INTj's/LIIs and fitness

[frenchmastiff]

Hi all:

I find the notion of hidden agenda very interesting and yet slightly frustrating. According to the description of the hidden agenda on socionics.com, my hidden agenda is to be healthy. I'm occasionally obsessed with my health, but this obsession is not exactly hidden. My friends and family know that I aspire to a very healthy way of life. But my dedication to a healthy lifestyle has been intermittant to say the least. I do find that if I am not eating healthy and exercising, that I have difficulty functioning.

I've joined gyms off and on, and I often got frustrated especially on the weight machines. Sometimes I would join for a few months, get frustrated and quit working out at the gym.

For example, I often got obsessed that I was doing the weight machine exercises the wrong way, so in 2004 I signed up for a few sessions with a personal trainer and put on 15 pounds of muscle in a few months. After that, I got very stressed out with school and quickly could not focus on exercise or eating properly, which made me feel a lot worse. By the time I felt better, I was out of school, needed a job and thus couldn't afford to go to the gym anymore. Once I got a job working nights, I felt I had no time to go to the gym anyways. I limited my exercise to long walks (which I do enjoy taking).

Lately I got a much better job in another city and decided to join the YMCA. I now go every night alternating workouts on the treadmill and on the weight machines. I also watch what I eat, i.e I eat more protein, complex carbs, less sugar. I also feel a lot more comfortable using the weight machines. A trainer told me during my free fitness orientation/plan that I should do 3 sets of every machine she set me up on until failure, 3x a week. So far, I've stuck to that plan. I feel great, but am worried that I might spiral back into another period of "unhealth" soon.

My question is this: Can INTJ's have a "gift" for fitness when they put their minds to it? I guess that's true for every type, but it seems that INTJ's are at a disadvantage in regards to extroverted sensing, which I assume is important for working out. I suppose my lack of "E-sensing" is what made me feel so insecure about my workouts in the past.

[UDP]

The more you are aware of and address it, the more you can take it on.


I myself have always 'struggled' when it comes to creating and maintaining a fitness routine. I am always on the verge of establishing a routine, it seems. But that is just because I've felt other things are more important.

I'm going through another period of reconstruction, so I will try to incorperate physical activity into my day more. I am glad you posted this.


I know at least one INTj here is into fitness. Mystic_Sonic, is it? And he does weighlifting fairly regularly. As for myself, it's all about motivation. I'm redefining, reconstructing my lifestyle right now, so I am incorperating fitness into it. I might have better motivation this time around......

[frenchmastiff]

Yes, I suppose it's possible to make great strides in the fitness arena once you are willing to challenge your weak points. Incidentally, two different sources list the following "fitness gurus" are INTJ:

1. Arnold Schwarznegger (taken from typelogic)
2. Jane Fonda (taken from a book on health and personality types, I forget the title)

Of course this is from the Myers-Briggs definition of INTJ, not the socionics definition, but both descriptions share a common perception of Extr. sensing being the weakest function.

[oyburger]

My motivation comes and goes, right now I have none. If I get really serious about things like that I tend to take it too far.

[FDG]

1. Arnold Schwarznegger (taken from typelogic)

No way

[aestrivex]

1. Arnold Schwarznegger (taken from typelogic)

No way

agreed; that makes very little sense.

[Luke]

Yeah, keeping healthy seems so important, but it's hard to break into the right habits to do so because of the Se weakness. The ESFj dual has it as their automatic function, so they don't overdo it, but tend to do as much as necessary without giving it any extra thought.

Overdoing it on a PoLR is one reason it is painful, generally more so than it would otherwise be. The pain from overdoing it makes you want to never do it again, given the choice. I think dual interaction/imitation would help avoid this, i.e. instead doing just the right amount of Se to enable Si to engage.

[MysticSonic]

"Yeah, keeping healthy seems so important, but it's hard to break into the right habits to do so because of the Se weakness."

Stop using Socionics as an excuse.

[FDG]

Yeah, keeping healthy seems so important, but it's hard to break into the right habits to do so because of the Se weakness. The ESFj dual has it as their automatic function, so they don't overdo it, but tend to do as much as necessary without giving it any extra thought.

Overdoing it on a PoLR is one reason it is painful, generally more so than it would otherwise be. The pain from overdoing it makes you want to never do it again, given the choice. I think dual interaction/imitation would help avoid this, i.e. instead doing just the right amount of Se to enable Si to engage.

Exercise gives soreness to every body

[Luke]

"Yeah, keeping healthy seems so important, but it's hard to break into the right habits to do so because of the Se weakness."

Stop using Socionics as an excuse.

That's the kind of thinking that most people use to completely miss the value of socionics -- thinking of it as a mere "excuse" rather than a completely logical framework to evaluate objective facts.

1) Keeping healthy seems more important to me than it it to others. 2) I have a harder time setting up the proper routines to do so. 3) This is consistent with having Ne as a creative trait.

That does not mean I do not do what is necessary to keep healthy. Right now I have a job where I work with my hands. It keeps me much more fit. That doesn't mean I'm enthusiastic about trying new things of a physically-involving nature. Perhaps I could cultivate some enthusiasm for such, but it would be difficult, and quite possibly counter-productive.

[Luke]

Exercise gives soreness to every body

Good point, it's really more psychological than physical, although that affects how the physical pain feeds back. INXjs have Se in an area of the psyche that instinctively avoids publicity and hates to be remembered much after the fact. With a consistent routine, I think keeping fit wouldn't be hard at all, because one could simply forget it's there after a while.

[UDP]

forget it

[oyburger]

As I've stated before, if you don't have an aversion to pain, there's something wrong.

[nightengale]

haha...it seems that, I too, am always on the verge of having an exercise routine. I haven't been exercising lately for a few reasons. 1) I have no time 2) I have no motivation

Before I get the lecture about how I can make times and that I can always motivate myself- it's physcological, I want you to know that I have made time by signing up for a fast fitness class at my college. This will get me into the gym more often and good grades are always a good motivator for me.

To tell you the truth, I used to exercise obsessively when I was younger. However, my therapist and nutritionist made me stop because my weight wasn't high enough. After that, I just quit and never really resumed since I am now happy with my body weight.

[Mariano Rajoy]

I work out regularly, with a combination of cardio and strength training. I looked into weightlifting and fitness, and over time adopted a program that works for me and gives me results. Right now, I am building and trying to gain muscle strength and weight, but will stop with the protein supplements and up the reps in a few weeks.

I find it easy to stick to a routine once I establish it within a larger logical context that addresses my fitness. Conveneince of gym location plays a large part as well. It is easy to drop in and get a full work out, or a quick half workout. Either way, I end up going 5-6 days a week, and I know of other INTj's who have gone regularly to the gym for years.

[ncassidy]

1. Arnold Schwarznegger (taken from typelogic)

No way

agreed; that makes very little sense.

"Run! Go! GET TO DA CHOPPAH!"

[UDP]

As for myself, it's all about motivation.

[FDG]

I work out regularly, with a combination of cardio and strength training. I looked into weightlifting and fitness, and over time adopted a program that works for me and gives me results. Right now, I am building and trying to gain muscle strength and weight, but will stop with the protein supplements and up the reps in a few weeks.

I find it easy to stick to a routine once I establish it within a larger logical context that addresses my fitness. Conveneince of gym location plays a large part as well. It is easy to drop in and get a full work out, or a quick half workout. Either way, I end up going 5-6 days a week, and I know of other INTj's who have gone regularly to the gym for years.

Ahh nice, our disciplined LSI friend

[Mariano Rajoy]

I work out regularly, with a combination of cardio and strength training. I looked into weightlifting and fitness, and over time adopted a program that works for me and gives me results. Right now, I am building and trying to gain muscle strength and weight, but will stop with the protein supplements and up the reps in a few weeks.

I find it easy to stick to a routine once I establish it within a larger logical context that addresses my fitness. Conveneince of gym location plays a large part as well. It is easy to drop in and get a full work out, or a quick half workout. Either way, I end up going 5-6 days a week, and I know of other INTj's who have gone regularly to the gym for years.

Ahh nice, our disciplined LSI friend

Too bad I don't agree with you, nor do the Lytov's who typed me as LII, followed by LIE, followed by IEE. I will not hijack the thread though, as there are many disciplined LII's, such as Arnold S. who wrote book(s) on bodybuilding. I find achieving long term goals rewarding, and if health and fitness is your goal then it all comes down to your lifestyle. All the literature I have read points to choices and the behavior you repeat day after day to be the major determinates of lifestyle. Health and fitness are inextricably wound up with discipline.

Have some LII.

[XoX]

1. Arnold Schwarznegger (taken from typelogic)

No way

agreed; that makes very little sense.

ESTj or something like that.

[FDG]

I work out regularly, with a combination of cardio and strength training. I looked into weightlifting and fitness, and over time adopted a program that works for me and gives me results. Right now, I am building and trying to gain muscle strength and weight, but will stop with the protein supplements and up the reps in a few weeks.

I find it easy to stick to a routine once I establish it within a larger logical context that addresses my fitness. Conveneince of gym location plays a large part as well. It is easy to drop in and get a full work out, or a quick half workout. Either way, I end up going 5-6 days a week, and I know of other INTj's who have gone regularly to the gym for years.

Ahh nice, our disciplined LSI friend

Too bad I don't agree with you, nor do the Lytov's who typed me as LII, followed by LIE, followed by IEE. I will not hijack the thread though, as there are many disciplined LII's, such as Arnold S. who wrote book(s) on bodybuilding. I find achieving long term goals rewarding, and if health and fitness is your goal then it all comes down to your lifestyle. All the literature I have read points to choices and the behavior you repeat day after day to be the major determinates of lifestyle. Health and fitness are inextricably wound up with discipline.

Have some LII.

Okay, then it's just my opinion. Besides, my argument for ISTj wasn't connected to discipline: i called you disclipined because it's an attribute of ISTj type that you were displaying.

Arnold S, who is he?

I agree with the rest of your discourse.

[Froody Blue Gem]

I am a member of a gym, and make working out part of my routine. Well, the membership is currently off, but I've been going for walks. Exercise is definitely not my favorite thing in the world, and I often fall off the wagon, especially when life gets busy. It's not so bad once I actually get to it, but for some reason, I have an irrational sense of dread when I get into procrastination mode. xD

But no pain, no gain. When my semester is off, I'm pretty good about it though. Some forms of exercise that I actually like are swimming and going for hikes. With the crazy times we are in now, I have been helping take care of my niece which keeps me busy. My sister is very busy and needs help with her, so that is one thing that has me making the "no time" excuse on my busier days.

[Rebelondeck]

...... Can INTJ's have a "gift" for fitness when they put their minds to it? I guess that's true for every type, but it seems that INTJ's are at a disadvantage in regards to extroverted sensing, which I assume is important for working out. I suppose my lack of "E-sensing" is what made me feel so insecure about my workouts in the past.

I've been fit ever since I was 16 because fitness seems to reduce my stress levels to almost zero. However, as with anything, one needs the right genes. I'm naturally strong so weightlifting came easy, but my overly muscular appearance made me too conspicuous so I started running a lot in my third year of university. Now running is a convenient means of fitness for INTjs because it (like biking) can also be transportation. Integrating fitness into work routines is an efficient way of keeping fit and it made it easier for me to stick with it my entire career.....

a.k.a. I/O