How I lost 29 pounds of weight and gained muscles using a chair. Yes, a chair.
Ridiculous? Not really.
The story of my 13 kilograms (29lbs) weight loss transformation was detailed in my previous articles. Go have a read here and here.
Also, I really appreciate it if you could hit the FOLLOW button, leave a CLAP and share my stories!
Let’s get one thing straight
This is not a professionally endorsed how-to guide on weight loss or me trying to promote IKEA products. In this article, I’m all about sharing my real life experiences by doing things that actually have worked for me. They don’t necessarily will work for you because obviously, everyone’s body is different. So, the general rule of thumb is to know your body first before taking fitness advice from others.
Now, let’s begin.
Calisthenics and…chair?
As mentioned in my previous articles, I started the whole weight loss journey because I wanted to learn calisthenics.
Calisthenics workout can be so minimalistic it only requires me to have a pull up bar, a couple of dumbbells, a pair of gym rings, parallettes, and of course, my own body weight.
Heck, I even started working out with a CHAIR to do things like incline/decline push ups and dips. Even my own friends made fun of me for using a chair to exercise. Boy, do I proved them wrong.
My whole gym setup was way cheaper than a gym membership. I can perform calisthenics in my backyard and even in my bedroom.
Moreover, it was quite astonishing to see how much one hour of calisthenics workout a day has sculpted my body during those 5 months.
I think this was probably due to something called “body recomposition” but I’m not a fitness expert so, I’m not sure. I will let you guys do your own research on that.
However, it took more than calisthenics or a chair to achieve my fitness goals. It required the following puzzle pieces to make it work:
It HIITs close to home
Obviously, cardio is one of those puzzle pieces.
40 minutes of daily walking can be effective enough for a good cardio but if you want to have the exercise to be done quicker, you’ve got to include HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
Not only HIIT will crank your heart rate up to eleven but this mode of exercise consists of various compound movements such as burpee, jumping jack, squat, running plank and so on. Believe it or not, they have helped me to gain my six pack.
“Six pack? Wow, I gotta HIIT hard!”
Well, not so fast because if you’re doing HIIT too frequently, you’re going to set yourself up for potential injury. Usually it takes about a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum 30–40 minutes of HIIT, preferably no more than twice a week. Besides, you still have to keep track of what you eat before you get to see those six pack of yours.
Keep the nutrition simple and clean
Speaking of eating, we all need to switch our mindset and look at eating as a way to refuel our body rather than worship eating as a lifestyle.
You see, there’s a good explanation as to why I was obese in the past. Like a typical Malaysian, I used to be a foodie. I just loved to eat food to a point where I never learned how to eat moderately and healthily.
Nowadays, my typical lunch usually looks like this:
All I need is some protein, some healthy greens and occasionally low-carbs option. Clean and simple, guys.
The key here is moderation and mindful eating.
How fast? Intermittent fast!
I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for almost 6 months now and honestly, I feel great so far.
I basically skip breakfast every morning, survived by only drinking black coffee and water. My fasting usually lasted for about 17 hours and separated by 7 hours of eating window. I usually eat two meals a day, with fruits as snacks in between.
Personally, 17 hours is not that bad. Think about it— we sleep at night during those fasting hours. So technically speaking, the number of fasting hours is actually much less than that.
Be wary though. If you start to feel dizzy or your stomach growls, please stop fasting immediately and go eat something. If it happens way too often, just quit fasting altogether because it may not be that suitable for your health.
Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep
I know life tends to get out of hands sometimes but please try to have a consistent 8 hours of sleep. Your mind needs it. Your body needs it. Period.
Accept the commitment
The mindset that most people have is that they think the gym is the only place where they can lose weight. They think they needed all of the gym equipment in order to look jacked or toned or whatever.
The reality is achieving fitness goals requires more than just your workout location and/or gym equipment. I managed to achieve my fitness goals all at home. I don’t have fancy equipment, so a chair will do. No excuses.
In the end, it boils down to this one simple fact:
Fitness is a commitment. Accept it.
Fitness is a long marathon that you have to endure. I remember I said to myself, “It doesn’t matter if it takes me years to lose weight and learn how to do a front lever. I’ll get there eventually.”
Indeed, eventually I did reach my normal weight and it only took me five months.
Best of all, I managed to perform the crow pose. It’s not a front lever yet. But, it is a great sign that I have increased my body strength.
The moral of the story is you’ve got to acknowledge that fitness is a lifestyle, no matter where you are, how long you’re doing it or what you use. If you can’t go to the gym, your home will do just fine. If you can’t find a dumbbell, a chair will do just fine. Whatever you do, just commit.
Discipline is key
This final piece of the puzzle is the key. Consistent habits are the foundation of discipline.
I’m not gonna lie — it’s hard to keep up with the workout routine, especially when life kicks us down once in awhile. But, I just kept on going. I have to. Especially if I wanted to achieve both my fitness goals and literally anything in life.
You’ve got to keep going. You’ve got to be disciplined. You’ve got to be consistent. It will be worth it in the end and your body will thank you afterwards.
That’s all, folks!
Thanks for reading and I hope that was a fun and informative read! Once again, be sure to leave a CLAP and hit the FOLLOW button for more!!
