Fitness Journey to be Continued

Creating this blog was a good way to reflect on my fitness journey and all the different contributing factors. I did not realize how much information I have picked up on along the way until I had multiple posts to write. Since I began trying to get fit, I knew very little about it even though I thought I was prepped for it. The concept of working out is really only just one aspect of getting fit. Within this itself though, there are so many different ways to workout. Everyone tailors their work out routine to themselves and their body. However, I still learned a lot about working out from the bodybuilders I met in the gym. The concepts are all similar, just tweaked to match different goals and body types. A lot of helpful training I got was also through sports, mainly basketball. I went through many changes before finding out what worked best for me. For example, cutting out and reintroducing cardio such as swimming made more of a difference than I would have expected. 

 I started gaining real knowledge of where to take my fitness journey when I learned about nutrition and helpful supplements. Transforming my body through nutrition was a huge change that I did not expect. I always knew about how it was an important part of getting fit but I did not realize that changes in it would result to different goals, such as bulking and cutting. Learning about supplements was also pretty helpful since I was able to work out more often and more comfortably. Focusing on helping my muscles repair and recover was a main step in my journey.

This also ties into the all the different strategies that I picked up along the way. This does not only apply to how to perform exercises but also when to perform them. Whether to do cardio before strength training or after it and how long, or when to superset or drop set. These strategies completely change how your muscles train. It is good to have a variety, but I do always have my favorite exercises that I mainly do every week. 

In the end, this journey is one that I plan to continue for my whole life. Maintaining fitness and health has become a part of my life and routine. It may get off track because it is hard to work around classes and eventually work but I plan on making it work and fitting it into my schedule. Continuing with good nutrition is also hard, especially in college. Finding healthy food or even time to cook is pretty hard as the options are limited on every campus. Anyway, I still have goals to continue gaining muscle and getting cut while also reducing my body fat percentage. Not only this but I plan on continuing to increase my endurance and stamina to increase my performance in sports. Sports have been and always will be a big part of my life, so they fit right into my journey.

Progress and Goals

For my last blog post, I want focus on my progress and goals. My fitness journey was never smoothly moving but more like a road that I made many wrong turns before I made the right ones. I still make mistakes though as it is a learning process and I will always have things to learn and fix. I have came across many helpful tips but I do not always put them into action because of obstacles or even just a lack of will sometimes. It is a working progress but I have came very far from where I began.

Starting out with fitness, I was concerned about how I looked to others and was self-conscious. Once I got a hang of most exercises and was gaining muscle, my attitude flipped. I was over confident and thought I knew everything about fitness. As I began working out for sports though, I humbled myself and started seeing how prevalent your attitude in the gym can be. For example, there are always those select few guys in the gym that walk with their shoulders up and their chest all out. It’s like the gym is a game and they beat all the levels. How you carry yourself in the gym is really paid attention to, not whether you are big or not. 

My physical progress had many ups and downs as I went through phases of bulking and cutting. That requires an intense amount of attention to the way you work out and eat. I had to count my calories and macronutrients and make sure I would be performing the proper exercises with the right amount of weight and reps. Bulking is probably my favorite because you can eat more and push yourself to lift heavier. Cutting is more difficult because I have to limit my calories and increase my reps. Swimming for cardio is also one of my favorite ways to work out because it it gets me really sore but it’s also never boring. Basketball is up there with swimming too because of how intense it gets and forces me to push my limits. Training in different ways helped me learn how to get fit in the way I want to. 

In the future, my goal primarily is to gain muscle overall. I also want to reduce my body fat percentage slightly to help cut better. I need to make sure I keep up with my motivation though as that is the main drive. As for my goals for nutrition, I definitely need to improve my eating habits although it’s difficult to eat better on campus and making time to cook is hard between classes. However, I am trying to improve my schedule to fit nutrition into my journey better and aid my goal in gaining muscle. My goal is never going to have a number on it because you can always improve. Becoming healthier does not have an endpoint. That’s my favorite thing about fitness, it is always a continuing path. 

Working Out at Home

Working out at the gym versus working out at home used to seem like a huge difference. I thought that working out without the equipment at the gym was not a real workout. That is why if I was not able to go to the gym, I would not workout besides maybe a few pushups. This only lead to inconsistency though and a major change in my schedule. I would have to take out much more time for the gym on days that I was too busy when I could have just saved some time and worked out at home occasionally.

Once I got more into fitness in social media, I learned about the variety in equipment that can be used as substitutes for equipment in the gym. There were almost just as many if not the same amount of videos of workouts at home that there were for workouts at the gym. For example, there are a copious amount of exercises that you can complete with just a resistance band. It can be used to work out every body part depending on how you use it. I also got different pound dumbbells which can be used to perform most exercises and are a good substitute for a bar or even cables in some cases. The resistance bands and dumbbells can even be used in combination. A bench is a great addition to all of this and really makes it seem like I do not need the gym on some days. 

Although this may seem expensive, it actually is cheaper in the long term if you consider the factors of going to the gym such as the gas money. Even when I alternate between the gym and working out at home, I still feel that I save some time if not money at least which indirectly is just as effective. Additionally, all the equipment is not always necessary. Body weight exercises for muscles like abs or just cardio work very well for me. It is just as difficult training with burpees to warm up as it is training with the treadmill to warm up. Not to mention, running outside in the warm weather is better than the treadmill. In addition to this, it is much more convenient when I have a packed schedule and just want to fit a good workout in quickly at night or before I start my day. 

Once I started working out at home, I became for efficient in my time management. Not only this, but I found many more workouts that I can even add in when I go to the gym if I want. My main concern was still being able to work my muscles to their limits and seeing and feeling results. There were some days that I got more sore working out at home though compared to working out at the gym because I was challenging myself to do exercises a little differently using different equipment. Most importantly, it helped me be able to be more consistent with working out.

Balance and Coordination

When most people think fitness, usually cardio or lifting weights comes to mind. One area I feel is not given as much attention or focus as needed though is balance and coordination. Of course, it is a given that you need to have good balance and coordination for most exercises but training for it is uncommon. I know personally, I just tried to perfect my balance and coordination for whatever exercise I was completing for the moment and then move on to the next with no regard for the last. I never put my focus on having just overall good balance and coordination. 

I learned as I watched more fitness videos, the difference between training for an overall good balance and coordination along with other types of training versus training for an overall good balance and coordination through other types of training. To not warm up your body to consciously focus on keeping a stable and good balance and coordination, would lead to weaknesses in these important base aspects. It came to me that it is similar to consciously telling your body not to bring your stomach in when breathing in. Once you fix common mistakes in your body, your results increase significantly. I began taking the advice of the trainers and separately trained for balance and coordination for the better.

For balance, I focused on completing certain stances everyday such as being able to stand on one leg for an extended period of time and then also having an equal reaction for the other leg. This helps with certain exercises like single leg kettlebell deadlifts. I realized that my posture during certain exercises could have used some work while in the moment, I thought that it was good such as in squatting. Through balancing techniques, I improved an overall good posture which made me feel less tense in plenty of exercises. I now have a much better balance and it ties right in with my training of coordination.

Training for good coordination is a very challenging obstacle. You are simultaneously training your brain and trying to increase its focus. I complete exercises that target all aspects including hand eye coordination. This helps me greatly when I am working on balancing exercises as it further helps me improve my results there too. My training became a lot more focused and intense. It was a change that not only helped me perform better but also feel better overall. 

Getting Motivated

Being consistent in the gym takes a lot of time and dedication but most importantly, motivation. Staying motivated in the gym has always been one of the most difficult parts of my journey. Getting myself up to go to the gym usually seems harder than actually working out. Once I get there, I always enjoy the workout but there are many days where I just cannot bring myself to get up and go to the gym. Especially when I have to walk there or drive a bit farther than usual. I learned quickly that my will to be in the gym and working out has to be greater than my laziness in getting up and going to the gym. 

One of my main aspects of motivation is mental health. Physical health directly correlates with mental health so of course when I started working out my mental health was impacted positively. When I would take extended rest days from the gym, I always would feel more tired and lazy. In addition to this, working out became a form of stress relief and just an enjoyable activity to take a break from my work and school life. Whenever I got a break from my busy work, I began to look forward to going to the gym because I immediately would feel relieved. Therefore, I was able to turn this into motivation to be more consistent with the gym. I wanted to ensure that my mental health was at the best it could be so I would force myself to be in the gym even on days that I was not feeling good. 

Another aspect of motivation is seeing physical results. When I would take even just a week off from the gym, I would immediately feel weaker and whether or not it made a difference, I felt like I had lost muscle. Whenever I would stay consistent, I could always pass by a mirror and feel proud of my progress. The reward of seeing myself improve was great motivation in and of itself. On top of this, when I am consistent, I am always increasing the amount of weight I can lift and my endurance. Seeing that number of weights change just enhances the differences and makes me feel automatically better. I am constantly in competition with no one but myself, so I never let that leave the back of my mind. 

Once I got into the habit of going to the gym, finding motivation came along with it. Little things like even getting new equipment or gym clothes made me look forward to going to the gym just so I could use it all. Gym clothes ended up taking up a majority of my wardrobe, especially Nike, since it is important to have the proper clothing and shoes for a more comfortable workout. There are still days where I need to push myself a bit harder than usual to get up and go to the gym but for the most part it has become something that I am always willing to do because my motivation has not left since I became consistent.

Transforming with Cardio

            One of my favorite fitness activities now is cardio. When I began working out, I ignored cardio because I thought it would make me lose weight. Also, it always was very boring to me. I tried running every once in a while but it never kept my attention or energy. I would get tired quickly even if I knew I could run more just because it was too consistent. Additionally, I was focused on building muscle and getting big. My idea of this was to just focus on lifting heavy and eating good. The only form of cardio I incorporated was when I warmed up. I would walk on the treadmill for a few minutes, but I never dedicated more time to cardio. I was definitely building strength this way but I would get tired very easily. For example, doing simple things like climbing a certain amount of stairs would make me have to catch my breath. When I would play basketball just for fun, I would be exhausted after just a game.

        

   Once I started playing on the basketball team, my cardio increased significantly whether I wanted it to or not. Basketball itself is a huge cardio workout but the condition mixed with the strength training that we would practice with included intense running, sprints, and other forms of cardio. Eventually, I got used to it and noticed a significant improvement in my performance in just lifting weights. I also was never bored with this type of training, partly because I was never training alone but mainly because it was always something different. I noticed quickly that, my endurance was much better and I was not even losing weight. In fact, I was building more muscle mass while losing body fat so I was only benefiting. Even when basketball season was over, I decided to continue incorporating cardio into my workouts.

            My favorite type of cardio was HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). There are various different ways to complete this type of training but it is mainly seen with running. The main type that I work with is HIIT with running. I run on the treadmill for one minute at my maximum speed and rest for about a minute and a half. I make sure to focus on resting enough so that I can perform at my best again. This can also be done with exercises like burpees, jumping rope, etc. I always remember to switch it up so that I do not feel like I am constantly doing the same thing and boring myself like I did with running. My overall health got much better and I felt healthy mentally and physical. I had more energy in my daily activities and going up stairs was never an issue again. My focus was even improving and I was more inclined to do my work. It took me long to realize that cardio was not just running and I had multiple options. Once I incorporated it though, it made my journey much more fun and intense.

In Depth With Exercises

One of the most important tips I learned on my journey is the significance of form and strategies. Injury is not only common with the lack of stretching but also with how you perform the exercises. My shoulder pain was not only due to a lack of stretching but also because I was performing certain exercises incorrectly. I watched a lot of YouTube videos on exercises, but I went with how I felt while performing them instead of paying close attention to the position of my body. A slight bend in the knees, at the elbows, etc. makes such a big difference but I was not aware of that earlier. I would wonder why certain exercises hurt in spots that they were not even meant to target and it was because the other parts were compensating for my bad form. 

My fitness journey is largely influenced by the help of other people such as friends and coaches. They helped me see the difference that form made and assisted me in improving it. This made a huge difference in my ability to perform in terms of endurance and strength. I felt more confident and more inclined to want to go to the gym. I was building muscle properly in the places that I was trying to target. However, since I started with bad form, my shoulder is still affected to this day. It is still a bit uncomfortable when I perform certain exercises because it never completely healed from my improper form but definitely not to the extent it was at earlier.

Once you perfect form, strategies are a great way to improve your abilities. Instead of performing just one exercise at a time regularly, there are different ways to approach them or put different exercises together. For example, one of my favorite things to incorporate into my workouts is a superset. A superset is a combination of exercises performed back to back and then followed by a rest period instead of doing them one after another with rest between each. This helped me build endurance since I was pushing my body past its limits. I would already be tired from one exercise but the next one or few would really have me going at maximum. 

Another strategy I really like working with is negative reps as it incorporates a different level of intensity. Negative reps are basically a different way to perform an exercise in terms of speed and time. For example, on a bench press, you bring the bar down much slower than usual and hold it at the closest point to your chest and then bring it up at a normal pace. It helps build volume overall as it breaks the muscle down differently and repairs even better. Negative reps were a huge bridge for me in adjusting my form because it made me focus more on my movement. Everything connects in fitness and form and strategies especially are very important to pair together when trying increase my performance. 

Recovery From Soreness

Fitness does not only include the physical part of working out but also recovery. Progress cannot come from constantly working out your muscles. They only grow when you rest and let them rebuild. The process is personal though because how my muscles recover is not the same as how someone else’s would. It also depends greatly on the amount of sleep you get since your muscles can do the most work then. Within the first few weeks that I began working out with weights, I was excited to get stronger and was working out every day despite the fact that I was sore. Instead of taking rest days, I was pushing myself harder and ignoring the pain. I was noticing minimal changes in my ability to lift heavier though. I also was feeling more tired and the pain from the soreness never went away. Due to my consistency with this, I ended up injuring my shoulder. I soon learned from research and my basketball coach that my issue was that I was not taking any rest days. 

            I then began to incorporate rest days into my routine and working out became a little bit easier and less of a pain. I was still sore but I was not straining myself as much. Stretching became a bigger part of my routine as well. Initially, I was ignoring the importance of stretching and would only spend about a minute doing so. After talking to my coach, I was stretching for a minimum of three minutes before and after every workout. I did not understand the benefits until I applied it. Soon after this, maybe within weeks, I was seeing some muscle gains and slightly better cuts. I also physically felt stronger and was able to lift much more but I was not going to the gym more than three times a week because I would get sore too quickly. I wanted to go more often though and still improve more. 

            What I believe helped me the most was BCAA’s, or branch chain amino acids. These are components in protein that are crucial for muscle repair and recovery. While I was getting these amino acids from my regular protein intake, my body could use more. I then came across the supplement that many people around me were using. I was skeptical about using supplements at first but I decided to give it a chance. I bought the BPI Sports BCAA powder and would take it with water with me to the gym every time I went. I noticed a significant decrease in soreness. I was able to hit the gym more often and push my limits more. The BCAAs were of a great help when I did not get enough sleep too because it assisted my muscles to recover throughout the day instead of just at night. It quickly became something I was just going to try for a week to something that is a part of my weekly routine. My journey of recovery from soreness due to my learning experience only got better.

Gaining Confidence In the Gym

Everyone that goes to the gym has a first time gym experience that is a story to tell, usually to laugh at. It is really unlikely for someone to walk in to the gym their first time, knowing exactly what to do. When I first started going to the gym, I joined LA Fitness. I knew that I wanted to make a change in my body but I was not exactly sure how to do it. I watched plenty of videos prior to going in but seeing someone else perform the exercises is not the same as performing them yourself. My first day walking into the gym, I had to spend a decent amount of time just familiarizing myself with where all the equipment was. There were even some equipment that I thought I could use for a specific exercise but it was meant for something completely different. I sat at each machine I went to spending a decent amount of time on just looking at the pictures and reading the instructions which helped slightly. However, my form was still in question because the instructions can only help so much. Also, there were not mirrors everywhere for me to be able to see just how I was performing the exercises. I was quite self-conscious seeing other people that were already doing so well in the gym. I felt that people were probably judging my form and commenting on how light I was lifting. I did not give up though, I kept watching videos and returning to the gym, working out however I felt was right.

            Luckily, I met some well experienced body builders that were in the gym every day while I was playing basketball one day. They offered to help me learn how to lift better but I was not trying to join them since I was nowhere near their level. They said specifically to me to “stop being soft” and just join them, making me laugh. I decided to go in with them and I was so glad that I did. They pushed me past my limits and improved my form tremendously. I became much more comfortable with being in the gym and lifting on my own, even when they were not around. I was no longer worried about anyone around me because they helped me gain confidence in myself and ensured that I was performing the exercises properly. They even helped me outside of lifting in terms of what nutrition products to buy as a beginner. Those products helped me recover much faster and keep up with the gym properly. I am sure that even without those guys, I would still have improved in the gym, maybe through some friends or my basketball coach but they definitely helped speed up the process for me by showing me what to focus on. I am thankful to have met people like them that did not mind helping someone they did not even know. Especially since when we lifted together, they had to reduce the weights to accommodate for me and rerack the weights for themselves which I now know is not the most fun process.

How Nutrition Will Help You Reach Your Goals

As I touched on in my previous post, nutrition is a key factor in the path to a healthy and fit lifestyle. There are various points that need to be taken into consideration when forming your diet. The most important fact I learned when I began researching about nutrition was that everyone’s body is different and there is not a one size fits all diet that you can go by. There are of course key foods that are noted as healthy, but you need to find foods that work best with your body through trial and error. Foods that may be healthy for one, can be harmful for another due to differences in the bacteria of our stomachs. In addition to this, depending on where you are in your fitness journey, your diet can change. 

            When I started incorporating my knowledge of nutrition into my fitness journey, I was focused on gaining weight through building muscle. The main thing to acknowledge when doing this is that your muscles need food after a workout to repair and grow. Protein is key for this process. I began drinking my whey protein shakes but also added in a lot of other important nutrients to retain and regain energy. These foods are referred to as superfoods. The main ones I include in my shake are flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp protein, cocoa powder, wheat grass, and maca powder. These foods all contain important nutrients such as omegas, iron, fiber, and more. I mix these with my protein powder and mixed fruits for a surprisingly well-tasting shake. Occasionally, depending on what I eat, I’ll add a healthy fat like an avocado or some type of vegetable like spinach. This shake is a great energizer so it can be a good pre-workout shake but it’s even better after a workout to replenish your body with nutrients it has used up and build muscle. Incorporating this shake into my daily routine improved my functionality all around, with fitness, school, sleep, and work.

            As for regular meals, a balanced diet is always important. Cutting out any part of the food pyramid, such as carbohydrates, is not likely to produce good results. Even when I was trying to lose body fat, I kept all food groups in, including fats but healthy fats. I just ensured to reduce my calories but keep my protein intake high to keep my muscle mass. It is more difficult to keep up with three well balanced meals when at school because of limited options and time to cook but meal prepping is usually of great help. I try to cook at least my meals for lunch on the weekend and keep them packed for the week. These meals usually include rice or bread, a lean meat such as turkey or chicken, and vegetables and fruits. Breakfast and dinner are similar in what it consists of but they vary.

            I began gaining significant muscle mass once I focused on a better diet alongside my workouts. It is important to learn what is good for your body and formulate a plan designed to fit your body’s preferences. Additionally, remember the significance of not cutting out any major food groups as they all contribute differently to helping your body function better.