10 years ago (cracking on) I started my "fitness journey" at the age of 16. Since then, I've found myself become all shapes and sizes during that time frame but no matter what happens I always find myself returning to the gym. Clearly I get that much enjoyment that I even based my current career around training and exercise, but what originally caused the spark of the fire?
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
It didn't actually begin in a gym, to be frank I was actually too insecure to even train in a gym because of how skinny I was. Weighing in at 50-55kgs, 5"10, family would call me stick and bones, mates would take the piss out of my Twiglet arms.
(machine)
It got to a point where I wanted to do something about it, so bought some York dumbbells in a dire attempt to put on some muscle.
I began with just doing sit ups and bicep curls (for tips on bigger arms see my top tips here), then I realised there was a whole bunch of exercises that could be done for all different body parts. I didn't have a bench so I made my own using a dining room chair for my upper back / head, then used my sister's makeup stall for my legs to lay on. I would fill the large gap in the middle with a sun lounger pillow. Thankfully for you, for whatever reason I took a photo of this improvised bench and started making some gainzzz.
(My improvised bench which was sketchy asf)
(Video of me using my improvised bench, filmed on a Blackberry not a Potato)
"Action Leads to Motivation"
Once I started seeing results, the motivation grew stronger...
(Cramming all your calories for bulking is not recommended. Fun Fact: I threw up after chugging that mass gainer)
It soon got to a point where I was out growing all of the home equipment and it was becoming too much money to keep spending out on, by this point I felt as if I earned my right to enter a gym, so started getting lifts down to the gym everyday which my mother was (understandably), not too fond of.
People started noticing me more, I went from Twiglets to Monster Munch and was absolutely reaping the benefits. I looked older, I filled out my clothes and most importantly to a boy who just got a new surge of testosterone, I was finally able to get the girls.
(Me being an arrogant prick)
But there was something that clicked deeper than just the outside aesthetics...
Internally it gave me a drive, I was evolving, changing my body through hard work and the physical benefits were just an additional compliment to how I felt internally. I would train and be absolutely buzzing after, when mates were out enjoying the sun I'd be in the gym grinding away as if gaining muscle was some sort of Olympic Sport. I never felt better. It was nice working on something, putting myself out there and noticing the benefits as the months rolled on.
However, it's not all been plain sailing. I lost my drive... Multiple times.
As a lot of us do, I seem to yoyo in circles, I'll gain a tonne of muscle, fall off from training for whatever reason, I'll then get to a point where I am so skinny that it is almost a reminder that I've slacked off and need to start the engine again. I've had many clients in the past that do the same thing but rather than get dead skinny, they will put on a level of timber that they feel uncomfortable with so want to start training again.
(Examples of me falling off the wagon)
I guess this is what keeps me returning to the gym, it comes from a combination of feeling insecure in how I look when I'm skinny and knowing that I am better than this version of myself. Being vein will not make one feel better, but giving everything you have in order to grow your mind and body is the true asset.
People have different ways of doing this, for instance money might be a motivator of feeling good enough, thus strive to have nice cars and flashy garms to an extent that makes them feel better. Being materialistic will not make one feel better, but giving everything they have in order to grow their business; expanding their skillset is the true asset.
Being Uncomfortable is the True Asset
From an evolutionary stance, it makes sense. We all have an intrinsic drive that makes us want to improve, so letting ourselves go inevitably makes us feel a certain way. Becoming the best version of ourselves is quite the opposite, we feel like we are making the most of our lives. Living rather than existing, so this is what keeps me coming back for more.
My favourite clients are those that come to me who are open and honest - those that say look Alex, I'm depressed, I'm lacking confidence, I'm in a rut, because I've been in that same mindset multiple times. If I used exercise as a means to get out of that state, I know full well they can too.
Stress is a reminder that something is not being met internally, so it's up to you to find the courage, get yourself up and start putting in the hard graft to improve your life in whichever field you are passionate about. After all, despite how daunting the first step may be, that step is nothing in comparison to going through life with a grey cloud following you around. Sometimes we need some motivation to relight the fire, you could try watching an inspirational movie, relate to someone else going through the same struggles in a book, the list is endless.
The main concept being, you take action.
(Some of the proud moments in my life, knowing that without fitness they would not be possible)