Weight isn’t always the primary focus of someone’s fitness journey. You can be perfectly healthy at all kinds of weights! For James Burk, the main concern was bulking up and maintaining his strength while still hitting some weight goals. Over the last few months, James’ weight has fluctuated between 235 and 255 as he has dieted and bulked up muscle. “Since January 2021, I’ve cut down to 240 pounds and intend on making it to around 220 by the end of March in anticipation for summer,” he said. “The biggest thing for me is maintaining strength throughout my bulks as well as cuts.”
The COVID-19 pandemic affected James’ regimen, as it did for many of us. He told us, “I took six long months away from the gym, ate fast food every day, and didn’t really exercise.” After learning his own place of employment was re-opening in September, James knew he needed to get back into shape and returned to Xperience the following day.
Of course, getting back into a routine isn’t always easy after a long layoff. James has been active most of his life, but after some time away, it wasn’t as easy as flipping on a switch. “After a long period of not being active, it’s always discouraging the first two weeks of working out,” he told us. “Your muscles are atrophied, you’re weaker, you feel like you’re being judged. The biggest thing is just going out there and getting gains until it becomes habitual.” James’ efforts clearly haven’t gone unnoticed, either. Besides his improved physical appearance, he has increased his personal bests for benching, deadlifting, and squatting!
As we always say, exercising the body can have a profound impact on the mind too, and James can attest to that. “Aside from feeling stronger physically, I feel stronger mentally. Confidence, focus, and motivation to be the best version of myself are at an all-time high,” he said.
James’ commitment and focus are great examples of how one can achieve their goals if they keep their mind on track. “You are your own competition, be your own hype man, exceed your own expectations,” is what he wants others to learn from his experiences.
Great work James, and we look forward to seeing what other goals you accomplish!