Over the last few years I’ve had the great pleasure in helping many reach their fitness goals whether it be via email, message boards, training with them or through my various articles here and elsewhere. I wish I kept tabs on everyone but there are just too many; I’ve lost count.
I might also add that I’ve learned a lot during my fitness journey. If you’ve read my free ebook, you know I am completely transparent about the mistakes I’ve made and I sincerely hope to help those of you reading my articles sidestep the potholes I previously fell into.
As most of you know, I keep my phone number on the contact page and at the bottom of the site. This is because I want you to know I am a real person. That picture at the top of this site is me; the pictures on my about page are really me. I don’t purchase or steal stock images of models; I don’t fabricate my opinions nor do I pretend to know everything. Hell, I encourage any and all of you to do just as I have and question the authorities. I questioned all of the so-called experts we see on the internet today touting a bunch of false hopes and promises.
I stand on the shoulders of those like Lyle McDonald, Alan Aragon, Martin Berkhan, Tom Venuto and many others who are older and have far more experience than I. When I have questions about research, I send Alan an email or post a question on Lyle’s forums. If I need a kick in the ass, I email or call my former coaches.
Today, I want to highlight an experience I’ve had multiple times to demonstrate just how naïve we can sometimes be and just how little value we place on the things in life which are free.
The Phone Call
The particular experience I’m discussing happened over my Christmas break. It was about 9PM and I’d been answering some questions on a few of the forums I frequent. I was also chatting with Ryan Zielonka about some fitness goals for the New Year. This is when I got the call.
On the other line was a young guy who’d just found my recent gem about T-Nation’s latest piece of awesomeness called Anaconda. I answered the phone to a surprised, young(er) guy on the other end. He couldn’t believe I answered. So, as a young, southern gentleman, I greeted him nicely, asked his name, thanked him for calling me and then proceeded to find out what I could possibly help him with.
He was the typical, lost 19 year old searching for the Holy Grail (oh yea, there isn’t one by the way). He’d been jumping from program to program lost in all of the hype and bullshit many newbies succumb to on a daily basis. After about twenty minutes of chatting with him about Anaconda, goals, training, etc., I told him it would be best for our conversation to continue in email format. I assured that I would get him started on the right foot and email is just the best way for me to keep up with the folks I am helping out.
Of course I wasn’t going to do a full blown consultation but said I would definitely spur him along and answer his questions for a nominal fee of $FREE.99.
Let The Emailing Begin
So I got his vitals; you know, his age, weight, training experience and what he was currently doing. From his report, he was still in newbie land which is awesome. In this scenario, just about any sensible training program will work as long as he is eating plenty of sammiches, focusing on strength gains and moderate body weight gains.
So I figure cool, these are the easiest emails in the world. Umm, yea right.
He told me his goals were to be as big and lean as possible. He wanted to gain muscle and get ripped at the same time. I then explained about how this stuff actually takes TIME and how there are NO SHORTCUTS whatsoever.
I advised him to focus on getting strong on the main compounds, eating very well and taking his sweet ass time. He has his whole life to reach his genetic potential, not six months!
The problem is that he was so focused on the short term. The main reasons behind his unrealistic expectations were a direct result of all the crap that’s flooded his mind. Bodybuilding magazines and many fitness websites are so chock full of dogma and blatant lies. This was literally all he’d seen, therefore he believed it.
This is why he couldn’t comprehend how someone like me was pushing the fact that eating 6 times per day for fat loss is pure dogma and that most supplement companies and magazines have an agenda to take your money and that’s it. They, for the most part, don’t really care about an individual’s success or that you really can’t add 1000 lbs to your bench press in 5.89 days. They just want you to buy their awesome 2 liter liquid cocktail that will make you crap like a banshee (real t-mag forum talk, folks). Check the forums – there are many accounts.
I did my best to bring him down to earth and explain that achieving the big, chiseled physique takes years of hard work and focus, not a few months from a shady product and its false claims.
The Train Stops Here Because We Are DONE
I then received one more email. Keep in mind this was after I took the time on the phone with him, spent a few days in email giving suggestions on training, eating and progressive overload.
Here’s how it went.
His last email after I explained that Anaconda had nothing in it that was special or super secret or better than plain, wholesome food. I advised that he could even source the supplements and make his own cocktail for much cheaper:
I guess. I definitely believe you. I’m still willing to try it. I’ll try the supply they offer, and give you the results. If they actually work, I’ll give you the results, what I ate while on it and how I trained, and me and you will probably be confused how it got to work. If it doesn’t, you got one more good thing to prove anaconda is bullshit. Btw, the placebo effect has nothing on me, I want everything I do to work, and I make myself think it as hard as I can, it doesn’t work.
My response:
And this is why many guys like yourself will continue to spin their wheels into oblivion - there are no shortcuts – no magic pills. You ask for advice, seek help, and then only shit on those in the field (Alan, Lyle, Martin, Skyler, RogLaw, Ryan, Leigh et al) who know way more than those who are only getting started. Hell, if you don’t believe me, just look at Alan Aragon’s recent blog post where he linked to my review. http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2009/11/29/conversations-with-a-bro-animated-edition/ —> at the very bottom of the post. He even wrote extensively about it in his research review – why would he link to me if he didn’t approve of my synopsis?
Now, I may have been a little harsh on this guy. I admit, I was pretty pissed off after spending all this time with him, hoping to steer him in the right direction and save him from the depths of wasted time and disappointment, only for him to take a giant, anaconda dump on me.
However, the moral of this story is very clear and simple.
WE PLACE NO VALUE ON WHAT IS FREELY GIVEN.
We have this false notion that if something is free, it’s not worth shit. There, I said it. I said what everyone thinks but won’t admit.
This is why there is only a small group of folks on every large fitness forum who actually get results and make stuff happen. The information on these forums is free and plentiful. Everything anyone would ever need to know about training and nutrition is all buried within the many threads. All a person must do is search and bookmark their info.
However, many won’t do this. They will continue searching for magic pills and super-secret-ninja dieting strategies from the 2nd century. Their pursuit for the Black Ops Bodybuilding Program is never-ending.
Eventually, they buy some crappy product and guess what; it doesn’t work like they hoped. So now, they are out of some cash and just wasted a bunch of time spinning their wheels when all the free, valuable information was under their nose all along.
As for the dude I exchanged emails with, I sincerely hope you get your head out of the sand and come over to the good side of science, practicality and objectivity. At least you won’t get any bullshit (none from me anyway).
As for all of those whom I chat with in email on a weekly (some of you daily) basis, I love you and enjoy our conversation. To my past clients who let me make ALL of the rules, I really love you. And to everyone else, please keep the emails coming. But please, don’t take a giant panda bear dump on me.
You are absolutely right. Just like that old brain (as you had conversed with him through mail) I also attracted with the magic pill and believed in short term policy. And truly both of them (magic pill and short term policy) proved their inability and since then I was disappointed as well carried upon the side effect of this false impression. I thought I was unlucky to follow the gospels of God (as I believed them). Luckily I found this wonderful site which not only boost my confidence but also motivated a lot. Thanks a lot.
I guess I just got lucky when I started. All of my fitter friends had done it all natural, no supplements (other than the occasional protein shake), and put in the time. They told me exactly what to expect, and that if I was still in the gym a year from my start that things would start to change.
Most people are looking for the quick fix, and wouldn’t dedicate the time necessary to really change your body. For those people, I say let them have their supplements. We’ll take the real thing any day!
I’ve been reading quite a lot of blogs here in your site and I’m learning quite a lot! Keep it coming guys! I appreciate all the info that I could get a hold on and determine what works for me specifically and what wouldn’t. I do hope that you don’t get tired helping people with their fitness woes, JC. Just like most of the guys here, they’re as passionate in your chosen field as you are. And, this bro who bailed-out on you, he’s still on his learning curve.
I understand the passion and desire, really. My only problem is that when someone comes to me for my advice and ideas and then totally disregards what I have to say.
So, they take their time reading my stuff, reading the work of those I recommend and then, further selling themselves on the reason to pick up the phone and seek me out personally. I then take my time out of goodwill, simply to help out a young guy who was in a similar state of confusion I was in a few years ago. I really wanted to help him. I gave my time and energy for free without anything to show for it.
This is why my time is better spent writing articles and answering questions(for free) and doing consultations(definitely not for free) with those who are determined and take this fitness thing seriously.
At least with articles and forum posts I can reach an actual audience instead of trying to save the world one soul at a time. Then again, I am sure there are many who read my site and think I’m batshit crazy. Oh well, right?
JC I’ve only started to read your blog recently but so far the ‘free’ advice has been excellent.
Really interesting post! I can’t believe you give this all out free!
As for the 5-6 meals a day, I have no doubt that your research says what it does & I did link over there but we are all different & our minds are too. I spent years doing the wrong thing.. eating way too little to lose weight & be thin. Obviously I learned BUT my mindset still likes to eat the 5-6 meals. I am not on a weight loss plan, just a trying to stay fit & muscular as I age. And I like to know the food is coming!
This is just me. I eat all healthy stuff but maybe all those years of starving myself screwed up my mind! FJ will say it is a crazed mind! Anyway, I just like to eat & since I have to eat pretty clean & work out hard to stay lean, the smaller meals all day long works for me.
Again, I am not doubting you, just for me, this works better.
see, I am like the opposite. Eating is a chore and I don’t care for it too much. Like right now I have to stop working, go to the kitchen and eat something which takes times to make and will probably taste decent but you stop caring when you’ve had 1 million PB and J sammiches in your life.
I don’t like to think about eating more than 3 times a day. UGH!
I wish I felt that way!
good point dude! yeah i’m trying to make food preparation as quick as possible lol. So much to do, so little time.
I so empathise.
I taught my female friend the core lifts, DL/Sq/MiliPress/Bench and was taking her through NROLFW. I bought her the book and answered all her questions…she then turned around and said she did not want to do it because she was afraid she would have a manly body….I nearly cried.
Another one was a guy I knew who would pick up a pair of 15lb dumbells and crank out 6×100 rep sets, not even full ROM and then moved onto 3×300 sit ups, both assisted by momentum. I advised him to pick up the pair of 30lb and just do 3×10 and a plank for 2 minutes. He did one set on the 30lb, I turned around and he had picked up the 15lbs again….I gave up.
It’s such a shame people don’t listen… You did what you could JC. He needed an eye-opening thing, probably he missed the chance..
I understand your frustration, JC. I deal with the same stuff when trying to school friends/family on exercise and proper nutrition.
There are plenty of us that really appreciate your articles & emails.
“WE PLACE NO VALUE ON WHAT IS FREELY GIVEN.” – Ahh made me happy when you said this. About f*cking time dude.
I can see that but man I’m totally the opposite. I look to see where it is free first and then I’ll maybe think of buying it. I appreciate blogs like this one, Alan’s, Lyle’s, Ryan’s, etc. For most things out there I can’t see how a book or program can hold “secrets” the aforementioned people haven’t talked about already…for free.
That being said I don’t mind paying for top quality material. Like the AARR and Lyle’s books.
Oh don’t get me wrong dude… I’m ALLL about freemium. But when it comes down to what he did for that kid – That’s like a full out consultation, well worth it’s price in the time he spent. I mean I give away a TONNE of shit on my blog, and I give away a report with some serious “secrets” but then I also have people I train.
I wouldn’t GET to train those people if they didn’t like my free info but somewhere a line needs to be drawn where it’s like “ok… this is my specialty and for further services, it’s gona cost ya a little”. It’s not unreasonable, in fact as far as I’m concerned, it’s one HELL of a fucking deal
Agreed with everything.
Guess you can tell a dude where the landmines are but he’s probably gonna have to step on them himself anyways…
JCD, you ain’t nevah lied!
The thing that is most sad about this whole situation is that he probably won’t wake up, at least not for another few years. I salute this young fellow and his years of wasted potential!
Hey JC,
I feel your pain on this one. Free advice is usually taken…with an grain of salt. And a bucket of Anaconda Crap
It makes my day to see that a minority of industry people such as yourself can discern the good stuff from the bullshit. That’s a rare quality in this day and age where people will look so hard for the magic bullet that they’re even willing to look past the truth.
JC, you are the man. Situations like this will only make you stronger.
JC, if I got a penny for every person who thinks there is a magic pill out there, I would be a rich woman.
I do agree that a lot of people take FREE things for granted. I’ve experienced this with my blog and also with my own fitness business. Sometimes people will ask me for advice through my blog then after I send them my answer, I don’t hear even a peep from them. I think that’s just so ungrateful sometimes. But then, there are also people who truly appreciate the work that we do. So, let’s keep doing this for all those people (latter ones).
This post is a very good reminder that if people haven’t mastered even the basics of nutrition and exercise and have at least 2 first-hand experience with both areas, they don’t know crap
Anna
I think a lot of forum posters seek for help but what they are really looking for is validation for their current line of thinking. They’ll look eslewhere if they can’t find it and even if their line of thinking is completely asinine.
That being said, you are bound to run into people who will be very grateful for what you do and then some who will be very unappreciative. Whenever trolls come around remember those people who do appreciate what you do here.
Sad but what to do – you still got hopefuls like me
Who actually arent complete nubs 
About flamming T-nation supplements though guys. I have to say that some of the stuff they released in the passed worked better for me than any other product from a different company. Ok anaconda aside ofcourse – one example would be hotrox extreme. Okay i was strict as hell preparing for my 1st show but i feel it helped me in the fat loss process ( dropped to 5-6% fat for my 1st show btw). I dont hate T-Nation i hate anaconda i guess. i wouldnt demonise everything that has come out of there
wtf passed…i meant Past*..damn lol
You could probably spend this wasted time better, but at least you have learned a lesson (I have learned it the hard way as well).
The best way it to just ignore people like him (unfortunately, that’s majority) and try to help the ones who will appreciate your advice and know what critical thinking is.
I’m pretty sure, that when this guy finds out that there is no magic pill he will just quit or go on drugs (yes, it’s sad but that is what most people do).
So true bro. The right information takes about 3 minutes to learn, but it can take a new lifter years to realize that it was the right information. It’s like they have selective hearing. Frustrating as hell! Oh well, work with the ones that are coachable and ready to grow. I’ve been in the same boat as you as far as e-mails go… sometimes you wish you could reach through the screen and slap them!
Which is why you need to start charging $100/hr for your services bro.
Shut up Ryan!
Wow, sounds like me a couple years ago lol. I mean, what would JC know, he’s just a no one running a small blog. Tnation, that’s a million dollar company with scientists!! They definitely know what they’re talking about!!
I still like trying supplements just to see what happens but there is no way I would try something that is just riddled with lies like Tnation supplements. When something smells a little fishy, I’m a little skeptical and I try it anyway, but when it smells as bad as T-nation, I avoid it because it’s guaranteed to fail.
Look at who has the biggest marketing campaigns and ignore their products until you see honest reviews on an external site without moderation.
On that topic, has anyone seen some honest external reviews on Anaconda?? What does the bodybuilding.com forums say about it? That’d be a great place to get good reviews because those people are VERY picky.