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Near the end of 2019, I was hit with some unprecedented health issues. I never cared about being the biggest guy in the room, nor did I want to roid up for IFBB competitions. I was just a kid who wanted to live a healthy lifestyle… and all of a sudden, it was taken away from me.
➤ Imagine you’re a 21 year old, stuck at home because of COVID mandates. Not like you can physically move much anyways without feeling like absolute garbage.
➤ Once the body starts to fall apart, the mind floods with anxiety and depression. You begin to believe that you will never be able to escape this new reality.
➤ You look on social media, and all you’re being fed is content you relate with: fitness. Some are successful athletes who have built their journey into a digital-first brand, while others are kids younger than you who are catching up to your physique.
➤ And all you do is nothing but compare. You feel like you’re falling behind.
Here’s my 10-step process on how I transitioned from a 5 Year hiatus to consistently lifting for ~3 months.
Reset your circadian rhythm. Your body is at its peak when it gets good sleep (especially during REM) at the right time. If you aren’t getting 7-8 hours of sleep on average, fix that. If you are sleeping at the wrong times, fix that too.
Learn to love cardio. Start by walking a few miles around your neighborhood. Enjoy the fresh air, clear your mind, step out of isolation. Next, progress to running & hiking. Train your body to run or hike at a conversational pace. Challenge your body to its limits, and experience a true runner’s high (this was me all of 2020-2023).
Begin performing body-weight or Exerbotics training. The slow, negative movements allow for the body to get the gains it needs without exerting too much physical stress. Think of it like rehabilitation, hence why this step is crucial.
Try body-based treatments. Physical therapy, acupuncture, wellness coaching, cryo/heat therapy, and more can all help with your health. Chiropractic care targeted my issues directly when I found the right provider in 2023, and my body has never been stronger. People say these physicians are fake, and a lot of them are. But legitimate professionals can help you with your body in ways that medical drugs with endless side-effects cannot.
Experiment with fasting. Maybe try daily water-based intermittent fasting (which I’ve been doing since 2024), or explore other options like liquid fasts, the Daniel Fast, occasional 24–72 hour fasts, etc. Let your body enter ketosis, improve its metabolic flexibility, and have an overall system reset. It’s so worth it.
Believe in something. Your mind needs PEACE. This is a part that tends to get overlooked a lot, so I want to put a lot of emphasis on it. Personally, I’m a proud follower of Christ, and I am confident I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Him. Very grateful and blessed.
Don’t go too hard. Now that you’re back in the gym (me starting 3 months ago), take it easy. There’s this stigma that athletes need to go in 5-6 times a week, but I’ve been going into the gym 4 days a week and have never experienced this level of growth before. Don’t train more than your body can handle; recovery always comes first (as we covered in step 1).
It’s all about tempo. Adding on from step 7, increase your sets & reps rather than the weights. Push until your muscles burnout, rather than straining your body and risking injury. Do what is best for YOUR body and where you see the most progress. It’s normal to feel small when starting out, but muscle memory is insane; you’ll catch up surprisingly quickly in strength & size.
Socialize, make friends. The gym is one of the most diverse and friendliest places on the planet. It couldn’t be an easier spot to meet other meatheads and get swole together. You’re living in your prime years, surround yourself with like-minded people. The gym isn’t just about your physical health, it’s about being part of a community.
Be cautious of what you consume. As an American, I live surrounded by toxic slop packaged in friendly boxes. Read the ingredients, learn how to track your macros and begin meal-prepping if you want to hit certain fitness goals. Some supplements are good like Protein, Creatine, BCAAs, Glutamine, Collagen, etc. Everything in moderation. Oh, and stay hydrated too.
If you’re going through something like this, remember that you’re not alone. There was a time I truly believed I would never gym again, and now I’m 27, slamming those weights. If I can, so can you.
I hope that my testimony has been your inspiration. Get those gains.
As Ronnie Coleman says: YEAH BUDDY! LIGHTWEIGHT, BABY!!!
Near the end of 2019, I was hit with some unprecedented health issues. I never cared about being the biggest guy in the room, nor did I want to roid up for IFBB competitions. I was just a kid who wanted to live a healthy lifestyle… and all of a sudden, it was taken away from me.
➤ Imagine you’re a 21 year old, stuck at home because of COVID mandates. Not like you can physically move much anyways without feeling like absolute garbage.
➤ Once the body starts to fall apart, the mind floods with anxiety and depression. You begin to believe that you will never be able to escape this new reality.
➤ You look on social media, and all you’re being fed is content you relate with: fitness. Some are successful athletes who have built their journey into a digital-first brand, while others are kids younger than you who are catching up to your physique.
➤ And all you do is nothing but compare. You feel like you’re falling behind.
Here’s my 10-step process on how I transitioned from a 5 Year hiatus to consistently lifting for ~3 months.
Reset your circadian rhythm. Your body is at its peak when it gets good sleep (especially during REM) at the right time. If you aren’t getting 7-8 hours of sleep on average, fix that. If you are sleeping at the wrong times, fix that too.
Learn to love cardio. Start by walking a few miles around your neighborhood. Enjoy the fresh air, clear your mind, step out of isolation. Next, progress to running & hiking. Train your body to run or hike at a conversational pace. Challenge your body to its limits, and experience a true runner’s high (this was me all of 2020-2023).
Begin performing body-weight or Exerbotics training. The slow, negative movements allow for the body to get the gains it needs without exerting too much physical stress. Think of it like rehabilitation, hence why this step is crucial.
Try body-based treatments. Physical therapy, acupuncture, wellness coaching, cryo/heat therapy, and more can all help with your health. Chiropractic care targeted my issues directly when I found the right provider in 2023, and my body has never been stronger. People say these physicians are fake, and a lot of them are. But legitimate professionals can help you with your body in ways that medical drugs with endless side-effects cannot.
Experiment with fasting. Maybe try daily water-based intermittent fasting (which I’ve been doing since 2024), or explore other options like liquid fasts, the Daniel Fast, occasional 24–72 hour fasts, etc. Let your body enter ketosis, improve its metabolic flexibility, and have an overall system reset. It’s so worth it.
Believe in something. Your mind needs PEACE. This is a part that tends to get overlooked a lot, so I want to put a lot of emphasis on it. Personally, I’m a proud follower of Christ, and I am confident I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Him. Very grateful and blessed.
Don’t go too hard. Now that you’re back in the gym (me starting 3 months ago), take it easy. There’s this stigma that athletes need to go in 5-6 times a week, but I’ve been going into the gym 4 days a week and have never experienced this level of growth before. Don’t train more than your body can handle; recovery always comes first (as we covered in step 1).
It’s all about tempo. Adding on from step 7, increase your sets & reps rather than the weights. Push until your muscles burnout, rather than straining your body and risking injury. Do what is best for YOUR body and where you see the most progress. It’s normal to feel small when starting out, but muscle memory is insane; you’ll catch up surprisingly quickly in strength & size.
Socialize, make friends. The gym is one of the most diverse and friendliest places on the planet. It couldn’t be an easier spot to meet other meatheads and get swole together. You’re living in your prime years, surround yourself with like-minded people. The gym isn’t just about your physical health, it’s about being part of a community.
Be cautious of what you consume. As an American, I live surrounded by toxic slop packaged in friendly boxes. Read the ingredients, learn how to track your macros and begin meal-prepping if you want to hit certain fitness goals. Some supplements are good like Protein, Creatine, BCAAs, Glutamine, Collagen, etc. Everything in moderation. Oh, and stay hydrated too.
If you’re going through something like this, remember that you’re not alone. There was a time I truly believed I would never gym again, and now I’m 27, slamming those weights. If I can, so can you.
I hope that my testimony has been your inspiration. Get those gains.
As Ronnie Coleman says: YEAH BUDDY! LIGHTWEIGHT, BABY!!!
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Micah Fattahi
Micah Fattahi
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