24. Body Building

Lately, I’ve been going to the gym. Twice a week for about 40 minute to an hour. I’m really proud of myself that I’ve been going for 4 straight weeks now. I’m certainly keeping up with that commitment (as opposed to LSNED). But like many people that try to work out, I’m facing a big setback. I’m not reaching my goal as planned. In fact it feels like I’m slipping backwards. I got on the scale today and threw up my hands in frustration at what I saw.

I had lost 3 pounds. My goal is to gain 10.

Yes, gain. When I try to flex in front of the mirror at home, I feel like a 12 year old boy trying to look tough. I’m not like some girls that just want to tone their legs and arms. I want muscles. I want a six pack. I want to, one glorious day, flex my arms and say “welcome to the gun show” unironically. It’s not something a lot of girls go for and I’m not exactly sure why. I think muscles are drop dead gorgeous, whether they’re on a guy or a girl.

But it’s also a question of health. I looked up my weight and height on the Body Mass Index (BMI) today and found out that I’m pretty underweight. I knew I was on the border between underweight and normal before, but since coming to grad school I am now firmly two boxes below the cutoff. I know that thin DOES NOT equal healthy. I park my butt in front of some kind of screen all day, so whatever weight I do have is probably fat, not muscle.

I was in desperate need for some kind of lifestyle change when I started my quest for a good workout. I found the 12 Week Beginners Training Routine from the Muscle and Strength website. (Seen here at http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/12-week-beginners-training-routine.html). I was leery about trying some of the exercises at first. Especially the bench press. I started to panic when I tried to lift the barbell over to a different bench and then realized I wasn’t strong enough to carry it five feet! Luckily, I went with a wonderful friend who moved the bar for me and spotted me through the exercise. Now I do it on the Smith Machine to avoid embarrassment/incident. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a bar that runs horizontally between two vertical tracks, so it’s more like the exercise machines than free weights. Perfect for those who want to try weight lifting with a little less risk of being smacked in the chest with a chunk of iron.

Assessing my progress at week four, I have to say I’m pretty happy with how it’s going so far. I can steadily see my numbers going up. Moving from 50 to 80 pounds on the cable row. Picking up the 15 lb. dumbbells instead of the 10 lbs. Tentatively considering actually putting weights on the barbells instead of just using them bare. I feel kind of like an RPG character. Going to the gym means I’m level 1, and I’m slowly working my way to level 2. I personally am excited for level 5, where I can finally get my familiar and my first basic spells. All joking aside, I really do feel like I’m getting stronger.

But this losing weight thing is bugging me. There are always one or two other weight lifters in the gym when I work out (turning me green with envy every time they pick up a 50 pound dumbbell). I decided yesterday to ask one what was the secret to gaining weight. He told me that while coming to the gym was a first good step, what really mattered was protein, protein, carbs, and then more protein. Looking online, nutritionists suggest about 20 grams of protein right after a workout to help the body build muscle. I might have to bite the bullet and buy a bag of protein powder, even though they are expensive and probably taste foul. Either that or start pounding peanut butter and roast beef sandwiches every day. Hmm… actually that second alternative doesn’t sound that bad. 

Either way, I’m optimistic. I’m struggling now, but I’m learning from my mistakes and trying to work past them. Better pre-order your tickets ladies and gentleman, the gun show will be opening sometime soon.