How I began my gym journey back in 2023
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Lost after high school
School gave me a structure - wake up, go to school, play football in the breaks, go home and do homework, sleep and repeat. This might sound a bit boring, but I spent all those moments with my friends - some of which I had known since I was 6 years old. I had a routine, I used to be active, I used to enjoy life despite the stress of school. And then I graduated in June 2022.
There was a 6-month gap between my graduation and the start of my mandatory civil services - and to be honest, the only thing I can remember from that time is seeing Messi win the World Cup in what was probably the best final of all time. I spent most of those 6 months at home, doing pretty much nothing at all. Along with the fact that I injured my knee right after graduating, I couldn't go and play football or cricket, so I really had nothing to do. I know I should've maybe found a part-time job or just done something with my life, but yeah...
The first step to getting somewhere is to decide you're not going to stay where you are. - J.P. Morgan
Going to the gym for the first time
I then randomly decided to go to the gym one day - not really because I didn't like the way I looked (I only started caring about my physique way later, but that's a topic for another time). I mainly wanted to get stronger, because I used to have quite solid stamina before my knee injury and wasn't too slow either. Strength, though, was never a strong point of mine. I was pretty clueless for the first few sessions, but I began to enjoy it more and more. The feeling of a proper pump, the feeling of getting stronger with each session - it made me keep coming back.
There were phases - often prolonged phases - where I stopped going to the gym after that. At times, life just got in the way. The main issue, though, was that I had no proper structure. I still didn't really know what I was doing. It was only from February 2024 onwards that I actually had a more in-depth look into how muscle growth works, what different training routines are and what proper nutrition looks like. And since then, I feel like my life has been revolving around the gym, with the desire to get as big and jacked as possible. And I don't see that as a bad thing at all. In fact, my faith and the gym keep me sane when the going gets tough. And it prevented me from ending up in a downward spiral at the end of 2022, where I could've become a couch potato and forgotten how to actually live life.
If you're new to the gym, it is vital that you go in with some sort of plan and structure. For that reason, I absolutely recommend that you do your research and have a basic understanding of how to train properly and what good form looks like. And it is so easy to do so - just go on Youtube or Google and check out how to train. You can also have a look at this eBook here, where you'll find all things fitness-related in one place. (affiliate link)