Back at the start of the pandemic, YouTuber Craig Benzine committed to working out regularly during quarantine. Having previously always struggled to muster up the motivation to maintain the consistency required to achieve real results, this time around he invested in a personal trainer and app which would help him track his progress.
“I’m looking forward to a time when I can move around effortlessly and feel like I have more energy all the time,” he says at the beginning of the challenge.
Benzine started out with just bodyweight workouts, including jumping jacks, pushups, V-ups, Russian twists, Supermans, air squats, ice skaters, and burpees. Eventually, he also incorporated kettlebell exercises into his routine as well. He worked out 4 to 5 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes, and also ran up to 5 miles, 3 to 5 times a week, meaning he was including some kind of physical activity in his schedule every day.
“My legs are sore, my abs are sore,” he says going during the first week. “The toughest thing was the ab stuff. I really need to work on my abs… I’m discovering muscles that really need to be worked.”
In addition to making the workouts increasingly more difficult as time passes, he also makes some changes to his nutrition, eating more protein and cutting down on his alcohol consumption. Throughout the challenge, Benzine finds that he actually looks forward to his daily workouts. “It’s hard, some days it’s really hard, but I still enjoy it,” he says.
He also credits working with a trainer virtually as something which helps to keep him accountable and motivated, as well as teaching him how to make improvements in his form and technique, including slowing down his pushups so that he can complete fewer reps but is placing more tension on his muscles.
After 200 days following his program, Benzine has dropped from 182 pounds to 165 pounds, with visible weight loss in his torso. He also has more energy and notices he feels less tired in his everyday life.
On Day 201, Benzine goes back and attempts his very first workout again, and is surprised at how easily he is able to complete it. “It feels good knowing I’ve improved this much,” he says. “I’m going to keep working on it… It’s just part of my life now.
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