Gym progress

Most people join a gym to lose weight or bulk up. I, apparently, achieve neither of these at the gym. Several years ago I pushed my physical limits with a 13-times per week exercise routine combining general cardio, weight training, RPM classes and pole training, and after an initial "nothing happens" stage for three months I started to lose weight. This resulted in a total of 13kg shed.

This time, I've been back at the gym for over six months, and whilst my routine isn't as regimented, I would have still hoped to see some changes, somewhere other than my bank balance.

I will add the point that my heart medications were changed just before Christmas and the new pills resulted in me being able to go like the clappers on the cardio equipment, with a heart rate of 190bpm, and not feel dizzy, lethargic, muscle cramps etc. It was like the meds induced some kind of bionic strength!

So my average routine now is a good 40-60 minutes of cardio on the elliptical trainer, upright bike and treadmill (my 'running' is limited to 90 second bursts followed by 2 minutes of dying!). This is four or five times a week and a solid weight training session with my PT.

We've faced the fact that I don't lose weight, and I don't really bulk up muscle either, so the weight training has just become a weekly challenge to see what weights I can achieve for arms and legs. Whilst this is indicative of increasing strength and muscle tone, it's hardly reflective in any physical appearance.

So, the major weekly challenge is my leg press ability. I remember when we first started out, the idea of being able to leg press 150kg (100kg of biscuits and 53kg for the press plate) was impressive to my trainer. Little did she know how much strength I had in me. And I confess, I had no idea either! After that first session I did a little bit of research about "how much should I be able to leg press?" Most of the male oriented body building sites suggested a capability to press 2.25 times your body weight. So working with this factor, and adding a little extra,  I went back to my trainer the next week and said I had a goal of 240kg. Well that was blown totally out of the water. Within 3 weeks I was up to 343kg on my fourth set, completing 12 reps without fatigue.

Then I had two weeks off with gland infections and being stuck on medication. I figured it wasn't worth pushing my body when my immune system was depressed and obviously my body was unwell.

I went back the third week and the theory was to just take it easy to get me back in to the weights..... yeah, NO! Screw that easy part!! I pushed past that previous 343kg record and to a new high of 373kg by my fourth set with 12 reps.

This week I changed from solid strength to some volume training (in light of the fact that last weeks 373kg didn't leave me with any soreness in my legs at all!). 173kg was all I managed on a 60 second set of powering up and a slow release down to a count of 4 followed by an instant power up again. Trust me, I'm feeling it this week!

Next week we aim for 400kg+. I'm suspecting I'll be able to get to 450kg as my fourth set with a minimum of 6-8 reps on that final weight before I fatigue. That will be an achievement and one to surely kick most guy's asses with!

THEN we try for my 1RM - the greatest weight I can press in a single push... any guesses where that weight will be?

Balancing the body and mind - in some very compromising positions!

Today, being a public holiday, gave me a chance to participate in a couple of gym classes which I normally wouldn't do. In fact, my day has comprised pretty much solely on gym and exercise and rest; I'm pretty sure I could convert that to a full time lifestyle!

I started with an RPM (spin) cycle class this morning. These used to be my Monday morning, 05:45am kick starts to the week. But since it's been a while, I thought I'd start with the express class of just 35 minutes as opposed to the full 55 minutes.

Firstly, let me just point out this "bike" looked like something designed by NASA. But, during design, they forgot to account for comfort. By Christ, that seat hurts bones in your arse you never knew existed! I will confess to skipping many of the hill climbs in the routine because I was already struggling to keep my heart rate lower than 180bpm. Nevertheless, I at least kept my legs spinning for a total of 40 minutes (five minutes getting used to posture and position prior to class commencing.) Consequently I suffered from wobbly-leg for an hour or so afterwards.

Tonight I returned to the gym for a Body Balance class. This is a Les Mills class with a very interesting take on combining yoga, pilates and tai chi. Here was me, expecting a sedate, yet muscularly strong, class. But no. I worked up a sweat which I was completely unprepared for. And despite the heating apparently being on in the room, it was actually my body overheating with the strain of the exercise. I have to admit, having sweat dripping in to your eye whilst focussing on your Down Dog can be quite distracting.

It's always disconcerting when you're participating in group activities where everyone else in the room seems to know what they're doing, and how to avoid looking like a total pratt. Plus, the instructions given were rather 'technical' by way of referring to movements by name rather than action. I struggled to find my focal point - an issue possibly compounded by the fact the woman's head in front of me just peaked at the point on the mirror where my eye level would be comfortable for maintaining a balance/sight level.

Now I'm aware of what to expect, I'll head back for the Friday night session this week - by then my muscles should have recovered. I will practice my down dog, tree, aeroplane, warrior and flat back in the meantime and hope I don't look like the total newbie in the group.

xxM

And step, and push, and step, and reach...

I recently experienced a major "slap in the face of life." Whilst my self esteem was never on the highest rungs of the ladder, I suddenly felt as though I had slipped so far down that I was effectively just standing on the ground instead. It's hard to maintain an acceptance of one's self when someone you've invested your heart and life to apparently simply stops loving you. Of course you blame yourself (even when you know their stupidity, ignorance, lack of foresight and care is the predominant factor) and the second guessing of your being (physical, emotional, sexual and mental) is something you just can't stop doing.

So, when you feel like crap, and believe that you look like crap... what do you do?

Well, in my case, I've returnedto the gym. I realised it's been four years since my last gym junkie phase. Back then, I managed to lose a solid 10kg (and up to 13kg on weight fluctuation days) over six months. Of course, moving house a few times after that, changing jobs, changing lifestyle, made it rather difficult to maintain that newly acquired weight and shape. Consequently, about seven of those kilograms came back to me with great embrace.

But, I've done it once, I'll do it again.

Monday past saw me sign back up to my old gym. I have it in my mind that I aim to return to up to 12 gym sessions a week within the first month (keeping in mind that Easter break is right in the middle there.) Before your jaw drops too far at the sheer though of 12 times a week, let me assure you that each session is not massive. Quite often it will just be a half hour routine on the cross-trainer/bike/treadmill. So, half hour before breakfast and before work to kick start the metabolism, then half hour after work and before dinner to de-stress for the day and get some movement back in to my body after the inevitable 8 hour staring-at-computer-screen-and-calling-it-work chore.

As encouragement, I've had a couple of shopping sessions to stock up on gym appropriate clothes, including today's purchase of an $80 pair of tights... WTF??? But, if I don't maintain my gym work, I'll actually feel guilty for having spent that for no reason. Plus, since they look good, I'll be much more inclined to want to wear them and head off to the equipment!

So, since joining up at the start of the week, I've only managed to make it to the gym twice. That first half hour session on the cross-trainer put me out of walking action for three days due to extremely tight calves :(

I have my first assessment tomorrow morning (8am on a Sunday - nice and quiet on the gym scene with no-one else usually around) where I'll have all of my weights and measurements taken, and a basic 'plan' drawn up for a routine.That being said, I think I'll predominantly stick to my half hour, twice daily, cardio stints for a while, with a few free weights to tone the arms and abs. Add that to the old body builder's eating plan, and use of amino acid supplements and protein powders, and I'll be back on track within a couple of months (fingers crossed!)

Well, that's working on the body... now to find some way of working on the mind. That's not going to be quite as easy I fear.

Oh to be a derby girl

Many moons ago, as a child, I spent my weekends learning how to roller skate. Artistic roller skate. It was a short lived past time I must admit, but not for lack of skill. I recall being able to cleanly skate around the rink, spin 180º and stop abruptly on my stoppers, and more impressively, skating backwards around the rink for several laps at a time. I also recall participating in a speed skate session and having some smaller child clip me on the inside curve. This was immediately proceeded by pain, tears and wrist smash that haunts me every winter with a dull ache reminder of the perils of the sport.

With my historical heart set in the ways of roller skating, I took an interest in the resurgence of Roller Derby a couple of years ago. It was an interest held from afar as a spectator. Until last night. I decided to don a pair of scungy hire skates from the Sports Centre and join the fresh meat training for Gold Coast Roller Derby. With much apprehension in lacing (or more aptly should I say 'roping') up the skates and encasing myself in half-fitting protective knee, wrist and elbow guards, I took to the court with a firm belief in the 'it's like riding a bike' theory. Back on the stoppers, in, out, weaving feet, plough stops, T-stops, 180º turns, cross-overs and of course skating backwards. It was all there, and not once did my backside make friends with the ground.

It was comforting to know that my abilities hadn't completely failed me, and I knew that deep down with more time dedicated to practice, it wouldn't be long before I was zooming around the court with full balance and confidence. Just as an aside, please note I say court and not rink as the session was held at an indoor basketball/volleyball/soccer stadium.

But my personal conquests were not enough to make me see that the Roller Derby scene was where I wanted to be. My grown-up requirements for organisation and planning and professionalism were not met by the squad and the whole shindig didn't give me great faith in being able to join in with something which just didn't feel quite right.

Nevertheless, I now know that if I were to ever stumble across a pair of size 10 Riedells with hybrid wheels and a spare pair of bearings, I'd not hesitate in adding them to my collection of shoes!

Run, Forrest, Run.

I had somewhat of a Gump day yesterday - I just wanted to run and run and run, but due to the physical inhibitors (also known as one borked heart) I was restricted to just couple of hundred meters during my walk around the campus Ring Road. The whole journey only took 20 minutes and felt somewhat anti-climactic upon conclusion in all honesty. The heart did have a few backflip sessions with a rate >180bpm but nothing significant or concerning. Which makes me wonder why I'm still having so many problems with it lately - where it feels like it's about to beat right out of my chest and have rhythmic pulsations to enable it to jump itself down the road.

But there must have been some physiological stir in the 20 minutes of outdoor adventure - my right shin and muscles around my waist are aching something chronically today. And whilst I'm finding it difficult to even stand up from my desk, it's knowing that the discomfort (not pain!) will subside and I can try again, pushing harder, further and aiming for less and less strain each time.

Now, to maintain some level of encouragement and enthusiasm. I'm thinking of focussing on the benefit of at least being out of the office, away from my confines and away from rage-inducing people for that brief period of time. That ought to be enough to keep me going for a while I hope.