Semi-OT: Penn and Teller

Klotz

Klotz

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Here's an episode of Bullshit regarding the fitness industry.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2582072936442373676&q=penn+and+teller

I thought they overemphasized the role of genetics. Sure most people can't end up looking like Arnold Schwarznegger, but pretty much anyone with the right mindset, diligent training, and good eating can make huge improvements. My dad and all his brothers have guts, my mom's brother and his son are both beanpoles, but I'm doing just fine for myself.

After that, I pretty much agreed with the dismantling of the bullshit the fitness industry pedals. And seeing some of those workouts that poeple were doing in the gyms made me cringe.
 
power of genetics -bullshit- more like power of big-mac and the fucking couch. Bah.

Now im going to watch it;)
 
Seriously this shit is starting to fucking piss me off...
 
....This was a bit of a waste unfortunately, if they wouldnt have run with the pathetic talk about "genes and accept the fat weak slob that you are" it could have been an awsome show.

Petty.
 
Yep, the whole genetics thing was way overblown. Fuck me dead if all the unfit, weak, fatarses in the world have bad genetics. Kind of sad, I wonder how many 'want to get fit' people gave up trying after watching that...oh wait, most of them already have.
 
I go to public gyms which cost 200 yen (2$ or so) a time. They are in no way inferior to private gyms as far as I can see. There's no contract and they don't pimp pills and powders.

Why on earth do most people prefer to pay so much for these ridiculous gym contracts?
 
Okay, gyms are mostly run by money-hungry bastards who don't care about actually helping their customers. The supplement industry uses ridiculous marketing to sell a lot of products, most of which people don't need. The things they sell on infomercials are absolute wastes of time, space, money, effort and building supplies that could have been used to make another powerrack. Most people do have a genetic ceiling on how they can look and won't be the next Arnie. That still does'nt excuse the fact that the vast majority of people live overly sedentary lifestyles, eat shit and use their genetics as an excuse for the way they look and feel.

Most people who whine about how it's their gentics/glands/body type that makes them fat are actually lazy slobs who eat crap and I get the feeling that Penn and Teller are amongst them. Several times they complain that they're both not genetically gifted, but I get the feeling that Penn especially is far from being as healthy as he could be.
 
seems like you were just waiting to say that for awhile....
couldn't agree more. i feel that yes genetics does play a role when person A can eat alot of big macs and somehow still be slightly skinny and person B can eat some big macs but they are a fat jabba the hut. i say accept it and work out and try and eat more healthy and real foods.if everyone wasnt so fat and lazy then people couldnt blame their other family members because their other family members would be FIT!

I know my kids wont be able to blame me
 
Thanks for the link. I'm afraid I'll be spending a couple of hours today watching the Penn and Teller clips especially the peta.
 
they made some good points in the full episode, namely about suppliment industry BS and false promises. they could have worded their argument better. I think they are trying to say, don't believe that anyone and everyone has the potential to look like jack lalane, clark bartram, arnie, etc. genetic play a role and ther eis a limit that everyone will hit. The other side of that point was under emphasized, namely, despite genetic limits at least be healthy and in decent shape. Genetics are no excuse, and blaming genetics is equally bullshit if you are trying to justify why your ass is so big. they did not emphasize that very much.
 
citing genetics as a powerful force is only a problem when you're putting yourself below the average mark. It puts a limit on your horizons as you look ahead. For somebody who suspects they have good genes, they should convince themselves they are a genetic superman and reap the psychosematic effects. That's what I did before I started making love to nose candy.
 
Thats actually a really good idea Carnal! One of the best I have heard on the actuall subject.

I mean anybody who thinks they "have bad genes" because they have a shit body when they live sedative shit lives and have a shit diet are retards.

And proper training with some intensity reap fast enough progress that just about everyone should be able to convince themselves that they are a genetic superman if they hit the weigths and food with some intensity. Brilliant.
 
What I don't get about the genetic debate is this.

If you can't get 'jacked' like Arnold because you don't have 'good genes', and then you don't work out...assuming your fat ass procreates..then your children will have the same problem...

The genetic debate is pretty much assuming that 'special people' like Arnold come from families of giant muscly fucks who never have a lazy generation hence they have no 'faults' in their genetic code.

Thats just plain dumb. The moment you start pissing and whining about your genes is the moment you screw your next generation.
 
Just because you are a fat slob or just because you build yourself up to a muscular beast, dont mean you genetically bless or curse your children.

But the enviroment they are brought up with and the values you instill will however...
 
Yeah I watched it and have to throw the bullshit card.

Every 12th-20th word was genetics it seems like. And then they go to way overpriced gyms in LA or somewhere overpriced to begin with, to demonize the gym industry. Yes gym owners make money, but I have never seen my local gym owner pull up with a fancy car.

If you go to a local, none chain gym then your owner is probably not making an obscene amount of money. I have never been sold a supplement in my gym that I wasn't looking at. They sell alot of supplements but they are no pressure at my gym.

I also hate the fact not one person in the video mentioned time. Other than the fact gym memberships are long and people piss and moan after a few weeks. Many of the people featured have been working out for a long time, have had a good diet for a long time. That has shit to do with genetics.
 
...it's ironic that a show who claimed to expose BS comes with such BS

"oh it's the genetics..."

STFO and pump some iron B*TCHES
 
I love Penn and Teller (especially the one on PETA), but I have to disagree with them on this one.
 
I had to come to terms with the fact that genetics DO matter. I am a lazy-ass motherfucker, I train hard when I train, but I hardly ever string more than a few months together, but I get strong in a huge hurry. To call my genes average would be to ignore the obvious, to declare genes were a limiting factor seemed suicidal for the "hardgainer". So I had to construct that double standard.
 
Reminds me of this guy I knew who thought he had GREAT genes for bodybuilding. He had close to a 50 inch waist and a serious pair of moobs going but whatever.
 
Ever tried your genes for longdistance running Carnal..?;)

I mean Ethiopians dont dominate powerlifting but still you cant call their genes "bad", they are however different...
 
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