Fitness Part 2: With an emotional ending (so read the whole way through!)

There are three areas that need fulfilled, in my opinion. (Or for me personally, at least). Weight/strength training is necessary to keep any weight off that you lose. If you don’t build up your muscles as you are doing the cardio and losing weight, then you won’t be able to keep the weight off. Muscles burn more calories! Cardio is the second most important thing- especially if you have weight to lose. Third, for me is stress release. This includes stretching, breathing, becoming more flexible. Yoga focuses on breathing which I realized was very important. Deep breathing and meditation can really reduce stress and help clear your mind. Group classes are great especially if you do not have a workout buddy. For me, being alone is difficult. I have the support of my various family, friends, and co-workers (thanks guys!) but alas, at the end of the day, I still have a few days at the gym I am lifting weights/doing cardio alone. Typically for me, two days a week I do classes/personal training and I workout another 3 days doing cardio/weights on my own. I workout a total of 5 days a week right now because I hope to lose 80 pounds this year. Over 10 months, that is only 8 pounds a month, so it is doable. Again, the challenge for me is mental. I push myself very hard and want to meet my goals. Having a buddy for support will always help. Try walking around the neighborhood with someone, or cycling with your family. Do things you have never done before. My last trainer (brenton) kept my interest by his unconventional methods. I was always learning new things and overcoming obstacles. I flipped tires, and went through many obstacle courses he designed. If you love learning new things and are a ‘student’ type like me and want to challenge yourself, perhaps personal training is for you. There are scammers out there and people who will push you beyond your limits so beware! Look up their credentials, education, how long he/she has been doing it, and talk to LOTS of people/ask for recommendations. I asked instructors there as well as many other members of the gym before going with either trainer. Neither one has ever pushed me beyond my limits, yelled at me, or anything that would endanger my health. Both have shown the utmost concern for my health and how I was at each moment. If I am breathing hard or red faced (which happens a lot) they ask how I am, am I ok? What was the difficulty level for those weights, etc., etc. This is what you want. Not all personal trainers know what they are doing so if you do decide to go this route do your research! It’s just like anything else- if you needed a tutor in math, you would make sure the person was qualified right? Same thing. Try new things! My husband and are I going to try some ballroom dancing lessons (I’ll let you know how those go!) Once I started trying new things, and realizing “I can do this!” I became addicted to that feeling. Dancing lessons are another extension of that. I found I really like dancing (sh’bam at the gym) and I want to be able to dance with my husband. Doing something new like this is something I never would have tried before. When was the last time you had an epiphany about yourself or life? When was the last time you amazed yourself or did something you didn’t think you could do?  Once you have this feeling, you will become addicted to it, I promise.

 

Start small with whatever exercise you decide to try. I started out doing just yoga, twice a week. I eventually started to do sh’bam also, and then decided to do personal training and learn how to do more weights. I didn’t just start out at 5 days a week. There are a lot of cardio workouts that can be done without spending a lot of time doing it. Try doing intervals on a treadmill. Walk for thirty seconds, then turn it up and run for 30 seconds. Work your way up to a minute. 20 minutes of this will burn more calories then just walking alone for an hour! Also, try using an incline at the gym. Gradually increase the incline over 10 or 20 minutes and have a great workout! Having an 8 or 9% incline and taking turns holding on and pumping your arms off an on 30 seconds on /30 seconds off is another great quick workout. Both personal trainers have taught me that there are lots of cardio workouts that can be done without spending an hour doing it. If you want to maximize your time, invest in some kettlebells and a kettlebell dvd workout or watch some videos on youtube. Kettlebells are AWESOME! Total body workouts can easily be achieved while doing cardio and working up a sweat by using kettlebells. Look them up on the internet if you don’t know what I am talking about. You are lifting weights, working various parts of your body, and can be doing cardio at the same time! They are different, fun, and an entire workout can be done at home without spending hours doing it!

 

My week right now looks like this: Tuesday, I do a sh’bam class and a bodyflow class. Each is an hour long. I do my cardio which is fun, and also work on my strength, flexibility, and also feel a release from stress by doing the meditation and deep breathing involved. I highly recommend you try a tai chi or yoga class if you ever have the opportunity and you want something that will just help you relieve stress. Wednesday, depending on my work schedule, I may do another yoga class in the morning. I do one of my new trainers’ workouts. Each includes a half hour of cardio, and  various weight training exercises that either focuses on the upper body or lower body, with some core exercises included also. The upper body workout looks something like this: 15 mins cardio warm up (I’ll probably do the incline on 8 or 9 percent). 3 sets of 15 of each of the following: Shoulder press, one arm row, inclined bench press, lateral raise, front raise and bicep curl; Then some work for the core area: 3 sets of 15 reverse crunches and compound crunches followed by prone planks and side planks (holding each for 15 seconds each time for 5 times). Then, if that wasn’t enough, 15 mins more cardio. This whole thing takes me about an hour and a half. So as you can see, it is a serious amount of dedication that I am describing. If you are looking to just build up your strength, something as intense may not be as necessary. And this is by no means a guide (again I am not a professional) just an idea of what I am doing. If you are curious about any of the exercises, feel free to ask me, I’ll be glad to describe them to you or discuss my favorite ones. Free weights are always better than machines, in my opinion, and kettlebells are really the best. However, each week so far with this new trainer and program (it’s only been two weeks I believe) I have been losing a significant amount of weight, and I did meet my goal for January of 8 pounds. So, that’s Wednesday. Thursday, I meet with my new trainer for an hour for a total body workout of weight training with some cardio. I do the second half of sh’bam (a half hour) of cardio and usually do bodyflow at night. (Mostly because it makes me feel good). Friday, I will do the lower body workout. This includes again a 15 minute cardio, followed by using the leg press machine, the puremotion squat machine, hammerstrength leg curl machine, cable torso twist,  adductor and abductor machines (which I am not sure really work- there is a lot of material on the internet discussing the general usefulness of these machines. My personal opinion is that these machines are good if you are shaping or strengthening your legs but if you need to lose weight from your thighs then squats, lunges, and yoga along with cardio is really the best way to lose the weight). Kick backs, (put your leg back, opposite arm goes out, from a kneeling position), followed by reverse crunch, supine arm/leg raises, and 15 minute cardio cool down finish up Friday. Saturday is another 30 minute cardio day, with some weights- such as strength training for my arms- for areas that I want to focus on. I take two days off and start again. I am going to receive a new set of exercises in the next week or so which is good because a) your body gets used to doing the same things over and over, and b) I like to be doing something new and become bored easily.  Eating properly is extremely important! If you are not eating properly then you will not see results! Don’t bother trying to put yourself through the level of work at the gym that I am talking about here (if you are trying to lose a lot of weight or build up your muscles in a serious way) if you aren’t watching what you eat. I’m not just talking about carbs or wheat or gluten. Putting salt on all of your food, eating a lot of processed stuff, binge eating sugary foods or not eating enough vegetables/nutrients will result in not meeting your goals. Once you start to pay attention to what your body is telling you, and cut back on high carbs/sugary foods, you will notice that sweet things taste too sweet. I crave vegetables now and enjoy eating salad/soup more than I ever have. Things taste different- some things even taste bad that I used to enjoy. I know I am not eating enough fiber since I stopped eating wheat, breads, cereals, etc. Now I am trying to take a fiber supplement because fiber is crucial in controlling insulin levels and breaking down food. Many health problems and issues can be solved by figuring out the mysteries of ourselves and figuring out what our bodies need. What is your body telling you?

 

My closing paragraph for the segment will just say that again, every day is a struggle. Confronting any personal issue, whether be health related, emotional, or mental, takes a lot of willpower. No one can keep up the level of willpower 24/7. Yesterday at the gym, I went in to sign up for 6 more personal training sessions. I really need to have someone there to answer questions, give me feedback, and encourage me to continue. This is the main reason I need personal training. I could probably figure out some workouts on my own and be OK but to get the results I want I need help. I realize that the turnover for personal trainers is pretty high so I decided to just do 6 more one hour sessions for now. I asked the current trainer and his plans are for now, to be at galaxy.  He did just finish a master’s degree, and as someone with a master’s degree, I know how student loans can pile up, and the need to make a higher wage can weigh on one’s mind. In any case, you can see how I have clearly put too much thought into this whole scenario. In the end, I just don’t want to go through the experience of losing a trainer that I like again. It was difficult the first time, and I just don’t want to face it- or face being on this journey without help- alone- again. I know this is a psychological issue that is just in my mind. I know I’ll be fine- trainer or not. It still bothers me though. So, I go to the membership desk and the very nice lady points out that with the current sale, the 12 session is a way better deal (3 extra come free, and with the discount it ends up being significantly less per session buying in bulk- just like anything else). I spill my guts to her about being afraid of the trainer leaving. (What the hell am I THINKING!!) She assures me he has many clients and is not going anywhere. She offers to call him for me (how embarrassing!) I tell her no it’s fine (I’m crying now too by the way) so she gives me a tissue and calls the manager over (also a nice guy) and he also assures me that he is not leaving. I decide to do the 12 session thing. Today had a session with the trainer. He heard about me yesterday and I had to apologize to him for my scene and any implications I may have made that he said he was leaving. He never said that. I created this whole problem in my mind. A problem that does exist yet- because I am afraid. I am scared of facing the rest of this journey and all of the goals that I want to achieve alone, so to speak. I am not really alone, I have more support than most people could ever imagine, yet when I am at the gym, my mind takes over. I have a psychological need to be reassured, pushed, and guided toward my goal. Do I need someone to hold my hand? Is that it? Maybe. I’m admitting it to all of you and the rest of the universe. Just so that if you ever take such a journey to better yourself, or decide to try to achieve a difficult goal, know this:  on your worst day, when everything seems hopeless, that you are not alone. You’re not alone and don’t be ashamed or embarrassed of being afraid. Life is hard.  Listen, everyone makes an ass out of themselves sometimes. Your strength is measured by whether you can pick yourself up, admit your faults, make fun of yourself, and keep going the next day. Live without regrets. Be happy, have energy, and LIVE!