I currently live in Wisconsin, where winter actually is a season, unlike Vancouver, Washington, where the winter months simply meant colder temperature to go along with the 8 months of rain. Here in Wisconsin, the shift from fall to winter was overnight. Going from 40-degree days to average highs in the 20’s has taken some adjustment. Add to the weather the dwindling hours of sunlight, and you have quite a mental barrier to overcome as you consider even leaving the house after returning home from work. Living in Wisconsin has brought about many learning and growth opportunities, and winter has certainly been one of the toughest to overcome.
Just a little reminder, I work in construction – specifically framing houses – here in Wisconsin. This effectively entails a 10-hour workout every day in this delightful Midwest weather. After a taxing day of manual labor, I want to come home and relax for the evening, however, I don’t believe I will fulfill my ambitions in life, with a feeble work ethic. How do I push myself outside of work? What habits am I forming which will benefit me for the rest of my life?
Working out. I don’t have a gym membership because I prefer working out at home, and that brings unique challenges on its own. Here in Wisconsin, I have the incredible opportunity of living with my older sister and brother in law. They already own plenty of home gym essentials, but did not have their equipment set up for full-time use when I moved in. The gym is in a detached garage, and started very humbly with a power rack, bench, dumbbells, bars, and weights.
Logan, my brother in law, and I worked together to create the amazing gym I get to call home now. This detached garage is essentially just a roof over your head. The biggest investment they've made into this space was adding power throughout the garage. The garage is unfinished, so it is an ice box inside with no insulation or drywall. We've come a long ways from having to use flashlights to workout, and the home gym setup is now reminiscent of the crossfit box I once frequented, which is ideal for anything I am looking to do. Complete with an Olympic lifting platform, rubber flooring, a six-foot-tall tractor tire, and even a massive whiteboard, we now have an unofficial crossfit box.
I am blessed to have such a fantastic home gym setup, and I try to take advantage while I still live here in Wisconsin with Lauren and Logan. A lot of determination is required to workout every day in a 15-degree garage after 10-hours of construction. I was raised an athlete, and fitness has been the most consistent source of stress-relief and positive reinforcement for me, so I have an ingrained sense of drive to continue working out regardless of external factors.
Towards the end of 2018, I fell out of my exercise routine, and my loss of strength was insanely rapid! Although my job keeps me in great shape, it doesn’t really maintain my strength, which I lost most of when I stopped working out for nearly 2 months. I felt guilty for not taking advantage of the incredible free gym I have at my fingertips, and even more so, I was lacking the pride in my physical condition I had been so accustomed to. I’m sure this might come across as a self-centered prick who only prides himself on his self-image, but that is never my intention. Routine exercise alleviates stress, as well as allows me to feel more confident about my health.
I am weak but improving. I will regain the strength I once had, and that process will be strenuous to say the least. What you see on the outside does not equate fully to who I see myself as, and the determination required to push past my current barriers will benefit me immensely in every aspect of my life.
“Don’t expect success where there is no discipline.”
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