
At the mall, have you ever found yourself unable to make a big clothing purchase because you think, โwhat if I lose weight?โ or โwhat if I gain muscle?โ
For years, thoughts about being more active have gone through my head, but Iโve never done anything about it. This doesnโt put me in much of a position to tell you what to change in your life, but over the past few weeks I have been enlightened.
Speaking with Wilfrid Laurier University students, alumni and trainers, I have looked into how to take fitness more seriously. There are numerous avenues you can use to educate yourself on how to get started in any type of fitness. There are also many online resources available with diet or workout plans to choose from; itโs all in determining which will work best for you to reach your personal goals.
โThe best and worst thing about it is that thereโs nothing you canโt find on the Internet,โ said Greg Nyhof, a student leader, fit centre coordinator who previously played football at Laurier.
Looking back to when he began working out eight years ago, Nyhof reaffirmed that โeveryone makes mistakes and eventually you get pushed into the right direction.โ Students have to seek out the right information and find the training methods that best suit their body.
Overcoming a lack of motivation
Over the past few summers, I have tried to force myself into a routine of working out. And if any of you know me, you also know that clearly hasnโt worked. As May comes around, I am faced with the ever so daunting realization that beach weather is upon us. I jump headfirst into a strict diet and workout plan, one that Iโm rarely still following come September.
I sought out the help of personal trainer Alex Bartlett of Pure Strength Athletics, to give me some insight.
โThe first two to four weeks is a big learning curve for clients, but once they get into the swing of things, their body adapts,โ Bartlett said.
Having grown up as an overweight child, Bartlett mentioned he was able to identify what he wanted to look like and worked his way backwards in setting a clear path to achieve this.
โOnce you have a plan that you know to follow, you wake up everyday motivated to know the [little steps] will make a difference.โ
Bartlett stressed the importance of the little things, like slowly taking out unhealthy foods and adding nutritious food to be healthier.
Alena Luciani, strength and conditioning coach at Laurier, explained when starting out a new routine, many people find themselves not knowing how often they should be working out if theyโre new to fitness regimes.
โI think its important to go at least two to three times [a week]. I say that because if you do something once a week, itโll take a lot longer to reap the benefits from that,โ Luciani said.
You canโt out-train a poor diet
There are varying ratios, but it is widely known thatย your diet plays around 50 per cent, if not more, of a role in the effectiveness of your fitness routine and the ability to reach your goals.
The key is a gradual introduction of healthier options into your everyday life. Bartlett believes that by doing so, โyour transition is more manageable.โ
Healthy food is often viewed as tasteless and bland, however there are plenty of tasty options out there to research and try out. When deciding what to eat, fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains and healthy fats should be the basis of your diet.
โShopping the perimeter of a grocery store โฆ and eating things that once had a face, flew or grew out of the ground is going to be your best bet,โ Bartlett advised.
Luciani explained what exactly you should eat while maintaining a workout routine. She said fueling your body for a workout is like fueling a car.
โIf you think about a car. You put fuel in before a workout,โ Luciani said. โDuring the workout you burn through all that, and afterwards you have to put more fuel into your body so you can do it again tomorrow.โ
Before working out, Luciani advises consumption of a carbohydrate that is going to sit well in your stomach along with some type of protein.
โSomething meant to give you energy whether [it] is oatmeal or quinoa or sweet potato. Those are all really great sources of carbohydrates and complementing that with a little bit of protein, so a banana with peanut butter or almond butter. That has healthy fats and some proteins.โ
As for after a workout, the focus changes to protein complimented with carbohydrates. Eating a chicken breast with a sweet potato can be a good meal. Mixing protein into smoothies is also helpful.
โThe protein useful to rebuild your muscles and after the workout to help build that lean muscle mass and the carbs are to restore your energy,โ Luciani explained.
Leading a healthy lifestyle can mean reducing your consumption of โbad foods,โ those that add no health benefit and only hinder any progress youโve bad. This also means alcohol.
โAn active lifestyle means minimum alcohol intake โฆ I never liked alcohol to begin with, but itโs still something I continuously give up to maintain my active lifestyle,โ explained Kwaku Boateng, a third-year defensive end for the Laurier football team.
This does not mean you have to forego all of the delicious foods out there that may not be the most nutritious. Nyhof believes that you have to be able to indulge a little bit. He strays from his diet schedule 20 per cent of the time, whether it is in snacks or cheat meals. Then it becomes something you earn and learn to enjoy even more.

Common misconceptions aboutย fitness
One of the most common deterrents to pursuing a fit and healthy lifestyle is what the media feeds us: unrealistic expectations, distorted views and results that have been attained through obsessive exercise, which regular people do not have the time for.
Nyhof encourages students to figure out what is attainable for them and to tailor a fitness plan around that goal. Not everyone is at the gym to achieve the same result. There isnโt one singular outcome from exercising at the gym, so a person shouldnโt be deterred from pursuing their goals or assume that their goals arenโt as important as someone elseโs.
โI look around and not everyone is training the same way as I am and Iโve learned to be okay with that,โ said Nyhof.
Luciani also addressed stigmas surrounding women who actively work out and how these stigmas can keep women from entering the gym.
โThere definitely is a fear of a female to think if I pick up a weight Iโm going to get big or bulky. Our bodies arenโt able to do that because we donโt produce the same hormones as men. Things work differently in our bodies,โ she explained.
โWe have so many resources for women and men to use whether itโs some of our classes or we have personal trainers that are super knowledgeable and are making fitness and exercise accessible for students here [at Laurier].โ
Nyhof stressed that as long as youโre doing something that makes you happy and are taking the time to improve your health and fitness overall, that is whatโs important.
Popular media often targets the twenty-something age demographic for short-term fitness plans and products. But for Boateng, active living isnโt just a fad.
โIt keeps you healthy and I want to be healthy for as long as I can,โ he said.
Personal fitness should be an ongoing journey, something that you are continuously chipping away at to maintain and grow and learn from. Over the years of training, Bartlett has encountered many clients that have been swayed by the eight-week or 12-week programs that promise drastic weight loss, but soon realize that this is not entirely realistic. Taking things in stride and accepting any positive change in your body is something to be celebrated.
Hitting the wall
There is no doubt youโll hit a wall at some point in your workout journey. Your progress will slow down and you may become unmotivated to continue. Have you reached the peak fitness level possible? Have you pushed yourself as far as you can?
Luciani stressed the importance of setting goals and making a concrete plan so that progress doesnโt become stagnant.
โI think having a plan is the best thing to do to prepare for the gym. Finding something online that youโre excited to try, or a personal trainer, or finding a cool workout and trying it out with a few friends is really motivating,โ she said.
She even pointed to the Nike training app as a beneficial tool to use when getting started.
โThey have videos on there, so you can pause and see how an exercise is done. Itโs kind of like having a mini personal trainer. There are workouts that use medicine balls and dumbbells and thereโs some you just need a mat. Thereโs something for everyone.โ
Bartlett reassures his clients that hitting a wall is bound to happen. Once your progress begins to slow, it is important to assess how to move forward and how to alter your fitness routine to adjust for this change.
โNothing great has ever happened overnight,โ Nyhof said.
What do students stand to gain fromย working out?
Taking care of our bodies not only benefits our outer appearance, but itโs just as important for our mental stability and academic success.
โMy favourite thing to do when Iโm stressed is grab my running shoes and go for a run,โ Luciani said. โIโve done it at all times of day, and even at 10 p.m. at night. Even if I go for 10, 20 minutes, I come back, take a deep breath and go back to tackling assignments. It provides so much clarity.โ
In pursuing a healthy lifestyle, a personโs commitment โprovides structure and discipline which can be instilled into your everyday life,โ according to Bartlett.
โBodybuilding and fitness is so much more than lifting weights.โ
Barlett also highlights the social impacts that living a healthy lifestyle provides. A community of like-minded individuals who each care and push each other to reach their goals is something you may not expect of a facility full of heavy weights, but it is key to staying motivated and happy throughout your transition into a healthy lifestyle.
โEveryoneโs your friend,โ Bartlett said. โYouโre there training. Youโre there to help each other if someone needs it.โ
You shouldnโt put a time stamp on your fitness. Your fitness should be a lifelong journey and goal. Bartlett hopes his clients plan to continue long after theyโve completed his training. Through increased understanding of your body and which foods you should be eating, you can maximize your progress and help you to enjoy the lifestyle.

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