Lately I've been seeing alot of questions and getting private messages similar to this: "How many inches can I gain in X amount of time if I do X routine?"
I'm sure DLD hears it every day too, so I just wanted to share my thoughts on it. First of all, it's too difficult to answer that question because everyone is different and everyone does their exercises differently. A bodybuilder would never ask "how big will my arm get if I pump X iron?" because the answers would vary too much from person to person. The question usually leans towards sounding lazy too. It's often like this: "I don't have much time, so if I skip some stuff and just do X exercise, will I still gain X amount?" Well of course not; we have to put in the hard work and not trick ourselves into thinking we can get huge in a couple days. It's playing mind games with yourself and it can hurt your gains. The mental side of PE is arguably the most important. I think a strong daily routine that's kept for a long time is a great way to keep your mind focused and...
The most important thing I tell people is PUT AWAY THE RULER!
Setting a goal is a good thing, but that's not the same as setting yourself up for disappointment.
Measure yourself only after you've kept a good routine for a few months.
You can't see the tiny incremental changes from day to day, and that can mess with your head and motivation. You're working hard and you're not a damn millimeter bigger than you were last week, wtf? ARGH! I don't know about you, but I get motivated when I know I'm gaining and I'm proud that I'm sticking to my routine. Seeing no change in size can be depressing and knock me off my routine. Especially when you're first starting and you're still questioning if PE is real.
But you can see the changes over a long period of time.
A good example is how we age.
We won't really notice ourselves getting older from day to day. You don't wake up one day and say "ok well I'm old now". It happens very gradually. But sure enough one day you'll be wrinkled and there won't be a specific day you can look back upon and say "that day I gained a wrinkle".
It's the same with PE. It won't be like "that day I gained a millimeter". It'll happen over time and then you'll look back and be like "holy shit I'm an inch bigger than I was last year".
The ruler is not your friend during your routine. Put it away and Hakuna Matata. No more worries.
Stick to your routine, don't worry about how much you're going to gain, and just keep plugging along!
Then the ruler will be your best friend after you've done a hardcore routine for 3 months and you finally bust it out and see, without a doubt, a GAIN.
Good luck brothers!
I'm sure DLD hears it every day too, so I just wanted to share my thoughts on it. First of all, it's too difficult to answer that question because everyone is different and everyone does their exercises differently. A bodybuilder would never ask "how big will my arm get if I pump X iron?" because the answers would vary too much from person to person. The question usually leans towards sounding lazy too. It's often like this: "I don't have much time, so if I skip some stuff and just do X exercise, will I still gain X amount?" Well of course not; we have to put in the hard work and not trick ourselves into thinking we can get huge in a couple days. It's playing mind games with yourself and it can hurt your gains. The mental side of PE is arguably the most important. I think a strong daily routine that's kept for a long time is a great way to keep your mind focused and...
The most important thing I tell people is PUT AWAY THE RULER!
Setting a goal is a good thing, but that's not the same as setting yourself up for disappointment.
Measure yourself only after you've kept a good routine for a few months.
You can't see the tiny incremental changes from day to day, and that can mess with your head and motivation. You're working hard and you're not a damn millimeter bigger than you were last week, wtf? ARGH! I don't know about you, but I get motivated when I know I'm gaining and I'm proud that I'm sticking to my routine. Seeing no change in size can be depressing and knock me off my routine. Especially when you're first starting and you're still questioning if PE is real.
But you can see the changes over a long period of time.
A good example is how we age.
We won't really notice ourselves getting older from day to day. You don't wake up one day and say "ok well I'm old now". It happens very gradually. But sure enough one day you'll be wrinkled and there won't be a specific day you can look back upon and say "that day I gained a wrinkle".
It's the same with PE. It won't be like "that day I gained a millimeter". It'll happen over time and then you'll look back and be like "holy shit I'm an inch bigger than I was last year".
The ruler is not your friend during your routine. Put it away and Hakuna Matata. No more worries.
Stick to your routine, don't worry about how much you're going to gain, and just keep plugging along!
Then the ruler will be your best friend after you've done a hardcore routine for 3 months and you finally bust it out and see, without a doubt, a GAIN.
Good luck brothers!
