USAWA

by Thom Van Vleck

Weightlifters are generally liars.  My Uncle Phil once told me that everyone was a liar, it’s just that some do it to a low degree while others to a high degree.  He would often would describe someone as a 5% liar (which was someone that most would feel was really honest) or maybe an 85% liar (which was someone that was full of crap).  Everyone had a number.

Weightlifters lie for lots of reasons but I think the number one reason is ego.  I’ll admit to it myself.  When I was young I would often add 10% to my best lift to inflate my ego.  I would reason that “on a good day” I could make that lift or that I would soon be able to if I kept training so it really wasn’t a lie.

Another reason weightlifters lie is because they are greedy.  They will lie about their workout routines to hide their secrets or to sell workouts.  I bought a leg training manual from a bodybuilder back in the 80s.  He had the best legs out there.  I followed that routine to the “T”.  Only to have him come out years later and admit that it was a fraud.  He was blessed with great genes and his legs didn’t require as much effort to look fantastic.  He said he was afraid nobody would believe him if he told the truth.  He was probably more concerned nobody would buy his training manual!

Weightlifters lie about two things.  Weights and measurements.  How much can you squat?  Oh, 5 plates.  I guess I didn’t ask if those plates were 45’s or 25’s so he could be telling the truth.  I had a high school buddy I would run into every year or so for some time.  Every time he would ask me what I was benching.  By some miracle he would always be benching 5 or 10lbs more.  Finally I asked him to do a bench workout with me (which was really me asking him to prove it or shut up).  He never showed up.  The truth is the numbers I gave him were probably 5 or 10 pounds more than I could actually do.  So we were both liars.  I was just a 5% whereas he was more like 20%.

Measurements are also a topic of exaggeration.  I remember there was a weightlifting historian by the name of David Willoughby.  He would show up with a steel tape and ask to measure strongmen, weightlifters, and body builders.  Most of the time he would get turned down.  When he was allowed the proclaimed measurements usually came up short.  Then the excuses would come.  I don’t recall him once saying he found a measurement that was bigger than stated.

Another measurement is distance.  Like a shot putter or highland gamer.  What’s your best put?  You always round up or you give your personal best from 10 years ago.

My Uncle Phil said that my Uncle Wayne was the only 100% honest weightlifter he knew.  I remember asking my Uncle Wayne about his lifts and never once did he exaggerate.  NOT ONCE.  He would not only give his best lift to the pound he would also tell you when he did it and that he couldn’t do that much now.

It all comes down to ego.  If you have a strong ego you tend to exaggerate less.  Doesn’t matter how strong you are, if you have a weak ego the lying will come!  I notice as I get older I lie less.  Maybe my ego is stronger. Have I mentioned I have 20 inch arms and I can bench 500?!