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Hey everyone, today I have another fitness update for you. Since early 2009, I’ve been training intensely in weightlifting three to four times a week, and occasionally I do a few light cardio sessions. Want to know what motivated me to sign up for the gym back then? My mom took a photo of me in the garden while I was playing with the dog, shirtless. When I noticed the little love handles around my hips for the first time in the photos, I couldn't believe my eyes. One party night later, I signed up at a gym with some friends, where we initially went almost every day.

The Motivated Start Against Body Fat

I wasn’t overweight, as many might think, but it was too much for me personally because I had always been very slim until I turned 16. With the start of my moped days and then becoming a new driver, my overall activity level decreased, and we were driving almost daily to fast-food restaurants. A little extra fat tends to settle in when calorie intake increases and expenditure decreases.

As I mentioned, we eventually signed up at the gym with two goals: to lose fat and to gain muscle. The little fat that bothered me was quickly shed, and I saw the first signs of muscle development pretty fast.

At first, we were five people who trained regularly. A few months later, only two of us were still active, while the others had already given up. However, giving up was not an option for us. Having fully embraced the fitness lifestyle, we also joined a kickboxing club and trained there two to three times a week. Over the months, we tried various other sports like Wing Tsun, Kendo, parkour, Muay Thai, and MMA to expand our experience, but weightlifting and kickboxing were the most enjoyable for us. We loved weightlifting because it allowed us to train flexibly and independently while seeing physical progress. Kickboxing was great too, as the trainer and the whole team were motivating, but the fixed schedule sometimes posed a challenge. So, the plan of weightlifting and occasional kickboxing with a training partner worked for a while.

The Problem with Bro Science Tips

During our training, we encountered many self-proclaimed experts, each giving worse advice than the last. This was one of the reasons why I decided to write articles about fitness on this website to debunk those myths. Unfortunately, my training partner often disagreed and relied on unscientific theories and the experiences of other gym-goers. As a result, he made less progress than I did and blamed his genetics for not achieving the desired results. Eventually, he started showing up to training less frequently, and our paths diverged. I became the last one of the original five who continued to train regularly.

Continuing with Solo Training

Now I train completely alone, and honestly, it’s become much easier. You can follow your own path and fully concentrate on your program. My time in combat sports is mostly over now, and I focus primarily on strength training. The truth is, you don’t need motivation to stick with it. What you need is routine. Go to training every day, just like you brush your teeth twice a day. It’s that simple. Even if your diet and training plan aren't perfect, you will make progress day by day through consistent training. Only after you've established that can you fine-tune things further and optimize other aspects like nutrition and more.

Closing Words

If you want to make progress, create a routine that you can follow on your own every day. Motivation will always return when you glance in the bathroom mirror after a shower.