Hi there!
Mom and I have been wanting to do a collab post on fitness and strength training for the longest time now. After a lot of procrastination, we have now finally gotten around to doing this.
Over the last couple of years, strength training and fitness have become a huge part of our lives. What started as a simple idea turned into one of our favourite shared routines, and thus, we have now become gym bros for life.
Since it felt slightly odd to interview ourselves, we recruited my brother (a complete gym enthusiast himself and one of our biggest fitness inspirations) to ask us a few questions. Here we go!
1. What was the reason for starting this fitness journey?
Mom: Going to the gym was not something I had ever given a thought to. I had initially gone to the gym only to accompany my daughter in enrolling herself, and she casually asked me whether I wanted to join her too.
I decided to join along with her, and the main reason was simple. I wanted to become fit and strong.
Me: The fitness bug had hit me quite a few years ago, but initially, Yoga and walking were the only forms of exercise I stuck to. In 2023, I took the leap and subscribed to a fitness app called Sweat and started strength training from home.
I still remember completing my very first workout on this app. My entire body was incredibly sore afterwards, and I walked like a duck for the next few days. But that did not discourage me. Over time, I noticed a considerable improvement in my strength and endurance. Eventually, I started craving more, and that’s when I decided to enrol in a gym. There’s been no looking back since then.
2. A gym environment is usually very intimidating. How did you get used to it?
Mom: The word “gym” always made me think only about bodybuilding. But when I met my trainer at the gym, she made me feel extremely comfortable from the very beginning.
When I told her that I simply wanted to become fit and strong, she assured me that she would guide me accordingly. My journey with her has been amazing. She made me feel better after every session and was always encouraging and supportive.
Slowly, the gym became one of my favourite places to go to every day.
Me: This was the exact reason why I held back from joining a gym for so long. I always felt that people would judge me, stare at me while working out, or that the machines looked too huge and intimidating to even understand. I also had this mental block that I did not like people watching me working out. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
As I write this today, I can confidently say that the gym is undoubtedly one of my happy places now. All the misconceptions I had completely disappeared once I actually stepped in. Contrary to my beliefs, people at the gym are often encouraging, motivating, and even willing to help if you need assistance. And the machines? I have grown to absolutely love them. I now have a few favourite machines that I find excuses to use every single week.
3. Are you seeing any changes in yourself outside the gym? In general, day-to-day activities, eating habits, and sleep habits?
Mom: The changes after joining the gym have been very noticeable. I feel fitter and stronger in my day-to-day life. I also feel that I eat better and sleep better now. Overall, I feel healthier and more energetic than before.
Me: MASSIVE changes, honestly.
I had often heard people say that working out helps your mental health as much as your physical health, and I now completely understand what they mean. Strength training has made me more disciplined, focused, energetic, calmer, and overall more positive in my everyday life.
The subtle improvement in strength has made its presence known while I do household chores and daily activities. My approach towards food has also changed over time. Earlier, my focus was mostly on eating to lose weight. Now, I think more about nourishment: getting enough protein, eating wholesome meals, and staying hydrated throughout the day.
One very unexpected improvement for me personally has been a significant reduction in dust allergy triggers. Working out has unknowingly improved my endurance and thereby brought my allergy episodes to a bare minimum.
4. People think a gym is only for bodybuilders or athletes. Burst this myth based on your experience.
Mom: A lot of people think that going to the gym will automatically make you develop huge muscles, but that is completely a myth.
With proper workouts and strength training, you become fitter and stronger. I genuinely feel that fitness should become a normal part of life right from childhood. If people start prioritising strength and fitness early in life, they can remain much healthier as they grow older.
I especially feel that women should focus on strength training because it helps build both strength and immunity.
Me: I am guilty of believing this, too, at one point, but I can now vouch that this is completely a myth.
In reality, most people at the gym are simply ordinary people trying to take better care of their health while balancing work, responsibilities, family, and everyday life. Very few are actually professional athletes or bodybuilders.
I also think there’s a huge misconception around women lifting weights, that it automatically makes women look bulky or “manly.”
A gym is simply a shared space dedicated to people who want to become healthier, stronger, and more capable in their daily lives. That’s all it really is.
5. How do you manage to work out regularly? What motivates you to show up every day?
Mom: We usually go to the gym around five days a week.
What motivates me the most is the feeling I get after a workout. The gym is the place where I sweat, push myself, and sometimes even end up with sore muscles. But the happiness and satisfaction I feel afterwards is beyond words.
The days when I feel like I have accomplished something new or challenging at the gym are always the most satisfying ones for me.
Me: At some point, working out stopped feeling like a task and simply became a part of my routine. My days feel incomplete without showing up at the gym at least 4-5 days a week. And on the days when I don’t go to the gym, I go for long walks or do some stretching or Yoga at home.
To me, working out has become non-negotiable now. It keeps me sane, makes me stronger, and puts me in a much better headspace.
As far as motivation is concerned, the top-tier motivation I have is my one and only gym bro, my mother. She is one of the major reasons why I found my way back to the gym after a difficult phase in life.
Another huge motivation for me is wanting to grow older while still being strong and independent. I don’t want to wait until health becomes a problem before I start taking care of myself. I want to build strength now so that life feels easier, healthier, and more self-sufficient in the years ahead.
Looking back, we both feel glad we decided to start strength training. I wish we had started earlier, but as the saying goes, better late than never.
We have our individual and shared fitness goals for which we are working towards. One of the biggest ones on our list is participating in a marathon later this year. This is going to be a first, both individually and together. And somewhere further down the road, I also wish to eventually take part in Hyrox.
For now, though, we are happy to keep showing up at the gym, lifting heavier, being each other’s cheerleaders and finding strength together, one workout at a time.
Until next time.
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