my initial greeting.

Unless your thread can address every single situation regarding a members physical situation it will not be stickied as it will be seen as an endorsement of Anandtech and could lead to a legal situation if a member who follows it ends up getting hurt. That doesn't mean you can't post it as an opinion and link to it when someone asks a question if you do not feel like typing out your opinion regarding another members question.

I can def see where you're coming from, but this forum would REALLY benefit from a good sticky thread at the top. I think the following are worth considering:

1. Lots of people come in here and ask the same exact questions, which is a natural motivation for a sticky. We have some knowledgeable members here who can provide widely accepted info on these topics and save everyone time and effort.

2. You can CLEARLY label the sticky as NOT reflecting anandtech's official opinion, you can add simple legal text that it is all used at "your own risk" and that it is just a (widely accepted) opinion as put together by Socially (probably with edits/input from other anandtech members).

3. At any rate, since when do people sue forum admins for sticky threads? How many courts of law would accept the argument that some post on an ONLINE messageboard is an "authority" on exercise and therefore, if you injure yourself doing one of the prescribed exercises, it's our fault? Wouldn't every bogus exercise website be sued? By that logic, couldn't you sue any website (or any person) that tells you to do something that ultimately leads to injury? I mean, if you have actual examples of this, please point them out...

4. Moreover, if you use the logic that you don't want to get sued for "officially" supporting one piece of advice or another... aren't almost ALL of the stickies on anandtech "risky"? For example, the CPU forum has had various stickied threads about OCing your CPU for years. OCing, by it's very nature, voids your warranty and you stand a high chance of damaging your computer. Yet no one seems to worry about the users suing anandtech for frying their CPUs, as it's CLEARLY being done at the user's own risk. Similar things can be said for the LCD thread (oh noes, the info is inaccurate, I just threw away $1500 on the wrong monitor!). Even SVT's steroids thread could potentially be inaccurate or lacking important points of view and can't possibly cover "every single situation regarding a members physical condition".

5. Obviously this isn't my forum and it's your responsibility to decide what is appropriate, and I will respect whatever you decide. But, I felt the need to point out that any fear of "legal action" is probably completely unnecessary.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

SVT Cobra's Sticky was allowed because it reflects the staffs viewpoint regarding steriods. As you can see there aren't any other stickies in this forum besides my initial greeting.

Unless your thread can address every single situation regarding a members physical situation it will not be stickied as it will be seen as an endorsement of Anandtech and could lead to a legal situation if a member who follows it ends up getting hurt. That doesn't mean you can't post it as an opinion and link to it when someone asks a question if you do not feel like typing out your opinion regarding another members question.

I can def see where you're coming from, but this forum would REALLY benefit from a good sticky thread at the top. I think the following are worth considering:

1. Lots of people come in here and ask the same exact questions, which is a natural motivation for a sticky. We have some knowledgeable members here who can provide widely accepted info on these topics and save everyone time and effort.

2. You can CLEARLY label the sticky as NOT reflecting anandtech's official opinion, you can add simple legal text that it is all used at "your own risk" and that it is just a (widely accepted) opinion as put together by Socially (probably with edits/input from other anandtech members).

3. At any rate, since when do people sue forum admins for sticky threads? How many courts of law would accept the argument that some post on an ONLINE messageboard is an "authority" on exercise and therefore, if you injure yourself doing one of the prescribed exercises, it's our fault? Wouldn't every bogus exercise website be sued? By that logic, couldn't you sue any website (or any person) that tells you to do something that ultimately leads to injury? I mean, if you have actual examples of this, please point them out...

4. Moreover, if you use the logic that you don't want to get sued for "officially" supporting one piece of advice or another... aren't almost ALL of the stickies on anandtech "risky"? For example, the CPU forum has had various stickied threads about OCing your CPU for years. OCing, by it's very nature, voids your warranty and you stand a high chance of damaging your computer. Yet no one seems to worry about the users suing anandtech for frying their CPUs, as it's CLEARLY being done at the user's own risk. Similar things can be said for the LCD thread (oh noes, the info is inaccurate, I just threw away $1500 on the wrong monitor!). Even SVT's steroids thread could potentially be inaccurate or lacking important points of view and can't possibly cover "every single situation regarding a members physical condition".

5. Obviously this isn't my forum and it's your responsibility to decide what is appropriate, and I will respect whatever you decide. But, I felt the need to point out that any fear of "legal action" is probably completely unnecessary.

Wow you guys are acting like I forbid him to post it which I'm not. In fact I support him posting it.
These days with the litigious nature of a lot or people it's better to be safe than sorry. A person doesn't even need to have a good case to sue and it would be expensive just to defend. I don't have a problem with others bumping the thread on a daily basis as long as they add some kind of content to it.

I'll tell you what I'll do, I will discuss it with the other Mods and Derek.

 

[spamsk8r]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

SVT Cobra's Sticky was allowed because it reflects the staffs viewpoint regarding steriods. As you can see there aren't any other stickies in this forum besides my initial greeting.

Unless your thread can address every single situation regarding a members physical situation it will not be stickied as it will be seen as an endorsement of Anandtech and could lead to a legal situation if a member who follows it ends up getting hurt. That doesn't mean you can't post it as an opinion and link to it when someone asks a question if you do not feel like typing out your opinion regarding another members question.

I can def see where you're coming from, but this forum would REALLY benefit from a good sticky thread at the top. I think the following are worth considering:

1. Lots of people come in here and ask the same exact questions, which is a natural motivation for a sticky. We have some knowledgeable members here who can provide widely accepted info on these topics and save everyone time and effort.

2. You can CLEARLY label the sticky as NOT reflecting anandtech's official opinion, you can add simple legal text that it is all used at "your own risk" and that it is just a (widely accepted) opinion as put together by Socially (probably with edits/input from other anandtech members).

3. At any rate, since when do people sue forum admins for sticky threads? How many courts of law would accept the argument that some post on an ONLINE messageboard is an "authority" on exercise and therefore, if you injure yourself doing one of the prescribed exercises, it's our fault? Wouldn't every bogus exercise website be sued? By that logic, couldn't you sue any website (or any person) that tells you to do something that ultimately leads to injury? I mean, if you have actual examples of this, please point them out...

4. Moreover, if you use the logic that you don't want to get sued for "officially" supporting one piece of advice or another... aren't almost ALL of the stickies on anandtech "risky"? For example, the CPU forum has had various stickied threads about OCing your CPU for years. OCing, by it's very nature, voids your warranty and you stand a high chance of damaging your computer. Yet no one seems to worry about the users suing anandtech for frying their CPUs, as it's CLEARLY being done at the user's own risk. Similar things can be said for the LCD thread (oh noes, the info is inaccurate, I just threw away $1500 on the wrong monitor!). Even SVT's steroids thread could potentially be inaccurate or lacking important points of view and can't possibly cover "every single situation regarding a members physical condition".

5. Obviously this isn't my forum and it's your responsibility to decide what is appropriate, and I will respect whatever you decide. But, I felt the need to point out that any fear of "legal action" is probably completely unnecessary.

Wow you guys are acting like I forbid him to post it which I'm not. In fact I support him posting it.
These days with the litigious nature of a lot or people it's better to be safe than sorry. A person doesn't even need to have a good case to sue and it would be expensive just to defend. I don't have a problem with others bumping the thread on a daily basis as long as they add some kind of content to it.

I'll tell you what I'll do, I will discuss it with the other Mods and Derek.

Thank you, Red Dawn. We do appreciate your willingness to at least consider our collective point of view (that there should be a sticky with good, proven information regarding safe and effective exercise and weight loss). I think a disclaimer should be plenty to safeguard AT from any type of litigation, especially since many of the exercise programs are freely available online, and (AFAIK) the creators of those have never been sued (e.g. Mark Rippetoe posts his opinions on his Strength Mill forums on a daily basis and gives explicit advice to people, but I don't believe he has ever run into any sort of legal trouble).