🔵 By Steven Newell. Photo by lauragrafie.
As an inmate, fitness becomes a number of things that’s not so healthy overall. But I think we can ask the same question to those out in the world. On the inside, those of us that work out do it to cope with being locked up, to release anger and other emotional strongholds, to look as though we are tough. Don’t act like that one isn’t real. Guys do try getting ‘convict swoll’ to look the part. It’s true though. The biggest guy on the yard doesn’t fight much, because his size intimidates the others. So does the one that ‘acts’ aggressive. Those tricks usually work. But back to what if means.
I admit I have fell in all those categories. Years of living that way just fed all the wrong things to be working out for. The anger got worse and the pride grew.
I was miserable and wondering why I was growing a gut with all this working out. It’s crazy how the body works. You can be eating right and working out twice a day, and still get fat. Still have love handles. The negative reasons for working out are also producing a stress hormone called cortisol which causes weight gain. Physical stress, like working out, and emotional stress produces this hormone. And check this out, the area around your belly button is made up of fatty cells that are made up of cortisol fat cells. So if fitness to you is the above mentioned categories, then I would advice you to rethink why you work out or else sooner or later you’ll find yourself the big guy on the yard with a belly and love handles.
Fitness can be a positive change in your life. Mood lifter and overall feel great and sexy no matter where you’re at. Whether you’re in a huge gym or a prison cell, no one can take fitness from you or how it affects you. Just as we talked about the negative hormones producing fat in your body under stress, so are there good, positive hormones that are released during exercise that makes you feel good, like the dopamine hormones. Which can also trigger fat burn. Do I need to tell you what the sex hormone is? Working out can be addicting! That’s some real talk right there. Plus, you get away from all the health issues common to inmates. We will talk about prison food in another article.
Fitness became a life support for me. Both for health reasons and personal mental health reasons. Instead of pride I became proud, because I saw myself sweating thru crazy routines week after week and getting the gains I was going for. But the fortitude I saw in myself showed I could change anything I wanted to. I could endure anything I wanted to. I wasn’t a loser, I was worth something.
I can preach on fitness and all its glory for a lifetime. Get real about it and it will change your life and affect every area of who you are and your life.
★ CHALLENGE ★
20 push ups
20 crunches
20 squats
5 rounds for time (time yourself to see how long it takes)
Simple enough, right? This will give you a real look at your fitness level.
It will test your wind (gas tank), your muscle endurance, and strength. On push ups – chest to floor. On crunches – don’t try coming up too high or pushing your neck out. Just focus on constricting your core. Which doesn’t take much. Squats should go down to chair level position. Don’t try touching the floor with your butt. Your knees will thank you when you’re 50-years old.
Women! I encourage you to follow the workout like guys do. You’re not weaker! If you have to modify moves, then it should be, because you’re tiring out. In fatigue. That’s fine! But don’t start your push up on your knees. You can do them!
You’re a bad ass so go be one. I dare you!