New Rule for Bodybuilding, #16 Part 2

First, there is discomfort; disturbance; getting fed up. "That's it. No more." Part 1 is a self-honest decision that follows a period of intense "pain." [Emotional] pain motivates us to pay attention to things that we take for granted. A lot of decisions are like this--they come around a turning point when we’re paying more attention.

A realization that exercise is a requirement. Accepted or denied, regular physical activity is for everybody.

A realization that you don't have to give up anything you already enjoy. If you don't want to radically change your diet at first, then don't. You don't have to become a saint of fitness, but you will eventually get there if it is a long-term goal. It may not be the most efficient way to do things, but at least you won't feel like you're making a major sacrifice. I didn’t make many changes to my nutrition when I started out; it would have been better if I had. I ended up discovering that I needed more calories to build muscle than I was eating. So it is more effective to make some dietary changes from the start. There is a menu called the "Abs Diet" that involves a lot of eating. 10 myths about dieting

An effort:
Find a health club that has what you want. Take a tour. Group fitness classes and yoga options are nice

Employers sometimes get discounts for employees

Many gyms now offer monthly memberships or less-than-a-year contracts. This is good for people who may want the variety of working out at different locations. Depends on the individual.

I pay about $50 month at a family-run gym, that was the rate when I signed up years ago. The equipment is not state of the art, but that also means that it's usually quiet and uncrowded in the weight room. It doesn't have to be state-of-the-art, but shouldn't have ancient machines that no one uses, either. Check out the condition of the restroom too

Set out 4, maybe 5 days out of your week to go to the gym and lift for 30-45 minutes

Do your weekly lifting routine no matter how "boring" "stupid" or "ineffective" it seems to you

Do it for 12 weeks, 90 days, one season, and it’s a habit.

A habit. The difference between fit and non-fit people is that they have a habit of working out. When they don't workout, they don't feel as good.

Make it into a habit. When you exert yourself and just mess with your own comfort zone out of pleasure, it feels great. Endorphins and stuff. Any habit is hard to break. Including your daily lifting sessions where you laugh at how badly your muscles are burning. The burning = growth.

Buying a machine for your own home may mor may not be a good idea for you. Personally, I get a charge out of lifting around other people. With others doing the same, helps me appreciate better what I am doing. Some could likely benefit from lifting in privacy, likely the very internally motivated and driven. If you decide to buy a machine, check the classifieds first. Try Craig's List. There is always a B@wflex for sale. I'm sure they work, but I wouldn't be sure about learning to enjoy it. You may love it or hate it. Don't pay full price if you're planning to find out.

I think the reason few people keep their New resolutions is because sometimes we set goals and have no real plan on how to arrive at the goal. "I resolve to lose 15 pounds" says nothing about how you're gonna do it. A better resolution is, "I resolve to make fitness a habit and by going again and again." This is a decision. Therefore excuses and rationalizations (to go back on the decision) that may come up now or in the future are already ruled out. At the time you made the decision you felt so strongly about it that no excuse would have been good enough for you to back down. You may not (will not) feel as strongly about the decision later because that is naturally what happens when you're no longer focusing hard on the issue and it's those times when excuses and stories sound like "good reasons." But they're not; just keep that in mind.