#oneaday Day 294: Strength UP+

Last month — almost to the day, as it happens — I took a photo of myself. You may not see it, as it is a photograph of me in my pants. And while I am more than happy to record podcasts and video commentary without trousers on (hey, I always keep what's visible decent!), I draw the line at sharing my revolting fat body with… well, most people.

No, this was primarily for me. Not for my own enjoyment, you understand; while I do genuinely quite enjoy reading my own articles and watching my own videos, looking at myself in my pants is not something I do unless I have to. The reason I did this was with the intention of taking more pictures every so often to see if I'd see any visible changes as a result of both the Slimming World diet I'm sort of following (motivation is proving challenging for both Andie and me) and my gym regime, which I am still following.

I took another photo today. I was a little disappointed to see that… well, I couldn't really see any obvious differences. It wasn't soul-crushing or anything, though, for two main reasons: firstly, Andie commented that she could see a difference the other day (and it's always easier for other people to notice such things than it is for yourself) and secondly, I can quantify my own increase in strength in numerous areas, proving that the gym has been effective over the course of the last 8 weeks or so.

When using the machines at the gym now, I'm using much heavier weights than I was when I started. If I'm feeling particularly spicy, I'm also able to do 5 sets instead of 3 at that heavier weight, though not on everything. I can also manage about 20 minutes (or possibly more) of light cardio on the exercise bike as a warm-up to the strength training without feeling completely exhausted; YouTube videos and anime episodes are a good way to pass the time there.

I've noticed particular improvements in my abdominal muscles, which I was hesitant to work too hard on due to my hernia, and my legs. My legs are actually the one part of me I'm already reasonably happy with, because since they have to carry the considerable bulk of my top half around, they're already pretty strong. But even there I'm able to challenge heavier weights.

I've seen smaller but still noticeable improvements on my arms, shoulders and chest. In all those cases, I feel comfortable lifting slightly heavier weights than when I started, though the difference isn't as large as with the abdominal and leg machines. I'm still a bit too scared to do a proper bench press with a barbell because of all the stories I've read of people getting pinned underneath the bar, but I should probably give that a go at some point; I reckon I could probably handle the bar (which is about 20kg, I believe) at this point. One day I'll muster up the courage to give it a try, preferably in some sort of safety rack so I don't have to talk to a stranger and get them to spot me.

So it's going pretty well in that regard. I feel stronger and… I'm not sure if fitter is the right word, because I still clearly have a lot to work on, but it's definite, obvious, quantifiable progress. And that makes me feel a bit less bad that the weight loss hasn't been going super-well; while exercise doesn't necessarily directly affect weight loss, it can carry various benefits that can assist with weight loss, such as kickstarting your metabolism. (I learned that from How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?, yes I did)

I'm certainly going to keep at it. I'm kind of curious to see what I can achieve with some long-term commitment. I have no intention of getting particularly buff or anything, but it's interesting to challenge yourself now and again.