The moment of truth and objectives
dlm7507
Posts: 237 Member
A few years ago I got up and decided to inspect some work the roofers had done. There was a hole where a swamp cooler had been and I lowered myself down to see the duct work. To get out I needed to do what was essentially a muscle-up, and I couldn't. I had one heck of a time getting out. Loosing weight and getting some strength back was not the standard "I wanna look good nekid", it was the epiphany that I was too out of shape to save myself.
Since the holy trinity of fitness as you age is fat, muscle and mobility loss my goal was beyond mere fat loss. I bring this up because in many of the discussions that I see here (cardio vs. strength training, etc.) I wonder about the thought given to goals and purpose.
Most tasks that require fitness, lifting/moving something heavy, escaping a hazard, etc. are of short duration. Few people "need" to run 26 miles (nothing wrong with wanting to) but you might need to do a short duration task that involves exertion (perhaps heavy exertion).
I'm interested in why people in this fitness and exercise discussion group exercise. What are your goals and how do they influence the exercise that you do?
Since the holy trinity of fitness as you age is fat, muscle and mobility loss my goal was beyond mere fat loss. I bring this up because in many of the discussions that I see here (cardio vs. strength training, etc.) I wonder about the thought given to goals and purpose.
Most tasks that require fitness, lifting/moving something heavy, escaping a hazard, etc. are of short duration. Few people "need" to run 26 miles (nothing wrong with wanting to) but you might need to do a short duration task that involves exertion (perhaps heavy exertion).
I'm interested in why people in this fitness and exercise discussion group exercise. What are your goals and how do they influence the exercise that you do?
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Replies
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The question of "what are your goals" comes up in every thread here.
The overriding consensus here is that strength and cardio are both good. Strength has a lot of benefits that is discussed over and over here.
But this is a weight loss site as well. Neither are required for weight loss. And telling someone they *must* lift or *must* do cardio is pointless if that person won't do it.
Goals matter. Some people don't address it but most of the regulars here will.
Me, I do both. My goal is to be healthy, strong and fit. I also have an interest in endurance sports which does influence the exercise I do. I do less lifting than I used to and more cardio based. But I still try to lift.0 -
"The question of "what are your goals" come up in every thread here."
Actually, and yes this is a fat loss site, I didn't mean to start another cardio vs. strength thread. My question was more about what is it that inspires people to start, and continue exercise? For me it was that moment of truth that I had lost the ability to perform critical tasks that required the "fitness" to do them. I had been perfectly willing to tolerate my reflection in the mirror for years. That caused me to choose the direction of my training. It is the reason that I stay with it. A bunch of people just signed up at fitness centers for the new year, most will no longer set foot in it by March. It takes more motivation that willpower.0 -
Well functional strength should be a focus as one gets up in age. Especially in seniors, the number issue we address is balance because falling for a senior can be devastating.
But IMO, ENJOYING what you do and what value it is to you is just as important. That's why I feel that if people are just looking to be physically active even if it's not a "programmed" workout, I'll back them up.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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"The question of "what are your goals" come up in every thread here."
Actually, and yes this is a fat loss site, I didn't mean to start another cardio vs. strength thread. My question was more about what is it that inspires people to start, and continue exercise? For me it was that moment of truth that I had lost the ability to perform critical tasks that required the "fitness" to do them. I had been perfectly willing to tolerate my reflection in the mirror for years. That caused me to choose the direction of my training. It is the reason that I stay with it. A bunch of people just signed up at fitness centers for the new year, most will no longer set foot in it by March. It takes more motivation that willpower.
It wasn't really meant to be a re-hash of the strength vs cardio but you did mention it and I saw you in the thread.
I completely agree that goals matter and that answers aren't always given with that in mind. Not everyone has the same goals.
I never had a point that inspired me, it's been something I've done for a long time. But what inspires me right now are endurance events, like Ironman (above my pay grade ATM), etc. So my goals are leaned towards that.0 -
I want to compete in mma longterm as an amateur and a closer goal is competing in semi local bjj. This started as fun and self defense training, (for the record my self defense plan is still knee kicks and run.) This means I need strength and cardio with asthma this becomes particularly important. Plus lots of in class grappling etc training.0
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Those are goal oriented rationals for training. When I was young I was running addicted and a competition oriented martial artist. The running was in the days of Jim Fix and most of my running friends were not runners in school and like me, had no formal coaching. Most of them broke down, knees, back, etc., probably due to poor gate (lack of coaching). I was lucky, but at this point in my life I've had enough injuries and sport is no longer the motivator that it once was for me. But it was a motivator back in the day. My new motivation was more of a jolt than the competition fitness that had escaped me.0
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I exercise not to live longer, but to live healthier as I age. I may not live past 80 or I could live to be 100+, it doesn't really matter. What matters to me is to have the ability to wipe my own *kitten* up until the day I die.
Working out is the most likely way for me to achieve this goal.0 -
My ultimate goals for fitness are mainly on places I'd like to go. I want to hike Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu. I want to scuba in the Great Barrier Reef. I need to be fit enough to do these kinds of things, and so my exercise is based around being more fit.0
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I find that my goals have changed, multiple times, over my weight-loss, and now maintenance (but not really "maintenance" since weight training has tossed that out the window) phases. They may continue to change--I just don't know at this point, because I'm happy where my goals are at right now. But they may change again.
At first, it was all about the pounds lost, but in a manner that included changing my lifestyle and habits. My goals, I guess, were to develop a way of life that would become natural and to have a food/diet and exercise/daily activity lifestyle that wouldn't necessitate the constant monitoring of everything I do. So I ventured forth into figuring out what foods and daily activities that would work.
Then, after losing more weight than I thought possible at my age, and being supremely happy about that, I realized I wanted to improve my muscle mass, strength, and overall body composition. Weight-lifting/training entered the picture, and my focus on the "number" of pounds I weighed lost importance as I grew stronger and fitter.
Now, a year or so after I started lifting, my goals have changed yet again. I still want to work on my weight training, but I have also reached a plateau where I have to focus on a few different things--my impinged shoulder preventing me from furthering my overhead press and bench progress, and my entire right side that has been affected by several herniated discs and sciatic nerve damage. My workouts have changed to become more flexibility-oriented while maintaining a base level of lifting/volume. Different exercises for different goals.
A year ago, I thought I'd still be progressing on weights. I wanted to move toward a 200+ deadlift, 100+ bench, 70+ overhead, maybe 150+ squat...but I can't due to my current limitations, so I had to change my goals.
So things change. I'm ok with that. I think overall, though, I have the "umbrella" goal of being as fit as I can be given a few chronic issues. Then I have the arrows that flow under that umbrella: to continue to progress, maybe over years, in lifting; to become a much better pickleball player; to become a stronger mountain biker; etc. etc.
A year from now...who knows.0 -
"The question of "what are your goals" come up in every thread here."
Actually, and yes this is a fat loss site, I didn't mean to start another cardio vs. strength thread. My question was more about what is it that inspires people to start, and continue exercise? For me it was that moment of truth that I had lost the ability to perform critical tasks that required the "fitness" to do them. I had been perfectly willing to tolerate my reflection in the mirror for years. That caused me to choose the direction of my training. It is the reason that I stay with it. A bunch of people just signed up at fitness centers for the new year, most will no longer set foot in it by March. It takes more motivation that willpower.
This isn't a fat loss site. This is a site for calorie counting.
(edit: to be clear. I am now bulking. I find calorie counting to be far more imperative to my bulk cycles than my cut cycles and while I recognize MFP is dominated by folks losing.. Not everyone here is trying to drop that stubborn last ten pounds.)
And no. Will power and sheer determination trump motivation every time. Consider motivation the emotion you have for puppies.
It goes away. It may get you started but it goes away.
Sheer strength of will and consistency of habits are what lead to success.
Long term specific training goals are proven to be more successful at helping people than generic motivation to just 'lose weight'. Which is why many people get bored or 'fall off the wagon'.
Lazer focus helps with that. But. Some people don't like working out. But they know they need to. It is simply a box to check. Group fitness checks that box for them. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.0 -
Interesting JoRocka. I've always thought that a long term goal was a motivator. Most of the people who answered said they do it for reasons that are clear to them. Will power has gotten me through many specific events, but I never considered it as having anything to do with long term. I can be as stubborn as the next guy, but I don't do much of anything not motivated by a reason to do it. That has absolutely nothing to do with emotion. As an aside, most people into calorie counting are motivated by fat ;0)0
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'Motivation' typically is what I find people use/have the first ten days in January. The warm fuzzy. It's useless generally.
Long term goals to me would be the driving force. You aren't motivated to do the long term goal. The long term goal is the motivation. . So instead of the random warm fuzzy feeling most people talk about.. You are driven by a greater power. The long end game. The two things are different to me.0 -
Freewill. People think they have lots of it the first ten days of January, but then they don't ;0) We may just be talking past each other or be thinking of different things with the words we are using.
When I was in Vietnam we got a draftee in my platoon. John Lennon glasses, spewing how we were wrong to be there and such. His first night ambush that made contact "motivated him" to accept the fact that he was a Marine after all.0 -
'Motivation' typically is what I find people use/have the first ten days in January. The warm fuzzy. It's useless generally.
Long term goals to me would be the driving force. You aren't motivated to do the long term goal. The long term goal is the motivation. . So instead of the random warm fuzzy feeling most people talk about.. You are driven by a greater power. The long end game. The two things are different to me.
I think the difference is intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation. When ppl constantly look externally for motivation (instagram, apps, celebrities, friends, new gadgets, new workouts etc), that motivation will ultimately fade and leave you looking for new sources of motivation again and again. Even a doc telling someone to lose weight for health is an external motivator and while dire, its still weak. Its only cause the threat is constant that its able to incite change. If the person changes to value their health through the experience, the motivation becomes intrinsic. When motivation is intrinsic, comes from your personal values (ie. long term goals), it'll last.0 -
I like to feel good and be capable. Strength is generally useful, and I tend to do a lot of stuff in my life where it's nice to be in shape.
I was pretty ripped when I was in my 20s, and my ultimate goal is to surpass that now in my 50s. I have a picture in my mind of what I want to look like and I think of it often.
I knew going in, that to see the results I want, I will need to consistently bust my *kitten* in the gym, eat right, and get my rest for several years. Failure is not an option.0 -
I'm interested in why people in this fitness and exercise discussion group exercise. What are your goals and how do they influence the exercise that you do?
At this point, because I'm rehabbing, my goals are pretty modest. I just want to manage weight, stay functional, and keep my head in the game.
Fitness matters to me in terms of weight loss/maintenance because it helps me stay compliant with the nutrition, in some way. I can no longer do the kind of vigorous exercise that used to reduce my appetite, but every time I go for my walk or do my little exercises, I reinforce the idea that I am a person who cares about my health. It feels like something positive I'm actively doing - vs. not doing, e.g. not eating a ton of chips.
(Dietary restriction is negative by definition. I mean, I do get excited about adding new recipes or foods to my repertoire, but it's not quite the same as exercise. Because I think about food in terms of pleasure, creativity, and aesthetics more than I do about how it's healthy or whatever, although I do keep nutrition in mind. But I could easily get into calorie-costly recipes that are delicious, too, so doing a little workout reminds me that it might be a good idea to apply my creativity to red peppers and chicken and not some kind of crazy gravy and a super fatty cut of beef. ** I used to be able to fit that fatty cut of beef in my calories for the day, and I'd have no problem with doing that, but I just can't anymore because the activity level has reduced.)
I also get something intrinsically rewarding from the activities I do - a little boost in mood or energy, and it just feels good to move.
I don't really have a long-term goal with fitness - other than keeping the function I do have - it's habit that sustains me when motivation fails. But actually, yes, I am highly motivated to be able to e.g. hike in my 60s and am definitely motivated to not get more injuries from lack of fitness as much as from doing too much.0 -
At first it was vanity that got me exercising. I had always felt a bit self conscious of my body, but the breaking point was that I flat out REFUSED to have more cellulite than my mother at 18 years old. That was unthinkable! I like food a lot so I knew if I didn't want to decrease my portion sizes too much I needed to get my backside moving. Then I started to like exercising for its own merit. Now I feel like I 'train' rather than 'exercise' because I have a goal to work towards, and this gets me through the difficult parts, like getting up early to go to the gym before work because 6am is only time the weights room isn't rammed, or pushing myself to go for a run when it's cold, windy, and chucking it down. This year I hope to improve both my 10K and half marathon times, and work towards entering a full marathon in 2017.0
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I'm interested in why people in this fitness and exercise discussion group exercise. What are your goals and how do they influence the exercise that you do?
I'm a cyclist.
I was born a cyclist. Well ... almost. I was born into a cycling family and started cycling when I was about 3.5 ... 45 years ago!! I've been doing it a long, long, long time. My cycling kind of died off between about 17 and 23, then I resumed, and have been avidly cycling ever since.
I've done a lot of different kinds of cycling ... recreational, touring, racing, commuting ... and most especially long-distance cycling. Between 2001 and 2007, I was really into long distance cycling ... randonneuring, 24-hour time trials, and the works. Then university got in the way and I didn't do as much. Then life got in the way and most of my long distance cycling took a back seat ... and I gained weight.
Now I've lost the weight, and I'm feeling a whole lot more enthusiastic about getting back into the long distance cycling again!!
I also do other exercise ... over the years I've done running, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, weightlifting, yoga, lots and lots of walking and hiking, canoeing, swimming ...
So why do I exercise? Because I love being active. I'm a restless, grouchy bear when I'm not active. And cycling, in particular gives me the freedom to go places and see things all while being active.
My goals? As you might have guessed, most have to do with cycling, especially long-distance cycling ... and to that end, I get out and cycle as much as possible. But I do some other activity too as cross training and so I don't get bored.
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At 52 years old, I am focused on functional strength. Also my hubby is sick. As he gets weaker, it motivates me to lift heavier to increase my strength not only to help him do things he can no longer do, which sometimes includes getting him up out of chairs/bed.0
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Like I said earlier, my long term motivation is keeping my independence as I age. That is the reason I will continue to work out and eat properly for life.
However, I do use short term goals to get there. All my training for the first 9-10 months this year will be towards my goal of finishing my fall marathon fast enough to qualify for Boston. This is a HUGE deal for me that will require a huge effort. By November I should be in the best shape I have been since I was 20 years old.0 -
'Motivation' typically is what I find people use/have the first ten days in January. The warm fuzzy. It's useless generally.
Long term goals to me would be the driving force. You aren't motivated to do the long term goal. The long term goal is the motivation. . So instead of the random warm fuzzy feeling most people talk about.. You are driven by a greater power. The long end game. The two things are different to me.
I think the difference is intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation. When ppl constantly look externally for motivation (instagram, apps, celebrities, friends, new gadgets, new workouts etc), that motivation will ultimately fade and leave you looking for new sources of motivation again and again. Even a doc telling someone to lose weight for health is an external motivator and while dire, its still weak. Its only cause the threat is constant that its able to incite change. If the person changes to value their health through the experience, the motivation becomes intrinsic. When motivation is intrinsic, comes from your personal values (ie. long term goals), it'll last.
yes- this.
I'm sorry- it was late- and I was post work and slightly sick- so I was struggling on my keyboard to type- but this is very much it. Which is why I am just sad when I see post after post of "help motivate me" on this forum and my wedding forum where people are trying to make a change for a day. It just makes me sad- because they are going lash out if you try to point out that no one can motivate you to your goal but you. Yeah someone may give you a boost on a bad day- but you need that long term hunger- the need to rise above your previous mediocrity and seize greatness for yourself.
no little picture will do that for you.0 -
My goals: avoid type 2 diabetes and heart disease for as long as possible given family history, live to have fun with potential grandchdren, lift heavy things, I can now resume things like loading upwards of 300 square bales a day when it comes down to farm work in the summer. I love to run, don't plan on ever having to use it to save myself from zombies but I guess anything could happen, enjoying life is my biggest motivation!0
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Thanks for the replies. It's good to read that people chose what suits their goals; athletic achievement and/or quality of life rather than the more superficial but still OK "I wanna look good nekid". It is also interesting that it seems to be a thought out process with no mention of an event motivator like I had.0
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A few years ago I got up and decided to inspect some work the roofers had done. There was a hole where a swamp cooler had been and I lowered myself down to see the duct work. To get out I needed to do what was essentially a muscle-up, and I couldn't. I had one heck of a time getting out. Loosing weight and getting some strength back was not the standard "I wanna look good nekid", it was the epiphany that I was too out of shape to save myself.
Like you, i want to be ready for life's challenges. For me, that might include climbing out of rubble after an earthquake, or dealing with a belligerent person, or just playing sports or carrying furniture around without hurting myself. Since life's challenges are pretty diverse, i try to train a wide range of "survival skills". My routine varies, but each week i do some form of:- climbing
- sprinting
- lifting, pushing, pulling
- carrying
- fighting
- jumping
- throwing
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I never thought of diet or exercise until my mid 50's.
I don't like exercise, you will never hear me say 'ooh I love doing .....', but I do it.
Over the past seven years I have tried lots of different things that will improve my basic health and immune system, cardio vascular system, bones and muscles, posture, flexibility, mobility, balance and body composition.
I do it because I don't want to be a feeble old woman. I want to carry on being the woman I have become, strong and versatile with good stamina, and who loves herself.
I go on great vacations and can hike, ride, climb, rappel, snorkel, etc and have as much fun doing those things as those decades younger.
If you want motivation this is it.
But really it is my own quiet dedication to do things that I am not keen on for 5-10 hrs a week, to make every other hour better that keeps me at it.
Quality of life, now and in the future.
Cheers, h.0
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