Welcome to My New Working Out Blog

During this coronavirus pandemic that we are currently facing, schools across the country have decided to do online schooling and shut down campuses. This is great and all because we get to continue our education while staying safe, however, it can be very confusing and frustrating at times. Miscommunication, forgetting assignments, and not having a good sleep schedule are all realities from this. I truly miss going to school every day even though it sucked sometimes waking up early. I miss seeing my friends and classmates as well. To top this off, people are saying this pandemic may last most of the summer. I would be so upset if it did because it would put a halt on important things in my life. Things like college, sports, work, and other daily life activities.

Many people in my class can agree we have gotten screwed over so many times about missed opportunities. For instance, we didn’t get to go on many school trips because others have ruined it for us, or the circumstances weren’t right. With that being said, I never thought we would lose the opportunity to go to actual school and have an actual normal school year in our most important year of high school. I understand that everyone is doing their best during these difficult times and everything will eventually turn back to normal, but this is another thing we miss out on.

I would also like to add that because of this coronacation, there has been a lot of misunderstandings and communication errors throughout my classes that I am almost ready to give up. I am writing this on April 19th, and it is crazy to think that we were supposed to be walking across the stage on May 16th. That’s less than a month away, which is crazy because normally you would start getting nervous about your future plans and preparing goodbyes to everyone in school. Sure, we might get a ceremony, but nobody knows when, and who knows what could happen by then. The main takeaway from this is, don’t ever take anything for granted.

Currently, life is sort of on pause. Not having school everyday is ruining my sleeping schedule and everything else about my schedule. Going to school and work every day of the week made me feel a purpose. It is hard to be motivated at home right now. Sometimes I fall asleep at 4 A.M and wake up at 2 P.M, the next day I fall asleep at 6 A.M. and wake up at 10 A.M. I can’t see my friends, go out in public, or even eat at restaurants. I haven’t been working at my job because I work in a restaurant. And as you know, the gym is currently closed. All of this is shaping my future faster than I would like it to. I am somewhat scared because I have so much to do before my senior year is over. I miss my friends and family, teachers, and other people. I am so ready for this s**t to be over.

With this being said, senior year is almost over and us seniors don’t really get to enjoy our final days. I hate thinking about the fact that all of our hard work could be for nothing but a diploma. Obviously this is important, but we were all looking forward to our final days with the people we grew up. We were looking forward to our senior trip and making memories. We were looking forward to walking the halls the last few times. Our last dance at prom is a memory to never forget, and we might not even get that. And finally, and most importantly, we were looking forward to walking across the stage in front of our friends and family. Just the fact that that could potentially not happen for some of us is crazy.

I have been trying to be positive and keep myself busy. On some good news, I was accepted into the college that I want to go to. I still need to train and study for college and get a bunch of stuff ready so I can leave home. This has been keeping my mind on track when normally the gym takes my mind off of these things. Without the gym, I have been working out at home. If you have a pull up bar, you can still do pull ups. You can actually work your body very hard without equipment, actually. Push ups, sit ups, pull ups, crunches, and other movements are some of the best things you can do for your body.

So, just hang in there. This pandemic is hard for all of us, but if we all do our part and stay home, it will all be over soon. It will be okay eventually and everything will return back to normal.

As some of you may know, I am a senior in Clayton. The time for graduation is almost upon us and some of us are very nervous. I know I am going to miss some things about high school that have had an impact in my life. Teachers, classmates, sports, and other random hallway memories will always be a part of me. As of tonight, 3/3/20 I could potentially be playing my last basketball game of my high school career. I thought about this during football too. These bittersweet moments are going to hit me harder when I am out of high school. However, I am excited to go to the next part of my life. And that starts in college.

After high school, my plan is to attend UW-Madison and major in Psychology. I have talked to many college students and they all say that college is very different than high school. Obviously, more homework, more responsibilities, more freedoms, and more independence. In college, I would really like to be able to play on a team, whether this is football, basketball, or even track. Because I want to play sports at the next level, this means I need to work hard and train harder than I ever have before. There is so much competition and great athletes, so for me to have a chance, I have been working out and eating even healthier. I am not going to play soccer in the spring because I need to grind in the weight room and start getting faster to play college ball.

To start things out, I need to be faster and more explosive, so I will do a variety of workouts including HIIT cardio. If you don’t know what that is, it is very short, explosive workouts that increase overall calories burned and is good for endurance and agility. I will also do catching and cone drills for football. In football, I was a running back so I need to be able to protect the ball and run fast and hard. And lastly, I am going to start working on my vertical jump so I can jump higher.

I am currently in basketball and I really like it for several reasons. I have always liked basketball and I didn’t play for all four years of my high school career, which I regret. Some of the reasons I like it is because it keeps me in shape and it is very fun to play. Going to practice and games every day after school keeps me busy. In practice, I am constantly running up and down the court while dribbling. This is essentially my daily cardio (along with gym class). So, on the days I don’t have a game after school, I go to the gym after practice and lift. This works really well for me because I am maintaining muscle and endurance. This is what I do during the winter months.

In the fall, I play football. This is like basketball, constant running, skill drills, and mental discipline. The only kicker is, you get to wear a bunch of pads that make you sweat more than you thought was possible. Also, when the season starts, it is in the middle of the summer so it is very hot and humid out. Playing in the elements can be fun sometimes, though. On the days you’re not on the field, you’re in the weight room. Constantly working on building muscle and especially maintaining it. Muscle is a big part of football, as long as speed and agility.

During the spring, I play soccer. Did you know that a soccer player on average runs at least 7 miles in one game? That is a lot of running. Soccer is the sport that really tests my endurance. I have been in soccer for my entire life, ever since I was 4. I have gotten pretty good at it and it definitely transfers to other sports. The running coincides with almost every sport, so while some football players take their spring and winter off, I am sprinting past them a lot easier. The only season I have off from sports is summer. This is because I work constantly in the hot sun 5 days a week, on the weekends I like to lift to maintain muscle. Sports are very fun and important to me.

As I have said, working out gives me more confidence in myself. There is nothing wrong with being a little overweight, but I personally feel more comfortable in my own skin when I take good care of my body. I personally believe everyone has at least some confidence and self-consciousness issues. Working out helps me with this. I am all for not caring what people think about your appearance, but some people do care what other people think. I am one of those people, and I like to be hard on myself just to push myself to try hard at things. I have a “never settle” mindset, which means I try to never be satisfied with my current situation, I always strive to get to better places and be better. You could call me ambitious I suppose, but I feel I need to do this to succeed in life.

Mentality is everything when it comes to this lifestyle. You must not have excuses, even when I’m tired, sick, or anything else that makes me not want to work out, I still have to get to the gym. It keeps me going, I suppose. Having a work out partner helps with this, I have multiple. Having a work out partner helps keep you motivated. For example, if one of you doesn’t feel like going to the gym, but the other does, you almost have no choice other than to go. Work out partners also help you lift heavier and try new things. Trying new things and different exercises is always good because they can work your muscles differently, or target new muscles completely. Also, having a friend with you is safer, in case you pass out from lifting too much. Almost getting crushed by weight is not fun, trust me. Anyways, I like to keep my lifts fresh with different things, and trying new things can be fun and challenging.

In knowing all of this, it’s time to apply it to my daily life. I like to start my mornings by eating some healthy foods, like eggs and other things filled with protein. Protein shakes are also a necessity in my diet because they are low in calories, but high in protein. After eating, I get ready for the day and eventually head to the gym. Sometimes I like to take pre-workout before I lift to give me a boost of energy, and I always take a bottle for water. Whenever I know I’m going to work out somewhere, I always grab headphones, bottle for water, and some athletic clothes for comfort. Depending on the day, I like to sometimes wear joggers and a sweatshirt to warm up a little. I do this especially on leg day to help get me warm when I’m doing squats or something. So, when I get to the gym, I change clothes and put on my headphones and find some music that makes you want to throw a chair through the wall. To get the blood flowing, sometimes I stretch or run a little bit.

Now it’s time for the lifts, the absolute best part. The part where you put your all into heavy weights and resistance bands, cardio, or whatever else your heart desires. You definitely want some good music for this part to get that pump. I like to do some different things on different days of the week, for example, arms, legs, cardio on different days. I always try to do abs everyday. I do arms and upper body a lot because I like those lifts a lot more. Normally its push-ups, curls, bench, and other variations of lifts. For cardio, sometimes I set a mile distance, sometimes I set a time to run until. I always try to push myself further every lift.

Now, just working out doesn’t magically change your body. A lot of it is eating healthy. Don’t get me wrong, if you do either one, it is great. But, if you do both, your body will change dramatically, and so will your mindset. The benefits of doing both is jaw-dropping. Not only does it help you lose unnecessary fat, but it also helps in other ways. According to “Medical News Today”, it can help reduce the risk of cancer, promote bone and teeth health, and improve your mood. Working out and eating healthy go hand in hand, so if you’re doing it right, you can easily achieve your goals. I will say though, eating healthy is tougher than finding the motivation to go to the gym, at least for me. The problem with this is, yes, I may be burning calories and increasing my muscle mass by going to the gym. However, your muscles appear more defined and better looking when there isn’t unnecessary fat on them. Once you tell yourself that you are going to commit to both, do it. It has also been proven that eating healthy reduces acne, we are teens, so we all know that would be a blessing.

Eating the right foods can be challenging, this is because of calories, vitamins, proteins, fats, and other factors. Your body type also plays in to how much and what you should eat daily. Personally, I eat lots of protein to sustain muscle growth. However, I don’t like to eat a lot of calories and fat. So, I find meats and other sources of protein that are lower in fat and calories in order to meet my needs. Believe it or not, there are a lot of good foods that are healthy. For example, I love fruits and some vegetables. This does not mean I eat these all the time, even healthy foods are something you shouldn’t over do. Fruits are high in natural sugar, and you don’t want to eat too many. Essentially, eating healthy is finding a nice balance of foods that are nutritional. This is easier said than done, believe me. But the results pay off for your struggles, and soon it becomes second nature.

My name is Tyler Becker. I am a senior at Clayton High School in Clayton, Wisconsin. I like to be very involved in my school. This includes sports, academics, and other clubs. I have four brothers in my family and we are all very different from each other. I will be writing about how and why working out is important to me.