I tie up my hair and load up two 45-pound plates and then two more and one more on each side. It’s not a good workout unless you feel the pain.

When did I become a gym douche? Is that what people think when I say I like lifting weights? I’m not sure, at this point, I wouldn’t mind. It is addicting, and it is the only sport I know.

Only those who enjoy working out can understand the euphoric feeling when you push the weights and feel that muscle burn and the sensation of your muscles tearing just the right amount to make room for growth.

I don’t have a bodybuilder as an inspiration, or a poster of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger taped to my wall. I don’t follow the fitness influencer models, not because I don’t believe in them but because I like to think my body is unique, which makes me my own inspiration. I know, cliché, but I say this because I prefer to use my own progress as a source of inspiration and look at how far I have come and how incredible the human body is, that you’re able to push it to the limit, and transform it completely.

Aside from the aesthetic pleasures working out brings, there is also the mental health part. The only two places my mind ever reaches a peaceful state are when I’m either at the gym or in church, to me, those are my collateral sanctuaries.

I could list all the health benefits exercising does to your body, but what article, magazine, or vlog hasn’t already done that? I’m also the least qualified person to give health advice. I like to think that I maintain an okay diet, and to be quite honest, I’m completely against diets, keto, paleo, low carb. You couldn’t pay me to do that.

I don’t believe in restricting yourself from eating, I’m completely against that. I love food way too much, and life is too short for you not to eat what you like. That’s the only health advice I can share, everything in excess is bad for you, excessive eating, exercising, dieting, etc.

By all means, I’m not discrediting the dieters out there, if what you are doing is not impeding on your mental health stability or physical health, then more credit to you, sadly, I know that’s not the reality for most.

The best gym love story is someone who started working out for the aesthetics and ended up falling in love with the clarity and the endorphins you get from it. There’s not a day when I’m stressed or upset that a good workout can’t solve.

As soon as I feel the weight, everything leaves my mind, and now the only focus is the muscle I’m working on. That brings me to the only other advice I find helpful and why I think most fail at the gym. I notice it all the time when someone says they hate working out, and the reason some feel that way is because they lack muscle and mind connection.

If you’re at the gym, just using any machine or weights you find in your way, not paying attention to what you’re doing, or talking the whole time, then you are lacking concentration, and you can’t expect to see the results you want if you’re not concentrating on what you are doing.

I know some will find me crazy for saying this, but it’s also why I find it important for myself to not listen to music while working out, so I can’t get distracted.

So the next time you hit the gym, try focusing and connecting, not just thinking about it but connecting to your muscles. You can thank me later.

Once you start reaching that level of engagement with your workouts, you will understand why many fall in love with it. Make it more about your connection than your need to burn calories. Try to focus so you can pay attention to what your body is capable of doing, only then, you will start to fall in love with it.