Inventory

Class with Bobbi yesterday. 'Twas a good one. Serious ab work - I couldn't make it through.

This mornings inventory: legs sore from back of knees to top of butt (awesome); abs not as sore as I expected, considering how quickly I fatigued yesterday; arms - nuthin'; back tired but not sore per se. I'm glad about that. Sore legs and abs rock, a sore back sucks.

Weight - essentially unchanged. Not my goal, not my goal, not my goal...

Tuesday and Thursday classes have become pretty much ingrained in my routine, but everything else is sort of catch as catch can. Definitely not a daily habit yet. But 2X a week solid is better than 0X a week, right? When Tom's schedule calms down (another month!!!) maybe the girls and I will get better at going in the evening. For now, what I'm doing is working out ok. I need to start incorporating daily cardio, but, yuck, y'know? But it really has to be done. Alternate between stationary bike and elliptical. That will be relatively kind to my old knees.

It's New! It's Better!

So after yesterdays workout I have an almost imperceptible burn in my abs and my glutes. The glutes is kind of perpetual, so I barely really notice it unless I think about it.

I guess what I'm saying is that I do not have a good satisfying burn and I think I know why.

The instructor was very excited about doing "new things". I get that. It's nice to shake things up - to keep them from getting too routine and boring. To shock and surprise your muscles a little bit. I think what happened yesterday, though, was that she got so caught up in the bells and whistles that she lost track of the whole thing. Simple crunches were embellished with a lot of extra little "and at the same time do this, this and this". I was way more concerned about trying to follow all of these new rules than I was about actually engaging my muscles. In other words: she made it a lot harder than it had to be. And it wasn't as effective.

I hope I see Old Sue again soon... simple exercises, lots of reps, super sore.

ETA: the following morning (almost 48 hours later) slight burn in LOWER abs - a spot in which I'm unaccustomed to feeling the burn... Could I have - once again - judged too quickly?

Fat Tuesday

So on a day devoted to indulgence, I did not skip the gym. Don't bother patting me on the back, I'm doing a fine job of that myself. Another new teacher - she was tough. Reminded me a little of Amy (sniff! Amy!). Really could've used the hot tub today. The hot tub is out of service. Really? REALLY?? Pfft.

I did have a little treat for breakfast, though - real maple syrup on my pancakes. Even Liv had some - and she usually eats her pancakes dry. It was really good - it's been a long time. Liv said we should get this all the time. I think not. Cost twice as much for half as much. But wait. Ok. So it's a treat - an indulgence. Pancakes ought to be an indulgence. So maybe I SHOULD buy it all the time. Something to think about, I suppose.

Lasagna for dinner.

Thinking Greek for lunch.

So I guess it's a GOOD thing I went to the gym...cause maybe it's a sort of indulgent day after all...

Another note - when I arrive for class in the room of mirrors, I don't hate how I look standing there. That changes, of course, once other people start filtering in and I have a basis for comparison. It changes even more when I start to actually move. Something to think about. Or maybe not.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Class was a little easier today, but I think I'm glad because I was dead tired. Enjoyed the jacuzzi. I think some of my classmates have talked me into trying a spin class.

And in case inquiring minds want to know - since joining the Y (and with a vacation in between) I lost 3 pounds. But I'm not obsessing or anything. I swear.

One more thing: I've worked with several instructors here so far. All good. All different. But I find it interesting - and a little distressing - to listen to their - I don't know what you call it - encouraging banter. One kept talking about bikini season and how great you'd look in a bikini when it was all over and how it was worth it to get those bikini abs and bikini bikini bikini. Which made me want to roll my eyes and flick her. Another talked about everything you could eat and or burn off with this workout. Now you can go get that cheeseburger/pizza/ice cream... I don't really have a point to make with all of this, except that it does make it hard for me to maintain the "I'm just doing it for my health" attitude when I keep being told that it really IS all about losing weight and food and looking hot. It isn't, is it? I really don't want it to be. Despite mentioning pounds lost above. I really don't want that.

Damn you Old Sue!!! I would be shaking my fist in the air if I could raise my arm!

Judgy McJudgerson

Well, for someone who claims being open-minded as a major part of their being, I sure can make some snap judgments.

I went to my muscle conditioning class today and was a little taken aback when I saw the instructor. She was older with her gray hair cut in a practical short bob. She had a sturdy build. She had asked us to get WAY more materials than any of my previous instructors had asked us to get. I had a bad feeling. This was gonna be lame.

She started the class right on time (something none of the others so far have done). She led us through our warm-up with enthusiasm usually reserved for folks much younger than she. Then we got to the heart of the routine. And she kicked. Our. Asses. We had so many materials because she didn't want to leave any time for messing around between exercises. We did this, now we're doing this - put that down, grab this. The amount of reps she led us through was brutal! In 45 minutes she managed a GOOD total body workout. I am already sore, I can't imagine how I'm gonna feel tomorrow...

So I was feeling embarrassed for having made a snap judgment - and one that turned out to be so very very wrong. I started looking around the room. The woman with the nicest body (by societal standards) was using momentum rather than her muscles. Her form was awful. She also used the lightest weights and never once made it through a whole set of anything. The skinny little girl with the amazing arms? She traded her 3 pound weights in for 1 pound weights when we started doing serious bi/tri work. The other fat chick? Her form wasn't perfect, but her endurance was awesome. My form was pretty good, but I didn't always make it all the way through each set. Anyone looking at this group at rest would've gotten it all wrong.

I got it all wrong.

And I should've known better.

Going to bed tonight wiser than I was when I woke up this morning.

And I thought the Y was only gonna be good for my body...

I am sore from my shoulders to my knees. Love it!!! Also my left forearm, but I think that's due more to the broken arm + precipitation than workouts. That sore is not as fun.