inspiration... for me at least

[timberino]

i have always had guys i've compared myself to as a means of pushing myself. well i went to my school gym today and when i went to do bench press i saw this guy from last semester. i had been seeing him since i started this "quest for muscle" or whatever and i remember him being about my height and pretty big... at least from my perspective. well... when i saw him today he was huge. so i told him he was huge. he told me all he had done was change his workout routine and he "figured" he was eating more. yet the dude put on 30lbs in about half a year is what he said. although i am bothered by the fact that all of my inspirations just keep getting bigger; i am none the less very impressed. just wanted to share.

[jerseyflex]

when i was a freshman in college i weighed 170 at 6' and couldnt flat bench 135 lbs for reps

if it werent for the big ripped guys showing it off in my gym and getting the attention i would never have been able to push myself to reach 240 lbs with a 405 max (315 for reps) .........took me 12 years to get there (I chose to stay drug free....on juice it wouldve taken prob 3-4-5 years)

my point is - if they keep getting bigger and looking better youll keep getting motivated........keep going, someday the young pups will look at you as inspiration

remember: keys to getting big and built: consistency, intensity, dedication, and lean protein every 3 hours (how many grams depends on your body weight) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hulkmuscle]

Originally Posted by jerseyflex

when i was a freshman in college i weighed 170 at 6' and couldnt flat bench 135 lbs for reps

I was 135 when I GRADUATED college at 6'1, so I was probably closer to like 125 or so when I was a freshmen...oy. I think when I started benching I was doing like 65-75. I bought myself a blue velour track suit (hey it was the 80's), too kmy copy of M&F with me to a gym in Brookline, Mass. and prayed that noone was watching me as I struggled to figure out what the hell I was doing. I think I was lucky to do the first weight on the weight stacks.

But over the years, I learned to watch and observe (also an actor's trick...you learn more from observing people's actions than their words), and I kept reading and experimenting. Likewise, if I saw someone doing something interesting in terms of a new move or a variation on a move, I'd walk up and ask them what and why. Sometimes now, I'll see guys doing moves that I was the first to do at my gym. I guess that's a good thing.

No two people are the same, you have to be willing to try and see what will work for you and keep experimenting. Remember, it's a process, hopefully a lifelong one.

[timberino]

ok i guess it was just destined to be an interesting week in the gym. today while i was in there i saw this dude that i had met in a summer class. he is all about bodybuilding (it was very interesting to hear someone talk about worshipping markus ruhl's calves in real life) anyway. while i'm there i tried to avoid him because we were wearing the same thing and that kinda weirded me out but beyond that this dude just has the most amazing ass. i would love to have a posterior like that. anyway i got trapped by him while i was doing deadlifts and started talking to him. he kept lifting his shorts and shirt and flexing and i hope that was due to the mirror wall next to us and not for my benefit. hes an inch or two taller than me and said he weighed in at 203 today. yet another inspiration. i did like what he said though when i told him i was bothered by a question i got the other day: why do you wanna be a bodybuilder? i didnt have an answer. i liked the one he gave me though: because you want to. i dont know... just wanted to share this one too.

[jerseyflex]

hulk is right - observing is key.


i also faithfully watched ESPN's American Muscle magazine on TV.....anyone remember that? great show, sad to see it go

[ottomun6]

Originally Posted by jerseyflex

hulk is right - observing is key.


i also faithfully watched ESPN's American Muscle magazine on TV.....anyone remember that? great show, sad to see it go

Ah yes, American Muscle... now that was a show!
I loved all the bodybuilders that were profiled on that show. I even liked the last host they had- "Josh"? , he really put some personality into it.

[Mdlftr]

Originally Posted by timberino

i did like what he said though when i told him i was bothered by a question i got the other day: why do you wanna be a bodybuilder? i didnt have an answer. i liked the one he gave me though: because you want to. i dont know... just wanted to share this one too.

Timberino,

Good question, and one that a lot of us get, either explicitly from others, or from that 'little voice in our heads' [--you know, the voice that says, 'oh why bother, don't try, you'll look stupid, you aren't cute enough/rich enough/smart enough/lucky enough /whatever enough to:

ask him/her out
apply for that job/internship/position
look for a place in that neighborhood]

Telling anyone who asks, "Because I WANT TO" is more than enough justification.

And remember, if someone tries to make you feel 'weird' about wanting to be big and muscular, think of how you'd respond if you were a couch potato, and the question was, "Why do you want to sit on your butt all day and eat fatty, high calorie foods so your skin can break out and your waist line can expand?"

People don't often think about the consequences of what they do. Lifting weights and working out is a direct contradiction to all of that. It takes some thick skin to go against the general trend of being a lazy, inactive consumer. Take pride in being active! Remember, unless you plan to die by age 30, good genetics will only take you so far--you need to exercise to stay in shape!

Don't let someone talk you out of wanting to be in shape and look good!

If they don't understand, then move on.

Mdlftr