After One Year Of Working Out, I Found Out These Facts

Do you see a lot of online physical transformation videos?

And think that you can change your body in 3 to 6 months?

If yes then don’t start working out in the first place.

Because you will quit after a month. And then all you will be left with is a tired body, sore muscles without any improvement, and a broken dream.

How it all started?

I wanted to build a body since I was 16. Actors like Salman Khan, Sylvester Stallone, Vin Diesel, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, etc. inspired me to work out.

I had a very specific idea about my dream body. So it was easy for me to develop the workout routine and incorporate the necessary workouts.

But I started working out on a regular basis from last year(2023). It is not like I didn’t work out before. But that did not last more than a few months.

I joined a gym on November 7, 2023. So this November I completed one year. But quit the gym in January 2024 because I learned that I can’t focus on myself in that chaotic environment of the gym among other reasons.

Did you ever quit the gym after joining?

I may have quit the gym but never stopped working out.

It should be mentioned that I am a big fan of strength training and that is the only thing I do when I workout. Because it burns fat (maybe not as much as cardio, functional training, or HIIT workouts but still) and builds muscle at the same time.

So here are the things that I learned

It takes exactly a year to see changes in your body. And in order to see changes you have to workout 4 to 5 times a week. Especially if you are a beginner. I was a fat guy so it was easy for me compared to skinny guys because all I had to do was shed the fat.

Leg workouts are hard but you can see the results after a few months. I hate squats but it gives really good results but posture is important. Sometimes when my posture goes out of place, the pain stays with me for a couple of days.

Muscle definition in arms and chest are hardest to develop. And the irony is people judge your fitness level based on these two muscle groups. I personally don’t have the setup for chest-specific workouts so I do push-ups every day. A tough but good exercise.

Don’t ignore your back because a well-defined back looks good. Plus back exercises are fun. Plus lower back muscles (Latissimus Dorsi) make your back look wide, which is really amazing to see (personal preference).

If you want to create an illusion of being big, then train your shoulders (all 3 delts) and traps as much as you can. Development of rear delt is hard and doesn’t have any specific workout targeted towards them. So you have to train them using compound workouts.

Forearm workouts might not be easy but it is a requirement if you want to have a set of well-defined arms. I ignored them for the first couple of months then I realized when I wear a half-sleeve shirt or t-shirt my biceps are covered, but my forearms are in the limelight. And trust me you do not wanna have skinny forearms.

If you are thinking of starting a workout put it in your mind that you won’t see results before 1 year. I had the hope that I would see them in 1 to 6 months. That hope was crushed by the reality. And this is the main reason I decided to create this article. Because I thought at least someone should share the facts about working out.

You don’t need to increase weights every few weeks. I increase the weight of my dumbbells every four months. Mostly because I save money in that period to buy a new pair of dumbbells. But you should increase the weight only when you feel like you are comfortable with your current weight.

I should also share one of my failures. I never do abs or core workouts. Because it’s tiring and developing abs takes a lot of time and a strict diet which I can’t do. But abs were never in my mind when I was imagining the body I want so I really don’t care. But if you want abs, it will take double to effort and triple the workouts.

And last but not least if you think you can have a body like a film star. It’s never going to happen. Because we can’t afford the workout equipment, diet, skincare and people involved in developing that body. They spend a significant amount of money to maintain that form which is impossible for a middle-class person.

But if you want to have a fit body with muscle and strength, then you can get that by yourself with minimum spending and home-cooked meals.

In conclusion

I should mention I work out at home. I used all the money that I got as gifts to buy some workout equipment at home. Which includes a couple of pairs of dumbbells and a workout bench.

I believe What is the point of having money if you can’t use it to improve yourself?

And my diet includes home-cooked meals. Whatever I get chicken, egg, fish, etc. I don’t starve myself to death. Because I hate to rob my body of the pleasure of food.

My philosophy is

Eat all you want and then sweat it all out.

So this was my observation after working out for one year.

Do let me know what you think in the comments!