FITNESS
THE HOME WORKOUT SOLUTION
The Most Effective Permanent Solution to
Long-Term Fitness With No Equipment
CHAPTERS
Introduction
Have you ever had that feeling of walking into your garage with the intention of working out but you see those dusty dumbbells and ugly garage door and suddenly lose interest? Have you ever planned to exercise for 3 days in a row but you didn't make that streak? You are not alone.
Lack of motivation mixed with intimidation when it comes to enhancing our health and fitness is one of the greatest causes for why we don't pursue it. The goal of this book is to change that mindset. I want to help you lose your fear! This book will show you how to remove this lack of desire that has been holding you back from obtaining the fitness level you have always wanted.
I have been competing in sports for over 20 years. I played 4 varsity sports in High School, then went on to compete in Division 1 Track in college. Since then, I have been competing at the elite level in crossfit, weightlifting and obstacle course racing for the last 7 years. However, this all changed suddenly. In January of 2020, I had ACL surgery. I had trained a lot up until the day before my surgery because I knew I wanted to be as fit as possible for my recovery. The day after my ACL surgery, I went to physical therapy. My physical therapist told me my quad strength was way ahead of most the day after surgery. This was great news and no surprise seeing as how I prepared for it. I thought I was well on my way to recovery and competing in my sport again, but as the days went on, something didn't seem right. My knee started to get more swollen and I was losing energy.
A week later, I found myself back in a hospital bed. I was waiting to have another surgery because it turned out I had an infection. I was in the hospital for 4 days after the second surgery. When I got out, I spent over a month in a bed at my moms house. I had an IV PICC line that ran through my vein in my left arm that needed to be injected with intense antibiotics 3x's a day. I lost about 10 lb in this time period from lack of appetite and muscle atrophy, not just in my leg but my whole body. I went from being an elite level athlete to not even being able to walk to the toilet. My resting heart rate went from an average of 48 beats per minute to an average of 90 beats per minute. Being fit was no longer my expertise. For the first time in my life, I had fallen completely off of my fitness, as if my body had taken a clean slate from all of the hard work I had put in.
Being healthy and being fit are not the same thing. Most people would not even give being fit one thought. Most people are looking to get healthy. At this point, there was nothing that set me apart from anyone who struggled with being fit. If anything, my state of fitness was worse then the average person because I had been so inactive for so long and on harsh antibiotics. The only difference is I know the tricks how to get it back, even if it takes some time. You do not need a gym and you do not need any equipment. All you need is the correct mindset and the right workouts for YOU. This long period of time being at home on top of the COVID-19 which happened right after, inspired me to write this home workout book. More recently then ever, I have been hearing a lot of complaints from people about being uninspired and unmotivated to workout. I want to show you a different approach to keeping your fitness, even with absolutely no equipment. In this book, I will show you how you too can train yourself to have a "fit" mind so you will never have to worry about falling off of your fitness again.
You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them. Michael Jordan
What Stops Us From Being Fit?
Do we want to be fit?
According to research, most Americans "want" to be fit. More than three-quarters of U.S. adults said that being in shape and looking good were "very important" to them. Although looking good is a significant side effect of being fit, there are many more benefits to fitness than just looking good.
As most of us know, one of the biggest benefits is its significant impact to our health. Being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is the good cholesterol, and it reduces unhealthy triglycerides. This promotes smooth blood flow and decreases risk of cardiovascular disease.
Exercising can also prevent many other diseases. According to an article in the New York Times, diet and exercise are the two best ways to diminish inflammation in your immune system to fight off diseases such as COVID-19. Lifestyle can have a major impact on a persons immune system, for better or worse. The article said that skeletal muscle helps the immune system. The contractions of skeletal muscles produce small proteins called myokines that dampen inflammation. Myokines dig out infections and keep inflammation under control. Swapping fat out for muscle on your body can save you from infection.
These are just a few of the health problems exercising will reduce:
Stroke
Metabolic syndrome
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Depression
Anxiety
Cancer
Arthritis
Falls
Another huge benefit to exercise is the effect it has on your overall mental health and mood. When you exercise, the brain releases endorphins which contributes to a positive feeling of mental well being. Not only are chemicals in your body being released to increase your happiness but your self image is enhanced as well when you feel both proud of doing it and proud of your body in what it can do.
Exercise will also help you sleep better. For those of you who have trouble falling asleep at a good time at night but still have to get up early in the morning to go to work leaving you with less than 6 hours of sleep, exercise will fix that problem. Being active is the greatest way to get a good night's rest, in fact, you will look forward to going to your bed and falling asleep. This will help you get on a good schedule and get those 7-8 hours of sleep you have been trying to get. Good nights of sleep also contribute to long term health as sleep is essential to our quality of life.
Exercise doesn't just enhance our lives, NOT doing it, is actually harmful to us. Inactivity is one of the worst things for our bodies. Over the course of human history, we've never been as sedentary as we are right now. And scientists say it could be killing us. Studies show that sitting for more than 8 hours a day is just as bad for us as being obese or smoking regularly. Yet sedentary jobs in the US have increased 83% since 1950. This issue of inactivity amongst society is the worst its ever been.
So why then with knowing all of these health benefits and life benefits that exercise provides, do the majority of us still struggle with achieving daily exercise?
A study on bodybuilding.com found that over 66% of Americans who make a new years resolution have aimed to get fit. Of that percentage, 73% of them did not meet their fitness resolution goals. Why is that? According to the study, 36 percent say it's too difficult to follow a diet or workout regimen, 33 percent say it's too hard to get back on track once they fall off and 31 percent say it's hard to find time.
So for the most part, the reasons why we don't want to enhance our lives with longevity and overall well being and confidence is because we think it's too hard or there is not enough time. These reasons are so far from the truth when it comes to exercise. Let me show you how.
There is no failure except in no longer trying. Elbert Hubbard