M4:D63 (D363) Why Body Building?

What's on my mind today?
We were having a conversation tonight with my daughter's boyfriend about what really gets him going. My wife turned to me and asked me what is the one thing that I could do that would make time pass as though it was an instant. I immediately replied "For me it is body building." My daughter's boyfriend asked "Why body building?" This got me thinking about the question.

Self competition

I am an extremely competitive person. Body building gives me the ability to continually compete against myself for new personal bests. I am able to push myself over and over again. I love seeing my numbers go up and up on my lifts. It is exciting to see my dead lift (for instance) rise up to higher and higher numbers.

Self discipline

Nobody forces me into the gym. I won't lose my job if I fail to workout. I won't have any real consequences (other than health consequences) for not working out. It takes self discipline to get myself into the gym. It is a very satisfying feeling when I go for months without missing a single workout. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something major.

Self awareness

When you are into body building you are intimately aware of the detailed changes going on with your body. This self awareness is an amazingly motivating thing. For instance, I've always wished my arms were bigger than they are. For whatever reason, my legs always respond to exercise, but not my arms. When I began noticing that my triceps were getting bigger, I got very excited. It just feels good finally getting to something that has been a goal for a long time.

Competitions?

To me it isn't about competing. I've had many discussions with Carlos DeJesus about competing and he agrees–we are not interested in competing, we are interested in winning. That's the goal. Why have a goal just to compete? I could compete today without any further effort, but I would never win if I entered in my current condition. Thus, I am working hard on my body so that I can win the competition I ultimately enter.

Find out what I'm doing to my body!
Today was an interval cardio session.

Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!
"There is no such thing as can't, only won't. If you're qualified, all it takes is a burning desire to accomplish, to make a change. Go forward, go backward. Whatever it takes! But you can't blame other people or society in general. It all comes from your mind. When we do the impossible we realize we are special people." Jan Ashford