As we mark the one-year anniversary of quarantine life, it feels inevitable that we’d start to look back at the goals we let slide in 2020. It’s been an incredibly tough 12 months in just about every way, and while it’s far too easy to punish ourselves for not making sufficient progress in our health and fitness, or for putting on weight as a result of gym closures and constant snacking, remember: you’re not alone.
It turns out, Arnold Schwarzenegger feels exactly the same.
In a post shared to Instagram yesterday, the action movie legend and former prizewinning bodybuilder revealed that despite maintaining his workout schedule from home, he has gained some weight as a result of not having any TV of film projects that he needs to get into shape for. He reflected on how this has affected his self-image during lockdown.
“I’ve gained 10 pounds,” he wrote, “and when I wear dark clothes during Zooms I feel pretty good, but when I look at myself in the mirror at night I see the belly, I’m cursing at myself, saying, ‘Arnold. You won 13 bodybuilding titles. The Guinness Book of World Records called you ‘the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world!’ What the hell happened to the six pack? What is going on here? This is depressing.”
If anyone is a living example of how it’s necessary to be kinder to themselves, it’s Schwarzenegger; the guy is in his seventies and recently underwent heart surgery. But he’s making no excuses for himself.
In order to pull himself out of this slump, Schwarzenegger has resolved to lose that weight and get back down to 218 pounds by the end of this month, and he’s inviting his followers to set themselves their own targets. “I am going to conquer March,” he said. “Who’s with me?”
The Instagram post doubled as an announcement that Schwarzenegger will start publishing a newsletter to respond to fans’ questions, and share his advice and insights on how to eat healthy, train better, and stay positive during the pandemic.
“We all have setbacks, but they aren’t permanent,” he said. “You can do it.”
Via Men’s Health.
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