Why Did You Start?

[jack5r]

Im sure over the years someone has probably made a thread like this but im bored and im sure alot of the newer members havnt seen one.

Why did you start bodybuilding?

Have you reason for starting changed as time as gone on? (Mabie you started to get stronger but now you just do it to feel good)

I myself started for a few reason in this order i think. Although priorities have started to change in my short time bbing. At first it was all for looks, girls, and to be feared (well less likly to get batterd). Now im concentrating alot more on strength to and bbing has become a sort of a hobby in which im interested in and spend much of my time researching. Another reason is to be able to fight. May not be an issue for some of you here, but i live in a ****hole. Combining bbing with judo and then boxing once im more happy with my gains. My main motivators have been, getting mugged off by bigger kids on the street (the amount of anger you get from that can be used constrively iv found) and compliments from people iv got since i started. (i want them to continue :P)

Tell me yours!

[TorontoMoFo]

I got jumped by a bunch of big older guys.

Left me with a broken jaw and cut on the back of my head.

I realized how puny I was... still tho, I am puny at 170 lbs.. but people don't EVER talk sh!t now.

Now I workout for aesthetic reasons.

[Merk0135]

I don't know. I knew I always would but never knew why. I walked into a gym one day and never left.

[roehrigs01]

I didn't like the way I was looking body-wise.... also, solved my bouts of unjustified depression...

[wnxmaximus]

Working out has helped me with my mood and stuff. Used to have random bits of depression and just being lethargic, very overweight.... so i started lifting, eating, and living a new lifestyle, and now life is so much better. I seriously would tell anyone that asks, that lifting and eating healthier has literally changed my life. If it werent for the gym and having these goals, i wouldnt of had any motivation. My grades are better, i look better, feel better.... oh ya, there was a girl that i like for about 6 years, and while we have always been close, she notices me more now... thats nice.

But now, that I am over all that crap. I just want to get strong. I wanna compete in local strongest man competitions in my state and stuff for fun, i just like having brute strength.

[Lifter101]

It's funny how a few of you mention working out because u were depressed. If i don't work out for awhile, it's literally depressing for me. I wonder if it has to do with hormones. I worked out because i was tired of being scrawny and blaming it on genetics. Although still scrawny, i no longer blame it on genetics. haha

[Taylor]

Back in the 90's I worked out to look good. I had a hot wife at the time and needed to bring my appearance up to kill the "how the fvck did he get her?" comments....well, after the marriage went south, so did my appearance. I stopped working out, lost about 30-40lbs., stopped eating right, smoked like a chimney and started working on a little bit of a drinking habit. the drinking I stopped pretty early on but the rest I continued for the better part of 9 years. I told myself if I could quit smoking that I'd start taking care of myself again. Well, I said it and finally meant it on 4-8-07, the increase in appetite told me I needed to work out or I'd be a fat slob in no time.
So, I probably still do it for looks, but being strong and feeling good about myself is a huge bonus.

Side note about depression: It's the first symptom of overtraining for me and I know to take a few days off

[virus]

Because in school I did it for football and realised the huge stress relief and the load I could burn up exercising. I enjoyed the effects of doing it as well; the getting stronger, bigger, and faster (for football it was just perfect.)


Of course didn't know as much as I do know as then but can't go back in time! lol

[Hawkwind]

A progressiver PT started me lifting when I was 17 after a fall off my horse and subsequent ex-rays showed congenital lordosis. She was determined to help me correct some of the curvature as well as ease the non-stop pain I was in.

Her approach worked and I just never really stopped except for pregnancies and surgeries.

Now I train because it keeps the pain from my fibromyalgia to a minimum, helps keep me strong for my backpacking and I just cannot envision life without my training. I always tease my family that they'll be prying little pink dumbbells out of my cold dead hands when I die of old age. (Unless of course I fall off a mountain first...then they'll have to deal with the backpack instead! And no...I don't use the little pink DB's...I have those for my granddaughters. )

[fitjosh]

i got beaten up few years ago, left me with a broken jaw dislocated shoulder, and i needed pshyciatric help- he advised me to hit the gym and take on martial arts, which i did, ( and i cant say it really, but im kinda thanking that nutter what he did to me then, if not for him i wouldnt be like i am now )

[jack5r]

Originally Posted by fitjosh

i got beaten up few years ago, left me with a broken jaw dislocated shoulder, and i needed pshyciatric help- he advised me to hit the gym and take on martial arts, which i did, ( and i cant say it really, but im kinda thanking that nutter what he did to me then, if not for him i wouldnt be like i am now )

ah similar to me then, but i kept my jaw in one piece lol. Where in london you from?

[skullmurdoc]

When I was younger I had an athletic body and then at 25 ish I got fat after stopping smoking. I went from 150 to 215. So I start training mostly to lose weight. I went down to 160-165 then stop for a while. I began to get fat again so I started again. After going down to 170-175 I decided to continue training because I didn't want to bubble up again. I'm now training for strength but I still don't like my body. I still feel fat even if my girl and my friend tell me I look great. I'm now sitting at 205 pounds but no where near the BF I had at 215. I wish I was stronger.

EDIT: I forgot I also started dead lifting about 10 month ago for my bad back and it helped me immensely.

[POWERJIM]

I was curious and bored.