One year ago I decided to pay for a gym membership and get myself back in shape. I wanted to use the same principles talked about in the Six Minute Morning to create a routine and habit for myself to get fit. I’d like to share with you my results and what I’ve learned so far.
Slow and Consistent Progress
I weighed 94.8kg (208.9 pounds) and my roommate told me that I was getting chunky. On April 30, 2018 I weighed in at 83.9kg (184.9 pounds)
You may notice I didn’t lose it all in 90 days. This was slow, consistent progress. There was even a spike in the wrong direction along the way.
I feel like I’ve made a change for the better. I stayed consistent with using my gym membership.
How I got started – April, 2017
My roommate told me I was getting chunky. We were sitting around, watching tv and he suggested we check out getting a gym membership at the Hilton. The best part was that it had a hotub, resting room and decent pool. It was worth a shot. Long story short, I bought a membership. Now I had to get myself to use it.
With any habit or routine, ease and convenience are important. I chose a gym that was close enough that I could walk. I also made sure it opened early enough for me to get there in the morning so I could make it part of my morning routine.
My first target was to walk up to the gym every day. I didn’t even have to workout. Just going there was enough. Easy to do without pressure to perform. From there everything else unfolded.
July-August 2017
My primary goal was to be stronger in heart and stronger in body.
I had been consistently going to the gym 5-6 days per week. The elliptical cross trainer and bicycle became my two new friends. We saw each other almost everyday. I could feel myself getting less tired as each week went past. I could push a little bit harder or a little bit harder. Good feeling.
November-December 2017
My heart was in a good place. I was able to move on the exercise machines for 90 minutes and I could vary the intensity. A couple times a week I would do 10-20 minute HIIT sessions to keep myself pushing.
I finished each cardio session with some pushups and pullups. My pullup strength increased from doing none to doing 5.
We changed over to the Kerry Gym in Jing An. Better equipment at a comparable price.
Side note: In my mind I felt like I was one step away from being shredded. lol! I had a lot to learn.
January 2018
I start playing around with my diet and meal plan. This is what inspired the post, are you tracking whats going in[link]. My routine was pretty solid. Although the new gym was 10 minutes farther away, I was still getting up there in the mornings.
February 2018
I started a more structured weight training program. 5 days per week. I wanted to focus on a couple body parts each day.
- Shoulders & Traps
- Legs & Abs
- Biceps & Triceps
- Back
- Chest and Abs
These workouts took less than 45 minutes to complete.
March 2018 – April 2018
I wasn’t 100% strict on my carb cycling diet. This did effect some of my results. I ate clean most of the time and eliminated many extra snacks while working out.
My strength increased each week while on this program.
Going Forward
I enjoy my time at the gym. I enjoy learning about healthy food options.
I want to keep increasing muscle and losing fat if I can. In the words of my brother, Habi, eat clean and train dirty. Let’s see where this takes me.
