For years I have given myself countless excuses to not work out. I don’t have enough time, I don’t have the right equipment, and I can’t be sore for my sports teams. One week ago, I ran out of excuses. So, with a state-of-the-art IM weightlifting out facility a short walk from my dorm, I am committing to a 6-day per week workout routine. This blog will detail my journey as I begin my weightlifting journey as a novice.

There was more thinking than I anticipated before even walking into the gym. Which muscle groups would I work out on each day? Who would I work out with? What time of the day would I go to the gym? Here is how I answered those questions:

With the help of the Internet and some mentor friends, I decided to follow a push, pull, and leg work out split. This method will help me to target specific muscle groups on certain days and allow ample time for them to rest. Push days group together exercises that involve pushing, which specifically trains the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull days involve pulling exercises that target the back, traps, and bicep muscle groups. Lastly, leg days are designated for lower body exercises that work the hamstrings, quads, and calves. This three-day cycle allows me to train each set of muscle groups two times per week and have one day of rest. Thus, my schedule looks like this:
Sunday: Push
Monday: Pull
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Push
Thursday: Pull
Friday: Legs
Saturday: Rest

Who I will work out with is an easy question. My best friend from high school also goes to Penn State, and we have decided to weight lift together. I feel that it is important to have a partner so that we keep each other accountable and motivated.

When I will work out is a tricky question. My class schedule is different every day, and trying to coordinate with my partner’s schedule makes it very difficult to find a time to work out every day. Furthermore, the times are likely to shift each week due to various events, club meetings, and more. Therefore, I haven’t completely figured out a schedule for when I will work out; it seems like I will have to figure this out based on each unique day.

So, when I finally had all of these questions answered, it was time to hit the gym. Well … it was almost time to hit the gym. One of the biggest issues I struggled with working out in high school was that I didn’t follow through with a consistent schedule. I would weight lift for a week or so and then proceed to miss a few days, until I eventually stopped going all together. One week into weightlifting in college, I already struggled with the same problem. On Wednesday, I was too busy with homework, so I missed my push day. While my schoolwork will take priority over working out, in the future I will have to try my hardest to find time in my busy schedule to get to the gym each day.

I hope to get to the gym consistently each day, and I look forward to sharing the rest of my journey with all of you in the coming weeks!

Richard Black