Things I’ve Learnt On My Fitness Journey
When I was younger, I had a few obstacles that made it difficult for me to go to the gym. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go but at that age, I didn’t have the funds nor was my mum sold on the idea and I was not legally allowed to go into a gym without adult/parental supervision. So, the closest thing I got to going to the gym was with CJ in GTA San Andreas haha.
However, me being the determined teen, I remember seeing dumbbells in my older brother’s room and I began lifting them, probably with the worst technique you’ve ever seen but that’s how I started. I don’t remember how consistent I was with it, but I do remember my mum reminding me from to time to time, even to this day that because I did that, I stunted my height. It could be true, because my height has been the same since I was 14.
Despite that setback, it didn’t stop me from staying fit or active. As an alternative, I would occasionally play sports on my own. Whether that be kicking a ball into a makeshift goal, practicing grubber kicks, trying to emulate the stepping ability I’ve seen on the screen or playing tennis against a wall using ping pong equipment, being active has always been a strong interest in my life.
As soon as I was able to, I signed up to Fitness First. It was one of the highlights at 17. However, like most of us, after signing up for a gym membership, I felt the pump and drive in the early stages but I struggled to be consistently motivated. We all have our struggles and sometimes life events distract you. It may be due to new relationships, starting a new job or a more depressing front, dealing with a loss or breakup.
The important thing is, I started and despite getting a bit sidetracked I would always still make my way back. To put it simply, if you genuinely want to make a positive change in your life, you have to find motivation within yourself or from somewhere to at least push you to start and learn discipline to continue. Whether that be looking at yourself in the mirror and finally realising you are not happy with your appearance and want to change it (in a healthy way, of course), scrolling through social media and looking at body goals or wanting to fit certain clothes. It doesn’t matter, whatever it is, use it to stay motivated.
Making the decision to start is the first step but when you do start, what are you doing? You need to make the most of your time and make it worth your while. From personal experience, to help with this, you need to educate yourself on exercises, and make a consistent fitness schedule to follow. My recommendation is 3-4 times a week. This applies even when you have a personal trainer, because they aren’t with you outside those PT sessions. It could be a class, a sport, your own training split etc. If you do this, along with eating and sleeping well, you’ll see results. In the end, the hard work you put in will pay off and you will notice results and I will guarantee you that’s what will keep you motivated too. What’s even better is when others compliment you on your improved physique and notice the effort you put in.
I’ve repeatedly have said this before that it’s great to be motivated, but it’s better to be disciplined when it comes to fitness - because it’s true. You will lose motivation at times, but discipline is what will get you through those gym doors. It also helps if you enjoy it too, because you’ll be more inclined to put in more effort. At the end of the day, if your health and fitness are important, you’ll make time.
My fitness journey has started from a young age and I plan to keep it up. Below are fitness tips I’ve learnt so far on my fitness journey (they are all fitness focused, as I’ll leave the food component and others for another blog post):
Prepare your mind for change
Understand that your lifestyle will need to change to a varying degree in order for you to change your body. How do you expect change if you are not willing to also make changes in your life?
Technique/form is crucial
Ensure you’re performing the exercise with the right form to hit targeted muscle/s and reduce your risk of injury. The weight needs to be controlled at all times, if you can’t control it, reduce the weight. Listen and understand your body, lifting heavy weights with poor form isn’t going to help you in any way.
Think about tension
Generating tension in your exercises help to build muscle and strength and keeps your targeted muscles active. Combine technique and tension will result in a recipe of sustained success.
Focus less on others, and more on you
Someone will always have a ‘better’ body that you desire, as we live in an insatiable world. You can’t control that but you can control what you do with your body. When you are exercising or at the gym, do it for yourself.
Buy clothes that motivate you
This might just be an excuse to shop but I believe it helps. If you wear aesthetically pleasing activewear, it’ll make you look and feel good. This acts as a motivator to go get those gains.
Educate yourself
Read articles, watch videos, observe others at the gym or follow a fitness guru you can relate to on IG. Find out what works for you and continue to widen your fitness knowledge. I’m still learning and trying new exercises, if you have been on this long of a fitness journey, tip 1 still applies, you still need to change to expect change.
Don’t neglect muscle groups
Don’t neglect leg day boys. Looking like Johnny Bravo isn’t a good look. You hear the term “chicken legs” too often to know how important it is not skip leg days. For the ladies, don’t be afraid to work on your upper body. The booty isn’t the only thing you should worry about. You want to grow proportionally.
Have a routine
Know what you’re doing at the gym, so you don’t waste time thinking about it. It’s also a good idea to have some alternative exercises up your sleeve just in case your machine or equipment is in use.
Be consistent
Going once a week, and then going three times another week, and then not going at all the week after isn’t going to get you gains. Be consistent in your training every week. My recommended magic number is 3 to 4. I personally aim for 5 myself.
Don’t overtrain
Consistency is key, but you need to know when to give your body a breather. If you overly train it can increase your risk of injury, and if this happens, it will affect numerous facets of your life.
Stretch
I cannot stress this point enough. It helps you warm up the muscles pre-workout and also reduce soreness whilst releasing lactic acid post-workout. If you neglect this, you won’t notice immediate negative effects, but it’ll be a gradual deterioration.
Set realistic goals
Make sure these objectives are achievable and fit within your lifestyle, because if it’s not, the mountain will seem too steep to climb. You have already set yourself up to fail because your goals are simply unrealistic.
Balance
Life isn’t about training 24/7, incorporate fitness into your life. Still need to give yourself a chance to enjoy the things you love just practice control and apply balance.
Learn patience
Results won’t occur immediately, but discipline over time will get you those gains you crave. You may come across plenty of before and after shots and think it looks easy and is a quick process but if you really read into it, it took them many years of hard work and dedication to get their body looking the way it does. Success doesn’t happen overnight, you have to work for it.