How did you start?

I actually get asked this quite a bit. Where does one even begin? I mean the thought of joining a gym is so daunting. It's enough to make a person say, its too hard or I don't have the money or the time. I get it. I have been there. Here's the secret, you gotta change your whole mindset about exercise.

It doesn't have to cost money.

It doesn't have to take a lot of time.

It doesn't have to hurt. 

You don't have to start big.

You don't have to do what other people are doing. (this last one is crucial)

My best advice to someone just starting out is:

- Start small

-Keep it simple

-Do what you can

How did I start? Once I had my A-HA moment (honestly you can start and stop a million times, but when you have that A-HA moment, that's when you become completely committed) I knew I was going to do something about my unhappiness. I knew I wanted to get back in shape. So I started small. I downloaded some apps by LOLO. They had simple 5 min routines with little workouts that although seemed simple i felt like i did something and i felt it the next day. Two great signs that you're exercising. 

Is there a right or wrong way to workout? The answer is no. Now, when you get into heavier workouts and form and weights and things like that, than yes. You don't want to hurt yourself. Also never do too much too soon. But as far as feeling like what you did wasn't a REAL workout, thats bullshit. Because as long as you're doing SOMETHING, you're good. If you're motivated that something will turn into something more.

Once I started to get really motivated, I wanted to step up my game. But I was really overwhelmed looking online. So many exercises, so many routines and programs. Where do i start? Not to mention sets and reps are very confusing terms to me. So I asked my friends and my friend Anthony came up with something for me. I went on google and modified these moves so that I could do it all using my bodyweight. Here's how i started:

Monday- Workout A

Deadlifts
Chinups(Assisted till you can do them on your own)
Dips
Plank

Tuesday- Active Rest Take a leisurely walk

Wednesday-Workout B
Squats
Pushups/Bench Press
Pullups(Assisted till you can do them on your own)
Barbell Row
Leg Raises

Thursday-HIIT Sprint 20 sec rest 2-3 minutes 8x

Friday-Workout C
Squats
Walking Lunge
Military Press
Side Plank

Saturday- Yoga or some extreme stretching

Sunday- Active Rest take a leisurely walk

I think that's a great place to start because it was really doable.

Once I was ready to up my game from there I purchased an ebook from http://www.seansarantos.com/ and started doing his Fit Freak Home Edition. Sean is someone I found on instagram. I follow alot of fitness people on there, I find it very motivating. Some other great people on there with ebooks you can purchase are Erica.fit.love and KmaeCags. But you don't have to buy an ebook, you can go on bodybuilding.com and find lots of programs for free. It's just a matter of what speaks to you.

I have workout a.d.d. I'm constantly changing it up because I get bored. Especially when it comes to cardio. Who the hell likes cardio??

Some things I've done for cardio include:

-long walks

-jogging

-sprinting/hiit

-dancing around (my personal favorite)

-jazzercise DVD

-jumping jacks/jump rope

-riding bike

What qualifies as cardio? ANYTHING that gets your heart rate up.

Try to do some cardio and some kind of strength training, whether you use your own bodyweight or weights or weight machines. You want to build muscle and burn fat. And don't you just want to be stronger?

The bottom line is, find something you like to do and do it. Make it fun. If you're doing something you don't like, you won't want to do it. But if you make it fun, its not a chore.

What do you like to do?

-kickboxing?

-martial arts?

-Dance?

-sports?

-swimming?

-playing outside?

Whatever gets you moving. Don't worry about what other people are doing. Do what feels right for you. And I encourage you to change it up. Don't do the same thing every day. Its not helping your body and its not gonna keep you interested. Break up your week.

So remember:

It doesn't have to cost money.

I have yet to set foot in a gym since I started my journey

This is my workout room. My home gym, if you will.

It doesn't have to take a lot of time.

When I first started with those apps I was doing 5-10 min a day. Do whatever you can. 20 min, 30 min.
Whatever you can do. I ended up getting so into it that I would love to spend 2 hours working out every day. but I don't have that luxury. Lately i've been having to shorten my workouts to 30 min.


It doesn't have to hurt. 

I think that was my biggest fear. That pain of huffing and puffing and my chest hurting. You don't have to start with that. You can work your way up to it.


You don't have to start big. START SMALL. Trust me on that one. Every journey begins with one step. No matter how small. Work your way up to the hard stuff. The most important thing is just get moving.

I hope this helps!!! You may not realize this but you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to. You may not feel that way but you will.....eventually you will. You're stronger than you ever imagined and you can do incredible things. Your body will surprise you.