I never thought I would hear myself say this but, I am looking forward to going to the gym.
Don't get me wrong, I love being in shape. I've always been a fairly active person. Growing up in suburbia I was lucky enough to have the freedom to ride my bike everywhere, climb trees, build forts, and spend my summer evenings playing a rousing game of manhunt with the other neighborhood kids. The best was when we were able to get multple blocks of kids involved and have an epic manhunt battle with 15+ kids spanning 5 blocks. Those were awesome.
By junior high I was obsessed with the little pull out exercise sections in my Seventeen magazin that promised Flat Abs in 20 minutes, and 5 Ways to Make Your Butt Look Better in Jeans. I taught myself how to do crunches, tricep curls, squats and hamstring pulls in my bedroom. A little part of me was convinced that if I did these exercises I would magically grow boobs and look like the women in the pictures. A larger part of me was driven by the way these exercises made me feel - namely :: cue the Daft Punk:: harder, better faster stronger.
By high school I was badgering the boys at the local college gym to show me how to use the weight equipment. Cardio was never my strong suit, but boy did I love those tricep curls. Cardio at the gym wasn't necessary anyway since my friends and I were practicaly walking all over the state - did I mention that none of us had cars?
By college I was still in pretty good shape. I was working as a lifeguard so I had ready access to a pool, in my opinion swimming is still hands down the best cardiovascular exercise around. And there is something about swimming that I find incredibly soothing - maybe it's the groove that you get into when you find your stroke, or maybe it's the fact that no one can talk to you when you're face is underwater - either way, it's awesome. Again, since I attended college in New York City I was also regularly criscrossing the borough of Manhattan (and frequently Brooklyn and Staten Island) on foot.
And then I became a grown up. After I graduated I got a big girl job to go with my big girl bills and big girl student loan payments, exercise, which had once been ingrained in my daily life now became something I had to find time for. And this ladies and gentlemen is where the problems started.
After a long day of work the first thing on my mind is usually sweatpants. Followed by an intense craving for wine and possibly some really bad t.v., preferably while lounging on the couch with my husband the dog. Mentally, I want to zone out and give my brain a rest. Physically, I should probably move around a bit because my body was pretty much done nothing more strenuous that walk to the cafeteria for lunch. Humph.
I've been going to the gym for about year, but haven't had much luck because honestly? The gym is really boring. Same machines, same people, same exercises, same stupid shows to watch on the elliptical machine...bo-ring.
But then I discovered the cross training classes at my gym. In one word: Whoa. I realized that what I neded more than anything to get this fitness train going was a healthy dose of competition and someone to tell me what to do.
Now, a typical week for me looks something like this:
Monday: TRX Suspension Straps
Yes, it does sound like some crazy S&M horror story. But these things are awesome once you get used to it. Essentially these are straps that are suspended from the ceiling that you use for weight bearing exercises. They challenge your stability and help to create some serious upper body strength.
Tuesday: Kickboxing
This might just be my favorite class. We do tons of push-ups and butterfly crunches and then we kick/punch the shit out of a punching bag for an hour. I wasn't prepared for how incredibly cathartic this is - or how strong my legs are getting.
Wednesday: Kettlebells
The first time I tried this class I thought it was quite arguably the most dangerous thing I've ever done in a gym. There I was holding a 15lb kettlebell in my hand and then the instructor asked me to swing it around. If you ask my husband he will probably tell you that me, heavy objects, and swinging should never, ever mix, ever. Kettlebells have become a lot more popular since Jillian Michaels came up with her 30 Day Shred, but they've been an elite training staples for hundreds of years - think Roman gladiators and Russian strongmen. It's a 45 minute full body cardio and strength training workout. My abs are seriously screaming after these classes.
Thursday: Kickboxing - Maybe
Friday: Zumba
It's like a Saturday evening salsa party minus the booze sand guacamole. I royally suck at it, but by the end I'm gasping for air, my calves are killing me and my abs hurt from laughing. I usually try to get a girlfriend to go and then it's a grand old time!
Saturday: Boot Camp
This was the class that intially compelled me to sign up for cross training. I would watch people beat truck tires with mallets, climb ropes, jump up and down on plytometric boards and do push-ups on Bosu balls - all while covered in sweat and groaning in pain. And somehow, for some incomprehensible reason, I wanted to join them.
I've been doing this routine for a month now and I've defintely noticed some positive changes. My legs are leaner, my arms are firming up and I can now run a 10 minute mile (it was 15 not too long ago), and I'm starting to get that coveted V on my ab space. According to the scale I haven't lost a ton of weight yet but my clothes fit better, and I have a lot more energy.
I'm actually toying with the idea of before and after pictures...or maybe I'll give myself another month. :)
Don't get me wrong, I love being in shape. I've always been a fairly active person. Growing up in suburbia I was lucky enough to have the freedom to ride my bike everywhere, climb trees, build forts, and spend my summer evenings playing a rousing game of manhunt with the other neighborhood kids. The best was when we were able to get multple blocks of kids involved and have an epic manhunt battle with 15+ kids spanning 5 blocks. Those were awesome.
By junior high I was obsessed with the little pull out exercise sections in my Seventeen magazin that promised Flat Abs in 20 minutes, and 5 Ways to Make Your Butt Look Better in Jeans. I taught myself how to do crunches, tricep curls, squats and hamstring pulls in my bedroom. A little part of me was convinced that if I did these exercises I would magically grow boobs and look like the women in the pictures. A larger part of me was driven by the way these exercises made me feel - namely :: cue the Daft Punk:: harder, better faster stronger.
By high school I was badgering the boys at the local college gym to show me how to use the weight equipment. Cardio was never my strong suit, but boy did I love those tricep curls. Cardio at the gym wasn't necessary anyway since my friends and I were practicaly walking all over the state - did I mention that none of us had cars?
By college I was still in pretty good shape. I was working as a lifeguard so I had ready access to a pool, in my opinion swimming is still hands down the best cardiovascular exercise around. And there is something about swimming that I find incredibly soothing - maybe it's the groove that you get into when you find your stroke, or maybe it's the fact that no one can talk to you when you're face is underwater - either way, it's awesome. Again, since I attended college in New York City I was also regularly criscrossing the borough of Manhattan (and frequently Brooklyn and Staten Island) on foot.
And then I became a grown up. After I graduated I got a big girl job to go with my big girl bills and big girl student loan payments, exercise, which had once been ingrained in my daily life now became something I had to find time for. And this ladies and gentlemen is where the problems started.
After a long day of work the first thing on my mind is usually sweatpants. Followed by an intense craving for wine and possibly some really bad t.v., preferably while lounging on the couch with my husband the dog. Mentally, I want to zone out and give my brain a rest. Physically, I should probably move around a bit because my body was pretty much done nothing more strenuous that walk to the cafeteria for lunch. Humph.
I've been going to the gym for about year, but haven't had much luck because honestly? The gym is really boring. Same machines, same people, same exercises, same stupid shows to watch on the elliptical machine...bo-ring.
But then I discovered the cross training classes at my gym. In one word: Whoa. I realized that what I neded more than anything to get this fitness train going was a healthy dose of competition and someone to tell me what to do.
Now, a typical week for me looks something like this:
Monday: TRX Suspension Straps
Yes, it does sound like some crazy S&M horror story. But these things are awesome once you get used to it. Essentially these are straps that are suspended from the ceiling that you use for weight bearing exercises. They challenge your stability and help to create some serious upper body strength.
Tuesday: Kickboxing
This might just be my favorite class. We do tons of push-ups and butterfly crunches and then we kick/punch the shit out of a punching bag for an hour. I wasn't prepared for how incredibly cathartic this is - or how strong my legs are getting.
Wednesday: Kettlebells
The first time I tried this class I thought it was quite arguably the most dangerous thing I've ever done in a gym. There I was holding a 15lb kettlebell in my hand and then the instructor asked me to swing it around. If you ask my husband he will probably tell you that me, heavy objects, and swinging should never, ever mix, ever. Kettlebells have become a lot more popular since Jillian Michaels came up with her 30 Day Shred, but they've been an elite training staples for hundreds of years - think Roman gladiators and Russian strongmen. It's a 45 minute full body cardio and strength training workout. My abs are seriously screaming after these classes.
Thursday: Kickboxing - Maybe
Friday: Zumba
It's like a Saturday evening salsa party minus the booze sand guacamole. I royally suck at it, but by the end I'm gasping for air, my calves are killing me and my abs hurt from laughing. I usually try to get a girlfriend to go and then it's a grand old time!
Saturday: Boot Camp
This was the class that intially compelled me to sign up for cross training. I would watch people beat truck tires with mallets, climb ropes, jump up and down on plytometric boards and do push-ups on Bosu balls - all while covered in sweat and groaning in pain. And somehow, for some incomprehensible reason, I wanted to join them.
I've been doing this routine for a month now and I've defintely noticed some positive changes. My legs are leaner, my arms are firming up and I can now run a 10 minute mile (it was 15 not too long ago), and I'm starting to get that coveted V on my ab space. According to the scale I haven't lost a ton of weight yet but my clothes fit better, and I have a lot more energy.
I'm actually toying with the idea of before and after pictures...or maybe I'll give myself another month. :)
Posts
2 comments:
Abdominal exercises can help you also gain strong stomach muscles and back muscles. This can reduce the likelihood of back pains and provide protection against injury by efficient response to stress.
Hi Claire,
Yes! I've definitely noticed that I have less pain in my lower back since I've started working on my core. I spend the bulk of my day sitting in an office chair, and have recently noticed that my posture is terrible. I could certainly use some work on my back muscles, I hope this ab work will help.
Post a Comment