My Fitness Journey (So Far)

-Intro-

When it comes to livestreaming, its important to stay active.

This is something that's true for life in general for the obvious reason of one's health, but especially so when it comes to activities that involve lots of time spent in a sedentary state.

In the 7+ years that I've been a livestreamer (plus the four or so years prior to it that I spent doing pre recorded let's plays and other content on YouTube) it goes without saying that I've spent a substantial amount of time at my computer.

Editing videos and clips.

Making channel art, intro/outro videos, thumbnails, etc.

The streaming itself in ranges of 3 to 3 1/2 hours on average all the way up to 10 or 24 hours for charity events I've done.

Point is, those many hours sitting down and at times snacking can add up, so I make sure that I keep a balance of time spent at the gym to supplement my time online.

Fitness is something that's been important to me for a long time with me being heavily inspired by both my love of anime and the intense training some of the characters undertake (examples that have been especially influential being Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, and Baki) as well as pro wrestling growing up.

However due to circumstances up until a few years back, I never really had access to a gym and had to do all of my workouts at home with limited space and equipment. Eventually I noticed my weight going up and I was feeling very discouraged and disgusted at what I saw in the mirror.

Since going to the gym and learning a lot along the way I'm in the best shape I've been in a long time after going from 247 lbs to my current weight of 215 lbs.

I def need to put in a lot more work to get where I want to be with this picture from several years ago being something I'm working towards (albeit with me wanting a bit more muscle than back then).

This was from my birthday back in April 2023 and as can be seen I'm on my way to my goal with more definition and muscle in my arms.

This one is much more recent.

So something I hope to achieve if I ever were to “make it” as a content creator is use what influence I'd have combined with what I've learned from my own fitness pursuits to inspire and help others chasing their own goals.

With that said, for now what I hope to offer people is a look inside my gym bag if you will with this blog where I'll be talking about my weekly workout routine, eating habits (including pre and post gym consumption), etc. I'll also be including links where needed.

Bear in mind of course that while this can be seen as advice, everyone's body works different so what works for me may not work for you. I also am writing this with the door open for people to give advice and suggestions from their own experiences.

So to start, what's a week at the gym like for me?

-Workout Schedule-

So to clarify, the time of day I tend to go to the gym is very sporadic.

Sometimes its around 1 AM or 3AM given that around that time hardly anyone (if anyone at all) is there even with this being the only gym in my town. My gym also shares an aspect with this town in that its very small with almost all the equipment being between one or two of each type (other than the treadmills which there are six of which still isn't a lot).

So outside of just preferring working out in an empty gym where its much more peaceful (no offense to the people I've met here and there who have been friendly to me) it just makes it easier to access the equipment I need without waiting, especially when it comes to types I've shared the gym with who sit on a bench or machine, do a set, and then spend several minutes on their phone before finally continuing (When I've been on my phone at the gym I make sure its when I'm not on the equipment or at the very least I put it back down once my short rest between sets is over).

Even so, there's been times I've gone in for a session at 6AM or as late as 9PM depending on if I needed to rest up more before hitting the weights (a lot of times taking a nap after a livestream before going to the gym). A good reason for this has been that I've never had a stable sleeping schedule.

Preferably though as much as I do like the quiet and freedom of having the gym to myself (not to mention I'm not much of a morning person) I like to go in at 6AM because its the best time slot to coincide with my eating habits, specifically having breakfast, going to the gym, drinking my post workout protein smoothie (see below), and then having time to digest that before lunch.

This is compared to having to eat something late at night before a 3AM session and then having both my breakfast and protein smoothie hours later without a workout to burn off the calories in between. In the long run it may not matter as much as I think but morning sessions give me more of a sense of stability and structure.

Whatever time that I do go though, what is always consistent is the number of days I go each week with a four day split.

What this means is I'm at the gym Monday and Tuesday followed by an off day on Wednesday (though if I feel up for it on Wed I'll throw in a cardio day there). I then go back on Thursday and Friday followed by two rest days over the weekend which equals four days in and three days out.

For each day every workout lasts about 40 minutes to over an hour followed by 24 minutes of cardio on the treadmill (I used to do the cardio before my workouts but have since starting doing it after given it helps to burn more fat than doing it prior). I count the one mile walk I take to and from the gym as part of my training too and there's also occasions after I leave the gym where I'll walk two miles to and back from the one store in my town that sells this one protein bar I like) which gives another four miles total.

I also make sure to stretch before each workout (especially given I've had several occurrences of pulling my back while learning proper form as well as the fact that I was born with arthritis) and whenever I finish training for the day (or night) I wait a few minutes to catch my breath and drink whatever is left of my water before heading home. I also go to a chiropractor for readjustments as needed.

That said, I'm always striving to improve and will eventually try new things, more so given that when I had first started working out ages ago and had no idea what I was doing, it was with a 20 pound dumbbell and me just doing one set of 20 to 30 reps per workout plus fifty sit-ups nonstop with a two to three mile jog every other day.

I had no pacing back then, was winded after only ten minutes of training, and while I DID manage to get SOME muscle, it just did more harm than good and eventually just wasn't effective in comparison to how much I was exerting myself so quickly.

And when I had first stepped in the gym instead of doing a set then taking a break before repeating and then moving on to the next part of the session, I would go through a set of every workout on my routine nonstop with no rest before resting and then repeating which as with the above example left me running on empty very quickly instead of pacing myself.

So yea, I've come a long way, another example being that when I first went to the gym I struggled to deadlift 130 lbs but since then I not only achieved a personal goal of doing a 1RM of 247 lbs (which again was my starting weight going to the gym and thus me reminding myself how far I've come) but have managed a 1RM of 410 lbs.

As I have said prior however, keep in mind that my way of training may not work for you based on your goals. In example, while I'm training to lose weight as well as to build muscle and increase my endurance, you may just want to shed pounds without concern of building muscle which is where a more cardio focal workout would be more beneficial.

And being transparent about one last thing before we get the the actual workouts, for a while I up until recently I was doing a full body workout each day that combined both push and pull movements for both upper and lower body.

It got results but it also caused a lot of strain on my body and gave it less time to rest with two days of ten+ parts to each workout, one day of rest, then another two days followed by two more days of rest before starting over. I also got hit with mental burnout at times.

Needing a change, I put together this weekly routine structured in a way that I could dedicate each day to certain muscle groups and with it more exclusivity in push or pull motions and days.

This of course means my leg days are isolated from my upper body routine (with the exception of a core workout on these days so I don't neglect that muscle group yet at least do it on a day where it won't tax my upper body as much while its recovering)

In all, this has resulted in more intense sessions (due to more reps on some of my sets) with less risk of injury given my muscle groups I hit having more time to recover between days.

So if by chance you do want to take on a full body routine daily make sure to put together a routine that won't do more harm than good.

Point to me saying all this is that again its a learning experience and you'll make mistakes. Just don't let it discourage you when it comes to researching and finding what works for you be it a full body routine daily or something like I do below.

-Monday (Upper body push)-

So my current routine for each day is as follows with a 30 second to 2 minute break in between sets depending on what I'm doing.

Bench press – 3 sets of 8 (200 lbs)

Arnold press – 3 sets of 8 (45 lbs per arm)

Cable fly – 3 sets of 10 (55 lbs)

Triceps pushdown – 3 sets of 12 (140 lbs)

Concentration curl – 4 sets of 8 (45 lbs per arm)

Dips – 4 sets of 10

5.5 mph jog for 20 minutes + 4.0 mph cooldown for 4 minutes.

-Tuesday (Legs/Core 1)-

Squats – 3 sets of 8 (150 lbs)

Incline leg press – 3 sets of 10 (280 lbs)

Dumbbell lunge – 3 sets of 10 (30 lbs per arm)

Leg extension – 3 sets of 12 (130 lbs)

Seated calf raise – 3 sets of 12 (205 lbs)

Plank – 4 sets of 1 minute apiece

Mountain climbers – 4 sets of 40

Russian twist – 3 sets of 20 w/ 20 lb medicine ball

Medicine ball slams – 4 sets of 15 w/ 20 lb medicine ball

Battle ropes – 10 minutes

-Wednesday-

Rest day (though I occasionally hit the treadmill for my usual 24 minute session if my body feels up for it)

-Thursday (Upper body pull)-

Pull up – 3 sets of 10

Single arm DB row – 3 sets of 10 (45 lbs per arm)

Lat pulldown – 3 sets of 10 (150 lbs)

Cable seated row – 3 sets of 10 (145 lbs per arm)

Hammer curl – 3 sets of 12 (30 lbs per arm)

Dumbbell lat raises – 4 sets of 10 (25 lbs)

5.5 mph jog for 20 minutes + 4.0 mph cooldown for 4 minutes.

-Friday (Leg/Core 2-

Deadlift – 3 sets of 8 (205 lbs)

Hamstring curl – 3 sets of 10 (130 lbs)

Romanian deadlift – 3 sets of 10 (144 lbs)

Good mornings – 3 sets of 8 (135 lbs)

Seated calf raise – 3 sets of 12 (205 lbs)

Weighted decline crunch – 4 sets of 20 (25 lbs)

Cable crunch – 4 sets of 20 (160 lbs)

Hanging leg raises – 4 sets of 20

5.5 mph jog for 20 minutes + 4.0 mph cooldown for 4 minutes.

-Saturday/Sunday-

Rest days

So that's what a week of training is like for me.

So now for the next section.

What do I tend to eat before and after I train?

-Eating habits-

So admittedly, I LOVE food and I basically eat what I want, but I make sure to not only try to watch my portions but also limit how often I eat what would be considered junk food.

And believe me, while not perfect, at the very least my eating habits are much better than they used to be.

Primarily I eat lots of chicken, beef, fish (namely tuna and salmon), eggs, oatmeal, and brown rice, and be it sweet potato or non sweet potato fries I have an air fryer for that (can't remember the last time I've used oil for anything other than a slight glaze of olive oil on my chicken at times). I try to make sure to include veggies (though I'm very picky) and fruit in my meals too of course.

Admittedly I love baking Tyson's battered chicken nuggets in the oven and have made a sandwich of them for lunch quite a few times alongside sweet potato fries with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Speaking of, my go to bread for sandwiches and burgers is a brand called Dave's Killer Bread which offers plenty of whole grains, protein, fiber, etc and is heavy on nutritional value though a bit expensive at times.

Anyone who's seen my Instagram posts should know how many times I've posted pictures of ramen. Its not exactly healthy per say but I don't eat it every day (some times a few times a week though) and at the very least I always make sure there is plenty of protein with good portions of chicken or beef as well as a soft boiled egg (plus the noodles I favor have about 15 grams of protein per pack).

My fave food is pizza and I also love Chinese and Mexican food, but compared to eating any of that once a week previously I now have a pizza, sweet and sour chicken, or an extra large burrito from the authentic Mexican food stand just down the street from me a few times a month.

I primarily drink green tea, plenty of water, and if I go for an energy drink its either Mountain Dew Kickstarts (a fave of mine for years and while not the MOST healthy it has far fewer calories than a can of Redbull or Monster, though I have cut back on them in recent months) or a zero/low calorie option like Ghost, C4, or Bang.

And while I do still drink soda I try to stick to sugar free options and in regards to my love for tea, I've been limiting myself to only half a cup of sugar or so in a 2 quart pitcher of iced tea compared to how I used to put two cups in a gallon.

I love sweets, but compared to when I used to have a habit of coming home from the grocery store with a whole pack of Oreos and eating them all by the time the next day rolled around or practically inhaling a pint of Ben and Jerry's, I found snacking alternatives that have much less calories and fat yet have a good amount of protein, taste great, and keep me full for a while (and energized if I snack before the gym).

Robert Irvine's Fit Crunch (which I usually always have one in my gym bag and love the peanut butter and jelly flavor), Lenny & Larry's Complete Cookie-Fied Bar, and FULFIL are all under 200 calories (though this can depend on what size and flavor) and some of my absolute favorites for guilt free snacking, especially in between meals. Also each of them have little to no aftertaste like other protein bars I've had while Fit Crunch and FULFIL have a satisfying crunch to to them (obvious by the name of the former bar) . I also keep sugar free Snack Pack gels on hand (only 5 calories a pack) to give something to my sweet tooth without giving to my waistline.

Another go to protein bar that I recently found out about is from a company called Barebell which has what I would consider one of the best tasting protein bars out of all the one's I've tried (close second to Fit Crunch for me). Each bar has 20g of protein and are low in sugar even though they have a few more calories than the others listed (200 calories a bar). I also keep packs of Emerald cashews, almonds, and fruit on hand which have only 100 calories per pack.

For frozen treats? Yasso frozen Greek yogurt bars (100 calories) are one of my main go to's as well as Halo Top's own take on frozen yogurt bars (110 calories).

Though I haven't sworn off cookies entirely and will still have a pack of Oreos every now and then, Sweet Lorens is a brand that uses only clean ingredients and is definitely my go to (though I wish they had a peanut butter flavor) for oven ready cookie dough. For chip alternatives I recently found a brand I love called Spudsy that makes baked puffs and fries from upcycled sweet potatoes.

So with a majority of my general preferences for consumption explained, What about those two very crucial times for food and drink, which are before and after working out?

For pre workout I usually I try to make sure I eat something with a good amount of protein about about one to two hours before the gym so I have something in my system to fuel me through my training yet won't cause me to feel sluggish from going in too soon (if I just go for a protein bar I'll nom on that on my walk over). When it comes to breakfast its usually either a bagel from Dave's Killer Bread and a couple of eggs or a bowl of Kodiak oatmeal and eggs with that as well. Regardless of what I eat if it involves eggs I add a tablespoon of bacon bits and a 1/4th cup of shredded chedder cheese for flavor and a bit more of a protein bump.

I've been using Gorilla Mind's pre workout with my first experience with it being their Volcano Blast flavor which tasted like orange, mango, and pineapple, though I prefer their Bombsicle.

I also have been using their collagen peptides (mixed berry which tastes AMAZING with the Bombsicle pre workout) to try and help with some of my joint aches and pains from the gym (plus healthier hair and skin is a bonus).

I mix one scoop of the pre workout and collagen peptides with 20 ounces of water and ice (a MUST for pre workout's) in my Iceshaker (<-- affiliate link) and sip on that on my walk to the gym. You can use two scoops for maximum effects but I personally use one because that works well enough for me and keeps me focused with a good sweat worked up by the end of my session (plus two scoops contains 350 mg of caffeine compared to the 175 contained in one scoop which I feel would be too much at once even with my high tolerance for caffeine). They also have a caffeine free version called Gorilla Mode Nitric which has a few extra ingredients I believe, but I need to look into it more.

I also have used their canned energy drinks which I prefer for the taste.

Pre workout or not, it goes without saying to stay hydrated during your session (especially important with the upcoming summer season).

Along with my bottle of Gorilla Mode I always take a second water bottle with me (this one 32 ounces) full of water and either a pouch of Liquid I.V. (if I have any on hand) or a few squirts of MiO (I tend to favor the orange tangerine and orange vanilla flavors which are B vitamin enhanced). The low calorie options of BODYARMOR sports drinks are one of my go to's if I have any on hand as well.

And finally, post workout.

For the sake of recovery, building muscle, and just putting what's needed back into your system following a workout to prepare you for your next gym session, you want to eat as soon as possible, namely protein and carbs.

For me a post workout must is a protein smoothie and this usually is something I drink after both breakfast and my training (or after lunch if its a afternoon session).

I say "usually because there's times I've been in a rush to get to the gym so I'd have my protein smoothie before hand if I didn't just go for a protein bar for a quick pre workout "meal".

As a base I use Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk (original or vanilla depending on what I'm in the mood for or again, what I have on hand) given that compared to dairy milk options its only 30 calories.

A caveat to this though is that being unavailable to you if you have a nut allergy aside, it doesn't contain nearly as much calcium or protein as dairy milk.

For the other ingredients I throw in my blender, I use one frozen banana and some berries (also frozen) for fiber, potassium, and other nutrients with the added benefit of antioxidants, carbs, and just getting more fruit into my diet.

You can't have a protein shake/smoothie without protein powder and previously I was using Optimal Nutrition Gold Standard 100% whey protein (love their vanilla ice cream flavor), but I wanted to try something new.

Months ago I had also been using Ghost whey protein powder (Cereal Milk flavor). The flavor was ok but definitely took getting used to, though I feel it may of been the other ingredients in my smoothie not meshing well with it. If I try Ghost again I'll likely go for their most popular flavor which is Chips Ahoy!

Currently I'm using Gorilla Mind's Cookies & Cream flavor of protein powder given their pre workout has worked so well for me and has a few more servings than my tub of Ghost and it goes great with the other ingredients in my smoothie. Arguably its the best tasting whey protein powder I've used with their Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor being amazing as well. They also have a Cinnamon Churro flavor now that I also want to try.

To top the smoothie off, I also use one of three options for peanut butter/almond butter for taste, protein, fiber, etc (plus making the smoothie a little more thick).

So my favorite option is a whey protein peanut butter brand called Nuts n' More. I absolutely LOVE this stuff which is all natural ingredients, high in fiber, 7 grams of carbs, and contains 9 grams of complete protein (meaning it has all essential amino acids) while also being low in sugar with less fat than most other peanut butter brands. It also contains Xylitol, a natural sugar alternative found in plants that has several health benefits (though this also makes Nuts 'n More toxic to pets so know this isn't a peanut butter you can give to your furbabies)

I use it exclusively for my smoothies though I've eaten a couple of bites on rare occasions right off the spoon on the way to the gym. The salted caramel flavor tastes a lot like a Butterfinger candy bar though sadly its the only one I've tried given that while Nuts N' More has quite a few flavors (some with even more protein), salted caramel and birthday cake are the only one's I've seen in stock at my grocery store. Two tablespoons contain 190 calories which is comparable to most other peanut butter out there but again the plus is that this is a healthy (though pricey at $12 from my local grocery store) peanut butter option with there also being powdered options that contain less fat (which as explained below may not always be a good thing)

Update: My grocery store no longer carries Nuts n' More so I've been using Jif's natural peanut butter, though I did find out that the Vitamin Shoppe I go to for my protein powder and pre workout sells it and in a wider variety of flavors.

In regards to the other option I use for peanut butter, I've gone with PB Fit peanut butter powder.

The main pros to PB Fit in comparison to Nuts n' More is that there's only 70 calories in a two tablespoon serving with no cholesterol, a slight bit more fiber, 5 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fat. Its also cheaper and extremely versatile in regards to using it to make cookies, pancakes, etc.

Cons in comparison are that PB Fit contains more sodium than a serving of salted caramel Nut's n' More (sodium is something the body needs for hydration but this could be an issue for those watching their daily intake of it), slightly less protein, less vitamins in regards to potassium and calcium, a small amount more sugar.

Also while Nut's 'n More does contain more fat, it's monounsaturated which is beneficial to your body and something nuts as a superfood naturally have in more volume than saturated fats. So depending on one's fitness and health goals, its possibly debatable on if cutting out these healthy fats (unless they are being received from another food source) is worth it for the sake of cutting calories.

The main problem when it comes to fat content and calories in peanut butter is when people overdo it on portions, which of course can be easy to do given how yummy peanut butter is. This is why I usually only reserve it for my smoothies so I can get that sweet fix with the occasional sandwich every so often. This also brings me to another con of PB Fit compared to Nut's 'n More in that I use my daily protein smoothie as a means to satiate any cravings for sweets I have using a healthy dessert, and sadly PB Fit when mixed with a smoothie just doesn't taste as sweet as a serving of Nut's 'n More.

And finally my third option (which also is my second choice brand for nut butter of choice) is this unsweetened powdered almond butter made by a brand called Barney Butter which specializes pretty much solely in almond butter products both as spreads and powder.

Of the three, it has less protein and vitamins while also having less fat at 1 gram (again debatable on good or bad to exclude the fats contained in nuts) less calories at 45 per two tablespoon serving, 4 grams of carbs, and no sodium at all (which again can be beneficial to those watching their sodium intake).

So its most comparable to PB Fit given their nutritional values are more similar with the edge going to Barney Butter in regards to caloric intake, low carbs\sugar, and no sodium. Also it tastes better especially given that as an almond product it pairs well with the almond milk I use.

Now in regards to exactly how all this adds up calorie wise when it comes to making a protein smoothie, I'll break it down here.

A scoop of Gorilla Mode protein powder -140 calories.

One banana - 105 calories (give or take based on the size of the banana).

A cup of unsweetened almond milk -30 calories.

A single serving (two tablespoons) of nut butter - varies for the following reasons.

If I mix a serving of Nuts n' More (or Jif natural peanut butter given they both contain 190 calories per serving) it comes up to about 465 calories (which I usually burn most of it off at the gym just from my time on the treadmill not counting the weightlifting prior).

With a serving of PB Fit its 345 calories while a serving of the Barney Butter almond powder puts it at around 320 calories. If I were to add half an apple that's somewhere around another 48 calories with a cup of frozen berries from this brand I prefer being around 80 calories.

I try to make sure each of my meals don't go over 600 calories with me trying to eat at least 3 times a day (though I've had a habit of eating more than planned for one meal and then skipping one in response so I don't overeat). Overall I do what I can to try and stay within a range of 2000-2500 calories and also utilize 12 hour intermittent fasting in my fitness pursuits.

So with all this, I have one more bonus category for you guys just for fun.

-My Gym Playlist-

Some people can go to the gym and train without music but for me its a must.

Not only does it help me focus and get me hyped up but it also helps me pass the time and make my workouts less boring. If anything there's been a lot of times where I'll match my steps when jogging on the treadmill to the beat of the music.

So, in regards to my actual gym playlist, it would drastically add to what's already a somewhat lengthy blog.

But, I listen to a lot of rap and Hip-Hop (Wu-Tang, Tech N9ne, Hopsin, N.W.A, Run The Jewels, Dax, Run DMC, Eminem, ICP, Twiztid, The Beastie Boys, etc).

Metal (Avenged Sevenfold, Motionless In White, Slipknot, Trivium, System of A Down, Hatebreed, Atreyu, Pantera, Static X, Battle Beast, Maximum The Hormone, Drowning Pool, Korn, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, etc). Recently I also started listening to a pretty new Japanese all girl metal band called HANABIE.

Punk (AFI's old stuff, The Misfits, The Ramones, Rancid, Alkaline Trio, Green Day, etc).

You'd also be surprised to know by looking at me that there's times where I'll be blasting Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Madonna, Paula Abdul, BTS, and other POP artists, sometimes classical if I'm in the mood, and I have a habit of queuing up anime openings in my playlist as well as anime raps done by an artist I found on YouTube named Rustage. In and out of the gym I have a wide music preference and for me it tends to be a matter of if I like it then I'll listen to it, genres aside.

Other bands/artists I listen to (as examples) in and out of the gym are 30 Seconds To Mars, H.I.M, Volbeat, Daft Punk, Gorillaz, Excision, Black Veil Brides, Linkin Park (probably my most listened to band alongside Avenged Sevenfold and Motionless In White), Hadouken!, The Prodigy, Billy Idol, Papa Roach,, Hed PE, Rage Against The Machine, Murderdolls, and a lot more.

-Conclusion-

In closing, I'm hoping that everything here has been insightful for you guys.

Be it giving you an idea of how I train for you to research each individual routine and draw ideas from them (or maybe tell me what I can improve on), showing you some options for food that you haven't heard of, or just motivation for you to take those difficult and scary steps into a gym for the first time, the main take away I want from this blog is the same as the guides I've done in the past to try and help new livestreamers get started, which is to make things easier for those who may be struggling and in the process help them feel more confident about their pursuits.

Like with content creation, a lot of hard work, commitment, and at times set backs come with going to the gym.

And like content creation there will be times where you'll wonder if that hard work is getting you any closer to your goals

But taking a step forward one at a time even if just a lap or two around your block is still progress.

For me it was a massive challenge starting out and I hated going to the gym and got hurt multiple times due to improper form and plenty of times I just felt unmotivated, but I kept going back whenever I healed up and continued to go even when I didn't feel like it.

Now after research and trial by error on proper form and being so consistent about going that it's developed into a habit where I've seen results, I now look forward to going to the gym each week and testing myself more because I genuinely enjoy it and now it just feels great being in there.

So my advice is to stick to it as best you can even if only a day or two starting out as you take it at your own pace and don't overdue it.

It may be hard at the beginning and you're gonna make gym going mistakes (especially understanding that proper form which I myself also still struggle with at times) but once you start seeing progress and it motivates you more then everything becomes easier to manage.