To dedicate to lifting, or to enjoy my time at college

[Caferacer]

I am currently stuck in a weird place, and looking for some guidance from those who have been in the same.

I am a month out of graduating from college. I will have a degree in hand and job ahead of me in less than 2 months. I have been going through a bit of a college-life crisis in thinking how many times I will be able to do crazy **** like I have done in the rest of life. In the past few months, realizing this, I have gone on road trips, gotten royally drunk, done questionable things as far as getting in fights, hitting on girls, and other bollocks, and enjoyed myself so far. My fraternity is getting chartered soon thanks to the works I put in and I have been enjoying it. Like, for instance, I went out drinking last night (tuesday night), drank beer with brothers and ended up grabbing a decent looking red head for my troubles instead of doing cardio and preparing for today's workout. As a result, I will probably skip the workout and sleep, then go play poker with my brothers after homework and studying.

Well, now I have realized the toll it has taken on my lifting. I dropped almost 10 lbs (some fat, somehow) and my strength is lacking right now big time, partially because even though my classes are going very well, I am drinking 4 nights a week on a normal week.

So now I am at a bit of a crossroads as far as the rest of the college semester goes. I can focus on classes and lifting, and cut out the social life I have gotten used to in order to get my weight back and 'prepare' for a normal work life, or I can party it up (assuming my classes are in line) and let lifting take a back seat.

So those of you who have gone through the whole thing... what would you suggest? Any insight for the almost newly graduated?

Cheers :beerchug:

 

[pmiller383]

I can't believe I am saying this but you have your whole life to lift but only a couple more months to enjoy college. After my first year of college at a community school I transferred to a large school and ever since then I have been pretty straight edge and never really got to enjoy college. To put it in perspective I think I have gone out drinking maybe five times in the last 4 years (I graduated last year) and I really only meant two or three people at my school. As I look back now I think I really blew the social aspect of school because I took other things in my life to seriously. Its all about balance so you should take advantage of the opportunity you have right now to live it up before you have to go out and enter the boring ass working world.

 

[Zero V]

Really depends on the person. I dont go out drinking, or go to parties, etc. Choice is easy for me. Is that stuff fun? sure....but not my kind of fun.

Every one is different. To me though being in better shape comes before that, it kind of puts you a step above all the other college guys running around with beer guts.

If its something you will miss, enjoy it. As for me, I already act 30 most of the time....just the way I came out after a serious of life events. So I actually cant wait till college is done and done.

I meet people, but I dont really get their #s or anything.I have learned that people will come and go by the thousands.

Then again there is a reason my Name has a line under it on here that says "Loner Extraordinaire"

 

[UKStrength]

I agree with Zero, I make my social life work for me and my physique/training goals not the other way around.

You can achieve both together, I have a great social life in college (clubbing, parties etc.) and always make time to see friends...but my training must fit in somewhere.

I realised a while ago that I got a greater sense of satisfaction and self-achievement from my training than messing about or being a social butterfly and 'following the crowd' all the time. To be perfectly honest it was boring after a while.

But from the sound of your post I think I have to agree more strongly with pmiller, in many ways you've already made up your mind. If you're even remotely worried about missing out on the college fraternity and partying then you should go with it and make the most of it.

You do indeed have the rest of your life to train but for people like myself the socialising just isn't important enough to put the training on the back burner.

 

[BurghHardcore]

I agree with Pmiller totally.
COME ON GUYS IT'S ONLY TWO MORE MONTHS!!!

Go out, party, have yourself a freaking blast man. When I graduated college I was READY to graduate, couldn't wait for some strange reason. About 4 months later I was missing it like nothing else! Do the road trips, hit on them ladies, get yourself tipsy, and make some bad decisions (not too bad lol). Life is all about the journey bro, not the destination...at least for me. Unless you're a complete ******* you're not going to totally wreck your physique in two months. I would say though to still take your diet very seriously (not including the binge drinking haha) and I'm sure you got some time to fit in a run, or a quick workout at home consisting of push ups, pull ups, crunches...whatever. It takes 15min and bam you're done.

1 question for you...your answer to this question will solve your small situation here.

In a year, 3 years, 5 years....you look back at college. Do you want to remember your last few months as the time when you "Were able to cut off a few pounds and increase your bench press by 10lbs?"....OR...."Lived fully and completely in the moments that sometimes can only happen in college, take advantage of any and every situation that comes your way, and went out with a bang?"

That's what I though, Happy drinking brother :beerchug:

 

[Mulletsoldier]

You need to ask yourself the operative question: will partying and drinking make my life better? If the answer is "no", than pursuing these types of destructive activities seems relatively foolish; particularly, when considering them in terms of you bending to the type of societal context that states, in so many words, "College is fucking crazy-time!"

From a strictly personal perspective [what you asked for] I engage in activities, relationships and social realities that are constructive and beneficial, and; to no surprise, the resultant from these activities is personal betterment and fulfillment. In regard to partying, drugs, and sex, I experienced an 'advanced adolescence', so to speak: I was trafficking and distributing cocaine before I had a full license, and embarking on all the odd-quests associated thereof! In full retrospect, not for a solitary moment am I under the illusory perception that those six years [or thereabout] bettered my life in any cursory fashion.

In total, I speak to five people I met through those activities on a regular basis; in fact, in time you come to see that the friendship originally forged with these types of individuals was forged under false pretenses - that is, under the assumption that you will like each other sober as you did intoxicated [never the case].

In my personal opinion, if you choose the partying route, you will find yourself disappointed at several things; most namely, the fact that you squandered away the progress you worked so many years for; that you allowed yourself to succumb to such a ridiculous preconception [College is for partying, wahoo!], and; that you wasted so much time and money on a passing phase.

 

[Zero V]

You need to ask yourself the operative question: will partying and drinking make my life better? If the answer is "no", than pursuing these types of destructive activities seems relatively foolish; particularly, when considering them in terms of you bending to the type of societal context that states, in so many words, "College is fucking crazy-time!"

From a strictly personal perspective [what you asked for] I engage in activities, relationships and social realities that are constructive and beneficial, and; to no surprise, the resultant from these activities is personal betterment and fulfillment. In regard to partying, drugs, and sex, I experienced an 'advanced adolescence', so to speak: I was trafficking and distributing cocaine before I had a full license, and embarking on all the odd-quests associated thereof! In full retrospect, not for a solitary moment am I under the illusory perception that those six years [or thereabout] bettered my life in any cursory fashion.

In total, I speak to five people I met through those activities on a regular basis; in fact, in time you come to see that the friendship originally forged with these types of individuals was forged under false pretenses - that is, under the assumption that you will like each other sober as you did intoxicated [never the case].

In my personal opinion, if you choose the partying route, you will find yourself disappointed at several things; most namely, the fact that you squandered away the progress you worked so many years for; that you allowed yourself to succumb to such a ridiculous preconception [College is for partying, wahoo!], and; that you wasted so much time and money on a passing phase.

Brilliant!

 

[dsade]

I enjoy my life INFINITELY more when I look good, even if I can only go out less often because of it.

Why go out if you are only going to feel less confident, and more ashamed when you get naked?

 

[BurghHardcore]

dude it's two months. Seriously...from what I gathered in your original post you haven't been engaging in this type of behavior your entire time at college, just the last couple weeks correct? Believe me you won't destroy yourself with two months of heavier than usual partying if you KEEP YOUR DIET IN CHECK...that is coming from personal experience (ran into the same type of "crisis" lol). Will your strength suffer...yeah, but in two months that's really about it.

It's not like your in Mullets situation with the cocaine and whatnot. I did the whole selling drugs route in college as well, was marijuana, and learned through experiece that wasn't worth it in any way, shape, or form. Let's face it mullet, the people you meet and deal with daily in those type of "businesses" are typically scumbags, am I right?

So you've been partying more than usual, are you having fun? Are your grades suffering? Are any of your relationships suffering? If your grades and relationships aren't taking a backseat to this behavior, and you're enjoying yourself then do it. IT'S TWO MONTHS. Believe me, unless your goal is to be a complete *ss and failure in life your days of partying 4 days a week are soon coming to an end. I say take advantage of it. If you're college breaks for the summer anytime around when mine did...by this time it's NOT EVEN two months.

I drank 4-5 days a week. Sometimes waaay too much. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA. I NEVER let it get in the way of the important thing...getting and education and finishing with my degree. I also never went above 14% bodyfat my entire time there, while that is certainly not the most "ripped" individual on the planet I couldn't complain. When I saw my physique suffering I cut back a little and hit the gym harder. It's quite simple actually. As Mullet stated, college should not be viewed as party central and ONLY party central (maybe that's what I made it sound like in my previous post...my bad, I was getting nostalgic). As long as your priorities are straight man don't worry about boozing it up a little extra your final few weeks there.

 

[Irish Cannon]

I don't condone insane behavior, but dude, have fun. I'm just realizing right now that lifting isn't everything, and being so insanely strict on myself has most definitely robbed me of some of my fun. Just don't let things get out of hand, you know? Thank goodness for muscle memory; anything you lose in the next couple months, you'll have right back within a couple months of being strict.

Enjoy life, man. Partying is one thing, and to me, not enjoyable, but just have some fun with friends. Don't constantly worry about lifting or diet.

 

[carpee]

man enjoy the memories. Yea dont get fat and lose all your mass, but when your 90 years old you arent gonna think back to your body fat % and your PR's, you will think back to those crazy fun nights you had with your college bros. Stay strict 80% of the time...you can still keep a good build

 

[Zero V]

man enjoy the memories. Yea dont get fat and lose all your mass, but when your 90 years old you arent gonna think back to your body fat % and your PR's, you will think back to those crazy fun nights you had with your college bros. Stay strict 80% of the time...you can still keep a good build

Funny the guys I know cant remember those crazy fun nights... they just have a series of black spots in their mind.

 

[Carcaya]

"to dedicate to lifting, or to enjoy my time at college?"

I don't really think you have to sacrifice one or the other.

Enjoying your time at college does not mean drinking yourself into a stupor.

If you are crunched for time and are just struggling to get your workouts in because you are busy, that is different. Plan your workouts and set a shorter time period to do them. To be honest, lifting for me is a big stress reliever because I can take my mind off all of the tasks, homework, and work projects.

 

[Zero V]

"to dedicate to lifting, or to enjoy my time at college?"

I don't really think you have to sacrifice one or the other.

Enjoying your time at college does not mean drinking yourself into a stupor.

If you are crunched for time and are just struggling to get your workouts in because you are busy, that is different. Plan your workouts and set a shorter time period to do them. To be honest, lifting for me is a big stress reliever because I can take my mind off all of the tasks, homework, and work projects.

I have had some of my best workouts in a 45 minute time frame about 2 semesters ago. Intensity up, and by the time I am done lifting, I am glad I was not at the gym no more lol.

 

[CopyCat]

I say go out have fun, keep working out, but maybe just change your workout schedule from whatever it is like 2hrs a day to splits every other day. No need to stop all together and you won't become a fat slob.

 

[John Smeton]

when your serious studying lift and eat right. no harm in partying it up I did and do not regret it. on the other hand party too much and you wont get big...you can just about lift and eat without too much effort, you still have to give it effort no doubt , with this caascade of hormones at your age and make gains...when you get older if you want better results you have to be a nazi about it otherwise youll just be the average gym goer and not the top five best guys in your gym... so me being your age and in college you honestly do not have to drink or do drugs to have a good time...I used to go to clubs all the time with friends and by myself and bring my meals...hit on girls, makeout, take them home, whatever you want and eat every 2-3 hours. If I wasnt doing anything serious in the club Id go out into my SUV and eat my tuna fish, sweet potatoes, broccoli and olive oil(I mixed my carbs and fat back then i dont now ) then after i was done come back and do my thing.

the main important thing is what results do you want? if lifting just something you enjoy or is it something you want to dedicate yourself 100 % to.

you can still bodybuild and make good progress while going out and eat protein bars, packed meals etc..

however

when you want to really step it up its best not to go to clubs and stuff or if you must pull out your food in front of everyone and eat. I had to do this for five years working at my old job as a sales associate and I was allowed to do it. id be checking out coustomers eating a chicken breast sweet poatoe, and wouldnt care. If you want results youll do what it takes; otherwise if you dont want to give it 100 % percent and its just a semi hobby , fine let it be that.

 

[Caferacer]

"to dedicate to lifting, or to enjoy my time at college?"

I don't really think you have to sacrifice one or the other.

Enjoying your time at college does not mean drinking yourself into a stupor.

If you are crunched for time and are just struggling to get your workouts in because you are busy, that is different. Plan your workouts and set a shorter time period to do them. To be honest, lifting for me is a big stress reliever because I can take my mind off all of the tasks, homework, and work projects.

Maybe that's what I need to do, because that has been the case.

To play poker with friends Wednesday night after class and homework instead of lifting.

To go out Friday night and sleep off a hangover followed by more studying, than to not drink and be able to lift Saturday.

To go on a weekend road trip and sacrifice lifting or cardio that weekend to hang out with friends and drink.

I'm not saying I'm going to turn flabby and lose everything in two months, but for 7 years now lifting has been #2 priority behind school. I'm wondering whether it is better to knock it back one more and put 'enjoy college social life' up there instead for a few months (actually less than that)

And mullet, I see the relationships I have as being beneficial. It's not drinking to get drunk; I genuinely enjoy the company of my friends and brothers, drinking or not. The thing is they don't lift like I do. If I felt it was a waste of time, I wouldn't do it.

 

[Mulletsoldier]

And mullet, I see the relationships I have as being beneficial. It's not drinking to get drunk; I genuinely enjoy the company of my friends and brothers, drinking or not. The thing is they don't lift like I do. If I felt it was a waste of time, I wouldn't do it.

Of course you feel they are beneficial: most all destructive relationships feel beneficial while you are in them; you only realize afterwards their nature! At the time, I absolutely felt that we were close, inseparable, and so forth - most people will.

I am not going to relativize our experiences because, obviously, they are quite different; I am merely saying that, over time, I came to realize that the priorities of my drinking/drug friends, and my priorities, were diametrically opposed.

If these are friends you have had since grade school, than maybe there is an inseparable bond there, and you should not break it. This being said, it seems to me you are more concerned with feeling guilty about not doing dumb shit in college than you are hanging out with your friends.

As I say: in what ways will drinking and sacrificing hard work make your life better? Not nominally and transiently, but in the long run?

 

[soseg]

you said you have 2 months left? enjoy it

it will take you at most 2 months to get back to where you were in terms of lifting strength imo... so enjoy it up

 

[Irish Cannon]

I will say this...

If you think poker and alcohol go together, then YOU'RE the sucker at the table. So poker night is one night you can drop the booze if you'd like to come out ahead.

 

[GeekPoop]

ya only got 1 life so make the most of the 2months while you can.

 

[thaOrleanyte]

dedicate........

 

[John Smeton]

when your serious studying lift and eat right. no harm in partying it up I did and do not regret it. on the other hand party too much and you wont get big...you can just about lift and eat without too much effort, you still have to give it effort no doubt , with this caascade of hormones at your age and make gains...when you get older if you want better results you have to be a nazi about it otherwise youll just be the average gym goer and not the top five best guys in your gym... so me being your age and in college you honestly do not have to drink or do drugs to have a good time...I used to go to clubs all the time with friends and by myself and bring my meals...hit on girls, makeout, take them home, whatever you want and eat every 2-3 hours. If I wasnt doing anything serious in the club Id go out into my SUV and eat my tuna fish, sweet potatoes, broccoli and olive oil(I mixed my carbs and fat back then i dont now ) then after i was done come back and do my thing.

the main important thing is what results do you want? if lifting just something you enjoy or is it something you want to dedicate yourself 100 % to.

you can still bodybuild and make good progress while going out and eat protein bars, packed meals etc..There comes a time when you to get better results you have to stay in and eat spot on, sleep spot on, train spot on and have everything in check

I edited my answer

 

[Caferacer]

I will say this...

If you think poker and alcohol go together, then YOU'RE the sucker at the table. So poker night is one night you can drop the booze if you'd like to come out ahead.

I don't drink on table more than a beer. It's to keep my nerves calm when I start; I always get a little nervous. Then it's all just playing :wave2:

The reason I stated that was because I did some poker instead of lifting that night.

 

[Caferacer]

Well, it took one week exactly to realize I liked the way I was.

I got all my work done early, and drank pretty much every day of the week. Went to a lot of parties. Talked to a lot of people. Learned my friend is a cheating ******* (cheating on his GF who is in another state right now, with 3 different girls), the redhead I met is a whore who has a boyfriend, and the other girls I met in the past week through parties were a waste of my time.

Back to lifting. Drinking is done lightly on the weekends from now on until I graduate. I'm still playing poker with my brothers though

BTW this just means I get rid of a friend. Nothing changed with my brothers and I like it that way. Although talking to them today we all agreed drinking needs to not be quite so crazy and often.