Fitness for a fantasy nerd

Hey!

We are all tired of the stereotype that a nerd should normally be unhealthy and barely do any physical exercise. It is frustrating that this is still something that remains in today’s media.

Yes, the stereotype isn’t entirely false as there are some who do not exercise, and that is okay as it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, I am an advocate for a healthy lifestyle, and I believe even a little bit of regular exercise goes a long way.

On a more positive note, we have all imagined being the one to defy this image. Not only exercising to be healthy, but to look relatively fit as well.

Unlike the idea, it can be quite daunting when you first start and finding the motivation to keep going can be difficult. I had the same problem. I got bogged down with all the intricate details that were thrown my way when I started to dabble in physical exercise.

⛔Avoid assumption

People were telling me what exercises I should and shouldn’t do, what supplements were good, and which were bad, and how often I should work out. This doesn’t even begin to touch on the area of dieting and general nutrition.

With me, however, I’m not happy with just being healthy. It is a good goal for most people, but I wanted to do more. Just like all my hobbies, I try my best and I am guilty of trying maybe a bit too hard and burning out. I search for the most effective way and spend my time researching how to start.

Instead of being overwhelmed by all the information, I took it in and tried to learn as much as possible. This tends to lead to me not actually doing anything, as I never get around to putting the information I have learned to any use.

In this case, I finally ended up taking the first step. Going to the gym was one of the best decisions I have made – full stop. It seems incredibly difficult at first, with all the people going who already know what they are doing and how the exercises work. Once you get past the initial anxiety, it is a great habit to get into.

I personally didn’t go to the gym right out of the gate. I started exercising at home doing a small workout twice a week. It got me confident lifting lighter weights, and I made sure my form was mostly alright. If this sounds like a good idea, to begin with, go with it. It helped me prepare myself for when I eventually started going to the gym regularly.

The fear most people have when thinking about going to the gym is that they think they will be judged – especially if they aren’t already in decent shape. It is understandable, but also mostly irrational. I didn’t see it at first, but the reason people go to the gym is to get in better shape. Not only that, but starting off, everybody is so focused on themselves it doesn’t matter.

All you must do is take that initial leap and just go for it. Once you start going, you begin to get more comfortable with exercising. To make things even easier, I recommend taking a friend. Not only will you be confused together, but it’ll help in the long run too as on days you have little motivation, they will be there to help persuade you to work out anyways.

🏁Getting started

I went for about two years (on and off) where I never really had a proper workout plan. I just turned up, did whatever I felt like doing at the time and went home after forty-five minutes. This was a big mistake that I eventually learned from. It doesn’t take too long to put a routine together, and it will pay off in the long run. Trust me, it really helps. If you are interested, here is the plan I use for my workouts now:

Start off on a low weight and make sure to increase on your last set to see where your strength levels are. I work out around four to five times a week, depending on whether I am busy or not. This is not a compulsory rule though. The workout above is a full body workout. That means, only going 2-3 times a week will do the job fine. Build the routine first before you try to switch up your workout split.

I have a little tip that I recommend if you want to incorporate your fantasy reading into your workout. Use audiobooks. They are brilliant for the gym if you can tolerate them. I know a few people that can’t focus on them and would prefer music, but audiobooks are there as an alternative if you want them. It means that I am working out whilst indulging in a good fantasy book. Currently, I am listening to the Wheel of Time. With how long that series is, I am sorted for the next year or so.

If you would like me to discuss my diet in the future, be sure to let me know. I am not a qualified trainer so take what I say here with a pinch of salt. This is what has worked for me, and hopefully, it can work for you guys too.

Favourites:

• Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear – This book has been ground-breaking in terms of looking at my habits. It is mostly about how it isn’t just the goal that shapes what you do with your life, rather the other way around. If you want a habit to stick, you have to look at it from your identity first. For me, I want to be a full-time writer. So, I have to start organising my time as if I already were one. You shouldn’t be working towards a goal and expecting happiness when you get there, instead, you should be trying to build the habit into your everyday routine and focus on the long term.
• Podcast: Intentionally Blank – With this podcast, it isn’t entirely about learning. Being hosted by two great writers, Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells, they talk about many things one of which being writing. It is interesting to hear their takes on certain things and especially as each of them are obviously quite knowledgeable on the subject of storytelling.
• App: Strong – As seen earlier, this is the app that I found that helps record my workouts and weights. I used to just write them down in my note’s app on my phone, but since moving to this, I have made so much progress. Not only does it allow me to save my workouts, but it tells me what weights I did the last session so I can see where I should focus and what exercises I should push myself more on. I definitely recommend this app, especially if you intend to use the routine I listed above.