EchoChick's Psychology of Exercise

My undergraduate degree is in Exercise Science, from CSU. I have never taken a class in exercise or sport psychology... I bring my thoughts to you stritcly from things I've seen while working out at my local 24 Hour Fitness.

When it comes to exercise psychology, I have been analyzing the different behaviors of people that are working out around me. There are many types of people; weight/power lifters, body builders, runners, both young and old people, male and female, as well as people like myself. I go to the gym to workout because morbid obesity scares me.

My first question: Why do people work out?

I will analyze young (estimated age 20 to 35) men first. Most would think that young men exercise to get a chiseled body to attract whom they are interested in. But upon focusing on a pair of young men weight training together, something makes me think it's more of a competition between them. One man does his set, and the other man follows. When one ups the weight, so does the other. The second man struggles to do a set with the weight selected by the first lifter. This makes me think that the second lifter is competing with the first lifter. Is it a constant battle of one up-ing the other? This form of lifting is competitive in nature.

If you were to compare an older man (estimated age 36 and up) with a younger man, would this be completely competitive in nature as well? I would say yes.

When it comes to females, weight training in particular seems as though it's not competitive. So many women have a complex developed in their head that makes them want to do anything and everything to have a perfect figure. In my case, when I weight train, run, do yoga, swim... it is to ensure that I fit into that certain pair of jeans. Not to say that all females have a mindset like me, but I would say a vast majority do. How are the mindsets of men and women so different when it comes to exercise? (Yes...some are the same.)

Why do you workout?
- Lose weight?
- Compete?
- Train for a marthon?
- Boredom?
* To name a few*