Tyler J.

Burtenshaw

“His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.” (“Lose yourself” by Eminem) On a
daily basis I experience the sweaty palms, weak knees, heavy arms, a body so sore I can barely
walk up the stairs without crying from the pain. And I go through all of this to push myself, to
gain strength, to develop healthy life habits now, so that later in life I won't have to change and
learn about self health then.
A drop of cold, clear, salty sweat rolls down my temple, onto my nose and free falls to
the ground splashing, and leaving a wet splattered circle mark on the floor. This Is the best
workout of my life, I benched a grueling 135 pounds for six repetitions, squated 180 for five
repetitions, completed a 45 pound pull up, to finish up with a 30 min run. A weak earlier I was
losing strength, my lifts were slowly regressing, and I was frustrated, angry, losing hope that I
would ever be strong. While I was in this slump of my lifting life, my friend helped me understand
why and how what I eat affects what I can do when I lift. For example a person can have the
best lift of their life, and the next day can’t even life a half of that weight, and this happens
because of the individuals nutrition, and sleeping habits.
After this teaching moment, every day I made sure to get enough protein, carbs, fats,
and nutrients. I was determined not to start regressing only because what I was eating, or how
much sleep I got the previous week. As I was adjusting to my new diet and sleep schedule, I
noticed that I was eating healthy, and that fruit slowly became more and more sweet, juicy,
vibrant in my eyes, I no longer craved candy and soda, I had more energy to complete not only
my workouts but also to hangout with my friends, to complete school work, and to grow.
I was getting stronger, not monthly, not bi weekly, not even weekly, but daily. Which led
to my best workout I’ve ever had, because I finally had the grit and the energy to be able to
complete the outrageous, hard, unbelievable tasks which I daydreamed, yearned for, and was
driven to do since I was just a kid. I was elated, and others recognized my progress, the
happiness, and confidence that came with my health accomplishments.
After sometime I started lifting I had close friends, and acquaintances asking how to
progress, how I am accomplishing my goals, and how to gain weight a healthy way. Not only in
this process did I accomplish something, but I was able to help others achieve their dreams,
what they yearned for, what they needed to accomplish.
Through this experience I learned that when I am healthy, I am happy, and more
capable to meet the demands of life. That I am kinder, and more willing to help others achieve
their dreams, because I am living mine.