What made you start doing the training you're doing?

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I lost 5stone when I was 19 and started cycling around 25miles a day. After a while I realised all the cardio had turned me into Mr Pipecleaner Arms so joined a gym. I then fannied about on machines and stuff for about 8years until I started reading this place and finally learned about compound exercises and stuff. Recently had 7weeks off following the birth of my daughter so thought it was a good opportunity to "get back to basics", so I started Stronglifts 3 weeks ago.
 


Started running again after 30 years off (4 great north runs from age of 16 to 20 years of age) after a lot of socializing, marriage and family's, decided to get in to it again, bought a treadmill to gain confidence, but now there's no better feeling, opening the front door and going for a run in all weather's.
 
Always been fairly active doing boxing and football as a kid then joined the army at 17 for 10 years.Played football until I ruptured my cruciate and tore cartilage almost 2 years ago resulting in ACL reconstruction then another op a year later to rectify clicking knee.As part of the rehab i got into cycling and loved it so I've entered a triathlon this July. Just got myself a new road bike (Giant Defy 5) which I'm looking forward to getting out on. Doing a couple of runs and rides a week, just need to crack the swimming now!!
 
Trying on a shirt for a friends wedding and the changing room had mirrors on three walls, it looked like I'd swallowed a space hopper !

I lost 11kgs in the first year (I could lose some more) and am now the fittest and strongest I've been for 15 years.
 
Played football at a good level till about 14 got dropped off by 3 clubs got fat after that and it really hit home when I stepped on a mates scales and weighed in at 16st 10 last Xmas now I'm 13st 11 so not going too bad would love to be 12st by this Xmas
 
Charmless Man said:
Was just reading about male body image problems and how it's a massive problem among lads around my age, perhaps even bigger than for women but it goes unnoticed because 'boys aren't supposed to admit things like that'.

Got me thinking about why I really started training. I'd always thought it wasn't to do with self-esteem issues, I actually started because I wanted to put on some weight for Rugby but then fell in love with powerlifting as a discipline. However, I do feel a lot more confident in myself now so maybe I did have some underlying issues that made me start picking up barbells? I definitely used to feel like I was quite thin, even though I was an average, healthy weight and quite athletic.

Just wondering what got other people into it? Something to pass the time? Mates were doing it? Or did anyone feel really unhappy with how they looked?
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Class thread mate.

But we all know every single one of us picked up a weight with the idea in mind to impress a girl/ prove to a girl or an ex that she was wrong etc etc.

The love of the game took over sometime after.
 
I was thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed at having gained about 3 stone due to constant takeaways, drinking too much and no exercise. I'd always been the skinny one in my family until that point and I knew I needed to change because it was really knocking my confidence and happiness. Final straw was trying on some size 14 shorts in spring 2010 and they didn't fit. :oops: I wanted to lose some weight for my dream holiday in Vegas and lost a stone before I went (just by cutting down on food/drink and jogging) which I was over the moon with... now I look back on the holiday photos and I'm still embarrassed by how fat I was. :lol:

Initially I joined a gym (after returning from that holiday) because it was November and I was worried I'd not get out running over the winter. Then I found out I actually enjoy weights, which was a bonus. For a while I had vague hopes of putting on a bit of muscle but I soon learned the idea of having to gain weight again (albeit "properly") was terrifying.

Seems just like habit that keeps me going these days, but I do like that "me time" hour after work in the gym several nights a week.
 
West Ryder said:
Class thread mate.

But we all know every single one of us picked up a weight with the idea in mind to impress a girl/ prove to a girl or an ex that she was wrong etc etc.

The love of the game took over sometime after.
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Not so sure if it was the case with me. Sub-consciously, maybe. But I was just bored having moved a few hundred miles from the girl I was with at the time and needed a hobby :lol:

So aye, to begin with it was 'recreational lifting to put some muslce on'. Then I discovered powerlifting...[DOUBLEPOST=1394187267][/DOUBLEPOST]
alreetlike said:
I was thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed at having gained about 3 stone due to constant takeaways, drinking too much and no exercise. I'd always been the skinny one in my family until that point and I knew I needed to change because it was really knocking my confidence and happiness. Final straw was trying on some size 14 shorts in spring 2010 and they didn't fit. :oops: I wanted to lose some weight for my dream holiday in Vegas and lost a stone before I went (just by cutting down on food/drink and jogging) which I was over the moon with... now I look back on the holiday photos and I'm still embarrassed by how fat I was. :lol:

Initially I joined a gym (after returning from that holiday) because it was November and I was worried I'd not get out running over the winter. Then I found out I actually enjoy weights, which was a bonus. For a while I had vague hopes of putting on a bit of muscle but I soon learned the idea of having to gain weight again (albeit "properly") was terrifying.

Seems just like habit that keeps me going these days, but I do like that "me time" hour after work in the gym several nights a week.
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The 'me' time thing is important as well. Although now I've started 'coaching' (loose term there) my girlfriend that's lessened a bit.
 
Charmless Man said:
The 'me' time thing is important as well. Although now I've started 'coaching' (loose term there) my girlfriend that's lessened a bit.
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Same here, there's nothing better than a bit of solitude from being at the gym but then at the same time having someone there can motivate you more.

...To sum it up, I'll moan on regardless.
 
I'm more on a diet at the moment because of a problem with my knee brought around by running.

This year though my intention is to become the fittest I've ever been. I'm not into weight lifting yet but the idea is to get back to my lightest weight I've been so I'm sharp on runs , football etc and then start toning up.

Motivation? I'm a single lad, I want to be in good health and there's absolutely no excuse to be lazy. Money's tight and exercise is a free hobby where you can listen to music & radio.

Really looking forward to 6 months or so when I should be feeling great
 
daveydavey said:
I'm more on a diet at the moment because of a problem with my knee brought around by running.

This year though my intention is to become the fittest I've ever been. I'm not into weight lifting yet but the idea is to get back to my lightest weight I've been so I'm sharp on runs , football etc and then start toning up.

Motivation? I'm a single lad, I want to be in good health and there's absolutely no excuse to be lazy. Money's tight and exercise is a free hobby where you can listen to music & radio.

Really looking forward to 6 months or so when I should be feeling great
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Heavy compound movements will help this, seriously. Squatting for example will help everything from sprinting to change of direction speed.
 
Packed in the tabs at beginning or 2010 and signed up for Sunderland 10k that year to give me something to focus on. Took off from really, done that race in 53 minutes or so, year after GNR in 1.52. Was smoking 20 a day and could run to end of street before I packed them in. Love the whole scene now, joined a running club and made a few new mates who share that same hobby, plenty daft little 5k park runs, other local races, doing the Sunderland half marathon in may. Find it a great sense of personal satisfaction when you break a PB or complete of tough grueling training run
 
i think it's more to impress other men than to impress women, women probably don't really care unless you're fat as butter but other men judge themselves against each other.
 
Got back into training as a progression from physio exercises after slipping two discs (hadn't trained for 12 years prior to this). I'm now on a steady diet of floor presses, inverted rows and face pulls. As for the lower body, I'm using loaded hip bridges & zercher squats, as I've been advised never to back squat or deadlift again.
 
daveydavey said:
I'm more on a diet at the moment because of a problem with my knee brought around by running.

This year though my intention is to become the fittest I've ever been. I'm not into weight lifting yet but the idea is to get back to my lightest weight I've been so I'm sharp on runs , football etc and then start toning up.

Motivation? I'm a single lad, I want to be in good health and there's absolutely no excuse to be lazy. Money's tight and exercise is a free hobby where you can listen to music & radio.

Really looking forward to 6 months or so when I should be feeling great
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This makes no sense. You can't get the sharpness without doing resistance work.
 
Got a belly on me and my fitness is poor after a few years of doing nowt. A lad my age shouldn't be like this. I'm around 12st5 at the minute. Not sure where I want to be - just want to lose some for now and not have a belly.
 
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