Fitness Update #3 - Week 4

Growth

I haven't gained much muscle mass compared to 4 weeks ago when I started, but that could also be because I'm not tracking my weight rigorously.

I do, however, feel more confident. My shoulders feel broader. My chest is a little firmer. My thigh muscles definitely feel stronger and I can climb stairs with more ease now.

In terms of weights, compared to last week, I've stagnated.

• Bench press: 30 kg
• Deadlift: 45 kg
• Barbell squat: 30 kg

For each exercise, I've done 5 sets of 5 reps.

Workout routine changes

Time spent in gym remains the same since I started 4 weeks ago: 1 hour 15 minutes. 1 hour workout, 15 minutes commute.

Routine wise, no change. I'm still doing the "big 3" workouts: bench press, squats, and deadlift.

Okay, I've done a few extra exercises when I was bored... some shoulder flys, overhead dumbbell presses, and bicep curls. No clear reason why. Boredom is my best guess.

Nutrition changes

I started taking creatine, 3 g about 30 minutes before workout. I put it into my whey protein milkshake. They don't dissolve easily and are a little crunchy like little bits of salt. I don't mind it.

I'm taking creatine with the goal of maximising performance during a workout session. My hope is simply to lift more in the same time, so I can grow at a faster rate in the long-run.

Mindset changes

The biggest mindset change has been my willingness to go slow.

What I mean is that I'm much more comfortable now than when I began to lift reasonable weights and ensure I don't do exercises with poor form (and risk injuring myself).

One day, I'm doing the bench press and realise that it's easier to lift the same weight as in my last session 2 days ago. Yes, the weights are featherweight compared to other men and women in the gym, but I can feel the progress – same exercise, same sets and reps, sae weight, but done with better form and with slightly more ease. That feeling is what I index on now.

Discoveries & Revelations

I have had 2 days of not being excited to go to the gym in the morning this week. I believe it's because I'm feeling a little burned out at work, which is affecting my mood in the day. But I've found a secret weapon against this lack of motivation...

... keep telling yourself stories.

I want to expand on this in its own blog post, but the gist of it is, I've learned that telling myself stories about why I go to the gym in the first place is extremely effective in helping me overcome my lack of enthusiasm of going.

The story I tell myself is that I need to get strong to protect my family from racists or xenophobes, since we are Chinese living in Germany. There's not a lot of that here, certainly not in the city with the largest "Little Tokyo" in Europe, but I've encountered it at least once to know it will happen again. (Wrote about that story in detail in What finally makes fitness a priority in my life if you're curious.)

Because I don't want to let my wife and daughter down in times of need for a strong man, I pulled myself together and went to the gym. Both times, I was totally fine again once I've touched the iron.