Catharsis.
Lust.
Pride.
I started because of high school swim team. I lift now because it feels good.
I’m a fat ass and wanted a nice looking girlfriend, a personality change wouldnt hurt either haha
To score with chicks… still waiting on that to happen, BTW.
Because I don’t like to be fucked with.
and no one fucks with a big man.
I tries on some pants for Prom and the button popped off… that was 3 years and 60 pounds ago.
my father used to lift. i liked watching him in our garage
i wanted to get strong for lacrosse
i wanted to pick up heavy shit
now…its a lot, a lot more
Being 135lbs and weak in the start of highschool was lame.
A few reasons probably. I started in highschool so i could get better at beating peoples asses (been doin martial arts since I was twelve and people loved starting shit with me), then it was to get stronger for wrestling. Now I just want to be freakishly strong and alot bigger, and i enjoy weightlifting as much or possibily more than the original activities i was trying to improve in, it just makes me feel really good about myself.
But I think all the ninja turtles, bruce lee movies, Ahnold movies (predator and terminator) and dragonball Z i watched when I was a kid probably influenced me, my dad was really into that shit, and always encouraged me to be a hardass. I also want to be better than everyone else at everything and lifting is just another outlet for that. And that probably isnt even a complete answer, when it comes down to it it’s just a fucking primal urge I have to satisfy.
My dad was my biggest influence, as I used to watch him lift in the garage.
I started in high school (freshman year)… at 80 lbs. Couldn’t do 1 chin-up, couldn’t climb the rope, couldn’t bench press 50 lbs.
Fast forward to senior year: Broke the school’s chin-up record, dip record, bench press record, climbed the rope arms-only, and had one of the best obstacle course times.
after I quit smoking at age 41 I gained almost 20 lbs (pure fat) in the following year .topped out at about 187 at 5’6" . joined the “Y” , started using the machines and the elliptacals , and lost the recently gained fat ; so back down to about 165 .
decided to continue with the semi- active lifestyle . at that point I started lifting with a co-worker who happened to be a 20 year NASA vet . decided it was fun to make yourself stronger . now 45 years old and still at it .
7th grade and I didn’t like my “girlie” looking forearms, and I wanted veins popping out of my arm.
That was what started it for me.
I was a skinny twerp who ran all the time. One day a friend forced me to deadlift with him. It was awesome.
I was fat. Strong, but fat. One day a classmate took me to the school gym. That was the birth of Beast. So the legend began…
9th grade, started lifting for swim team.
Lifted on and off through college and law school.
Started lifting regularly to lose post-wedding/bar exam chub. Kept lifting, met up with a powerlifting coach, the rest is…the present.
[quote]Sick Rick wrote:
Dragonball Z[/quote]
lool
I wanted other people to have an easy rationale as to why I was so much better looking than they were.
I like being strong. And because it’s kind of fringe. I have difficulty sticking with something if everybody’s doing it. I suppose it’s a natural desire to feel superior. 
I don’t really know why. I just sorta transitioned from lots of cardio activities (racquetball and treadmill) to the weight room.
I like the weight room.
I was really skinny and was tired of being made fun of. I still am slim but at least i’ve added 35 pounds since then.
Now i am aware of all the other benefits and don’t want to be an old crippled man.