If you read this entry you already know how I started in the iron game and the training and nutritional programs I've used. In this next series of posts I'll show you the five steps you must go through to obtain the ultimate combination of aesthetics, strength, mobility, and athleticism. You know, just in case any of that stuff is important to you.
Step One - Understand why you're training
"The combination of well-developed muscle mass and minimal body fat (what anthropologists mean when they report that the indigenous males of a particular region are “jackedâ€) is a sign of reproductive fitness. It shows that you have more testosterone than the next guy, even if you don’t. The more primed women are for sex, the more they notice. (True fact: Published scientific research shows that women who’re ovulating are more attracted to the manliest men than they are at other times in their menstrual cycle.) If you’re Tarzan, she’s game."
Yes, that's an excerpt from my book, Built for Show. (Kudos to you if you recognized it.)
It's funny. One of the most common pieces of criticism I hear about Built for Show is that "looking good enough to hook up" is a horrible reason to train. Many hardcore guys seem to think that training solely to look good and pick up girls is juvenile and shallow. The thing is, I agree. Training only to impress the ladies is a bit shallow.
But many guys are flat-out delusional if they think they have no emotional stake in how they attract the opposite sex. I believe vanity and improving one's looks is one hell of a motivating factor. While it may seem like a fickle catalyst to start weight training, it gets most guys into the gym to train (or at least look at hot chicks in tight clothes).
But what keeps them in the gym long after the "hey, look at me!" phase? Passion. Physical transformation. Using weight training as an emotional outlet. Pushing and striving and burning to improve.
And if those are the benefits you can reap from training intensely with dedication I don't think it much matters how the hell you get into the gym. But once you understand why you're there, you'll realize what you lose if you slack off.
So what got you into the gym? Were you trying to impress the girls? Lose some fat? Gain some muscle? Let me know in the comments and look for Parts 2 and 3 on Wednesday!
Posted Jun 01, 2009 by .
This entry is filed under Ultimate body.
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Comments for This Entry
I got into the gym as a young athlete when I was 14. I was training for jr high football and trained for athletics all through high school. I have been training ever since(now 22). The rest is history.
Now that I am no longer a competitive athlete, I train for a few reasons. One reason is to of course, look great naked. Another reason is stress relief. There is nothing like going into the gym and taking out a days worth of hate and anger on the squats.
All of the above here!
-Look good for girls
-Look stronger/more intimidating
-Less fat, more muscle!
Eventually I discovered that strength training was a good way for me to continue to grow without accumulating the injuries I was experiencing with high-volume work. So I am going to stick to this for awhile.
Yeah, that's right. I do strength training because I like the way it makes me look -- I wonder how many people will read this with a confused expression! I do small amounts of accessory work on top of my heavy lifts for beach muscles (5-10 mins here and there -- bang-for-your-buck style). Also, I do some functional accessory work in higher rep ranges, so I am really recruiting a lot of different muscle fibres through each workout.
It seems like bad habits and poor nutrition/exercise choices are passed down from parents to children
and I want the opposite for my son and our soon-to-be arriving daughter. Simply trying to lead by
example. Looking good and feeling better is just icing on the cake.
Good for you Bob. Teach them the right way early on. They will be much happier adults because of it. I have overweight friends who had very fat parents that did not care about making the right nutritional choices. Their kids just followed what they did and are now struggling so hard to lose weight because old habits die hard.
i started weight training because i was a very keen runner. i ran every weekday and i had such a passion for it, originally started after going through a fitness test and a youth organisation i attend. i thought the test was really hard and believed i could make it easier for myself by putting in a few hours a week, but after a while i feel i love with it.
i picked up weight training along the way because i felt i was out of proportion, big legs, small torso and in a way i didn't have overall fitness. i could run for miles with ease but i wasn't strong, by weight training i felt i could achieve overall athleticism. and in the same way, i just thought it would be 'kinda cool' to look jacked.
i started 8 or 9 months ago when i was 15 and now its an amazing passion of mine, even more so than running. i still do cardio, but in a more controlled manor, at the moment training for a good 1.5 mile run. before then i used it in a way to relieve stress from school, although i have weight training now which is my vice.
At the start of this year, I had hit my highest weight ever - 291. Then I got laid off. I hit the gym with a resolve to lose 100 pounds (with the help of a great trainer), as well as to become hirable again. Let's face it, first impressions count, and pushing 300 pounds you don't make a great one. Today I'm down to 235, working for myself, and feeling better than I have in years. In January 2010, I'm going to run the Disney Marathon, or die somewhere along the course, lol. Oh, yea - I'll be turning 45 at the end of the month.
In my personal case, you're right on both counts, why I got in the gym and why I stayed. I got in because to be perfectly honest I wanted to be more attractive. I gained the freshman 15 [ok closer to 20], and it was even worse considering I was a pretty small guy and couldn't wear that extra 20 pounds very well. Others thought I looked fine, but I wasn't satisfied. Once I started getting in the gym and getting active, eating right, etc. and saw results, I kept going because of the passion you talked about. Seeing myself succeed was an emotional reinforcement for my hard work, and in many way, my success in fitness has increased my confidence in my abilities in other arenas as well as a result of increasing my general belief that if I put my mind to something, I can do it.
I definitely agree that looking good for girls has a lot to do with the reason why I started lifting, but I was just also sick of being average you know? There are more dudes who don't lift than those who do, so it feels awesome when somebody needs help moving stuff or picking up stuff and I'm one of the first people they think of. I also love the challenge of finding new ways to improve more so than just adding more weight to the bar. I love your stuff Nate keep up the good work.
@ Bob --
That's AWESOME to hear. My dad did some weightlifting in his day, but gave it up for numerous reasons.
My mom is a junk-food-aholic.
So growing up, I consistently made poor nutrition choices. I love my parents and everything, but there was just no concept of optimal nutrition for me growing up. Exercise, for us, was walking/jogging.
I'm only 21, and my parents resisted and argued with me about every aspect of my body transformation. IE -- i eat too much protein, no one needs that many vegetables, i get too many calories, why do i want to bulk up, am i unhappy with body, etc. They just didn't get it!
Now it's had a couple years to settle in and the whole family is getting fit -- right now *I'm* the example. Everyone is losing weight and getting more fit. My dad is even overcoming his chronic back and knee pain -- just as I told him it would happen!
For me at age 13-15 it was about getting muscles so I'd look great. And a big reason for that was to impress the girls. No doubt about it. I was soft & wanted to get in great condition. I also played sports & knew this was the right path to assist me in becoming better.
Also, in lunch everyday we'd arm wrestle, I'd get my butt handed to me by this one kid, Ronald - Va Bch it was, he did lawn work & was country strong from his manual labor. So at night I'd do pushups with a wt. vest ( 20lbs.) & got strong fairly quickly. Started to beat him & was like WOW, this stuff works! Then I began jump-roping & saw how much that helped my lungs-endurance. Rest is history!
I started lifting for sport reasons, but once I graduated High School I now workout out and treat it as my new "sport". One that I can always work to strive and get better at. Sure I love turning females heads...but who doesnt? (Unless your into that other kind of thing guys...more power to you on that one.) I also want to be a fitness model and work my way into the acting field. I am also in the works of getting certified to train, and by me working out certain ways I can show them that you don't need to spend 2 hours a day 7 days a week in the gym to get where you want to be. It also helps me to know what worked for me..and hope that by my trial and error I can help someone else in the best way possible, as fast as possible.
I am probably one of your older readers (39) and being married, the only thing I'll be picking up is milk from the store or my kids from school...
That being said, after 10 years of powerlifting where my training was all about getting strong (and big, but only b/c that made me stronger), my training is now about being strong, looking good, and being healthy. And I tell you what, taking my shirt off when I have abs is a hell of a lot better than taking my shiort of when I didn't (even if I could squat a small car back then)!
I started lifting weights in middle school because my friends older brothers did it so we decided to follow suit. I then continued lifting hard through high school to gain size for football. Now I am in college and no longer play competitive sports and now I am training to lose weight. In high school i just got continuously bigger- strength and weight for the fact that I was a lineman. Now I just want to beat my numbers and be happy when i look in the mirror. Also lifting is a great anger relief, much better than getting in fights haha.
Before I started to enjoy food and wine along with training I was a football player. I grew up playing and even went to a decent D1 AA school, Villanova University. I realized after about two years it wasn't for me, between football and social life my school went to shit. I quit and focused on school, but while playing football fell in love with weights, chalk and training. I was the 1st one in the weight room and the last to leave. I had made a huge transformation from 160 to 180 pounds of solid lean muscle never loosing my abs. I was freakishly motivated in every facet of training. Once I had mastered the resistance training and explosive lifts, including agility, I decided to master endurance and lactic acid training. I pushed my body to the limit with beach workouts, weight training, swimming and running (distance) for marathon long training sessions.
Looking back it was counter productive to maintaining the mass I had put on early, but the adrenaline and rush I got from seeing what my body could tolerate was amazing. When I quit football I weighted 167 pounds (marginally skinnier then my playing size) solid with officially tested 5% body fat. It was almost a drug at that point. I saw how shredded I got and saw what I could tolerate, and accomplish whether it was getting better at kettle bells or seeing how far I could swim I am always trying and going after new things.
On vacation in South Beach I was scouted by Elite Model Management. I had a big stigma about it for a while, but when I realized I had nothing to loose I decided to go for it. I transferred schools to finish up in Florida and now make a great living getting my blue steel on. I get to travel between New York City and South Beach all expenses paid while finishing school. My passion for training and the adrenaline rush I get from working out is still there it is who I am regardless if it is my profession or got me chicks. It keeps me going. I'm sure my physique has gotten me chicks and surely got me noticed on the beach that day, but It was never about that. It was an outlet and an escape that boiled down to a boost in confidence I guess you could say.
This is long... sorry... but I'm sure everyone who reads this website has that tick when they hear a good "pump-up" song. That feeling that just makes you bust ass and train. Hard to put into words, but everyone knows that feeling.
Thanks for all the comments guys. There are some great stories here!
And just for fun, head over here to check out J.C's photos and make fun of him for being pretty.
http://bit.ly/rI13N
Kidding, kidding. Props to you, J.C.!
-Nate
Nate,
It's funny that what you wrote about in this blog is what I was recently thinking about. Even though I've started doing the winter phase of the BFS routine two weeks ago, I can start seeing myself changing my rationale for going to the gym. At first, I wanted to change the way I look and to feel better about myself in terms of self-confidence. And now, I can start seeing the focus could possibly sway to the sake of physical health, mental health, and seeing/feeling/sensing improvements in myself.
I've had a few attempts to work out. I tried one summer when I was about 13 or so. I was using a pair dumbbells that my Mom had at home. I'd attach them to the tube of a vacuum cleaner to mimic the effect of using a barbell. I only did this at home when I was by myself, while my Mom was off to work for the day. Then by the time school was back on, I didn't bother exercising for quite a while. I was to terribly shy and self-conscious about using the school's gym that was frequent by jocks, which I was not.
This hesitation kept me from going to a single gym until I was about 19 years old. Even by then, I was only comfortable with using an exercise bike, a rowing machine, and eventually a treadmill. I pondered with them on and off depending on my workload during my first and second year of university.
After that, I didn't bother using the gym again until I was 24 years old when I went to a different university where I felt I could do what I want and not be at risk of running into people who would know me and disapprove me being there. I went three times a week for about 9 months, while I was at school. However, I didn't gain a whole lot of pounds. Maybe 5 pounds or so. Maybe 10 pounds. I remember being so happy that I broke the 175lbs mark on a 6' 1" frame.
Then, I started working and soon after that, my Mom fell ill. I was overwhelmed with trying to learn a new job (as well as a new language that I had to use at work) and to attend my Mom at an out-of-town hospital for five months before having her at my home where I would care for her. During this time, I lost weight and actually reverted to a weight of 160lbs which I had when I was 19 years old.
Two years later, I've decided that while my Mom can be more independent, but still be under my care and supervision, I deserved to be healthily selfish. I started creating "me" time by leaving work by a certain time and having time on my own. So, one of the first thing I did was to take up a learn to run 5km course for 10 weeks last fall and then I followed that up with 12 sessions of 1-to-1 session with a PT to learn my way around a gym of various exercise machines. And, by last February or so, I stumbled upon Nate Green and his BFS book, saw a copy of his book at a store in Toronto, which I then bought, and started going to the local gym using the BFS regime. Since last fall, I've gone from 160lbs to about 180lbs.
I'm enjoying the entire journey. I like having the time to be on my own and doing something for just me. I like seeing progresses that I've earned and gained with my own body. I hope to continue doing so, now that I've recently became a member with PN and started taking some supplements.
Keep it up with your great blogs, Nate. They're great!
I train to become a better person. To become closer to my image of perfect I.
Geeze Nate! Long way since high school. Great article! I actually stay away from the gym. When guys make noises like they're giving birth or having a painful orgasm it distracts me from improving my own physique! Maybe I should invest into an ipod.
I started to lift because I was tired of being the skinny kid my whole life. Eating right and working my way through Built for Show brought me from a thin, no-one-noticed-me 125 pound high-schooler to a my-girlfriend-actually-notices-my-physique soon to be college freshman in 6 months. Lifting has been great for my self-esteem, my physical appearance, and my relationships, not only the one with my girlfriend but with my guy friends, too. Lifting has become somewhat of a rallying point for my best friends from school; going to the gym together helps us to motivate each other to achieve and maintain our friendships.
I got in the gym my freshman year of college, to impress the girls and be the stud around the frat parties. Now that I am done with school and weighing 215 of lean muscle mass and really happy with how I look I train now to stay fit and in shape for the next objective in my life that I may run across. I love to look good in mirrors and at the beach...so yeah I train for numerous reasons and look forward to reading you book Nate!
AWESOME post buddy- my biggest motivator is for 'recognition' guys who used to beef me for being fat are now asking my advice since i got shredded with a combination of Coach Poliquins biosignature and some german volume style training!!!
And of course the chicks saying 'nice pic' is niiiice
I started to lift weights when I was 16. 1.5 years after i started with Jiu Jitsu. I felt i had to balance my martial art with some muscles. And Now I'm hooked in lifting weights. I love to feel the adrenaline and pain from working out. Gives me a real kick. Sometimes it feels like Arnold said. Better than sex =)
Working out have really hepled my life in many ways.
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