Why do you bodybuild?

[Electricheadd]

Lets be honest, this is a fairly self masochistic life style. We lift heavy objects until our muscles fail, we eat in a deficit, and do miles of cardio all voluntarily. I am curious why everyone else does it.

Personally, I have several reasons. A few years back I was teaching my daughter to ride bike and after running around with her for 15 minutes I realized I was so out of shape I could barely do it. I didn't want to be "that dad" who couldn't do active things or embarrassed her or worse yet died when she was still a kid. That was my first reason.

My second reason is a bit more selfish. I always admired people who have great self control and will power. People who body build really do embody that for me. It takes amazing inner strength to voluntarily push yourself in a gym every day while controlling your food intake. As I have said in other posts "any person who won the genetic lottery can have a 6 pack but the guy who earned his through months of consistency and pain is a guy I want to know".

Lastly, is purely vanity, I was an athlete for most of early adulthood so I never really had a problem with my weight until I got out of college and got the dreaded desk job. After that happened I started fighting my weight for a few years, then gave up for a few more. During this time I realized what being obese really meant. It means being treated a bit differently by everyone. Girls stick you into the "friend" category, co workers and bosses treat you with a little less respect, and family is concerned for your health. Seeing both sides of that fence really opened my eyes and I don't think people treat you differently on purpose but I realized I was at a disadvantage in almost every facet of life being obese.

[drewsedg]

Because it feels better than not doing it.

[jon1995]

good conversation, my reasons in order:
1. Health reasons.
2. Physical fitness, i play sports so i want to perform on the highest level.
3. I want to build a nice body to be proud of and be proud of myself for having accomplished what i did. When i was younger i was fat not obese but pretty fat up until last year when i started working out.

[DRtrainer]

to make haters feel jealous.

[samsont]

simple: It makes me happy

[ISUCyclone33]

for the women

[Newag]

I like the challenge.

I like doing things out side of the norm. Not really, since many women lift.

It helps me see results physically.

To get hench. (obvious, answer is obvious)

It keeps me busy. I don't get bored with lifting. It helps my roaming mind.

[jon1995]

for the women

this

[DSUP]

I am curious why everyone else does it.

Because I like looking at myself in the mirror. (Strong post by the way).

[LengthyLifter]

First and foremost for health reasons. Got bad test results from a physical.

But the feeling of total control over my body (and the vanity) keep me dedicated.

[Electricheadd]

I like the challenge.

I like doing things out side of the norm. Not really, since many women lift.

It helps me see results physically.

To get hench. (obvious, answer is obvious)

It keeps me busy. I don't get bored with lifting. It helps my roaming mind.

Awe man I completely forgot about getting Hench!!!

[sshin]

for the women

^ Used to be this. But I bodybuild because it's somewhat of a challenge. It takes time and effort to achieve what needs to be achieved.

[mike1723]

Started: to be one of the stronger teens
then: I did it to get attention from the ladies
then: to avoid the "get married-let yourself go" phase
Now I do it for my kids that want to be "strong like daddy"

[cyco85]

Discipline and to feel like I'm worth a damn

[basspro05]

Sweet Post, I have always wondered the same about many of the members on here.

My reasons:

1.) Always been fat...at age 23 I couldn't stand on a boat for 9 hours and fish like i love to do, I couldn't walk to my deer stand without almost having a heart attack.

2.) I got absolutely no respect from anybody who didn't know me for who I really was...( getting treated like sh*t sucks)

3.) I found my GF of 6 years starting to be less and less interested in me physically ( couldnt blame her, I was fat when she met me but really fat 6 years later)

4.) And probably the biggest reason, I watched my best friend of 15 years lose control to alcohol, I tried helping him as much as I could until I gave him a bottom line, and he still didn't care. We haven't talked since, but days after I gave him an ultimatum, I took a step back and realized that my eating and lack of physical activity was just as harmful as what he was doing. I vowed that day forward, December 27th, 2010, that I would take care of my own addiction and problem.

Since then, I am happier and happier every day, with a minor speed bump here or there.

[kanis999]

I was brainwashed by action cartoons and RPG's as a kid. I now think that my honor and self worth depends on how hard I train. I want to be like the Buddhist monks in movies that devote their lives to a cause and truly master an art.

Also, I don't see bodybuilding as masochistic. All the suffering we must endure is for a worthy cause. The reward outweighs the suffering.

[nlite2000]

vanity, vanity and vanity. If left to my own devices I were 15% bodyfat and "normal" I wouldn't do it.

[Singe03]

I enjoy it, I enjoy seeing the results, I even like being a little sore most of the time, it makes me feel like I'm doing something positive.

My BP has gone from 130ish / 90ish to around 110ish / 72ish. In a family with a history of high blood pressure on both sides, I consider that pretty good.

It has forced some lifestyle changes, that after a hard start, I rather like. I like being tired at an earlier bedtime, I like being up before sunrise, eating better, etc.

Pure, simple, vanity.

[jsmoor09]

I think it's the control thing. Food has owned me for as long as I can remember. Truth be told, I would have never picked up weights on this cut if it weren't for finding this site. But, getting in the gym and putting up 5 more lbs than last week or doing 2 more reps makes me feel amazing about myself. Then that free piece of pizza becomes SO much easier to pass on. I've had a conscious desire to lose weight for a long time now. But every time free pizza, donuts, or a chance to go out to eat showed up, I didn't worry about it. In the past month, I don't know how many times I've turned down FREE pizza in favor of my cold a$$ turkey and cheese sandwich. And while I hate doing it, there's an intense fullfilment in it. I feel better about myself than I can ever remember feeling.

That translates into reason #2. The ladies. Even 5 lbs ago, I had the confidence to approach girls I never would have in the past. I had one approach me. Girl at the coffee shop kept glancing over at me last night. And...when you see those gorgeous girls in the gym, no one can tell you that you can't get rep #8 up, not even you. It's not trying to show off to impress them, my bench still isn't $hit, but it's the icing on motivation.

[TelusLob]

Lets be honest, this is a fairly self masochistic life style. We lift heavy objects until our muscles fail, we eat in a deficit, and do miles of cardio all voluntarily. I am curious why everyone else does it.

Personally, I have several reasons. A few years back I was teaching my daughter to ride bike and after running around with her for 15 minutes I realized I was so out of shape I could barely do it. I didn't want to be "that dad" who couldn't do active things or embarrassed her or worse yet died when she was still a kid. That was my first reason.

My second reason is a bit more selfish. I always admired people who have great self control and will power. People who body build really do embody that for me. It takes amazing inner strength to voluntarily push yourself in a gym every day while controlling your food intake. As I have said in other posts "any person who won the genetic lottery can have a 6 pack but the guy who earned his through months of consistency and pain is a guy I want to know".

Lastly, is purely vanity, I was an athlete for most of early adulthood so I never really had a problem with my weight until I got out of college and got the dreaded desk job. After that happened I started fighting my weight for a few years, then gave up for a few more. During this time I realized what being obese really meant. It means being treated a bit differently by everyone. Girls stick you into the "friend" category, co workers and bosses treat you with a little less respect, and family is concerned for your health. Seeing both sides of that fence really opened my eyes and I don't think people treat you differently on purpose but I realized I was at a disadvantage in almost every facet of life being obese.

Very similar things.. I love the results and I love the discipline it gives me. I think I can apply these principles I've learned to so many things in life. Repped as usual!

[krete77]

I started lifting originally because I wanted a six pack. (7 years ago). Took me almost 6.5 years to figure out that bodybuilding is much more then just going to the gym and lifting weights. Now, I look at it in a totally different light, and have a few main reasons for body building.

1) For my health. Besides bodybuilding, the diet/nutrition part of it is my favorite part. Monitoring all my blood tests, etc..keeping everything in check.
2) For strength. To be strong in every thing I do, and be able to tackle any situation that may come my way.
3) For protection. I have my own family now, and GOD FORBID anything happens. I want to be sure I'm able to protect my family in self-defense, no matter what the situation.
4) Self confidence. I'm confident and humble already, but this just adds to it.

5) To show off I'm in better shape then everyone around me. (lol not serious) ;0)

Great post BTW! Love reading good threads.

[rimduglep]

Honestly, I got serious about getting in shape about four months ago... My confidence and sex life were totally trashed. I felt terrible about myself and it doesn't matter that I didn't have any libido, because nothing was going on down there anyway. I had my testosterone levels checked and they were normal - for a 75 year old man. Just ten months before, I had married a woman 8 years my junior and I really felt that I was letting her down in terms of the physical side of the relationship. I thought about the sorts of things that I could do to increase my confidence... That led to me thinking about some of my longest standing goals - the most important of which was getting in better shape. I had learned a lot about nutrition and bought Starting Strength but I had never dedicated myself to seeing it through. I decided to do that. I've never been someone to stick to any sort of goals - I'm a quitter. I told myself I wouldn't quit. About a month in, I was seeing cutting results and seeing the bedroom results. A few months later and I'm actually bulking - something I never thought I would do.

I have goals.

I want to get hench and keep this body looking thick, solid, and tight.

Seriously, though... I do this because the alternative just plain sucks.

[msm00b]

Why do I bodybuild?

If I'm 100% honest with myself it probably falls somewhere along the lines that I'm a closet narcissist whose feelings of self worth are very much dependant on the reflection in the mirror. Vanity at it's best/worst? Perhaps, but at least I'd be honest. If I were on a desert island by myself with an unlimited supply of food and workout equipment would I still do it? Probably not. I'm inherently lazy.

There's a driving force of wanting to be healthy to live a long time, set a good example for my kids, and watch my grandkids/greatgrandkids grow up - but let's be honest; you'd likely live a lot longer by simply watching your diet and doing a bunch of cardio. As you pile more muscle onto your body - you actually get to a point where your life expectancy starts to drop off ... not get higher. It's not the hulking bodybuilder dudes you see living into their hundreds, it's the thin rancher type dudes who work long/hard, are thin yet strong, and lead active lifestyles - or the casual runners/bikers of the world

[nlite2000]

Why do I bodybuild?

If I'm 100% honest with myself it probably falls somewhere along the lines that I'm a closet narcissist whose feelings of self worth are very much dependant on the reflection in the mirror. Vanity at it's best/worst? Perhaps, but at least I'd be honest. If I were on a desert island by myself with an unlimited supply of food and workout equipment would I still do it? Probably not. I'm inherently lazy.

There's a driving force of wanting to be healthy to live a long time, set a good example for my kids, and watch my grandkids/greatgrandkids grow up - but let's be honest; you'd likely live a lot longer by simply watching your diet and doing a bunch of cardio. As you pile more muscle onto your body - you actually get to a point where your life expectancy starts to drop off ... not get higher. It's not the hulking bodybuilder dudes you see living into their hundreds, it's the thin rancher type dudes who work long/hard, are thin yet strong, and lead active lifestyles - or the casual runners/bikers of the world

great post

/nuthugging.

[buckiaj]

I started a little over two years ago, to not look like a fata$$ anymore (5"8, 242lbs, 35-40%BF). Cut my calories, moved more, lost a ton of fat.

Once i got into the mid to lower 20s of BodyFat, i got obsessed with what it would be like to be completely comfortable without a shirt on. I mean, absolutely comfortable with zero insecurities.

So, #1 is pure and simple vanity. I love making my body composition change.
#2 Health. I will be starting a family soon, and I want to make sure i'm around a long time
#3 It gives me more confidence in my everyday life. I have found that the better i treat myself in the gym and diet, the better other people treat me outside the gym. Its a very odd bu true phenomenon.

BTW, Great thread topic. Repped

[Emdad]

Vanity, plus I feel really sloppy if I don't workout, also I cant imagine myself in a body where I dont see a muscle when I try to contract it. For example
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/sl...ows-biceps.jpg

[nlite2000]

Vanity, plus I feel really sloppy if I don't workout, also I cant imagine myself in a body where I dont see a muscle when I try to contract it. For example
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/sl...ows-biceps.jpg

I feel good about my arms for once, thanks.

[illiniStrive]

I don't bodybuild lol.

[Emdad]

Your avi says otherwise.

[csb5731]

1. The number one reason for me is vanity. I'd be skinny fit with 11” arms, or fat-fat with 12” arms if I didn't hit the gym with some frequency. I'm vain and I hate love-handles.
2. It helps me in so many ways, with activities that I enjoy (hiking/biking) and some that I do not. Last time I helped a friend move, I easily did twice the “moving” of anyone else involved and was less worse for wear when done.
3. I feel better when I do it, it relieves stress, and it's one form of exercise I can do year-round. It's also relatively inexpensive: my $25/mo gym membership pales in comparison to what I used to spend on biking gear, and is cheaper than what I currently spend on hiking/climbing stuff.