Iron Man USA — August 2017

ironmanmagazine.com | AUGUST 2017 69

people who film arm workouts. Filming
dumbbell curls has to be the most bor-
ing content on the planet. I’d honestly
rather watch Bob Ross paint a skyline
on PBS. (His voice is quite soothing,
isn’t it?)

Unless you are shooting for a fitness
magazine or a commercial, there’s
really no reason to care so much about
the camera throughout your entire
workout. I mean, how’s the camera go-
ing to get you in better shape?

So what should you be doing rather
than setting up a tripod for the perfect
angle? How about some focus? And
that, folks, is what we’re missing in
the gym in 2017: Focus. Focus on the
weights, on the reps, on the squeeze,
on the pump, even on the motivation
that brought you to the gym in the
first place. Focus on anything but the
camera and its subsequent social
media outlets.

Back To Basics

I love that today’s fitness has taken a

swing back to old-school methods.

There’s lots of barbell work, a huge in-

flux in strength sports and independent

hardcore gyms are in high demand.

But, the difference between 1970s lift-

ing and today is social media. Heck, no

one even had the Internet back then.

So no one gave a damn about film-

ing their workouts and force-feeding it

to all of their insta-buddies later that

night. Instead, a community was built

around the barbell. Brothers of the iron

would train and grow together. Through

that, a common respect and camara-

derie was built.

If someone had some trash talk for an-

other athlete, it was settled in the gym,

under the squat bar. Not this Internet

keyboard warrior nonsense, where the

people hating couldn’t accomplish

half of who they’re hating on. What I

love about the gym is that it’s a place

to unplug from the regular stresses

and expectations of everyday life. It’s

a place of meditation, internal growth

and an authentic focus on oneself. So,

why bring a cell phone (which is the

complete antithesis of this concept)

into the gym only to film for others to

watch and judge, when the purpose is

to unplug and self-improve?

Trust me, no one is admiring your basic

pull-up vid with a couple chains around

your neck. You don’t look hardcore. And

you’re certainly not special for doing it.

Just stop already.

Instead of spending the 20 extra

minutes fixing the camera angles or,

God forbid, the extra hour editing in

post-production, why not take that 80

minutes and spend it on more training?

After all, that’s what this whole gym

thing is about, right?

Don’t Brag, Just Work

What’s even worse are those people

who post and brag about every little

feat they accomplish in the gym, most

of which is completely mediocre.

A 225-pound deadlift is not special.

A 315-pound deadlift isn’t special.

Heck, even a 405-pound deadlift is

not that special. A line down your

abdominal isn’t special. Lat pulldowns

are not special.

The great Greg Plitt (may he rest in

peace) would thrive on working out

in secret for months, in a sweatshirt

and sweatpants, so no one would see

any progress he was making. Then, on

the day of his photo shoot, he would

reveal his hard work and dedication. I

always admired this tactic to shock and

inspire. Call it “narcissistic discipline”

if you will, but Greg knew the right time

and place to show off what he had.

I think the thing to take away from this

article isn’t that the owner of Metroflex

LBC hates cameras and people who

use them in the gym. But rather, I see

so much effort and focus in something

so insignificant, it boggles my mind.

People come to the gym for two hours

and spend 90 minutes of that time

fiddling with the camera and social

media. If they actually trained their

ass off for the entirety of their time in

the gym, then they would see drastic

physique improvements.

Eddie Avakoff is the owner of Metroflex

LBC and Kratos Training Grounds.

HYBRID TRAINING