We are Mind AND Body
“In order for man to succeed in life, God provided him with two means, education and physical activity. Not separately, one for the soul and the other for the body, but for the two together” -Plato
When people hear weightlifting, it evokes a few images typically. Most imagine large, over muscled men in singlets grunting, slamming protein shakes and “picking things up and putting them down.” I was like most people. I played soccer and did competitive shotgun shooting, not exactly muscle heavy endeavors so I thought working out was for pro athletes, movie stars and other people obsessed with their own appearance. There were 2 events in my life that happened in close proximity to each other that radically changed my views on working out. The first was suffering from depression. After a few things piled on at once at the end of 2022, including loss of a job and having to leave one of my closest friends, I began to deal with crippling depression for several months. I had been going to therapy but it was not as effective as I had hoped. I needed something else, there was a piece missing.
The second event was watching “Pumping Iron” the bodybuilding documentary which primarily featured Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was in watching this that I decided to give weightlifting another go. During my college years I dabbled in working out, mostly to help with my job lifting furniture at an office supply store, but I was lax in going with any regularity. I obviously knew of the health benefits but I was less aware of how beneficial it can be with mental health. There’s all the gym memes of how people use sadness as “free pre-workout and gym motivation” but in reality, it’s not far off! I started going back to the gym, following gym influencers for tips and tricks, and trying to focus on gaining muscle. At the very least, the gym was a way for me to get off my butt and do something. I had spent several months moping around with barely any motivation to remember to eat and take care of myself.
It wasn’t until late November of 2023 that I decided to take things seriously at the gym. After an incident in mid October which caused the depression to come back with a vengeance, I knew I needed to tackle this thing head on and with a multi pronged attack. The major prong came in the form of “The Pump '' an app made by Arnold and his crew that focuses on not just physical wellbeing but also mental health, diet, and building community. Randy Pausch wrote in his Last Lecture about the importance of the fundamentals and Arnold believed the same thing. The first few weeks were a rigorous education in the foundations which took me back to basics and soon the gym had become my sanctuary. During my workouts I would listen to self help books like Be Useful by (you guessed it) Arnold Schwarzenegger, How Dante Can Save Your Life by Rod Dreher, and Every Tool’s a Hammer by Adam Savage to name a few. I was able to sharpen my mind and focus on how to mentally repair the damage I had caused in my life whilst still strengthening the body God had given me to carry that mind.
It’s an interesting thing for sure, how helping the body helps the mind. The mere act of getting up and going for a walk can release “happy chemicals” in your brain, but this exercise became more than just that. I found a routine, discipline and most importantly, a goal. When we achieve goals as people, small or large, we feel accomplished and receive that rush of happiness and contentment. For me that first goal was going back to the gym, then it was to get a PR on my deadlift and then they just kept coming. Every week when I see I lifted just a little more than the last time or did a few more reps, or completed a full program, it’s a rush of pride in myself. It doesn’t hurt that there’s finally some definition to my slight figure after 26 years on this earth either. The old adage of “when you look good, you feel good too” really is true.
Now I’m not here to suggest we all rush to the local gym and start training for the Mr. Universe title. What I am suggesting is finding a fitness goal and working for it. Your body and your mind will thank you for it. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I have spent enough time listening to people who know far better than I to have picked up a few tips I’d like to share:
Identify your goal/vision of yourself: Are you looking to gain muscle or lose weight or both? The type of training you do will change what that looks like. Going into training without a goal is like going into a test without knowing the material-you can do it but it makes it really hard to do it well.
Be specific and intentional: Don’t say “I just want to be healthy” pick something specific that you want to do and use that to guide your plan. If you want to be better at rock climbing, you still need to build muscles but that will look radically different than if you want to run a marathon.
Make a plan and stick to it: Start with objective and attainable measures for your workout. If you can only go to a gym at night and there are no late night gyms, then go back to the drawing board and try again.
If you miss a day…so what?: You are going to fail in some way with your plans. You might get sick, an old friend pops into town for just one day and you have to see them, you might forget you were supposed to go today …so what? If you miss a day then just get back on the horse the next day. Don’t make a habit of it obviously, but when we fail as humans we tend to let it weigh us down and prevent us from moving forward. Don’t let that happen to you.
Find a friend: Going to the gym is always more fun with a buddy. Even if you can’t always go together, share your workouts with each other and give props when they meet a goal. We’re social creatures. God put people in our lives to help us grow. Hold each other accountable for going and share tips on how to improve your workouts. Trust me, it makes a big difference knowing someone has your back.
There’s a lot more I could share but I think those cover the basics. The most important thing is getting started and then keep going. I hope that these musings on my time “Getting Zeh PUUUMP” will inspire you to give it a shot. I pray that your journeys lead you to happiness and health.
God Bless,
Andrew (The Kurtlocker)
