This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cincinnati chapter.

You couldn’t pay me a million dollars to get out of the comfort of my nice cozy bed, put on tight clothes to go running around, and lift weights for my “health.” I used to make fun of people who went to the gym like it was a church. They would drink pre-workout beverages out of their blender bottles. They wore tight pants and cropped tops to show off their abs. And you would always see them shaking their blender bottles with some type of protein shake in it. We get it, you work out, as if seeing your abs peeking through the muscle shirt you made yourself didn’t clarify that enough. That’s how I used to think. But why do I think differently now?

It was two years ago and I had just broken up with my boyfriend of 11 months for good this time. I had realized that over those 11 months, I had gained so much weight, I couldn’t even wear my five dollar leggings from Forever 21 without spilling over. That’s when I knew I had to change. It wasn’t until two years later I took it seriously.

I started watching fitness videos on YouTube like Whitney Simmons (who is my favorite OMG please check her out) and looking at fitness post on Pinterest for body inspiration.

OKAY BUT HOW DID YOU START LIKING THE GYM?

Imagining my Greek Goddess Body.

Imagining if I worked hard at the gym, I could look like that. I could have an ass that could crush walnuts and abs that were so flat people could use them as a table. That was what started it, imagining what I could look like. So to get myself to the gym, I started buying cute workout clothes. Yes, I bought the lacey ones from Victoria’s Secret that resemble lingerie from behind and the Lululemon ones that made my ass look amazing. I started wearing them to class so it was easier to change at the gym. The more I wore leggings that made me feel good and confident the more I wanted to go to the gym and show them off.

Like, “Hi everyone! Look at the cute new leggings I got.” So I started working out in them because that’s what workout leggings are for. I didn’t pay 100 dollars for them so guys could ONLY gawk at my bum. I bought them so guys could also gawk while I worked out.

Get you a partner with the same goals.

Working out got easier when I started going with my roommate. We set a routine together. Every other day we would work with a certain muscle group so we could grow muscle in that area. That would be our main focus of that work out session. If you work the same muscles every time you go to the gym you’ll never see progress.

Think of your muscles as a stuck-up girlfriend. She’ll get bored with the relationship if it’s always the same thing. Maybe today you work your glutes, tomorrow is just cardio and you don’t do glutes until the day after tomorrow. Maybe the next time you work abs you do 50-pound situps instead of 40-pound sit-ups. Surprise your muscles, keep them on their toes without overworking them.

Pre-Workout to keep me going.

Another thing that got me working out is pre-workout. Yes, I became that very thing I use to make fun of. Taking pre-workout has honestly helped. It gave me the push to keep going in my workouts. Once I do my 30 minutes of cardio, I can still hit the machines for the next hour or so without wanting to quit. If you don’t want to spend 30 to 40 bucks on some powder that taste like jolly ranchers, black coffee (no cream, no sugar) will do the same trick for cheaper…

Okay, but How did you manage to not stop going even though you’re high on pre-workout?

It all goes back to imagining how I would look if I continued to work hard. Overworking your muscles will do the very opposite of progress, not to mention you can seriously injure yourself. What I have learned is it’s better to do fewer reps in a set and then add more sets if you feel like your body can handle it, rather than doing more reps and fewer sets.

A safe number is always 10. (FYI, 10 sit-ups equals a set, one sit up equals one rep. get it?)

Eating healthier

Everyone assumes that if you just work out more you’ll get that spring body in three months. FALSE. Working out is only 30 percent of it. The other 70 or so comes from healthy eating. Don’t diet, if you’re cutting out food groups, that’s not healthy. Example: no carb diet. Carbs are good for you. They give you energy, they love you, so don’t cut them out like an ex-boyfriend. Cut down on how much you eat. If you’re trying to build muscle, you need protein. You can buy protein powder if you choose or you can just amp up your protein intake. The way I do it is; if the item has more protein than the sugar, it’s good. If it’s the opposite, hard pass. I try to stay away from protein bars, don’t force yourself to eat crap so you don’t look like crap later. NO. Focus on lean beef, chicken, and lunch meat or turkey. Stay away from pork. It’s mostly fat and that’s what you’re trying to get rid of on your body. You can still eat your carbs, just not late at night. You can also still eat your ice cream every now and then. Like Whitney says, “Everything in moderation.” But don’t go chugging beers like Chad in Mocha Kappa Chi on the weekends, every weekend.

Lastly, cut out pop and soda (whatever you call it). And drink more water. I used to think that drinking more water was a load of bull crap but here I am preaching the same thing I used to ignore.

I gave you my tips to start. Whether you add them to your own or discard them and use different ones, always remember these:
You need a day where you don’t work out. Muscles need a break from heavy lifting. If you don’t rest you’ll never see progress and you’ll injure yourself.
Always eat! Don’t eat as a way of not gaining fat. EAT. Eat protein, snack on a low calorie low-fat Greek yogurt. Don’t just not eat, just eat healthier.
And the most important, listen and pay attention to your body. If you’re sore, rest. Stretch and always drink plenty of water.

Now go get that bubble butt, girl!

Workout clothes (other than Adidas, Nike, Under-armour):

Pre WorkOut Brands (or just use coffee):

GNC (They have a wide variety of different brands)

C4 (I use this one)

Protein Shake brands (Or just amp up your protein intake):

C4 (I use their pre-work but not their post workout)