Why Do You Want To Get Fit? February 22nd, 2008

It’s a serious question that everyone must ask themselves before they start any kind of exercise regimen. By being able to honestly answer this questions, you will find it much easier to set goals and stay motivated. Through experience, I have found two personal reasons to want to get fit: better athletic performance and aesthetic appeal.

When I was in high school, basketball was my life. I was what we call a “gym rat”. Everyday, after school, I would spend about an hour in the weight room and another two hours on the court. I was driven to make the team and to be one of the best. My daily regime consisted of 30 minutes on a Precor Elliptical machine, and then another 30 or maybe 45 minutes of lifting. This started around 9th grade, and went all the way up to my senior year in high school, with a few tweaks in my regimen after every season.

I remember the big thing for me back then was legs. I was obsessed with trying to dunk. My god, the first time I touched rim in the 8th grade, I went crazy for about a whole week! My first dunk would come about two years later, during my sophomore year in high school, and I was hooked. It was a baby dunk, nothing too flash, just taking off with my left leg and dunking with my right hand. Really simple. But like I said, I was hooked. So I began to up my time on the Precor until I reached an hour a day, and I trained a little harder on leg days. I think I burned myself out, because I could never jump any higher! I had reached a plateau, and I was just frustrated. . . . My jump shot got better, as did my overall game, but I could never reach my ultimate goal: the ability to dunk with ease.

When I was not working out for basketball, and I was just hanging out with my friends or whatever, I began to notice something new. People would compliment me on my body. It was weird, because I wasn’t doing it for the compliments, unless they were compliments about basketball. I was in the 8th grade, when I jokingly made a muscle with my bicep, and this girl’s jaw dropped. She was just like “wow. . . . “. I laugh now because I wasn’t even that big! But for a thirteen year old to have any kind of muscle, I guess, is somewhat impressive.

After I graduated, my focus shifted from getting better at basketball to getting bigger for aesthetic reasons. You begin to get “hooked” on the attention, but not in a negative way. I love when I’m walking with a girl and she grabs my arm, and I see the shocked look on her face when she squeezes the tricep! It’s cute, and it tells me “hey, although that sweat is paying off.” These are the things I think about when I wake up and try to convince myself that it’s too cold or hot or I’m too tired. Before, I pictured myself driving to the hole and throwing down a monstrous dunk in front of the home crowd or hitting a big three pointer from far behind the arc. Now I imagine myself on the beach with no shirt on, and knowing the when I walk by, a few ladies are going to take a double look.

I’m only 22, so as I get older, I know my focus will shift once again. As I age, my motivation will definitely move towards staying in shape to be able to enjoy life with my significant other and even my kids. I want to be an old, old man who can still move around and rebound for my grandson when he’s practicing his jump shot. I want to be able to take my wife dancing, and be able to dance with her! But for now, I’m going to be completely honest with you. . . . I do it for the ladies.

Now ask yourself. Why do you want to get fit?

Let me know at anwar@cannedfitness.com.

Tags: weight room, lifting, basketball, sweat, motivation