“Oh, no.”
That was my thought as I struggled to move the barbell. I wondered if this was the end of my short tenure in the gym.
My fear of failure was coming true.
Thankfully, a far more experienced gym goer came over and saved me from my embarrassment, pulling the barbell off my chest and onto the safety hooks.
I’m not sure how I thought I could bench 185 lbs on my first day. But I nearly packed it in right then and there.
Hell, it had been hard enough to convince myself I’d be welcome there. Growing up I was overweight. OK, more than just an above average chubby kid – I was fat. Which is OK for some, but I was self conscious about it and the target of jokes in high school.
(Here I was trying to hide in plain sight)
I wanted to be isolated because I was embarrassed. And I was able to avoid things by hiding in plain sight. I wanted my gym visits to be the same.
I used to think they were talking about me every time I saw someone laugh…
“Do you see that guy?” somebody chuckled.
The others around him laughed…
At least that was the reality I had built in my head.
But I carried on.
The gym doesn’t allow for hiding.
And it changed my life.
Now there is no laughter, but rather respect.
The same kids in high school who laughed at me are now sporting dad bods and Facebook messaging me for advice.
“Where did you learn?” . . . “How long have you trained?” . . . “What do you eat and when?” “Must have a FAST metabolism (lol)”
I hold no ill-will towards them. They didn’t even realize the impact their teasing had on me. In fact, I should thank them.
It forced me to change.
I started my journey in fitness to get noticed. That was it. I let my weight hold me back from living the life I wanted for 21 years. But getting lean didn’t solve everything – rather the growth I experienced along the way made all the difference.
Find What’s Holding You Back
Are you hiding from change? All of us are.
Hiding from the newer, better you because success is scary, too.
You hide by avoiding things that will change you. You hide by letting someone else speak up and lead and get the girls and get the good jobs and get the life satisfaction.
I don’t hide very often these days. And the process of getting in shape – venturing into that gym for the first time – set the stage for that confidence.
Nearly 14 years later, after helping guys and girls like my former self overcome the same barriers and get in great shape themselves, I still remember how my strength was sparked by that first failure on the bench press.
There were countless other failures that followed, but they’ve all helped shape the man I am today (figuratively and physically).
I’ll show you how I lost 50 lbs and kept it off for life. Jump on my upcoming free webcast to discover three easy steps to get your weight loss journey started: Claim one of the limited seats here
But even if you don’t ever fall in love with exercise, the simple act of doing something will be better than staying on the couch.
You’ll have less fat and more muscle, your confidence and energy will improve. Clothes will fit better.
Everyday life becomes easier because you’re stronger and more prepared for what it throws at you.
But (and it’s a Kardashian sized big ‘but’) it takes time and consistency for all of these benefits to come to fruition.
The sooner you start, the closer you’ll be to seeing the benefits.
How Do You Start?
I did say the fitness industry was failing you, and promised a solution.
Well, here it is…
In the beginning, just focus on the basics. Eat less sugar and processed foods, add in more lean protein and vegetables instead.
This could be as simply as halving your typical carbohydrate intake at each meal, and replacing it with a serving of lean protein.
Eat on a schedule that’s convenient for you. If you try to completely revamp your lifestyle on Day 1, the likelihood of sticking to it diminishes greatly.
After the eating is a little more polished, try to get in the gym on a consistent schedule and stick to a program. Any program. Write it down and follow it for a while to gauge results, but anything will work initially. At this stage of the game, the minute details matter little – it’s more about getting in the gym and working as hard as you can for your level of development.
Then manage your stress, sleep as much as you need to feel rested the next day and make smart dietary choices most of the time.
Need a helping hand? Jump on my upcoming free webcast to discover three easy steps to see your weight loss goal succeed:
Click Here to Sign Up For The Free 50 Lbs Weight Loss Webinar
P.S. But when you get over the hump and adhering to this lifestyle becomes easy (and it will), please don’t forget where you came from and become one of those snobby, vegan-organic-pesticide-hormone-GMO-free types.
We have enough of those.
Mitch Calvert is a certified trainer and fat-loss coach. He discovered his love for fitness while slaving away as a 240lb line cook 13 years ago – and now works specifically with men like his former self who have weight to lose and confidence to gain. He hosts Mansformation Challenges for guys looking to get over the fat-loss hump. Visit www.mitchcalvert.com
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