It was the beginning of November 2021 when I started going to the gym. I was invited by a friend who's been into the gym for almost 15 years now and although at first, I was a bit reticent about spending my evenings Monday to Friday sweating and working out, it became a habit and an addiction at the same time once I got "the taste of steel".
I should have started earlier, but there's no way of turning back the time, thus regrets are futile at this point. The gym where I'm going from Monday to Friday is as old school as it can get. It's actually the training gym of the kayaking sports team in town.
The nearest more modern one is about 25 kilometers away and considering that Romanian roads are time-consuming and also cash consuming too since the prices of diesel have started skyrocketing, I prefer hitting this one which is actually 2 minutes away from my home.
So, what have I learned after one year of going to the gym? Well, a lot... and I don't even know if I remember right now as I am typing this post all the lessons I gained thus far, but will talk about a few that come to my mind now.
First things first, fitness should be a way of life for everyone. The modern world has turned the majority of us into highly sedentary human beings which do not necessarily make us healthy. Combine that with diets full of highly processed foods and there you have the perfect recipe for looking and filling like shit.
Just like I was in that pic on the right...
Nothing is going to change overnight. Sometimes you won't see much of a difference after even a month or two but at some point, changes will start to become noticeable. Working out should be a long-term habit and not just something you do once in a while. I follow 
They're doing it on a constant basis. That's why they're always in shape, look and feel healthy, and are able to live at their fullest. While working out at the gym hasn't changed my status in any way I can clearly say it changed my mentality reflected in all sorts of mundane shit as well. You just get there and do it, that's how I feel now regarding a lot of things that I used to tackle a bit more shy back in the days...
One important thing that I also learned in this past year is that you should aim high, but not too high, cuz when you aim too high you might injure yourself. I have had knee pain, elbow pain, shoulder one, and almost every pain you can imagine because I rushed into adding more and more weight to my training, "swimming against the stream" and I also rushed the learning process.
You got to push yourself though but in a gradual manner. Getting complacent kills your progress in any activity, exaggerations are not healthy, you can bet on that.
Now, if you look carefully at the pic from the right you will see that I held at that time one beer in my right arm and a fast food meal in my left one. You'll never see that again with me. I might drink a beer or two once in a while, but no more fast food for me. I took the conscious decision, quite recently, unfortunately, to never eat such crap ever again. I'd rather fast than "eat shit" :)).
I even changed my cooking machine a couple of days ago cuz the old one was having an oven that didn't serve me well.
There's tons of information on the internet that can help you make the most out of your gym workouts, same as it goes for crypto, but you have to choose what suits you best. Sometimes it's worth having a trainer or a guide but most often is you who feel and know what's better for you.
Last but not least from the so-called lessons I got after this one-year experience, which can also apply to many things in life, is to not overcomplicate things. Often times the most simple techniques and most basic workout machines are everything that you need. It's your efforts, dedication, discipline, and kitchen behavior that make the difference.
I am happy I took the decision one year ago to start going to the gym, I wish I was more efficient than I was for the past 360 and something days, and also highly excited for the years to come. I wish you all a great Friday now and see you next time.
Thanks for your attention,
Adrian