14 Days of working out
I’ve been working out for 14 days in a row.
Big deal, you might think. But this is a big difference for me.
A tangled history of gym membership
I've been a member of almost every gym in my home town over the last 15 years and I've always found a reason to quit.
Too expensive, too far away, too time consuming, too busy, too full of grunting knuckle draggers who leave their crap all over the place, too messy - resembling a teenagers bedroom with weight plates and bars scattered all over the floor.
During lockdown, I tried working out at home and was reasonably successful - but because I didn't have a plan, I pushed myself too hard. I had no idea what I was doing. So I got hurt, I quit, and I gave away all my weights.
Making a change
2 years ago, I decided that something needed to change and I re-joined a local gym that was open 24 hours a day, set up a schedule that put me in the gym at 5AM three days a week, and worked out diligently on a Fitbod programme for 18 months. It worked! I gained muscle, felt fitter, and maintained a routine.
But the cracks started to appear.
- The gym was walking distance from my house, but the 5AM starts started taking their toll.
- I needed to sleep earlier the days before, and the bedtime didn't fit with the needs of my family.
- Winter times meant I was going to the gym and coming home in the dark. It felt like I was working out at night, in the rain and cold.
- The Fitbod programme didn't really allow consistency in workouts - every one was different.
- Different workout apps required me to go four times a week, or do exercises that I couldn't manage.
And even starting that early didn't insulate me from the noisy knuckle draggers. The gym was a tip, sometimes too busy, and I started to hate the place.
Then I went on holiday, kept up my workout schedule even in 37C heat when the gym was a mile's walk away, and when I came back home I just... stopped. I couldn't bear the thought of going back.
That was 9 months ago. I slipped back into lazy habits, barely moved, and ignored my Whoop as it tried to drag me back into a semblance of a fitter person.
The recovery
What saved me were two things - my Whoop fitness band that was relentless in showing me how slovenly I had become, and a new approach to working out; taking it slowly, in small steps, and gradually building consistency.
That was through the Feelbetterfast workout app.
I'm a big fan of Max Blade, the app's creator. He's an Indie Hacker - like I aspire to be - but he also has ten years experience as a Personal Trainer.
And he's jacked which helps when you're looking for social proof that he can be believed!
Max has shown the personal commitment to his fitness through this app, as well as being a determined shipper of fascinating hardware products, too.
So when he launched, I signed up.
FeelBetterFast
The principle is simple - 6 exercise routines, broken down into 3 groups of 2 routines; each routine repeated 3 times.
It takes 20 minutes (roughly). I do the bodyweight exercises, so all I need is a floor to lie on.
Do more than 3 workouts a week, and your already low monthly fee gets chopped in half.
He also publishes a small graph of where you rank in commitment over the last seven days, and is starting new challenges - such as the 30 day pull up challenge. He has a community and is very active on twitter at @_MaxBlade.
It's early days, but I fit in.
20 minutes a day is easy to do. It counts as a 'proper' workout too - simply because I'm doing more than sitting in a chair lamenting my lack of exercise. It's easy to do every day because it doesn't kill you and the workouts are varied. It also helps that I can do them as a 54 year old man and still manage to complete each session.
Two weeks ago I decided to just keep going every day, and so far I'm 14 days in. I see no reason to stop.
When I work at home, the exercise mat is laid out and ready to go, and when I hit a natural breakpoint, I just start a workout. It's easy to fit in, and easy to keep doing.
My mental health is better, my physical health is better, and I'm on track to be ready for a holiday overseas in 9 months time.
My Whoop is pleased with me. I feel like a better person.
I have two people to thank for this: Me for getting stuck in, and Max for making it possible.
If you want to work out and get healthier without needing anything other than a little commitment, then give it a go.
I am a huge fan, and can recommend it wholeheartedly.
p.s. - I'm now at 22 days in a row (with one rest day) - and I'm planning another post for 30 days, so expect another post on this in another 8 days (or so).