Any musicians train?

[umz]

This thread is meant to provide me with feedback on how people with artistic lifestyles find motivation to train.

Because I play music and it's such a big part of my life I need to find the art in something to really commit to it. I find when i try to train I am controlled (or let myself be controlled) by my emotions. Previously, as I was growing up I would push my self when i trained cardio. I was able to gain satisfaction out of this but could only sustain it for three months. I compare this to music because it is one of the things if my life I have never quit and still am passionate about. I want to be like this about training! Specifically to artists- how did training and staying consistent become real to you so that it was something you wanted to strive to get better at?

I love MMA-Jiu Jitsu especially but am not a competitive person by nature, if you have input on this I would greatly appreciate hearing it! Thanks a million

[IronMaidenfan#1]

I played drums 1st and then guitars. I still play guitar but nowhere near as much as I used to, just a case of getting older and not having as much time due to work, family and other commitments.

[Oblivian]

I don't try to intellectualize all of my hobbies. I have played music since I was 13 or 14. I do it because it's fun. I trained throughout high school, took a hiatus in college due to drinking, and got back into it a couple years ago. I do it because it's fun.
The only thing I really see related is that both take a lot of work, but pretty much everything in life is like that.

[Revok]

"It is bad when one thing becomes two; one should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. It is the same for anything else that is called a Way. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own."
- Hagakure

[Ifight4Beer]

man I love to play I play guitar, bass, and a little piano and I feel its a way to release my emotions and find underlying feelings and that makes me feel good. fighting on the otherhand is the ultamate release, ecscape, "high". theirs nothing like it IMO.

[Goth_Judoka]

Originally Posted by Revok

"It is bad when one thing becomes two; one should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. It is the same for anything else that is called a Way. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own."
- Hagakure

Man, I really gotta get that book.

[erskine777]

what? why are you making a distinction between a normal guy who trains and an artist who trains? Are their motivations/drives vastly different from why, say a lawyer or engineer or whoever else trains? I've never really understood these self motivation threads- If you're questioning your commitment to this sport then how can what anyone else says help you? We can't make you love this sport. Just take a break, and come back refreshed to start over. Shit, I know guys holding down part-time jobs, going to school and taking care of their families who still find the time to train. You'd have to break both of their legs to keep them from practicing, but even then they'd probably go to the gym just to watch from the side. I myself have a pretty intense courseload this semester, but I still find time to go to judo 3x a week, BJJ 2x, and condition and lift on my own time. Haven't gone to a single party since july, but it's all about setting your priorities.

[B3rserk3R]

Like anything it's a matter of finding what motivates you. The same things that motivate you musically may or may not have any baring on what gets your ass in the gym, but that doesn't mean the dedication to that motivation is any less. I'm a dj/producer, played drums for years, and my musical interests have always been tied much more closely to my nerdy web developer/intellectual/art geek side than raw emotion. I've always been more of a technician than artist though.

My training is largely about emotion and release. It's about believing that being strong has it's own merit and hard work is it's own reward. It's about wanting to be active with my son when he's old enough and setting a good example with diet and exercise habits.

[Revolution]

I guess the commonality is that both training and music make one feel alive. No big revelation there, I know.
What I find helpful, though, is that I can draw a lot of parallells between the path of learning an instrument and the path of learning BJJ, MMA, etc. This, in turn, helps me when I get discouraged about my slow progress in BJJ, since I've already dealt with plateaus and such before while learning music.

[ChachiKiller]

does playing my upright organ count?