If there’s one thing that I regret today, it’s that I never got into strength training when I was in high school. Hindsight can be a harsh mistress, but being physically fit would’ve helped me massively during my military service.
Give me a time machine, and I’d happily go back in time to train my younger self. All I’d have to bring back with me is a set of looped resistance bands and a couple of dumbbells. In fact, that’s all the equipment I need for my current workout routines.
I’ll admit that it can be challenging to find the motivation and time to work out. We’re surrounded by images of the “ideal” male specimen. These models dedicate a lot of time and effort towards looking the way they are, time that we simply do not have in our regular lives. However, we don’t have to push ourselves to that extent to stay fit.
Besides, our main reason for staying physically fit is to stay healthy. Any other physical benefits are merely a welcome side-effect. As I’ve implied, you have to be genuinely dedicated if you wish to become either a fitness model, a bodybuilder or a power-lifter.
A minimum of four minutes (or three minutes and fifty seconds, if you want to be pedantic) a day is a good starting point. A quick HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workout before dinner can do wonders if you have never considered working out before. This involves eight cycles in which you go all-out for twenty seconds before resting for ten seconds.
If you’ve got the extra time, why not aim for two sequential HIIT sessions with a minute-long break? If you want an additional challenge, you can jog on the spot during the break. If it’s difficult to find the motivation to push yourself, challenge yourself to do a bit more the next time.
When I’m well, I do a twenty-four-minute HIIT session before breakfast once every two days. That’s four five-minute super-sets with a minute-long break in between. With the supplements I take, it’s a matter of finding the willpower to wake up even earlier if I want to extend my workouts.
It’s taking all my willpower to avoid thinking about what could’ve been, but at least it’s never too late to get fit.