I used to hate the gym. I thought the gym meant doing endless amounts of cardio to burn away unwanted fat. I would step on the treadmill and hate every single second of my cardio session. I never understood how anyone could possibly enjoy sweating and putting their body through hell, but now I cannot imagine my life without the gym.

After becoming unhappy with how I looked in the mirror, I realized it was time to make a change. A little over a year ago I made one of the best decisions of my life, I got a personal trainer. Through her coaching, I immediately said goodbye to endless hours of cardio and hello to lifting weights.

I'm not sure how I used to spend even more than 30 minutes on the treadmill; it gets so boring so quickly. Staring at a wall or even at a TV screen in front of me for hours was just not something I could stick to. I have learned that the best workout routine is the one that you truly enjoy; if you despise what you're doing, you are far more likely to give up.

Once I discovered the endless possibilities with lifting weights, I became addicted. I never experience boring lifting sessions because I can always switch it up. I can train high reps with lighter weight or low reps with heavier weight. I also love the fact that I can use an endless variety of techniques to work out all the major parts of my body, like back, arms, legs, glutes, and chest.

Since falling in love with lifting, I can easily spend two to three hours at the gym... I guess some might even call me a "gym rat." I'm still shocked that I used to feel so intimidated in the weight area. I would walk over to the weight section of the gym and feel uncomfortable, confused, and scared, then walk back to what I knew, which was the treadmill.

I'm so glad that I was introduced to lifting; now I walk into the weight section with my head held high, a confident smile on my face, and the mindset of knowing that I'm about to crush a lifting session.