Project Flex Lewis - new gym and seminar

[Parker]

Your 'tween son or younger brother comes to you.  "Can I have/borrow some money to attend Flex's camp?"  And he shows you the photos, links, etc.  What do you say to him?    Do you give him the money?  Is this harmless?  What is the larger narrative here, if any?

Funkmaster Flex, maybe, if it got him in the door to an internship. Flex Lewis, hell no.

[hench]

the pointing is strong in the bottom pic 

Looks like Flex Lewis has a brand new gym of his own.

[Coach is Back!]

2 days for the low, low price of $5,000 ea. you can learn the biological fact that Flex has one in a few million genes & there is absolutely NOTHING you can do to even slightly resemble his physique in the least bit.  What a F'in bargain!!!

You're joking about the $5k right?

[Coach is Back!]

If judging was actually fair to shorter bodybuilders. He should easily Mr. Olympia (open) or top 3.

[Hulk-smash!]

You're joking about the $5k right?

Of course.  I exaggerated the price of admission to make a point.

[The Scott]

If judging was actually fair to shorter bodybuilders. He should easily Mr. Olympia (open) or top 3.

If aesthetics mattered then all would be well with all bodybuilders.

Flex has what I would call size for the sake of ego.  They all have it.  Live by the needle?  Die hooked to the Hemodialysis machine. 

Alas, egos, like the Titanic, are doomed to be sent to the bottom of the sea.

[Hulk-smash!]

Flex has what I would call size for the sake of ego.  They all have it.  Live by the needle?  Die hooked to the Hemodialysis machine. 

Alas, egos, like the Titanic, are doomed to be sent to the bottom of the sea.

Flex is genetically gifted w/ the work ethic to maximize those genes, I'm happy for the guy.  But he's damaging his body for basically no $$ as you said for ego satisfaction.  His poor choice.

[Coach is Back!]

If aesthetics mattered then all would be well with all bodybuilders.

Flex has what I would call size for the sake of ego.  They all have it.  Live by the needle?  Die hooked to the Hemodialysis machine. 

Alas, egos, like the Titanic, are doomed to be sent to the bottom of the sea.

True, but that's their choice. Im looking at it from a pure competitive bodybuilding prospective. There's a reason why I never went that far. I just wasn't willing to do what it takes.

[The Scott]

True, but that's their choice. Im looking at it from a pure competitive bodybuilding prospective. There's a reason why I never went that far. I just wasn't willing to do what it takes.

All too often, "what it takes" can never be restored. 
Be well, my friend.

[Al Doggity]

I know, right?  
 
I am all for entrepreneurship, but you have to wonder about the "guys" who sign up for these kinds of camps (Cormier has one too http://www.legendcamps.com/).  Wtf are they really there for?  It is certainly not to get in shape, which anyone can do without these silly camps.  

I don't really think this is accurate. I  used to  work out at synergy gym when Juan Diesel, Akim Williams and Armando Pena and some other bodybuilding/physique competitors all worked out there.  Despite the fact that it was in the heart of Chelsea, it was probably the least gay gym in the city. No steam room, no cruising, I don't even think there were any openly gay guys working out there regularly at the time.  What did you see?  A few extremely in-shape guys and a gymful of guys who worked out every night for 2 hours who NEVER ended up looking any different.  Losing weight is easy with commitment. Getting "fit" is easy. But actually looking like a bodybuilder, or even a physique guy- is not easy for most people. Even for those who are dedicated.


I know your whole thing is about how bodybuilding is not so secretly gay, but let me ask you something.
Check out this link:
https://instagram.com/p/1Ts_a6JoW_/?taken-by=ashleykfit

It's the reigning bikini olympia champ in a selfie of her in a sports bra. Like 90% of the commenters are women. Do you think they are all closet lesbians? If not, is there something fundamentally different about their interest in bikini competitions than a guy who is interested in male bodybuilding?

[BayGBM]

I don't really think this is accurate. I  used to  work out at synergy gym when Juan Diesel, Akim Williams and Armando Pena and some other bodybuilding/physique competitors all worked out there.  Despite the fact that it was in the heart of Chelsea, it was probably the least gay gym in the city. No steam room, no cruising, I don't even think there were any openly gay guys working out there regularly at the time.  What did you see?  A few extremely in-shape guys and a gymful of guys who worked out every night for 2 hours who NEVER ended up looking any different.  Losing weight is easy with commitment. Getting "fit" is easy. But actually looking like a bodybuilder, or even a physique guy- is not easy for most people. Even for those who are dedicated.

Man have been getting the bodybuilder/physique guy look for decades and 99.99% of them did it without attending a muscle camp.  So, there is nothing mysterious about it.  In that sense it is "easy."  It is "hard" if you do not have the discipline to train, eat right, and supplement, but if you do not have those things no seminar/camp is going to give them to you... at any price.

It's the reigning bikini olympia champ in a selfie of her in a sports bra. Like 90% of the commenters are women. Do you think they are all closet lesbians? If not, is there something fundamentally different about their interest in bikini competitions than a guy who is interested in male bodybuilding?

I have never made an association of bikini competitors with lesbianism so I am not sure why you are grasping at that straw. As for the fundamental difference...

Where to start?  

Go to a show, (overwhelming) majority of the audience is male.

The men flex for the crowd of men.

They pump up, for the crowd of men.

They oil up, for a crowd of men.

They wear the tiniest trunks available.

They hike up these tiny trunks, to show off their asses.

You have men going ape shit, when the above happens.

For some reason, the bigger the man, the bigger the cheer.

You ALWAYS have men there who DO NOT EVEN WORK OUT! (wtf do you think they are there for?)

You have guys humping the stage floor, as part of their routines.

You have men doing the splits.

There's pictures of men in tiny daisy dukes, as they lift heavy weights (clearly to satisfy someone's fetish).

Schmoes run the industry (Blekman, Weeda's).

G4P

Gay-4-charity

Gay-4-pleasure

Dude, I could be here all night typing this shit up. Then there's the stuff that BayGM mentions.......

I was once like you. Somethings just seemed odd, but I didn't really think about it. Slowly but surely, my eyes were opened.....

Don't get me wrong, I love bbing (training, lifestyle, discipline). But the comp. side of it, the pageantry (might as well call it what it is) is what it is.
Clearly geared towards gay men.

And no, I have NOTHING against gays (live and let live is my motto), but reality is what it is.

The "lifestyle" videos, the private posing sessions, I could go on and on... And now we have the proliferation of "muscle camps" aimed at whom exactly?  I find it hard to believe that you are too clueless to connect these dots.  

[Omega]

Good for him and one thick ass physique

[Rascal full]

He's making money and building an 'empire' and I say good luck to him. The brain isn't a muscle but it can be made stronger and capable of more just like any muscle so I am glad to see he is using it. I would love to open a gym myself and get into that business so always interesting watching new start ups.

[The Wizard of Truth]

It's like having a kick around with your favourite soccer player and getting a few tips off him, the guys going to these seminars aren't the next npc champs, they are fans, you don't have to be gay to be a fan of bodybuilding, but it helps

[Al Doggity]

Man have been getting the bodybuilder/physique guy look for decades and 99.99% of them did it without attending a muscle camp.  So, there is nothing mysterious about it.  In that sense it is "easy."  It is "hard" if you do not have the discipline to train, eat right, and supplement, but if you do not have those things no seminar/camp is going to give them to you... at any price.

But almost every single one of them has read a physique mag or visited a bodybuilding or fitness website. Every one of them would have taken the opportunity to train with a pro or ask them for training advice, if given the chance. And every single person who has worked out - specifically with the goal of adding significant strength and muscle size- has gone through periods of trial and error.

 And, no, building a competitive level physique is not as "easy" as having discipline. There is a world of differfence between being fit and looking like a bodybuilder or a physique model.

I have never made an association of bikini competitors with lesbianism so I am not sure why you are grasping at that straw. As for the fundamental difference...

The "lifestyle" videos, the private posing sessions, I could go on and on... And now we have the proliferation of "muscle camps" aimed at whom exactly?  I find it hard to believe that you are too clueless to connect these dots.  

  It's not grasping at straws. You've made the link between male bodybuilding and homosexuality multiple times. You just posted this:

So the guys who sign up are a strange mix of Flex acolytes, fans, and worshipers who want to be in the same room with him to satisfy some weird longing.  Maybe they will get some photos out of it and treasured memories..?  Any way you look at it... it's weird.  


You reposting that six year old quote from gordiano is irrelevant. There's no indication any of that goes on at these camps. Most fans of male bodybuilding are men and a majority of female fitness competitiors' fans are women because their physiques are inspirational and aspirational for their followers. Of course someone who would go to a Flex Lewis seminar would be a Flex Lewis fan. There's a lot of things about pro-bodybuilding that are weird and gay, but seminars don't fall into that category.

[DroppingPlates]

Looks like someone has punched that wall. I assume he's sitting on a Tonka truck?

[The Scott]

Looks like someone has punched that wall. I assume he's sitting on a Tonka truck?

Yup.  And he used "someone's" high-chair to get up there. 

Dammit!  Now I'm going to Hades!

[TK]

Gym looks great

[O.Z.]

Looks like someone has punched that wall. I assume he's sitting on a Tonka truck?

 

[BayGBM]

Gym looks great

It does.  And if that is his gym, I applaud him. He has good people around him and is making choices that will sustain him beyond the short ride that is a pro career.  More young men should have similar foresight. 

[Hulkotron]

Haha I didn't notice the step-stool to get on the truck

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Its not even 2 days. Its one full day on Saturday and 2 hours on Sunday.

CAMP DATES
Each camp will host up to 100 people.
• April 18-19th… 100 tickets for the first ever camp go on sale Friday the 13th at 7pm EST at http://flextraordinary.com
• May 30-31st
• June 27-28th
• July 18-19th
• August 1-2nd
• October 17-18th
• November 7-8th
• December 5-6th *Tentative

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

SATURDAY
• 9am — Project Flex and the Flextraordinary store opens (visitors sign in and receive free sample pack, coffee and refreshments, sample BSN products and Syntha-6 smoothies will be for sale)
• 10am — Opening Introductions (rules, staff, review format, meet Cosmo)
• 10:30am — Flex Lewis Story (life story, winning, what does it mean to #BeFlextraordinary)
• 11am — Nutrition sponsored by Six Pack Bags (on-season, off-season, show-prep, making good decisions, traveling)
• 11:30am — Break (coffee, pictures w/ Flex, smoothies, talk to vendors)
• 12pm — Believe to Achieve Philosophy (how Flex does things)
• 12:45pm — Raffle drawings
• 1pm — Lunch (fully catered by Muscle Maker Grill Deerfield, refreshments, pictures w/ Flex, smoothies, talk to vendors)
• 2pm — In-Gym Training Seminar (chest, delts, back, legs, abs)
• 3pm – PUSH Challenge sponsored by BSN NO-XPLODE. *Open to a limited number of entries where campers will compete against each other to win BSN prizes.
• 4:30pm — Gym opens for open training session (everyone invited to train, store is open)
• 6pm — Open train ends

SUNDAY
• 9am–11am — Project Flex Gym opens for “Open Training” session. Store is open.

Its a new way of business....Dana Linn Bailey and Rob do the same thing and expect others.  You put a bunch of weights in a shit warehouse flex space and you run 1 day training camps.  100 people would give you 15k and do it 4 times a week, you have 60k in your pocket for a warehouse that you're renting for maybe 1000 a month.  Plus, you can live there and do other activities including running the gym on a regular basis

[ritch]

Dosen't matter how much muscle he packs on, fuck I 'd hate to be that short.

All those little guys in suits look so retarded they must get laughed at all the time. If you're not at least 5'8, no point getting super huge. Plus women hate that look....

[El Diablo Blanco]

Pick em up, put em down. Not rocket science.

You mean, pick it up and poke it in.

[El Diablo Blanco]

All that money being spent and BSN can't even give away their shit supps and want to charge for a protein shake?