Admittedly, I
have been away from the blog for a while now but that doesn’t mean I have been
away from the gym. I am still at it five days a week and in that time, I have
been doing a lot of research, experimenting, and such. I am hoping that all
this trialing will help elevate me to a new level and while I am still doing
“clinical tests” before posting my results, the effects have been very positive
and I am close to being ready to share with the myriad of Furyan Strength
followers – hi, both of you! – all that I have learned.
But before I do
that… a few stories.
First, I feel
that the philosophies laid down in the previously published pages are pretty
rock solid and will not end up changing as the months (and years) roll on.
Resistance training. Antagonistic sets. Limited rests. Protein, fats; limit
sugar and carbs. Those building blocks are not going to change and I feel like
I have explained them to the best of my limited ability. So with that said, the
focus of the blog is now going to shift to that “This is what I am up to” style
that I hope you can learn from and adapt into your own program.
This month, I
will officially celebrate my 2 year anniversary of my starting my fitness
journey. It has been a long road. I am still learning new things every week.
And I am starting to understand and appreciate how much hard work and
dedication goes in to getting to that upper echelon. If you want veins to
display in your biceps, it is freaking hard work to get to that level. It is
not something you can do two days a week and expect results. And I am still
learning after two years. It is not a sprint. It is a marathon. So don’t let
doubt discourage you. Just keep dialing in to find that perfect routine that is
right for you.
Third, and
finally, I was confronted the other day when someone asked me, “Why are you
working so hard? Who are you trying to impress?” And there was this moment,
where I wanted to turn and present what some would affectionately call “the
stink eye.” I don’t know if you are familiar with the new tag team duo Enzo
Amore and Colin Cassidy in the WWE, but I immediately went into my Jersey mode.
While this was done through text message (where accents are hard to enunciate),
I immediately went to that place. “Well lookie what we have here. A cuppa
haters… A cuppa haters…” If you don’t speak Guido or are my father, that
translates to “a couple of people who do not approve of what you are doing.”
Now, in
fairness, this texter was female. And the long running joke is that “Men and
women go to the gym for the exact same reason. To obtain the perfect female
body.” Women go because they want to look like that famous pop star or movie
actress. And men go because they feel that they cannot attract the attractive
with a pony keg. They need a six-pack to do so.
Then, of course,
is the fear. If a spouse sees their significant other going to the gym and
getting in shape, there is the fear that they are doing it to look good for
someone new or because they are about to be single again and want to attract
the opposite sex. Now clichés are clichés for a reason. They exploit those
tropes in sit-coms all the time.
Time and again
on here I have commented that you have to find your why. And this is what I
have learned. I have openly said that I am in the gym because I want to cut an
impressive figure in my tuxedo a decade from now when I walk my little girl
down the aisle. So in that regard, I am not doing it for someone else. I am
doing this for me but that mental image motivates me.
I feel there is
a difference between using mental images to motivate you and doing it for
someone else. If you tell me, “Ryan, I want to go to the gym because I want my
wife to be attracted to me physically.” Boom, good motivation! If you tell me,
“Ryan, I think my wife is going to leave me and I want a six pack so she will
be attracted to me and not leave.” Sorry, dude. You got bigger problems than
the gym can fix.
I have also said
often that you do need the correct motivation to go to the gym and this is one
of those instance where I feel it is okay to be selfish. I think if you are
doing it for someone else – and by that I mean doing it so some girl will like
you – then you will find yourself making excuses not to go. Instead, hit those weights
for you. Gain pride in your own appearance and the rest will all just fall into
place naturally.
Keep up the good
work. I hope you find the blog useful and learn a thing or two. For me, Year 2
is just right around the corner. What does that mean? It means it’s time to
start the hard stuff…
