I will have to admit, I never tried yoga until recently. It just didn’t seem like something that I thought will truly benefit me. That was until I started to do more research abut the health benefits that yoga could bring.

When I was 16, I found out that I had multiple herniated disks in my back. For years I would have random bouts with intense back pain that would leave me in real pain. its part of the reason I spent years without going to a gym. I would get better at limiting the pain through several remedies, including many trips to the chiropractor, medicine, and frequent stretching. Which leads me to trying yoga.

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the benefits of my gym is all the extra classes they offer to members. This includes yoga classes. They have different levels that help fit different needs. I started with the “Root Fundamentals” course, which is meant to help guide you through yoga movement an help you better understand yoga basics. The difference I felt in my body was astonishing. I’ve never been the most flexible person but after this class I felt different.

I started to look into other yoga instructions I could do at my house. That’s when I found DDP yoga. DDP yoga was founded by former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Paige. DDP started this program and has grown it to another level. Several other former wrestlers like Jake Roberts and Scott Hall have credited DDP yoga with help saving their life. DDP is also a motivator, and his program was the perfect blend of motivation and helpful work.

As I continue to try to reach the goals that I set out for myself health-wise this summer, I’ve found yoga to be a very helpful tool. A helpful tool not only in getting into better physical shape, but a helpful tool into getting rid of stubborn back pain.

Last week I was discussing a new gym routine that I thought would help me with my quest to get in better shape for the summer. I talked about a new routine that I was doing based off a recomendation from my brother who is a trainer. The first part of the routine was focused on chest, triceps and calves. Through this routine, I have gradually been able to increase the amount of weight I have been able to lift on my sets. I wanted to show an example of the first work out in the routine, the incline bench press (dumbbell).

Another update I wanted to give was about some of the other exercises I was trying. It was the second part of my routine, one that was focused on back, biceps, and abs. For this the exercise included three sets of the following: T Bar Row, Bent Over One Arm Row, Lat Pulldown (cable), Hammer Curls, Cable Crunches, Flat Leg Raises, Bicep Curls, and Chin Ups. My first day trying out this particular routine showed me just how far I had to go to get to where I wanted be. This stemmed from the shockingly low number of chin ups I was able to accomplish (unfortunately). Still, this is another routine that I have been sticking with and its another routine that I’ve slowly began to build up.

As I have mentioned before, diet is obviously a huge part of this process. I’ve tried my best to stick to a strict routine, with the occasional slip ups. Oatmeal has become a daily routine, more water, grilled chicken, quinoa, and vegetables have become common place. The MCT oil that was previously mentioned has also helped which leads me to a brief update on my current results.

For context, when I started writing this blog, I weighed in at 201 lbs. It wasn’t the worst weight for my height (6’2) but I was determined to get lower. Currently I have lost four pounds since tracking what I’ve been doing with this blog. I look forward to giving more positive updates throughout the week.

For any fitness goal to be reached, a diet alone wouldn’t be enough. To supplement a strong diet, you need to have a strong workout regimen as well. As I have discussed previously, I’ve found the perfect gym for me (Lifetime), and a great app to help me organize my workouts (Strong app). I’ve always been the type of person who did better when working out with someone than working out alone. Also, I wouldn’t pretend that I know everything there is to know about how to properly workout. So I wanted to look for help.

To start, I began looking at different routines that I though would best work for me. There are a million and one workout videos, websites, and trainers on the internet. It’s not easy to decipher which one works best for you. Luckily for me, my brother Mike, has been working as a physical trainer, so I had someone ready to help me figure out what would be best for me.

The routine would be simple and easy to manage. Going to the gym every day can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Sometimes you just don’t feel up to it or you need time to recover, other times life just gets in the way. This routine would see that you go 4-5 times per week.

The first part of my routine would be a day dedicated to chest, triceps, and calves. For this routine you would do three sets of each of the following: Incline bench press (dumbbell), bench press (barbell), bench press (dumbbell), triceps dip, triceps pushdown, seated calf raise, standing calf raise.

One issue that I would have, is that I would concern myself more with the amount of weight I was lifting, rather than making sure I was doing the exercise properly. The first time back working out at the gym in a while was eye-opening because of how my form was so off during the exercises. I was more worried about the weight than I was about properly executing. That was the best advice I received from Mike, “You can’t concern yourself with how much weight you lift until you one hundred percent have your form down. Otherwise you’re not accomplishing anything, and you will get hurt.”

This week I will update with the other phases of the routine in addition to an update about healthy meals for a diet.

While exercise plays a crucial role in any sort of fitness role, a healthy diet plays as important of a role. When I was setting up my goals for this fitness challenge, I was confident that I knew basic strategies to get started. Its easy right? Cutout junk food, eat fruits and vegetables, and drink water. It’s more than that however. Not every diet works for every person and there are plenty of healthy diet options to go around. I wanted to find one that best fit what I was trying to do.

For me, it wasn’t just about weight loss. While I wanted to lose some weight I wasn’t really obsessed with dropping more than a few pounds. I wanted something that can help with that, while also serving as a catalyst to get stronger. The first advice I received was from manager at a vitamin store. He recommended something called MCT oil. MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides. He said “MCT oil is popular because it helps speed up your metabolism while also suppressing hunger which helps burn fat. Its also popular because it helps improve focus.”

Before committing to this, I wanted to ask other people who have used it, and do some more research myself. To start, I asked Lisa Rodriguez who has been using MCT oil once a day as a part of her keto diet. At first I was worried that you had to take part in a keto diet for it to be effective (the keto diet is based on high fats and no carbs). I personally had no interest in starting such a diet. While many consider that to be an effective way to lose weight quick, it has been known to have some side effects like high cholesterol. Lisa for her part, eased those concerns. “You don’t have to be on a keto diet for MCT oil to be effective. I think its very helpful because it does help you in eating smaller portions. It’s not magic though, you need to eat the right way, but its definitely helpful with controlling hunger.”

Other research showed people with similar stories who have used it. I decided to give it a try.

I bought it and have been using it and I agree, it is helpful. I’ve been eating smaller portions and I’ve felt better since using it. While it doesn’t taste great it goes easy with a cup of coffee or a bowl of oatmeal. I’ve noticed a difference in the short time i’ve been using it. Of course part of that has to do with the change in diet and exercise. Still, having a safe healthy option to help with the cause is only helpful.

The gym is obviously an important part of any diet or workout plan. While I’ve been a member at several different gyms, it wan’t until recently that I found one that really changed the game. Its LifeTime Fitness, which now has locations in Syossett and Garden City, NY.

LifeTime is like a gym that meets a resort. It makes going for a workout an infinitely more enjoyable experience. All the machines are brand new and unlike other gyms, they have more than enough equipment so you almost never have to wait to use a machine. At other high-priced gyms, waiting around for the machines that you need is standard. Its not just their machines, because that wouldn’t be enough to properly separate them from their competition. Their locker rooms are state of the art. Their cafe actually provides real, healthy, and affordable options. They have two full size basketball courts, a spa and dozens of classes that are lead by talented instructors that are free for every member.

In addition to saunas, steam rooms, and indoor pools, in the summer, they have an outside water park. Theirs always people onstage working to make your experience better. They spent time thinking of every way to make the gym experience the best it possibly could while also giving their members every chance to succeed in their fitness goals.

Not everyone will believe that you need a fancy gym to go and workout and that’s true to an extent. However, I believe that when there is a day that you lack motivation to get up and go to a gym, going to a gym that feels like a resort can help give you an extra boost needed to go through your workout. Because of this, I couldn’t recommend this gym enough.

Usually after the start of the New Year, people will start to get conscious about health goals for the following year. My start was a little later. I wanted to challenge myself to get in the best shape of my life, and I feel that starting this blog will be added motivation to make sure I’m on the right path.

What I’m looking to share on this blog is the exercises, healthy food options, and apps that will hopefully lead me to reach my goals for the start of summer.

The first app I would like to talk about, is the strong app. While it offers plenty of paid features, the free version is still extremely helpful. It allows you to keep track of what your exercise routine is for different muscles, while keeping track of what weight and how many reps your doing. In addition, it shows you how to do the exercises and also gives recommendation on good exercises to do.

This is definitely a great app to start any workout routine.

https://www.strong.app

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton