Get Fit

Have you ever wanted to lose weight? Have you ever wanted to gain weight? Have you ever wanted to get a 6 pack? Have you ever wanted to get that ideal body like Brad Pitt in Fight Club or the models
in Victoria's Secret spreads? Odds are you probably have answered yes at one point in your life.

After finals were over last semester, I weighed myself on the scale and almost tipped over 200 lbs for the first time in my life. I realized how much I let myself go as the semester went, but that 199.9 reading made me worried about my health. I don't think I was obese, but I was definitely overweight. Knowing the conditions that accompany the disease made me worried about my long term health. For the first time in a long time, I pushed myself to try and get that 6 pack I've always said I would get. In May 2011 I had love handles, flabby arms, horrible stamina, and constant fatigue. I was sick of feeling sorry for myself and wanted to something about it. It didn't matter that I was one of the most in shape people before or that I was once a fat kid. The past is in the past, and to get to the future I needed to overcome the present. I had to condition myself to forget about what I once did and start focusing on what I could do then in order to attain the physique that every guy wants.

My first visits to the gym were the most painful to my ego. Not only was I weak, but I had no endurance. I couldn't do more than 3 pullups, a single dip, bench more than 135, or run longer than 5 minutes. It made it worse with all these mirrors everywhere with nowhere to hide. The reflective glass often used to promote vanity by men and women alike became a symbolism of shame. I realized this was probably why most people stop working out. The worst part is knowing how shitty you are. The mirrors at the gym are double edged swords for people of all types. Everyone checks themselves out, but not everyone views themselves only positively or negatively. Self-esteem issues run rampant among the fit and the fat, but another topic for another day.

Sacrifice. That's the key ingredient to every diet and fitness plan. I sacrificed my cravings for eating out. I sacrificed my lazy habits. I sacrificed my pride. I pretty much became a new person and in essence a better version of myself. I pushed myself to go to the gym every day. I pushed myself to not eat those delicious appetizers at every restaurant I dined at. When you get somewhere, it really is all mental. The psyche has to be stronger than the body.

My workout plan consisted of a pre-workout meal (full of carbs and protein, and Jack3d) an hour before, the workout (either lifting or cardio), a post-workout shake (usually protein) and a meal rich with enough protein and carbs. I go through 4 week lifting cycles. "Power" is high rep, medium weight, "Endurance" is high rep, low weight, and "Strength" is low rep, high weight. The order doesn't matter. But that's only a part of the plan; diet is key. I tried my friend's extreme diet of sacrificing carbs. I ate eggs in the morning, yogurt as a snack, milk when I was thirsty, and chicken breasts for dinner. I avoided pop and chips as much as possible. I slept 7-8 hours a night. I was tired all the time, but the sacrifice was well worth it.

I went from struggling to bench 135 to doing the same number of repetitions at 205. I used to shoulder press with 45 lb dumbbells and now I can exceed 80 lbs. I could barely run a mile but now I can run at about a 7 minute pace. My 3 point shot was horrible, and now my range has been extended by a couple feet. I stopped running during pick up games, and now I can play three hours straight. I lost my love handles, but not the love (haha I wonder if this could work as a pick up line?). My abs were masked by layers of fat, but now I have definition without flexing. Almost there.

The mirrors that once taunted me now remind me of what hard work and sacrifice can do. I would be lying if I said I don't occasionally glance at the mirror to check myself. It may be vain at times, but most of the time I check for progress. If you stare too long, you can never notice the changes that are to come. I haven't reached my goal yet, but I will. Before I used to hope that I would, thinking that while cheating occasionally I could still reach my goal. Now, I have the mentality "I will (blank)" and I apply it to pretty much everything in my life. This vigor drives me away from laziness. It reminds me of the passion I used to have for chemistry, where I wanted to do better than all my peers and the only thing that could stop me was sleep. I'm loving this passion, this drive, this motivation.

I will keep this up for the rest of my life.