- Dec 7, 2005
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Woke up exhausted this morning. It’s been busy in the office and today my body is aching from two gargantuan workouts this week. I gingerly eased myself out of bed, glanced at my weary self in the mirror, and for a fleeting moment I asked myself “why am I doing this?” Countless hours spent in the gym pressing, loading, unloading, pushing, pulling, loading, unloading, sweating, pushing harder…… and finally crawling out a broken man. How about all the eating, money spent on supplements, and time spent on the internet researching – then eating some more and buying more supplements and back onto the net in the hope of finding an untapped fountain of bodybuilding knowledge. A never ending cycle – always striving to be bigger, stronger, harder…..
So why do I go through all this? What is behind this madness? Am I insecure – sure, I guess in some ways I am. I’ve always felt short compared to my peers (I’m 5’8”) and I have had my fair share of complexes. That may have got me started in the gym – but that’s not what has kept me there. Am I looking to impress those around me – again to some extent the answer is yes. Of course I enjoy being complimented on having a good body and knowing that I can throw around more weight than any of my mates. However, I have a lovely girlfriend and a bunch of mates who would still be there if I wasn’t shredding my muscle fibres several times a week. So I don’t think that’s it. Do I feel the need to compete to satisfy my ego – possibly. Although I have no intention of entering any shows, I have competed on an international level at both squash and cricket (years ago), but I don’t think my ego can make me push myself this hard. What can the driving force behind this lifestyle be?
After much thought I’ve realised that I am simply an addict. I’m addicted to the wonderful euphoria the flows through me after pushing myself to my physical limit. I’m hooked on the satisfaction I feel when I make even the smallest gain. You may remember Arnold attempting to describe the “pump” and likening it to a constant orgasm. I have other hobbies and interests, but there is no denying that bodybuilding is not just a few hours in the gym every week – it’s a lifestyle. Anyone who has been at this game for awhile knows how much commitment is required. Will I be crawling out of the gym again tomorrow – YOU BET I WILL!
"When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it - but all that had gone before." Jacob Riis
Are you obsessed? What are your reasons for playing this game?
So why do I go through all this? What is behind this madness? Am I insecure – sure, I guess in some ways I am. I’ve always felt short compared to my peers (I’m 5’8”) and I have had my fair share of complexes. That may have got me started in the gym – but that’s not what has kept me there. Am I looking to impress those around me – again to some extent the answer is yes. Of course I enjoy being complimented on having a good body and knowing that I can throw around more weight than any of my mates. However, I have a lovely girlfriend and a bunch of mates who would still be there if I wasn’t shredding my muscle fibres several times a week. So I don’t think that’s it. Do I feel the need to compete to satisfy my ego – possibly. Although I have no intention of entering any shows, I have competed on an international level at both squash and cricket (years ago), but I don’t think my ego can make me push myself this hard. What can the driving force behind this lifestyle be?
After much thought I’ve realised that I am simply an addict. I’m addicted to the wonderful euphoria the flows through me after pushing myself to my physical limit. I’m hooked on the satisfaction I feel when I make even the smallest gain. You may remember Arnold attempting to describe the “pump” and likening it to a constant orgasm. I have other hobbies and interests, but there is no denying that bodybuilding is not just a few hours in the gym every week – it’s a lifestyle. Anyone who has been at this game for awhile knows how much commitment is required. Will I be crawling out of the gym again tomorrow – YOU BET I WILL!
"When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it - but all that had gone before." Jacob Riis
Are you obsessed? What are your reasons for playing this game?