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Why do you train?

M

magdelana

New member
I wonder how many of us train mostly because of how it will make us look and how many of us train mostly because of how it will help our health.

I will say that being healthier is just a nice benefit of my training, it is not WHY i train. If my bodybuilding lifestyle was terrible to my health then i would stop...but even if it did nothing at all to make me healthier i would still be just so devoted to it. It is the looks that motivate ME to train, not better health.

I feel like sometimes we think it is a dirty secret to admit we train and control our diet and basically eat, breath and live bodybuilding just to look fantastic in a bikini. When people in the store stop, turn around and stare at me when i am wearing a little spagetti strap top and little shorts I love it. I am not thinking of how my heart benefits here.

I am interesting in hearing from everyone else and am hoping maybe others would like to share why THEY train.
 
I workout because I'm addicted to the way it feels...first and foremost. I feel awful if I don't workout for a few days....my body tells me that it's time again. Health, looks, and my physical feelings about it come as a bonus.

I am also with Spatts on the fact that I love to see how much my body can handle...I also love the fact that training for strength really helps me with the mental aspect of lifting. I have never been a strong person mentally....always needing encouragement from others...but I am really getting better with that! :) There are several people on this board who have helped me with that...and I am forever grateful! :)
 
I'm not really for sure why I love to train. Maybe I am obsessive compulsive or maybe I just really like pain a lot. Why do I love the pain of going and going and going...just one more step...followed by near passing out and dry heaving? I don't know....but I do it every week.

I just wonder how far I can push my body...

B True
 
I have really just started training... but I definitely get a sick thrill out of living my life like a lot of people don't. I like being strict and compulsive about adhering to a regimine which is sometimes a pain in the butt, but ultimately makes me feel so much better.

(and, I'll admit it: training makes me feel more virtuous than my lazy boyfriend.)

:)
 
Strictly and 100% for the appearance aspect. Health is not my concern, though it may have been at one point.
Im not egotistical by any means... far from it! But the most accurate way to state it is to say "for ego reasons".

I love the attention being big brings.
 
stress relief!!

I learned in college how nothing would help take away being nervous and stressed than a good workout Some people have a drink or 2 or 6 after work to relieve stress..I head right to the gym!

I also have many days where I leave my house at 6AM and do not come home till after 10PM, haveing high endurance reallllly helps out there as well...

Plus, I love muscles :)
 
When I started weight training, I had one specific goal in mind: to strengthen my back. I was recovering from a nasty car accident, ended up with two-level disc fusion and was bound and determined that I would have a strong body. Also, my surgeon told me I would never be able to do it. HA! Proved him wrong:D

Now however my reasons have changed. More for looking good as I am getting older and working out also helps to maintain my mobility. Mostly for vanity reasons though. I got exactly the kind of attention I wanted this weekend;)
 
I train because I do not want to look like someone who doesn't.
 
Looks definitely!!!

I started with weights to "change" my body....and it has become addictive....especially once i started training for a show....i'm down below 12% bf now....can wear anything i want...

and i'm with ya magdalena....i love the attention....low cut jeans and itty bitty tops....i like being a hard body...and the looks hubby and i get when we go out....he's 6'-4" 240 and ripped....i'm 5'-9" and 163....with a 6 pack....we stand out....from the Walmart crowd....lol!
 
I started lifting training because I was tired of the results I was getting for the amount of work I was doing running. I'd always been a runner, and the output of running alone did not seem to be worth the results I was getting. If I really knocked myself out training, I'd get skinny, but I'd look haggard and old -- and my ass just got flatter and flatter as I burned off the fat, and (although I didn't realise it at the time) all the muscle too.

:(

Anyhow, I discovered EF quite by accident and just started reading here out of curiosity, and now, about a year later, I'm addicted. I train because it helps relieve stress, because the discipline has helped me focus in the rest of my life, because I like how it makes me look, and most importantly, because I like how it makes me feel both physically and in terms of self image.

Wyst
 
I started to work out because I wanted to loose few pounds.
Then by being here on this boards I learn that there is no quick_fix. It has to be a life-style change. Mostly eating healthy. Than the more I read the more I want to learn.
Now I eat healthy and workout and lift weight for different reasons.
1) Cardio-- to maintain a healthy heart and BP improves and also your body leans-out(more stamina)
2) Weights-- built more muscles. In women this is an advantage since as we get older by nature we will loose muscle. Therefore bone density mass will decrease and bummppp osteoporosis..NOT GOOD
3)eating clean--This is the most important part of all. Look out for what we put in our mouth.
I really have change a lot since november. I feel better and also look better.
I have a 5 year old and I would like to be there for her for a long time..... Also I would set a good example for my child.
:)
 
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I train because the wetness, skinnyness, weakness, softness and slowness of people and my age and myself disgusts me.
 
I have been an athlete my entire life, first organized athletic comp was in 1965. I have always trained.

Now, I just run on inertia.

:)
 
Re

I train because I just keep wanting more it seems you are never done...... plus knowing Im healthy is the most important aspect of it all.

CC:D
 
I train first & foremost for MENTAL HEALTH, then physical appearance, then physical health.

When I'm stressed, pissed, frustrated, upset there is NOTHING I want to do more than hit the iron. I almost always feel better afterwards. It is such a great rush.

Like Spatts, I'm also intrigued at seeing what my body can do. It fascinates me to learn, experiment, try new things. Everyone is bashing my pathetic 'retirement home/gym' but it's actually fun being challenged with *creating* exercises to make up for the equipment it lacks.

I actually eat healthy for my mental health as well. I don't feel right, lack energy, don't sleep well, & have a poorer outlook in general when my diet is composed of even a little crap.

---This is why I get so pissed off when my office mates act like I do this all for pure vanity. Sure, I'm somewhat vain (I want to look hot in a bikini) but I'm not THAT vain!

Oh yeah, I reeeeally like pain too! :D :velvett:
 
My reason for beginning a weight training regimen was to put on weight. But now I'm obsessed with it. I do it to feel good and look good. And I do get that feeling of accomplishment when I see people looking at my arms in disbelief. And I love wearing tank tops and short skirts!:D

I don't feel like myself when I am not eating right and working at my body like I know I should. So it has definitely become a lifestyle.:D
 
I think of my body like my own special "house". Unlike a real house, a car, or a piece of clothing, I can't leave it or take it off. I'm in it all the time, wherever I go, that's who I am. I've only got ONE, so I better take care of it. I want it to look good and feel good. I want it to last a long time, but I want to die doing something active. I don't want to rot for many years in a nursing home.

I did not always take care of myself. Fortunately my body forgave me. My working out now is sort of like a pay-back for my body giving me good health in spite of what I did. Good health is a privilege. A fit body is the reward for making the most of that privilege.
 
I used to run track in jr high & high school but always got shin splints from running inside (lived in the Great White North). I played basketball in jr high but always got shin splints and my best friend was 6'1" and it just wasnt' fun playing against her. I also started playing racquetball w/ my dad at the YMCA when I was 16 and after games I'd mess around w/ this old Universal machine they had -- and I could push 100 lbs pretty easily. At that point I was addicted. I'm not real graceful in "quick response" sports and I just never got into team sports much so lifting was perfect for me. But back then you never saw a girl in the weight room so I always felt pretty isolated doing it.

In college I started lifting in a Gold's Gym and found it was better stress relief than anything else I could find and my lifts were getting better & better. I briefly joined a Weight Watchers group sponsered by my work but quickly replaced that w/ a new gym membership & my first trainer instead of sitting in a room listening to fat women bitch about their weight. In 1991 I moved and had bunion surgery on both feet and immediately hired a trainer as soon as I was out of the casts to get back in shape. I was told I should start competing - but again, you rarely saw women in the weight room and you never saw them pushing 45 plates. I didnt' even know how to go about entering a competition.

Fast forward to 2000 - still training but want more. I never seemed to be able to get the diet & the training and the cardio (which I deplored) to work together - so I hired another trainer who suggested I pursue a natural show. I did, I took 2nd in the Novice group. Cool experience! Had a BS falling out w/ the trainer, got depressed, hired another trainer to go after another show - he trained me like shit and let me go on stage at 12% bf and I was humiliated and depressed for a year, blew up to 178 lbs (my life avg has been 155).

Now I lost the extra 20 lbs, back to "normal" and pursuing yet another show in Aug. The hardest part for me is focusing more on cardio than lifting. I *(#&@&#$(@!@A! hate cardio. But its the only way (along w/ carb rotation) that I can lose weight. So I am learning to tolerate it. Lifting is becoming less enjoyable as I continue towards this show, but I still go 2x/day. What I am waiting for is when I get myweight below 150 and the muscle starts coming out -- I know its there because I've got killer size (I think...) but I just need to expose it. But at the end of the day, I still feel so much better once I've mucked thru my training & cardio.

My other goal is to be riding a Harley, dressed in leathers and listening to old heavy metal when I'm 90. Therefore I need to at least be able to stand up by myself and not drool. That's a good enough reason to continue lifting. :)
 
i see training as something i need to do, like brushing my teeth, so that i can enjoy the rest of my life more fully.

since i'm still pretty new to the whole lifestylf change (and was never much of an athlete before), i still can't get over how much i've changed inside and out.. appearance, posture, confidence, energy level, focus, discipline, stress relief.. i love every part of training now ;)
 
I love the way it makes me look. I love the way it makes me feel. I love the challenge of it, the simplicity and the complexity of it. I love how I am constantly discovering that I just swept past what I considered the absolute limits of my mental and physical capacities. I love the hardness of the steel pressing against my body. I love the sound of the clang, clunk of plates against each other. I love that sick but "fuck I cannot believe I DID that" feeling I get when I just finished a set that I thought would set my muscles on fire, or lifted heavier than ever before. I love the focus and concentration. I love the mental wind-up. I love the clarity that training and nutrition give my life. I love the hugeness of that world inside - the vastness of what happens to/in my cells - so small. I love feeling strong, walking tall and proud. I love the sense of control, and the sense of discovery. I love the addictive, obsessive nature of it.



Everything about it just gives me a HUGE thrill.
 
I am really enjoying reading everyones response to this subject. Some things were mentioned that are also true for me that i did not think of when starting the tread.

I guess i also train a bit for the idea of doing something where i have progress, get stronger, do something i coudnt do a month ago or a year ago. But i have never been "wieght happy" and do not think very much of the amount if lift. I just like the things it does to my body.

In my profile i mention that i am a Mental health counsler with a masters degree in psychologie. (not in amerika, english not good enough) I see also in myself how lifting makes me happy, makes me feel good about myself, and takes off stress.

But still it is true that these things are not my big reason for lifting, just nice benefits that come with what i really want.
 
Looks, shmooks

I do not care what I or anyone else looks like.

Having been where I have in my life I have often observed that the people who "look" the best in that they exhibit some outward characteristic that is in vogue, often act the worst. It doesn't matter HOW good you look if you spend most of your time causing pain to other people and don't even care.

I am working out because I am obese and my job requires a lot of standing and walking all day, restraining animals with my arms, getting up and down off the floor, etc. Also it is the natural way to end backaches. I have osteoporosis and diabetes in my family and I want to be able to take care of my own needs for as long in life as I can. Plus diabetes is NO FUN to have to try to manage.

I am proud of the gains I've made in working with free weights. I notice that I have an easier time climbing stairs, carrying gorceries, etc. I have not made a lot of gain yet, but ten and 12 lb weights are 10 and 12 lbs more than zero.

If I concentrate only on how I look I will never be happy, and that is conducive to getting mad and quitting. I don't ever want to quit on exercise again so I am staying away from defining success in terms of inches and curves.

And to the person who said "because I was tired of the results I was getting for the amount of work I was doing running" Amen, sister!!!!!
 
i love all aspects of training and weightlifting... the physical changes i am able to make... the strength.. pain.. discipline.. all are just great. it's an overall feeling of well being, not only with your health, but your self esteem as well. self accomplishment, you know that the progress you make, and changes you see are something to be proud of, because its something you did all on your own, with hard work and dedication, and gives me the satisfaction of knowing i owe it to nobody but myself :)
 
I like being able to lift more plates each week. It makes me feel really great about myself. I like the feeling of being strong and fit. I liek the way my body image improves through my being proud of what my body can do instead of hating it. I also want to make strength gains for martial arts.

I don't want to be weak or dependent on others either mentally or physically. I am an aggressive and fairly "butch" person by nature and so lifting also indulges that side of me. Lastly, "nice girls" don't lift, and I hate being a "nice girl"!

circusgirl
 
why do we lift

I lift for many of the same reasons as everyone else here . I love being bigger than most folks , I LOVE getting as strong as possible . The confidence is awesome , tho i've always been bigger more muscular and stronger than average , but i love pushing it to see what im capable of doing .
 
Re: Looks, shmooks

ATrollFromTheFatBoard said:
I do not care what I or anyone else looks like.

Having been where I have in my life I have often observed that the people who "look" the best in that they exhibit some outward characteristic that is in vogue, often act the worst.
Click to expand...
Very interesting. Considerating the majority of us on Elite are looking for a muscular, bodybuilder look - which is not at all en vogue for women.

I am somewhat vain, I admit. BUT, I LOOOVE when I get looks from skinny fat chicks, EWWW! GROSSS, her shoulders are HUGE! YUCK! :) While I am concerned with how I look, I have NO desire to look like everyone else, and I want to look NOTHING like what the media protrays as the "ideal" female looks (fashion model).
 
I train because i love the way it makes me feel....i think strength is a beautiful thing for a woman to possess....besides muscles are sexy and pretty much a rarity in most girls...i like being different :)
 
I meant that to be taken a bit more generally than it looks.

For example, when I was in vet school, the thing that got admiration from other people was that "super-competent, super-brain" attitude. There were these computer brain people who got off on "I know everything better than you." They LOOKED competent, but they weren't too pleasant to be around. The ego factor was a bit much. I have known people who put on a good face around clients and were professionally succeessful, but when you saw the way they treated people behind the scenes, it wasn't such a good impression.

I notice that what you call "skinny-fat" people on the street react to larger people that way, and, sadly, some of the people on these boards (not on the women's board, tho, btw) act the same way.

Whatever people have, if it's what the peer group they identify with wants, some of them tend to get all egotistical and treat people who don't have it like dirt.

It's OK to "look good," whatever constitutes that wherever you hang out. If you take care of your body and you look developed enough to be out competing in shows, I really respect your hard work. But make sure you are good to the people you meet, because it's more important to ACT good. That is really what matters most.

I never respect or like somebody based on their outside. So I don't base success in working out on how I look. It doesn't keep me motivated anyway.
 
Re: Re: Looks, shmooks

Gladiola said:


I am somewhat vain, I admit. BUT, I LOOOVE when I get looks from skinny fat chicks, EWWW! GROSSS, her shoulders are HUGE! YUCK! :) While I am concerned with how I look, I have NO desire to look like everyone else, and I want to look NOTHING like what the media protrays as the "ideal" female looks (fashion model).
Click to expand...

(From a mans perspective...)
I love it when a little guy tells me how he doesnt care if he gets big because "his girlfriend said she doesnt like guys with muscles".
One one occasion I later see the "girlfriend" walk up to him, and she was one who was giving me the whole "feel your arms/how much can you bench" Q&A a couple of days earlier...
 
I train because I am so damn skinny. I can also say that it has nothing at all to do with health. Maybe when I get older the health aspect of it all will mean more to me. Im just 18 now so Im not sure.

I met a woman about two months ago who is real buff and it kinda fired me up to get big quick. I have only been lifting weights about 11 months in all, but I want to pack on like 20 pounds of real muscle in the next year if thats possible.

Glad to see Im not the only person here who is in it just for the looks. :D
 
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