Fresch

Has anyone else found that as you get older, there seems to be so much more to do..work etc..that demands your time, and it can be hard to train as consistently as you would like to??

body2big

All the time. I work a 12 hour night shift my wife works 8 hour days. I have a 8yr old and 9 yr old. I bring them to Karate my wife brings them to boy scouts. Plus I ride mountain bikes and a motorcycle so ya its tough.
Shawn

Capt. America

I always thought life was supposed to slow down as you age, that's a crock of s**t! Between a 40 hour work week, military, kids, 2 houses, 2 acres, therapy, gym...blah, blah, blah.....it just gets more hectic each day. Even though I'll be 50 in July......I see no slowing down. But if I had my choice I'd opt for busy and hectic. It keeps you focused, strong and prepared for anything.

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Dan

Yes and I miss way more workouts than I should ... I have become adapt to making up for missed sessions. And sense I have no plans of a competing and I lift solely for me ... I try not to stress out about it.

1stindoor

I guess it's gotten easier for me over the years. The military's made me make it a priority so it's always been the first thing I do everyday.

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Dan

I am getting up at 4:30 as it is...

1stindoor

Slacker! I get up at 3:30. By 4:30, I've already downed my first cup of coffee, made the kids lunches, unloaded the dishwasher and packed my stuff for work.

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Steely-eyed, barrel-chested, freedom fighter with the kung-fu grip and the life-like hair

Dan

What time do you go to bed?

hibiscus09

Yuck! I can't wait for school to get out for little B and for summer to officially be here in the Smith house. I get up now at 6:00 to fix him breakfast and lovingly send him along his way. As soon as school is out, I'll be sleeping in until around 8:00. Yay!!!

Dan

I can't sleep in that late...

1stindoor

I try to get to bed between 10:30 and 11:00 pm.

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Steely-eyed, barrel-chested, freedom fighter with the kung-fu grip and the life-like hair

Dan

same here sucks don't it..

Fresch

I have to drive 110km each way to get to and from work each day, so that makes for a longish day. Then I have football commitments that can take up 1-3 evenings, and a fair part of the weekend. In between all that, there are domestics to attend to, so if I need some time, it is my training time that gets sacrificed. And sometimes I am just too tired after work...

WorkOut-Boy

110km each way? Holy smokes. That is like 2h drive? you must spend alot of money on petrol.

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Fresch

About 90-100 minutes each way, is mostly up the highway.

1stindoor

It would be easier if my wife wasn't a night owl. She stays up late so to get the necessary "quality time" without the kids...I stay up late. I figure I can always catch up on my sleep at work.

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Steely-eyed, barrel-chested, freedom fighter with the kung-fu grip and the life-like hair

WorkOut-Boy

Damn how do you put it up with it? You must not have much free time after coming home from work.

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This is a town where people used to stand tall.

WorkOut-Boy

LOL sorry but I gotta ask, your screename always makes me laugh. What's the meaning behind it? lol peace

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This is a town where people used to stand tall.

Abdominator

Yes, most definitely. I noticed this when I was still in college.

Being an astronomy/physics major, my course load really became intense during my senior year. I would have tons of homework each night, but I still wanted to go to the gym. So my strategy was to pack my gym clothes in the car and promise myself that before I returned home I would visit the gym and workout. I did that because I found it REALLY difficult to leave the house once I got home. So, I "tricked" myself into getting my workout over and done with, and then I'd go home and take care of all the OTHER stuff in my life. So by doing it that way, I was able to stay consistent over the years, and it's a habit I still have to this day. It's all a matter of priority.

I basically behaved as if visiting the gym was like attending a class, or going to work. It was a routine and part of my daily schedule. That's the only way a bodybuilder can survive is to make it a part of the lifestyle. From the way you sound, it sounds like you have a passion for bodybuilding, so if you want it to be a priority in your life, make it one. We all have 24 hours to work with. You just have to know where to squeeze the time in.

I'm now engaged to be married, have a full time job, and am looking purchase a house, and possible go back to graduate school, but I will continue my weight training and preparation for my upcoming competitions as well.

Pick up the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. He talks about prioritizing. One cool example he gives is the one about the jars and the stones. Imagine you have a jar, and along with it you have a bucket of stones, a bucket of pebbles, a bucket of sand and a bucket of water. Your job is to put as much of each in the jar. If you put the water in first, you won't have any room for anything else. If you put the sand in first, you won't have any room for the stones, or pebbles. However, if you start by putting in the stones (the biggest of the group), then when you put the pebbles in, they'll fill up the space between the stones, and then when you put the sand in, it will fill up the space between the stones and the pebbles. Then, when it comes time to put in the water, it will fill up the space between the stones, pebbles and sand. Life is like that too. Take care of the big things that are important to you first (i.e. God, family, school, the gym, relationships, etc.). Then you can take care of the other things (i.e surfing on the computer, recreation, hobbies, going out with friends, television).

It's all about priority. So evaluate your situation and see where you can fit time into going to the gym, because I guarantee you that once you join the gym again, and you can stay focused on your routine (and still get all your school work, etc. accomplished), you'll feel great about yourself, and you'll look even better.

- Skip

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http://www.skippypodar.net

1stindoor

I'm normally the first person in the door at the gym at 5:00 a.m. when they open, at least M-F. Right now I have a pretty good job and I'm the boss. This fall, I'll be changing jobs and it'll probably mean me changing my workout time.

On a side note, it also relates to how I view my job in the military.

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Steely-eyed, barrel-chested, freedom fighter with the kung-fu grip and the life-like hair

1stindoor

I'm quite familar with the analogy as well, but I had it explained a little differently. Started with the big rocks, then the pebbles, then the sand, but finished with a beer. Moral being after all is said and done, you still have time to enjoy a cold beer and relax.

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Steely-eyed, barrel-chested, freedom fighter with the kung-fu grip and the life-like hair

WorkOut-Boy

LOL okay. Damn you train at 5am? How do you find the energy to get up at that time to go and train?

You gonna quit the military? They give you a good pay-off? What kind of work you planning on doing next?

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This is a town where people used to stand tall.