Gina Heart Lifestyle

Featured Guest: “How Fitness Changed My Life” A story about my friend Ash

• By Gina Heart
• July 25, 2013
• 12 Comments

Ash and I met on a study abroad program called Semester At Sea, where our university became a floating campus on a converted cruise ship. We got along right from the start and in my mind, he was known as the friendliest most humble guy, who was always lifting weights and encouraging others to join him. He never skipped a day and always had a positive attitude. I wish I had that kind of dedication and determination, so I asked him to share his story.

What Drives You? – The Fall and Rise

By Ashvin Sood

High school sucked. Now, when I say that, I only mean in terms of the social war we waged on each other for basic group acceptance. Whether our battles were fought through being bullied during gym time or facing rejection by the “love-of-your-dreams” tenth grade Lauren whatever, acceptance was a hard-sought reward. One such anecdote stems from my days in the Glee-esque class of show choir. I was taking off my shirt during a dress rehearsal for a fall concert when I heard laughter. Innocently, I looked up to see a couple of jocks and high-society popular kids (yes, show choir attracted a wide array of characters) giggling at what they saw as a dysmorphic blob of an Indian teenager. Words like “Man-boobs” and “Rolls-Royce” became the common jeers that I began to hear and within seconds I was pissed, sad, but above all else, ashamed. It was heart wrenching to feel ostracized for not only being an Indian kid in suburban Caucasian society but to also have group rejection in terms of physical stature. Can one say self-esteem issues?
Feeling such a way, however, put the fire in my blood. That day, I went to my bodybuilding brother (he was competing that year and though he was no Olympian, he could squat like a monster) and begged him to train me. I was angry and hurt but more than that, I wanted to desperately prove those kids wrong. Smiling, my brother drank his protein shake slowly and said, “Well, let’s get to work.” I can’t tell you right now if the pain to my self-esteem was as rough as my pain after my first “legs” day, but I can tell you that the benefits from the latter could be seen much more clearly.

For the next year, I pushed myself to every possible physical limit and then some. My routine was eat, workout, eat, and sleep. Rinse and repeat, over and over. Forget sleepovers and drinking with buddies. Forget the late-night delivery from Papa Johns bringing you an ethereal meat-lovers pizza. Those things were replaced with this perpetuated cycle of lifting, consuming absurd amounts of protein and complex-carbohydrates, and sleeping like a Lion in the hot African Savanna. It was hell.

I tell you this story for the sole purpose of explaining my personal drive to become fit. We all have some desire to have that washboard abdominal region, those killer biceps and that “V” shaped torso. However, the real question stems from the “why” behind it all. I chased after these things for one simple goal: acceptance. Fortunately, I have found that the justification for my workouts have now turned to pure enjoyment of hitting the heavy weight to break personal records or the endorphins that are released when sprinting on the treadmill.Nevertheless, it is important to always understand what drives us.

Analyzing our motivation makes us self-aware of our own weaknesses & strengths and helps us identify with others who also may have the same enduring passions.

This was why I created Team BREAK. An acronym, BREAK stands for burn, rebuild, endure, adapt, and keep. Focusing on the basics behind nutritional and fitness lifestyle choices , Team Break took students who felt like they had too much to handle in terms of academics and social activities and created a specialized plan that would cater to their needs. Whether it was mass building, losing weight, or getting toned muscles, our organization wanted to be a multifaceted system that could inform and educate the student population. After two years of existence, I can happily report that over forty students have utilized our free service and have helped re-shape their lives. As I look back to the past, I smile. Fitness was my way out of insecurity. It was my tool I used to help climb over the mountain of shame. However, it did more than just create a sense of belonging. It taught me how to assess the reasons behind my actions. I hate to become too philosophical here but becoming aware of why I made choices gave me great understanding into my character. Hopefully, others will realize this or better yet, find fitness to give them other gifts that will better their physical and mental lifestyle.

Ashvin Sood graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in psychology. Ash plans to attend medical school to pursue his career in psychiatry or in palliative care .

Ash’s story is simple yet teaches a valuable lesson that we can all learn from. What drives you? Thank you Ash, you will always be an inspiration to me.