Intrinsic motivation: we talk about it's importance, but let's be honest, most people first step in the gym mostly or entirely for external reasons. That's not always bad, but one thing is for sure, it needs to change over time, or at least be complemented by other forms of motivation, or inevitably lifters quit. Even when the shift is made to focusing on personal progress rather than external goals or standards, it can go wrong. Having something to continually improve upon or strive to achieve can provide a continuous staircase to personal improvement, but it can also be an overbearing presence invading every thought, making the inevitable plateaus experienced lifters face feel like failures. At these crossroads some lifters seek anabolic assistance, or quit. Sometimes one of these choices might be the right decision for an individual, but many times, both choices simply avoid the deeper issue. This deeper issue is also the reason some "noble" natties see themselves as morally superior to enhanced lifters, and why some spend so much time calling out those they believe to be fake. This is a deep one folks, well, once you get past the banter.

00:00 Intro: reacting to reviews

Can You Stay Shredded by Greg Nuckols Eric Trexler Mike Zourdos Helms https://www.strongerbyscience.com/stay-shredded/

Iron Culture Ep. 109- Empiricism vs Rationalism: What Do We Really Know When It Comes To Fitness? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT3KPnTgO7M&t=492s

16:00 Natural or enhanced? The pressures of social media

Iron Culture Ep. 188- Steroids, Aesthetics & Irresponsible Influencers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oF31sb3Db0

23:34 Intrinsic motivation, goals, and satisfaction tied to lifting

What Is Strong? https://www.strongerbyscience.com/how-to-get-strong-what-is-strong/

39:55 Comparing yourself to and living up to an ideal

49:38 The application of effort when enhanced and the psychological impact

Health Science Explained Podcast Ep. 197- The path out of muscle dysmorphia https://open.spotify.com/episode/2CRNuQrn1MSmRpBdow2xwQ?si=a91fe465ed4c4712

1:14:04 The unintended consequences of our choices and the inherent issues of setting external goals

1:27:23 Being self-aware and the fragile social hierarchy in the lifting space

1:42:40 Wrapping up another monster episode