Inspiration for the Gym

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  • #96265
    phenoms
    Participant

    The best motivation I ever had personally speaking for going to the gym was a girl that is no longer in my life. When I had only positive feelings for her it really lit a fire under my butt. Now I have mixed feelings for her which in and of itself dismay me, but there is also some negative association between her, working out, and some other things which used to help motivate me like certain music.

    So for quite a while I’ve been seeking a replacement motivator of the female persuasion. I’d prefer it be someone I know, but it doesn’t need to be.

    Brittany Beede and MzDevious are brand new on my radar, but I have to admit, I’m having the most impossible time finding anyone to hold that candle.

    I not only had the physical attraction, but the emotional connection working for me. Seems like its been working against me since.

    My Deviant Art Page (old stuff):
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    My Booru Gallery (new stuff):
    phenoms.booru.org

    Also
    www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenoms/index00.htm
    www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenom_fett/index00.htm

    #96267
    AlexG
    Keymaster

    It’s great if you can find a training partner to workout with in the gym; problem is I’ve never found anyone that’s as dedicated at it as I am. Rather motivating me, the other person wanted to work out w/ me in order to pull themselves up.

    “I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”
    ~ Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens (1907)

    #96271
    phenoms
    Participant

    I have people to workout with. I have never liked using reasons outside of yourself as reasons for motivation, but it seems like that is part of it in this case.

    By reasons outside of yourself, I mean like I had a g/f that quit smoking for me. I insisted that she shouldn’t be quitting for me but for herself. Doing it for herself she was more likely to stick with it long term.

    So by the same token, I *should* have enough motivation from internal reasons. Need to shake loose this apathy.

    My Deviant Art Page (old stuff):
    phenoms.deviantart.com

    My Booru Gallery (new stuff):
    phenoms.booru.org

    Also
    www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenoms/index00.htm
    www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenom_fett/index00.htm

    #96275
    fm07
    Participant

    I’m no motivational expert, but :

    You highlighted the reasons in the past why you worked out. You also mentioned you an ex quit smoking for you, and you advised her to quit for herself.

    Doing something and having to battle for a motivator is tough to keep up. What seems like a burning red hot fire one day will dim over time. For anything I need to get done, I just schedule it, and then consider the schedule iron clad and do it.

    A simple example would be waking up and going to work every morning. I certainly don’t do it because I have a mortgage and bills to pay. I do it because its on the schedule. Does it pay the mortgage? Yes? Put food in the table? Yes. But, I don’t think that every morning, I’m on my way to the train.

    #96277
    phenoms
    Participant

    This is something I’ve been wrestling with to myself and it finally boiled over enough to verbalize it. I feel really unresolved still, but am trying to think it through. Feedback often helps.

    I know that there are some people that will take their negative energy and channel it into physical activity. That works for them and must be awesome that they can do that. I know that I did a variation of that a long time ago that whenever I was feeling pooped for no good reason, instead of plopping down doing nothing, I used the same time I’d have spent retreating to go to the gym.

    Most of the time it helped, but I also had my motivation then too.

    Right now I’m in several states of transition with different things happening in my life and already feel like my plate is too full.

    In a way, I know the gym I have to go to here was something I looked forward to at a point. I did not view it as a chore, but as an escape.

    That’s really how I felt about it. Positive. Not as a positive spin, because there was no spin there. It was a positive experience because I could feel proud of myself for what I put into it, and I enjoyed the people.

    Hm… well wonders never cease I guess. Thinking things through and putting things to words still surprises me in what can come from it. That was very encouraging right there.

    Ok, well this is not only a good start, but it falls within the premise of having internal motivators rather than external.

    I don’t think I’m done with this yet, but it just took a 180 degree turn for the better. Now if I can just amp that up enough to capitalize on it.

    My Deviant Art Page (old stuff):
    phenoms.deviantart.com

    My Booru Gallery (new stuff):
    phenoms.booru.org

    Also
    www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenoms/index00.htm
    www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenom_fett/index00.htm

    #96278
    Robert McNay
    Participant

    Motivation, its been very, very hard for me. Its probably why I’ve spent most of my life overweight and out of shape. I’ve never been able to muster the “do it for yourself”.

    But the last 6 years have provided me with a different motivation, mortality. I watched my Father, Mother both die from things that were a result of not taking care of themselves. Then one of my best friends, who was easily capable of literally “hulking-out”, stopped taking care of himself. He came down with Type 2 diabetes and almost lost a foot to it (he ended up losing only a small toe).

    A couple of years ago, I took a stress test and the doctor saw a shadow in one part of my heart. He put the fear of god into me and I began working out. I dropped 40 pounds and actually had some visible muscle in places other than my legs. I took another stress test, the shadow was gone, I felt better and was almost off my blood pressure meds. Unfortunately, life kinda fell apart for me early 2009 and now I find myself having to start over again.

    Forget looking for inspiration in another person or yourself. Look for it in the simple question, “How long do I want to live and how good do I want that life to be?”

    #96406
    AlexG
    Keymaster

    CptMatt wrote:

    Forget looking for inspiration in another person or yourself. Look for it in the simple question, “How long do I want to live and how good do I want that life to be?”

    True.

    The bottom line is, whatever it is that gives you the drive to get in and to get the workout(s) done AND the day-to-day managing of your diet, only you can do it for yourself. No one can do it for you.

    Consistency and continuity of effort is what produces the results.

    “I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”
    ~ Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens (1907)

    #103074
    darkclaw91
    Participant

    Personally, I stay motivated by looking at buff women. I really want to both buff and an amazing fighter, but I also want to be in a relationship with a buff fighter woman one day. I don’t know what it is about looking at buff women, but I guess it reminds both of what I find attractive and what I want to be. I guess I could look at buff dudes too, but since I’m not attracted to men it does not give me the same amount of inspiration.

    Sadly, I recently fractured some vertebrae and tilted them. They’ll heal but I haven’t been able to work out in the last few weeks, at least not heavily. And I can’t fight either. At least according to my physiotherapist. But it should heal in a couple more weeks, and enough that I can continue with what I want to do. However, to keep myself out of depression over what I can’t do, I think about how I’m going to get back into shape when my back is healed and all the fighting I will continue to do. And to stay “extra motivated”, I look at a picture of a buff babe and I feel good again.

    I know it sounds a bit silly, but it works for me and that’s what is important 🙂

    #103125
    AlexG
    Keymaster

    Personally, I stay motivated by looking at buff women. I really want to both buff and an amazing fighter, but I also want to be in a relationship with a buff fighter woman one day. I don’t know what it is about looking at buff women, but I guess it reminds both of what I find attractive and what I want to be. I guess I could look at buff dudes too, but since I’m not attracted to men it does not give me the same amount of inspiration.

    Sadly, I recently fractured some vertebrae and tilted them. They’ll heal but I haven’t been able to work out in the last few weeks, at least not heavily. And I can’t fight either. At least according to my physiotherapist. But it should heal in a couple more weeks, and enough that I can continue with what I want to do. However, to keep myself out of depression over what I can’t do, I think about how I’m going to get back into shape when my back is healed and all the fighting I will continue to do. And to stay “extra motivated”, I look at a picture of a buff babe and I feel good again.

    I know it sounds a bit silly, but it works for me and that’s what is important 🙂

    No, it is not silly, nor is it foolish. Do not limiit yoursef to what is, but might be possible. Yes, there are some that might seem so attracive, and yet – will be/are unabtainable. You will have to learn what is, what is possible – a not that easy a task. And yet, in the end, there might be THE ONE, the one that is worthy of you, and you of her.

    “I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”
    ~ Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens (1907)

    #117980
    Anonymous
    Guest

    By reasons outside of yourself, I mean like I had a g/f that quit smoking for me. I insisted that she shouldn’t be quitting for me but for herself. Doing it for herself she was more likely to stick with it long term.

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