Is working out worth it?

[B_Nick4444]

working out 15-20 hours in the gym takes me away from other things like studying for my CFA, writing my novel, getting laid, working full-time (frequently over 40 hours), participating in sports, sailing, SCUBA ... at the same time it helps me get those other things done, and probably, I couldn't do all those other things done without the time spent in the gym (did I mention how much I dislike and enjoy hitting the gym?)

 

[goodwood]

Jovial - don't forget the bouncers, bartenders, valets, etc.
Nick - thank you for speaking of it openly. I too dislike working out at the gym. But it seems a well hewn body is more well received.
It seems that the underfed, very thin look is not so desired these days a la D&G of past.
Question for the ladies here - would you prefer a beefcake to play with or a sinewy, attentive man?
Of course if you are not a lady and had those options, which would you choose?

 

[Jovial]

Jovial - well, you are in L.A. That is a whole thing unto itself and requires devoted attendance to the night life, going to parties, making friends with waiters/waitresses/hosts/hostesses. Make friends with the gate keepers. They love to talk. An you love to listen. Hint hint.

Jovial - don't forget the bouncers, bartenders, valets, etc.

Actually, I'm in San Diego. I'm not into the whole night life stuff. So I guess it takes more than just being in good shape to get laid. I just don't have the desire to meet and make friends with all those people.

 

[goodwood]

"Actually, I'm in San Diego. I'm not into the whole night life stuff. So I guess it takes more than just being in good shape to get laid. I just don't have the desire to meet and make friends with all those people."

Okay Jovial. So waking up at ten p.m. and being out until the sun comes up while you party/club hop isn't your thing. All apologies. I just assume that this is how one meets people and makes friends and hooks up. But there are many other ways one can make friends and meet someone who appreciates a nicely gym honed body.

So since you are not a night life guy are you a morning guy? Do you hit up the local espresso bars/coffee houses/organic eateries/news stands to grab a paper/make over a hot girl's dog she is walking in sweats, hat and dark glasses? Come on man. I am going to have to start charging you for this stuff. lol.

 

[Jovial]

Yeah, I hear you goodwood. I understand that getting out and meeting more people increases your chances of getting laid, etc. It's something I should do more of. It just doesn't seem to come easy to me. So in my case, working out hasn't translated into meeting more women.

 

[goodwood]

Jovial -
Working out is good. Keep up the good work. If you won't do it for any other reason, yo uwill look and feel better. As it happens, I am good at meeting people and it does come easy to me so perhaps I should come back to L.A. and get you out and about and show you how its done. Keep your chin up and hang in there and always be on the look out and seize every opportunity to flirt your ass off.

 

[SpoiledPrincess]

Question for the ladies here - would you prefer a beefcake to play with or a sinewy, attentive man?

I don't see why the beefcake can't be attentive too, but I prefer a guy on the lean ripped side.

 

[sdbg]

Q: Is working out worth it?
A: Totally. It may be for vanity when one is young, but as we get older, it affects our health, vitality, and overall well being. Blood pressure and cholesterol go up if someone is lazy and inactive. I spent a few years as a couch potato due to knee and ankle injuries, and it didn't work for me. I couldn't run, got fat, and hated it. My blood sugar went up and I was facing some serious health issues. Being I couldn't run, I bought a new bike, got off my butt, and dropped 65 pounds 2 1/2 years ago. If something ever happened where I couldn't ride my bicycle, I'd get seriously depressed.

 

[Skull Mason]

Check this out:

Growth Hormones Not Fountain of Youth

That study was done with elderly people. I don't think HGH will REVERSE the aging process, rather it prevents it or more likely delays it in people who haven't yet lost everything. HGH can keep you young, not make you young. They need to do a study with people aged 35-55 and see the results.

 

[auncut10in]

I guess that is what I'm saying. I don't go around thinking I'm in good physical shape so everyone wants to have sex with me. I just don't think that way. Also, I don't want to have sex with just anyone...I'm picky, so that doesn't help. Maybe I need a new marketing firm or something.

Hey I own and advertising agency, and would be glad to represent you at no cost. You got way more positive assets than a lot of my clients. <G>

Seriously, I once read a quote by Nelly who said "Your body is the gift you give yourself" I so totally agree with him. I have worked out all my life since I was 15, and have never regretted it. Now that I am older, the benefits are really paying off. I look way younger than I am. Most guys think I am in my 30's for heavens sake. It has allowed me to stay active, continue to ski agressively, bike 585 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles on the AIDS ride, do a triathlon, white water rafting, which I love including oaring down the Grand Canyon every couple of years when someone can get a permit and now sailing around the Mediterranean for the past year. When I go to the doctor, they tell me my stats are for a guy half my age. Most guys my age have given up all of those sports, are fat and living boring lives. Working out consistently throughout my life was perhaps the single best thing I have ever done for myself. You have a choice to make. Do you want to have 20 or maybe 30 years of a wonderful life (remember you have already used up 20 of those years) or do you want a lifetime filled with the marrow of life. The choice you are making is determining your future, choose wisely.

 

[lonesome_boy1980]

Actually, I was thinking the same subject, I mean it's about seven year that I am doing it at home, some times I am to lazy, so I just put it away for 2 months, then again, it's really affects me, while work out, it makes my depression to go, I eat a lot, I get in a good mood and ...I guess I am going to do it in a GYM in a month to see the physical result...

 

[Principessa]

Question for the ladies here - would you prefer a beefcake to play with or a sinewy, attentive man?

Assuming the beefcake is dumb, then I would take the sinewy, attentive man. I have encountered smart, attentive beefcake types I don't think it has to be either or.

Actually, I'm in San Diego. I'm not into the whole night life stuff. So I guess it takes more than just being in good shape to get laid. I just don't have the desire to meet and make friends with all those people.

Yes dear, one must do more than work and workout to meet someone. :tongue: You need to cultivate some interests that are not of a solitary design. Join a hiking, biking, or ski club. Heck, join a bowling team just to get out of the house and socialize.

Yeah, I hear you goodwood. I understand that getting out and meeting more people increases your chances of getting laid, etc. It's something I should do more of. It just doesn't seem to come easy to me. So in my case, working out hasn't translated into meeting more women.

I used to have a Bally's membership and I hated feeling like all the cute guys and grody old men were watching me sweat and looking my worst. I wouldn't want to meet a man at a gym, I'd be too self conscious.

 

[Lex]

Actually, I'm in San Diego. I'm not into the whole night life stuff. So I guess it takes more than just being in good shape to get laid. I just don't have the desire to meet and make friends with all those people.

Yeah, I hear you goodwood. I understand that getting out and meeting more people increases your chances of getting laid, etc. It's something I should do more of. It just doesn't seem to come easy to me. So in my case, working out hasn't translated into meeting more women.

Jovial--I used to be quite thinner/leaner than you are now up until I was 30 (5 years ago). My size never stopped me from getting laid (with women at that time). From what you have shared, you seem to be more on an introvert, which would mean that you are shyer and may not feel very comfortable in large and/or small social settings.

It took me a long time to realize this about people as I am very social and comfortable in most settings. I will say that I do believe that you have to find ways to meet and mingle with people (if your goal is eventually getting laid).

 

[hotguy8884]

I agree with Lex. Just get out there and meet people. If this entails going to the gym, then go to the gym. If not, go to a bar.

Whenever I go to the gym, I'm always the guy that tries his hardest, but its pathetic cause I have no idea what I'm doing. I get a lot of looks from girls giggling and such, and one girl came up to me once and asked me if I needed help working the machine and told me I was cute (probably in a naive kind of way) and we talked for a while. It probably could have gone further if I was remotely interested in girls.

As I'm saying.. You can meet people at the gym without exhausting yourself. Or at the bar without being a manslut.

Just get out there, meet people, but don't push your limits.

Rob <3

 

[slate_australis]

My problem, is that there is no gym really close to work, which puts lunchtime w'outs out of the question - it's finding the time to get in enough of a workout to feel like you've made a difference.

Then if for some reason you can't go for a week (which can happen) you feel so sloppy and it's a disincentive for me to go... which is a tad counter-intuitive.

 

[like2bwatched]

Here's my take on the exercise thing. I've seen it over and over again. People buy treadmills and other exercise equipmet for their home. It ends up in the garbage a few months later. Exercising in the home by yourself is like watching the clock tick. After a half hour it seems like you've been doing it for days, and and sure is no fun, so then you say this really sucks. eah I know, watch the tv, listen to music. Tried it all and it's just real boring. Then there are the one's who join the gym and go a few times and then go less and less and then never rejoin the following year. So here's my take. The only exercise I have ever been able to maintain and truely not feel like I am drudgingly exercising, is a game or sports or exercise class. Play a little tennis, jog a little, play some softball, throw a football around, play racketball, ride your bike, get into a cycling or arobics class, go swimming, play volleyball. This enrices your life with fun and time plus you meet new people, so you don't feel like you are exercising. 80% of the time, if you take on a solo workoout routine you are doomed to failure, unless you are a bodybuilder, but that is a totally different story. Listen, you are exercising to be fit and healthy and happy, so if it's not fun you won't stick with it. Half of feeling healthy is enjoying it. Yeah, I know I'm rambling on like I'm fitness expert, but that's the way it is with me, and by looking at what happens to so many people there must be a lot of poeple that feel the same way. Oh yeah, one of the most important things about the sport thing, is to be playing for fun. If you worry about winning or loosing, forget it. Yeah try to win, it feels good to win, that's human nature. But there are many times I play tennis, golf, etc. and I make an agreement with the other person that we won't keep score. Who cares? And if you beat a person over and over and over and rub their nose in it, do you think they are going to to play with you? I'm not going to be in the Olympics and some people feel bad if they loose, and sometimes other friends will ask who won, so they put pressure on you. So if you just tell everyone we didn't keep score then it's just pure fun. Well I should get off my soapbox here. Just get out there and have fun, and the exercise will is an added benefit.

 

[viking1]

Here's my take on the exercise thing. I've seen it over and over again. People buy treadmills and other exercise equipmet for their home. It ends up in the garbage a few months later. Exercising in the home by yourself is like watching the clock tick. After a half hour it seems like you've been doing it for days, and and sure is no fun, so then you say this really sucks. eah I know, watch the tv, listen to music. Tried it all and it's just real boring. Then there are the one's who join the gym and go a few times and then go less and less and then never rejoin the following year. So here's my take. The only exercise I have ever been able to maintain and truely not feel like I am drudgingly exercising, is a game or sports or exercise class. Play a little tennis, jog a little, play some softball, throw a football around, play racketball, ride your bike, get into a cycling or arobics class, go swimming, play volleyball. This enrices your life with fun and time plus you meet new people, so you don't feel like you are exercising. 80% of the time, if you take on a solo workoout routine you are doomed to failure, unless you are a bodybuilder, but that is a totally different story. Listen, you are exercising to be fit and healthy and happy, so if it's not fun you won't stick with it. Half of feeling healthy is enjoying it. Yeah, I know I'm rambling on like I'm fitness expert, but that's the way it is with me, and by looking at what happens to so many people there must be a lot of poeple that feel the same way. Oh yeah, one of the most important things about the sport thing, is to be playing for fun. If you worry about winning or loosing, forget it. Yeah try to win, it feels good to win, that's human nature. But there are many times I play tennis, golf, etc. and I make an agreement with the other person that we won't keep score. Who cares? And if you beat a person over and over and over and rub their nose in it, do you think they are going to to play with you? I'm not going to be in the Olympics and some people feel bad if they loose, and sometimes other friends will ask who won, so they put pressure on you. So if you just tell everyone we didn't keep score then it's just pure fun. Well I should get off my soapbox here. Just get out there and have fun, and the exercise will is an added benefit.

My feelings on this exactly.

 

[B_Italian1]

Would workout turn me into a super good looking or super stud? :biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1:

No. That's what plastic surgery is for. You can get pec, butt, and calf implants.

Here are some sites that show you how to do each exercise:

Bodybuilding.com - #1 Exercises Guide - Over 300 Exercises!

fitness instruction -from GHF- fitness instruction - Customized online fitness instruction

I like ExRx.net Exercise & Muscle Directory

Cool! :smile:

My problem is the gyms around here are really expensive and I just can't afford it. Yes I know I could workout at home but I feel so much more motivated and get a better work out at the gym, so hopefully soon I'll have a new job and be able to afford the $70/month it would cost to join the local gym.

Shop around. I got a great special. $99 to join, regularly $250, and only $15 a month. I can quit whenever I want.

I can understand that. It is a lot like another chore. It gets old quickly.
There aren't many things that are more boring than working out at a gym.

I walk at a local park for exercise. I enjoy that because I get to be outside, and see the river, scenery, and wildlife. I don't find it boring like working out inside a building. There's a really steep trail up a tall hill there too.
It climbs 200+ feet above the river in about half a mile. Can't get in too many walks during bad weather, though.

What's even worse for me is working out at home. I've had all kinds of equipment, a rowing machine, 2 treadmills, an elliptical, and I use them for a while and then get sick of them. They collect dust and then I sell them. I need a place to go to because if the equipment is at home I can think of other things I'd rather be doing. I walk outside a lot, too. That's my favorite thing to do because I like to look at the scenery and breathe in the fresh air. The area I live in has some hilly parts which is good for the legs and has given me some muscles in my thighs and calves.

what does working out get? It gets you laid. Period. If you are single and work out and are in good shape.

That is ridiculous. People mostly work out to look good for themselves and for others, but it doesn't magically make sex happen.

Here's my take on the exercise thing. I've seen it over and over again. People buy treadmills and other exercise equipmet for their home. It ends up in the garbage a few months later. Exercising in the home by yourself is like watching the clock tick.

I had weights and a bench two different times in my life and managed to sell them both times. And I've sold all the other equipment I've purchased. I sold my elliptical for the same price that I bought it for. Right now, I only have a treadmill. When I go on the mill I watch tv. I can't really get into working out at home.

 

[Lex]

Joining a gym was really important for me after trying off and on to exercise at home over the course of a year. I really don't like the idea of wasting my $35 a month so I make sure that I am going, even when it is infrequently.

The other thing I have noticed, since I go when the gym is less packed (5:30 am) is that the guys and gals who are there at that time do little things to keep each other motivated.

When I am not there for a week, the lesbians get on me and some of the other guys will also jokingly give me shit. Over time, we have become a quasi-support system for each other even though we are not work our partners.

 

[B_Monster]

Joining a gym was really important for me after trying off and on to exercise at home over the course of a year. I really don't like the idea of wasting my $35 a month so I make sure that I am going, even when it is infrequently.

The other thing I have noticed, since I go when the gym is less packed (5:30 am) is that the guys and gals who are there at that time do little things to keep each other motivated.

When I am not there for a week, the lesbians get on me and some of the other guys will also jokingly give me shit. Over time, we have become a quasi-support system for each other even though we are not work our partners.

BTW, I only pay $12.00 a month for membership.


Same here Lex, I could never workout at home alone. I workout at 4:30 am Its the same people every morning, just their presence is motivation for me and if I need a spot there is always someone to help. The second part is dedication and that falls on me to get up every morning and dedicate myself to exercise.

As I said in an earlier post its all about my health because of a health scare when much younger, the looking good is secondary although a good secondary, :tongue:

The 3rd part is diet, I do my best to shop the perimeter of the market, staying away from the aisle's where all the processed foods are. Take note: All the stuff thats good for you is around the perimeter of the market