Muscle gaining refers to gaining some amount of muscle mass in the human body , muscle gaining is necessary for all human beings but especially for people who are obese as when they don´t have enough amount of muscle to support their current weight , such weight would start bending their bones and in the long run there would be a lot of problems. If I connect this with myself I stood at 103 kg´s , peak lock-down , and little to no muscle , I started having constant pain in my feet and could not move or lift heavy objects and even had trouble so doing with my body weight. Here I decided to start with this muscle gaining process by lifting weights and incorporating a protein rich diet.
LO-1(Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth) – As I was already heavy I was stronger than most people if we talk about pound for pound lifting capacity so I found it easy to lift weights , it was also quite convenient as it didn’t involve excessive amounts of running or jumping , which will be difficult for a lazy and fat person , and I started to progressively overload the weight. Now that I got to know about my strengths and weaknesses it became clear to me and I understood about what my body is capable of and or what it needs. It is important to know our strengths and weaknesses because then we understand our limitations and how we can exercise control of pushing our limitations safely in order to grow and develop. I understood my weakness and started to work on it the 2 weaknesses I had were : 1. Underdeveloped muscles and 2. A protein deficit diet . For my underdeveloped muscles I started lifting weights and progressively lifting heavier , and for my diet I started balancing my meals and incorporating protein sources such as Pulses , Lentils , Beans , Milk and eggs into my diet. If I have a high protein diet my body takes less time to recover and in turn helps me put on more lean amounts of muscle faster and lifting heavy will help me train for hypertrophy , which is a state essential for muscle growth.
LO-2(Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process)- The aspect of this experience that was most challenging for me was consistency , in the lock down I had become fat and lazy and it was mentally difficult for me to escape from that loophole , also I was new to weightlifting so I did not have much knowledge about muscle groups and the form in which we have to perform different exercises , I had never done this before and this sense of newness made me feel all the more excited and dedicated towards it. I started to be regular , and to be completely honest I wast always showing up at the start I took a lot of breaks and a lot of cheat days but slowly worked upon being more regular and soon came par with my expectations. I feel glad that I undertook this challenge because it didn’t just get me out of a deep depressing hole but also helps me take care of my health and makes my body support me for a longer period of time. It is important for us to take new challenges because they teach us abut our capabilities in all forms of human endeavor. The skill I learnt of weightlifting along this process could help me in the future if i want to teach people around me and help them increase their muscle mass too , it could help me understand the field of weightlifting better , becoming a professional and maybe help me put the knowledge into monetization.
LO-3 (Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience) – I organized myself by setting alarms , making schedules , having empty 1-2 hour slots to compensate for lost time anywhere throughout my day and by keep things ready before hand so that even if I feel lazy to put the work in , I have everything ready , all I need to do is show up. I´m not usually a very organized person , but when I want something I do all in my power to get it , even if it can be achieved by becoming organized , even if it requires me to wake up at 4 am. The difficulties although did not come while planning they always came when it came to execution as that was the tough part , where I actually had to put in the work , but at the date I am writing this blog I reflect back and remember myself falling in love with the process , fighting with the difficulties as I slowly started seeing results , whenever I thought I was tired and could not put in the work one quick flex in the mirror and I would feel that I am ready to conquer the world , so i concur that it also has positive effect on ones mental health too. Planning and Initiation are 2 very necessary aspects of achieving something and they both go hand in hand because , no planning is useful without initiation and no initiation can be done without planning.
LO-4 (Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences) – Commitment and Perseverance are the biggest tool to mankind when they want to develop a habit , whether it maybe a good one or a bad one , commitment and perseverance are necessary because they help get the task done on a regular basis , whereas something such as motivation could just be a temporary nudge and help accomplish the task one time . It is not very easy to commit to things its a slow but effective process but when you commit and persevere to achieve something you get harder than the thing itself , so it submits to you and you achieve it. Showing Perseverance and commitment are important as they are 2 important aspect of a successful persons life , and without them its difficult to achieve anything in life.
LO-6 (Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance) – The global issue I was dealing with was lack of muscle mass , especially in Indians in the current time , we forget to meet our protein goals , which is essential for our body in the long run , even more so when we get old. as when a person gets old their muscles and bones should be strong and able to support their body . This global issue contributes to my personal growth because I myself am standing for what I speak and put on quality amount of muscle mass on my own body , so my means of countering this global issue , is to portray my own body as such an example.
My final takeaway after completing this experience is I firstly feel stronger and more easier to do everyday things , or lifting heavy objects , walk for longer and work with my current body weight. I also feel very confident in my body and it was overall a refreshing experience as I changed not only my physique , but my habits and mentality too at the same time, At the end im glad I carried this experience out.
