What's your motivation?

[FastNHard]

For me I am very unmotivated to workout. Tired of all the calorie counting, is my protein, carbs and fats spot on, is my reps and sets correct for muscle growth still to not see one damn result. I've done all the damn plateau busters still to see 0 results. I've been in a plateau for 2 freakin years! I still go though thinking one day it will change.

 

[marinera]

For me I am very unmotivated to workout. Tired of all the calorie counting, is my protein, carbs and fats spot on, is my reps and sets correct for muscle growth still to not see one damn result. I've done all the damn plateau busters still to see 0 results. I've been in a plateau for 2 freakin years! I still go though thinking one day it will change.

Don't count calories. Change training. See what your goals are. Looking at your pics, you are fit, but your structure (ectomorph) may be not the best to put on muscle fast naturally; what works for most people may not work for you, probably you'll have to cut down volume (frequency, number of exercises and sets). If you don't like your training, it is unlikely that it will give good outcomes, pick up a workout regimen that you like, or develop one by yourself.

 

[FastNHard]

Don't count calories. Change training. See what your goals are. Looking at your pics, you are fit, but your structure (ectomorph) may be not the best to put on muscle fast naturally; what works for most people may not work for you, probably you'll have to cut down volume (frequency, number of exercises and sets). If you don't like your training, it is unlikely that it will give good outcomes, pick up a workout regimen that you like, or develop one by yourself.

My first goal is to get to 170 pounds at about 9% body fat, I'm 163 now at 10% bf so should be a very reachable goal. I plateau at 160 pounds and everything that goes on after that is just fat. I've cut and bulked four or five times and it's the same thing, plateau at 160. Being an Ectomorph has made it near impossible to bulk natural, so far I've not used steroids But is going to be a possibility very soon. I usually am in the 6-12 rep range, 3-4 sets, I'm normally in and out in 45 minutes to an hour. I used to be in the gym 2 and 2.5 hours when I first started, that's what everyone else was doing so that's what I did. That is not productive for me. My mid section is bulking okay, limbs however are long and stringy. I have almost no four arms anymore and legs have a nice shape but very skinny. I've been lifting just under three years, I Should know what works for my by now but I don't.

 

[marinera]

My first goal is to get to 170 pounds at about 9% body fat, I'm 163 now at 10% bf so should be a very reachable goal. I plateau at 160 pounds and everything that goes on after that is just fat. I've cut and bulked four or five times and it's the same thing, plateau at 160. Being an Ectomorph has made it near impossible to bulk natural, so far I've not used steroids But is going to be a possibility very soon. I usually am in the 6-12 rep range, 3-4 sets, I'm normally in and out in 45 minutes to an hour. I used to be in the gym 2 and 2.5 hours when I first started, that's what everyone else was doing so that's what I did. That is not productive for me. My mid section is bulking okay, limbs however are long and stringy. I have almost no four arms anymore and legs have a nice shape but very skinny. I've been lifting just under three years, I Should know what works for my by now but I don't.

What your schedule looks like? How many exercises, how many times per week? Hope I am not hijacking this thread.

 

[TinyPrincess]

curious as to what keeps you going back to the gym or sticking to your diet. We all do it for different reasons , mine is to do well when I compete but am inspired by anyone making progress!

My diet is terrible - love chocolate way too much. But I don't mind spending a few hours a day to stay fit. It makes life so much easier - and hopefully longer

 

[soren10]

i'm a football(soccer) referee so i need to be in shape also i had a beer belly that made my life miserable for a little while and decided to take action..

 

[FastNHard]

What your schedule looks like? How many exercises, how many times per week? Hope I am not hijacking this thread.

Usually 5-6 days a week. Things like chest I'll do Flat, incline and decline bench, flat and incline dumbbell flys, peck deck and maybe cable flys. Really only about 5 or 6 exercises. If I do less I don't feel like I've done anything.

 

[marinera]

Usually 5-6 days a week. Things like chest I'll do Flat, incline and decline bench, flat and incline dumbbell flys, peck deck and maybe cable flys. Really only about 5 or 6 exercises. If I do less I don't feel like I've done anything.

It's too much work, plain and simple. How old are you?

 

[ItsAll4Kim]

For me I am very unmotivated to workout. Tired of all the calorie counting, is my protein, carbs and fats spot on, is my reps and sets correct for muscle growth still to not see one damn result. I've done all the damn plateau busters still to see 0 results. I've been in a plateau for 2 freakin years! I still go though thinking one day it will change.

It will. But not the way you want it to. Be healthy, be happy. Your body type precludes gains beyond where you are, and you have two years of proof. Please don't resort to steroids. You aren't a professional athlete, so putting your life at risk to be more muscular is just wrong.

 

[FastNHard]

It's too much work, plain and simple. How old are you?

In a couple months I'll be 45.

 

[FastNHard]

It will. But not the way you want it to. Be healthy, be happy. Your body type precludes gains beyond where you are, and you have two years of proof. Please don't resort to steroids. You aren't a professional athlete, so putting your life at risk to be more muscular is just wrong.

I'm not a professional athlete but I did want to get into fitness modeling, all those guys use steroids to get where they are. I don't want to have to use them, really don't have the money to buy them anyway, lol.

 

[Bondi]

curious as to what keeps you going back to the gym or sticking to your diet. We all do it for different reasons , mine is to do well when I compete but am inspired by anyone making progress!

My motivation is vanity. I want to look good naked. That is all.

 

[867272]

I love it and am totally addicted to it when I am in the groove. But if work or life interrupt for more than a couple months I have a hard time getting back into it, which is where I am right now. Trying hard to re-groove. Kept the diet pretty tight but haven't had the time for the gym with VERY long work days and personal life to take care of after that. What always keeps me motivated is a multitude of things. 1. Just the smoothness your body moves when it's balanced and strong 2. The mental game is totally sharper with exercise 3. Will admit I do enjoy seeing myself fit or others looking (ya I know, vanity is not a turn on and I don't let that show) 4. Just having the strength to do what I want when I want. Be it performing work around the house, or the stamina for any other activities.... The motivation can not be boiled down to just one thing but my absolute favorite benefit is #2 by far. Being sharp and confident outweighs any other bennie provided IMO!

 

[276992]

Love the way it makes me feel and now that I'm committed to it I feel like crap noticeably when I miss workouts.

 

[wnjcwjkk]

Idk if this counts, because I don't work out at the moment, but lately I've come to a crossroads in life where I want to start making some positive changes, and part of that includes my body image.

I've always been self conscious about my body. For the first part of my life, that included my size below the belt, but over the past several years, I've gotten over that and have come around to being proud of it. Now I want the rest of my body to match that.


Always been self conscious about being skinny, but I recently went through a period of depression that affected my sleeping and eating habits, eating one meal a day, sometimes not even that, and I lost even more weight, to the point I looked and felt like Christian Bale in The Machinist (Google it to know what I'm talking about).


And I feel like this period of time is time that was stolen from my life, where life is slipping me by and I'm remaining stagnant. So, I want to take advantage of the time I have left, and pursue things that will make me happy and confident.

So, I just recently downloaded an app to start keeping track of my calorie intake. I've calculated I need to start ingesting 3,000 calories a day. Just eating whatever at first, maybe peanuts and protein shakes to fill in the gaps. I just need to start putting on weight.

Then, once I start that I want to start a weightlifting and training routine.


It's all kind of daunting to me at the moment, but I feel like that might be a good beginning. For the longest time, I had been really unhealthy, smoking cigs like crazy, not eating well at all. Now that I'm in my 30's, I'm starting to feel like I'm just wasting my time and letting my life pass me up, these past couple years. Like I've been serving a self imposed prison sentence, and I need to parole myself. I've still been managing to find some luck in the female department, that's another thing that it took me a long time to teach myself how to put myself out there. But I want to be more confident. Not feeling like I'm having to fake confidence, if that makes sense


I really sympathize with anybody who is having trouble making changes in life, be it exercise and diet, or getting out and meeting people, or just feeling good about themselves

 

[mako shark]

My girlfriend who is a bit older has a terrific body so I have no excuse but to get off my retired ass and stay in shape.

 

[queencitymeat]

I'm in my late 40s and I have no desire to start my march towards dotage looking like crap.

 

[b3ar]

My main motivation? Change.
Even something so little as a small shoulder vein I've never had before.

 

[W Barkwood]

For me it's finding a good workout routine I'm excited to try for three months. The ones where I get to lift heavy, but keep my heart rate up at the same time work best for me.

 

[EllieP]

I had not been married a year when I realized how much I had let myself go. Getting into a new lifestyle, living with a partner after being single for so long and trying to adapt my old way to the new just distracted me from me. Before I knew it I had gained 15 pounds, and my loving husband never said a word.

I always had a bad self image because of excess boobage which always made me look heavier than I was. But that extra 15 - that did a number of my head. So off to the gym I went.

I try to go every day, and I really mean exactly that. I may miss a day a month at the most. Yeah, I'm the one in the hotel exercise center.

I love my gym now. I'm usually there at 5:30 every morning, and sometimes in the evenings if the day has been stressful or hubby wants to go. The staff is awesome, which helps a great deal, and it's almost become a social event for me.

I'm the outdoors type and always on the go. But that alone doesn't keep me in shape. I need to stay in shape to do the fun stuff. I also like the way I look now, and I can't see me changing that anytime soon.