I mean I'm like a baby in this group at only 36, but at times I feel so run down I dont know if I want to keep hitting the gym. So, I think ,its overtraining, I'll take a few days off. Days become weeks, too much work, too many holidays, etc, etc. When I finally get back to the gym, its like I've been out a year! Too much strength loss, muscle loss, too hard to stay motivated.
What I need to hear are stories of inspiration and motivation. What keeps you going? What things happened that caused you to quit and how or why did you come back? Do you still try to out do the younger guys in the gym?
There was a time when I wanted to compete.............but so much discipline, so much commitment. Has anyone waited over 10-15 years to realize a dream of competing for the first time?
Replies please......
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01-06-2005, 05:34 PM #1
What keeps your motivation level up as you get older?
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01-06-2005, 06:00 PM #2
- Join Date: Dec 2004
- Location: Michigan, United States
- Age: 63
- Posts: 1,938
- Rep Power: 1448
Originally Posted by tgutz
(edit: and also a desire to stay in good physical condition -- as I passed 40, I began to see my overall health beginning to deteriorate as a result of poor diet and eating habits, along with an inactive lifestyle)
C.K.Last edited by stahlhart; 01-06-2005 at 07:09 PM.
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01-06-2005, 06:36 PM #3Originally Posted by tgutz
Decided I was tired of being a fatso in my teen years, lost weight 23-24 years ago, and decided to take up weightlifting in addition to cardio exercise almost 3 years ago.
Other people in the gym are irrelevant. All that matters is whether or not I'm satisfied with my efforts, the way I feel, the way my clothes fit, and whether or not I'm continuing to make progress in the form of fat loss, muscle growth, strength or endurance gains.
Attention to nutrition/exercise is just about the last thing "to go" during times of stress for me, because I feel it's the one area where I can exercise complete control when other things (that I can't control) seem to be falling to pieces.
No thoughts of competing here, so I can't address those issues."People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents." Andrew Carnegie
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=344884&p=4016458&viewfull=1#post4016458
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01-06-2005, 06:49 PM #4
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01-06-2005, 07:04 PM #5
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01-06-2005, 07:19 PM #6
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01-06-2005, 07:22 PM #7
My main motivator is fear. Fear of becoming a weak, fat, slob. Everyday that I don't feel like going, I ask myself, "What will I look/feel like if I don't go?". I'm at the gym a half hour later.
Jon Cole's Gym: '79 - '85
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9275071&d=1603917754
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01-06-2005, 07:56 PM #8Originally Posted by tgutz
I started lifting when I was 14 years old because I was the VERY smallest kid out of 2000 in my high school. And VERY VERY self conscious. Well I now have over a 100lbs more muscle and I wonder why I keep doing it. The cost of the food plus supplements the 6 meals a day etc etc is getting to be a real pain.
Same with training for triathlons. I never LOVED the training but I did LOVE the competition and to do well of course you need to train VERY hard. I was almost deperate to do well and would train 35 to 40 hours a week.
But now even competing doesn't get me psyched like it used to. Heck all I had to do was read about an upcoming race and my pulse would increase, my mouth would get dry and my stomach would start flipping.
But now it seems the happier I am with my place in life and the way I look the less I 'NEED' to compete or even workout. I am at peace with myself and not concerned as much with how I look. Now mind you I am about 11% BF so I am not saying I have a beer gut and am smoking cigs lol
I could easily go for a year with no workouts and not look out of shape so I am finding it VERY tough to keep going.
Maybe I need to find another sport to get motivated.Last edited by CROWLER; 01-06-2005 at 07:58 PM.
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01-06-2005, 07:59 PM #9
I've told this tale before but newbies deserve all the help we can give them. I returned to the US at age 59, an emaciated, distraught wreck going through divorce and recently laid off after decades with one company. Lifting gave me something to focus on, gave me visual and physical feedback, gave me a goal of health and regeneration. Lifting put Humpty Dumpty back together again!!! It had always been there but finally I gave it my love and attention and it loved me back. I am forever changed.
Last edited by Dutchman; 01-06-2005 at 08:02 PM.
Dutch
For four generations my family has answered the call and served as needed from Europe to Asia to 9/11. We will gladly stand and fight again to preserve our freedom from tyranny.
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01-06-2005, 08:05 PM #10
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01-06-2005, 11:23 PM #11
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01-07-2005, 04:38 AM #12
my motivation is my 8 month old son. I am 36 and i want to see him grow up and i also want to be able to play with him when he gets older. so i am trying to stay in shape. Plus i dont want to be one of those couch potatoes with a belly when i get old. I want to be the sexy old guy that all the women look at(ha ha).
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01-07-2005, 04:47 AM #13
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01-07-2005, 04:51 AM #14
- Join Date: Nov 2004
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Age: 73
- Posts: 6,822
- Rep Power: 8925
I took up training at age 53 after a 22 year gap. My motivation is that I did not want to feel and look like a fat, bent-over old man. Hitting the weights has helped me improve my posture, drop two pant sizes, and eliminate knee and lower back pains.
To quote an old Yiddish song "If you are healthy then you can be happy".Joel
“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
My 2014 Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159562211
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01-07-2005, 04:52 AM #15
- Join Date: Apr 2004
- Location: Ohio..Cleveland
- Age: 63
- Posts: 379
- Rep Power: 1277
I'm 44. And it can be hard; that treck to the gym. The thinking, planning, and work that staying in shape takes. I too often wonder if it's worth it.
Then....I get to the office..
I see people my age..who can't walk up the 3 flights of stairs in the parking garage without getting winded...
I see people my age..who look 10..15 years older than they actually are...
I see people my age..complaining about thier weight/strength..etc..as they eat another cream filled breakfast pastry....
I see people my age...who I'd rather not be...and that keeps me motivated..
Oh yeah, and of course as Chi-Town says..SEX..
not that I get any of that currently anyway..but..its still a motivator!
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01-07-2005, 05:17 AM #16
RE:Motavation
Keep changing your work outs and exercises. Change rep schemes, vary from light to heavier weights, high reps to low reps. Keep it interesting! I find if I stick to a work out for several months I tend to get bored, it's human nature! Keep mixing it up and keeping it interesting. Think of the alternative, fat, weak and out of shape.
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01-07-2005, 05:25 AM #17
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01-07-2005, 05:28 AM #18
- Join Date: Jan 2005
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
- Age: 56
- Posts: 180
- Rep Power: 238
My motivation is my 18 month old son - I'm 37 now, so I'll always be an older dad, but I want to be in good shape to throw a football around and play basketball with him when he's in High School and I'm in my 50's.
Plus - this year I've really decided to get into good shape because of my 20 year H.S. reunion! I was about 6', 135-140 lbs when I graduated high school.
At my 10-year reunion, having grown to 6'3", I was one of the three tallest people out of my class, but I still only weighed about 155 lbs.
It's only since I hit my mid-thirties and got married that I've been able to gain any weight - so this time I don't just want to be tall and skinny, I want to be in the best shape of any guy at my reunion.
Bradford
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01-07-2005, 05:36 AM #19
- Join Date: Aug 2004
- Location: Away from arbitrary power. "Freedom is the emancipation from the arbitrary rule of other men." ~ Mortimore J. Adler
- Age: 78
- Posts: 3,330
- Rep Power: 677
I had fallen into a lot of bad habits over the last 20 years. I started smoking again, drinking too much and eating the wrong kinds of foods. I felt like you discribe, miserable and unmotivated.
Last March I quit smoking and started to eat better. By May, I had gained quite a few lbs, so I joined a gym to get into shape. I worked for 8 weeks just getting into shape so I could really workout without breaking anything. After that, I started AST's Max OT 12 week training program. You can see my stats below. I am currently doing an 8 week cut to get down to 8% body fat. That means I have to lose 8 lbs of fat and gain 4 lbs of muscle in that period.
I like what I have done so far. I have a decent shape, I feel strong as an ox, I like having this new purpose and I like seeing myself getting better every day.
If you are unmotivated, the first step is to set a goal and then do something to acheive it.
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aA.FreeRadical aJun. 2004
Neck 16.5" Shoulders 49" Biceps 14.5" Chest 42" Waist 37" Hips 39" Thighs 21"....5' 9" tall 184 lbs bf 18%
July 2007
Neck 17" Shoulders 50" Biceps 16" Chest 44" Waist 34" Hips 38" Thighs 23"..... 5' 9" tall 189 lbs 19% bf
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01-07-2005, 05:59 AM #20
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01-07-2005, 06:30 AM #21
It is a complete lifestyle change. Once it is part of your lifestyle, you dont skip the gym, it is part of who you are. If you are having trouble with motivation, then you have'nt yet changed your lifestyle. Keep going on a regular basis, and you will form the habit. Starting over again and again will never get you where you want to be.
You are what you eat, You are what you lift, You are who you are, Do the best with what god gave you to work with, and be happy with it!
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01-07-2005, 06:47 AM #22
- Join Date: Sep 2004
- Location: on the friggin stepmill!
- Age: 53
- Posts: 3,040
- Rep Power: 2214
i got married young and had kids young. i was 28 and out of shape. i started workout and even teaching at the gym. i looked and felt better, but i wasn't enough. i decided to compete at 32 and stepped on stage for the first time at 33. if i knew how to post pics, i's show you a before and after. the fire is inside of me now. i have enjoyed my off season, probably a bit too much, but i am ready to compete again. it is one of the hardest yet most rewarding things i've ever done!
and chi.........i totally agree!
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01-07-2005, 07:21 AM #23
- Join Date: Feb 2002
- Location: South Carolina, United States
- Age: 62
- Posts: 25,898
- Rep Power: 37584
Oh, you should figure out how to post pics -- we'd love to see your befores and afters. It's always inspiring to see someone change themselves for the better!
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
GOOOOO COCKS!!!!!! GOOOOO STEELERS!!!!!
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01-07-2005, 07:41 AM #24
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01-07-2005, 07:45 AM #25
My motivation is having the edge.
Knowing that no matter what comes my way I will be able to deal with it Knowing that if I slack off then someone else will have the edge over me. In this I drive myself not to fail.
We all must strive to be the best and not fail. Failure is not a option nor is it acceptable.
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01-07-2005, 07:56 AM #26
I know there are a number of guys and gals here who started training at a young age and are still going strong at an advanced age.
It does seem the vast majority of people have started working out recently(In the past 10 years or so). I am just wondering if I am burned out having gone 30 years of working out, competing etc. I have never been out of shape, even if I don't workout for 9 months I don't lose a whole lot so I am not motivated by the fear of getting fat, out of shape etc. Thanks dad for the good genetics
Perhaps I just burned the candle too bright and too long.
I still workout and eat properly but it aint no fun anymore. I do switch up the exercises I do heavey weight lifting and do triathlons, play a little tennis ice skate etc etc, but all of this is more of a chore than enjoyment.
I have never been one to 'miss' working out. Heck if I never worked out again I wouldn't miss it.
I owned a 2 gyms and a health club which I sold and now have ALOT of free time on my hands. Maybe I just see working out as more WORK than recreation.
Maybe I need to switch to square dancing lolLast edited by CROWLER; 01-07-2005 at 08:00 AM.
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01-07-2005, 08:07 AM #27
Military
The army has a way of making you stay in shape. But I never really got into the whole weightlifting thing until about 6 1/2 years ago when I was getting ready to deploy for a "high profile/high vis" trip. I decided I wanted to be bigger. Look like what a person might think a Special Forces soldier looks like.
Started hitting the weights and guess what? My body started responding and showing the results. Now I'm addicted. I still go everyday because my job doesn't get any easier. The rucksacks, ammo, "kit", SCUBA gear, parachutes etc. weighs just as much if not more than it ever has. It's a young man's world, if I am to lead them...I have to be in front.
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01-07-2005, 09:16 AM #28
- Join Date: Nov 2003
- Location: Elevation 7703; Colorado
- Age: 59
- Posts: 1,151
- Rep Power: 997
What Cortez sought on his journey to the New World, I've found: The fountain of youth in the form of exercise, nutrition and supplementation. I maintain a youthful look and feel, allowing me to continue to do the things I've always done (physically and athletically) without limitation. I have no medical conditions and take no medications. The difference between me now and twenty years ago is much greater size and strength. It's a choice I make, realizing I'm either moving forward or falling back. The health I enjoy is directly linked to the exercise regimen I maintain. To slack off would be to start losing what I've already accomplished and cheat myself of potential gains not yet attained.
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Psalm 14:1
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01-07-2005, 09:25 AM #29
- Join Date: Mar 2004
- Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Age: 58
- Posts: 202
- Rep Power: 246
This is an interesting topic since it has been pretty much the motto of my life, being on the doorstep of turning 40 very soon.
In summary, I weighed around 135lbs at high school graduation, wasn't like a geek or anything, just was always extremely thin. I guess I first started working out somewhat during college, where I graduated at around 155lbs or so. Then through my 20's I got more into it and my weight got up to around 165lbs or so. But, at that time I didnt really have a clue about the whole protein thing or anything, just worked out with my buddies for something to do, and I was getting a little bit of results, which was cool.
Fast forward to 1997, in my early 30's...blew out a disc in my neck...had surgery to remove it... had the whole neckbrace thing for 6 wks, etc.. after that...I was pretty pathetic... only weighed about 150+..lost any size that I had during that from not eating good or training. Then started working with a trainer who educated me on proper diet, supplements, etc.. I had already had a pretty good training regimen, but got a hell of a lot more intense. Anyway, ended up at 195lbs ultimately by the following yr, where I was a even a bouncer for awhile at my buddy's club in the city. I am only 5'8", so being at 195 was pretty impressive for me. And I was pretty solid at 195, not a big gut or anything. By that time, I had come to love training and just kept taking it to different heights. Keeping in mind that I got married in 1996, and we had our first child in 1999, where the bouncer thing had ended...was just a side job to keep me out of trouble while my wife was pregnant.
The moral to this story is that I am now 39, and possibly in the best shape of my entire life. I really started a "personal mission" about 3 yrs ago, right before our second child was born... maybe because I knew 40 was approaching, or just due to my chiroprater always getting on my case about lifting heavy wts, etc... so I began to dabble with dieting, and here I am 2 months from the big 40, and I weigh a solid 165+ lbs..pretty tight and defined. I can't begin to tell you how cool it is to have people now looking up to me because of my accomplishments. I realize that I am nowhere near perfect, nor will ever be, but I dont look too different from any 20something dudes at my gym. I now work with a lot of people that I know to help them get in better shape, etc.. and I love it. Also, seeing people that I went to school with and stuff, now the tables have completely turned. I have the body that people envy, whereas in the past I used to almost obsess over others.
I am so humble about it all though, since the most important thing to me is my family and my spirituality. (I teach 8th grade Religious Education), but bodybuilding is like a passion that I hope to carry on for yrs to come, like so many of you on this site. I tip my hat to you all who remain working out and keeping fit.
Good luck to you!!! Nothing is impossible without dedication and hard work!!!
fyi....I have one of my pics posted in the pic gallery. I hope to get some more recent one's up soon.
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01-07-2005, 09:30 AM #30Originally Posted by phikappa
I also like being more muscular than the average guy. It's a matter of exceling at something when, as a kid, I was poor and weak at everything I did: getting picked last if I was picked at all for a team; tripping over the ball playing Kickball and getting laughed at; all the things that went along with being a scrawny little sissy.
When I don't feel like going to the gym (unless my body and mind really are too tired), but I push myself, I always feel better for it and am glad I didn't wuss out.Last edited by Minotaur; 01-07-2005 at 09:33 AM.
"Go home, have a beer and smash something. That's what I would do" - Unknown (but probably Thor).
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