I know a lot of y’all are looking to make 2011 the year of the new body. Every year, gym memberships skyrocket in January (I hate the gym crowds in Jan), but what happens to those people in March? The truth is, that monthly payment will still be debited from your account whether you use your gym or not. So it's in your best interest to get some mileage out of the membership, and that's exactly what I'll show you how to do.
My aim in this multi-part series is not to give you a workout routine (there’s no one workout for everybody… or every body), but rather to give you tools and lay out steps from my fitness experience to make sure the fitness situation that you choose is realistic and effective.
Whether you’re going for muscle mass or trying to trim down, the most important thing to consider when you’re trying to get fit is your genetics. Your body has a natural shape that it defaults to (keep in mind that humans are hunter-gatherers, so our bodies are meant to get a fair amount of athletic activity on a daily basis… typing at work doesn’t count). You’ll do well to accept what your natural shape is and work towards your ideal with that realm. While a professional wrestler’s build (a younger D. Kareem’s self-fantasy) isn’t necessarily impossible for my body type, my fast metabolism and lean frame would make attaining and maintaining that build a full-time job. Plus, my frame would look awkward with massive, body-builder muscles.
Next in importance is diet. While weight training and cardio can take weeks to take effect, certain changes in your diet can yield almost immediate results. Do you really think 2-3 meals a day is satisfactory? Are you still eating white bread and white rice? There are easy tricks to speeding up your metabolism, put on muscle mass, drop fat, and achieve balanced nutrition... you just have to modify your eating habits.
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| image from quickstep.com |
And lastly, you have to find a workout situation that works for you. Mental state is hugely important to physical fitness. How you feel about working out can make all the difference between doing whatever it takes to get to your workout and making excuses (motivating yourself to show up is often much harder than the actual workout). Unless you’re a masochist, you’re not going to go out of your way to do something you don’t like, so you have to make working out enjoyable while still achieving your goals. Also, having an idea of what it is you want to accomplish (trim down for Spring Break… get a 6-pack for your share in The Pines) is vital, especially when you’re struggling to find motivation.
Your physical situation is a major factor, too. Are you really going to get up 2 hours earlier to drive 15 minutes (or ride 3 subway stops) out of your way when you’re hung over? Are you gonna wake up earlier period? And if a stretch in a steam room with mentholated vapor turns your gym experience from a chore to pleasant work for an attainable reward, it may be worth paying more for a gym with more extras. Just keep in mind that paying twice as much for the gym almost never gives one twice the results (a trip to Equinox and a trip to NYSC will tell that story loud and clear). For the lucky ones that live close to an NYC Parks and Rec Center, gym memberships start at $50 for a year. It could be your primary gym or a supplementary gym, if you're in 2 different parts of town often (work vs home).
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| image from blindgossip.com |
The Internet is full of free information on workout tips and plans that are easy to understand, and new research on exercise science is coming out all the time (are you really still doing crunches?). Starting out at a gym may be a bit intimidating when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing, but a little research always helps. RealJock.com has some good workouts that come highly recommended to me from (hot) friends. If you’re a little more experienced or don’t mind a less sexy website layout, EXRX.com has several workout templates, exercises broken down by muscle group and equipment used, and animated gifs that demonstrate each exercise. Also, most gyms offer a free personal trainer session when you join. If they don’t mention it, ask.
Just keep in mind, keeping in shape is hard fucking work. If it weren’t, everyone would be ripped. Commitment is key, and you have to make a realistic plan for success. Taking into account your genetic strengths and limitations, make sure you fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to operate and improve, staying away from anything that will take away from your goals. Make your workout as enjoyable as possible and keep your goals in mind to motivate you. And choose a workout plan that you can’t make excuses for. It’ll take time to see results. You may plateau after some improvement, which means its time to shock your body with something different so that it has to adjust further. But if you can pull these pieces together, your better body (and health) will be inevitable.
Note: I am not a certified fitness/health professional. Just a gym rat who reads a lot.
Click here to check out TheBlackout Blog Fitness Log: Food and Diet.
Click here to check out TheBlackoutBlog Workout Log: How To Make Your Workout WORK.
Click here to check out TheBlackoutBlob Workout Log: How I Did It.
Click here to check out TheBlackoutBlob Workout Log: How I Did It.
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