Gym specialization

When did you know you wanted to be a power lifter, olympic lifter, bodybuilder or whatever else? How did you decide which?

What made you go from training on a fitness-enthusiast level, to the next level?

Focused on bb right now but might spec into Olympic weightlifting around level 22

To elaborate

I feel like I'm at a crossroad, being stuck at 4/3/2/1, and I don't think I can get much further until I know what I want from my gym time and a more specialized program to get the results.

Oly lifting takes way too much time, bodybuilders are mentall ill, aesthetics is for fags and brosplits don't give results. So I ended up lifting for strength.

Started out as a bench bro, multiclassed to powerlifting, and now I've taken the powerbuilding prestige class.

Are you happy with the direction you went?

Do you have any regrets?

Sounds like strength training chose you

I'm okay with it. Bodybuilding is boring to me, and as long as you do a good cut when summer comes you're gonna look good either way. You're gonna be better than 95% of the male population no matter what route you go, so just do what you find most enjoyable.

I haven't had a hobby yet I couldn't maintain for at least a decade. I'm not worried about not having fun.

The way I see it, training is a rather unique hobby in that we are stuck with what we choose.

What if, in 5 years time, I'll be stuck with a body I hate. It's going to take a long time to undo the changes I've made to it, and even longer to try out a new path that might also leave me unhappy.


The choices are paralyzing and I have no idea how to (confidently) make a decision.

>I think it's fun to try and shape my body, in a way bodybuilders see results fastest
>I like training for strength and beating my old records
>I admire olympic lifters absolutely, but have no experience with those lifts
I want it all, even though I know I can only get really good at one thing.

just lift lol

damn, chloe's looking good

I already do. I want more.

just lift lol

Took me a second

there's 3 or 4 classes i'd say, you're welcome to choose any class but be warned some classes are harder than others

>bodybuilder

enjoy starving yourself and force-feeding yourself. enjoy long and shitty workouts that focus on building your appearance. Workouts include bicep curls, chest flies, and jacking off in front of mirrors. The usual beginner class. Transcending the beginner stage requires you to turn in your sanity card for a IFBB pro card.

>powerlifter

Do you like numbers? not good enough, you better start loving them. Easy to get into, fun workouts that become grueling and convoluted very quickly, not that much payoff, unless you like balding middle aged fake-athletes lifting a small truck for a few centimeters while fifty spotters yell into his ear

>strongman

the most autistic class of the group, immediately barred from all manlets. Their workouts are an enigma but focus on LARP'ing as a farmhand. I hope you like tires, hammers, milk jugs, and sandbags. Note: strongman gyms are the rarest gyms of them all. A sport with a hard barrier of entry, mostly due to lack of awareness and accessibility, rather than difficult or unusual technique

>weightlifting

Literally the only thing in common that weightlifting shares with any other aforementioned class is the usage of a barbell-shaped weight that weighs ~45 pounds. Gymnastics with a barbell. Not for aesthetics-chasers, lazy-fags, or noobs/non-athletes. Good for intellectuals. Not a fake sport. Steepest difficulty curve as well as highest skill-cap. Requires special barbells and plates that can be found in crossfit or uni gyms usually.

Brook is so fucking sexy

Very relevant to my interests, bumping.

I did bodybuilding my first year and this is what happened
>5'8"
>huge bicep pump
>catch myself in the mirror from the side
>stare at disbelief
>"what the fuck have i turned into"
>look like a fucking deformed dwarf
>wide as fuck with terrible proportions+the height of a midget
That day i realized i just want to be that dude thats not too big but lifts a lot of weight.

>Literally the only thing in common that weightlifting shares with any other aforementioned class is the usage of a barbell-shaped weight that weighs ~45 pounds. Gymnastics with a barbell. Not for aesthetics-chasers, lazy-fags, or noobs/non-athletes. Good for intellectuals. Not a fake sport. Steepest difficulty curve as well as highest skill-cap. Requires special barbells and plates that can be found in crossfit or uni gyms usually.
Kek gave me a good giggle

>what is natural bodybuilding
>implying you need to be an IFBB pro
>force feeding
>starving

Gee it's almost like you can slow cut and slow bulk

>jacking off in front of mirrors

h-how did you know?

>bodybuilding for one year
>implying he had any real size
>after one year

lamo pls post a photo of your ''''too big''' body?

This was me although i dont have a pump in that pic.
Idk man. I wasnt the biggest dude in the gym but the combination of everything in that moment made me hate my deformed body.

amazing progress for one year dude, wow

>deformed body

Are you kidding me? You barely escaped skeleton mode.

Idk why you threw it all away

Judging from the one year progress, you worked really hard. Just to throw it all away? tsk tsk

My physique is much more balanced now and im stronger. I also feel more confident in myself. Bodybuilding just made me feel like a dwarf.