What Seperates Us from Them

What Seperates us from them
Source: T-Mag.com

" So, what are you doing for a living these days?" Bob asked me. We' re sitting on the couch at one of those tedious holiday get-togethers, you know, the ones where you' re supposed to be nice to family members you never see except during major holidays and funerals. I think Bob is my wife' s brother-in-law' s second cousin or something.

" I' m the assistant editor and a writer for Testosterone magazine," I say. Bob looks at me with a blank expression on his face, as if I' d just told him I sell handmade testicle warmers beside the freeway and was looking to open franchises across the nation.

" It' s a bodybuilding magazine," I say.

Blank expression. Deer caught in the headlights. Ronnie Coleman doing trigonometry.

" Oh," Bob finally says, " I heard you were, like, one of those bodybuilder guys or something. So, what' s that like, you know, working out every day and stuff? I just don' t have time to lift weights all day, but I have been meaning to get rid of this beer belly." He takes another sip of beer. " What do you suggest?" Sip.

At first I was a little offended. I wanted to grab him up and say, " You can' t tell I' m a bodybuilder?! Look at my ass! Now, if that' s not a nice round squat-built piece of sirloin, I don' t know what is! You think that comes naturally? I can crack walnuts with this puppy! Wanna see? Huh, punk? Do ya? Do ya?"

Then I realize this just might cause a scene and could cost me several Christmas presents. I was planning on returning any presents I got and using the money to buy a power rack, so I didn' t want to jeopardize this gift getting opportunity. I also realized that old Bob probably had a certain preconceived image of a bodybuilder and I just didn' t fit that image. I' m not gorilla huge; I weigh about 205 at 5' 11" right now. (When I first started lifting I was a pudgy 159, so that' s not too shabby.) Also, I wasn' t wearing clown pants, a fluorescent string tank top, a hanky on my head and one of those little fanny packs. And isn' t that what real bodybuilders are supposed to wear?

Bob continued to sit there drinking his Natural Light, smoking a cigarette and waiting for an answer, oblivious to the fact that he' d come this close to seeing some serious walnut- crunching ass power. I tried to figure out how I could explain to the average guy what the typical T-Man does and why he does it. How could I get him to understand what it is we do, how we feel, how we live? So I took a deep breath and told him something like this:

" Well, Bob, I guess you could use the term bodybuilder if you really need a label for what it is we do. Most of us actually don' t stand on stage and compete, though. We lift weights and manipulate our diets so that we' ll look good naked. Sure, it' s healthy too, and we' ll probably live a longer and more productive life than the average guy, but mostly it' s about the naked thing. Truthfully, it goes beyond even that.

" Let' s be honest here. We do it because of people like you, Bob. We look at you sitting there with your gut hanging over your belt and we watch you grunt and groan just getting out of a chair. Guys like you are our inspiration, Bob. You' re better than Anthony Robbins, Bill Phillips, Deepak Chopra, and Zig ****ing Ziglar all wrapped up into one. We love it when guys like you talk about not having time to exercise. Every time we see you munching on a bag of potato chips, you inspire us. You' re my shot in the arm, Bob, my living and breathing wake-up call, my own personal success coach.

" You want to know what it is we do? We overcome. We' re too busy to train, too, but we overcome. We' re too busy to prepare healthy meals and eat them five or six times a day, but we overcome. We can' t always afford supplements, our genetics aren' t perfect, and we don' t always feel like going to the gym. Some of us used to be just like you, Bob, but guess what? We' ve overcome.

" We like to watch ' normal' people like you tell us about how they can' t get in shape. We smile and nod sympathetically like we feel your pain, but actually, we' re thinking that you' re a pathetic piece of **** that needs to grow a spine and join a gym. You smile sheepishly and say that you just can' t stay motivated and just can' t stand that feeling of being sore. (For some reason you think that admitting your weaknesses somehow justifies them.) We listen to you ***** and moan. We watch you look for the easy way out. Because of people like you, Bob, we never miss a workout.

" You ask us for advice about diet and training and usually we politely offer some guidance, but deep inside we know you won' t take our advice. You know that too. We smile and say, ' Hope that helps. Good luck,' but actually we' re thinking, ' Boy, it would suck to be you.' We know that 99% of people won' t listen to us. Once they hear that it takes hard work, sacrifice and discipline, they stop listening and tune us out.

" We know they wanted us to say that building a great body is easy, but it just isn' t. This did not take five minutes a day on a TorsoTrack. We did not get this way in 12 short weeks using a Bowflex and the Suzanne Somers' ' Get Skinny' diet. A good body does not cost five easy payments of $39.95.

" We like it that while you' re eating a candy bar and drinking Mountain Dew, we' re sucking down a protein shake. You see, that makes it taste even better to us. While you' re asleep we' re either getting up early or staying up late, hitting the iron, pushing ourselves, learning, succeeding and failing and rising above the norm with every rep. Can you feel that, Bob? Can you relate? No? Good. This wouldn' t be half as fun if you could.

" We do it because we absolutely and totally get off on it. We do it because people like you, Bob, either can' t or won' t. We do it because what we do in the gym transfers over into the rest of our lives and changes us, physically, mentally, maybe even spiritually. We do it because it beats watching fishing and golf on TV. By the way, do you know what it' s like to turn the head of a beautiful woman because of the way you' re built? It feels good, Bob. Damned good.

" When we' re in the gym, we' re in this indescribable euphoria zone. It' s a feeling of being on, of being completely alive and aware. If you haven' t been there, then it' s like trying to describe color to a person who' s been blind since birth. Within this haze of pleasure and pain, there' s knowledge and power, self-discipline and self-reliance. If you do it long enough, Bob, there' s even enlightenment. Sometimes, the answers to questions you didn' t even know you had are sitting there on those rubber mats, wrapped up in a neat package of iron plates and bars.

" Want to lose that beer belly, Bob? I have a nutty idea. Put down the ****ing beer. I' ll tell you what, Bob. Christmas morning I' m getting up real early and hitting the iron. I want to watch my daughter open her presents and spend the whole day with her, so this is the only time I have to train. The gym will be closed, so I' m going out in my garage to workout. You be at my house at six in the morning, okay? I' ll be glad to help you get started on a weight training program. It' ll be colder than Hillary Clinton' s coochie in there, so dress warm.

" But let me tell you something, Bob. If you don' t show up, don' t bother asking me again. And don' t you ever sit there and let me hear you ***** about your beer belly again. This is your chance, your big opportunity to break out of that rut. If you don' t show up, Bob, you' ve learned a very important lesson about yourself, haven' t you? You won' t like that lesson.

" You won' t like that feeling in the pit of your stomach either or that taste in your mouth. It will taste worse than defeat, Bob. Defeat tastes pretty goddamned nasty, but what you' ll be experiencing will be much worse. It will be the knowledge that you' re weak, mentally and physically. What' s worse is that you' ll have accepted that feeling. The feeling will always be with you. In the happiest moments of your life, it' ll be there, lying under the surface like a malignant tumor. Ignore it at your own peril, Bob.

" Don' t look at me like that either. This just may be the best Christmas present you' ll get this year. Next Christmas, Bob, when I see you again, I' m going to be a little bigger, a little stronger, and a little leaner. What will you be? Will you still be making excuses? This is a gift, Bob, from me to you. I' m giving you the chance to look fate in those pretty eyes of hers and say, ' Step off, *****. This is my party and you' re not invited.' What do you say, Bob? Monday, Christmas morning, 6am, my house. The ball' s in your court."

Okay, so maybe that' s not the exact words I used with Bob, but you get the picture. Will Bob show up Monday? I don' t know, but I kind of doubt it. In fact, Bob will probably take me off his Christmas card list. He probably thinks I' ve got " too much Testosterone," like that' s a bad thing. I think Bob is just stuck in a rut, and as the saying goes, the only difference between a rut and a grave is depth.

The way out of the rut is to make major changes in your life, most of which won' t be too pleasant in the beginning. The opportunity to make those changes seldom comes as bluntly as I put it to Bob. Most of the time, that opportunity knocks very softly. What I did was basically give Bob a verbal slap in the face. You can react two ways to a slap. You can get angry at the person doing the slapping, or you can realize that he was just trying to get you to wake up and focus on what you really want and, more importantly, what it' ll take to get it.

If you' re a regular T-mag reader, I doubt you need to be called out like Bob. But maybe you' ve caught yourself slacking a little here lately. Maybe you' ve missed a few workouts or maybe you started a little too early on the usual holiday feasting, like, say, back in September. Just remember that the time to start working on that summer body is now. The time to get rid of those bad habits that hold you back in the gym is now. You want to look totally different by next Christmas? Start now. This isn' t because of the holidays or any corny New Year' s resolutions either. The best time is always now.

Christmas day I want you to enjoy being with your family and friends. I want you to open presents, sip a little eggnog and have a good meal. But if your regularily scheduled workout happens to fall on December 25th, what will you be doing at six o' clock that morning?

That' s what separates us from guys like Bob.

Credit for this article to T-Mag.com

I' m proud to be part of the 1%...

That definitely gives me inspiration today, great post mda1125.

mda1125,

Thank you sooooo much for posting that!!! The best thing i have read in a looooooooong time. I would like to give this to all of my " excuse making" friends, but won' t cuz they' ll always be in that 99%. I am hanging this on my bedroom wall.

100% proud to be in that 1% also!!

I' ve seen that before, but it still brings atear to my eye to read it. Does anyone have a tissue?

I' ve read a similar article about martial arts - same undedicated bruce-lee-wannabes coming in for a 3-month trial and dropping it as soon as they get their black belts. Oh... if they only knew the REAL training begins at black belt.

I agree with this article 100% - go hard, or go home.

I am proud of what i have achieved in 9 years of training, it' s great to be in the other side of the table than Bob.
But, how many of us were " Bob" once ?

The sad thing is that people like Bob (99%) probably get seriously offended when thay read that, makes me feel good about what I do.

a guy once mailed this to me. I was a total newbie then and it kinda scared me but i still liked it

Great post once again. Im my opionion, people like Bob will never get off their ass. For me, lifting is like my medicine. It makes me feel good in and out of the gym. I think you HAVE TO ENJOY IT to some degree, or else dedication will only get you so far, in most cases. The enjoyment, the love for it-and the love for the results you know are down the hard road ahead are what seperates us from bob.

The point of the article is that he complains about being out of shape while being unwilling to do anything to rectify that situation.

That wouldn' t be the same as an intellectual putting down a meathead for being dumb. It would be more like a meathead saying " I wish I was more intellectual" while never reading a book, never trying to learn anything, and never making any effort to actually become more intellectual... then it' d be fair to criticise them for it.

I have no problem with the folk who are out of shape (especially since I' m not exactly Arnie myself); the ones that are really bad are those who complain about being unfit while doing nothing about it. I think it' s those people the article is aimed at.

Just my opinion of course

If I had a nickel for everyone I`ve met like Bob I`d be a rich man.So many people have asked me for a diet, or could they train with me, it`s rediculous.When I write them out a diet so they can get abs like mine they stare at it in disbeleif,as if I was eating twinkies to look good.Then when 1 out of 50 actually shows up at the gym they are gung-ho,only to never return again.It seems that it never occured to them that they might have to make a drastic lifestyle change and actually get down to some hard work.

Hi All, This was the second post I read (after The Rules, natch). Turns out it was a good choice! Great article - thanks for the wake up call.

Mike Street, London UK.
(Actually, its my wife who's the bodybuilder...)

For some reason you think that admitting your weaknesses somehow justifies them

^^^^^Deep, I like it. Great Post

Perhaps we should open a special ranting thread or even a new topic. I am sure there are alot of people that would like to spill out the anger; the anger toward the people surrounding us and looking at us like we are scum or something...

I don' t know if that is your case, but it sure is mine... I live surrounded by people that utterly dislike me going to the gym. They think I am stupid, wasting time and money. Yeah, I was once one of them, disliking guys that go to the gym, disliking guys with big pecs and large lats. I was Bob, except I never had big beer belly.... a small one, perhaps. :)
But I thought, why should I dislike them? Just because my (now ex) girlfriend is pumping me against body building? What is worse, I was physically underdeveloped, mostly because of hours I spend sitting in front of a computer, as it is my job... I looked myself in the mirror and I saw -- a geek. A total idiot.

Then came the moment of my -- enlightment? The first time I' ve hit the iron. Do I really need to tell you the feeling? The rush of adrenaline in my veins, the itching pain of muscles the day after (oh, so sweet the pain). And now I can' t stop. I love the iron. I desire the iron. The beautifully carved bars in my gym, the mesmerising shape of weights, hanging on the poles, and the sound -- oh, the wonderful sound, the tune and melody of steel clashing against steel. But the feeling of opposing the flesh against the iron simply leaves me without words...

My (now ex) girlfriend told me I was insane. That I was doing it to pump up my ego. But is it really so? I go to the gym early in the morning, and am lucky to be completely alone. So, I don' t need people to watch me training. Do I need to tell you that my girlfriend left me?

And now? Yes, I am exquisitely happy that I am not Bob. But the disgust remains, when I hear people asking me what should they do about their weight / lack of stamina / lack of strength. I answer: " Well, join me in the gym." Guys, you should see the expression on their faces... as if I told them to kill someone, or something like that... And then I am happy. I am happy to know that I am doing it right, and they are wrong. I am happy when they call me because they need to lift/move/carry something heavy. I feel pride. And I laught in their faces.


Well, I hope I wasn' t a pain in the ass with this post. I simply needed to spill out my discontempt...

[&o]

Flesh Craver, or Flesh Crawler, does it make a difference? Three frags left....

Great post!! Oh I' m sure each and every one of us could rant on and on....my special fave is, bieng that I' m a girl and all, is when I am asked for traing advice and all the girls are into lifting is those stupid pink fuzzy dumbells...They just about freak when they realise that I only use those as door stoppers! Most people (men and women) want what we' ve got, BUT don' t want to have to put the work that goes into getting what we' ve got...they' re the same folks who go out and buy those stupid ab eloctocutors thinking that they' ll get a six pak that way...good luck to ' em!!

When you make the lifestyle change, as with anything really (getting a job and leaving friends behind who want to live with mom and dad forever) you will lose the understanding of some and gain new friends along the way.

My (now ex) girlfriend told me I was insane.

Without knowing either of you, I' d just guess off-hand that you made a change and were entering a new stage of life and she wasn' t. People don' t like being left behind and maybe she wanted to do the same and just never did so she entered defensive mode.

Bodybuilding and fitness in general is a HUGE change. You eat differently, you think about fitness differently, you can' t miss a gym workout without feeling guilty.. while the average joe can miss a week and not care, you miss a week and you freak out.

But as there are many people who think you are nuts, there are tons of us who do not. I think it' s nuts to let your health go and eat out all the time.

Nobody will take you up on the offer to join you in the gym until they are in the same position you are. To change their life.

Women have it really tough because as Shera points out.. you pick up anything more then the pink dumbbells and suddenly you will have huge muscles and look like a man. Women have even more myths and stereotypes to combat then we do against the " Bob' s" of the world.

Good posts guys. I found this one to be one of the best stories on the net in terms of writing about what this sport is like psychologically for me. I connected it it..

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I have had a couple of friends tell me "oh man, that is SO bad for you" when I describe my workout routine. In each case, the line came from a chubby, overweight guy with a beer or a soda in his hand. According to them, bodybuilding makes you gain a lot of weight that magically transforms into fat as soon as you stop working out.

I don't argue with them, what's the point. I just go home and look at myself naked in the mirror

Edit: spelling

I have had a couple of friends tell me "oh man, that is SO bad for you" when I describe my workout routine. In each case, the line came from a chubby, overweight guy with a beer or a soda in his hand. According to them, bodybuilding makes you gain a lot of weight that magically transforms into fat as soon as you stop working out.

Hehehe. But you know, even if it were true, what's better, being fat now, and fat later, or being muscular now and fat later?

-30-

In six months, what will your t-shirt say?

My training journal: Sweating with the toadies
My scattered thoughts: The Bramble

very nice post, made me sign up...
i would like to give to my friends that are "bob's" but unfortunately i just feel i'm not in the "bodybuilder" stereotypical shape and therefore am often embarrassed about talking about how i workout after school... and just say instead i watched tv.
very nice post.

Welcome aboard.

No need to be a bodybuilder sterotype. The whole point is.. you are working out.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Oh my god i can't beleive this, this is the best piece of work that i ever read in my life, it is soooooooo true everything about this i the person who wrote this should get a oscar!!!! I swear to god i almost startd crying because it is so inspiring and true

" By the way, do you know what it' s like to turn the head of a beautiful woman because of the way you' re built? It feels good, Bob. Damned good. " OH hell yeah i do and i love it!!!!!!!

damn man, I have a serious question: I have to do a presentation in my English class at the Uni. of Utah in 3 weeks and i want to do it about bodybuilding and my story. Can i use this to end the presentation i will give credit to you guys !!! >???

Ps i want to include that ": I was talking to a fat idot (BOB)lol)) one time at a cafee i go to and he noticed my physique and we started talking about bodybuilding (while his daughter cheked me out all the way) he said to me that on of the guys he knew was lifting weights and had big arm's and **** like thats and he said in those words : " Yeah and now he started a job as a truck driver and wont have any time to lift weights and all his muscles/fat is going to hang from him and its gona sag..." oh my god it got me so mad i wanted to get up and spit in his face, but i didnt instead i just respected him because he was older than I. oh my god how can people be soooo stupid, i just wanna screammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Can i use this to end the presentation i will give credit to you guys !!! >???

It was originally posted and written by an author at T-Mag.com It's not DB original. But I'm sure you could use it as long as you quote the source.. which is T-Mag

I found it to be one of the best articles as well. It really hits home for a lot of bodybuilders as to why they do what they do.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Very enjoyable post! I must honestly say that I have just turned around my life and attitude. Although I wasn't a "Bob" type person my vision and mentality was close. I can attest to the power of having someone support and focus the energy once it comes forward. I have lost 14% bodyfat in 12 weeks once I cleaned up my nutrition and focused my workouts. The Bob types are annoying but there is always a chance they may change. I am using my wife (lost 12% bf) and myself as living role models for those lacking vision. Keep the faith and spread the word!

Yes... I had the biggest smile on my face and the most adrenaline pumped maxed out euphoric feeling with in me and all over!

Looking good naked... Yes, looking naked is rad, being healthy is a bonus. lol

You know... You can go through your routine day, get crap from everyone that wants to give it because they can't be as strong willed. Then come home feeling kind of defeated. But then you come on to Discuss Bodybuilding and you know there are more of us all over the globe battling the "Bob's" everywhere.

I think it's just plain ignorance, they don't realise the hard work it takes because they are BOmBarded with LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS!!!!!.... NO! Not me, I like the lose 1-2 pounds per week, and gain more muscle poundage than I lost in fat!!! Oh YEAH BABY!!!

ORIGINAL: Chazz540
I think it's just plain ignorance, they don't realise the hard work it takes because they are BOmBarded with LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS!!!!!.... NO! Not me, I like the lose 1-2 pounds per week, and gain more muscle poundage than I lost in fat!!! Oh YEAH BABY!!!

I snort everytime I see those 'Infomercials', you know the ones, the 'I lost 60lbs in 3 months' ones. The ones that flash the following on the bottom of the screen, in small font very briefly:
'Results may vary. Proper execise and nutrition will enhance results'

Gee, how about skipping writing a check for 100/200/300 dollars and just go with the exercise and nutrition?

Me, I've just been plain ass lazy the last 7 years of so, gotten complacent and said, heck I can start up again anytime I want. Sorta true but real sad. Well I'm started up again and I ain't stopping.

I'm with you Chazz, 1-2 lbs a week net loss is just fine with me. That means it's more like 2-3 lbs of fat loss.

My diet has gone from being a complete train wreck to being just a fender bender and I'm still working on it.

Life's too short to be a Bob.

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

one of the best posts ever!!!
in a way....describes exactly how i feel when my girlfriend complains about the frequency that i workout. she is a bit fat and im sure she feels bad about herself when she sees me naked or when i get off the bed every morning at 7 to go to the gym at 8.she finds it crazy and pointless!?she does not understand that if i dont workout i dont feel good about myself. so she tries to make me feel bad for being addicted to any kind of physical exercise.What kind of logic is that?

HAHAHA... nice touch up Kris

(Something Inspirational)!!!

[image]http://www.supplements101.com/dbbanners/banner2.gif[/image]

ORIGINAL: alien

one of the best posts ever!!!
in a way....describes exactly how i feel when my girlfriend complains about the frequency that i workout. she is a bit fat and im sure she feels bad about herself when she sees me naked or when i get off the bed every morning at 7 to go to the gym at 8.she finds it crazy and pointless!?she does not understand that if i dont workout i dont feel good about myself. so she tries to make me feel bad for being addicted to any kind of physical exercise.What kind of logic is that?

It is hard if those closest to you do not share your motivation and are out of shape or starting to get out of shape, it's all very well to dismiss people like Bob but if it is someone close to you, how can you motivate them? you certainly don't want to alienate yourself from them. Also reading this I suddenly remembered what my parents used to say when I was a kid when there were bodybuilders like Arnold on TV, they always said that as soon as they stopped working out all that muscle would turn to flab, I had totally forgotten that they used to say that.

I guess I'm not in the same boat as most of you all my Friends go to a gym.
I don't know any Bob's And after reading that post I'm gald I don't.So I will
just go to the gym where I'm safe and do some Hanging &Banging.And
pray to the IRON GOD,I never meet one.

GREAT post mda1125

I too get mad when people are ignorant and put "us" down. If only they knew the commitment, and intelligence required.

Clive Clutton HH. BSc.
P.I.C.P. Strength and Conditioning Coach
Biosignature Practitioner
cclutton@gmail.com (important emails only)

Posts like this make it all worth it. Even though i haven't been working out for very long compared to some of you guys, at 15 almost everyone is either lazy or ignorant.

I get **** for eating tuna to make sure i get enough protein. Just because all of you assholes eating sausage rolls with 300 different animals in them or doughnuts with some random pink topping that only god knows the ingredients to. Like it's a crime to give my own body nutrients. I mean ****!@!@$#$@

Ofcourse the major source of these payouts come from a guy who has mentioned atleast 10 times to me about how he was gonna start coming to the gym. I tell him when to come, i remind him and after the 3rd time not showing up i started not caring anymore. Even when we had P.E. for last period and were changed into sports gear and all he had to do was walk for 30m to get the gym...he just went home.

You know what bob, **** YOU MAN... I go to the gym because people like you can't. That's why is worth it.

Sorry for the rant

Seems this dead thread got some new life, here's my part.

I used to work out in highschool a bit, then university, then stopped. I had always worked out with my oldest brother and he had stopped so I lost my motivation. Anywho, flash forward and I'm engaged and grown up a few years. My wife-to-be is determined to lose weight by our wedding. She loses just over 30 lbs in a few months of doing her own thing (no pop, no McDick's, etc). After another month or two I get her a corporate membership at GoodLife. After a month of her going I get a membership and my motivation's cranked. I just enjoy working out and I take pride in my accomplishments. At 5'7" I do 210 lbs for my bench press reps, my best ever.

The "Bob's" in my life are my oldest brother and his wife. They signed up to go with us a little while ago because she realized that her butt scares small children and my brother's a fat skinny person. They've missed more sessions then they've attended now.

That is one of the best articles i've ever read. My unlces excuse is that he has to work all day, so he is too tired to got to the gym. It seems like everyone around me tries to discourage me from eating right and going to the gym regularily. My mom doesn't realize that i have to go to the gym at least four/five times a week. Friends at school say that working out more that twice a week is unhealthy. They don't realize how happy it makes me to bench a few pounds more than i did the previous week. I'm only 15, so im not huge yet, but everytime i notice a new vein in my arm i get so excited. Thanks a lot for posting the article!

Right on! Look at all these replies. You are not alone.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

afew months ago, i was bob. I was never overwieght, more under weight i guess and probably still am at just 150 pounds but im slowly getting there at about a pound gain per week.
I just joined DBB and already it has answered so many questions. 2 months ago a friend asked me if i wanted to tag along to the gym with him, so i said sure. Now my friend is pretty big, and taught me more than i had ever learnt in my life about weights
Thank you for the modivational post

That was a very inspirational post.
As of writing I'm 17 years old and 5'11"

I started at the gym 3 months ago, and since then I've noticed a lot of differences. Besides going from a body weight of 124 lbs to a body weight of 135 lbs, I noticed a lot of other changes as well. I find it is more relaxing when you go home after a big workout, I have more energy during the day, and there is that feeling of accomplishment and self-confidence that goes along with it. This is probably the greatest thing I could of ever done for myself and it seems that I have found my life's passion. Me and my dad hit the gym 6 days a week usually in the mornings. He has taught me a lot. When october rolls around, he will be entering an amateur competition for the under-200lb weight class division.

TRULY AWESOME!!!!!! I have had friends & relatives say the same things to me!!!! They all noticed that I've lost 35 pounds in 7 months, but some comment that I've gotten skinny and I should stop, when in actuality I was in the shower with my wife and she said my chest has gotten huge over the last 6-months and my biceps measure 1/4" larger all by following Tom Venuto's BFFM, AST's Max-OT, and Muscle Media's Geurilla Cardio!!!!! It's funny how right you are about them being the motivation! I actually have a harder time refraining from junk food when I'm alone.....when others are around I love showing off my will power. Once again....GREAT POST!!!!!!!! JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

A success is one who decided to succeed - and worked.
A failure is one who decided to succeed - and wished. (Ward)
There is no tomorrow, Rock!
There is no tomorrow! (Mickey Goldmill)

Hey mda great post, I loved every word of it. And now all the replies so I realise I am not alone and have a better understanding of myself and why I am working out. I just love it and my motivation has not waned at all. I feel good about myself and this makes me a better wife, mothers, sister, friend, every damn thing really. So it's gotta be good for me (and that's not even mentioning the health aspects).

I don't think I could've verbalised why I love working out so much because it's all quite new to me so thanks to the author for being so eloquent.

It also made me think about the 'bobs" in my life and I sent it to my husband who has his own thing going on at the gym and I told him I am glad that he's NOT a "bob" in my life.

My mum has already started on the "you're getting too skinny" kick which is her thing and not really about me. My sister has pulled away a bit and I'd love her to come to the gym with me and get the buzz just once.

My personal trainer was responsible for me focusing on what I want with my body and getting me into some goal setting and then pushing me to do things that I never would've attempted on my own. And low and behold, I am stronger and fitter and getting more toned up and more content every day/week.

It's just a great way of life. Thanks Jill from New Zealand

Great Post!!!
That's all so true too.....December 25th....6 am...i will now be in my basement lifting thanks for the new inspiration!!

And it's great because I can relate to that! I was once Bob. I used to weigh 240lbs at 6'0" at age 15 suckin down sodas and pizza everyday for lunch at school and always eating cheesesteaks, chips, pretzels, and what not while at a horrible 33% bodyfat. I got on the treadmill the first day and ran about .1 miles and was so winded I thought i was going to pass out. I could not even bench 95 lbs more than 4 times. Now I am at age 17; 201lbs at 6'1" and am 17% bodyfat!! And now I am maxing at 275lbs and can run 4 miles! My excuse always used to be that my body type wasn't right, I didn't have the time, and that my asthma might do something (I went to the doctor about a month ago and my asthma is now GONE! Asthma in my view is just an excuse and can be overcome), also because I was a teen that I might rip some tissue or muscle in my body. My whole life has totally changed. The confidence you gain, the mentality you gain are beyond any words you could ever say to anyone.

To anyone out there reading this who thinks you can't do it, you can! I thought i never could but I just stuck with it, and I started seeing gains and turned into an ANIMAL and you will too once you see what you can turn into!

Thanks again,
Mike

This is a post that needs to go on the DB toolbar.

Glad you liked it. It is GREAT.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Yes it does need to go there

ORIGINAL: mda1125

This is a post that needs to go on the DB toolbar.

Glad you liked it. It is GREAT.

I think we all know about these kind of people, In fact I know a ton. Friends of mine come up to me telling me they got a gym membership and theyll see me up there some time. I think hey thats great, physical fitness is the key to health and well being, but in the back of my mind i know they will fail. Some want me to go workout with them, but i got a good partner to lift with already so i decline.

3 months pass by of their ''workout'' and they see very minimal if any gains. Then they come back to you accusing you of taking super supplements etc.. because they simply cant gain muscle like you... They get somewhat pouty or they just say the hell with it, thinkin it is no big deal. But really what they're doin is quittin. They continue to think the only reason your big is your supplements because it certainly isnt the hard work or dedication, o no, gaining muscle is simply drinking protein shakes. A great example of this was when my friend was convinced the only reason i was big was because i took creatine, so you know what i did? I bought him a ****in can of his own but he refused to take it cause he didnt want to take "steroids"... (theres some ignorance for ya)

So these people dont have any gains. Why is this? Because first off they dont know what the hell their doin, second they go twice a week for 20 mins a day and expect results and finally dont take anything one step at a time. Ive been workin out for around 2 years and completly changed my diet and have had great gains, but these people think you can do that very thing in 2 weeks w/o any discipline. Hopefully someday they will learn...

Thats just about the best article ive ever read. You took the words right from my mouth, I espeically like the part about giving people advice they ask for when you know they wont really seriously consider it. thanks alot

-Ch

i know its been said 5million times but omg. that article described exactly what i felt about those people and couldnt describe it. all my friends sit around playin video games, and the ones that do play sports do jack-crap on the off season. that article just motivated me more than ever to show myself exactly what i can become and what some are missing out on. . i think about that and listen to the beggining of "Lose Yourself" by "Eminem" and am motivated to become more than i could have ever imagined. the song talks about gettin everything youve ever wanted and is one of the most motivational songs ive ever heard. thanks for posting that article. and may God have mercy on "Bob".

"Isn't an hour of pain worth a lifetime of glory?"
height: 6'
weight 155lbs
Flat bench:205
Squat:290
Deadlift:315
Shrugs: 315
HangCleans:160

"We lift weights and manipulate our diets so that we' ll look good naked. Sure, it' s healthy too, and we' ll probably live a longer and more productive life than the average guy, but mostly it' s about the naked thing. Truthfully, it goes beyond even that.

Does it really go beyond that?

Man....this is the first time i've read this. I was in tears laughing so hard. Im actually thinking about copying this on to wallet size notecards that I can just hand out to ppl who ask me that question. (if it wasn't a copyright infringement...which it probably would be )

--Rider

Yeah we should all give ourselves a pat on the back because not everyone has the kind of discipline to be highly dedicated like we are. Many people go through stints of working out for a month, then get tired of it and quit training all together. You have to be a true madman to stick out a lot of times. Congratulations my friends!!!!

ORIGINAL: macka

TRULY AWESOME!!!!!! I have had friends & relatives say the same things to me!!!! They all noticed that I've lost 35 pounds in 7 months, but some comment that I've gotten skinny and I should stop, when in actuality I was in the shower with my wife and she said my chest has gotten huge over the last 6-months and my biceps measure 1/4" larger all by following Tom Venuto's BFFM, AST's Max-OT, and Muscle Media's Geurilla Cardio!!!!! It's funny how right you are about them being the motivation! I actually have a harder time refraining from junk food when I'm alone.....when others are around I love showing off my will power. Once again....GREAT POST!!!!!!!! JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

I remember when i first started working out, i lost a lot of fat and my dad told me i was getting too skinny. Im glad i didnt listen, lol.

haha i got a rush of adrenaline reading this, thanks for that

when I call my brother "B" cup, he gets mad....then he rambles on about how he needs to work out....then you see him piggin on the chips and mcdonalds - his kids too - I was like that til one day I changed it all (3 years running, 30 pounds never returned) my kids are bean poles, have a ton of energy, play soccer, very active..my 4 year old has a dirtbike too ...no pop, no chocolate and only healthy food (except one cheat a week their pick) 1 hour of tv..... nite time snacks that they ask for are a simple handful of cashews/almonds, a small bowl of craisins and a glass of milk - - my brothers kids whine about wanting chips, cookies and juice....they play no sports, but watch plenty of tv (I saw my nephew once sit and stare at the tv only to cry cause his eyes got dry from NOT blinking)...all I can say is it's a choice and I wish my parents started me earlier like I'm startin my kids....soon my daughter (7) will want to go for a run with mom in the morning etc....etc......I workout 40 minutes a day 5 says a week and the rest is playtime outside or with the kids - - anyhow...I'm gonna call my brother "B" cup BOB...LOL

ORIGINAL: partypants!

when I call my brother "B" cup, he gets mad....then he rambles on about how he needs to work out....then you see him piggin on the chips and mcdonalds - his kids too - I was like that til one day I changed it all (3 years running, 30 pounds never returned) my kids are bean poles, have a ton of energy, play soccer, very active..my 4 year old has a dirtbike too ...no pop, no chocolate and only healthy food (except one cheat a week their pick) 1 hour of tv..... nite time snacks that they ask for are a simple handful of cashews/almonds, a small bowl of craisins and a glass of milk - - my brothers kids whine about wanting chips, cookies and juice....they play no sports, but watch plenty of tv (I saw my nephew once sit and stare at the tv only to cry cause his eyes got dry from NOT blinking)...all I can say is it's a choice and I wish my parents started me earlier like I'm startin my kids....soon my daughter (7) will want to go for a run with mom in the morning etc....etc......I workout 40 minutes a day 5 says a week and the rest is playtime outside or with the kids - - anyhow...I'm gonna call my brother "B" cup BOB...LOL

I wish my parents did that, im going to do that with my kids, but thats a long time away.

I don't know about you guys, but it does make me feel good to lift and to run and to eat healthy.  Staying in shape is a great thing.  I can imagine myself as 50 or 60 years old and still being cut and in shape, and still being able to do a 400 pound squat.  I don't want to just be normal like everyone else, I want to be set apart.  I want to have those abs that 99.9% of people do not have but want.  But why the vicious attacks calling these people lazy pieces of trash?  All we can do is give advice when they ask it and tell them upfront that it is hard work.  But I would never attack someone and be so prideful as to say I am better than you are because I lift weights and look good.  In the whole scheme of life staying in shape is good yes, but I would rather do it solely for myself and help others out if asked.. not look at them in disgust.

John 15:13
"Greater love has no man than this, that a man would lay down his life for his friends."

Never read this post before, just sat and read through all three pages, and every word is worth it, it's so true and we all know it. I'm sure we all felt a rush, or a tingle as we read the first few lines.
 
We all know a 'bob', i know a lot. And every time I hear a 'why do you do that' and 'that's too much' or 'that's stupid' it gives me so much drive to get out there a proove to them it's worth a damn.
 
One especially at work, i drink water on my break. We can easily have a fizzy drink for free since we have the machines, but i choose to have a bottle of water. And every time i hear it, why do you not just drink fizzy juice, do you not like it? Like it's a ****ing crime! It gives me just that much edge to myself and say, i don't look like you because of what i do for me, not for other people.
 
Inspirational. Glad this thread was bumped.

To train or not to train; to train is the answer - because if you aim for nothing, you'll hit it everytime.

    Wow Marc that was a touching story!!!  I'm trying to get my dad into it.  his birthday is tommrow and i'm trying to get him a golds gym pass, protein powder and alot of motivation.  Hopefully he listens.

amazing post... inspirational

I bet most of the peole after reading this story "really" wanted to change their lives. I just wonder how many people who found the story very inspirational are still workingout. A very few I guess.

Every 6 months when new students arrive at the uni, the gym is full of them, making impossible to workout, luckily, in a few days you only come across with the old familiar faces, is always the same.

This article is amazing, evertime I know I need to go to the gym, but I don't feel like it I just read this. I am 15 and have been bodybuilding for about a year and a half, It all started with being pushed around and I got sick of it. I'm the small kid in school at only 5'5, but ever since I found this sport it has become an obsession, and I can't get enough. I love lifting like a fat kid loves cake, or a crack addict loves crack, I am addicted to bodybuilding. My old motivation was to not be pushed around and be bigger than everyone else, to be better, but now this article gives me a new motivation. Thanks for the post

some things are so inspirational they evoke a response ...i just cudnt help scribbling my part ....simply awesome...i read this post once a week :p...ya im nuts.....i just love this....i just now fwded this article to all my ffriends...some are bobs n sum who hit the gym.....i hope the bobs understand that they r bobs....:p

"theres nuthing known as 1 last time"

I was moving some heavy furnature one weekend with someone, he's a big guy, and strong, and he KNOWS he lives unhealthy (is what seperates him from the "bob" in this thread) he doesn't need to ask what he already knows.

so he had asked if I had a hand truck cause he had to carry this very heavy load up a hallway, into the elevator, outside,(I didn't, so we did it the hardway, the way I like it) so we got to the elevator and we are still holding it (supporting on our thighs) until we get to the floor, he is sweating and huffing and puffing, however I didn't even break a sweat, his fiance says "look he's not even sweating, your a bodybuilder aren't you"?

I say "no, bodybuilders stand on stage in thongs, I just lift heavy things for fun"

no offense, I only said that jokenly, as much as I do this for bodybuilding reasons, I really really do it to be functional and stronger than the average guy at an advanced age. And I explained this to that guy who was helping me.

hey I'll have no problem meeting up with the "bobs" and join them for beer,pizza,lasanga, and cigars, only I feel better doing some high rep squatting right before!!!!