My thoughts on Gym Life.

I find going to gym has always had a very divided image from the general populous, many people enjoy it and many people loath it. Speaking as a Gym enthusiast, i find it very hard to dislike going to the gym or working out in general, but i can understand why some people don't go or feel the need not too. One of the main reasons i find for a lot of people to fail to go gym, is simply getting to one or making themselves go.... we've all been there, you find yourself with no energy, hungover, tired or simply just not in the mood for it. I myself have had this many times, but if you are keen on going gym, you've just got to find a way to motivate yourself, whether it be seeing results, wanting to impress someone or simply just want to feel good about yourself, once you are there, you will be happy with yourself and feel the benefit of going. Even if you go for half an hour and have the worst gym session of your life, at least you went, you won't feel like it was worth it, but every session helps and will further your health and growth.

There are many benefits to going gym, but i find the main one is your mental state. Going to the gym provides you with a way to switch off from the world for that hour or two, you just focus on your workout and let life past you by for that small time period; even if you have problems going on or a lot on your mind, a good workout seems to take away those problems or on the flip side gives you the time to think it all through, whilst getting a good workout in. It also gives you a great deal of confidence that you never knew you had, once you start seeing results, you get a sense of confidence that nothing can stand in your way. Even if you aren't in good shape or feel you could be in better, going to the gym and knowing you are working on it, gives you that boost, a sense of belief in yourself. You can also get a lot of positive feedback on your gym work and results from social media, friends and other members in the gym. From my point of view if someone goes gym or is trying to better themselves through working out, I automatically respect them and I guarantee it is the same for most other people who are regulars in a gym.

For me personally I feel going to the gym has helped my confidence and state of mind immensely. I've been going since my second year of university, when i was 19 and have never looked back, it has helped me on many levels, personally, physically and for sure mentally. I used to be this skinny 19 year old with no real sense of what I could do with my life, but now, almost 4 years on I feel good about my body, I'm more confident in myself and I know that with dedication and hard work you can achieve pretty much anything in life. It's been a big part of my life for the last 4 years and hope many people can see the benefits it can bring you. Gym doesn't just benefit you physically as many people perceive, it helps you in everyday life... having a bad day, go to the gym, clear you head .... need some time to yourself and gather your thoughts... go to the gym, headphones in and compose yourself for the rest of the day, it gives you a place of solitude, where you can switch off your mind and just focus on yourself. It can also benefit you economically, many people across the world now are finding themselves building a life for themselves through working out, getting sponsored by big gym brands or becoming "Instagram famous" with videos and photos, social media can be a great tool for someone who goes Gym and wants to become economically stable and further their Fitness knowledge.

One trap that many people get themselves stuck in is comparing themselves to others in the gym or social media, this is one aspect of Gym life that can happen to anybody and really people doubting themselves. I have never really been one for this, as i believe we are all different and can all be happy with ourselves, whether that be our body or the work we are putting in. However, many people find themselves caught up in this and find themselves comparing every aspect of their body or life to complete strangers on social media. This is an unhealthy habit and can cause real trauma in someones life, but what we all need to understand is, we are all unique in our own ways and it isn't worth punishing or beating yourself up over. My solution would be use that someone or their life as motivation for yourself, use their workouts, pictures or videos to push yourself into being the best version of you there can be. That is one of the most important lessons for someone starting out, its not about the people around you, its about you and what you can achieve through this process.

One thing I find great about going to the Gym on a regular basis (6 times a week), is how it breaks up your day, from work to your chill time in the evening. It can provide you with a routine and time to yourself, where you can reflect on your day or switch off from the world.

Gym has been a big part of my life for the last 4 years and hope many people can see the benefits it can bring you. If your are just starting out, the main key to seeing results and improving your fitness is consistency, the more you go on a regular basis, the more results you will to see. Along with this there is your diet, a lot of people say fitness is 30% the hard work in the gym and 70% diet. Although I find this to be true on main occasions, it doesn't mean you have to be on a strictly healthy diet plan and never eat unhealthy foods, its all about balance. If you have an unhealthy meal, you need to make up for it on the next one ... making sure you get all the nutrients and calories you need for your diet and fitness plan.

My General routine:

Monday - Push

Tuesday - Pull

Wednesday - Legs & Abs

Thursday - rest

Friday - Push

Saturday - Pull

Sunday - Legs & Abs

Push:

Bench press - 5 x 8 Reps

Military barbell Press - 5 x 8 Reps

Inclined Bench Press - 5 x 8 Reps

Lateral Raises - 4 x 12 Reps

Rope Pull downs - 5 x 12 Reps

Rope Overhead Tricep extensions - 5 x 12 Reps

Pull:

Pull Ups - 6 x 8 Reps

Barbell Shoulder Shrugs - 5 x 8 Reps

Bent over row - 5 x 8 Reps

Barbell Bicep Curls - 5 x 12 Reps

Dumbbell Bicep Curls - 5 x 12 Reps

Hammer Curls - 5 x 8 Reps

Deltoid Row row - 5 x 8 Reps

Legs :

Squats - 6 x 8 Reps

inclined leg press - 5 x 8 Reps

leg extension - 5 x 12 Reps

Romanian dead-lifts - 4 x 8 Reps

leg curls - 5 x 12 Reps

calf press - drop sets 8/16/30 Reps

knee raises - 6 x 12 Reps

leg raises - 5 x 12 Reps

Ab Crunches - 5 x 12 Reps

This is just a rough template of my general routine, it changes from week to week, swapping some exercises to help you hit all muscle types from different angles to maximise results. I've also only just started doing this type of routine, before i was doing the typical "bro split" (chest, shoulders, back, arms, legs), which is more of a beginner/novice split. I would say I'm an intermediate when it comes to fitness and gym, i still have a lot to learn and by no means an expert in the matter. I mean no disrespect by this, as everyone has to find what works for them, but for me this new 3 day split is working and I'm happy with how its going. This is also very important part of fitness, finding what routine or exercises that work for you, as we all different, so one routine might work for one person but not for the other, or vice versa.

Another aspect that can be very beneficial for everybody when it comes to going to the gym and their fitness is how much water you can consume when working out. Speaking from experience I can tell you that I consume the majority of my daily intake of water in the gym, drinking 2/3 litres purely in that hour to hour & half. Now i know that everybody could just drink plenty of water without going gym, but working out makes you want to consume a great deal of water, your body demands it and this makes you more likely to achieve your optimum water intake.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this, learned more about the Gym and all the benefits that come with it.