What was your driving reason?

[Fuzzy]

Well, mine was revenge, sweet sweet revenge.

Every day at school, I have to put up with barrage of daily 'u inject steroids', and 'stunt your growth' and 'all fat and no muscle' and 'ur a tryhard' and on and on, form the entire jocks group who are now afraid to talk to me. The comments are never to my face, always side snips behind my (bless Built for Baby got-) Back

and u know what my greatest pleasure is? (as sad as it is) is holding up those bastards who used to tease me till i was scared to come to school to a wall with one hand and telling them to shut up before i snapped them, and then preceeding to load up 200 on my bench and show these pretty jocks how to work hard. nand it isnt just the group in my year, other dicks that had tormented me.

I was a very fat kid, veeery fat, 240 pounds at age 12. Damn Lebanese eating habits, combine that ith a junk food haven...

And it has been sweet, because once they tried to corner me, all 12 of them after a 70 pound loss and 8 months of serious lifting, and I will remember that day for the rest of my life when I let out 7 years of taunting hell into a few dozen good punches. And the aftershock it sent through the school , and other schools when 12 of the biggest footy stars rocked up to the next party bruised. And everyone knew Id done it. And thats when I got noticed...

But now, lifting isnt about revenge anymore, I got that when they decided to test if Id made any progress. Its now about that insane happy boost I get after my body has been pushed till it cant hold itself up.

About waking up every day sore, and knowing, this isnt for anyone anymore, its for me, no one else. Those 15 inch babys sitting on your arms are a result of the hardwork you gave into it.

And ofcourse rowing, were would I be without rowing??? Hours spent in that damn boat, or on the evil ergo, pulling ang pulling, and forcing myself to somehow get up and complete my weights session. And the respect it got me from other people. ANd winning the nationals race, and breaking the national junior record, and doing all that.

wellllllll, that was a rant.

So what situations and event in your life have made you start lifting.

Just to get fitter, for your sports? A desire to be a better person, or to get back at the people who made you want to die, cause in a messed up way, I feel greatful to them.

[sharkall2003]

The first thing that made me start lifting and cycling (though cycling was definately first for a few months) was my mom telling me straight to my face that I was fat. The day she said that I actually went out and bought a 600 dollar bike. Then I proceeded to ride it 30-40 miles everyday in the morning, ride it to work, ride it across town to a friends house ect. I'd even ride it to a party or two. After I dropped about 30 lbs and I started to have a six-pack I was good to go. Then I wanted more. I wanted to be more than a 188 lb cyclist who could get creamed by almost anyone. As a result, I signed up for strenght training at school. I started training at school, smoked a lot so always had the munchies, gained about 32 lbs or so and then was a little too chubby. So I went on a cut one last time and here I am now. I can't gain any weight, but I am nearly the same bodyfat percentage I was at 188 and I weight 210+ consistently. I am over two times stronger in everything than I was then and I'm no longer the guy that everyone talked **** to. Now when I go places people actually respect me and many times people give me a lot of credit. They never thought the 165 lb guy in 9th grade would turn into the 210 lb buy they see today. Of course, a few people still arent satisfied, so I'm out to show them how big I can get. These people include my dad who is 5'8" 247, my girlfriend who wants me to get huge, my step dad who says i'm not that big and a few friends who just give me crap to give me crap. I'm stronger than I ever was before and I'm damn proud of myself. Growing up all through elementary school being the fatass who was creamed with dodgeballs in gym class was no fun, and going through middle school and most of high school being the skinny kid because I took adderall was no fun either. Now that I am off of it, I train hard, work hard and am more confident I feel great. Now if I ever saw those kids that gave me crap in elementary school it would be amazing. I could show all the kids that gave me crap how much better I am than them. I do all of this though for my own satisfaction. I enjoy waking up every morning and knowing that I am stronger, and better than the day before.

I'll even toss in a few pictures so you get where I am coming from.

First picture is me today, and the second is me a little over a year ago.

[whiteman90909]

Im in that 'used to be a little fat kid who wanted to get in shape' boat.

And nice change shark, deff. a huge improvement.

[dissipate]

i started out skinny and athletic. started eating lots of junk later on when i came down with severe depression and went on medication. and i was living abroad where it was winter - wasn't used to the cold temperature at all.

when i finished my studies abroad and went home, my sister told me i was fat. my parents said it a nicer way but the message was still the same. some of my friends said i got kinda fat too. i joined a gym, had 2 free personal training sessions, found out i was at around 30% bodyfat.

the trainer i was attached to had psychological problems of her own (i know because 1.5 years later she asked me for advice regarding her depression). the 3rd time in 2 months i asked her to measure my bodyfat, she got angry or something, and started bitching about me to another trainer in the office after i left. the office is glass all around and i could see.

i got mad and started researching nutrition and bodybuilding, measured my food, and never went back into that office to measure my bodyfat. the bodyfat gradually came off and i got lean.

right now i'm abroad again in a seasonal country and still have problems adjusting to winter, but i keep going (on UD2) and doing the best i can, because some whites here look down on asians and think we're weak at sports. inter-faculty competitions are 99.9% whites. at team sports events like ultimate, football and netball, which are usually mixed, they don't pass to asians or females. i'm both. there was a track & field day when i was supposed to run the 100m because i'm a sprinter, but the whites took me out last minute and put a white girl in. i'm usually the only asian around because the other asians are feddup.

so i wake up early every morning, have some coffee, go to the gym and put in everything. i go on torturous caloric deficits during the weak and eat till i want to vomit on the weekends (UD2). i love it. i love being fit and strong. and i want to show the whites that asians and girls and asian girls aren't weak.

this now is my driving reason.

[Jordanbcool]

I went into a severe depression after I broke up with a girlfriend (whom I loved). Once I got over her and stopped trying to get her back with my bodybuilding I fell in love with the constant pushing yourself/setting new goals. Pumps are addictive and having a godlike physique is too.

-jordan

[SuperTerrorizer]

I've always had an interest in bodybuilding but never took action until I realized that I'm not going to have a fun life while I hate the way I look. So I started doing something about it. I sometimes find it hard to motivated but once I get into a routine I can keep at it.

Lost 17lbs so far. Probably only about 20 left to go.

[bjohnso]

i started out skinny and athletic. started eating lots of junk later on when i came down with severe depression and went on medication. and i was living abroad where it was winter - wasn't used to the cold temperature at all.

when i finished my studies abroad and went home, my sister told me i was fat. my parents said it a nicer way but the message was still the same. some of my friends said i got kinda fat too. i joined a gym, had 2 free personal training sessions, found out i was at around 30% bodyfat.

the trainer i was attached to had psychological problems of her own (i know because 1.5 years later she asked me for advice regarding her depression). the 3rd time in 2 months i asked her to measure my bodyfat, she got angry or something, and started bitching about me to another trainer in the office after i left. the office is glass all around and i could see.

i got mad and started researching nutrition and bodybuilding, measured my food, and never went back into that office to measure my bodyfat. the bodyfat gradually came off and i got lean.

right now i'm abroad again in a seasonal country and still have problems adjusting to winter, but i keep going (on UD2) and doing the best i can, because some whites here look down on asians and think we're weak at sports. inter-faculty competitions are 99.9% whites. at team sports events like ultimate, football and netball, which are usually mixed, they don't pass to asians or females. i'm both. there was a track & field day when i was supposed to run the 100m because i'm a sprinter, but the whites took me out last minute and put a white girl in. i'm usually the only asian around because the other asians are feddup.

so i wake up early every morning, have some coffee, go to the gym and put in everything. i go on torturous caloric deficits during the weak and eat till i want to vomit on the weekends (UD2). i love it. i love being fit and strong. and i want to show the whites that asians and girls and asian girls aren't weak.

this now is my driving reason.

Winter sucks. What country are you in where you are you are discriminated against like that?

I was always picked on in school, I guess because I was skinny and introverted. I'm still introverted but I'm pretty big and I think I actually intimidate some people. It's weird having people be afraid of me after having them walk all over me my whole life.

[hardgainer169]

I like reading these success stories.

[betastas]

I find it very soothing and relaxing.

Go figure.

Originally I just enjoyed it for the fun of it. Then I decided I wanted to look better. Now I just do it to move lots of iron.

[K1M]

Probably to be better than I was yesterday.

[Mercuryblade]

I was tired of people calling me skinny every single waking moment of every day, you don't tell a fat person they are fat, but somehow its ok to tell someone they are really skinny all the time. So I did something about it, and here I am 42 pounds heavier than when I started.

[sharkall2003]

Mercury, if you indeed did gain forty two pounds then you were really really skinny.

[dissipate]

Winter sucks. What country are you in where you are you are discriminated against like that?

yeah it does! horrible.. making us hungry all the time ^_^

australia (sorry aussies, i don't mean that all of you are discriminatory like that.. probably just the few mentioned in the post)

[Mercuryblade]

Mercury, if you indeed did gain forty two pounds then you were really really skinny.

Nothing like weighing less than your sister for motivation (shes 112), and I was the same height.

[Fuzzy]

yeah it does! horrible.. making us hungry all the time ^_^

australia (sorry aussies, i don't mean that all of you are discriminatory like that.. probably just the few mentioned in the post)

Know how you feel man, alot of Aussies can be very rascist.

I got so much crap from everyone about the Cornulla Riots, but I knew if I reacted in that sistuation, then every one would see me as a 'Leb'

I just laughed and told pepople that the idiots in Sydney arent real Lebanese, theyr just fakes who think they are.

[RedSpikeyThing]

A guy I lived with lost 80 lbs over the course of a year. I went to the gym with him. We busted each other's asses on eating, dieting, lifting, etc. I don't live with him anymore, but the motivation stuck. I got interested in PL, so I've taken that up. Still eating lots and trying to bulk - I think I've seen the best results after training strictly for strength.

[Punisher]

I work at a sports bar and I have a lot of people making fun of me all the time, we joke around but some of the things they said like they could stuff me in the washer machine, had me thinking because the size of some of these guys that work there like the bounce could easily do that, I went to the doctor and they said I'm 144 lbs, I thought I was a lot bigger then that, but compare to some of the people at the sports bar at 21 YOA I am one of the smallest there, I just signed up here at WBB about a week ago and just started to take a look around today and reading getting the right idaes I am 10X more motivated in making these goals happen.

[Nik00117]

Wanting to play football, then decided not to play football then decided to keep lifting

lifting I am!

[Powdered_Power]

I wanna be big

[Punisher]

Oh Yeah!

[bjohnso]

yeah it does! horrible.. making us hungry all the time ^_^

australia (sorry aussies, i don't mean that all of you are discriminatory like that.. probably just the few mentioned in the post)

It gets cold in Australia?

[GrumpyTX]

I actually started lifting long ago because I went to play some indoor volleyball at the Ymca but the court was closed and I decided to walk into the gym. I liked it enough to keep lifting because it releaved alot of stress. (I was 16 then).

Now I continue to lift to better myself and try to stay healthier. Also to try and show my kids the proper ways to eat and exercise.


The other reason I lift is in the pic I am including. The first pic is my son when he was in 1st grade playing 2nd grade tackle. He is standing beside the average 2nd grader. The second picture is last years pro-bowl when he was actually in 2nd grade. (He is the one in the white helmet with the texans logo on the right side of pic)

[dissipate]

It gets cold in Australia?

winter's about 10-20 degrees celcius during the day and drops lower than 10 at night. the strong winds and rain makes it worse!

Know how you feel man, alot of Aussies can be very rascist.
I got so much crap from everyone about the Cornulla Riots, but I knew if I reacted in that sistuation, then every one would see me as a 'Leb'
I just laughed and told pepople that the idiots in Sydney arent real Lebanese, theyr just fakes who think they are.

what's adelaide like? is racism a small issue there or does it happen in the open often?
and those lebanese are fakes who think they are lebanese?

[Can'tstopnow]

By the summer of 2004 I was 210 and ripped. Moved back to Nebraska from Texas(I know wtf?) and began to follow old habits. Drinking my bodyweight in beer and smoking dope. So all of my hard work was down the crapper. So I ended up getting a good job and became a father all in about 45 days time. Moved back to Texas(thank god) and started hitting the iron with more intensity than ever before. I have a beautiful little girl that will grow up to be a beautiful little lady that I have to watch out for. I want her to have a dad who is of able body and mind. And I want to be 225 and ripped.

[Jinkies]

Atfirst I started lifting to better myself, I wanted a girlfriend and didn't want my body to hold me back from meeting the girl meant for me. Its a complicated thing, turns out I still havn't met her yet.

Now Its to honor the lord, to not use the blessing I was given would be a sin.