I got some good workouts in this week, just continuing to get into shape. I don’t expect to become a superstar bodybuilder, but I’m just trying to get healthy. I love heading to the gym and getting a good sweat in and focusing on my tasks.
When I first used to go the gym consistently, it was in college a few years ago. My school had a great gym facility and I would go in there and do some cardio and lift some weights for the heck of it. There was no focus, no dedication. I would do some lifting and then eat some unhealthy stuff at the cafeteria. It was just a cyclical process that produced non-positive results for me and this would just make me unhappy.
Through the years since then, I’ve had times of heading to the gym consistently and not really producing the results that I want. Thinking back on it, I didn’t accept the process of working out like I do now, which includes in and out of the gym.
The three biggest mistakes that I would have in relation to my workouts was that (1) my diet before and after my workout was unacceptable, (2) I worked out angry and (3) I let a scale determine success.
Let’s start with the first one. I’ve been able to produce some positive and tangible physical and mental results the past two months because I stick to a relatively stern diet during my required workout days, Monday-Friday and optional Saturday. First, I drink a full gallon of water that day. It looks funny for me to carry around a plastic container full of water wherever I go, but I must keep my body hydrated and continue to have fluids in me. The eating plan is pretty simple. Wake up in the morning, have some water, eat one banana or fruit in general, have some water, lift, have some more water, eat a bowl of oatmeal about an hour after lift, water, have a light dinner of a grilled meat, pasta and vegetables, minimal seasoning on the meat, have some more water, relax, water, if I get hungry at night I’ll have another bowl of oatmeal, stop eating food by nine PM and then get some rest. There are of course variations to this, but this works for me.
The second one, I don’t work out angry anymore. I used to go into the gym and try to get out all of my aggressions in a negative manner. That would burn me out and this wasn’t a good thing. Now, I try to channel my negative emotions into positive focus for my workouts. I may have my IPod on in the gym and look like I’m going to punch out the first person that talks to me, but its focus on my goals/tasks for that day. The song rotation on my IPod would be songs that made me pissed and think of all the negative things in my life. Now, there are some songs that have good, reflective music. Some Pantera is still in there, but not as much.
Which brings me to my third former mistake.
I used to check out the scales everyday to see how much weight I’ve lost and let that be a measurement of my success/failures in the gym. I do go on a scale once in a while to see where I’m at and there have been some positives. I’m around 30-40 pounds lighter then I was in college and since I’ve started working at Belmont in August of last year, I’m down about 20, sometimes 25 depending on my water weight. People come up to me and tell me that I look thinner, which is appreciated. However, no disrespect, it’s in one ear and out the other.
The whole goal of this isn’t to be thinner; it’s to achieve a healthier lifestyle both physically and mentally.
Having less weight has some tremendous benefits of course for my future. Long story short, if I want to live longer, I need to lose more weight. I’m also not going to lie and tell you that I don’t look in the mirror and check myself out sometimes and see the progress. It’s noticeable. Also, the ladies notice also, which isn’t the worst thing in the world.
But the working out is just part of a longer process. I work out, eat right and try to achieve a balanced life so that I can be healthy and build mental self-confidence. When I work out and feel nutritionally sound, it makes me feel better, I work better at my job and I’m a better person overall who can make positive contributions to this world.
However, all of this is a process. So when someone complements me on my body, I pretty much ignore it respectfully because I know that this whole thing is a lot more than being able to fit my jeans better or wearing smaller shirts. The physical benefits are just a monetary result of striving to achieve a greater being.
I would also get mad if I had a bad workout and let it ruin my day and let it affect me. Now, I realize that I’m human and I will just try to do better the next time.
Will I ever find this being? Maybe, maybe not. But I’ve come to this resolution.
I’ve also slowly come to grips with my body. I’m never going to be skinny; I just don’t have the body type for that. I have a large frame. I’m also a few inches shorter than I would like to be. I’ll be 6’2’’ one day, right?
Its funny that smaller guys come up to me and say that they wish they had my frame and I tell them sometimes I wish I had theirs.
It’s really about self-confidence and working with what God gave you physically and accepting it mentally. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m not perfect with this concept, but I’ll keep trying.
For now, here’s a song that I listen to in my final stretch at the end of every one of my workouts. I still listen to some heavy rock music during my workout, but I also like to throw some slow tempo songs in there too for that balance. Tears for Fears was the truth back in the day.
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