Motivation is extremely vital to weight training. Sometimes it is easier to have a workout partner that can force you to train when you're feeling tired or lazy. A partner will help relieve the monotony and boredom of weight training. He or she can also be an excellent spotter.

If you are training by yourself, you will have to maintain intensity and dedication. Along with your ultimate goal, set small achievable goals for yourself so you won't get burned out. I know there are days when it's raining outside, you're tired or there seems to be a thousand excuses. I've been there. That's the time when you know if you are truly dedicated or not. How much do you want it? How hard are you willing to work?

My Story

I can't quite remember now, but I believe I started weight training when I was 15. I was barely a hundred pounds, and I could count every rib on my chest. Like many adolescents, I was confused and just wanted to fit in. I suppose that's not much of a motivation, but when I weight trained everything dissolved into oblivion. My head was cleared of confusion and frustration, and the only connection with reality was the burn and soreness in my body.

At 15, I didn't have money to join a health club or buy weights. I sneaked into an apartment complex with a small weight room that only had one universal machine. Since no one used the weight room, I was almost always by myself. I started out benching 30 lbs. on a machine bench which is equivalent to 20 lbs. in free weights. I still remember how sore I was the next day. When I started out, my goal was to get ripped, but now I realize that ... the journey has its own rewards.