Group Discussion: Why we do what we do.

[natedogg]

So I've been thinking, especially since I've been frequenting the board much more lately, why do I lift weights? Why did I begin in the first place? What keeps me going? What are my goals and what do I get out of doing it? Let's all be honest here. Everyone has specific reasons. Some do it to feel good about how they look. A few do it to impress the opposite sex. Others may do it to compete, whether it is in bodybuilding shows or power lifting competitions. Maybe it’s a combination of things.

Let me start. I started training with weights in high school because I had a negative self image of myself. I had low self esteem and felt kind of goofy. I was tall, had big feet, but was pretty skinny. Think sideshow Bob. Not only that, but I planned on joining the Marines so I wanted to be “in shape.” After a while it just sort of grew on me. It got to the point where I HAD to go to the gym. In fact, that’s how it is now. It’s like an addiction for me. Honestly, I don’t lift to push around a ton of weight. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a strong guy, but that isn’t my primary focus. I like to feel good about me. I like the confidence it gives me. Women like men who are in shape as opposed to men who aren’t. Women are more attracted to physically superior men. It says a lot about who you are and it definitely gets you noticed. And it’s just plain healthy. I can never see myself not working out in some way or another. I have some decent size, but I would like to add some more mass to my frame while staying as lean as I am now. Not to the point where it effects my ability to run or participate in athletics’ (I notice as my weight increases, pain in my joints increase as well), but just enough to satisfy me.

What about everyone else? What are your experiences? Goals? Reasons? Comments? I'm curious so let’s get this ball rolling.

[tattoopierced1]

as of lately its to be more intimidating. I started lifting for the same reasons you did, I was a skinny kid. I also like the attention from the ladies, that is a big reason. Goal is to be the biggest guy whereever I go in town. I want to be the biggest man of whatever place I'm in. Stupid probably, but its a goal.

[Rodja]

I was a runner in HS and had been the skinny kid all of my life. After a while, I developed some bad body image issues. Also, lifting gave me an outlet that I had never had before because it was a time when I had to deal with nothing else except for my next set. Even now as I have started training MMA, I still enjoy lifting the most and I wish that I could lift as much as I once did.

[natedogg]

as of lately its to be more intimidating. I started lifting for the same reasons you did, I was a skinny kid. I also like the attention from the ladies, that is a big reason. Goal is to be the biggest guy whereever I go in town. I want to be the biggest man of whatever place I'm in. Stupid probably, but its a goal.

Not stupid at all. I love the compliments and looks I get on a daily basis. Definitely boosts your confidence level. If I remember correctly you're a pretty tall guy. 6 and a half feet or so right? How much do you weigh now?

[natedogg]

I was a runner in HS and had been the skinny kid all of my life. After a while, I developed some bad body image issues. Also, lifting gave me an outlet that I had never had before because it was a time when I had to deal with nothing else except for my next set. Even now as I have started training MMA, I still enjoy lifting the most and I wish that I could lift as much as I once did.

How long have you been training in MMA for?

[tattoopierced1]

Not stupid at all. I love the compliments and looks I get on a daily basis. Definitely boosts your confidence level. If I remember correctly you're a pretty tall guy. 6 and a half feet or so right? How much do you weigh now?

6'7", lost some weight recently due to stress I'm going through, but I'm back on the horse now.. As of now I'm about 215, was at 235.

[RedwolfWV]

Great thread. Well lets see....

I was 40 years old and was tryin to kill myself with booze. I quit drinking, (with a little help from my friends ) Dropped from a bloated 225 pounds down to 175. I had always wanted to be in good shape, and I needed a complete change of lifestyle, so I bought some free weights and a bench for the house and was working out every day. My fiancee bought me a trial membership to a gym. I loved it! The change has been fairly dramatic. One of these days I'll have the balls to post some pics.

[EasyEJL]

Close to redwolf, I got on the scale in mid january at 245lbs and probably close to 50% bodyfat and said wtf am I doing, i'm successful everywhere else in my life, except keeping my body together. So I stopped drink (miss it sometimes still) and started working out, then more heavily as time has gone on. Its something I really enjoy. I'm still too fat (somewhere around 202#, and low to mid 20s bf%) but i've easily added 15-25lbs of lean mass while dropping 40+ scale pounds. I plan to be a ripped 180s by summer

[natedogg]

Awesome. I love hearing stories like that. Not only do we work out to look and feel great, but we also do it to perhaps save our own life. Whether it be from obesity, alcoholism, or whatever. Now that you are where you're at, could you EVER imagine resorting back to your old lifestyle?

[ReaperX]

This is a pretty good thread.


Mine started back when I was in college my freshman year. I did not do it correctly or seriously for that matter. The thing that intitially got me to start lifting weights was I was going on a vacation with this girl I liked in Mexico in the summer and wanted to be in shape by then (2 months). Of course this was just the beginning and I did not make much progress.

This was the beginning and I did my own research for quite a while. I hit a lot of deadends, credited to bb.com primarly and have learned from them. I went through a phase similar to tattoedpierced did where I wanted the attention/wanted to be the biggest guy whereever I went....hands down. Around this time I started becoming overly obsessed with bodybuilding to the extreme.


Then around Feb '07 I started thinking to myself about my current lifestyle. I was bodybuilding not to be healthy, but as some type of cover-up for an esteem issue with 'having to be the biggest guy'. This sorta revolved itself around why I kept lifting.

From then until now I do it to be healthy first, looks second. It is nice to be 'bigger', but I really don't care if there are guys who are bigger than me. Its not that big of a deal. I used to have a very unhealthy eating style and looking back I'm pretty astounded what I used to eat and what quantities I used to eat, however I do still eat a bit from time to time, for example:

Breakfast:

2x Bacon Egg cheese bagels
2x Sausage McMuffins
2x hashbrown
1x breakfast burrito


I can actually eat all that in one sitting, and every now and then I like to do that. It costs me over $10.00 though just for that meal.

[tattoopierced1]

not trying to cover up self esteem... i am very confidant in myself..i just like being the "big guy"... i get a laugh out of it and find it amusing.

[natedogg]

This is a pretty good thread.


Mine started back when I was in college my freshman year. I did not do it correctly or seriously for that matter. The thing that intitially got me to start lifting weights was I was going on a vacation with this girl I liked in Mexico in the summer and wanted to be in shape by then (2 months). Of course this was just the beginning and I did not make much progress.

This was the beginning and I did my own research for quite a while. I hit a lot of deadends, credited to bb.com primarly and have learned from them. I went through a phase similar to tattoedpierced did where I wanted the attention/wanted to be the biggest guy whereever I went....hands down. Around this time I started becoming overly obsessed with bodybuilding to the extreme.


Then around Feb '07 I started thinking to myself about my current lifestyle. I was bodybuilding not to be healthy, but as some type of cover-up for an esteem issue with 'having to be the biggest guy'. This sorta revolved itself around why I kept lifting.

From then until now I do it to be healthy first, looks second. It is nice to be 'bigger', but I really don't care if there are guys who are bigger than me. Its not that big of a deal. I used to have a very unhealthy eating style and looking back I'm pretty astounded what I used to eat and what quantities I used to eat, however I do still eat a bit from time to time, for example:

Breakfast:

2x Bacon Egg cheese bagels
2x Sausage McMuffins
2x hashbrown
1x breakfast burrito


I can actually eat all that in one sitting, and every now and then I like to do that. It costs me over $10.00 though just for that meal.

We look back sometimes and realize how silly our reasons for getting into shape may have been. For a girl or maybe because you hate seeing your friends becoming bigger and more muscular (another reason I began lifting). By the way, I love the sausage, egg, and cheese mcgriddles. Those sh!ts are good!

[EasyEJL]

Awesome. I love hearing stories like that. Not only do we work out to look and feel great, but we also do it to perhaps save our own life. Whether it be from obesity, alcoholism, or whatever. Now that you are where you're at, could you EVER imagine resorting back to your old lifestyle?

Not really. but the liquor cabinet does call my name "Eric theres 3 different kids of absinthe here. Theres hundreds of dollars of exotic tequila too"

[natedogg]

Not really. but the liquor cabinet does call my name "Eric theres 3 different kids of absinthe here. Theres hundreds of dollars of exotic tequila too"

Hopefully it's not any worse than your supplement stockpile.

[Nabisco]

I was 5'11 and 135 lbs dripping wet leaving HS, all the way into my Junior year of college. I was a swimmer all through high school and a partier my first two years of college. I hated being the scrawny kid...always was and figured I always would be. Constantly a point of jest for my larger peers, I wanted to get big enough to kick their ass basically.

At the end of my sophomore year of college I joined a fraternity (lambda chi alpha) and met a couple of dudes, later became my roommates who were into lifting weights. To me they were huge, and tossed around huuuuge weight. I started lifting junior year, because they were my roommates and shamed me into it. Showed me how to eat right, how to lift right, and continually motivated me. Its now three years later and Im about 45lbs heavier and I love lifting with a passion. And Im working towards a lean 190.

[ReaperX]

not trying to cover up self esteem... i am very confidant in myself..i just like being the "big guy"... i get a laugh out of it and find it amusing.

I was using part of your story as a reference. I never implied you were covering up anything, I said I was.

[Dr Packenwood]

I started out lifting because at the time I was doing pushups, sit ups, dips and the like at my house and loved the feeling I'd get when I was done. I'd dropped about 10lbs doing it, and I figured lifting actual weight would be even better.

I was about 180 at the time, then after lifting for a few years I was about 180, but alot bigger.

Then I started getting more attention from the ladies.

For the most part its just a personal journey, me against myself. It gives me great self confidence knowing I can perform some physical feat, even though it doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Its brought me both better health, and poorer health, so I figure I'll take the injuries over just sitting on a couch eating garbage all day and watching tv.

When Im in the gym I'm there for me. If someone wants to watch me work out great. I don't care if they do or not. The weights are going up regardless.

[EasyEJL]

Hopefully it's not any worse than your supplement stockpile.

in terms of raw dollars its worse, but takes up less space. a few $100 bottles, a good number of $50+ bottles, plus some regular stuff. probably at least $800~1000 worth in there.

[tattoopierced1]

I was using part of your story as a reference. I never implied you were covering up anything, I said I was.

Wasnt implying that you were..

[BIGG DOGG]

I was a big stoner in highschool. I quit base bass right before freshman year and never really got involved with highschool sports. I basically partied and rode dirt bikes. I finaly got sick of being baked all the tim, got my sh*t togather and started to go to the gym. It has become almost an adiction, I think about it 24/7.
I went from a 165lbs scrawny stoner to about 2 years later a 190-195 lbs well built man. Its great when you see people you havnt seen in along time. cracks me up to see them trip out. I dont think i will ever stop lifting..