Earn Your Treadmill
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I have a rule of thumb regarding fitness purchases. Live your goal, then invest. I try not to indulge in new equipment, fancy memberships or expensive supplements unless I first earn them with a proven track record of commitment. Once I am living my goal, then I can purchase upgrades, better tools and improved resources that will help me further my pursuits. |
For example, when I moved back to Phoenix I started to notice how out of shape I was. During high school and college I fancied myself to be some kind of fitness nut. I ran and lifted weights several times per week for many years after high school. Unfortunately, sometime after my career took off, exercise went out the window. Being back in Phoenix with its warmer temperatures and outdoor activities caused a (sun)light to go off in my head. It was not long before I had the urge to buy an Olympic bench press and reclaim my previous body. But I put that purchase on hold. I decided instead to earn my bench press.
I think my not running out to buy new equipment had everything to do with the fact that I was in sorry physical shape. I could barely do 20 push-ups, let alone lift real weight. It probably seems counter intuitive that I would put off buying a weight set if I was so unfit. After all, what is a bench press used for? Lifting weights, in order to get into shape. Yet, in my heart, if I was completely honest with myself...the truth was that I could not guarantee what my motivation would be next month -- or next year. I wanted to start working out for the long term but I had no idea if I would stick with it. All I could do is live each day as if I was a fitness nut. I did the following four things.
- Set body weight and arm size goals with a nine-month target date.±
- Started working out immediately using a prison workout routine (very effective and ultimately affordable).
- Began slowly changing my diet to include more fresh organic foods and less junk and processed foods.
- Postponed buying a bench press for at least nine-months (longer if I did not achieve my fitness goals on time).
I would need to go back through my workout journal to list specifics here but suffices to say that six months later I was not working out regularly -- surprise surprise! I was in only slightly better shape than when I had begun. I had not lived my goal day in and day out. I had not established a routine that was different than six months prior. It is highly unlikely that having a new bench press would have provided me with more motivation.
The fancy gym membership, the custom mountain bike, the fitted golf clubs, the state-of-the-art treadmill -- none of these are likely to give us the motivation to live our goals. They will give us more enjoyment and better results as we live our goals.
Anyhoo, the writing was on the wall in my journal. I was six months into my stated deadline with very little progress to show. With three months remaining I had no chance of achieving the fitness goals I had laid out for myself. Missed goals meant I would not be purchasing new fitness equipment.
On the positive side I had made some progress with changing my diet. I was drinking less soda pop and buying more organic foods. My interest getting fit had not waned. I picked myself up and took another step forward (figurative speaking). I extended my original weight and arm size goals by three months. This gave me a renewed energy in my little self-project.
I refocused my efforts on me -- my healthier body -- that was the real prize I sought. Sure it would be great to own some real exercise equipment but developing a healthy body was the reason I wanted to do this work. I was not going to buy exercise equipment in order to be fit. I was going to be fit and then invest in a bench press that would help me make further progress.
What happened after that? The photo shows it. I made my body measurement goals in month 11. (I actually had not been as far off my original goal as I had thought.) After that I ordered my bench press. It is interesting to note that because I was already living a fit lifestyle I was able to make a more informed purchase about the equipment that would best serve me. I have been using my bench press regularly now for almost two years.
± Ideally I would have also measured other parts of my body such as chest, waist and legs. Also, body fat percentage is a good indicator to track. Ask your local gym or familiy doctor if they can measure this for you.