Training Day 22

My body hurts. My thighs are wiggling like jello and my upper arms still resemble turkey necks. I’m needing a hot, HOT tub to soak right now. Anyone got the hot tub I can borrow?

I know why I put myself through this misery each week - skinny, blonde sister getting married in September - but nay, nay, I’m still younger So, that is something to look forward too - AND - I still don’t have gray hair like her! How bout those apples!

So although I might have to work out to get my butt lifted, I can still revel in the fact that there are some things that have not creped up on me in my age. What has happened with my age, I feel every exercise completely in my body.

Trainer K was merciful on me today since I worked my back and abs on Tuesday. Basically, she didn’t kill me, just only slightly. We did a lot of arm work today and she threw in some oblique work for good measure. Actually the oblique work helped my back stretch out. Relief.

With free weights and my arms today, I started out with really light weights and as I go Trainer K moves me up weight depending on the ’struggle’ she sees. Well, on one exercise, I moved up two size weights but by the time I got to the last set, I was hurting and hating!

Then after all of the workout she has me do these arm rotation things - like that name for ‘em? No clue what they are, but they freaking hurt. I mean they look SIMPLE, but don’t let that fool you. It fooled me. What I hated, she had me do all that work on my arms and then made me do these. PSYCHO!

It was not nice, nor a pretty picture when I was finished and off to the shower. But, I got through it. I always do and then I turn here to bitch and complain You guys just listen so well.

TTFN ~

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Training Day 21

I know, I know, I slacked off big time last week posting on training - well pretty much anything for that matter. I was lazy, exhausted, and had been writing papers for school, so that kept me more than busy. Hopefully, I can do better this week!

Today, session 21, and I seem to still look like I did when we started. Everyone else seems to notice the weight loss and better tone. Everyone says something and yes, there are some days, when I take some nausea medication before looking at myself in the mirror - naked - that I can see the results, finally!

I am surprised I have stuck with it as long as I have, but boy, it has been a struggle some days - like today!

Today is the day I will never forget - Trainer K got me to run. OMG. Yes. Run. Um, can I say that running should be added to my Top 10 List of Things I Hate To Do. I’m going to need to update that list! I had to run in, short sprints, but it still was running. I had to do 3 sets and that was that. I survived.

So, running and sit ups on the bench - my two new best friends. I love’ em. Don’t ya love’ em?

So, after running, I will tell on myself, I did one of the dumbest things I could ever do in a crowded gym - not that! I had to do a jumping jack onto a step then into a squat. Well, come one people, not like I am extremely tall. I might be right at 5′2.

So, I am into some of the jacks and I am fatigued, my body just doesn’t feel it can clear another jump on the step and guess what? It didn’t. I went to jump on the step and SPLAT! Tripped on the step and went straight down on my face. I was stunned at first cause it hurt like a M-F-, but I had to laugh. What else was there to do?

So, humiliated but laughing, hurt face but thankfully not bleeding, I got up told my trainer bye bye, and left. That was the end of this session. There was just no way to carry on after that. So, the point to this - short people, like ding-dong-me, need not add a step.

TTFN ~

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Training Day 19

Again, a great workout, but not because my trainer bothered to show. She didn’t. So I freaking did it myself. It really irritates me that I pay this woman to be there, on time, and train me, but she doesn’t even bother to call and let me know she won’t be there.

I don’t mind if she needs to reschedule, trust me being a mom has taught me - you will ALWAYS need to reschedule something - at least call. She sent me a text message after my normal time asking me if I can change to Wed / Fri, instead of Tues / Thurs. Kind of late!

So, since I knew this training session would be a large majority of core, that is what I did. My abs took a beating and I am hurting right now. I was surprised that I got through them - must have been anger.

So want to know what topped my workout? Well, I go to an all female gym and I was through with my shower and getting ready to walk out - in a towel - and a guy walks by. Um, HELLO? Penises are definitely different then vaginas. Apparently a room was being painted and everyone was told except the chick in the shower - ME. How nice.

So, I got stood up by my trainer, but got the once over by the painter. What a Tuesday!

TTFN ~

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Training Day 12 & 13

OK, I know that today is my 13th training session. My trainer swears it was my 12th. I know I am right, but instead of arguing over a day, I just let her have it. I don’t care, it’s just a number. Right?

So the last two training sessions have actually let me see just how much pain my body can endure and I just keep on smiling, oh, and breathing. Important to do that when working out. What has given me pain? Working out, duh, but more specifically, a jump rope and plain jumping. Yea, I admit, I got my ass kicked by a piece of plastic!

Having jump roped the last time in my life around the age of, oh, I don’t know - TEN - I was given a choice to either do power jacks, which I loath, or jump rope. Well, of course thinking I could kick jump roping with no issues, I chose the plastic string and proceeded to trip myself in mid air. I continued to do so apparently until Trainer K could no longer hold her composure and broke out laughing.

So, now on Dannie’s Top (soon to be) 10 List of Working Out Hates:

1. Lunges
2. Power Jacks
3. Jump Rope
4. Stair Climber - can’t forget this one!

See, still building that list, but you get the idea. These are things that seem so innocent and seem easy to do when asked, but performing is another story all together. A story that I will continue to be read, but at least it is out there. I hate them!

After the humiliation subsides, Trainer K wants some arms. So, I pick up the light weights for continual arm hell, and off to arm toning I go. I like working on arms for a bit because it gives my legs a break AND once you hit a certain age, it seems like there is more jello jiggle added to the underside of the upper arms. OK, K,K,K, I feel the burn. Oh boy, did I ever!

Right after the arm toning, she slides me into jumping, just like the tiny jumps for jump roping, without the rope. These are timed and not for like 30 seconds, oh no, these are for a minute at a time, 10 second recovery, another minute, recovery, and so on. Sure, it doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is when you are doing it and even more so when your legs are so tired and she keeps making you go. My thighs hate my trainer!

You know what is really bad, when you type your post up and your upper arms begin to feel it!

Enjoy your day! TTFN,

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Training Day 8

Trainer K showed me a new friend today. Oh how I use to hate those lunges. Now they are the love of my life compared to the  *gulp* stability ball! I hate it! My abs are on fire and I really want someone to put them out for me. Please? When she said, “Ab workout.” OK. Then she said, “We will get a whole body workout from this.” Again, OK. She showed me the ball, I was ready to go. How stupid the newbie is.

I didn’t think anything of it. Never used a stability ball before. Remember, no clue about working out. I should have that made into a tattoo on my forehead. Back to the story. To me the ball was plastic filled with air; a bundle of bouncing joy to help me get into shape. Well, maybe next month it might be a happy bundle, but today, oh no, it was torture.

It was a total body workout. You literally have to use your entire core and concentration to keep yourself on the ball. I rolled a few times, not off, but around. The power needed in your legs - thighs and butt - to keep you in one location and then using your core to keep you on the ball; that alone helped me sweat enough to keep me good for exercise until next week. Unfortunately, Trainer K didn’t let me off that easy. She threw in the ab workout too!

Now, today wasn’t about reps. It was all timed. So, normally abs are say 3 sets of 25. Not today. Today, I did 3 sets, but each one minute long with a rest in between. So, instead of 75 total, it was up to around 150 or something like that. Upper abs, lower abs, obliques, oh my! And not just one form of crunch for upper abs, oh no, there were like four versions for each: upper, lower, and obliques. Oh yes, oh my.

Then of course we had to throw in some thighs and butt into just staying on the ball while trying to crunch. Boy, I can tell this is a technique I am going to have to master, and soon. Trainer K plans to make the stability ball my friend. When that happens, it means I am going to be using it almost EVERY session. Happiness is just poring out of me, can’t ya tell?

Now, I get to look forward to waking up tomorrow in pain and kickboxing on Saturday. Wish me luck!

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Training Day 7

If ever there was a dreaded day to look forward to, this day would be it had I know in advance what she would put me through today. I’m in pain, I hurt, and I can’t sit down! Oh yes, this was not just a whole body anything, this was bluntly - Ass Day! And my ass hates Trainer K for it!

Of course, you know how my day starts out - WARM UP. Trainer K was already there when I showed up from a previous session - damn! She caught me. Right away she sticks me on the elliptical. I hate her. Oh thank you - 7 minutes never looked so good. Time to get off. Thighs burn, butt burns, and she is smiling at me.

What is on the drill today? My favorite lunges, squats, and stances, UGH! Twice around the room on the lunges, so not a regular what 35 - oh no, she upped it. I did about 60 lunges and wanted to lunge at her afterwards. OMG, help me, my legs are like jello and I can’t walk.

Then what does she shove down my throat? Squats. WTF!? Are you nuts? And not just squats, 3 different forms of squats, in a fluid motion, so basically 3 squats equaled one, 3 sets of 12. You know, there is just something about a personal trainer when they can watch you in pain and then -  smile

Best was saved for last. After all of my butt and thigh work, time for some core love. Again, the stance as if you are going to do a lunge, she hands me my weights, and off I go. Twisting at the hips and waist, holding out the weights, for 75 lovely painful twists to work my abs. I flowed right into 75 crunches, then into 75 side crunches - which in my world is technically 150 crunches - 75 on each side.

Finally, that was that, Trainer K said adios and I couldn’t move. I went into the back room, laid down on a mat, and literally felt sick to my stomach. That was the hardest core workout ever for me. So, I caught my breath, drank a ton of water, took my shower, and now I am SOOO craving a Hostess Twinkie!

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