May 2024
A Serious Threat
While perusing through various Scientific Journals related to Strength & Conditioning, I stumbled upon a medical condition I think you should know about. The article discussing this condition was originally published in 2011 and had a lot of good points. But this condition is still just as prevalent as it ever was, unfortunately, it has never been followed up on or examined further. I would like to take this opportunity to not only summarize the 17-page article to its most concise points but also reintroduce it to a possible new audience and elaborate on the current state of this global outbreak.
What am I talking about?
Phuckarounditis.
I want to acknowledge right from the start that this article was inspired by, and large portions of it are right from the original: Berkhan, M. (2011) article “Targeting the Fuckarounditis Epidemic: Preventative Measures and Intervention Strategies”. I have taken out a lot of the period references (Tyler Durden, David Lee Roth, Gary Busey, Shape Magazine etc.) that no longer apply and tried to give this GREAT concept a fresh new perspective with more modern examples (Cellphones, Tik-Tok, Instagram). With that said let me re-introduce: Phuckarounditis. A Serious threat.
Phuckarounditis is a behavioral disorder characterized by a mediocre physique and complete lack of progress, despite significant amounts of time spent in the gym.
Phuckarounditis most commonly manifests itself as an intense preoccupation with fringe exercises, the newest equipment, the latest supplements, and just showing up & going through the motions with little to no effort. Fear of squats and deadlifts is another distinguishing trait. Physical exertion is either completely lacking or misapplied (towards questionable or unproductive training practices).
How bad is it?
Despite an alarming increase of Phuckarounditis in recent years, prevalence may vary greatly depending on location. However, in most commercial gyms, it has been estimated that 90-100% of individuals are afflicted to varying degrees.
The environment and social media are crucial factors for triggering the disease. It has been proposed that the root of the disease stems from misinformation and counterproductive training advice found in popular media and spreads from person to person.
Human nature (laziness, complacency) and individual’s desire for a “Magic Bullet” play a permissive role for allowing the disease to take hold.
The disease spreads rapidly, as carriers of the disease communicate with other individuals in locker rooms, Internet discussion forums and other arenas of interaction.
The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood and may go undiagnosed for a lifetime. Accurate diagnosis is determined by a professional and based on observed behaviors and physique progress.
The Internet provides a rich soil for Phuckarounditis to grow and take hold of the unsuspecting. Too much information, too many self-proclaimed “experts” giving you bad advice and uninformed answers. To say all of this information is being presented with good intentions would be a joke. When content creators get paid by views, clicks, subscriptions and outside advertising, you know content loses out to click-bait taglines and “don’t forget to leave a comment down below. It helps out with the algorithm”. Ahhh yes, the information age.
In a never-ending fight to make their content stand out over the rest, information is presented these days with absolute statements (“the best” “the only” “never” etc.), scientific terms, elaborate detail, and promising cutting-edge strategies based on the latest research. This makes it easier to swallow for intellectuals and those seeking a quick fix; two different groups, both equally susceptible to shenanigans and easy prey for Phuckarounditis to be born.
The problem at the core of the Phuckarounditis epidemic is the overabundance of information available to us. If there are so many theories, articles, and opinions on a topic, we perceive it as something complex, something hard to understand. An illusion of complexity is created.
Mark Rippetoe probably said it best: “Complexity appeals to stupid people.”
We must read everything. Think long and hard about our choices. Only then can we hope to make an informed choice, we reason. And there are so many choices. Finally, that which we perceive as a good and informed choice is often the complete opposite, usually the result of whatever fad routine is trendy at the moment. Sometimes we do a little bit of everything – “can’t be bad trying to be ‘well-rounded’ now, can it?” we foolishly argue.
When it comes to strength training, the right choices are limited and uncomplicated. There are right and wrong ways to do things, not “it depends”, not alternative theories based on new science that we need to investigate or try. Basic do’s and don’ts that never change. Unfortunately, these fundamental training principles are lost to many.
Yes, the global prevalence of Phuckarounditis is increasing at an alarming rate. As people are getting weaker and weaker and more out of shape the plethora of bad choices increases at a much higher rate than the good choices. Soon the bad choices will all but drown out the good ones.
Who is the most at risk?
Weak People. And they are Everywhere. Walking around like regular people. They don’t see each other as weak. They only see what they want to see. They don’t know they’re weak.
The afflicted are everywhere; the Tik-Tok influencer receptionist who greets you at the gym, the 135-lb skinny-fat personal trainer who tells you that deadlifts or squats are dangerous, the wanna-be Instagram models (men & women) with their cellphone tripods, the supplement kings and queens, and the people with an entire day devoted to “abs” or some other body part. All of them suffer to varying degrees of the debilitating disorder known as Phuckarounditis. Yes, even you might be among the afflicted. Today you shall find out if there is cause for alarm.
Keep in mind that this disease sneaks up on you and then progresses gradually. Some people walk around with a mild case of Phuckarounditis that does not completely impair their results in its initial stages. In others, the disease has reached a severe state, which dramatically interferes with their progress and usually stalls it completely.
Finally, there are those who are all but lost and for whom there is little hope of a cure. Unfortunately, these people will probably never read this. They are too busy emulating the latest fitness influencer, doing the “Best-Ever” Booty Blaster routine, or spending all of their time and money looking for the latest quick fix pill for fat loss to cure “their condition” before even attempting anything slightly uncomfortable.
Am I Afflicted?
How can you tell if you are suffering from Phuckarounditis? Ultimately, it boils down to your results and whether your progress is reasonable relative to the time you put in.
Let’s be concrete and talk about numbers. After all, there needs to be some overarching and objective way of judging whether you are afflicted or not. If you have read any of my other articles you will know that Strength Training (in my opinion) is the single greatest thing you can do to improve your health, especially as you get older. Relative strength is probably the single best measure of progress and the time you spend in the gym. Relative strength is therefore the parameter that we will use to determine reasonable rates of progress, which will then tell you whether you might be suffering from Phuckarounditis or not.
The Standards
Within two years of consistent training with a decent routine, you should be able to progress to the following levels of strength (1RM) (Male / Female):
Strength Goals: Intermediate
Squat: body weight x 1.6 / 1.2
Deadlift: body weight x 2 / 1.5
Overhead press: body weight x .75 / .50
Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.2 or 8 reps with body weight (male). Body weight x 1 (female)
Strength Goals: Advanced
Within five years of consistent training with a decent routine, 3 out of 4 of the following goals should be reached, along with all of the strength goals listed under Intermediate.
Squat: body weight x 2 / 1.5
Deadlift: body weight x 2.5 / 1.75
Overhead press: body weight x 1 / .75
Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.5 / 1.1 or 15 / 5 reps with body weight.
I will give 2 examples. A male and female that have been training consistently for 5-10 years should therefore be expected to:
A 185-lb male:
Squat 295-370 lbs.
Deadlift 370-465 lbs.
Overhead press: 140-185 lbs.
Do a chin-up or pull up: with 35-95 lbs. hanging from his waist or 8-15 reps.
A 135-lb female:
Squat 160-205 lbs.
Deadlift 205-240 lbs.
Overhead press: 65-185 lbs.
Do 4-5 chin-ups with body weight or do one with an extra 10-15 lbs. hanging from her waist.
I do know also that as you age it is harder to achieve the same strength benchmarks as individuals under 35. But not impossible. At 53 I was at my strongest ever and was in the advance category for all major lifts with the exception of shoulder press. Even that was at 80% of body weight. With that said, at the Iron Lodge we do account for age when determining benchmarks. We use the following industry accepted calculations when factoring in age.
What am I talking about?
Phuckarounditis.
I want to acknowledge right from the start that this article was inspired by, and large portions of it are right from the original: Berkhan, M. (2011) article “Targeting the Fuckarounditis Epidemic: Preventative Measures and Intervention Strategies”. I have taken out a lot of the period references (Tyler Durden, David Lee Roth, Gary Busey, Shape Magazine etc.) that no longer apply and tried to give this GREAT concept a fresh new perspective with more modern examples (Cellphones, Tik-Tok, Instagram). With that said let me re-introduce: Phuckarounditis. A Serious threat.
Phuckarounditis is a behavioral disorder characterized by a mediocre physique and complete lack of progress, despite significant amounts of time spent in the gym.
Phuckarounditis most commonly manifests itself as an intense preoccupation with fringe exercises, the newest equipment, the latest supplements, and just showing up & going through the motions with little to no effort. Fear of squats and deadlifts is another distinguishing trait. Physical exertion is either completely lacking or misapplied (towards questionable or unproductive training practices).
How bad is it?
Despite an alarming increase of Phuckarounditis in recent years, prevalence may vary greatly depending on location. However, in most commercial gyms, it has been estimated that 90-100% of individuals are afflicted to varying degrees.
The environment and social media are crucial factors for triggering the disease. It has been proposed that the root of the disease stems from misinformation and counterproductive training advice found in popular media and spreads from person to person.
Human nature (laziness, complacency) and individual’s desire for a “Magic Bullet” play a permissive role for allowing the disease to take hold.
The disease spreads rapidly, as carriers of the disease communicate with other individuals in locker rooms, Internet discussion forums and other arenas of interaction.
The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood and may go undiagnosed for a lifetime. Accurate diagnosis is determined by a professional and based on observed behaviors and physique progress.
The Internet provides a rich soil for Phuckarounditis to grow and take hold of the unsuspecting. Too much information, too many self-proclaimed “experts” giving you bad advice and uninformed answers. To say all of this information is being presented with good intentions would be a joke. When content creators get paid by views, clicks, subscriptions and outside advertising, you know content loses out to click-bait taglines and “don’t forget to leave a comment down below. It helps out with the algorithm”. Ahhh yes, the information age.
In a never-ending fight to make their content stand out over the rest, information is presented these days with absolute statements (“the best” “the only” “never” etc.), scientific terms, elaborate detail, and promising cutting-edge strategies based on the latest research. This makes it easier to swallow for intellectuals and those seeking a quick fix; two different groups, both equally susceptible to shenanigans and easy prey for Phuckarounditis to be born.
The problem at the core of the Phuckarounditis epidemic is the overabundance of information available to us. If there are so many theories, articles, and opinions on a topic, we perceive it as something complex, something hard to understand. An illusion of complexity is created.
Mark Rippetoe probably said it best: “Complexity appeals to stupid people.”
We must read everything. Think long and hard about our choices. Only then can we hope to make an informed choice, we reason. And there are so many choices. Finally, that which we perceive as a good and informed choice is often the complete opposite, usually the result of whatever fad routine is trendy at the moment. Sometimes we do a little bit of everything – “can’t be bad trying to be ‘well-rounded’ now, can it?” we foolishly argue.
When it comes to strength training, the right choices are limited and uncomplicated. There are right and wrong ways to do things, not “it depends”, not alternative theories based on new science that we need to investigate or try. Basic do’s and don’ts that never change. Unfortunately, these fundamental training principles are lost to many.
Yes, the global prevalence of Phuckarounditis is increasing at an alarming rate. As people are getting weaker and weaker and more out of shape the plethora of bad choices increases at a much higher rate than the good choices. Soon the bad choices will all but drown out the good ones.
Who is the most at risk?
Weak People. And they are Everywhere. Walking around like regular people. They don’t see each other as weak. They only see what they want to see. They don’t know they’re weak.
The afflicted are everywhere; the Tik-Tok influencer receptionist who greets you at the gym, the 135-lb skinny-fat personal trainer who tells you that deadlifts or squats are dangerous, the wanna-be Instagram models (men & women) with their cellphone tripods, the supplement kings and queens, and the people with an entire day devoted to “abs” or some other body part. All of them suffer to varying degrees of the debilitating disorder known as Phuckarounditis. Yes, even you might be among the afflicted. Today you shall find out if there is cause for alarm.
Keep in mind that this disease sneaks up on you and then progresses gradually. Some people walk around with a mild case of Phuckarounditis that does not completely impair their results in its initial stages. In others, the disease has reached a severe state, which dramatically interferes with their progress and usually stalls it completely.
Finally, there are those who are all but lost and for whom there is little hope of a cure. Unfortunately, these people will probably never read this. They are too busy emulating the latest fitness influencer, doing the “Best-Ever” Booty Blaster routine, or spending all of their time and money looking for the latest quick fix pill for fat loss to cure “their condition” before even attempting anything slightly uncomfortable.
Am I Afflicted?
How can you tell if you are suffering from Phuckarounditis? Ultimately, it boils down to your results and whether your progress is reasonable relative to the time you put in.
Let’s be concrete and talk about numbers. After all, there needs to be some overarching and objective way of judging whether you are afflicted or not. If you have read any of my other articles you will know that Strength Training (in my opinion) is the single greatest thing you can do to improve your health, especially as you get older. Relative strength is probably the single best measure of progress and the time you spend in the gym. Relative strength is therefore the parameter that we will use to determine reasonable rates of progress, which will then tell you whether you might be suffering from Phuckarounditis or not.
The Standards
Within two years of consistent training with a decent routine, you should be able to progress to the following levels of strength (1RM) (Male / Female):
Strength Goals: Intermediate
Squat: body weight x 1.6 / 1.2
Deadlift: body weight x 2 / 1.5
Overhead press: body weight x .75 / .50
Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.2 or 8 reps with body weight (male). Body weight x 1 (female)
Strength Goals: Advanced
Within five years of consistent training with a decent routine, 3 out of 4 of the following goals should be reached, along with all of the strength goals listed under Intermediate.
Squat: body weight x 2 / 1.5
Deadlift: body weight x 2.5 / 1.75
Overhead press: body weight x 1 / .75
Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.5 / 1.1 or 15 / 5 reps with body weight.
I will give 2 examples. A male and female that have been training consistently for 5-10 years should therefore be expected to:
A 185-lb male:
Squat 295-370 lbs.
Deadlift 370-465 lbs.
Overhead press: 140-185 lbs.
Do a chin-up or pull up: with 35-95 lbs. hanging from his waist or 8-15 reps.
A 135-lb female:
Squat 160-205 lbs.
Deadlift 205-240 lbs.
Overhead press: 65-185 lbs.
Do 4-5 chin-ups with body weight or do one with an extra 10-15 lbs. hanging from her waist.
I do know also that as you age it is harder to achieve the same strength benchmarks as individuals under 35. But not impossible. At 53 I was at my strongest ever and was in the advance category for all major lifts with the exception of shoulder press. Even that was at 80% of body weight. With that said, at the Iron Lodge we do account for age when determining benchmarks. We use the following industry accepted calculations when factoring in age.
So where do you fall in regard to these standards? If you’ve met them, you’ve received a reasonable return on the time you’ve invested in your training and it’s safe to say that you do not suffer from Phuckarounditis – even if you have some of the symptoms, remember that it’s not messing around if what you’re doing is working for you.
If you have not met them, then something is amiss. And if you can’t do a good chin-up or struggle with being able to squat your body weight after a decade of working out…. something is horribly amiss.
This is no laughing matter. It’s not uncommon for people to spend 10-15 years working out with little or nothing to show for it and make very basic mistakes that should have been fixed at an early stage. But as Phuckarounditis takes root, they only succumb deeper, eventually losing that last shred of training sense.
Taking early preventative measures is key. Where this is not possible, rapid intervention can save the situation. Enter The Phuckarounditis Test.
The Phuckarounditis Test
Please review these 5 common symptoms and behaviors associated with Phuckarounditis. If you recognize yourself in any of these, and have not met the strength standards recently discussed, you must immediately cease the behavior and implement the necessary changes. There is no time to waste.
1. You don’t keep track of your workouts.
How much can you squat, deadlift or press? How many chin-ups? You need to be able to answer those questions right now. Don’t let me hear “I think I can” or “I’m not sure but…”. You need to know how much weight you can maximally lift in one set when you’re fresh.
Whether it’s a set of 1, 4 ,6 or 8 reps doesn’t matter. You need to have concrete reference points in order to evaluate your progress. Keep track of them in a training log. Not “in your head”, write it down. The single act of writing it down is more important than you think, whether you keep those data points in a notebook, or in an App like we use at The Iron Lodge (TrainHeroic).
With tracking comes the motivation to train, and knowing if you are making results. I can’t even imagine where people get their motivation from if they don’t keep track and just choose weights at random based on whatever feels good that day.
You should at all times be aware of the best performance in a few key lifts, your body weight, and the conditions under which those sets were performed.
2. You are not methodical with your program or you have no program at all.
The only thing that should be changing from week to week is the load on the bar or the reps. If you’re doing it right, these should be increasing. Everything else stays the same; the movements and the order you did them in, the sets and the rest periods in between sets. You don’t add in new stuff.
This is the only way you can fairly evaluate your progress and see if you’re headed in the right direction. It might sound tedious to keep doing the same movements every week and the appeal of “mixing it up” can seem strong.
However, the tediousness will soon be replaced by the much stronger joy you get from seeing your lifts go up on a weekly basis. Never choose training weights at random. You look at what you used last session and make the choice based solely on that.
3. You’re doing too much.
Be a minimalist. When you stick to the most efficient compound movements you get the most bang for your buck. The point is that most people are doing too much. This dilutes the focus and effort that they are able to put into what really delivers.
4. You think more about the little things and not enough about the big things.
No single factor in strength training like focusing on the smallest minutia such as the latest trending exercise or exercise technique, supplements, or equipment receives so much attention yet delivers so little in return. Don’t play the fool who chases the newest fitness trend, magic pills, or a new and improved shoe thinking it will compensate for a lack of effort, a fundamentally flawed training routine or a poor diet.
There are accessory exercises, supplements, and equipment that you might actually find useful, but they won’t turn the tide if what you’re doing right now is not working without them. Before specializing you must first get a base level of strength (see standards above).
If you have not met them, then something is amiss. And if you can’t do a good chin-up or struggle with being able to squat your body weight after a decade of working out…. something is horribly amiss.
This is no laughing matter. It’s not uncommon for people to spend 10-15 years working out with little or nothing to show for it and make very basic mistakes that should have been fixed at an early stage. But as Phuckarounditis takes root, they only succumb deeper, eventually losing that last shred of training sense.
Taking early preventative measures is key. Where this is not possible, rapid intervention can save the situation. Enter The Phuckarounditis Test.
The Phuckarounditis Test
Please review these 5 common symptoms and behaviors associated with Phuckarounditis. If you recognize yourself in any of these, and have not met the strength standards recently discussed, you must immediately cease the behavior and implement the necessary changes. There is no time to waste.
1. You don’t keep track of your workouts.
How much can you squat, deadlift or press? How many chin-ups? You need to be able to answer those questions right now. Don’t let me hear “I think I can” or “I’m not sure but…”. You need to know how much weight you can maximally lift in one set when you’re fresh.
Whether it’s a set of 1, 4 ,6 or 8 reps doesn’t matter. You need to have concrete reference points in order to evaluate your progress. Keep track of them in a training log. Not “in your head”, write it down. The single act of writing it down is more important than you think, whether you keep those data points in a notebook, or in an App like we use at The Iron Lodge (TrainHeroic).
With tracking comes the motivation to train, and knowing if you are making results. I can’t even imagine where people get their motivation from if they don’t keep track and just choose weights at random based on whatever feels good that day.
You should at all times be aware of the best performance in a few key lifts, your body weight, and the conditions under which those sets were performed.
2. You are not methodical with your program or you have no program at all.
The only thing that should be changing from week to week is the load on the bar or the reps. If you’re doing it right, these should be increasing. Everything else stays the same; the movements and the order you did them in, the sets and the rest periods in between sets. You don’t add in new stuff.
This is the only way you can fairly evaluate your progress and see if you’re headed in the right direction. It might sound tedious to keep doing the same movements every week and the appeal of “mixing it up” can seem strong.
However, the tediousness will soon be replaced by the much stronger joy you get from seeing your lifts go up on a weekly basis. Never choose training weights at random. You look at what you used last session and make the choice based solely on that.
3. You’re doing too much.
Be a minimalist. When you stick to the most efficient compound movements you get the most bang for your buck. The point is that most people are doing too much. This dilutes the focus and effort that they are able to put into what really delivers.
4. You think more about the little things and not enough about the big things.
No single factor in strength training like focusing on the smallest minutia such as the latest trending exercise or exercise technique, supplements, or equipment receives so much attention yet delivers so little in return. Don’t play the fool who chases the newest fitness trend, magic pills, or a new and improved shoe thinking it will compensate for a lack of effort, a fundamentally flawed training routine or a poor diet.
There are accessory exercises, supplements, and equipment that you might actually find useful, but they won’t turn the tide if what you’re doing right now is not working without them. Before specializing you must first get a base level of strength (see standards above).
5. No EFFORT.
If you’re not grimacing, grunting, or experiencing some sort of discomfort, you’re not training hard enough. One good set where you have to fight for the reps is better than a week of half-hearted sets.
I’m not saying that you have to risk a trip to the emergency room with every workout, I’m just saying when you are implementing a minimalist approach to strength training you need intensity. High intensity and high recovery. In the past I have advised clients to “train to failure.” But recently I have gotten away from it. I liked Dan John’s approach in Easy Strength where he says, “you should never miss a rep, not even come close”. I think instead of training to failure you should perform each set with as many “doable” reps as possible– using good form – and terminate the set when you doubt your ability to complete another repetition.
“Using good form” does not mean perfect form. I do think it is important to learn the correct form from the start. During this time the intensity should take a back seat. But once the form is learned you should not be so meticulous that you leave reps on the table. I often use the analogy of shooting at a target. If all the shots are on the bullseye you should move your target further away. If none of the shots even hit the target you need to move closer. You can be doing every exercise perfectly (hitting nothing but bullseyes), but you will not go anywhere if you’re not willing to experience discomfort on a regular basis. Lack of effort might actually be the explanation for your lack of progress.
Intervention Strategy
Hopefully this article re-introducing the behavioral disorder known as Phuckarounditis has opened your eyes to the seriousness of it, whether you are susceptible, or even have it. By comparing your results to the industry standards, you should be able to tell if the results you have obtained are in line with the effort you have been making.
IF THEY ARE NOT. Don’t worry, there is hope. Being aware of Phuckarounditis and the impact it has on your results is a BIG first step. The next step would be avoiding the 5 common symptoms and behaviors associated with Phuckarounditis.
Before I conclude I have to be honest and say that even I, as the head coach at the Iron Lodge Strength Club with a lifetime of experience, have been afflicted with and suffered from Phuckarounditis in the past. But the good news is I discovered how to avoid it and to ALWAYS be on guard against it creeping back into my life.
If you are currently suffering from Phuckarounditis or are just starting out and want to avoid it all together, check us out at the Iron Lodge Strength Club. Our unique club environment focuses on tried-and-true exercises that have been shown to bring the most results. We have also been cleared by the Department of Health as a Phuckarounditis Free Zone. I DO think we are the only Strength Club in New England that can say that. ;o)
To your health.
Stay Strong
