fitness is my witness

Growing up, I loved sports- But sports didn't love me as much. I played volleyball, basketball, and softball. Of the three, I think I was best at softball. I was tall, which I always thought was the main factor in making the basketball team. Volleyball.. egh. I sometimes had good coordination, but I wasn't always successful with serving the volleyball over the net.

Anyway- I looked much older than I was for my age. I was the tallest student in my entire class til about 6th or 7th grade when the boys finally went through growth spurts. I didn't get as much exercise as most kids my age. And many of my summers consisted of staying home and watching TV/playing video games/etc. I was overweight and not very fit. I was active, and always desired to be more active like a lot of my friends at the time. I just wasn't fit. 

I had grandmas and family members that fed me anything and everything I wanted. I remember exactly when I started becoming overweight. It was around 1st grade and I had discovered homemade sandwiches. It was a simple bologna and American cheese sandwich with mayo, mustard, and ketchup on bunny bread. My grandma would make them for me, and I would always come back asking for more because they tasted so good. I could tell I had gained weight significantly in 1st grade because I have seen photos of me during my kindergarten graduation and my end-of-the-year 1st grade ballet recital. Big difference. No pun intended.

Fast forward to the beginning of high school- I tried out for the junior varsity basketball team and didn't make it. Come spring of that year, my physical education teacher, John Mayer (If you're out there somewhere reading this, THANK YOU), convinced me to join the track team. AAAAAnd the rest is history. I became fit, my eating habits changed with no fuss, my body transformed, I craved salads for the first time in my life. It was wonderful. That was twelve years ago. 

These days, I still keep up the same fitness habits I picked up whilst on the track team. It has become second nature for me to do some form of physical activity 2-3 times a week. While in college, I utilized their gym and, in the process, quickly found a love for Zumba and fitness classes that were held there (but especially Zumba.) My college is also right across the street from a beautiful park that has a running/walking track of about 1.5 miles. So I ran there on my breaks between classes. 

I'm now four years out of college and am still going strong with my fitness journey. The only addition I have nowadays that I didn't in high school or college is that I have now began to utilize weight training because I really want to look and feel good with and without clothes on. Also, I am like a lot of people and want to train to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Also, I want to set a healthy example for the future kids of the world, including my own. ALSO, in my line of work and the gigs I pick up, it is crucial for me to be healthy and trim. ALSO, I like feeling good, and exercising gives me that. Quick shout-out to Brattain Sports Performance (BSP) and Footprints To Fitness for being the anchors of my post-college fitness endeavors! 

Now that I've said all of that--- In case anyone wants to follow a similar routine, or are just curious to see what I do to maintain my physicality, below is my current weekly fitness routine. It's quite simple:

1) TWO TIMES A WEEK MINIMUM

2 miles or 20-30 min jog + five min walking break either in the middle or at the end of the run.
 - If you want more of a challenge, sprint for about 50 yards every 5 min, then return to jogging. 

2) TWO TIMES A WEEK

Weight training at BSP varies from session to session, and I have a specific program designed to allocate my needs. I'm currently lifting weights, TRXing, rowing, slamming med balls, swinging kettle bells, pushing sleds, slamming hammers, and the list goes on and on. But if you're just starting out, it's as simple as getting familiar and comfortable with the basics before you get to use the fancier equipment. So basically... and I be missing something... Squats, Pushups, Pull-ups, Leg lifts, Reverse Crunches, Bicycles, and Planks.
Once you feel solid with those core fitness movements, you can move on to the fancier stuff. 

Writing about fitness has made me hungry. Go figure. Time to take care of that.