Discipline and a lot of time in the gym

I spend 2 hours a day in the gym, that’s quite impossible if you have 2 kids running around

Last time I blogged it was about me having a hard time at the gym, but also about my results. People seem surprised by the results I was showing in just 6 months of hard work. “How did I build up so much muscle in so little time? And what did you use to get those results? Roids?” Uhm… No! Please no. I want to live beyond my 50th birthday please.

My body did change a lot. But my overall gains were due to the body fat I lost, not because of the muscle I built up in that period. I probably gained around 4 lbs of muscle, but I lost at least 15 lbs of body fat at the same time! It’s really about discipline and a lot of time working very hard in the gym. And let’s face it, thyat’s not for erveryone. It’s simply quite impossible if you have 2 kids running around.

I’ve been training for over 5 years

I’ve been going to the gym for over 5 years now. The muscle was already there, covered by a thick layer of pizza fat. I just needed to lose the body fat to get the muscle to show up. So my 6 month-transformation may be a little biassed 🙂

My legs and back were underdeveloped though, especially the legs. I have worked them hard, but they are still not on par with the upper body, but that’s just a matter of time and a lot of hard work.

I train 2 hours a day

I hang around in the gym quite much. About 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. That’s a lot, especially if you have other obligations as well. I get out of bed early, start work at 7 and get to the gym by 4. Get home around 6:30, eat something and spend the evening with Marjolein (that’s the girlfriend). As I see it there are 24 hours in a day, plenty of time for me to do the other things I like. That means I have to make choices of what I can and cannot do though.

In those two hours I do my weightlifting and my cardio by the way. I start with some basic ground exercises for my core, then some weightlifting and end my training with 15 minutes of high intensity interval training.

I train hard, very hard!

When I hit the gym, I hit it hard. I give the full 100%, almost cyring at some points. If you are not giving your full 100%, then you are probably waisting your time. And that’s not just for men, also for women. 80 or 90 percent just isn’t enough. I see a lot of people hanging around in the gym nearly as much as I am, but they haven’t made any progress so far. No progress in over a year!!

The main problem with the guys (or girls) is that they just don’t give their the full 100% (and also food, that’s the next paragraph 😉 ). You have to be exhausted at the end of your training session. Hit the gym hard and short. Better do a short session and feel broken at the end, than a long one and not feeling a thing.

Be aware of what you eat

Muscle – and especially abs – are built in the kitchen! If you don’t eat clean, or you eat too much – or even too little – you can go to the gym as much as you want. But progress will be limited. Since I have been aware of what I eat, I have made gains I thought were impossible! Just count your calories a couple of weeks. Adjust your diet to your own needs and see how much that’ll help you accomplish your goals!

I have a pretty strict diet during my workweek. I try to avoid sugar as much as possible and take in around 2000-2500 calories a day. During the weekend I allow myself some guilty pleasures. I have my slice of bread with Nutella and have some fast food maybe. But I have one golden rule: just don’t eat too much of the crap!

So that’s how I manage to get the gains. A lot of hard work in the gym and knowing what I eat. For me this is a perfect balanced lifestyle, but I am aware not every person is the same, so try and find your own balance please!