FITNESS RESOLUTIONS

“Working out gives yourself time to work on yourself physically and mentally.” - Unknown

Do you exercise?

Lift weights?

Run?

Do Crossfit?

Walk?

As your New Year’s Resolution to “get in shape” is in full swing, (maybe after finishing your first week and realizing how difficult it has been), I just want to say one thing….. DON’T FUCKING QUIT! You are on the right track. You have made the decision to take control of your own health and I am so proud of you for that.

Before I discuss the numerous benefits of moving your body, let’s discuss the three biggest challenges that you will face as you make your way back into the gym:

1. “I have no idea what I am doing. Everyone is staring at me and knows that I don’t belong here.”

Bullshit. No one is staring at you. More likely they respect you for making the effort to be there. Plus, they are too busy worrying about what everyone thinks of them to be worried about you.

2. “I don’t have a workout plan. I don’t even know what I’m going to do when I get there.”

There are hundreds of FREE workout plans online. I have also added four weeks of a beginner workout plan to my website for you to take advantage of, and I will continue to add programs as we move forward. These are also free for you to use and you are more than welcome to hit me up if you have any questions or need help getting started. I got you!

3. “I went to the gym Monday and Tuesday and now I’m sore as shit! There’s no way I can go tomorrow. I’ll start again next Monday.”

This is where most people quit. They go as hard as they fucking can for the first two days and then get sore. That third day is a test. That is your brain telling you that it’s okay to quit. That is your mind convincing you that it’s easier to be overweight because you can continue to eat shitty foods and not have to put forth the effort to exercise. Remember that you made the decision to become healthier and you owe it to yourself to stick to that gameplan. Trust me, you will be glad you did.

That’s just you getting started. Now, it’s time for me to sell you on exercise.

I know you have heard this a thousand times before but exercise is one of the very best things you can do for your body. And it really doesn’t matter what type of exercise so long as you are getting after it consistently.

In my “Do Difficult Shit” post from a few weeks ago, I talked about working out as one of the things I do each morning to get my day started. Lifting weights/exercise has not only helped me to achieve goals physically, but the mental benefits from working out early in the morning far outweigh the physical benefits. In other words, I’m a huge proponent of not only lifting weights but doing so early in the morning before work or school.

If I’m being honest, when I get to the gym most mornings the last thing my mind wants to do is put my body in a stressful situation. My mind keeps telling me that I should be at home sleeping and that the workout is going to be really difficult. Almost like my mind and my body are turning against me.

And yet I still step on to the treadmill for a six-minute warmup.

And I grab an empty fucking barbell and start doing movements to activate my muscles.

And I put more and more weight on that piece of iron and start moving that shit around.

And as I embrace the struggle, I start to overcome that feeling of not wanting to be there in the first place.

This sounds like a simple process when you read it but it is not easy. This is a test. It is a test every single morning to see what you are made of. To see how bad you want to be better.

This is why I choose to do some form of exercise every single day. It’s not the physical aspect so much as it is the mental. It is the FEAR that if I take a day off then that day off will be the moment where I go back to how I used to be. And I am never going back to that fucking place ever again. Never!

Now to be clear, I don’t go to the gym and lift heavy fucking weights every single day. But even on the weekends, I will make sure to do very light cardio at the very least (light cardio being a 30 - 45 minute walk). Just something to remind my body that I own that mother fucker, and that it does what I tell it to do.

By this point in your life, you know that exercise is important. As mentioned earlier, it can benefit you in so many ways. But before I end this rant on how great it is, I’m going to leave you with this…

You have full control over your body and mind. You have the ability to change both. It is going to take dedication. It will take hard work. I know it’s fucking scary because I have been there. I have felt those feelings and have had the same thoughts as you. But I promise you that it’s worth it. You making that decision to make this change for the rest of your life is an inspiration to those around you. You owe it to yourself to live a happy life. To look in the mirror and be fucking proud of what you see. And I just want to say I am proud of you for taking this huge step and that you are never alone in this journey. I’ll be right here with you.