INTRODUCTION
I have been doing fitness for a while now. Started as a hobby and slowly turned into a job. However, the things I thought when I started to what I think now are very different! I don’t mean things like the anabolic window or clean eating, those are things that everyone discovers are rubbish. I am on about the mindsets and fact that some people still don’t realise and think about. I have made some big mind changes and started to think about things a bit differently!
I thought I would take the chance to go over a few of them, explain how I realised them and then maybe it might help change your mindset and help you lead a happier life with fitness. Fitness should be fun, enjoyable and simple. We as humans, tend to overcomplicate it. So let us break it down. Here are a few things I have learned in my time in fitness.
SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING
My biggest mind change and one that I think most average gym-goers will discover is that size isn’t everything! Unless you are competing or have specific goals where size helps, then you really shouldn’t worry about how big you are. Everyone when they first start fitness wants to be that huge, massive guy. However as your progress through the gym, you realise that being that big is hard to maintain, uncomfortable and also can be stressful and dangerous on your body (joints can become worn quicker).
Now of you have goals to become a powerlifter or bodybuilder then you will have to put on size and become “huge” so that you build muscle so when you cut down you retain muscle.
FITNESS AND CARDIO ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT
Another thing that I have changed is my view on cardio and fitness in general. Now, do you need cardio to make gains and get shredded? Not at all, it is all about calories in and calories out! Can cardio be used as a tool? of course. However, I also think that cardio and fitness, in general, is something that people should focus on a bit more.
Cardio can not only help you lose weight but also help look after your heart health, reduce the risk of certain diseases and also it’s great for mental health and improving your lunge capacity. If you don’t do any cardio, maybe through 1 or 2 sessions in a week. Could be as simple as 5 minutes on the rower or a quick EMOM workout (check out our application for some ideas).
LIFE IS STILL JUST AS IMPORTANT
When I first started I would priorities gym over everything, I would make sure I would get my 6 sessions in a week, sometimes even 7 sessions. As I have matured and gone into my fitness journey I have discovered that gym shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all (for us normal, average gym goers, if you are a full time or competitive athlete then your situation might change).
Now I find I will do 3-4 days a week (Sometimes I might hit 5 days if I find my motivation is high), When in these sessions I am focused and putting more effort in than I normally ever would. This allows me to enjoy my life not worry about having to train. If I need to take a day off for something I will. Guilt-free! A session off won’t change anything!
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN GOALS
Everyone has different goals! When you first start gym you might find this hard to believe! You will think that everyone wants to be as strong and as big as possible! However, as with everything, my mindset has changed and some people don’t want to be huge, they don’t want to be the strongest. Some people just go to the gym to stay fit, help mobility or even to meet people and socialise.
So the lesson is that don’t judge what people are doing, how much they are lifting or what exercises and in what order they are performing! Everyone is different in a different way! Focus on yourself and your goals and watch them skyrocket!
STEPS ARE KEY
Steps! My biggest lesson is steps! You could argue that it doesn’t matter your goal steps are key! Get your steps in and make sure you hit them! I never did steps before but now I make sure that I hit my weekly step goal! (yes weekly! If you want to know how I set up my steps then check out this article).
Steps help with heart and muscle recovery and also mental health and clearing the mind! So everyone’s first goal should be hitting their steps! A bonus is that if you are cutting, upping your steps is a great way to increase the output!
CONCLUSION
So there you go! lessons I have learned and my biggest mind changes around fitness and working out. Do you have any changes to your mindset? if so let us know over on our Instagram! We would love to hear what you all use to think to what you think now!
Most of the topics that we have covered today have their posts and articles! If you are after a certain article then head over to the blog and use the search box to see if we have an article about it. You will be surprised at what topics we have covered!
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Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.