My Year of Working Out

I Needed to Take Action at the Gym

Last year, I decided to make some changes in my life; my eating habits and lack of exercise were beginning to take a toll on my health. I’d always loved the idea of working out, but other responsibilities had always gotten in the way, and cementing a routine had been difficult.

Fortunately, my company decided to let everyone work from home, which allowed me more free time. Over the course of this grueling year, I’ve been able to exercise consistently. With some discipline, too, I’ve pushed through the pain; you know that old cliché: “no pain, no gain.”

Ever since I bought a gym membership, I’ve come to inhabit a stronger body and mind. It has been just over a year since this fitness journey began, and it has been an incredible ride—here is what I’ve done!

Started off with a Simple Beginner Routine

At first, I felt somewhat insulted when I read that any gym newcomer should start with a simple routine. Just a few squats, bench presses, and pushups—it sounded too easy.

Boy, was I wrong! Although the weights were light, I wasn’t in shape to handle the intensity. One particular routine, which included a few sets of barbells back squats, bench presses, pushups, sit-ups, and minute-long planks, left me sore for an entire week!

At this point, working out was less about building sheer and more about conditioning the body and whipping the muscle groups into action. I tried to target everything I could: the back, the shoulders, the triceps, the calves, and the abs.

I Conquered My Intermediate Routine

Once I conditioned my body to handle the beginner routine, it was time to up the ante and ensure that I didn’t plateau. I started visiting the gym 4 times per week, increasing weights all around, and training myself to handle a larger volume of sets and repetitions.

I also attempted (and eventually succeeded) to do curls, flies, pull-ups, and lateral raises. Of course, I still did push-ups, sit-ups, and planks, more overall and for longer stretches of time.

I Have Just Started Exploring an Advanced Routine

After finally conquering the intermediate routine, I’ve decided to move on to a more advanced routine. Although I don’t look like a model, I can’t help appreciating the way I look more than ever before, and it’s all thanks to a clear set of goals and an excellent personal trainer.

I’ve only just begun this new routine, but it’s the most intense one yet, and requires me to visit the gym 6 days per week. Some of the exercises I’ve done include rows, deadlifts, cable pulls, and incline bench presses, along with leg presses, barbell front squats, and dumbbell lunges. Of course, I’m also doing pushups, sit-ups, and planks for longer periods of time.

Lost Fat, Built Muscle, Snipped Skin

Of course, losing weight hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Happy as I am to have lost so much weight, I didn’t realize that it would result in so much loose, flabby skin.

Once the skin stretches with weight gain, it has a tough time returning to normal integrity and tends to droop. Thankfully, the solution to this is quite simple.

It may sound inconvenient, but skin removal surgery does the trick, and personally speaking, it would be worth it if I wanted to reap the complete rewards of my year-long workout frenzy.

I also want to start taking better care of my face; what good is a toned, muscular body without the looks to accompany it? My jowls have started to sag, and I’ve noticed a lot more wrinkles when I look in the mirror, so I think that a male facelift will go a long way in boosting my confidence. I can’t wait to pull the trigger and show myself off with true courage and pride!