How has exercising and weight lifting changed your life?

[SebastianSkinner]

Hi all,

This is my first post since joining the forum - I just finished reading The Millionaire Fastlane .

I am still currently in the slow lane (working in the corporate world for a FTSE business in the UK) which is not my long term goal and aspiration. However, I have been working on implementing a growth mindset into all areas of my life which leads me onto health and fitness.

I want to list out the fundamental changes that have happened since implementing a relatively strict and consistent regime into my life over the past 22 months with the idea that it may encourage others to do the same.

My regime:
Gym - 5 / 6 days a week for an hour for a variety of sessions. Predominantly revolving around weight training.
Monday - Chest and triceps
Tuesday - Back and Biceps
Wednesday - Legs and Abs
Thursday - Shoulders and forearms
Friday - Chest predominently (I mix in what I feel needs further development dependant on need on this day).
Saturday - This is a bonus day if it happens - cardio, abs and arms.
Sunday - Rest

Diet:
Sticking to a consistent healthy meal plan where I prepare the majority of my meals in advance due to being sat in an office Monday - Friday. (If people want detail on this then please ask in the comments).
I do cheat on weekends with fast food indulgences and the occasional weekend with alcohol. However, over time this is becoming less and less as I don't feel the need.

Before gym the problems I was facing:
Anxiety
Lack of Confidence
Unhealthy lifestyle choices - Fastfood and alcohol for example.
Bad dating life
Hanging out with the wrong people
Fixed mindset.

How the above has changed:
Anxiety - This is something that will never go away but I can now say for a fact that if you start making healthier rituals in your day to day life this will make any anxiety that you have so much more manageable! Obvious things such as limiting alcohol and bad foods make such a drastic change to your state of mind and your mental faculties.

Lack of confidence - I feel a lot better about myself, health and fitness is a never ending process which is the fun part, however, its great when you look back on photos a year ago and you see the clear progress you have been making!

Unhealthy lifestyle choices - This has been an absolute game changer. I am currently 28 years old and definitely spent a lot of my early 20s wasting my time drinking and partying with friends which results in savage hangovers and bad food choices the following day(s) and lack of motivation. This past year I have had 3 separate occasions of more than 30 days sober and I can categorically say this makes such a noticeable change to your sleep, mood, body fat, motivation etc. I am turning 29 next month and am currently setting myself a goal of 6 months of continuous sobriety which I would not have ever considered without going through this process. My view on alcohol has drastically changed over time realising how bad it can make me feel and bring out the negatives aforementioned such as anxiety and lack of motivation.

Bad dating life - Now that I feel more confident I pursue dating in a different way and am more active you could say... But, it's not about quantity but quality and finding people that bring out the best in you and that you have a great time with. This will sound obvious but, getting in good physical shape definitely has its advantages of helping attract a better quality mate or partner.

Hanging out with the wrong people - This closely ties into the unhealthy lifestyle choices. People I used to spend a lot more time around I barely see anymore. Due to their priorities being partying and not having clear goals in mind. Over time it has become apparent a lot of 'friends' were just people who I surrounded myself with because it was convenient for both parties, many of these friendships have dissipated.

Fixed Mindset - with all the aforementioned points I have definitely achieved a different perspective on my goals, priorities and objectives in life. This all stems from just deciding that I wanted to build some muscles and get into better shape. For any guys reading this I would highly encourage the same if you are already not active in some way. It doesn't have to be weight training but find a sport that you enjoy. It has had a rippling effect across all facets of my life.

If you have read to this point. Thanks I appreciate it!

Seb

 

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[CrimsonNight]

I don't personally feel like the gym has changed my life in any meaningful way.

Sure, my body is now much better looking, and my discipline in taking care of myself is honestly higher than ever.

But, none of that really translate to anything else in real life for me. If it works for other people then it is great however don't be surprised that you notice zero differences. So don't lift and hope that others will like you more or treat you better. Lift for your own satisfaction.

(Remember that once you pick up the weights, you will always have some body dysmorphia haha.)


Unrelated: Do you only hit the back once per week?

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

I was a fat f*ck for most of my life. I got picked last in every gym class that I ever had.

I started kickboxing after college, weightlifting around 5 years ago, and bodybuilding a little over a year ago. I still have a few pounds of belly fat to burn off, but I'm noticeably muscular (see pic below).

• I was in a funk for a few years and lifting weights was really the only thing in my life that I considered meaningful. Beyond being great for your physical health, it is great for your mental health and it gives you a sense of control over your life and it gives you goals to look forward to achieving. I hated when the gyms closed for 2 months, but I had kettlebells and dumbbells at my apartment to keep me busy.
• The extra attention from women is great.
• I get compliments from my friends too, and it's always great to have the respect of your buds. I think to some extent other men show me more respect because I'm bigger (6'2 210 lbs)
• You will start to think less of people who don't take care of themselves.
• You will look for new ways to challenge yourself physically. When you're in good shape it feels like owning a fast car where you look for open highways to see how fast you can go.
• You gain tremendous satisfaction from helping other people develop and achieve their own fitness goals. You will likely piss people off by pushing them, but you already know from lifting weights that nothing worthwhile is easy.
• Clothing looks better on you.
• You start to view physical fitness as a spiritual challenge where the real goal is to see how far you can push yourself through intelligence and will.

TLDR: Lifting weights was one of the best decisions that I ever made and I want to push other to do it themselves so that doing so can make them as happy as it made me.

Below: August 2017 vs August 2020



Bonus: Goal by Halloween (I already achieved the hair)

 

[100ToOne]

Personally, there are so many benefits I don't think it'll fit in here. One thing's for sure, a month off(or less) can throw me back to smoking/drinking/stoned habits which will change my life for the worse.

The feeling of knowing that you can squat 140kg+ / DL 140kg+ gives you tremendous confidence. (can easily be reached in 3 months from strating point of 0kg)

You know whoever thinks of bullying you will have a very hard time if he decides to do so. Therefore you become extremely confident.

 

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[Kybalion]

- I take off my shirt in public WAY MORE than I probably should. (ok, I'm joking - but it feels nice going to a beach or sauna when you look awesome)
- I feel more aggressive but in a good way. It may sound irrational, but I believe that my chances of winning fights have increased, so my anxiety has gone down. (of course, rationally I understand that having more muscle mass barely correlates with improved fighting skills, BUT MI LIZARD BRAIN DON KARE...HSSSSSSSS)
- Gym has become my new drug of choice - I feel awesome after exercise. ''Iron therapy'' helps me destress and clear my mind. There have been times when it's the only thing keeping me sane.
- I guess my confidence has increased too. Walking around with muscle feels a bit like wearing an Iron Man suit. Sure, I can't shoot lasers out of my chest (YET), but my guns are huge.
- In general, women have become extra friendly and ''smiley'' towards me.

 

[TonyStark]

Stretching everyday has changed my life

 

[SebastianSkinner]

I don't personally feel like the gym has changed my life in any meaningful way.

Sure, my body is now much better looking, and my discipline in taking care of myself is honestly higher than ever.

But, none of that really translate to anything else in real life for me. If it works for other people then it is great however don't be surprised that you notice zero differences. So don't lift and hope that others will like you more or treat you better. Lift for your own satisfaction.

(Remember that once you pick up the weights, you will always have some body dysmorphia haha.)


Unrelated: Do you only hit the back once per week?

sorry for a slow reply. I do only hit back once a week! Good genetics for my back and arms so spend more time on chest which is my genetic weak point!

 

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[SebastianSkinner]

Personally, there are so many benefits I don't think it'll fit in here. One thing's for sure, a month off(or less) can throw me back to smoking/drinking/stoned habits which will change my life for the worse.

The feeling of knowing that you can squat 140kg+ / DL 140kg+ gives you tremendous confidence. (can easily be reached in 3 months from strating point of 0kg)

You know whoever thinks of bullying you will have a very hard time if he decides to do so. Therefore you become extremely confident.

Couldn’t agree more about how when the healthy habits begin to slip the bad ones can creep up on you! Feels great when you get in a flow with the good ones. Keeps the motivation to keep going.

 

[SebastianSkinner]

Stretching everyday has changed my life

Essential to make sure you can slip into that Iron Man suit of course!

 

[Xeon]

It has made me more confident of my body and made me feel a lot better physically, but it doesn't change the inner self part though (esteem, confidence, anxiety etc.). I don't believe lifting more can fix these issues, so gyming should be done as part of a more holistic approach, including self-improvement via books and taking action in improving's one state of mind.

 

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[fridge]

In the long run it makes me more confident in my own body and I definitely fill clothes better. I can vouch that girls are definitely more "friendly" and the bigger I get the more girls that I'm acquianted with are grabbing on my arms and such. Lifting gives me external confidence while training brazilian jiu jitsu and a bit of MMA/boxing gives me internal confidence that I can handle anything that life/people throw at me.

 

[TonyStark]

Essential to make sure you can slip into that Iron Man suit of course!

Gotta look good for the lady

 

[lobo]

Definitely has given me more confidence and i just look way better in clothes, no more skinny kid look lol. Also the gym has become an addiction to me at this point, I dread rest days.

 

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[Jon L]

When I've been working out for at least six months, I'll get comments like, 'Were you in special forces? Are you in SWAT? Are you a CO in the police dept?" (If I could act, I would definitely be type-cast as a police/military type.) If I'm in a bad section of town, I'll puff out my chest and adopt 'the look.' People tend to move out of my way when I do that. I've had scary looking men look at me in a deferential way and say, 'how's it going, sir?' (I'm 6' 230, so not huge, but also not small)

But then when I don't work out, I feel guilty that I'm not working out, which makes me want to do it less. And so, the yo-yo continues...

 

[LordGanon]

Stretching everyday has changed my life

So much this. And it only becomes more important the older you get. Unfortunately, I currently don't have a routine anymore, I should definitely get to that.

On Topic: Although I later had semi-professional MMA fights, I used to be the one last picked in gym class. When I took up Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing, I started lifting, too.

You gain a lot of confidence. It also has a huge impact on your relationship with the opposite sex.

Apart from the obvious benefits of physical exercise, I think the most important thing about it is that in no area of life do you learn faster and with such measurable, rewarding results that a) discipline is key, b) everything is a process and c) the SSAU principle (an "invention" of mine, it means "small shit adds up").