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How to lose weight
Starting College & Strength Training
August 23 2008
Welcome to college. Just like each one of you, even I couldn’t help trying to look good for the opposite sex. Whatever they say, you cannot just ignore the way you look. Here are some tips which could have made it atleast easier for me then, I think:
Realistic goals: Setting goals is easy; setting realistic goals is hard. It is so easy to look at models and bodybuilders in muscle magazines and dream of becoming one. However, the reality is that most of them have some incredible genetics or are on some banned “supplements”, or most likely both.
Even if you get there (and some of us will never), the question is how long can you maintain that low level of body fat and still have a normal life. If you think it is easy, just ask a natural bodybuilder.
That been said, everyone can look a lot more impressive than they are now if they start working out and eating healthy. Atleast now you won’t feel that bad when you look at those pictures.
Shaping & Toning: You will a read lot more terms like these which means a lot of nothing. There are only two things that you need to worry about in the gym:
1) Muscle growth
2) Fat loss
You can look good if you get either one of the above. But you will look great if you can get both.
Pump, burn & feel: Pump, feel, burn are all good, but if you don’t over load or increase the weights you are lifting, there is no reason for your muscles to grow. Most people get caught up with the minuatae, like number of sets, reps, feel, changing exercises and so on, but just ignore the cardinal rule of weight training – that is increasing the weights you are lifting.
Keep a workout log and try to increase the poundages whenever possible. If you hit a plateau, then start worrying.
Shaping Exercises: You cannot shape your muscles; shape is genetically predetermined (blame it on your mom & dad if you want). If anything, you can only make them bigger.
Quit doing all those fancy exercises thinking that you are going to look like Jennnifer Lopez. If it indeed were possible, all men on this planet would look like Arnold Scwharzenneger. Every magazine will have a new exercises to “shape your thighs & butt” every month. If you think about it, what else can they change every month? Human physiology do not change every month, right.
Supplements: I have been through it too. Which supplement gets you a six pack the fastest? 99.99% of the supplements out there are made to make money for someone and not to get you in shape. The only proven ones are protein and creatine. Even those can only help if you put in the work and eat right. If there is a supplement that makes you work hard and eat right, buy it.
There is a lot more to write. But I am keeping it short.
Conclusion
On a final note, I would say, or as they say, don’t miss the forest because of the trees. We workout, we go to school, we work just so that we can have a happy and healthy life. Don’t get so caught up in how you want to look. Even hollywood stars who are at the pinnacle of looks and money kill themselves because they are unhappy. So enjoy the process - enjoy working out, enjoy the friends you make at the gym, enjoy eating healthy, enjoy learning, and you will slowly find your self looking good even without a mirror.
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Great article. I like the cheerful tone of it.
There is something deeply important buried in “and you will slowly find your self looking good even without a mirror.”
We always want what we don’t have and we think it will solve all our problems. The grass is always greener eh?
“Getting big muscles will make me feel great, and all the girls will fawn over me” - is the fantasy.
“Getting that mill in the bank will solve all my problems, I’ll have complete freedom to do whatever I want” - is the fantasy.
We humans always chase the next level.
I’m not saying anyone should give up trying to get big muscles; I’m just saying maybe people need to look at the reasons why they feel that need…
Myself included.
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