The truth about exercise no one tells you. What are the main motivations we start to workout? And how to become a true amateur.
Passion for Something
People with a passion are interesting. The first half of us shake heads seeing their enthusiasm and art. The second half sees a piece of themselves in them. Either it is because they have ardor for the same thing or because they admire what they have achieved.
My Passion Is Sport
My biggest passion is sport. I have enjoyed everyday movement from an early age. I can always find time for physical activities. Whether it’s volleyball, cycling, climbing, or street workout, it all has a common denominator and that’s the movement. The movement I love.
I am an amateur athlete who has spent thousands of hours of my life in motion. Thousands of hours playing volleyball, thousands of hours of both street and home workouts and thousands of hours in the saddle of the mountain bike. Well … maybe I’m exaggerating those hours in the saddle, but I think that I’ve surpassed the boundary of one thousand.
True Amateur
The word Amateur comes from a French amateur based on the Latin word amator – a lover. And therefore, a person with a passion for the given activity.
An amateur like me evokes a lot of questions in the minds of people. In addition to expressing common interest, “Do not you think you overdo it a little?“ Or “Did you think about making money by it?“, People most often ask me: “Jarda, why are you doing this at all?“ A simple question, a simple answer. I wish to say, “I’m doing it because I enjoy it. Sport has become an integral part of my life that fulfills me. It makes me happy, and I love it.“ But this answer raises slight doubts in me: “Is that really my only reason?“
What is Your Motivation To Start Exercise?
Although I am not a personal trainer, I regularly help my friends or the people I meet at the workout place with the introduction to calisthenics. Before we begin to exercise, I ask the question, “What is your motivation to work out?“ I believe that thinking about this question at the beginning of your workout journey is far more important than exercises itself. I wish I could hear the following answer,
“I decided to train to enrich my life for a healthy movement. I am aware that daily exercise leads to a more productive life. It fills a person with additional energy, which then can be used in another direction. It makes him more joyful, satisfied and vital. That’s my reason, my motivation, to finally get started.”
I believe that a person with such a sincere answer has a much greater chance of turning the occasional exercise into a healthy habit. Unfortunately, I do not believe that anyone would answer me that, because most of us are struggling with the same dilemma I myself face. That’s why most of us quit the exercise after the first few weeks. It simply not worth it to us.
Happiness and Other Two Hidden Motivations
In the following lines, I avoid generalization and I will speak from my personal experience, so it is up to you to think if you identify yourself with it or not.
Each of us can find a different way to do sports. What is connecting us is that we like the activity. During my sports journey where I moved from 2–3 compulsory weekly training sessions to a stage where no one is pushing me anymore and I go to work out every day, I realized the following.
Apart from having fun, there were two other hidden motivations that drove me to exercise. Hidden, as we do not talk about these two motivations that much, and yet they are far more powerful, especially in our beginnings, than constantly mentioned happiness.
1) Initial motivation – our insecurities
Lack of self-confidence was my main reason why I decided to start working out at the age of sixteen. Until then, I was like a gray mouse, a drab. I had a feeling that I did not excel in anything. A boy full of fears. I was afraid to express my sincere feelings and opinions in front of others. I was a person full of personal problems, insecurities, and in fitness, I saw a cure for how to fix it all.
When a person is really happy and conscious in his life, do you think it makes sense try to change? That he/she is motivated to start doing something new? Stand up to new challenges? No, such things are for people full of inner issues. People who are not happy with their state of being. People like me.
2) Another motivation – our ego
Unlike the previous motivation, that man will overcome after a while. We get rid of the problems and gain self-confidence. The second motivation lasts with us for the rest of our lives, and that is precisely what keeps me in doubt. That feeling when after a few days of exercising we look into the mirror and we see that our body has undergone changes – bigger biceps, bigger chest, lower belly fat.
Any change in our body is very satisfying. It is not about happiness as such, but about the satisfaction of our ego. Our ego is very hungry. Its daily food is important for its growth. And so, as we grow, our ego grows with us. This gives us more energy and motivation to grow further. To get out of bed every day and go work out.
The Truth About Exercise No One Tells You
So what is the real reason why most of us “fools” have decided to sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears during everyday exercise? Did we start to work hard because we wanted to be happier or was our motivation a lack of self-confidence, inner childhood problems and an ego that wanted more and more?
I admit the truth about exercise is that I started to work out because of the feeling of inferiority and continued because of the ego. However, as time went by, I noticed, that the inner sensation, which, in particular in men, wants a bigger muscles, or shredded body and for women, a flat stomach, lean body, and rounded butt, is not that important. This feeling fills us with momentary happiness followed by disappointment when we compare our current body with both ourselves and the top athletes and models in the world.
A better and more sincere motivation exists. Realize, that although ego is and will always be with us, this is not the main reason we exercise. Be open to sincere motivation to exercise. Let’s do it because we enjoy it and not because we want to achieve something. Do it for ourselves and not for others. Let’s find a way to love the sport and continue on this path. Become a true amateurs.