Why are you here?
Maybe your boss made a fat joke at work today that sent you over the edge. Maybe you got dumped and you want to look good for the next time you run into the ex. Maybe your wife just had a baby boy and you realized you won’t be around to see him grow up if you don’t start taking care of yourself. Maybe your doctor told you that you need to get in shape or you don’t stand a chance of living to 2011. Hell, maybe you stumbled over here by accident.
Whatever it is that got you here, thanks for coming.
Everybody has different reasons why they’re trying to get in shape, and that’s awesome. I want to give you 10 reasons you why I’m here and why I decided to start a fitness website, and then I’d love to hear why YOU’RE here, what you hope to accomplish, and how I can help.
1. I exercise because there is a direct correlation between my success in the gym with my success in life. A great day in the gym makes me feel like I’m going to have a great day outside of the gym…and I usually do. Establishing a routine that makes me stronger and faster has helped me make great strides in both my job and Nerd Fitness as well.
Remember: momentum is a powerful thing.
2. I exercise because one day I want to be on the cover of Men’s Health for building an empire of healthy nerds. Last time I checked, they don’t put people eating doughnuts on there. I have no doubt in my mind that I am going to change this world for the better before I leave. Whether it’s helping people improve their own lives, or helping out those who really could use it (don’t worry, I haven’t forgot about my pledge for the warrior dash, more details coming soon), I feel like I’m in a great position to really make a difference. This is both scary and exciting.
3. I exercise because I don’t want to be the skinny, weak kid anymore. Growing up, I was always short, skinny, and weak. After that, I was tall, skinny, and weak. Once I got to college, I made the decision that something had to change. I’ve been able to pack on some muscle over the past few years, and I want to continue that trend. Although I have no plans on becoming the Incredible Hulk, I would still love to be strong as hell. I’m not really that skinny any more (thanks to years of hard work), but I still have a ways to go before I’m where I want to be.
4. I exercise because it helps me forget the bad day I had. Everybody has bad days. Life sucks sometimes, and sh** happens. As Bruce Wayne said in Batman Begins, “It’s not who we are, but what we do that defines us.”
Amen, Bruce.
Whenever I have a crappy day or things don’t go my way, I choose to look at life like a challenge. I can curl up on the couch and watch Arrested Development re-runs (actually, that sounds awesome) while drowning myself in a case of beers, or I can MAN UP and take that sadness and anger and channel it into something productive. Ever pumped iron or gone for a run when you’re mad as hell? Try it next time – it’s awesome.
5. I exercise because I’m inspired. After watching 300, I wanted to look like Gerard Butler. After watching Blade 3 (which was awful), I wanted to be Ryan Reynolds. Casino Royale had me sprinting to the gym to look like Daniel Craig. I get inspired when I see somebody who has turned himself into a machine, and it makes me want to go and do the same. I realize I don’t have the time, money, or resources that these guys do, but it’s awesome to know what’s possible if you are truly dedicated.
I know a lot of you guys are runners and don’t like lifting weights (or aren’t ready to start yet), but please take 10 minutes and read “Iron and the Soul,” by Henry Rollins. This article is a constant source of motivation and inspiration for me, and will help you understand the appeal of pushing around some plates at the gym.
6. I exercise because I want to be around for my kids and grandkids. Now, I don’t have kids yet. Hell, I’m not even married. However, I do know that taking care of myself and creating good habits now will allow me to live a long and healthy life, raising children and grandchildren who have the same appreciation for this whole “living” thing that I do.
I love life, and I plan on sticking around for as long as possible.
7. I exercise because I freaking love you guys. I love getting emails from you (Big thanks to Pedro from Chile for one of the nicest emails I’ve ever received last week), I love reading your comments, I love answering your questions, and I love reading your posts on the NF message boards. Although I’ve been fortunate enough to have never been overweight, I’m still constantly striving for a leveled-up version of myself, just like you – I’m just coming at it from the other end of the spectrum.
Every time I feel like skipping a gym workout, I know that there’s a NF reader out there who is toughing it out because they don’t want to let himself or his fellow nerds down. Thanks for keeping me accountable.
8. I exercise because I want to look good without a shirt on. So I want to look good naked. Shoot me. I want to look good when I go down to our neighborhood pool this summer to play cornhole, I want to look good when I’m down in the Caribbean for work, and I want to look good because it makes me feel better about myself. Self-confidence and high-self esteem are things that I’ve always struggled with in the past (hopefully you can relate), but it’s gotten much better in the past few years since I started exercising and filling out my frame.
Provided you’re doing it the right way and not putting yourself in danger, getting in shape to look better is okay in my book.
9. I exercise because I want to be an inspiration. I want people to come to this site and say, “that Steve character, he’s got this whole thing figured out. I want to be like him some day.” I have no doubt in my mind that there is a better version of yourself hiding within you – I want to inspire and motivate you to get to that level. I feel more confident about my articles and my recommendations when I’m in shape, and I feel like my words and videos will make a bigger impact when they’re coming from the best “version” of Steve possible.
9.5. I exercise because I’m inspired by YOUR reasons for exercising. So, how bout it: what gets you going in the morning? If you need some ideas, here are 32 ways to kick-start your life.
Let me know what your reasons are, and if there’s any way I can help.
-Steve
ALSO: Just out of curiosity, would you rather join the Nerd Fitness Empire and be able to give yourself some ridiculously awesome title like “Supreme Vice Chancellor of blah blah blah”…or would you rather join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion and stick it to the man? Both names are awesome, both make sense, but I can’t decide which direction to go with it. If your answer is “how about let people pick either, and then have competitions between the two,” yes I thought of that, I just have no idea how I could actually get that to work.
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