Back in 2021, my stomach would churn at the thought of stepping into a public gym. I finally tried a local commercial gym in 2022, but I was too afraid to go alone or even do workouts by myself. I worried my form was not good enough, or that everyone was judging me because I did not look like I belonged. But eventually I became more comfortable. For about a month, I went consistently. Unfortunately, I broke the habit when summer arrived.
When I decided to start losing weight this year, I headed back to my local gym. I was a much more confident person overall this time around and did not feel the need to workout with someone by my side. I watched countless videos of good exercises to try and tips and advice for the gym. I even curated some playlists specifically for my workouts.
After about three weeks of consistency, I really started to look forward to the gym. Now, I do not think everyone craves the gym, but it is possible. As someone who struggles with migraines, I still go to the gym on migraine days because I have found that a good workout actually helps. I know it sounds crazy, but my hypothesis is that lifting weights heightens adrenaline, which then stops the migraines.
How I Train
My current workout split is simple since I’m really just aiming for fat loss and not muscle growth. I try to train upper body twice a week and legs twice a week. For cardio, I have found the most success just doing whatever gets my heart rate up (not too high), and training for 15-30 minutes after my lifts. The elliptical is my most recent preference.
Motivation to Workout
Finding motivation is very difficult when it comes to working out and staying consistent. I try my best to not even wait for motivation anymore. That said, my algorithm on social media is full of workout videos and I definitely think that makes me want to get up and workout. Some of my favorite people to watch are @shivwilsonn (on instagram) and @fitfoodieliving (also on instagram). What creators do you find inspiring?
