bodybuilding = Mind Fuck

[convictmuscle]

Does anyone else feel like bodybuilding is the absolute best thing that ever happened to them (2nd to family) but at times, also the absolute worst thing??? The constant struggle of not being good enough and going to, in some cases, extreme lengths to get one step closer to perfection. Life balance?? Good luck when you want to be a lot more than average. I'm sure others can relate. . I'm interested in hearing how others handle the "grind" of trying to accomplish or maintain perfection while having the appropriate life balance.

[redback]

If bodybuilding is the best thing that has happened to you I feel sorry for you bro.

[convictmuscle]

Obviously having kids, family and friends is the best, but for some ppl, bodybuilding has saved them. What I'm referring to is how bodybuilding can help to lead a person down a positive path to reduce the risk or get away from the negative type of lifestyle but in turn can be very difficult to continue with at a high level. Particularly once every day adult life and responsibilities kick in.

[convictmuscle]

Redback, let me give you an example. Let's suppose a young man has made some really bad choices and ends up doing a significant amount of time in prison but while in there he finds hope and strength in bodybuilding and that's the one thing that kept him going and allowed him to remain positive. And also allowed that individual to succeed upon his release due to that structure and dedication it takes to maintain.

[redback]

Redback, let me give you an example. Let's suppose a young man has made some really bad choices and ends up doing a significant amount of time in prison but while in there he finds hope and strength in bodybuilding and that's the one thing that kept him going and allowed him to remain positive. And also allowed that individual to succeed upon his release due to that structure and dedication it takes to maintain.

Yeh shoot your ass full of drugs everyday and become a drug addict and develop bigorexia/muscle dysmorphia. Get depressed everytime you come off a cycle. Real positive. Get an education instead. Fuk listen to me now, turning into an old cunt

[Bouncer]

Redback get a grip, you sound miserable as fuck. Time to evaluate some shit brother. This thread combined with your "cant find joy in life" thread.. Get your shit together and get back on the alpha juice brother.

Convict I hear ya bro. Just comes down to what's most important in your life at that moment I guess. For me, I'd be a depressed turd if I didn't stand out from the crowd physically. I really don't have a choice to be honest. I cannot mentally handle being "normal". So that's how I deal with it, I just accept that I would not have it any other way. This lifestyle has given me far more positive than negative.

[convictmuscle]

Redback, I struggle to see your angle here! Judging by your reply, I wouldn't refer to you as an "old cunt" but rather someone that is judgmental and is quick to make assumptions. It's my experience with forums that they are a way to communicate and help others, something you clearly dismissed and closed the opportunity on with your reply. However, I do agree with the education point, which has played another big role with me personally and allowed me to succeed. Maybe my original post has been on my mind a great deal and I hastily posted it. Maybe I didn't articulate it properly?*

B, thanks for the constructive reply brother! Sometimes talking thru this shit helps give additional perspective. Greatly appreciated bro! I'm sure others struggle with this same type of shit. *

[chuckz28]

I look at it not as striving for perfection but rather just continual improvement in all aspects of life. Improvement in ones image or health is only a piece of the puzzle for general life improvement so I only devote the time necessary for the slice of importance that it is. I'm not sure I would rate Bodybuilding even in the top 10 of most important things to happen to me but I have no issue and fully understand if it has helped someone else.

[Bouncer]

I'm not sure I would rate Bodybuilding even in the top 10 of most important things to happen to me

Oh I would, absolutely. Not as an individual thing but as something that has had a dramatic effect on the other aspects of my life. It has absolutely shaped me physically and mentally. You guys are taking convicts words literally instead of seeing the bigger picture of what he is actually talking about.

Before I started lifting in 11th grade I had no confidence. Bodybuilding gave me that confidence that nothing else could. Suddenly my grades shot up, all the teachers that had hated me before started treating me differently. The effect my physical image had on my mind and personality was dramatic to say the least. I went from being the "problem child" to the popular kid.

Confidence is a funny thing. If you carry yourself in a certain way people will notice you. Some will even follow you. Even if the message you carry is absolute rubbish. The importance of confidence cannot be overstated in terms of getting you what you want out of life. That's what bodybuilding gave me.

P.S. If that comes across like I'm pretending to be some guru that has life all figured out, I don't mean it like that in the least. Far from it. I'm a mess for the most part but I'm a confident mess and a large part of that confidence came from what bodybuilding did for me.

[redback]

Redback, I struggle to see your angle here! Judging by your reply, I wouldn't refer to you as an "old cunt" but rather someone that is judgmental and is quick to make assumptions. It's my experience with forums that they are a way to communicate and help others, something you clearly dismissed and closed the opportunity on with your reply. However, I do agree with the education point, which has played another big role with me personally and allowed me to succeed. Maybe my original post has been on my mind a great deal and I hastily posted it. Maybe I didn't articulate it properly?*

B, thanks for the constructive reply brother! Sometimes talking thru this shit helps give additional perspective. Greatly appreciated bro! I'm sure others struggle with this same type of shit. *

I'm not sure what you are struggling with. I thought my angle was quite clear. I wasn't judging you, I was giving you my opinion on BB and my own experiences with it.

[Bouncer]

I'm not sure what you are struggling with. I thought my angle was quite clear. I wasn't judging you, I was giving you my opinion on BB and my own experiences with it.

Here's the important question though red.

Do you feel better about yourself now that you don't "shoot your ass full of drugs everyday"?

Has your life improved because you have now gotten yourself an education? Do you enjoy life now in a way that you didn't before?

My argument would be that everything in life is what you make it. From the sounds of it, bodybuilding has been a largely negative aspect of your life. If I am to go by your recent thread about everything in life being boring and not being able to get excited about anything, I can only assume that nothing has changed with your new moto of "get an education".

Maybe it's not what you are doing but how you go about it that is the problem.

Just my 2 cents, I may be completely off base, just going by how you are coming across here.

[redback]

Here's the important question though red.

Do you feel better about yourself now that you don't "shoot your ass full of drugs everyday"?

Has your life improved because you have now gotten yourself an education? Do you enjoy life now in a way that you didn't before?

My argument would be that everything in life is what you make it. From the sounds of it, bodybuilding has been a largely negative aspect of your life. If I am to go by your recent thread about everything in life being boring and not being able to get excited about anything, I can only assume that nothing has changed with your new moto of "get an education".

Maybe it's not what you are doing but how you go about it that is the problem.


Just my 2 cents, I may be completely off base, just going by how you are coming across here.

Like we discussed. It has to do with coming off cycle and feeling crap. Something you can't really avoid.

Yes life has improved in other ways but we are talking about bb'ing. I can't say that I get excited about it when my shoulder is so fucked I can't even lift it half the time let alone bench press. I owe that to bbing. I owe an enlarged heart to bbing and who knows what else. All this for just being an average gym rat. Yes im off cycle 4 weeks now and I probably depressed as fuk but thats the way it is.

[convictmuscle]

B, You hit the nail on the head with your high school analogy!

I feel very similar about myself in terms of the way you explained how you feel. I have a young family which is absolutely my #1 priority but I struggle with the demand of bodybuilding while balancing everything else. Happiness is the key, but I'm not happy if I'm not in shape. Make sense?

[Bouncer]

Like we discussed. It has to do with coming off cycle and feeling crap. Something you can't really avoid.

Yes life has improved in other ways but we are talking about bb'ing. I can't say that I get excited about it when my shoulder is so fucked I can't even lift it half the time let alone bench press. I owe that to bbing. I owe an enlarged heart to bbing and who knows what else. All this for just being an average gym rat. Yes im off cycle 4 weeks now and I probably depressed as fuk but thats the way it is.

Props for realness.

Personalty I'd hop on deca and gh for that shoulder. Might not fix it but no doubt it will feel better.

B, You hit the nail on the head with your high school analogy!

I feel very similar about myself in terms of the way you explained how you feel. I have a young family which is absolutely my #1 priority but I struggle with the demand of bodybuilding while balancing everything else. Happiness is the key, but I'm not happy if I'm not in shape. Make sense?

Absolutely. I'm a much better person to be around when I'm feeling good and looking good. I say nice things to people, I'm positive, and I have a can do attitude. Total opposite if I look and feel like shit. I get insecure, agitated, and jealous. Like a different person.

The way I see it, your doing your family good by being in shape and dedicated to this life. Your family would suffer if you were to quit this lifestyle.

[convictmuscle]

B, I completely agree!

Red, question for you.......if you had a chance to do it all over again (bodybuilding), would you?

The answer is simple for me.....YES, cause otherwise I'd be dead or in prison for life.