Leavitt
What inspires me is seeing the same people in the gym 3, 4, even 5 times a week really inspires me. Fitness is a journey and being part of a community that is working hard every day to move a little bit further on their journey and better themselves is a really great feeling.
The biggest difference in my workouts has been the focus on form and the willingness to try new techniques. Before, I had a very “bro-science” type of workout where I would lift as heavy as I could for most exercises. I still incorporate a lot of those lifts (bench, squat, etc.) and techniques in my workouts (drop sets, force-reps, etc.) but now I also focus a lot on getting a great warm-up, keeping my form strict, and adding in lots of supplemental exercises that not only help keep me from injuring myself, but also mix-up my workouts with new and challenging movements. Incorporating new techniques and combining a new training style with my old one has made a huge difference in how I feel and has really helped me get over some of the nagging injuries that I developed through sports and weightlifting.
My diet has been a real struggle for me. When I began lifting, I was a really hard gainer. I felt like I was eating as much as I physically could, and still couldn’t gain muscle. Over time, my body changed and now I can put on muscle much more easily, but that also means that I can put on other weight more easily. Working to erase the bad habits, especially binge-eating, has been a real challenge for me.
Everyone loses motivation sometimes. When that happens to me, I try to focus on the other people that I see in the gym getting after it. Seeing Kevin and Ankit work hard and make gains in the gym is huge for my motivation, and seeing everyone else work on their own fitness goals really motivates me to keep working for my own.
The weight on the scale hasn’t changed much, but how I look and feel has really improved since I started working out at the CSC.
There are two things I love about working out. The first is the feeling at the end of a workout when you’re spent and you know you did everything you could that day to better yourself. The second is the feeling when perform a lift for more weight or more reps than you’ve ever done before. The feeling of accomplishment with both of these is one of my favorite aspects of working out.
Ankit
To be honest, this is my first time actually being committed to routinely working out. I have never done it before. The majority of it consists of weight lifting, which I really enjoy. I get a lot of compliments from other gym members about the size I’ve gained.
My biggest challenge has been trusting the process. That lifting, eating and sleeping regularly will produce results. This has been especially challenging because I (nor does anyone) know what the final product is going to look like. In addition to that, I can’t quantify it. I can’t say “I want to put on 15 pounds of muscle” because I don’t know what that looks like.
I generally don’t have trouble staying motivated, but if I do, Leavitt and Kevin make sure to put me back on track pretty quickly. They are great motivators and are able push me to my limit.
The biggest change I’ve noticed is the amount of muscle mass I have gained. I’ve also noticed that my posture has improved a lot as well. I’ve noticed that I have more energy throughout the day and my strength has increased significantly. Ever since I started at CSC, I’ve put on 15 pounds. None of it looks like fat, so I can only assume it’s the dense stuff!
Working out is a goal I can always continuously improve. For me, it’s always about being better than you were last week and making progress. It’s that mindset that keeps me coming back to the gym.
Kevin
I enjoy challenging myself, be it physical or mental, and working out gives me that satisfaction. I enjoy improving myself, and seeing how far I can push my limits; it’s a rush and I feel great knowing I am progressing my physique and strength.
A solid selection of machines and weights as well as a pleasant gym atmosphere make for an ideal gym to lift at. Working out with Leavitt has been a big help because we have very different styles of lifting and so I can shock my body using his ideas.
I work with much more pace now; my rest times have gone down and sets have increased while intensity has gone up. That increase in tempo and intensity is driving my gains in the gym.
I have felt better about my physique and my prevention of injury because I have also improved my form and stability on many lifts.
Indecisiveness on my goals! This is such a challenge for me. It’s difficult to choose whether I want to get stronger, bigger, or leaner since they all require different techniques with my current fitness level. I end up switching my workouts often (which is a good thing in itself) and may be limiting myself.
I have gained 10 lbs since I started at the CSC and lost a couple % bodyfat. I have been bulking essentially my whole life since I am naturally very skinny but shifting into being a bit older, I am looking more into being lean as well as staying fairly big. My new workouts at CSC have met that goal so far very well.
I have gained more confidence in my physique. I have never worn a tank top to the gym in the 9 years I have lifted weights before coming here, but the atmosphere (and some prodding from my training buddies) let me be more confident and not shy away from seeing the results I have gained in action.
It sounds kind of funny, but I love the PUMP. That feeling of blood rushing to the muscle as it works out, that adrenaline rush when you think you have failed on a set but get 1 more rep anyway. I love using my body its full potential and not giving an inch.
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