Very important, often overlooked: Going to the gym!!!

[alboh]

I know this tip has been mentioned before but I think exercise is one of the best things you can do to increase your self-confidence, and it isn't emphasized enough.

Guys, ever since I started going to the gym in January I've experienced a huge boost in my self-confidence, and my luck with girls has increased exponentially.

Exercising makes you look better but more importantly it makes you FEEL better. It makes you feel more alive, more energetic and more masculine.

In terms of return on investment, exercising is the best thing you can do on your path to DJ'hood! I think it should be mentioned a lot more in the DJ Bible.

Don't be intimidated by the complexity of the "Bulk Up" plans here (no offence to Diesel). Go out and do something active that you find fun. Force yourself to go to the gym for two weeks and after that you won't be able to stop, I guarantee you. Find a sport you enjoy. The most important thing is that you move your body and work up a sweat!

 

[krd]

I don't know. I've been doing exactly that for about a month and a half. So far it hasn't worked.

 

[iceman666]

alboa is dead on. getting in the gym, using all the negative and positive energy in your life and channeling it into an exercise is a great way to releave stress.

Your body naturally releases endorphins as pain killers, but they also serve as natural ecstacy (i.e. make you feel good)

Getting stronger each time you go gets you into the mentality of working hard and seeing results...

All of this puts you in a good DJ mindset....I usually lift the afternoon before i go out (helps work off the beer im gonna drink, and makes me feel like a badass)

keep with it

 

[alboh]

Originally posted by krd
I don't know. I've been doing exactly that for about a month and a half. So far it hasn't worked.

Are you working out really hard? If you're not totally exhausted by the end you're not going hard enough. Focus on the way it makes you FEEL, that calm, confident, secure feeling you get after a good workout.

Then again maybe you're already a confident, masculine bastard.

 

[ApocalypseCow]

What gym do you guys go to? I live in the DC metro area and want to start going to one. There are several choices...Gold's, and one called Total Fitness (or something). We also have a YMCA that I am thinking of joining.

How did you choose a gym?

 

[Ofus]

Originally posted by ApocalypseCow
What gym do you guys go to? I live in the DC metro area and want to start going to one. There are several choices...Gold's, and one called Total Fitness (or something). We also have a YMCA that I am thinking of joining.

How did you choose a gym?

Find someplace that has plenty of free weights. Whatever is cheap and close to home will work.

 

[Drow]

krd,


Exercise is great if it's for the right reasons, but it's not some magic pill that will make you feel more confident and better about yourself. You have to go for YOU. You like to exercise because you like it. You look forward to working out, or playing basketball because it's fun and you like the effects on your feeling.

I know this because for a while I was working out like 5-6 days a week. I went there because I wanted to be BIG and I thought that if I worked out all the time I would feel better about myself. Yea I noticed some results on my body, but I wasn't really feeling better about myself. I went there for the wrong reasons..

 

[karmavsDogma]

I think the reason this tip isn't seen much is it's pretty much a given, kind of like neg-hitting and not calling the next day. Gymning it up on a regular basis is one of the best things any DJ can do for himself. The obvious benefits are you get your body in better shape. Seriously, most guys would love to go around looking like Tyler Durden, but come off looking more like Thomas Callahan III (for those that don't know, the first one is Brad Pitt from Fight Club, and the second is Chris Farley from Tommy Boy). I know I'm leaning heavily (how ironic) towards hamburger B in that little demonstration. One thing I'd like to add to this tip is to keep at it, no matter how fast or slow you see results. For the first month, I didn't see any physical results of working out. I was still as fat as I was, clothes still fit the same, and I wasn't getting any noticeable rise in attention from the ladies. So I, like a lot of us raised in the instant gratification generation, gave up like a French Iraqi and sat at home reading articles on what to say and how to act rather than working on the one thing that would change all three negatives I had working against me.

About a month later, I was tired of reading everyone else's advice and getting nowhere because I didn't have the tools (i.e. nice, presentable body) to back it up, so I went back to the gym. This time, I took reinforcements in the form of my two best friends. Now how many of you can honestly say you don't mind losing to your boys? That's what I though, exactly zero of you have your hands up. I work my body as hard as I possibly can for hours on end, daily, just to get a little bit stronger, a little bit faster, just a little bit better; just so I can beat them one of these days. Of course, it's hard to keep score when it comes to weightlifting, so I started playing racquetball at the end of the workouts. Now the three of us have a rotating game, and the loser buys the first round when we go out on the weekends. It's good motivation (not wanting to lose on the court or have to spend money on their drinks) and keeps me focused on bettering myself. Plus, there's the added bonus that if I don't give up and stay at home, I get to kick their a$ses on a regular basis, and who doesn't like those bragging rights?

Now, the $64,000 question: Is it working? Well, to be honest, I can't tell much of a difference. It's been three months since I went back full-time, and I'll admit we do slip a few "bye" days in from time to time. In fact, this week I'm recovering from surgery and a sprained ankle, so I haven't been to the gym at all this week and probably won't go back until Monday. The scale says I've lost about twenty pounds, so I guess I'm doing something right. I am starting to see more muscle definition in my arms and legs, and my stomach does seem to be getting slightly smaller, though that could be just wishful thinking on my part. Although it can be pretty discouraging to assess my progress, I'm not dissuaded from continuing by any means. I just use a seeming lack of progress as an excuse to try harder the next time. After all, that seems to be one of the main lessons in life: If it's hard, it's worth doing, so keep trying.