Tackling the lockdown with structure, discipline
Justus wasn’t about to let the pandemic dull his goals
You don’t always have to go far to find a great story.
This week, I’m featuring my son, Justus, a 17-year-old high school student athlete whose world was turned upside down last March due to the restrictions put into place to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Meaning, no football, hockey, badminton or baseball seasons.
Athletes live very structured lives, dividing their years into pre-season, in-season and off-season. While preparing, competing and recovering from these seasons takes great effort, there is a reassuring rhythm to knowing what, and when, things need to be done.
When that structure is removed, it’s easy for bad habits to creep into the life of someone who has nothing to prepare for and nothing to look forward to.
The many examples of retired athletes battling depression, boredom and/or addiction are proof of this. For young people, this can lead to “gaming” addictions, poor sleep habits, truancy, overeating junk food, consuming energy drinks and acquiring habits like smoking, drinking and using cannabis.
When you add that school has moved entirely online, the ideal conditions are in place for boredom and anxiety.
Finding purpose through fitness training helped Justus restore structure to his days while maintaining the discipline necessary for navigating the challenges of living with COVID-19.
In his own words, here is his story:
Q: Why did you start working out? A: When I started lifting weights for the first time, it was because I was tired of being the “skinny kid.” I was self-conscious about my body and wanted to build up some muscles that would also help me with sports like hockey and football.
The reason that I decided to get really serious about things after the lockdown started was because I was missing sports so much and felt anxiety over not knowing what to expect from school and my job from week to week. Being cooped up in the house makes it easy to get depressed and bored and I found that whenever I was feeling stressed, angry or sad, I would do a hard workout and it always made me feel better; like I could focus again.
Q: What have you noticed since starting?
A: So many kids I know spend all of their time online playing video games, all day and all night, day after day. While I do like to play games as well, staying focused on something else that is healthy has made it easier for me to keep structure in my life to be able to study and do school work and go to my job when I have to. If you are going to train hard and want to see results, you have to eat healthily and get proper sleep.
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge?
A: The hardest thing has probably been figuring out how to keep training at the same level and intensity when the gym hours were restricted and then the gym was closed completely. We have lots of equipment at home, but, it’s not the same as being at the gym with more options and people around for motivation.
Q: What has been your proudest achievement?
A: When the lockdown started in March, I was able to bench press 155 lb. (my body weight at the time). My goal was to get to a 200lb. bench by the end of the year and when gyms were shut down in November, I easily benched 190 lb. I know that when things reopen I’ll hit my goal in no time. My current body weight is 170 lb., which means that I’m not so much the skinny kid any more.
Q: After close to a year, how are things going right now?
A: After a couple of months of home training, I’ve settled into a really good five to six days per week bodybuilding routine. I’m feeling good about things and even though we’re locked down even tighter, I’m busy with school work, an after-school job, my workouts and “hanging out” with my friends online playing video games.
Q: Do you have any helpful hints for someone who is feeling unsure about starting to exercise at home? A: The thing that has really been driving me has been connecting, virtually, with other people around the world who are going through the same things as me. Many have already achieved what I’m working toward and have been super supportive of what I’m doing. Keeping journals and notes is also important. It’s helped me to stay motivated when I compare where I was last March to where I am now.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m planning to take a Grade 13 high school year to be able to play football one more time and then will pursue further education to study fitness training at a higher level and learn a trade.