Body pump classes ain’t no joke! I was not expecting intensive strength-endurance training. I thought it just involved instructors walking around perfecting one’s lifting postures. Oops. Today my body is sore. Mostly in the thighs because they never get a workout beyond H.I.I.T. on the elliptical. Shoulders too because I quit lateral raises for a while…
But really, the worst thing about the class are the damn smelly gym mats.
Upping my cardio workouts due to a discrepancy between muscle gain and fat loss.
Yesterday I did 30 sec hi / 60 sec lo intensity H.I.I.T. workout with 3 minutes of warm up and cool down. I did 11 reps of Hi-Lo, finished with 30 secs of hi and ended with 3 minutes cool down for a total time of 23 minutes.
I sweated.
A lot.
Then I lifted. I increased the weights for biceps curls from 8 lbs to 10 lbs (last Saturday) to 12 pounds (last night), for that behind the neck triceps lifts from 15 lbs to 20 lbs. Then I finished the night with some requisite glutes, abdominal workout, and dip assists.
Today I’m going to the gym again but just H.I.I.T., no weights.
I think i found my cardio. Considering that last night was my first zumba session, and I only spent about 5~10% of the time standing still because I wasn’t able to figure out what the hell I was doing, I think I did pretty well.
Slowly, I will move up to the front of the class. For now, I am ok with standing in the back.
Question though for people with long hair, how do you get that shit tightly secured? I had to re-do my hair at least three times.
Trying Zumba for the first time tonight! I planned on trying it out a month ago, but was afraid of my lack of coordination. Now I have no more shame. LET’S DO DIS!
a magical place where I think I look like this:
but I actually look like this:
That’s a lie. Carlton has rhythm.
(PS- Thank you all for your support on my last post. It was kind of overwhelming and made me really happy!)
I’m feeling the burn/sore muscles again after changing up the weight training routine. Last weekend I couldn’t move because my abs hurt. Yesterday I couldn’t raise my arms because of lateral pull downs & lateral raises.
I like this.
I really like feeling sore. It’s fantastic.
I also really like my emerging biceps.
The only thing I don’t really like right now? Cardio.
:(
Last night I decided to switch up my workout. Instead of doing 3 sets of 10 reps using the heaviest weights I could muster without hurting myself, I decided to do 3 sets of 20 reps using lighter weights using the usual machines, except for lateral raises and glutes. With lateral raises, I could only 15-18 reps at 7.5# which means I probably should go down to 5#? With glutes, well, any reps beyond 10 is exhausting.
Going out of town tomorrow for the weekend. Hopefully I’ll get some exercises in.
If wanting to throw up / pass out after gym means that it was a good workout, then I did good last night.
Same old same old. For two weeks, I only went to the gym twice only because I was sick. This week, I’m kicking it back to high gear, I hope. I started taking half scoop of creatine before workout and it has done wonders. At least one more session before the end of this week. Just do it!
Sorry for yet another workout update with just a list of exercises as usual. I need to switch up the content and format soon. Anyways, week 2 into the Women’s Health 6-week cardio challenge:
I basically matched up level of effort listed above with resistance on the elliptical machine, except for the “easy” segment, which was 4 instead of 3.
Weight training on Friday and Sunday pretty much included all the main workouts I usually do on arms, legs and core, with exclusions of hip abductors and adductors. Tried out back extensions for the first time and it really worked out my lower back muscles.
Noticed that the new shiny abdomen machine, new as in January 2012 new, was already broken. Sucks but that that machine was nothing but awkward.
Boyfriend noticed that I was “less jiggly.” Um, I didn’t realize I was jiggly in the first place. I guess I’ll take it as a compliment? How hard was it to say that I’m more toned? Dumb boys.
Was so burnt out from work yesterday that I napped until an hour to gym closing time.
15 minutes of elliptical
biceps curls
lateral raises
triceps curls
leg presses
rotary torso
lateral pull downs
glutes for just 2 sets
The situation at work might change tomorrow. Fingers crossed. I have not been this stressed for a long time and all I want to do is go home and eat and nap.
It was a long weekend and I did not get off my ass until the last day to go to the gym. Only worked out twice last week. Dismal effort :(
On machines
Elliptical - 30 minutes, alternate resistance based on women’s health 6-week challenge. still on week 1…
3 x 13 Triceps presses
3 x 10 Hip abductor
3 x 10 Hip adductor
3 x 12 Leg Presses
3 x 10 Gluteal each side
3 x 11 Lateral pull downs
3 x 13 Rotary torso each side
Free Weights:
3 x 10 Bicep curls
3 x 10 lateral raises
