# I don't understand this usage of "brb" \[in weightlifting forums\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002 "2013-05-22T10:01:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nippless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/df788c/32.png) [@Nippless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nippless)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/1 "2013-05-22T10:01:46Z")
I’ve been perusing [bodybuilding.com](http://bodybuilding.com) and a few other similar sites lately for some exercise tips, but unfortunately I feel like I come away a little dumber each time so I’m going to stop doing it. However I’ve noticed it’s fairly common to see something like this: brb protein is necessary for growth brb this is not how to do squats Er, what? Isn’t brb the abbreviated form of be right back? Does it mean something else in exercising circles? The listed statements often seem like they could be sarcastic but I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/2 "2013-05-22T11:50:52Z")
If you have a mod change the thread title to mention that you’re looking at weightlifting forums, you might catch Jamie’s attention. That’s probably your best bet. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/3 "2013-05-22T12:05:14Z")
As far as I can tell, it doesn’t stand for anything, it’s just used as a bullet point: > **[Misc.](https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=135946921&page=1)** > > The most popular bodybuilding message boards! It’s possible it has some sort of origin as something flippant like Be Righteous Bro, but it has been copied so often it basically just means “take note” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/4 "2013-05-22T12:27:08Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > It’s possible it has some sort of origin as something flippant like Be Righteous Bro, but it has been copied so often it basically just means “take note” Hmmmm… “But Remember, Bro”? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/5 "2013-05-22T14:34:47Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > If you have a mod change the thread title to mention that you’re looking at weightlifting forums, you might catch Jamie’s attention. That’s probably your best bet. [moderating] Good idea. Parenthetical added to thread title. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/6 "2013-05-22T14:51:29Z")
‘brb’ is definitely related to weightlifting/bodybuilding/gym somehow. [This site](http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=137422793&page=1)asks about it as a hated tla, but nobody says what it means. [Urban dictionary](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ATG)uses it in the definition of ‘atg’ (at the gym), but I can’t find a definition there for ‘brb’. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/7 "2013-05-22T14:58:21Z")
Out of all the [Urban dictionaray definitions for ‘brb’](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=brb&page=8)#50 and #55 are the ones that come closest to explaining this. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/8 "2013-05-22T15:06:56Z")
[This site](http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=136156191&page=1) is saying it means ‘be right back’ and it’s been overused to the point that it’s become a speech pattern on the body builder forum, and as result no longer has meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/9 "2013-05-22T15:13:28Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > [This site](http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=136156191&page=1) is saying it means ‘be right back’ and it’s been overused to the point that it’s become a speech pattern on the body builder forum, and as result no longer has meaning. That’s my guess, something akin to [this](http://www.lolriot.com/2013/01/19/funny-pictures-127-60-pics/started-saying-stupid-slang-words-ironically-now-i-legit-cant-stop-using-them/). I have a coworker that will literally say things like “L-O-L No” instead of just “No” or “Touche” instead of “You’re right”. I honestly don’t think he understands what touche means, but they just become catch phrases for him. It looks, to me, like that’s what’s going on with brb in the OP. It’s just become a useless catch phrase with no actual meaning behind it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Glass\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ccd318/32.png) [@Glass\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glass_Joe)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/10 "2013-05-22T16:51:04Z")
Especially on [BB.com](http://BB.com), Misc Subforum, AKA the Cesspool of the Internet, BRB is used more as a posting style, than as an acronym. Almost as a way to highlight the relevant point you are trying to make. An example of using it as a positive declaration would be; OP: “Read an article, claimed that Arnold only ate Organic Food in his prime.” Response 1. “BRB, blowing up Monsanto.” Response 2. “BRB, buying a tractor and some land.” A negative example would be; OP: “Just started squatting, is it safe to not use a cage?” Response 1. “BRB, calling Ambulance for you brah.” Response 2. “BRB, making chiropractor appointment.” At this point, it’s used so much that it probably makes an appearance in 95% of threads on that, and other related forums. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/11 "2013-05-22T17:05:13Z")
buy 'roids, bro! ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/12 "2013-05-22T17:17:07Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > If you have a mod change the thread title to mention that you’re looking at weightlifting forums, you might catch Jamie’s attention. That’s probably your best bet. It caught my attention but I don’t have any useful info to add. 😛 Sorry. No idea. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/13 "2013-05-22T18:13:59Z")
> [@Glass\_Joe](#): > > OP: “Just started squatting, is it safe to not use a cage?” > > Response 1. “BRB, calling Ambulance for you brah.” > > Response 2. “BRB, making chiropractor appointment.” If this is the common usage then I think it really does mean “Be Right Back”, or at least originally did. The poster is not actually leaving the discussion. It’s just a way of narrating something he is doing, implying he is leaving the discussion to go do it. “Be right back, turning on irony meter.” “Be right back, putting on tinfoil hat.” “Be right back, bangin your mother.” ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/14 "2013-05-22T20:44:12Z")
> [@Nippless](#): > > I’ve been perusing [bodybuilding.com](http://bodybuilding.com) and a few other similar sites lately for some exercise tips, but unfortunately I feel like I come away a little dumber each time so I’m going to stop doing it. After reading through the thread **jackdavinci** linked, I would say that your instincts are quite good. ---
**Author:** ![Nippless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/df788c/32.png) [@Nippless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nippless)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/15 "2013-05-23T08:16:04Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > After reading through the thread **jackdavinci** linked, I would say that your instincts are quite good. Yeah that one was quite a peach, but I’d say a fair representation of threads there. It seems as jackdavinci and Glass Joe say that brb is used as little more than a bullet point. I’d bet most of the users of this style have no idea why they’re even doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/16 "2013-05-23T13:00:10Z")
Just another example of how manglage is constantly evolving. (I don’t use _language_ in this case, as they may not actually be _communicating_ anything; they might just be mangling the language out of habit.) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/17 "2013-05-23T15:34:11Z")
Serious suggestion, if you are a member of that forum why not ask on those forums? Post back and let us know the answer! ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-this-usage-of-brb-in-weightlifting-forums/659002/18 "2013-05-23T21:03:33Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Serious suggestion, if you are a member of that forum why not ask on those forums? Post back and let us know the answer! It’s been asked already on the forums before (see link) and about 90% of the answers are “it means be right back phaggot”. I had to wade through about seven or eight different threads asking the same question before finding one in which anyone even understood the question let alone gave any semblance of actual answer.