Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Jan. 4, 2016.
I, like countless others, vowed to go back to the gym to get back into shape. The gym wasn’t a foreign place for me at the time — in fact, I tried a few times in 2015 to get a routine going.
I always had a way of coming up with some lame excuse, and one day off always turned into weeks and months off.
According to a Facebook post I made on my first day back, it was my 6,564,678th attempt at a gym routine. I’d say that figure is mildly exaggerated, but going to the gym consistently was always a struggle.
I really wanted 2016 to be different.
What really inspired me was a quote from Japanese philosopher Lao-Tzu. He said, “he who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.”
For me, conquering myself means more than just loading up the bar with more iron each week, or squeezing in that last rep. It means having the discipline to overcome myself and put the excuses aside.
That mentality makes every day feel like a victory when I walk into the gym. Not going isn’t even an option — unless I’m sick or dealing with some kind of an injury, I’m in the gym putting in the work.
My three-day split is pretty simple — back and biceps on Mondays, chest and triceps on Wednesdays, and legs and shoulders on Fridays. Aside from adding or altering a few of my lifts, I’ve held that schedule for the entire year (minus a few break weeks and a minor injury.)
I’ll be the first to admit that my motivation was the biggest obstacle when I started. I always seemed to have a new video game to play, friends who wanted to go out or a date to go on. Seeing guys that were twice my size or twice as strong also as me made me question myself and if I could ever achieve that success.
My secret to making my gym routine a consistent part of my life has revolved around seeing myself as my biggest competition. Whether it’s pumping out that last rep or adding on an extra 5 pounds, my ultimate goal is to be that much better from the previous week.
A year of going to the gym has meant a lot of physical changes — as a result, I had to buy a lot of new clothes, and most of my older stuff doesn’t fit right. My gym log is filled with scribbled-in numbers from various lifts extending from the last year, and my diet is more structured than it has ever been.
This year marked the first time I made it home for the holidays in three years. A lot of my family members complimented me on how I looked, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good.
Still, my response was about as humble as it gets.
“Thanks, but I still have work to do.”
Forging ahead
As satisfied as I am with how 2016 went, I have no intentions of slowing down in 2017.
I introduced cardio into my routine when I trained for the Warrior Dash and Spartan Race — this year, I want cardio to be as much a part of my lifestyle as lifting is, and that is my goal this year.
I’m also determined to earn my Spartan Race Trifecta Medal this year. Running the Spartan Sprint last year was my greatest physical accomplishment, even if I was questioning what I got myself into halfway through.
The idea of running all three races, including one that is at least 12 miles long, is admittedly daunting. That sense of satisfaction from the Spartan Sprint was one of the greatest feelings — after earning the Trifecta Medal, I can only imagine what it’ll feel like.
I’m also planning on running another Warrior Dash at some point. I’d never turn down an opportunity to slide down a massive water slide, jump over fire, crawl in the mud, then chug a protein shake after I cross the finish line.
If you’re tackling a New Year’s resolution, whatever it might be, I encourage you to stick with it and remember your goals.
Be your own conqueror.