Man or woman, no matter what the gender, when you enter the Iron House, you are saying goodbye to an unfit version of yourself and starting to WORK for a better and stronger new model of yourself. And it’s not just about the physical appearance. Most people find it hard to believe, but going to the gym and lifting weights is more than just about getting a lean abdomen or strong calves with an outstanding stamina. You actually sculpt your body and soul together, finding strength that is trapped inside you and channeling it all over your body and finding the balance between your mind and body.
If it was not that artistic, no one would have ever obsessed over it. No one would have ever bothered to get a six pack abdomen, no one would have wanted a 4% body fat to be the image of aesthetic perfection, and no one would have been willing to go through the strain of trying to sleep with a sore body and eating low carb meals. You won’t find a single person who is going to say that your vision of getting fit is going to be easy, but you don’t need anyone to tell you that it’s totally going to be worth it.
The gym is an arena where you are the gladiator and you are your own challenger. When people start working out in the gym, they worry about all sorts of things. What to wear, which exercises to do, which bench to use, which weight is least used and the list of all the excuses to while away the time you gave yourself just goes on. You don’t go in there to become a champion right away, you go there because we are willing to work on ourselves, because now we are being honest to ourselves and now we have finally won the debate and the verdict is YES, you need to lift that weight.
Once the whole moral dilemma is out of the way, it’s time to get down and dirty. Its examination time, it’s time to test your will. And when you start pushing yourself, the environment all around you is going to bless you with more gifts than you could imagine. From my personal experience inside the gym workout, I discovered these rewards hidden in the gym.
1. Get rid of stress
The workout that you do in a gym is actually more beneficial to you than the one done alone at home (although working out in a nice and quiet place has its own perks but its more meditation than a workout). The tension that builds up in our bodies, the frown that gets engraved and starts making it obvious that we are stressed beyond the threshold; it can all be shed with an hour’s workout done with a trainer or a partner.
You also get rid of any depression that may have built up in your mood by working out in an environment where you are not alone and there are so many people hard at becoming better just like you.
2. Team up
Having a gym buddy actually does wonders for people who are new to the whole fitness regimen. The help and motivation that comes from someone who is there for you during your exercises, shares their experience and most important of all, works towards the same goal is almost magical. A friend of mine who started working out with his classmate, both had started working out for the first time, found it very easy to discover new exercises, find mistakes made during their sets and found it extremely motivating to have a friend as a workout buddy.
3. The superhero feel
It includes all aspects of the word superhero like looking great and at the same time being a Good Samaritan. Once you start noticing changes in yourself, you find the strength inside you and it’s filled with belief and confidence. I know many people who, after reaching their goals of getting ripped and becoming the “Big Brother” of the gym, start helping people out in reaching their goals.
4. Socializing
People who are working out are basically people who have accepted their shortcomings and instead of whining or complaining about their problems, started working out to get better. I can befriend anyone who even aspires to have these qualities. It’s a myth that people who have conditioned bodies and look beautiful find the mean gene naturally dominant. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. You can’t find better friends in people who complain about problems instead of actually doing something about it.
It is summer time and it means we should find the motivation that drives us and ends up getting us to the gym. The rest is pretty much down the hill from there. Have a great time everyone.