Exercise routines, tips and chatter?

[paradise lost]

I just did the first new pump class!

CQ you get slapped wrists for being so non-descriptive! LOL.

The warm up was not very warming. Think it's time to up my weights now, i still only lift 7kg (total) for it, and my lowest weight in the class is 10kg (unless you count the 2 2.5-plates i use for shoulders) so i might go to 9kg next week. I was barely breathing faster at the end!

I loved the squats, SO hard! I was shaking so bad by the end.

I also liked the chest. The back was sooooo easy! I'll be upping my weight a good bit next week!

Triceps and biceps were hard, i really enjoyed doing the kickbacks and the top half halfways (respectively). Also the pullover is my favourite move, so even though it's a bit too fast for me to feel it in my ribs, i really liked them too

The lunges was really effective - my butt was burning by the end! Was crazy anyway because on the FIRST rep i felt the shake from the squats already, amazing how hard your hams and glutes will work when your quads are registering "empty".

I forced myself to do the shoulder press-ups on my knees with my legs stretched instead of boxed - don't laugh, but i'm not a little lady, and i can't even do ONE press up on my toes! I am loving the shoulder tracks of late, i LOVE the mack (Mach? Mac? Mak?) raises, and the rotators.

The abs was hard and i couldn't maintain the plank on my toes all the way through. It's easier than the elbow plank though (my shoulders are always sooooo tired by then) and one i'm going to practice at home.

So that's my class report... Tomorrow i'm going swimming with DD (am) and then running with her during naptime (pm) or after naptime... She gets to ride in the jogger for running of course! I made her a new cosytoes the other day from one of those 2 quid fleece blankets from Ikea. It's just an envelope style, but should keep the patootsies cosy while i'm running in the snow with her.

I'm a bit disappointed because one of my instructors has been talking about holding running fitness classes for ages and they began this week. They are at 6.45am twice a week and there's an obstacle course at the end to test your progress - how am i a) supposed to get DD up and fed and ready to go in the jogger by that time in the am, and b) how can i do an obstacle course with a jogger? So disappointed. Being a single parent really sucks sometimes.

Bx

[C~Q]

Aww crap Hoobs Can you arrange for DP to stay over the night before the classes?? I swear the person who starts to do outside exercise classes with some kind of childcare involved is going to make a lot of money! My trainer is doing a Boot Camp - full on army-style training with nets and carrying people on stretchers and stuff and it's early in the morning and no cc so I can't do it. You're right, being a single parent really does suck...sometimes

Glad you liked the new Pump, i've still only done one Pump in 6 weeks because of the challenge (and secretly i'm not missing it ). Those fleecy things for DD's toes sound reeeally cosy, I know how cold it gets up there in Scotland!

Ruth - I am so going to get you to join my gym I don't know much (ok, anything) about IVF so are you not allowed to lie on your front before you get pregnant? Or could you be already???

I'm now half way through the Challenge and getting really into it! I'm starting to worry a bit about what happens when it's all over...how will I find the motivation and self control to maintain??? I don't know if I said before but the QLD winner gets as one of the prizes a full scholorship to Fitlink which is a college that teaches my Fitness course. I have nearly finished the first one but to become a PT I have to do the second one as well and I really can't afford it, so to win the comp would be incredible for me. Theres lots of people doing it though so i'm not holding my breath. But I know I can say with my hand on my herat I have not cheated once. I have had 1.5 vodkas with soda and thats it. No choccie, nothing i'm not allowed so I can still be proud of myself

[paradise lost]

DP already stays over midweek but he has to leave for work before i'd be able to get back. It'd be with DD or not at all... We're meant to be buying a house this winter (assuming all OUR banks don't go bankrupt and stop lending...) but he'll still have to go to work so it won't make that much difference. TBH i NEVER see anyone else running with a jogger so probably i'm just now worth them adjusting the course for, IYKWIM. It's a bummer though. I see all the out-of-shape, smoking mums at toddler group and i think "no wonder" it is so much harder to do ANYTHING when you're a mum, especially when you're on your own a lot.

I would imagine Ruth can't lie on her front because during IVF they stimulate your ovaries to produce lots of eggs in one cycle so they can take them out, fertilise them to make embies, and then put them back one or two (depends on Ob) at a time to hopefully get a pregnancy going. Right before egg pick up the ovaries can be swollen two or three times their normal size with all the ready-to-pop eggs and very tender, and some unlucky ladies get OHSS (ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome) which is where the ovaries get too large and over-active and produce a lot of fluid which makes the abdomen very swollen and sore. I get mittelschmerz (middle pain - ovulation pain basically) most months and based on DD i only ovulate one egg at a time, i can't imagine how uncomfy having 10-20 each side would be!

I hope you win the challenge CQ - how do they decide the winner? If i were you i WOULDN'T TRY to maintain afterwards! I'd take the opportunity to switch it all up, change what i was doing with the gym and all, and do the challenge next year too. I run road races a couple of times a year, but i don't stay race-fit year round. If i could head out and do a race any day it'd get very boring! LOL

Bx

[C~Q]

They break up how it is decided. 40 points for an essay you have to write, 25 points for before and after pictures, 15 points for you measurements and 20 points for attending all the seminars.

Sooo, it's really all down to the essay I think. It's supposed to be about what you have gained from the challenge and how your life has changed, things you have overcome etc...I think i've got a lot to put down what with the struggle at the beginning to overcome past demons and with DH and I seperating. I've also attended all the seminars so there's no reason why I shouldn't be a contender!!!

I don't want to keep going as hard as I am now (can't wait to drop at least one Cardio session!) but I don't want to go backwards. There is still so much I want to do esp in my upper body. When I do Bicep curls i'm starting to see the little veins which is awesome! I really want to get more defined in my upper body.

It is quite addictive though so I am mindful of the fact that I tend to take things to the extreme sometimes lol!

[C~Q]

Well I got my wish I went to my PT session on Thursday and the first thing he said to me was "I want you to drop your Cardio sessions to one a week" when I asked him why he said i'd lost too much weight. Then he started going on about how I was doing too much Cardio and obviously not eating enough and I thought hang on a minute i'm doing EXACTLY what he has told me to do. I have two timetables/plans on my fridge - one for exercise and one for food. I don't think, I just do whatever they/he says so it's not my fault! But just because a few people have been in his ear that i've lost too much weight he starts freaking out. I'm happy to drop a Cardio session but sheesh, he was going on at me like i'd done something wrong Ok, rant over!

He said now I have to have another day of complete rest (although I did do Attack )so instead of using the energy I consume to replace Glucose stores my body will be using it to repair my muscle harder and faster so I will be more ripped Woohoo I can't wait and i'm already seeing it in my stomach, I WILL have a six pack before summer lol!

Hoobs - it's exciting about you buying a house with DP - wow!

Ruth - I never knew how much having IVF affected you even before you get pregnant, good luck with everything

How is everyone else??? Is there even anyone else out there still! C'mon come back and say Hi

[paradise lost]

Well, at least you get your wish CQ! As i'm sure you know, one of the after-effects of anorexia is that those around you are always going to be worried about your weight and such. Believe it or not my instructor, an incredibly fit and healthy woman, and an elite runner, has monthly blind weigh-ins year round and can be dropped from training without warning. She nearly died of heart failure during her anorexic illness, and her coach's view is that he cannot trust her judgement on health without supervision, so he supervises. Your trainer is just worried about you. You wrote your goals at the start, one of them being to get to 18% bodyfat, and you hit that target less than halfway through - that's dramatic. From his POV he has to be concerned about your health FIRST. It's possible your plan has room for cheating because almost everyone does, and thus if you don't you will lose faster, kwim? DP's got his personal training cert and he says you always over-prescribe to allow room for lack of dedication. LOL.

I got my run in today (by running to the supermarket and then home again with my shopping in a gym bag - my toothpaste box got bashed, but why is toothpaste in a box anyway!?) which means this week is officially my first back on the wagon! I'm not promising a full-on mojo return, but it's a start. I'm planning a step session tomorrow as i'm feeling podgy (been eating too much, plain and simple!).

Help me out CQ - how can i lose about 6kg without having to weigh myself...? Could i use a tape measure? Would i be able to see a difference on the tape week to week say?

Bx

[C~Q]

Yes! Don't weigh yourself, esp if you are changing your body shape. Say if you are adding resistance training then your weight may well go up so it's really not a good indicator. Measurements are great although i've only been going from measurements during the challenge so I don't have any experience of using them long term. I think as long as you do it in the right place, I can tell you where but your DP will prob know, and it's done by the same person everytime then you should see changes Does your DP have calipers? If he does you can do your body fat % although it's pretty horrible having someone pinch, poke and grap you (unless you're into that kind of thing ) and then write down how much fat you have!
Do you want me to do you a plan? If you do PM me your details age, weight, height etc and when you can train and the sort of weights you're already doing. It's not going to be really accurate as I can't see you lol but I can give you a basic idea

Thanks for the above, I know he's just doing it for me but I also feel he wouldn't be too bothered about it if he didn't have all these negative women (and dare I say jealous?) who aren't doing the challenge and want to ruin it for those who are, who are in his ear telling him and everyone else how much weight some of us are losing. But I guessthere are always people like that around, esp in a gym environment, most people are pretty self-absorbed!

He did say that everyones bodies are different and the results you see from 2 people doing the same workout can be different depending on the person. I obviously have a body that adapts well to change and quite quickly too.

Well done for getting your mojo back (shame about the toothpaste!)! Is the Step class freestyle or Les Mills? I love Body Step but I did some freestyle Step classes while I was in England and omg they were so hard lol!

HAve fun, let us know how you go! Had my first night without the kids last night (they all went to their Dads) so i'm feeling well rested and off to do Combat and weights, see ya!