Why I Train

I cannot begin to count the many times that I have been asked that question… “Why do you train? Why do you spend so much time at the gym?”  Typically I will give a vague, quick answer and not really give it much thought.  However, lately I have been thinking about this and here is what I have found.  Last year, I spent over 300 days and approximately 450 hours training.  This does not even include recreational activities that I enjoy, such as mountain biking and hiking.  Why would I devote so much of my time to throwing iron around a gym?  I’ve narrowed my answer down to three major reasons.

1.      Tangible Goals and Absolute Improvement

I am a very goal-oriented person.  I love the feeling of setting a goal and achieving it.  Lifting weights is something that when done correctly, will always produce tangible results.  If I break a new PR, there is no doubt that I have improved.  If I lower my body fat percentage, I have gotten better.  Numbers don’t lie. So many of the activities that I have been involved in are left to someone’s personal opinion of whether or not I did it well.  If I performed a classical art song for a vocal competition it was up to me to learn the music and give my best interpretation of the piece, however it was up to the judges whether or not I interpreted it in the way that they believed to be correct.  Then, it was also up to the judges whether or not they found the tone of my voice to be pleasing.  While I find music to be extremely rewarding and I could never give it up, it does not satisfy my need for absolute improvement. 

2.     Mental Toughness

Training, whether in the gym or outside, is so much more about mental strength than physical strength.  My workouts are extremely influenced by my current state of mind.  To train the mind to overcome pain or whatever mental obstacles you are facing at that point in time is a skill that can and should be developed.  My goals do not care about my excuses.  My goals do not care if I am tired.  My goals do not care if I don’t have time.  My goals do not care about ANY excuses.  If I let my excuses keep me from training, I will never reach my goal.  Period.  The human body is capable of so much more than most of us will ever even come close to touching.  As Americans, most of us spend the majority of our time at a desk or in front of a screen of some sort.  Our bodies were designed for so much more!  Think about it….before this technology era began, people had to walk everywhere they wanted to go, they had to grow or hunt their food, and they made their own clothes.  Technology has made our everyday lifestyle become so sedentary and we don’t even realize it!  I type this as I am sitting on my bed.  

Point made.

3. One Chance

     We are only given one body.  This is the only chance I have to take care of it and see what it is capable of doing.  I want to do everything I can to avoid becoming that person that needs help getting in and out of the car.  I realize that there are some things that are out of my control, however I am going to make sure that I am taking care of the things that I can control.  I have been blessed with a healthy body and I am doing my best to maintain that through clean eating and consistent training.  Lastly, 1 Corinthians 6:19 says “Do you not know that your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit…”, that being the case, I’m going to make sure that I keep it in the best condition possible.  

So there you have it, that's why I train.

And to be a beast.  :)

     
     <3 Keli