OK.... Here I go!
I'm dealing with a little extra stress right now so I decided to be responsible (shocking I know) and make the healthy choice in dealing with the stress. So off I went and joined the local YMCA. And not only that, I bought myself a personal trainer. I guess technically I only rented him but you know what I mean. His name is Brad and he'll be cracking the whip for 10 weeks.
Now anyone who knows me knows my aversion to exercise..... see the title of my journal. So even walking my round body into a gym is a feat. Famous for dropping an exercise plan after a couple weeks I figured if I have to be accountable to someone it might help me continue. So for 10 weeks I am at the mercy of Brad. And he is bigger and stronger than me so he can kick my arse if I start slacking. After that we'll see if I'm ready to fly solo.
Today was my first actual work out with him. (I had an orientation to the fitness center with him last week). I survived and will put the details of the work out in my next post.

My exercise goals for now are this.....
~Workouts 5 days a week
(cardio 2-3 days/week alternating with weights 2-3 days/week)
~when it warms up buy a new road bike and ride regularly (as my cardio days)
~avoid keeling over and dropping dead

Simple enough...... wish me luck.....

Today's workout..... Brad has it all written down and I should have taken it to copy it here since I don't know the name of any of the equipment but I know what I'm talking about so that's all that matters. LOL! I also would like to put the weight amount here. I'll bring the paper home tomorrow. For now I'll try to remember as much as I can and edit it tomorrow. Today we did a lot of upper body and arm stuff...

treadmill................7 min warm up... 3mph
pulldowns..............40 lbs.........2 sets...20 reps
incline chest press..7.5 lbs........2 sets...20 reps
ball crunches.........bw.............2 sets...20 reps
leg press...............80/100 lbs...2 sets...20 reps
shoulder press........5lbs...........2 sets...20 reps
(on bench)
lying leg curl..........35 lbs.........1 set....20 reps
oblique twist..........40 lbs.........1 set...20 reps (each side)
tricep press...........40 lbs.........1 set....20 reps
low back...............35 lbs.........2 sets...20 reps
bicep curls............40 lbs..........1 set....20 reps

That's the best I can do remembering right now....
Tomorrow will be an hour of cardio...

I brought my exercise log sheet home from the Y today and changed the exercises in yesterday's post. Also added in the weights.
I'm not sore today..... I thought I would be.... I think I should be. Maybe I have to up some weights or reps. I'll have to ask Brad.

As I was exercising today I was watching people in the gym. I love people watching. The machines I did happen to be on a back wall opposite (and facing) the area with the free weights and mirror wall. Watching the men checking themselves out in the mirror was hilarious! And I don't mean checking their form... that's understandable. I mean walking up to the mirror and flexing and checking their muscles. I guess that's what you do in a gym but it was funny to me! I also watched their rection to the ladies in the gym. My fear of walking my round body into a gym was unfounded, I feel relatively invisible which is just fine with me right now. I'll take that over being looked down upon or laughed at for being fat and in a gym which was my fear. But there are a lot of ladies who weren't invisible. LOL! I'm know some of the men were drooling... it wasn't just sweat! Of course I'm sure the ladies were checking out the guys too. And not just to laugh at them flexing at themselves.

Anyway.... todays work out....
20 minutes treadmill..... set at 3.0-3.5 and 0-3 incline
30 minutes bike........... climbing program level 3
10 minutes elliptical...... climbing 5 minutes then steady level 3 5 min

It was supposed to be 20 20 and 20 minutes but who knew the eliptical thing was so evil. LOL! After 10 minutes when I thought I might vomit I jumped off and hit the bike for an extra 10 minutes to complete my hour. I actually liked the elliptical but it was hard! LOL!

There are 2 elliptical looking things (at least I'm assuming they're both elliptical things).... one is called "Rotex" one "Glidex" I don't know what the difference is in the leg part. The Glidex has arms that move, the Rotex has stationary arms. I did the Rotex. I'll have to try the Glidex and see what the difference is (if any) in the leg movement. I managed not to kill myself with stationary arms... lets see if I come crashing off when my arms are moving too. There's also a stairclimber to do..... the cardio machines are endless. LOL!

I'm working all day tomorrow.... exercise free day.

Hi! Your title caught my eye......... my attitude, too! But you gotta do it. I love the idea of renting Brad........ sounds so posh, I'm interested in watching your progress with him. :whipcrack:

Laughing about your gym people description........ but we'll see if you eat your words in a few months.... one day, you'll catch yourself in the bathroom mirror, flexing and admiring your hard earned muscle!

It's good, BTW, that you weren't sore yet...... you want to get your body used to the new stress...... plenty of time for pain later!
Nice to "meet" you!
Lisa

I didn't exercise yesterday due to working 9a-9p. I planned that as a day off.

Today to the Y for weights. Here are today's exercises in the order I did them...

Treadmill warm up for 7 minutes at 3.0
Leg press...100lbs 20 reps 2 sets
Lying leg curl... 35 lbs 20 reps 2 sets
Oblique twist... 40 lbs 20 reps 2 sets each side
Ball crunches (that just sounds bad )... 20 reps 3 sets
Low back... 35 lbs 20 reps 2 sets
Pulldowns... 40 lbs 20 reps 2 sets
Incline chest press... 7 lbs 20 reps 2 sets
Shoulder press upright... 5 lbs 20 reps 2 sets
Machine curls... 20 lbs 20 reps 2 sets
Tricep press... 40 lbs 20 reps 1 set
Bike... climbing program for 20 minutes at level 3. Avg rpm 70-80.

So that was it. One more day down.
Tomorrow... cardio.

Ball crunches, heh heh

I think your routine looks great! My beginning workouts were very basic and light, and are still not as heavy as many others'. But the impotant thing is that it's intense and challenging to YOU. And that you are consistent with it. Have fun on your cardio tomorrow!

Wish I lived close to you. I'd join you!!!

Good luck.

Cissie

Thanks Gypsy, for the info. I want to get one now, not only for the core stabilizing effects, but so that I, too, can say I did "ball crunches", heh heh heh.

My level of lifting is really not too far from yours......... I restarted in Jan., and my weights were right about the same as yours. However, I toss around the idea of competition, so my goals are probably different. Doesn't matter, though......it's all good!

Monday......

Why would the Y be packed during a snow storm????? Apparently that is the place to hang out when it snows. Had to alter my routine a bit due to the crowd but got everything in....

elliptical warmup... 7 minutes... level 2 (in place of treadmill... they were all in use)
leg press... 120 lbs... 3 sets... normal, high and wide, low and inside
ball crunches... body weight... 2 sets... 20 reps
shoulder press on ball... 5 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps
chest press on ball... 5 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps
oblique twist machine... 40 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps each side (in place of oblique twist with medicine ball... minimal mat room)
vertical traction machine... 45 lbs... 3 sets... 20 reps (in place of pulldowns but see below...)
tricep press machine... 20 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps (in place of tricep extension rope)
machine curls... 10 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps
bicycle.... 20 minutes level 3 climbing program

I didn't feel the vertical traction machine was near as effective as doing the close grip pull downs so after my bike ride the equipment for the pulldowns was free. So I did pulldowns...40 lbs... 3 sets... 20 reps. And man did I feel them!

I slacked and did not do cardio over the weekend. Will hit the Y tomorrow for cardio.

Tuesday..... cardio....

Treadmill... 25 minutes... climbing program... average speed 3... incline 0-4.5
Bicycle... 20 minutes... climbing program... level 3
Eliptical... 15 minutes... constant level 2

And I studied for my ACLS recert the whole time while on the treadmill and bike. Made the work out go faster. Didn't study on the eliptical because I do well enough to stay on the darn thing...

Good going on the multi-tasking! I wish I could read while on the stationary bike, but it makes me dizzy. I even tried hauling the bike in here to pedal while I websurf, but no go. Oh well!

Wednesday....

3rd day with Brad...

Treadmill... 20 minutes... speed 3.5... incline 4.5 (thought it was going to be a typical warm up and he made me climb up a hill )
Leg press... 120 lbs... 3 sets (normal, up and wide, low and inside)
Ball crunches... body weight... 3 sets... 20 reps
oblique twist with medicine ball... 2.5 lbs
shoulder press on ball... 5 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps
chest press on ball... 5 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps
Dumbell kickbacks (sort of)... 5 lbs... 2 sets each side 20 reps... knee and hand on ball instead of bench
dumbell curls... 5 lbs (maybe)... 2 sets... 20 reps while standing on the BOSU ball which is a half ball.
pull downs wide grip...40 lbs... 2 sets... 20 reps
rowing machine... 12 minutes... can't remember how many meters....

I don't have my workout sheet with me but I think that was everything. I'll bring it home tomorrow and check.

The BOSU ball was hilarious. Brad did it first and it looked easy enough. I stepped on and immediately stepped off. Looked at him and just started laughing!! Of course then a couple people joined in laughing as he was trying to convince me it was good for stability training. I asked him why the need to be stable. LOL! It was so funny! It was hard to do and the laughing wasn't helping! It's really hard to balance while in hysterics.

When we got to the rower the one next to mine was open so I asked him if he was going to get down and row too. So he did. Anything to make the client happy. LOL!

That was today.... I'm working 11p-7a tonight so I'll stop at the gym on the way home for cardio...

This is the BOSU ball.... and that's me.
She makes it look so easy..... they've airbrushed out the bar she's actually hanging on to. LOL!

Are you sure your trainers name isn't John??? John LOVED those stability balls He actually had stability pads, one for each foot. Wait till you try doing quats on them "it's all about your core"

I'm giving you about 4 more weeks and you'll be wanting to know how to throw more iron around

Thursday...

Full of energy I headed to the gym after work this morning for cardio...

Bicycle... 25 minutes... climbing program... level 3
Eliptical... 20 minutes... constant level 2
Treadmill... 15 minutes... climbing program... average speed 3... incline 0-4.5