What Motivates You?

I was always competitive, so when someone is better than me at something, I try to be better. Looking better of course. Women are a part of it (having a good body can’t hurt but having a bad one, like I did, CAN)

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Henry Krinkle wrote:
to challenge yourself?

This is a big part of it. Accomplishment feels awesome, and this activity is many many little accomplishments over and over. And you do it yourself. No one gives you any of it. 200lbs is 200lbs. It is just you v. yourself. It feels good man.
quote]

Damn straight! I mean also when you look in the mirror every morning and night, no one else lifted those weights, stuck to a clean diet, said NO to junk food, put his/her body through hell and back… i mean knowing that and what you have accomplished thus far when you see that reflection staring back at you, it motivates myself to man up whenever i need to get my ass to gym on a shitty day…

I lift weights for myself. When I’m in the gym training, its the only small window of my day when I don’t wish I was doing anything else. I get absorbed into the moment and block out all of the BS from ‘real life’ and escape. After the first few years, it has become my therapy, my release, my way to keep it together.

I live this lifestyle because it makes ME happy. Honestly, at this point, I can’t imagine living any other way. I don’t do it for anyone else. I didn’t get big because I wanted to command respect, or because I wanted to intimidate or impress others, or because I thought it would help me get women (which has been a nice side-effect).

I got big because it was the type of man that I wanted to become, and I’m not just talking about aesthetics. I wanted to become a man’s man, a tough sumbitch that doesn’t whine, complain, bitch and moan. You’ve got to be tough motherfucker to squat 2x body weight for sets of ten, which I am proud to say I can now do (albeit with wraps & belt).

My motivation was, and still is, to become as masculine as possible, and I saw weight training as one of the main steps in getting there. I’m not quite there yet, I’ve still got some maturing to do, but I take comfort knowing that I’m the right path.

I’ve learned more about life in the weight room than anywhere else. As the years of training have piled one, I’ve learned how to be mentally tough, how to overcome adversity, how to continuously adapt and evolve, how to take care of business when I genuinely don’t feel like it, how to fight through pain, how to take action to tirelessly pursue my goals, how to effectively manage my time, and how to prioritize what really matters to me and what is just fluff.

Because of training, I am totally confidant in myself. I am proud of who I am. I am excited to see where this path is going to take me, mentally and physically. I love it because perfect is not possible. There are always improvements to be made. There is never a point that I will reach where I will look in the mirror and say “Well, there is nothing more for me to do with this, so I’ll hang it up now.” One of the greatest gifts this lifestyle has given me was when I realized that there is always something to be working towards from a bodybuilding standpoint, and then applied that thinking to the other aspects of my life.

So I guess that is what motivates me to train: to keep working towards becoming the best person I can be.

Getting bigger and stronger.
Seeing results of my labour in an extra rep, bigger pec, heavier squat max.
Attaining and applying knowledge.

  1. Without extreme physical exertion I don’t feel quite right.

  2. Out of self-respect I want to keep myself fit, strong and healthy.

I think the fact that without some physical activity I just feel lazy!

The fact that I don’t want to end up looking like all the other middle age peope in 20 years.

…and finally…I LOVE lifting hevier weights and progressing each workout!

PS. I also love the fact that I can eat lots of food as well.

Being head turningly muscular is a large part of my motivation…

I have goals which i aim towards, whether that is a fuller chest, or my first show or a scale weight…

Of course that is NOT what my response would be - not to someone who asked… I dont think anyone ever asks why i train, and if they did i’d simply say because i like it.

I generally get asked how i got into the shape i am. Again i usually just say i train a lot!

I am an extrovert in that i enjoy standing out in a crowd, but i do not like talking about it - i dont like ACTUAL attention, more being different.

Appearance is a reflection of mind. I don’t want to look like another soft, complacent, emasculated domestic male like everyone else. I want to feel superior to that. Plus I’ve always been strongly motivated to transcend my family background. I’m not one of them and I’m not going to look like one.

[quote]belligerent wrote:
I don’t want to look like another soft, complacent, emasculated domestic male like everyone else.[/quote]

This.

I am constantly ashamed by the pathetic quality of men these days. Truly pathetic the guys i meet.

I did write an essay about the role of masculinity between moisturising, womens rights and kicking the shit out of someone - but i deleted it as it was not on topic…

But it is something i am passionate about! :wink:

[quote]J-J wrote:

I am an extrovert in that i enjoy standing out in a crowd, but i do not like talking about it - i dont like ACTUAL attention, more being different.[/quote]

lol, I can identify with this.

[quote]Zendefone wrote:
I think if you MAIN motivation comes from attraction from girls, then your motivation won’t last and it’s only short termed. Most girls don’t like ‘‘too muscular’’ guys, so you’re going to stop at the point whereby it’s just nice for girls? That’s stupid. In that case, you’re not training for yourself and training for thers.

True, long term motivation IMO comes form the passion and the results you get form it. If you see results, then it’ll be very addictive and you wont stop.[/quote]

Right on. you are very good with psychology. Motivation is temporary. Passion is long term. Passion is the key term. correct answer. Now, we need to figure out how to be passionate about something.

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
J-J wrote:

I am an extrovert in that i enjoy standing out in a crowd, but i do not like talking about it - i dont like ACTUAL attention, more being different.

lol, I can identify with this.[/quote]

pssshhhhh whatever

you know you like it

That kid that made fun of my in Junior High School by putting his fingers from one hand around my bicep and pointing out the feat to all his friends. Soon after that, I started to lift weights. Deep down inside I think I’m still motivated by that humiliation, long since past. I’m also motivated by others who have transformed themselves from small and skinny to big and bulky.

I love the feeling of setting both my mind and body toward a determined effort, focusing entirely, forgetting the world, and overcoming adversity. Then coming back the next day to push myself a little bit farther.

1.It gives you a reason to look forward in life. that’s priceless

2.it is the only I have found so far that ‘‘works’’ in life. It’s a constructive, it feels great to achieve stuff in the gym and it’s worth it overall

My main reason for starting was to attract girl (note to myself: don’t work)

lifting weights feels good

and feeling good is good enough