what gives you your drive and desire for training

[Tapout]

what gives me the drive and desire--to pay monthly to be in pain,to go through the training and reps.
I have always been competitive--always playing baseball , football and doing martial arts while growing up. i have always felt the need to compete in sports. but more than just that i always wanted to be big. when i was growing up i'd see wrestling and wanted to be built like them. it took years of training and many mistakes to get to the size i am today but its the need and desire that made me keep going through the sticking points.
what was that desire --sometimes i wonder why i keep training so hard---is it obsession, or fear off being normal looking. is it because i dont want people who know me asking if i am sick or not training because i lost size. when i started i was 151lbs and years later i've been as high as 248lbs(in october when i started my cutting) now i am at 238lbs and feeling much better being leaner. at at 5'10" i am sure its big enough but yet at times i feel small(weird).
since may of 97 i have also been doing jui jitsu and train very hard in that. i go in phases when i train jui jitsu harder than weights then if i feel i look bad i train weights harder for awhile. i love jui jitsu for many reasons--the movements and tecniques,self defense,cardio,the competitive desire and the self confidence it gives knowing if i have to defend myself i have one heck of an edge.
but with all that and the older i get i still do not stop the weights because again of the self confidence and desire to be different from others. i have to admit i love walking into a room where people are looking and making comments about my size or build. we all like that or we would not be doing it

weight lifting and jui jitsu are a major portion of my life that i could not give up because of the confidence,security and for them fulfilling the competitive desire and need to compete inside. my son and family will always come first but the weights are aways there waiting for me and will always be important. how important--my wife and son train also,my son is 5 and does some weights and alot of jui jitsu with me.

what gives you the desire to pound your body and go through the pain--and keep coming back?

[123A]

the chicks in the arobics (s/p) every night we train jk
Wat puts me through the pain, is in the most simplest term possible is....
a photo of me yrs ago and how i look now, that is the most successful thing for me, it inspires me every day.
The body is the most amazing instrument God has given to use, and mine i choose to put through this pain, to reap the rewards later, it is a way of life for me.

[Warrior]

It is such a complex subject and has so much impact on your whole life. I simply like learning about the physiology of it all and how to push natures limits... and I apply principles and theories on myself... as well as coaching others for their goals, and watching them get excited about results.

For me, it simply beats the hell out of any other past time... and like Arnold said, THE PUMP IS AS SATISFYING AS CUMMING IS

[123A]

Arnold put it very well

[Pheedno]

When I first started, I hated it. I actually had to get off my fat lazy ass and workout. Struggled through it for a month or so and then started to see definition and weight gain. That little bit of progress turned into motivation which in turn turned into discipline which turned back into progress which turned into motivation which..well you get the point. It's a continuing cycle for me PROGRESS_MOTIVATION_DISCIPLINE

And now years later, it has totally consumed me. It is who I am. When I;m feeling down or depressed, I know I will feel great when I'm walking away from the gym hurting from exhaustion. To take it away from me would be to kill a part of me. I can honestly say that if for some reason my job disallowed me to workout, I would quit my job. Nothing can or will ever stand in the way of the satisfaction, confidence, and absolute clairty that bodybuilding provides.

I would eqate it to someone finding GOD. It has changed me that much


I like to look good naked to.

[Expendable]

To me it's about proving to myself that I can do anything I put effort into. I'm not in it to compete or to show off my body to the ladies, infact I wear baggy clothes to hide what I have... I don't need to show off... I just need to prove to myself that I can do it.

It's been 3.5 years since I started and I've made good progression so far. Can't wait to see what I will look like when I'm 26.

[Strut99GT]

You know, on the note of "feeling small," I had a discussion with clockworks about that yesterday. It's strange, because the bigger you get, the smaller you "feel," because you don't even compare yourself to the average joe, you compare yourself to your goals, or the guys at the gym that are absolutely massive, because you want to strive for the most, to be the biggest, strongest, etc. It's kind of a catch-22 in that regard.

I workout because I like to feel like I'm in control of how healthy my body is. Also, I have been gifted with fully functioning arms, legs, etc. and many people are not that fortunate. I feel like I would be polluting my body if I ate crap all the time and didn't exercise my muscles. That's my motivation.

[Polska]

Originally posted by Strut99GT
...It's strange, because the bigger you get, the smaller you "feel," because you don't even compare yourself to the average joe, you compare yourself to your goals, or the guys at the gym that are absolutely massive, because you want to strive for the most, to be the biggest, strongest, etc. It's kind of a catch-22 in that regard.

Very well put strut.... I couldn't agree more

[chinups]

Cause when I get head I want my six pack visible........

[chicamahomico]

To me it's about proving to myself that I can do anything I put effort into. I'm not in it to compete or to show off my body to the ladies, infact I wear baggy clothes to hide what I have... I don't need to show off... I just need to prove to myself that I can do it.

I agree 100% buds. My motivation is completely internal. When I wear something tight( not very damn often ) or take off the shirt( at the beach ) chicks are all like "wow". If you normally hide it, it hits em like a freight train when they see the goods.

[Tank21]

It has got to be the drive that we all have or we wouldnt be on her, obsessing over working out. For me, and i know this doesnt sound good, but it is this need for respect. That respect you get when people see you and treat you different. I am not looking for the scared, get the fuck out of here attitude but the manners that manifest themselves in total assholes when you walk into the room and your arms are bigger than thier heads. However, sometimes it works the opposite and every asshole wants to mess with ya.

I also think it is an internal drive that we all have, wanting to stay fit, be strong and healthy.

The truth though? I work so hard so i can be like those guys in the magazine and wear those pink tank tops, tan workboots with the 80's ruffled socks and striped biker shorts.

[Decoder]

It's the only thing in my life i have complete control over.

[mammoth]

I happen to enjoy the pain that I receive after a good training session. I no longer get the "pump". Its kinda like an addiction. Most people try to get the first high that they got when they tried a drug for the first time, although they never seem to get it unless they move on to harder drugs. Same goes for in the gym. I am always chasing the "pump" that I got when I first started working out. Instead I usually only get it for about 5 - 10 minutes after my session. It makes me always wanna come back for more! Like the Oak said, "It's like cumming all day long"!

[justme]

I do it for myself and to look good for my wife. Most of all for myself though.

[Yung Wun]

first started out just for football
now its more like my time the only time when i can relax sounds funny but its like that for me, everything on the outside just doesnt matter when i get in the gym its like my safe haven nothing can get to me
its playtime for me

[symatech]

i started getting more seriously interested in lifting weights when i realized how strung out I was on drugs. Lookin in the mirror was painful, seeing ribs all too clearly through my skin, face all sunken in ....uuugggghhh

never again

[kc]

The look on a buddies face when you beat him arm wrestling!!!! The ultimate "kudos"!!

[Tapout]

thanks for all the replys bros
good points were made...i love the pumps,the good muscle pain the next day,the respect. when you are big and muscular you have so many advantages. you go to a party and everyone wants to talk to you,you can get a job over most of the other applicants because of your size and build,you go to a bar and people buy you beer,you go to an area where there are kids and they ask if you are a wrestler in wwe. and the biggest thing about weightlifting(espically for kids) is it gives you enough confidence to believe in yourself and feel good about yourself. kids that feel good about themselves dont get into trouble or drugs near as often because they dont need everyones approval for stupid stuff-- people look up to them for their builds and strength.
weight training changes lives if you take it seriously,it can make you a better person with better results in life---maybe at times i've been obsessed about it but what alot of people call obsession is actually jealousy or laziness because they cant or wont take the effort to do it.
i'm like the rest of you i dont think i could live without it--its a way of life for me.

[little_indian]

I have very few friends and socialize very little.BB blends very well into my situation.Well,there is a positive side to everything.

[Ozzy]

I love when the endorphines are kicking.......I like to work-out as early as 4am .....then I'm set for the day with energy.

[gixxerboy1]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Strut99GT
...It's strange, because the bigger you get, the smaller you "feel," because you don't even compare yourself to the average joe, you compare yourself to your goals, or the guys at the gym that are absolutely massive, because you want to strive for the most, to be the biggest, strongest, etc. It's kind of a catch-22 in that regard.

That is so true. I always sat goals i want to be this weight and ripped. Now i'm bigger then i wanted to be and feel small and am not happy. Nut at 205 i will be lol

[sp9]

My original motivation was to get bigger, at 15 I was about 6'1 and 133lbs. I looked like I was starving to death even though I would eat anything and everything. By 18, I was 6'3" and about 155. I would eat cheesburger after cheesburger, run out to 7eleven every evening after exercising and buy a quart of ice cream, down it, and then have a 1500 calorie shake before bed. I still looked starving. By age 20 I was 6'4" and 170, still skinny and eating, drinking shakes, and working out. People were amazed at how much weight I could lift for being so skinny. Now in the last year (I am now 32 years old) I have put on 10lbs of muscle and am 6'4" 210. Doesn't sound like much but, man I feel great to be over 200. So just looking normal, with some muscularity had been my goal since about 15 years old. That will motivate you, not to stand out looking like you are starving to death. Next goal 225 by Memorial day 2004, and I want to look as big as I can naturally. This board has been a big motivator the last year and a half or so. Thanks guys, and if you are skinny, just keep working at it!

[ripsid]

I started working out when I was in 5th grade, actually I was pushed into it and I know, not then, saw what my dad was doing. I know that when I was 8th/9th/10th my father was feeding me protein shakes and amino's and I didn't get it. I did what every teenager would do I said Hey what do you know! I looked back when I was in the Navy and saw that I was 135 with $40 in quarters in my pockets and I was SHREDDED with a capital SH! I was 135 benching 250 or more and I didn't appreciate it.
NOW, I'm 33 and I see what I want without a doubt! My fiancee doesn't understand, when I say I want to be 225 or I see the awesomeness of Ronnie, Jay, A. Atwood and the guys (although she does like Lee Priest which is why I stay with her ). I look and say that's where I've wanted to be my whole life and didn't realize it! Not for show, not for the women, but because I want to build a physic that is perfect and strong. I'm 180 and 5-10 (I was 160 less than a year ago), I am disgusted with my physic, and my strength. I believe in strong body strong mind, I just wish that when my father was saying, and I almost here it in a Hulk Hogan type sound " Son, take your vitamens, study and work hard and you'll be a great man!" It's funny because before I hurt my shoulder in Oct, my father saw the physic I had built in a short time back in a gym (I was working out at home) and all he could say was how impressed he was with my build and the strength I had. I want to be HUGE!

[TheGame826]

its the pain, but even more its the satisfaction of reaching my goals

[monstercojones]

Originally posted by chinups
Cause when I get head I want my six pack visible........

AMEN

[monstercojones]

Its a progression. I dont think anybody ever goes into bodybuilding with the same motivation that they will have after a few years of training. I know that originally, i started because i wanted to be able to defend myself against my dad, who was a complete psycho. i did all the wrong things, and made mistakes that i cant take back. and now, after a few years of training, it has nothing to do with him- except for the satisfaction i get from seeing him look at me twice every time he gets mad around me these days. i do it because it makes me feel good about myself. going to the gym is something that i do not have to do. there is no obligation. its my choice, and i choose to push myself to the limit and move that iron even if it hurts me to do so. its about mmaking that choice, and being proud of yourself for having the dedicatioin and fortitude to make that choice everyday and to stick with it...

[roch]

I started when I was in a foster home. talk about getting your ass beat on a daily basis. I couldn't stand the fact that I was getting picked on and being ashamed because I was too afraid to stand up to bullies. getting big helped me out in so many ways and my confidence was throught he roof. after 10th grade I wouldn't let anyone pick on me and it stopped the torment. nobody wants to pick on someone who's had enough. then they know they'll actually have to fight.

[clockworks]

ex gf and just girls in general...=P

-- clocky baby

[fLgAtOr]

I began lifting when I was in 9th grade. Then it was simple:
Football + muscles = girls

Now its taken on more personal reasons. Never being active in sports, lifting has been my way to stay healthy. It has taught me alot about setting and obtaining goals. When I fail, I have to answer to myself for reasons that I alone was resposible for. I'm a control freak, and like others, it is something that I am in complete control of. It has given me patience and determination. My acomplishemnts are noticable everywhere I go. After 5 years of smoking, Mary Jane and I have gone our seperate ways...Lifting has been my rebound addiction. It makes me feel good physically and mentally. Most importantly, lifting is my hobby...I do it for fun and relaxation.

I've always believed that life is an active journey. Yes, people need to accept you for who you are, but at the same time, you have to put in a little effort. The other day, I received the greatest compliment a natural athlete could ever hear..."Are you doing steroids ?"

~~Peace~~

[BIG TEXAN]

For me...it has to do with the battle. It's just me against...well me. It's up to me to lift the weight, to lose that bf, to gain the muscle. No one else can do it for me or help me. Yeah you can get advice or pointers but in the end it's all up to the individual. There is no team effort, if you succeed or fail it's because you did or didn't give it your all. Not to mention it's my escape from reality. I can walk into the gym and for the next 90 minutes nothing else matters, nothing else exists. Just me and the weights. Yeah there's days I just want to give it up, just walk away from the lifestyle, but there's a little voice inside that just won't shut up until I'm walking back into the gym again. It's not a hobby, or a sport or for fun. Plainly put it's a lifestyle that I cannot give up. This drug that we call bbing or weightlifting or powerlifting is addictive, once it bites you the only way out is through injury. When I'm squatting or doing deads at the gym, all these older guys just shake their heads and tell me I'm nuts, and with a smile all I tell 'em is "As long as I can walk and get under the squat rack or bend over to grip the bar.....I ain't quittin'!" It has nothing to do with looking better than the guy standing next to me, it all has to do with out performing, out lifting and out weighing the guy in my head. I may just be rambling on guys but it's hard to put itnot words....now for all you brothers (and sisiters) out there who take this as seroiusly a I do, we might not be able to put it into words but standing face to face we can see it in each others eyes. You can always tell the hardcore from the treadmil bunch.

[ripsid]

Big Texan, that's pretty good bro! I know exactly what you mean! I go to the gym with sweats/tanktop/sweatshirt head phones with music pounding! Driving music! I have a mental war in my head, when I start feeling like I can't do 2 more I just F'n Kill IT! I will not loose! There's no conversation, there's maybe 30 second between sets, lots of reps, and punishment! Pure Punishment! If I'm not feeling that queezy feeling in my stomach I lost and he won! I don't like to loose...

[ireloaded9]

It's a way of life!!

[SwoleDiesel662]

I want to be buff.

[BIG-G]

For me the rabbit hole goes way down deep to why i fell in love with bodybuilding and power. The tatoo on my back says it all, PAIN; PAIN bros pain!! My whole life ive been dealing with setbacks of all sorts . For instence the common girfriend arguments, leading to speeding, leading to tickets; then not paying them, getting caught with a suspended license, jail time, homelesness, backstabbed Need i say anymore. For 6 years ive used the gyn as an outlet to aggression and with results that were awesome. Making the gyn 2nd nature to me is everything. I went from the 170 lb weakling to the 241 lb BIG-G. I am a hardcore gym rat and proud. I am a proud meathead to all those who call me that and its the best feeling doing a deadlift for 500lbs ans stopping the whole gym for them to watch you do it. Others dont like to be looked at but most of these r friends or BROS! I WILL NEVER STOP LIFTING, NEVER!!!

BIG-G