Being one of the skinniest kids on the planet was never a fun thing.  Okay, maybe I wasn’t the skinniest on the planet, but I felt pretty scrawny . In my early high school years I had the hardest time getting rid of my bird chest and spindly arms . I was always that guy, the one of a girl was feeling too close to me, I’d always get that blunt “we’re just friends” clarification . I was just the typical nice guy, who did his work…let’s just say I wasn’t considered the coolest of people in school . But I guess being the lanky, nerdy kid gets a bit old after a while . I wanted to look like the atheles, the football players and the wrestlers . I wanted to get the same attention from girls that these guys were getting.  I wanted to be respected the way they were . I wanted to know how to gain muscle FAST!

I was always shy kid, but I became even shier in my teenage years because of a disorder called gynecomastia .  Gynecomastia is the development of breast tissue, and it can happen for a number of reasons ranging from hormones during puberty to hypogonadism to medication . For some the estrogen/testosterone balance corrects itself, thus correcting the gynecomastia . Unfortunately mine, wasn’t temporary . I was made fun of quite often about it, and it made me really self-conscious . It’s tough to deal with jeering that’s related to something you can’t control . Dad would just tell me to ignore the people making fun of me, but it’s easy to say that when you’ve never had to deal with a similar problem .

One summer, I finally got so sick of being teased that during the summer of my sophomore year, my frustrations got the better of me . My father was pretty big into weight training, so we had a pretty nice weight set at home.  I decided to finally make use of it . That fateful summer, I discovered a secret …the best way to build muscle. Do you know what the big secret was? TRAIN HARD! I put on so much muscle, especially in my chest, that I still have the stretch marks from that very summer .

With the added muscle came added confidence.  I went back to school with my chest out and head held high It was after that summer that I became a weight lifting junkie. I was looking at every weight training magazine I could get my hands on, I became fascinated with workout routines to build muscle, lifting techniques, and supplements .

Weight training was a great, temporary self-esteem booster, but eventually weight training (along with karate) became something that I grew to love . These days, whether people notice my body or not, I train now because it’s a part of me now; I train mostly because I love it .

What exactly do I love about weight-training and exercise? So many things. Though I could probably make a list of 100 reasons, I’ll give you ten of the top reasons I love weight training:

1. Work Hard Get Results – Have you ever been at a job where no matter how much time you put in, your salary’s not gonna change? . This is one major thing I like about weightlifting, hard work and results are directly related. If you’re putting in the time, honestly pushing yourself, your body is going to get stronger, your physique is going to change . It’s beautifully simplistic .

2. Training helps me stick to a schedule – I don’t know if everybody has the same experience, but I find when I’m training, I am better able to plan other things I have to do.  I know training has to be a part of my day, so I I build my day around it .

3. I Want to Look Good Naked – Okay maybe this reason sounds perverted at worst, and a little vain at best, but I can’t be the only one who feels this way . I think it’s a good feeling to see new lines and cuts in your musculature when you hop out of the shower and stand in the mirror. It’s great!

4. I Like People Touching Me – Wait, this one also sounds perverted. I promise I’m not a sicko.

There’s not really a whole lot to add to this one, but if you’re training, and your muscles are pumped it’s gratifying when people squeeze your arms or touch your chest and ask if you’ve been training . Um, it’s especially gratifying for me when some gorgeous woman does it…I’m just saying.

5. The Feeling of Accomplishment – I will never forget how powerful I felt when I finally bench pressed 225 pounds . It was the exercise that I was most afraid to do. The big guys in the gym could lift that, but certainly not me . When it when I finally did it, all I could think to myself was “HELL YEAH!!”

6. Mindset Shifting – After bench pressing 225 pounds for the first time, there was this “Now what?” moment. In that moment, I realized that maybe it was possible to do more . I kept training, and I can now bench press 225 lbs 14 times without a spotter (my goal is 25 times). To some of the more advanced lifters that may not sound like much, but another cool thing about weightlifting is that it’s a personal journey. When “impossible” is not in your thought process, you can accomplish incredible things .

7. Enhanced Brain Function – I find that weight training and exercise in general really gets my brain juices flowing.  I can think much more clearly .

8. Energy Benefits – If you’re just starting out, Immediately after a workout, your muscles can be spent and you can feel pretty exhausted . On the flip side, though, if you’ve been training for quite some time, workouts may start to feel more invigorating than exhausting . Your muscles aren’t tiring as easily. You have the power to take on the world…twice if necessary . Stick to those training plans …it really does work !

9. Better Sex – Sorry Mom, but it’s true . When I’m training consistently, I notice an increased sexual drive…almost like my libido is maxed out . Now if I can just get a girlfriend …

10. Builds Self-Discipline – I’ll level with you, there are days when I don’t want to go to the gym . It could be because of any number of reasons: laziness, a long day at work, or even muscle soreness . More often than not, though, training when I don’t feel like it makes feel like I did something special . I feel incredible afterwards.  Working out when I don’t feel like it makes it easier to go the next time the fatigue hits.

What are ten things you love about working out?