Working Out at Home: A Matter of Motivation

Why do we have to exercise?

Burak, we're asking the first question on behalf of all humanity: Why do we have to exercise? Why do we need it? Is it just about health or just physical appearance?

Excellent question. Humans haven't completed their evolution yet. Once our hip joint formed and we stood up, our need to walk became continuous. The human anatomy isn't actually designed for sitting. So, we either need to lie down or stand up. Our current body structure is built to expend energy. When we store energy, our form, health, and organs start to deteriorate. In short, we still need to expend a certain amount of calories daily. Our evolution isn't complete in this aspect yet. 

So, the "getting fit," "building muscle" trend of recent years isn't our actual need?

No, absolutely not. That's entirely a marketing product. It's a trend that has been "pumped" to us, so to speak, especially from the West. There's been a misconception that very muscular men are very healthy. Of course, very muscular men can be very healthy, but there's no such thing as "having such a physique means being healthy." Also, a tiny waist, incredibly defined abs, and so on, are not actually that healthy. When I completed my medical exercise training, one of my instructors told me this: "Actually, a person with visible abdominal muscles is not healthy because their body fat percentage is below what it should be." This is a situation that prevents many vital functions from being carried out. 

This information could make a difference in many people's perspectives, thank you for that. Let's get to the main topic; we want to talk about exercising at home. Because during the pandemic, both those who already exercised and those who started were always at home and exercised at home. Isn't exercising at home difficult?

Due to the pandemic, there were restrictions, which reached quarantine levels. This made it mandatory for people to exercise at home. This situation wasn't a huge problem for those who practice sports as a lifestyle. Those who exercised for health could actually continue with their own body weight. However, it started to become a problem for people who wanted to build muscle or had aesthetic concerns. Because the main goal for these people is to have bigger and more defined muscles. For people who want muscle growth, that is, hypertrophy, equipment is necessary, and this put them in a difficult situation.

Equipment… that's also an issue. Aside from some small equipment, those who want to work out their bodies especially need very large equipment. These machines are both expensive and not ergonomic.

Yes, and once home workouts became a trend, even small equipment increased in price.  

Despite all this, is it possible to exercise at home instead of at gyms?

I can say very clearly that it is possible to exercise at home! I'll even give myself as an example; I didn't really believe that online coaching could be done. As someone who coached in different gyms and was also an athlete, I thought, "It won't work, we probably won't be able to do it." But when there was demand, I said, "Let's try and see." If the instructor truly has knowledge of anatomy and physiology; if they can capture the angles of a movement when they see it; if they are knowledgeable about the subject... We saw that it really was possible, and we started getting results. Before, I was wondering, "Is this even working?" but now I've shifted all my focus to this area. I also started not going to gyms to avoid infecting my family, and now I'm a full-time online personal trainer.  

So, taking lessons from a personal trainer alone still provides benefits, right?

Of course it does. Just like in every sector and field, this is also a form of consultancy. People usually seek consulting services to get accurate information as quickly as possible. You can find any information on the internet; yes, but how "accurate" the information we find is and how quickly we find it also matters.

Especially the part about finding "accurate information" becomes more difficult as access becomes easier.

Yes, because there's a lot of misinformation. Something being popular doesn't mean all information about it is accurate. That's why, for those who can afford it, working with a personal trainer - or rather, an "exercise professional" - helps them achieve optimal results.

Now, with the pandemic, home workouts have become popular, leading to an explosion of "information." There are tons of resources, and everyone is saying something. How should one find the right path? How should one think before or when starting?

Again, let me give an example from myself; I recommend this to everyone who takes lessons from me or asks for advice: We don't need anything. We just need a little bit of motivation. You will create a 3-5 square meter space for yourself, and then you will start applying the movements you learned from trusted sources, trying different variations.

They found the resources, determined the movements, created their space, and their motivation is complete. What then? They know what to do now, but how much should they do?

There's something called training intensity. In English, it's "Intensity," and its exact equivalent isn't "Şiddet" (violence); "Yoğunluk" (density) might be a more appropriate term. This is understood as a very high degree, but it's not; let me explain: training intensity consists of four variables: duration, number of sets, number of repetitions, and load. The load is constant; it's our body weight. If we diversify the other three variables with different combinations and perform them for a certain period, we can get results. Because the body can only develop and reach a better level through stress. And the body adapts to stress quickly. For example, if I do 2 sets of 10 push-ups in the first week but continue this for 3 weeks, I'll stay at the same level. By the 3rd week, I can actually increase my set count and decrease my repetition count. This way, I cause a change in training intensity. This way, results can truly be achieved. 

So, for beginners, bodyweight alone is enough for exercising at home, right?

Absolutely. And it also requires continuity, discipline, and motivation. :)

So, does it end with just exercising?

It doesn't end. We need to understand this clearly: This is a whole package. It's not just about exercising; exercise, sleep, and nutrition are a whole.

So, should we talk a little about nutrition? Almost everyone is on a diet. The most popular one is "Intermittent Fasting"... Is it right to just jump into a diet like that?

Diet actually helps people discipline themselves, to keep themselves in a certain area. Or, as you said, Intermittent Fasting... Now, pursuing an idea is great, okay, but what is the goal? What do I want? Just to be healthy? Do I want to stand on my hands above my head? Do I really need it? These questions need to be asked.

For someone who knows what they want, what is your first recommendation regarding nutrition? Especially for those who are at home.

First of all, everyone knows everything now, I always say this. They know about carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Along with that, they also know very well what is harmful and what is not.

First and foremost, let's eliminate "Junk Food" from our lives. As we sat at home, we wanted to make ourselves happy, and ordering is so easy now, so we brought packaged products into our homes and tried to be happy with them. I did it too, myself included. Since we are inside the house, these are very easy to access. For example, before, we would go out, go to work, but now since we work at home, we can immediately go to the kitchen, grab a packaged food, and take in calories that we don't need at all.

After that, there are three things to pay attention to: High fiber, unsaturated fat, and quality protein. This trio is really important.

Burak, one last question: Do you have any tips for maintaining motivation after starting?

Definitely, small goals should be set first. Like 10-day, 20-day, 1-month goals... Within 20 days, our habits gradually start to settle in. Within 90 days, it starts to become a lifestyle. At first, we can set small goals like being healthier, feeling better. Such small goals set for a 20-day period can be transformed into bigger goals with the self-confidence and sense of achievement that physical change will bring. After this stage, for example, I believe we can keep our motivation alive by setting 90-day and then 1-year goals.

Burak, thank you very much. We believed in the possibility of exercising at home. Next week, we'll host you again on another topic, we don't let anyone go easily.

Thank you. I'd be very happy to. We'll continue. :)

If you're convinced too, you can contact Burak via his Instagram account @buraktabag. Don't wait too long, you start too. As Burak said: "A little motivation." :)