There is no longer a rush for me to fit into a tiny sheath of a dress, at least not for another 10 months, but I have a gym membership, and I might as well use it.
I met a friend at the gym yesterday, and she and I worked her circuit together: 30 minutes on the Tredmill (because running on an elliptical actually weakens your core muscles), 30 minutes on a bike climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro, then 30 minutes doing various weight training.
Today I met up with her again and hit the Tredmill, but skipped the rest of the workout in favor of a class called Bikini Bootcamp - otherwise known as Kickboxing from Hell.
I am Sore, emphasis on the capital S. My quads are screaming at me, and every time I attempt to lower myself into a seat I give up a quarter of the way down and just fall.
There's also an inevitable groan.
I know these are just the twinges of a new workout, but damn.
But I like the change. My other workout was getting boring, and at least now I can watch a pre-season Sox game while I run on that blasted machine for 30 damn minutes.
What kills me the most is that in a gym, on a machine, I'm excellent. I run a decent mile and I don't feel the need to stop.
On a trail, however, it feels like every four feet I need to stop and catch my breath.
I did find my new favorite machine, though I suppose it isn't so much a machine as it is a padded piece of metal.
It's a piece that allows you to drape over it, almost like an immersion table for your back. You hook your feet in the bottom and bend at the waist over the edge, allowing your back to stretch out. It's also perfect for doing upside-down crunches, and if you have a medicine ball handy, the workout really burns your core muscles.
(My core muscles suck. If I were ever asked to perform a sobriety test I would fail it -- not because I'd be drunk, but simply because my core muscles are so weak I can't walk a straight line.
It's a rotten core.)
What's awesome is that it burns those muscles above your ovaries, too, so the stronger you make them the less likely they are to cramp during your less-than-favorite time of the month.
It's my newest favorite thing to do at the gym, and it burns and it sucks, but at the end I feel like I've attacked a love handle/spare tire with some serious devotion and any previous workout almost doesn't compare.
I highly suggest adding it to your workout regimen.
•••
In other news, my gal pal Jen is joining a gym near her home and is planning on picking up a schedule that will allow her to work off some of the stress from work.
This girl has not only a highly stressful job, but also a highly stressful commute, so having a release for that tension is not only something she needs to relax, it's also something she needs to get back to herself.
So here's a shout out to my peep and a note of confidence for her - I'm proud of you for taking this step and have utter and complete faith in you.xo
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