I've been feeling the same, Rob. I've stopped working out at all, finding it very tedious on the one hand and so frustratingly slow on the other.
Matt, I'm curious, were you following a workout/diet plan, or were you just "pumping iron?" The reason I ask is that in high school, I spent a year working out with my buddies, and I didn't have much noticeable bulk. I got stronger, but I was still a string-bean. I finally gave up, sticking to push-ups and sit-ups at home. At least I had some abs, and semi-respectable biceps. But I resigned myself to the thought that I'd always be a guy that gets sand kicked in his face at the beach. (Although I would have kicked their butts for doing so...)
But it turns out that there's a lot more to "working out" than just working out. There has to be a workout plan, and also (this is CRITICAL) a diet plan! You must eat properly to increase bulk and feed your muscles the nutrients it needs when it needs it, particularly protein. And there's supplements to take on top of that.
Plus, you must REST correctly. I was pumping iron nearly every day in high school, but wasn't showing much results in physical bulk. I wasn't allowing my muscles to rest properly, which is where the actual muscle-building process occurs.
In your case, I suspect that you don't place much value in being a "jock-looking" guy, since the jocks are the very people you may have resented in the past.
Bill Loguidice wrote:
One of the reasons why I decided to do this book was that most of the good Wii fitness programs are grounded in proven "blood-and-guts" workout methods, not something gimmicky.
I admit that I haven't really followed the whole Wii "fitness" scene, but the few videos I've seen seemed to show people doing rather mundane, apparently low-intensity movements during the Wii games (which looked quite fun, actually). I think one of the videos I saw was by Matt's students! It didn't look hardcore to me. It looked like mostly aerobic workouts, and I still have exceptional stamina and energy for my age. I need bulk! But your comments here have definitely piqued my interest. With the book, hopefully I'll gain a new perspective on this avenue of workouts!
Bill Loguidice wrote:
I wonder when the threshold goes from starting and stopping to it being so integral to your being, that you won't stop? It crossed that threshold for me around age 15 (though I didn't get truly serious until around 18), when I somehow "knew" I would never stop.
I can speculate on this in your case, Bill, although obviously I'm not Mark. You said you were a fat kid, which would obviously result in teasing and rejection, which lowers your self esteem. Then you were a skinny kid, which might have much the same consequences. Plus, YOU WERE A GEEK, I assume, which was the cherry on top of the awkward teen sundae!
But, by bulking up and looking strong, you gained respect from other guys, and probably admiration from the ladies. That, in turn, fed your self esteem! You realized that pushing yourself in all aspects (not just physical) resulted in great self-esteem rewards. That's addictive!
I admit that I pursued fitness most of my life (if not bulk) for those reasons, but because I wasn't building bulk, it didn't show much until I took my shirt off. I attributed this to my genetics, and resigned myself to thinking I was cursed in this department. But when I finally got into a program that emphasized correctly working out and eating, my bulk dramatically increased! And that happened within a two-month span!
I recently joined a "fitness club," but I haven't really felt comfortable there. I like the rough-and-tough atmosphere of old-school gyms, but this fitness club feels more like a social club with weights. All the fitness essentials are there, but it's kind of a yuppified atmosphere where people want to talk to you all the time ("Hey, let's talk about this at the juice bar!") I just want to get in, work out, and get out, with no one interrupting my routine to try to get me to join the tai chi class! Working out at home is just not going to happen, but the "real" gyms are too far for me to drive to, so I hope I can figure out how to survive the fitness club "meat market."
Oh well, enough rambling... I'm looking forward to the book!
I've been feeling the same, Rob. I've stopped working out at all, finding it very tedious on the one hand and so frustratingly slow on the other.
Matt, I'm curious, were you following a workout/diet plan, or were you just "pumping iron?" The reason I ask is that in high school, I spent a year working out with my buddies, and I didn't have much noticeable bulk. I got stronger, but I was still a string-bean. I finally gave up, sticking to push-ups and sit-ups at home. At least I had some abs, and semi-respectable biceps. But I resigned myself to the thought that I'd always be a guy that gets sand kicked in his face at the beach. (Although I would have kicked their butts for doing so...)
But it turns out that there's a lot more to "working out" than just working out. There has to be a workout plan, and also (this is CRITICAL) a diet plan! You must eat properly to increase bulk and feed your muscles the nutrients it needs when it needs it, particularly protein. And there's supplements to take on top of that.
Plus, you must REST correctly. I was pumping iron nearly every day in high school, but wasn't showing much results in physical bulk. I wasn't allowing my muscles to rest properly, which is where the actual muscle-building process occurs.
In your case, I suspect that you don't place much value in being a "jock-looking" guy, since the jocks are the very people you may have resented in the past.
One of the reasons why I decided to do this book was that most of the good Wii fitness programs are grounded in proven "blood-and-guts" workout methods, not something gimmicky.
I admit that I haven't really followed the whole Wii "fitness" scene, but the few videos I've seen seemed to show people doing rather mundane, apparently low-intensity movements during the Wii games (which looked quite fun, actually). I think one of the videos I saw was by Matt's students! It didn't look hardcore to me. It looked like mostly aerobic workouts, and I still have exceptional stamina and energy for my age. I need bulk! But your comments here have definitely piqued my interest. With the book, hopefully I'll gain a new perspective on this avenue of workouts!
I wonder when the threshold goes from starting and stopping to it being so integral to your being, that you won't stop? It crossed that threshold for me around age 15 (though I didn't get truly serious until around 18), when I somehow "knew" I would never stop.
I can speculate on this in your case, Bill, although obviously I'm not Mark. You said you were a fat kid, which would obviously result in teasing and rejection, which lowers your self esteem. Then you were a skinny kid, which might have much the same consequences. Plus, YOU WERE A GEEK, I assume, which was the cherry on top of the awkward teen sundae!
But, by bulking up and looking strong, you gained respect from other guys, and probably admiration from the ladies. That, in turn, fed your self esteem! You realized that pushing yourself in all aspects (not just physical) resulted in great self-esteem rewards. That's addictive!
I admit that I pursued fitness most of my life (if not bulk) for those reasons, but because I wasn't building bulk, it didn't show much until I took my shirt off. I attributed this to my genetics, and resigned myself to thinking I was cursed in this department. But when I finally got into a program that emphasized correctly working out and eating, my bulk dramatically increased! And that happened within a two-month span!
I recently joined a "fitness club," but I haven't really felt comfortable there. I like the rough-and-tough atmosphere of old-school gyms, but this fitness club feels more like a social club with weights. All the fitness essentials are there, but it's kind of a yuppified atmosphere where people want to talk to you all the time ("Hey, let's talk about this at the juice bar!") I just want to get in, work out, and get out, with no one interrupting my routine to try to get me to join the tai chi class! Working out at home is just not going to happen, but the "real" gyms are too far for me to drive to, so I hope I can figure out how to survive the fitness club "meat market."
Oh well, enough rambling... I'm looking forward to the book!