Gym confessions of a semi serious athlete

Kochi people take their fitness seriously.. I can vouch for this fact since I have completed a year in Kochi and close to one year of membership at a gym here.. And I've seen the same set of people come to gym everyday consistently for the past year.. Walking into the gym at the same time every morning and going about their workouts with clock work precision.. Their consistency at the gym can put Olympic athletes to shame.. 

Me? I like to refer to myself as a semi serious athlete.. If you look at me, you can tell I work out.. but you can also tell I really like snacks.. And yes, I live by the mantra “fitness is a journey", mostly because I enjoy the scenic route that involves French fries and protein shakes..

I like to stay active most of the time.. although I like to come across as laid back and if you notice my style of walking you'd think I'm the laziest person around and I want people to think that.. that’s part of my strategy.. fool people into thinking I’ve surrendered to Netflix while secretly crushing Zumba, Yoga, Sports, and yes.. the gym.. Some wise person once said, “Gym is life".. That wise person was me.. You’re welcome.. ;-)

The gym is my safe space.. It's where I feel most confident.. the feel of a dumbbell/barbell in my hand.. The rush of a clean deadlift.. The high of hitting my PRs.. those feelings are incomparable.. 

I initially started going to the gym as a step towards losing weight.. over the years I did happen to lose weight and then went on to regain all that lost weight.. Any gym instructor or nutritionist will tell you this.. Gymming is not just about what you do during that one hour at the gym.. Its what you do during the rest of the 23 hours outside the gym.. this statement refers to your diet and your sleeping habits.. So losing weight requires not just exercising consistently but also watching what you eat.. that is a kind of commitment I can't make.. so I decided that my goal of going to the gym or participating in all other activities is "fitness"..  10 years from now I want to be able to walk without losing my breath.. I want to have strong limbs.. I'm hoping my joint pains are not as severe as experienced by someone in their 50s or 60s (assuming I'll get to that age)

Some gym advice from yours truly, without sounding like a boring fitness preacher:

1. Do your stretching - before and after workout.. Stretching is as important as the workout itself so don't miss it..

2. Clean eating - avoid junk food.. have a balanced diet

3. Drink lots of water throughout the day.. It's very important for recovery..

4. Don't compare yourself to others.. I'm guilty of this as I'm always looking at other people and checking out the amount of weights they're lifting.. its important to understand your body's limitations and respect those limitations and exercise accordingly.. Also what works for someone else may not work for you and its important to understand this..

5. Always work with a trainer or at least have a spotter around to help you with weights..  help to avoid injuries..

Also, let’s debunk a myth: the gym isn’t just for men.. In fact, in my gym, women outnumber the men.. And yes, it’s fabulous to see them take their health seriously while some men are busy giving unsolicited advice..

Speaking of which.. Kochi gym men love giving free advice..  Missed a month of gym in September.. and one man felt compelled to lecture me about my diet.. Another claimed I’d “put on weight".. I nodded politely thinking.. "buddy, I can deadlift 110 kgs and you can’t even find the deadlift area".. So while I may not have an Instagram-worthy hourglass figure, I do have the strength these guys can only dream about..

So yes, Kochi takes fitness very seriously.. weights, reps, protein shakes, the works.. But social skills? Let’s just say those are still in the warm-up phase.. Meanwhile, I’ll be over here perfecting my “I totally don’t care” walk, lifting weights these guys can only dream about, and enjoying snacks like a semi-serious athlete should.. Because at the end of the day, being strong enough to ignore unsolicited advice is its own kind of PR..  ;-)