What Fuels Your Workouts?

**vanity** · 10-15-2003, 03:20 AM

What energy source do you use?

Is it Anger, Rage, Fear, Frustration, Hope, Pride, Ego , Love etc...

It's always interested me how alot of people that get into bodybuilding seem to have some kind of issue with either anger frustration or aggression.

I hear over and over again, "If it wasn't for the weights , I'd be in jail ", or "I would've killed someone by now if I didn't get it out in the gym".

When I was 13 I got beat up pretty bad and I vowed to myself that it would never happen again and immediately started training with weights, boxing , martial arts, you name it.

For the 1st few years , I used Anger and Rage as my fuel source (with very good results). Then later, for a while it was pride and ego.
Now, 17 years later I simply do it out of love . In the beginning, I had the motivation to kill but I didn't have the tools. Now I have the tools but I no longer have the desire to do so. Life works in strange ways.

Ofcourse every now and then I put up a few pictures of an ex girlfriend and do the good ol' Anger workout.

**prophet** · 10-15-2003, 03:33 AM

pride, ego, improving how i look, being stronger than most men.. making up for lost time.. it's in my blood dammit! anger sometimes

**ponyboy** · 10-15-2003, 04:59 AM

I think if you had to pick a dealy sin mine would be pride for the most part...which I don't consider a sin in the first place.

I am fueled by the people in the weight room who turn and watch when I do certain movements with heavy weight. I am fueled by women who touch and look twice when you're walking by. I am fueled by the people who ask for help because "you can lift this".

I am also fueled by the fact that if I learn something new then I can share it with people and hopefully help them get towards where I am today, because I used to be overweight and out of shape too.

**gopro** · 10-15-2003, 08:44 AM

His name was Vito.

**Prince** · 10-15-2003, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by vanity
What energy source do you use?

Is it Anger, Rage, Fear, Frustration, Hope, Pride, Ego , Love etc...

Good question!

I guess it has always been a love for bodybuilding. I still vividly remember the day I first started (and got addicted) to lifting weights. My step-dad's son had a set of those plastic weights in the basement and one night, I think I was really bored, I set up a mirror and started doing some barbell curls. My arms got extremely pumped, and I loved the way it looked and felt. Honestly from that day on I never stopped lifting weights, that was 18 years ago, although I did not seriously lift weights (at World Gym), including legs, back, etc., until I was 17-18 years old.

**TKEYellow** · 10-15-2003, 09:21 AM

I think what fuels me is a mix of anger, want of a better body, pride, ego... and that warm feeling you get when people complement you on how you look!

**Mudge** · 10-15-2003, 10:49 AM

Manufactured anger, negative comments, ego/pride to some degree on a personal level.

**moon** · 10-15-2003, 11:19 AM

it is food

u pay for it
when i look at the mirror...and then
there r
discontent at my body
willling to change my body
the thought what would they(gals) think of my body
appetite to burn energy ...
desire to lift more and more....

all pumps me up...if someone say of my size, i won't argue or beat him up...instead i will prove myself in gym...

how wonderful it is for us...when someone genurinely comment on our improvement... this really hits me....

**icekool** · 10-15-2003, 11:59 AM

Originally posted by vanity
What energy source do you use?

Is it Anger, Rage, Fear, Frustration, Hope, Pride, Ego , Love etc...

Anger & Rage all the way, also currently training in SanShou (Chinese Kickboxing - full contact) & JuJutsu (Goshin Ryu)..........

won't elaborate but have very justifiable rage at the moment

**P-funk** · 10-15-2003, 07:57 PM

anger, rage fear, hope pride.........all of the above. Also add to that list loud music, comeptition with training partners (especially since my training partners juice and I am natrual. So keeping up with them and the weights they are doing gets trickey), and ofcourse, my number one, I get fired up when ever I get my heart broken by a women.........the thought of some of these chicks can really get me fired up in the wieght room.....lol

**icekool** · 10-15-2003, 09:02 PM

you know folks, i have heard so many people say 'oh, bodybuilders, they are all emotional cripples', blah blah blah, but i guess that in some cases these people might be right......just a thought, admittedly not a great one but hell, i am having some serious sleeping probs, its 0359 am here in London and I hate not sleeping...........ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!

**Flex** · 10-15-2003, 10:31 PM

Great question

#1 reason: the insane PUMP

all my other reasons....for myself.

Obviously there are a million reasons, but i do it for no one other than myself. I want to be HUGE. I love the challenge of pushing my self to the absolute pain threshold, and then going further. I love being bigger and stronger than everybody, makes you feel more alive. I love having something that not alot of other people do, muscle. I love knowing that i give each rep of each set of each workout all i got. Next summer i'm doing my 1st show, so i wanna be the biggest/baddest mofo out there.

I used to play bball in h.s. and did cross country in middle school, and for some reason, i loved the running, defense and practice. I loved challenging and pushing myself in the running drills til i felt like i was going to die. Guess i'm a masochist.

Most of you guys do it so people compliment you and so you look good in tank tops. Nothing wrong with that, if that's your m.o. Personally, i don't even like when people compliment me. Call me humble or modest, but all i ever see are my weakpoints.

BB is one of the few things in life that you are going to get out what you put in. There's no team to worry about or anything like that. It's you vs. the iron. I love BB, so i get a lot out of it....

**Rissole** · 10-15-2003, 10:41 PM

To be honest..... NFI..... i started lifting when i thought i was getting a bit fat..... then i got some muscle...... now i want more......
Compete next year..... thats kinda it....

**Flex** · 10-15-2003, 10:55 PM

during the actual workout, (as if i havent preached them enough)

PANTERA

Nothing, and i mean nothing (ex gf's, kids i wanna kill, yankee fans) gets me more fired up than the "Cowboys from Hell"

(For those of you who don't know them, i highly recommend, they're "audio steroids")

**swordfish** · 10-16-2003, 06:22 PM

I get fired up when i get my heart broken by a woman

thats exactly how i felt and got me going.

**Mudge** · 10-16-2003, 08:39 PM

Pantera broke up 5/2003 unfortunately.

**gr81** · 10-16-2003, 09:01 PM

Originally posted by Flex
Great question

#1 reason: the insane PUMP

all my other reasons....for myself.

Obviously there are a million reasons, but i do it for no one other than myself. I want to be HUGE. I love the challenge of pushing my self to the absolute pain threshold, and then going further. I love being bigger and stronger than everybody, makes you feel more alive. I love having something that not alot of other people do, muscle. I love knowing that i give each rep of each set of each workout all i got. Next summer i'm doing my 1st show, so i wanna be the biggest/baddest mofo out there.

I used to play bball in h.s. and did cross country in middle school, and for some reason, i loved the running, defense and practice. I loved challenging and pushing myself in the running drills til i felt like i was going to die. Guess i'm a masochist.

Most of you guys do it so people compliment you and so you look good in tank tops. Nothing wrong with that, if that's your m.o. Personally, i don't even like when people compliment me. Call me humble or modest, but all i ever see are my weakpoints.

BB is one of the few things in life that you are going to get out what you put in. There's no team to worry about or anything like that. It's you vs. the iron. I love BB, so i get a lot out of it....

What a suprise that me and Flex are on the same page. ha. I guess If I had to pick one emotion taht fuels me it would be anger, b/c in the gym I am an evil tempered SOB. All the other emotions occur later or before, but in there I am ready to kill something, whether it is the weights or a person in my way. I am a masochist like Flex said. It isn't a conscious thing though, It just happens. Hey you can't be all intense and insane if you have the look of love on your face. I don't do it for the pump though, nor do I long for the recognition of others, far from it. I do it for the control. My training is the only time in my day that I feel in control of everything, take yourself out of the gym and there are so amny other things that can factor into what happens to you in any given situation, but in the gym, it is a true testament to what kind of person you are, what kind of heart you got. And I know that I got more heart than the next man.

**DeadBolt** · 10-16-2003, 10:05 PM

I started when I measured my waist and I was just about wider than I was taller. Thats when I started fitness. Then it went to anger and anxiety and rage. And now its the wanting to build more muscle and the compliments I get. Its like when you find a new food you love and you can't get enough of it, well thats how working out is for me. If my body could take it I would workout all day in the gym but an hour a day is all I give it heh.

But there is still one obstical to overcome, getting the owner of my gym to change the crap we listen to on the radio. It is like 80's disco crap and it just doesn't work. I gota make some cd's for him or something. It horrible, and I can't even bust his chops about it because he is like 4 times my size and a monster.

**vanity** · 10-17-2003, 12:15 AM

thanks for the replies folks. Very interesting.

we each have our own personal goals and yet , we are all striving , trying to feed that insatiable drive. One thing I love doing is turning passive, unfit and sedentary people into active , assertive and competitive ones. People always resist at first but eventually they come around, get addicted to the high and become fully alive. Those who don't, remain sedentary and sit on the sidelines and watch life go by.

BTW: Pantera may have broken up but they just released a pretty kick-ass Greatest HIts.

**NOTD** · 10-17-2003, 06:23 AM

I'd have to say "controlled" rage. Something will piss me off but I'll still come off as a nice guy. But the more I stay nice the more it builds up. At home I didn't have any way to vent it. Then I went to the gym one day and I was hooked. While anger might be what got me into it, I love working out and the results it brings.

Once I start my workout though I don't want to be messed with, lol. I get in the zone. Whether I'm lifting or hitting the heavy bag or whatever, stay away from me :P

**maze** · 10-17-2003, 09:29 AM

Am I the only one doing it for my health ???

:: Lifting is a good therapy

**Mex** · 10-17-2003, 06:16 PM

Videogames...

Seriously, when I was a kid I admired the strong guys in videogames like Street Fighter. So I wanted to look strong like them.

It's been a fun ride.

I guess it's got something to do with ego, I do enjoy it when people say I look good.

I was a fat kid, so, yeah, life is good.

I'm sure everyone has trained in anger.

**oaktownboy** · 10-17-2003, 07:15 PM

anger

**Skib** · 10-18-2003, 08:42 AM

1. because i'd rather be out doing something productive than sitting at home on the couch getting fat

2. looking to see what i can transform my body into

3. i feel really good with myself afterwards or knowing that i'm doing something good for my health

**Flex** · 10-18-2003, 06:42 PM

Originally posted by Mex
Videogames...

Seriously, when I was a kid I admired the strong guys in videogames like Street Fighter. So I wanted to look strong like them.

It's been a fun ride.

I guess it's got something to do with ego, I do enjoy it when people say I look good.

I was a fat kid, so, yeah, life is good.

I'm sure everyone has trained in anger.

Mex-that's great man. utmost respect for you. for some people, they don't care how they look, and that's fine, more power to them. but for us obsessive s.o.b.'s, its not ok.

i'm happy for you man, i hope it gives you all the self confidence in the world, and makes life alot "easier". my buddy was a "fat kid", changed at a young age, now he's full of self confidence cuz of that.

**Flex** · 10-18-2003, 06:45 PM

Originally posted by vanity

BTW: Pantera may have broken up but they just released a pretty kick-ass Greatest HIts.

...sucks they broke up!!

could be a good thing though. that's actually the best thing that can happen to an awesome band. that, or they die in a plane crash. it means they'll always be awesome, that they'll always be remembered as the best metal group ever, instead of doing what most bands do and get cheesy as they get older (....Metallica)

as for the greatest hits, bought it the day it came out.

**Evil ANT** · 10-18-2003, 08:01 PM

I workout for a number of reasons. The main one being the feeling I get when I'm done. If you've worked out before, you know what I'm talking about. Nothing beats the natural high you get from a great workout, and nothing beats the overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

Furthmore, you only get one body. I prefer to keep mine working as smoothly as possible. It's nice to know you're in shape and can actively participate in all sorts of physical activities.

Another main factor is self-image. Working out undeniably makes you more self confident. Hence, stress is reduced and life is generally a whole lot easier.

I have to admit, though, that many of my workouts are fueled by anger. I'm a pretty quiet guy and like to keep to myself. I tend to bottle-up my anger and frustration instead of explode all the time. The bottled-up emotion comes out in the gym and makes for a great workout. Awesome stress relief!

**Mindless** · 10-18-2003, 08:22 PM

Because I enjoy it, and I like being sore (is that weird)

**vanity** · 10-19-2003, 02:13 AM

MEX: You wanna be Super Mario?

**ST240** · 10-19-2003, 08:52 PM

i started out cuz i was scared of getting my ass kicked so i wanted to become stronger. But im way beyond that now and i do it to beat my own records and to look good. But damn man if you workout when you're angry you have this insane rage that kicks in and you train like 5x harder.... its great.

Thread: What Fuels Your Workouts?

Thread Tools

Display

What Fuels Your Workouts?

Re: What Fuels Your Workouts?

Re: What Fuels Your Workouts?

Similar Threads

Payola fuels Big Pharma and the medical monopoly

Payola fuels Big Pharma and the medical monopoly

bodybuilding and powerliftingt workouts compared to navy seal workouts

Tainted cheese fuels TB rise in California

Full workouts? Alternate Workouts?

Posting Permissions