Ivan Djuric has been squatting for 1500 days straight in his garage (he's on YT), absolutely has a passion and thirst for squatting knowledge, and figuring it out his own way, puts up impressive numbers and is a joy to watch him talk us through his training. Doesn't need crazy hype music or weird fitness trends, the man just needs a barbell and a squat rack. He also works full time as a shift worker nurse and still manages to upload daily for us, an absolute hidden gem for anyone who wants a break from this fitfluencer shit. Great vid as always mate.
He really put me off when I left a really innocuous comment on one of his videos a couple years back. Seemed like a bit of an ass and decided to stop watching his content ever since.
@@NotesOfInebriation I don't think hes a native english speaker and they way he responds to comments can be a bit stiff/cold. Those two things could be related. But he almost always responds, which is pretty cool.
I'm gen z (21) and I watch people like you, mike israetel, more plates more dates, etc. I eventually found this side of the fitness internet after months of watching bullshit influencers. I believe that if you are truly interested in this, you will eventually find good information. If you care just because of a trend, then you will watch just surface level "haha I skip leg day" stuff
So much false info goes around (deadlifts bad risk to reward ratio, squatting only for good leverages, etc) and the issue is its perpetuated by creators with low barriers to entry who actually dont know much of what they're talking about (Sam Sulek is a good example). But youre right, most go to the gym as its trendy on tiktok and dont really have a passion/love for fitness and lifting. Weird dynamic where actual FITNESS influencers like RP, Zack, OmarIsuf and MPMD get stifled as rhey dont appeal to the "skip leg day preworkout pump cover tren twins wegojim" sphere
I'm a millenial and honestly if you switch some of the proper nouns out for mid 2000s stuff (p90x, zumba, facebook, etc) this wouldn't be dissimilar to what we had to sift through before finding useful information. The few of us that did find the useful stuff eventually, I mean. Of course most people go through their whole lives never finding the info that would actually help them.
@@pissoff247 team partial rom gang checking in. I’m thoroughly in my muscular feels at the thought of these youngsters going down the wrong path😔. Wolf Pak podcast is muy bien
I'm absolutely about the anti hustle. I have no ambition to move up any further at work. I make good money. I'm happy with that. I take as much slack at work as I can possibly get while still getting my job done and making my boss happy. I want to travel and enjoy the 28 days of vacation time I get, not work every day until I die at a young age
It would be easier to adopt a hostile position if it was reflected in society eg sports stars, musicians singing about it etc gen Z needs their rage against the machine
@@DominicMunnellythisistheway Perhaps, but it isn't. Rather than wait for a miracle to happen, the more that do what they can to oppose this rampant nihilism, the more there will be to opposite it to become the collective Force of Will that will be the change for the better manifested into reality.
@@zacharycollierAW-PL it’s not a claim about every single gen z-er but I’d argue the claim holds at the group level. Of course there are gen z-ers who genuinely enjoy fitness.
Couldn’t agree more Zach. I’m 46 and was doing bodybuilding shows in the early 2000s when Bodybuilding, Women’s Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness were the ONLY categories. Now you regularly see people with 25-30% body fat talking about carb cycling, hi/low days and cheat meals. This generation has perfected putting the cart before the horse. Obsession over the smallest of minute details without training consistently or just stringing together a few weeks of eating solid. We need more people like you with the platform that can let these folks know that if they just focus on the boring basics but do that over and over, they will be much better off and the results will come much faster.
My Dad bought one of those steppers from a shopping channel in the early 2000s. He literally used it once and put it under his bed just like you said lol.
Gen Z is the literal reason I no longer train at gyms and have built a setup in my shed. Training with a Brown Recluse Spider as a spotter is preferable to a broccoli haircut having, pajama pants wearing, pencil necked goofball
dude I'm 100% with you. After years of combat sports, powerlifting and weightlifting coaching, I got sick of teaching people how to move properly then they turn around and say "I watched this workout on youtube/insta and I'm going to do that." Then they go and do eleventy billion bicep curls. Or it was a case of "I'm a footbal player so I want to train for that." Same person the next weel "I want to train for powerlifting" then the next week, "I want to compete in thai boxing". So I quit. I'm happy to help those who want to learn but keeping focus with so many bullshit trends is so frustrating.
I'm a gen Z fitness guy here. May I ask why is it that nowadays everything's Gen Z's fault? But, asides of that... I can tell you: fitness nowadays really is MARKETED as "fashion" or a "quick fix up thing" to us. I'm 22 as I'm writing this, and I was a semi-pro swimmer, turned to callisthenics, martial arts and then straight arm calisthenics. I've been physically active for most of my life. I notice that, when I talk with most people, and specially people my age, they seem to think this is just something that you either fitness is thing that you either have to get this bullshit piece of equipment, a quick fix-up thing, or a mix of both. I want to turn into a PT and strength trainer, and have been working as a ST for 2 years by now. As I was listening to this memories of my older sister trying to get into "fitness" (bullshit cardio videos "for women"), and me telling her that it would be way better, healthier and effective for her to just take a walk for 10 minutes daily than doing poorly taught (and thus executed) jumps and air curls. She was pissed at me, and said she "wouldn't walk for 5 minutes cause it was boring". I was baffled at this, and immediately understood that to her fitness was just a series of fashion choices rather than healthy choices as cleaning your teeth. I often compare the two because, whilst it's true you don't "have to brush your teeth" everyday right now, in the not-so-distant future you will regret not doing it. In any case, yeah: I agree with a lot of your vid, though I would say the core issue lies more on how it's presented and taught to people nowadays than on the people getting the info.
I have a couple thoughts about Gen Z and fitness. 1. A lot of Gen Z and even a lot of millennials view fitness as a fashion statement, both in terms of how it makes your body look, but also the idea of gym clothes as a signifier of status has grown dramatically. It's not enough to go to the gym and lift, but to do so you have to be wearing Lululemon or YoungLA or whatever, and you have yo he wearing clean Nike running shoes that you've never actually ran outside in. I think a lot about this dude at my gym. He shows up in jeans with paint and dry wall mud stains and a plain Carhartt shirt. Dude is casually squatting 500+. He gets it. It's very rare that you can't perform some type of workout with the clothes you already own, the exception is with some sports (rock climbing shoes etc.) but even then thats few and far between. 2. We are seeing a growing desire to one up or do something more wild in fitness and this will lead to an explosion in adventure sports and extreme sports. I think we will see an explosion in sports that are flashy because that makes for good content. I feel as though parkour or something like that will blow up while more traditional sports like football won't die, but they won't enjoy the same level of interest in play from Gen Z.
Bro.... You forgot .....Soloflex, Ab-roller, Total Body Gym, The "WHEEL", Bosu Ball, Step Mill, Aero-Dyne Bike, Ab Rocker, AB- Suspension, Body Ball, Nautilus, Tread Stepper TAI-BO, Kettle bell, The Step, Low - Fat, Low Carb, Atkins Program, South Beach Diet, EAS Challenge The "Broomstick" Fitness Consultant, Amino Acids, Ultimate Orange, Jackd 3D, Pure Protein, "VITAMINS *wink-wink* " and of course my favorite......CYBERGENICS.... The 90's were great..... We were the guinea pigs of fitness...You Are Welcome.
There has always been a lot of nonsense surrounding the fitness industry. I remember doing ‘insanity’ workouts 20 years ago thinking it would make me look like the roided up trainers in the video.
There has been nonsense, but has there been a megaphone of this size created for previous generations? Having a megaphone in the past had a barrier of entry, today anyone can have one.
@@yoeyyoey8937 I can’t speak for William, but this is my fourth time, I’ll have you know. The last thing I learned was that Bulgarian weightlifters have historically done well because of their superior technical model and perfect form on the Olympic lifts
@@hayesdelezene4590 you should keep learning there’s a lot more to this. The Bulgarian model isn’t really what you think it is, it was mostly used to weed people out and you ended up with the most determined and talented people, it’s not a system that makes anybody that great, it justfilters the populations for a type of greatness
Those tiny elliptical contraptions can be useful imo My friend who works at home and herniated her disk recently from powerlifting uses it here and there while she’s working Overall though, agree with you
I’m a young guy, I have lots of friends who go to the gym but know less than nothing about fitness. The snooze fest that would ensue from trying to teach them about training principles and practical application would rival nap time at a kindergarten. It’s still worth trying to teach though on the chance that they do actually want to make something Of themselves fitness wise
Do you take them individually or in a group? Hopefully its the former and you can single out which of your friends actually have the potentially mentally to lift
Forgive my ignorance or if I may have missed the point, but I fail to see the problem with the stepping machine. A quick Google search doesn't seem to show it as being significantly ineffective which, again, I'm welcome to being shown evidence proving otherwise. Assuming this is the case, I find most of your critiques to not be convincing. Most people's fitness goals are to lose weight and thus would value LISS cardio over weightlifting. Sure, people could also go for a walk instead but people may not have the opportunity to go out for long walks; making the convenience of stepping machines more appropriate. I also find the whole 'the machine will collect dust' argument to not be a strong one when 2/3 gym memberships go unused which would make this argument hypocritical as I doubt you would criticise the existence of commercial gyms.
Two types of people; lungers and squatters The pipeline of shit re fitness has been flowing for 50+ years. In some ways things have gotten better and some ways worse.
this video made me think about how little interest people genuinely seem to have in anything and what a bunch of immense weirdos we in this bubble here are caring about exercise nuitrition health and looking okay just because we're in the realm of weightlifting and these are some side-effects :D
That step counter isn't going to build your glutes because you're not using your glutes to propel the body forward like you would if you were outside, and you would also get more brain activity if you walked outside barefoot then if you were to use a treadmill or that weird little contraption. I also vote we quit saying the word Peach with girls because they have a smooth plum as Peaches are typically hairy, like men😂😂
Gen Z didn't ruin anything lol theres "influencers" as old as their 50s stirring up drama and contributing to this nonsense as much as the young guys are. I'm Gen Z (25) and fitness is a central part to my life at this point and has been even before the current wave of "influencers" like eubanks took over.
It’s funny and shocking how much more susceptible Gen Z and Gen Alpha are to falling for scams and fraud. They fall for things more than Millennials and Gen X.
I’m 24 , the top range of gen Z, I don’t honestly get a lot of the tik tok crap but I think the points about the sale of dust collectors is a symptom of a deeper issue. Most people are looking for the easiest simplest way, the cure all pill for their goals. The true side of Fitness/strength/training on CZcams or any where else will never be as big because while it may seem simple to us it’s not. Finding good information requires a lot of searching, not just because of the boatload of crap but also because of the scarcity of real teacher/coaches. It’s more or less fighting against the darker side of human nature which craves an easy way out. It just so happens that in fitness that manifests from cheap garbage machines or workout videos that have always been there. It’s also the side of human nature which detests doing hard things. Real progress requires really hard shit that might even scare you. That’s true in any field of self improvement and the average person will never chose to take that leap. Why, in my opinion is the denial of dignity which demands better out of us because our true nature is being better.
I can understand having the stepper for a parent. It’s not ideal and won’t put on muscle, but my friend can’t just get outside and go for a walk as easily as “get outside and go for a walk” 😂 where we’re at in Texas the allergies are terrible right now until January/February so on high allergy days we need something indoors. If someone likes the stepper and it gets them moving, great 🤷🏼♀️
Had one of these stepper for years and had some good cardio workouts on it. Was a life saver during lockdowns. Not the only thing in my home gym, but just another tool in the toolbox.
If you enjoyed using it, got your heart rate up, used it consistently, and was part of a larger toolbox, then I would agree that it would not be the worst piece of equipment in the world.
At this point, as a Baby Boomer, curmudgeon and old fart (but loveable little fuzz ball), I would honestly pay Elmo more for fitness advice than most self-proclaimed 'personal trainers' or 'fitness influencers' these days.
It’s less about fitness.. more about being able to sell and ship a cheap product for profit. Easier to ship this than a bike or barbells and dumbbells.
OMG. Remember the Tony guy with hat and ponytail. Hawking the Gazelle. It cracked us up. So much hype vomiting out of his pie hole. People can’t even give it away now.
As someone who has seen so much improvement in the fitness sphere over the last several year - Zak, Brom , Omar, RP, Sean N., Adam P. It is sad that we are going backwards.
I know this isn't a popular opinion, but gen z has a far better understanding of fitness than ANY generation in the past. Of course there are some tards, but it was far worse 10 years ago and even worse before that. In all sports, gen z is outperforming past generations by every metric of athletic litmus tests. There are highschoolers running 4 minute miles, and 16 year olds benching over 4 plates with a thorough understanding of programming that was unheard of even just 10 years ago.
At least half of the people i see at my gym are gen z, and most are in very good shape. Sure, some of them are working off a little excess fat, but it seems that they are attacking that problem at a much earlier stage, before it becomes very difficult.
@@meptoo Not just that, but Gen Z actually lift like they're serious. Almost never saw other millennials doing squats, front squats, or deadlifts 10 years ago at the gym unless they played football. Now it's very common to see 16 year Olds repping 3 or 4 plates on deadlifts instead of thinking squats and deads are bad for your back.
@@jasonshults368 sounds like you need the Covert Bailey Health Rider early '80 version (had one in my college dorm cerca '85) as it actually offers progressive overload. Get the original, no Chinese imitation.
Speaking of gimmicky fitness products I do like the Booty Sprout, I can bang out hip thrusts without having to load up a barbell with a bunch of plates.
When I was 21 and 22, those last years were miserable for me. Eating nonstop, gaining to 210lbs suck for me. I made a commitment to change myself. I took up bodybuilding, slowly I found weightlifting and now BJJ. At of this point I am happy with myself, my confidence and thinking are much clearer. It’s easy for me to say this cause I went through it by myself. The point that I am trying to make is this. It’s easy to workout and get better. All it takes is the first step, ignore the naysayer and just do it for yourself. But the concern for Gen Z health is real, cause we are so easy to buy into what is easy and what works for the least amount of time. So please, if you read this, just ask yourself are you ok with your current health.
The most important thing is to keep trying to improve and ignore the people around you, because they will always try to discourage you because of their stupidity or laziness
Why does Zack Telandar call himself a coach? Not asking as a criticism or judgement, but out of curiosity and genuine interest in who he is. Have been loving the content.
A new LA fitness opened near me and I started going. I’m 29 and the place makes me feel like an old man. If gen z isn’t horse playing around then they’re on their phones holding up the equipment or just standing around. Shits infuriating.
People know about fitness. But people are lazy and want a quick fix or a machine that makes it easy. These gimmicks and gadgets will continue to turn up. It often takes a health scare for people to actually start giving a crap about their health. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make them drink.
Eugen Sandow had his 'Light Dumbbell System' which was created to be saleable, not necessarily effective. He didn't use that system to get his body... and Charles Atlas didn't use isometrics to get his body. Suzanne Somers didn't come up with the "Thigh Master" even.... Some people DID make gains on those systems, but those were the people who would have made gains on any system. So, I agree that this is snake oil and selling a fantasy more than the actual product, but it is not new to Gen-Z. Think of Jogging in the 80s... terrible on the knees and no more effective than walking for most people.. Became popular because it was an easy exercise to show in movies and TV, and so became fashionable... I also think 'jazzercise' became popular during the VHS era because of the people performing the activity more than the activity itself. If you were fit enough to keep up with the video tape, you probably didn't need the video tape in the first place.
I saw that 5lb grip trainer dumbbell Sandow sold on a documentary about Arthur Conan Doyle last week! Doyle went on a course that was supposed to make you look like Sandow 😅
Hey man bowflex is legit lol I used to get insane pumps and workouts on one of those. It’s pretty much a cable system honestly. At least the one I had is almost as good as any cables I use now at the gym
You’re the exception to the rule though. I can assume that just by viewing this video your understanding of training vastly higher than the average person. Don’t take that as a gatekeeping/holier than thou approach. It’s just important that we don’t underestimate just how insanely limited the average persons knowledge on training and fitness truly is.
Zack, I really like your content and channel in general, but I must say: this is quintessential gatekeeping. Who cares if fitness is a bit of a fad with Gen Z? Sure, there's a bunch of gimmicky home fitness machines, but if you rewind the clock 20-30 years I feel like the fads would've been way worse (smoking, drinking, eating like shit). Do you agree that some exercise/movement is better than none at all? If yes, then I don't see how these fads are really that counterproductive. I can hear the argument forming already that "oh, they're not gonna progress or really make the big gains with this approach" but honestly, why is this such a hard reality to face? Does everyone really need to strive to be a top-tier athlete? Also, a counterargument to that previous line of thinking would be: everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe 10-20% of people who buy the stepper and see it eventually collecting dust will move onto something more beneficial like bodyweight fitness or simple barbell movements. So you could say the gimmicky home fitness stuff is potentially a small gateway into more optimal fitness. Just a different perspective! Cheers
Already fking dead at the intro 😂 A good portion of GenZ literally afraid to go outside. I started my 100lb weight loss just by literally going for 1-2mi walks around my neighborhood. Guess if you're in a super sketchy neighborhood...but otherwise, go outside for a walk. Dude, Pelaton suffered a MASSIVE hit this year. In August, they lost 20,000 customers. Reported loss of 335.4M this year. Which is technically UP, as they lost 439M in 2022 compared to 2021. So yeah...
As someone who went to an LA fitness and couldn't find a bench on a school day, then transferred to Barbell Brigade for 3 months, i can't stand teenagers. I'm not even 21 and i feel like I'm sone kind of alien in a commercial gym. I'm not even too buff or strong but good lord
honestly this isn't on the gen z'ers it's on their parents. their parents failed them in not raising them to know what productive and healthy gym culture looks like so they turned to the internet. parents: YOU GOTTA DO BETTER
All this Gen Z hate bs is just parents avoiding responsibility. I'm Gen Z and my parents didn't raise me to be so vain and retarded like many of these "influencers" are
There has never been a generation where parents teach their children about health and fitness. Absolutely not the parents fault they can’t control what information is on the Internet. This is something an individual has to do for themselves. trial and error.
@@DnyAln there are parents in every generation who prioritize health and fitness and pass that knowledge along to their kids.. it's def not the norm but that doesn't mean that parents don't have a responsibility to instill these things in their kids when they're young so they can make good choices when they grow up... you know kind of like just about every other aspect of parenting
My kids (14, 12, 10) are learning proper diet and fitness. Macros, compound exercises, carbs based on cardio etc. I'm doing my part. And I don't allow them on social media, we prefer old school media (books, movies)
I like your point with common fitness influencers are making a fashion statement in a sense. lol I came to the conclusion a while ago that most people in the space are people that look cool and happen to work out and have decent strength
Isn't the stepper pointless because the pressure you apply is just your own weight? You lift one foot a little bit, your weight sinks the opposite pedal in. You're not doing any exercise.
Bowflex is actually pretty great, but not great for advancement, it's just a warmup machine for me now. But ya, it probably would just be better to spend the money on the free weights.
Those that are encouraged to stay on their phone and live an atomised, consumer driven life should make sure they get at least some of their fitness in a public or group setting as it would be best for their mental health
You’re getting old, Zack! But hopefully this reaches even one gen z who needs to see it. Let’s face it, there’s a huge proportion of the population (in every generation) that is eagerly looking for a quick and cheap(ish) fix to their unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Getting to a mental state where you look forward to gym time takes time and hard work before it’s rewarding.
My hope and belief is that the success of this pedaled nonsense will be as transient as the internet trends they follow, whereas the substantive content (such as yours) will thrive in the long run because it is rooted in core principles delivered in an intelligible fashion. Will it result in huge spikes in viewership? No. Will it be a huge net positive in aggregate over time? Absolutely. Keep at it man, merry Christmas
If I'm an example of the type of people you attract then you definitely don't attract the cool kids. :) I really enjoy your Olympic weightlifting content, and that goes for your buddy Dylan "Put Some Stank on the Bar" Dozer. I've bought products from both of you. You also introduced me to Torohktiy whose teaching method was a game-changer and it revamped my technique. I'm a 56-year-old tax attorney, which is about as uncool as it gets, trying to improve in Olympic weightlifting. Anyway, thanks for your content.
Feels like in any area of interest there will always be two groups of people: the minority of passionate, invested fans, and then the majority of the general population who doesn't engage with quality information because frankly they aren't interested enough but still feel like they need to participate in some way because they're "supposed to". Most "fitness" influencers should actually be called "exercise" influencers, because they're catering to that uninvested majority.
I love my stepper, not even gonna front. It’s great for warming up for home training and can be used rain or shine. Plus, any exercise is good exercise.
Do you actually think Gen Z (people that have been adults for a while, some of them have kids going to school already) or do you mean younger generations (alpha and younger)? People often use term "gen z" when they think about kids nowadays. And a lot of this equipment is a clear societal response to car centric infrastructure in the US imho. Of course people will bike, walk and run at home. A lot of them literally can't do it outside. That's one of the things that makes me feel spoiled as someone who lives in Europe. I can go basically anywhere on foot/bike.
Ivan Djuric has been squatting for 1500 days straight in his garage (he's on YT), absolutely has a passion and thirst for squatting knowledge, and figuring it out his own way, puts up impressive numbers and is a joy to watch him talk us through his training. Doesn't need crazy hype music or weird fitness trends, the man just needs a barbell and a squat rack. He also works full time as a shift worker nurse and still manages to upload daily for us, an absolute hidden gem for anyone who wants a break from this fitfluencer shit.
Great vid as always mate.
Agreed
He really put me off when I left a really innocuous comment on one of his videos a couple years back. Seemed like a bit of an ass and decided to stop watching his content ever since.
@@NotesOfInebriation I don't think hes a native english speaker and they way he responds to comments can be a bit stiff/cold. Those two things could be related. But he almost always responds, which is pretty cool.
@@NotesOfInebriation What was the comment?
Why is he squatting for 1500 days straight? What’s the purpose?
I'm gen z (21) and I watch people like you, mike israetel, more plates more dates, etc. I eventually found this side of the fitness internet after months of watching bullshit influencers. I believe that if you are truly interested in this, you will eventually find good information. If you care just because of a trend, then you will watch just surface level "haha I skip leg day" stuff
Share the word!
So much false info goes around (deadlifts bad risk to reward ratio, squatting only for good leverages, etc) and the issue is its perpetuated by creators with low barriers to entry who actually dont know much of what they're talking about (Sam Sulek is a good example). But youre right, most go to the gym as its trendy on tiktok and dont really have a passion/love for fitness and lifting. Weird dynamic where actual FITNESS influencers like RP, Zack, OmarIsuf and MPMD get stifled as rhey dont appeal to the "skip leg day preworkout pump cover tren twins wegojim" sphere
I'm a millenial and honestly if you switch some of the proper nouns out for mid 2000s stuff (p90x, zumba, facebook, etc) this wouldn't be dissimilar to what we had to sift through before finding useful information. The few of us that did find the useful stuff eventually, I mean. Of course most people go through their whole lives never finding the info that would actually help them.
Dr. Mike is the best! Team full ROM!!
@@pissoff247 team partial rom gang checking in. I’m thoroughly in my muscular feels at the thought of these youngsters going down the wrong path😔. Wolf Pak podcast is muy bien
People need to stop "respecting the hustle" and adopt a hostile opposition to it instead when it peddles stupidity.
I'm absolutely about the anti hustle. I have no ambition to move up any further at work. I make good money. I'm happy with that. I take as much slack at work as I can possibly get while still getting my job done and making my boss happy. I want to travel and enjoy the 28 days of vacation time I get, not work every day until I die at a young age
It would be easier to adopt a hostile position if it was reflected in society eg sports stars, musicians singing about it etc gen Z needs their rage against the machine
@@DominicMunnellythisistheway Perhaps, but it isn't. Rather than wait for a miracle to happen, the more that do what they can to oppose this rampant nihilism, the more there will be to opposite it to become the collective Force of Will that will be the change for the better manifested into reality.
Gen Z doesn’t enjoy fitness, they enjoy the simulacrum of fitness as presented through social media
Ye? Did you call gen z up and ask him and he said that? Lol
Like every generation before them, tho
@@lolbubs11111 other generations weren’t inundated with social media and other forms of digital media like gen Z. It is a novel phenomenon.
@@mrbloat1310 While it is true that Gen Z is inundated with social media, it is just untrue to say an entire generation doesn't enjoy fitness.
@@zacharycollierAW-PL it’s not a claim about every single gen z-er but I’d argue the claim holds at the group level. Of course there are gen z-ers who genuinely enjoy fitness.
Couldn’t agree more Zach. I’m 46 and was doing bodybuilding shows in the early 2000s when Bodybuilding, Women’s Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness were the ONLY categories. Now you regularly see people with 25-30% body fat talking about carb cycling, hi/low days and cheat meals. This generation has perfected putting the cart before the horse. Obsession over the smallest of minute details without training consistently or just stringing together a few weeks of eating solid. We need more people like you with the platform that can let these folks know that if they just focus on the boring basics but do that over and over, they will be much better off and the results will come much faster.
They want the results without the hard work.
@@brianhopkins5251 that part too
All the myths that are around now were around when I started lifting 20 years ago. The older we get the better we were.
Elmo is the fitfluencer now.
My Dad bought one of those steppers from a shopping channel in the early 2000s. He literally used it once and put it under his bed just like you said lol.
Gen Z is the literal reason I no longer train at gyms and have built a setup in my shed. Training with a Brown Recluse Spider as a spotter is preferable to a broccoli haircut having, pajama pants wearing, pencil necked goofball
Gen Z is the new millennial to be blamed for everything.
dude I'm 100% with you. After years of combat sports, powerlifting and weightlifting coaching, I got sick of teaching people how to move properly then they turn around and say "I watched this workout on youtube/insta and I'm going to do that." Then they go and do eleventy billion bicep curls. Or it was a case of "I'm a footbal player so I want to train for that." Same person the next weel "I want to train for powerlifting" then the next week, "I want to compete in thai boxing". So I quit. I'm happy to help those who want to learn but keeping focus with so many bullshit trends is so frustrating.
I mean they don’t know any better and you should know that. Just wait til they come around or question why you have great results and they don’t
I'm a gen Z fitness guy here.
May I ask why is it that nowadays everything's Gen Z's fault?
But, asides of that... I can tell you: fitness nowadays really is MARKETED as "fashion" or a "quick fix up thing" to us.
I'm 22 as I'm writing this, and I was a semi-pro swimmer, turned to callisthenics, martial arts and then straight arm calisthenics. I've been physically active for most of my life.
I notice that, when I talk with most people, and specially people my age, they seem to think this is just something that you either fitness is thing that you either have to get this bullshit piece of equipment, a quick fix-up thing, or a mix of both.
I want to turn into a PT and strength trainer, and have been working as a ST for 2 years by now.
As I was listening to this memories of my older sister trying to get into "fitness" (bullshit cardio videos "for women"), and me telling her that it would be way better, healthier and effective for her to just take a walk for 10 minutes daily than doing poorly taught (and thus executed) jumps and air curls.
She was pissed at me, and said she "wouldn't walk for 5 minutes cause it was boring".
I was baffled at this, and immediately understood that to her fitness was just a series of fashion choices rather than healthy choices as cleaning your teeth.
I often compare the two because, whilst it's true you don't "have to brush your teeth" everyday right now, in the not-so-distant future you will regret not doing it.
In any case, yeah: I agree with a lot of your vid, though I would say the core issue lies more on how it's presented and taught to people nowadays than on the people getting the info.
I have a couple thoughts about Gen Z and fitness.
1. A lot of Gen Z and even a lot of millennials view fitness as a fashion statement, both in terms of how it makes your body look, but also the idea of gym clothes as a signifier of status has grown dramatically. It's not enough to go to the gym and lift, but to do so you have to be wearing Lululemon or YoungLA or whatever, and you have yo he wearing clean Nike running shoes that you've never actually ran outside in. I think a lot about this dude at my gym. He shows up in jeans with paint and dry wall mud stains and a plain Carhartt shirt. Dude is casually squatting 500+. He gets it. It's very rare that you can't perform some type of workout with the clothes you already own, the exception is with some sports (rock climbing shoes etc.) but even then thats few and far between.
2. We are seeing a growing desire to one up or do something more wild in fitness and this will lead to an explosion in adventure sports and extreme sports. I think we will see an explosion in sports that are flashy because that makes for good content. I feel as though parkour or something like that will blow up while more traditional sports like football won't die, but they won't enjoy the same level of interest in play from Gen Z.
The edits on this video are beyond top tier
Bro.... You forgot .....Soloflex, Ab-roller, Total Body Gym, The "WHEEL", Bosu Ball, Step Mill, Aero-Dyne Bike, Ab Rocker, AB- Suspension, Body Ball, Nautilus, Tread Stepper
TAI-BO, Kettle bell, The Step, Low - Fat, Low Carb, Atkins Program, South Beach Diet, EAS Challenge The "Broomstick" Fitness Consultant, Amino Acids, Ultimate Orange, Jackd 3D, Pure Protein, "VITAMINS *wink-wink* " and of course my favorite......CYBERGENICS.... The 90's were great..... We were the guinea pigs of fitness...You Are Welcome.
My workouts consist of the ThighMaster and Tony Little's Gazelle.
There has always been a lot of nonsense surrounding the fitness industry. I remember doing ‘insanity’ workouts 20 years ago thinking it would make me look like the roided up trainers in the video.
There has been nonsense, but has there been a megaphone of this size created for previous generations? Having a megaphone in the past had a barrier of entry, today anyone can have one.
All this talk about back squats and adding weight makes me feel like Zack’s about to tell us he’s becoming a starting strength coach
You are saying that you’ve only heard of the back squat and strength training twice in your life?
@@yoeyyoey8937 I can’t speak for William, but this is my fourth time, I’ll have you know. The last thing I learned was that Bulgarian weightlifters have historically done well because of their superior technical model and perfect form on the Olympic lifts
@@hayesdelezene4590 you should keep learning there’s a lot more to this. The Bulgarian model isn’t really what you think it is, it was mostly used to weed people out and you ended up with the most determined and talented people, it’s not a system that makes anybody that great, it justfilters the populations for a type of greatness
@@yoeyyoey8937 mayhaps read my comment again
@@hayesdelezene4590 can you just tell me what you meant cause I’m lost
Those tiny elliptical contraptions can be useful imo
My friend who works at home and herniated her disk recently from powerlifting uses it here and there while she’s working
Overall though, agree with you
That intro was straight bussin' ong no cap fr fr
fr tho 👊
I’m a young guy, I have lots of friends who go to the gym but know less than nothing about fitness. The snooze fest that would ensue from trying to teach them about training principles and practical application would rival nap time at a kindergarten.
It’s still worth trying to teach though on the chance that they do actually want to make something Of themselves fitness wise
It's the eyes glazing over for me lmao
Do you take them individually or in a group? Hopefully its the former and you can single out which of your friends actually have the potentially mentally to lift
@@letterkeys4440 I train in my home, and meet with them individually, they go to more commercial gym type spaces.
I mean what are you even telling them? And why don’t they want to follow your example, aren’t the principles working for you?
Ngl my eyes would be glazing over cuz my mind starts wandering in the direction of Kyriakos Grizzly whenever a mortal starts to speak
"If you want a new idea, read an old book"
Forgive my ignorance or if I may have missed the point, but I fail to see the problem with the stepping machine. A quick Google search doesn't seem to show it as being significantly ineffective which, again, I'm welcome to being shown evidence proving otherwise. Assuming this is the case, I find most of your critiques to not be convincing. Most people's fitness goals are to lose weight and thus would value LISS cardio over weightlifting. Sure, people could also go for a walk instead but people may not have the opportunity to go out for long walks; making the convenience of stepping machines more appropriate. I also find the whole 'the machine will collect dust' argument to not be a strong one when 2/3 gym memberships go unused which would make this argument hypocritical as I doubt you would criticise the existence of commercial gyms.
Two types of people; lungers and squatters
The pipeline of shit re fitness has been flowing for 50+ years.
In some ways things have gotten better and some ways worse.
Incredible editing on this. Love it.
elmo gonna blast RAD-140 now!
He has been overdosing red dye 40😅
this video made me think about how little interest people genuinely seem to have in anything and what a bunch of immense weirdos we in this bubble here are caring about exercise nuitrition health and looking okay just because we're in the realm of weightlifting and these are some side-effects :D
Peloton’s stock price is down over 95% since covid
Elmo is now part of this channel.
As always love your work Zack
That step counter isn't going to build your glutes because you're not using your glutes to propel the body forward like you would if you were outside, and you would also get more brain activity if you walked outside barefoot then if you were to use a treadmill or that weird little contraption. I also vote we quit saying the word Peach with girls because they have a smooth plum as Peaches are typically hairy, like men😂😂
Peach fuzz bro, assess have hair
You haven't inspected many girls up close have you?
"lets spend a solid decade creating bs fitness trends and knowledge and then blame gen z for it"
🧻
Gen Z didn't ruin anything lol theres "influencers" as old as their 50s stirring up drama and contributing to this nonsense as much as the young guys are. I'm Gen Z (25) and fitness is a central part to my life at this point and has been even before the current wave of "influencers" like eubanks took over.
Yup this is a tale as old as time. Some roided out guy screaming at you telling you what to do lol
@@HerniatedDiscGuySpot on. Nobody at my gym is as unhinged as those online community weirdos lol
You're barely Gen z 😂
@@fuosdi64 Anybody born from 96 to 2006 is Gen Z so I'm Gen Z yeah
@@JerseyJake98 Wrong. Gen Z goes from 1997-2012. You're on the cusp of millennial/Gen z since generations are fuzzy.
I love the Video Game backgrounds Zack. They're always a nice touch
Hey the stepper is cool for getting those 10000 steps in. You don't have to drive anywhere, watch Netflix etc..
Grifters gonna grift, that's not a new gen Z thing
More prevalent
Did u not watch the vid
It’s funny and shocking how much more susceptible Gen Z and Gen Alpha are to falling for scams and fraud. They fall for things more than Millennials and Gen X.
@@Xilladan093 I think my comment agrees with and somewhat summarizes the vid while dispelling the click bait title
I’m 24 , the top range of gen Z, I don’t honestly get a lot of the tik tok crap but I think the points about the sale of dust collectors is a symptom of a deeper issue. Most people are looking for the easiest simplest way, the cure all pill for their goals. The true side of Fitness/strength/training on CZcams or any where else will never be as big because while it may seem simple to us it’s not. Finding good information requires a lot of searching, not just because of the boatload of crap but also because of the scarcity of real teacher/coaches. It’s more or less fighting against the darker side of human nature which craves an easy way out. It just so happens that in fitness that manifests from cheap garbage machines or workout videos that have always been there. It’s also the side of human nature which detests doing hard things. Real progress requires really hard shit that might even scare you. That’s true in any field of self improvement and the average person will never chose to take that leap. Why, in my opinion is the denial of dignity which demands better out of us because our true nature is being better.
The sale of dust collectors has been an issue since the dawn of fitness culture
I can understand having the stepper for a parent. It’s not ideal and won’t put on muscle, but my friend can’t just get outside and go for a walk as easily as “get outside and go for a walk” 😂 where we’re at in Texas the allergies are terrible right now until January/February so on high allergy days we need something indoors. If someone likes the stepper and it gets them moving, great 🤷🏼♀️
lol
Exactly, its more comparable to a trendmill alternative than a squat/strength exercise alternative which Zach seems to be focused in on
How can you not just go outside and go for a walk?
Had one of these stepper for years and had some good cardio workouts on it. Was a life saver during lockdowns. Not the only thing in my home gym, but just another tool in the toolbox.
If you enjoyed using it, got your heart rate up, used it consistently, and was part of a larger toolbox, then I would agree that it would not be the worst piece of equipment in the world.
My God, I love Elmo.
At this point, as a Baby Boomer, curmudgeon and old fart (but loveable little fuzz ball), I would honestly pay Elmo more for fitness advice than most self-proclaimed 'personal trainers' or 'fitness influencers' these days.
HL2 background goes hard. I remember that mission, I hated it lol
Reminded me of that scene about 6 minute abs in Something About Mary lol
It’s less about fitness.. more about being able to sell and ship a cheap product for profit. Easier to ship this than a bike or barbells and dumbbells.
I'm 43 and I still use a stepper. 6'2 217
OMG. Remember the Tony guy with hat and ponytail. Hawking the Gazelle. It cracked us up. So much hype vomiting out of his pie hole. People can’t even give it away now.
As someone who has seen so much improvement in the fitness sphere over the last several year - Zak, Brom , Omar, RP, Sean N., Adam P. It is sad that we are going backwards.
With TikTok Shop a thing, Gen Zers will use and sell anything fitness related to earn a quick buck.
I know this isn't a popular opinion, but gen z has a far better understanding of fitness than ANY generation in the past. Of course there are some tards, but it was far worse 10 years ago and even worse before that. In all sports, gen z is outperforming past generations by every metric of athletic litmus tests. There are highschoolers running 4 minute miles, and 16 year olds benching over 4 plates with a thorough understanding of programming that was unheard of even just 10 years ago.
At least half of the people i see at my gym are gen z, and most are in very good shape. Sure, some of them are working off a little excess fat, but it seems that they are attacking that problem at a much earlier stage, before it becomes very difficult.
@@meptoo Not just that, but Gen Z actually lift like they're serious. Almost never saw other millennials doing squats, front squats, or deadlifts 10 years ago at the gym unless they played football. Now it's very common to see 16 year Olds repping 3 or 4 plates on deadlifts instead of thinking squats and deads are bad for your back.
The Elmo cuts got me
NO! 😂
Worlds strongest man (Mitchell Hooper) did a split jerk video. would love to see you react or better yet collab
I see old 90s stepper things like that at the thrift all the time for like 3$. Even at that price I don't want it.
Buy it and resell it online.
I can see Khaby Lame tiredly shaking his head in front of a stepper, then showing an actual staircase.
Bring back the Tony Little's Gazelle Glider exercise machine 😅😅😅😅 and the Susan Summer Thigh master 💪😅😅
Bring back pony tails through a baseball hat.
They never left. Elite athletes such as myself are still using them. I'll look just like Arnold someday!
@@jasonshults368 sounds like you need the Covert Bailey Health Rider early '80 version (had one in my college dorm cerca '85) as it actually offers progressive overload. Get the original, no Chinese imitation.
Nice Half-Life 2 bridge ya got there
Speaking of gimmicky fitness products I do like the Booty Sprout, I can bang out hip thrusts without having to load up a barbell with a bunch of plates.
The only thing I can see with the it's a safer tool to use if your live in a bad neighborhood
Could be good for winter! Ive thought about getting a walking tredmill for winter.
When I was 21 and 22, those last years were miserable for me. Eating nonstop, gaining to 210lbs suck for me. I made a commitment to change myself. I took up bodybuilding, slowly I found weightlifting and now BJJ. At of this point I am happy with myself, my confidence and thinking are much clearer. It’s easy for me to say this cause I went through it by myself.
The point that I am trying to make is this. It’s easy to workout and get better. All it takes is the first step, ignore the naysayer and just do it for yourself. But the concern for Gen Z health is real, cause we are so easy to buy into what is easy and what works for the least amount of time. So please, if you read this, just ask yourself are you ok with your current health.
The most important thing is to keep trying to improve and ignore the people around you, because they will always try to discourage you because of their stupidity or laziness
Why does Zack Telandar call himself a coach? Not asking as a criticism or judgement, but out of curiosity and genuine interest in who he is. Have been loving the content.
A new LA fitness opened near me and I started going. I’m 29 and the place makes me feel like an old man. If gen z isn’t horse playing around then they’re on their phones holding up the equipment or just standing around. Shits infuriating.
Gen Z, is all about staying lean and never really putting on much muscle
People know about fitness. But people are lazy and want a quick fix or a machine that makes it easy. These gimmicks and gadgets will continue to turn up. It often takes a health scare for people to actually start giving a crap about their health. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make them drink.
The amount of ads I get for what is essentially a pvc pipe with rubber bands on it for $500 fucking dollars is depressing
Kids who grew up without PE or recess.
Elmo loves fitness information.
1:00 is that the bridge from Half Life 2?
Lifting weights has changed my life so much for the better! Get outside, take a walk, lift something heavy!
Eugen Sandow had his 'Light Dumbbell System' which was created to be saleable, not necessarily effective. He didn't use that system to get his body... and Charles Atlas didn't use isometrics to get his body. Suzanne Somers didn't come up with the "Thigh Master" even.... Some people DID make gains on those systems, but those were the people who would have made gains on any system. So, I agree that this is snake oil and selling a fantasy more than the actual product, but it is not new to Gen-Z. Think of Jogging in the 80s... terrible on the knees and no more effective than walking for most people.. Became popular because it was an easy exercise to show in movies and TV, and so became fashionable... I also think 'jazzercise' became popular during the VHS era because of the people performing the activity more than the activity itself. If you were fit enough to keep up with the video tape, you probably didn't need the video tape in the first place.
I saw that 5lb grip trainer dumbbell Sandow sold on a documentary about Arthur Conan Doyle last week! Doyle went on a course that was supposed to make you look like Sandow 😅
Hey man bowflex is legit lol I used to get insane pumps and workouts on one of those. It’s pretty much a cable system honestly. At least the one I had is almost as good as any cables I use now at the gym
You’re the exception to the rule though. I can assume that just by viewing this video your understanding of training vastly higher than the average person. Don’t take that as a gatekeeping/holier than thou approach. It’s just important that we don’t underestimate just how insanely limited the average persons knowledge on training and fitness truly is.
Zack, I really like your content and channel in general, but I must say: this is quintessential gatekeeping. Who cares if fitness is a bit of a fad with Gen Z? Sure, there's a bunch of gimmicky home fitness machines, but if you rewind the clock 20-30 years I feel like the fads would've been way worse (smoking, drinking, eating like shit). Do you agree that some exercise/movement is better than none at all? If yes, then I don't see how these fads are really that counterproductive. I can hear the argument forming already that "oh, they're not gonna progress or really make the big gains with this approach" but honestly, why is this such a hard reality to face? Does everyone really need to strive to be a top-tier athlete? Also, a counterargument to that previous line of thinking would be: everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe 10-20% of people who buy the stepper and see it eventually collecting dust will move onto something more beneficial like bodyweight fitness or simple barbell movements. So you could say the gimmicky home fitness stuff is potentially a small gateway into more optimal fitness. Just a different perspective! Cheers
Already fking dead at the intro 😂
A good portion of GenZ literally afraid to go outside. I started my 100lb weight loss just by literally going for 1-2mi walks around my neighborhood. Guess if you're in a super sketchy neighborhood...but otherwise, go outside for a walk.
Dude, Pelaton suffered a MASSIVE hit this year. In August, they lost 20,000 customers. Reported loss of 335.4M this year. Which is technically UP, as they lost 439M in 2022 compared to 2021.
So yeah...
As someone who went to an LA fitness and couldn't find a bench on a school day, then transferred to Barbell Brigade for 3 months, i can't stand teenagers. I'm not even 21 and i feel like I'm sone kind of alien in a commercial gym. I'm not even too buff or strong but good lord
honestly this isn't on the gen z'ers it's on their parents. their parents failed them in not raising them to know what productive and healthy gym culture looks like so they turned to the internet. parents: YOU GOTTA DO BETTER
All this Gen Z hate bs is just parents avoiding responsibility. I'm Gen Z and my parents didn't raise me to be so vain and retarded like many of these "influencers" are
There has never been a generation where parents teach their children about health and fitness. Absolutely not the parents fault they can’t control what information is on the Internet. This is something an individual has to do for themselves. trial and error.
@@DnyAln there are parents in every generation who prioritize health and fitness and pass that knowledge along to their kids.. it's def not the norm but that doesn't mean that parents don't have a responsibility to instill these things in their kids when they're young so they can make good choices when they grow up... you know kind of like just about every other aspect of parenting
My kids (14, 12, 10) are learning proper diet and fitness. Macros, compound exercises, carbs based on cardio etc. I'm doing my part. And I don't allow them on social media, we prefer old school media (books, movies)
is it Gen Z or is it the commercialization of fitness within technological means?
Stressful Half-life 2 bridge spotted
Some Gen z’s are fine; a lot are like Elmo here and needed a slap over a decade ago.
I like your point with common fitness influencers are making a fashion statement in a sense.
lol I came to the conclusion a while ago that most people in the space are people that look cool and happen to work out and have decent strength
Isn't the stepper pointless because the pressure you apply is just your own weight? You lift one foot a little bit, your weight sinks the opposite pedal in. You're not doing any exercise.
Bowflex is actually pretty great, but not great for advancement, it's just a warmup machine for me now. But ya, it probably would just be better to spend the money on the free weights.
12:25 😂😂 is that a Nate Diaz impression
Zack, you gotta buy a stepper and superset back squats with the stepper. Chase that pump 🍑
Shout out to the Half Life 2 bridge background
Ab Roller still gold.
Really enjoyed this one.
bro what the hell you doin under the half life 2 bridge :o
Those that are encouraged to stay on their phone and live an atomised, consumer driven life should make sure they get at least some of their fitness in a public or group setting as it would be best for their mental health
You’re getting old, Zack! But hopefully this reaches even one gen z who needs to see it.
Let’s face it, there’s a huge proportion of the population (in every generation) that is eagerly looking for a quick and cheap(ish) fix to their unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Getting to a mental state where you look forward to gym time takes time and hard work before it’s rewarding.
the look on kids faces when they ask how to get big like me when i tell them "give it like 10 years buddy"
I had to buy one off those so my wifes 72 yr old mum could rehab her replaced knee
My hope and belief is that the success of this pedaled nonsense will be as transient as the internet trends they follow, whereas the substantive content (such as yours) will thrive in the long run because it is rooted in core principles delivered in an intelligible fashion. Will it result in huge spikes in viewership? No. Will it be a huge net positive in aggregate over time? Absolutely. Keep at it man, merry Christmas
Why half life bridge is behind you ?
Is that HL2 in the background😂
Someone needs to bring back the perfect push up things
If I'm an example of the type of people you attract then you definitely don't attract the cool kids. :) I really enjoy your Olympic weightlifting content, and that goes for your buddy Dylan "Put Some Stank on the Bar" Dozer. I've bought products from both of you. You also introduced me to Torohktiy whose teaching method was a game-changer and it revamped my technique. I'm a 56-year-old tax attorney, which is about as uncool as it gets, trying to improve in Olympic weightlifting. Anyway, thanks for your content.
Feels like in any area of interest there will always be two groups of people: the minority of passionate, invested fans, and then the majority of the general population who doesn't engage with quality information because frankly they aren't interested enough but still feel like they need to participate in some way because they're "supposed to". Most "fitness" influencers should actually be called "exercise" influencers, because they're catering to that uninvested majority.
I love my stepper, not even gonna front. It’s great for warming up for home training and can be used rain or shine. Plus, any exercise is good exercise.
Can't you just March in place and do same thing
lots of great takes here
Yo what's the outro? Sounds cool.
NISVANIS - Muu Zurshil
Nobody wants to work out just for the zeal of it. Instead it feels like people are working out so they have something to post to instagram
Do you actually think Gen Z (people that have been adults for a while, some of them have kids going to school already) or do you mean younger generations (alpha and younger)? People often use term "gen z" when they think about kids nowadays. And a lot of this equipment is a clear societal response to car centric infrastructure in the US imho. Of course people will bike, walk and run at home. A lot of them literally can't do it outside. That's one of the things that makes me feel spoiled as someone who lives in Europe. I can go basically anywhere on foot/bike.
So TikTok affiliate links have got young people peddling junk to each other, technology rocks.