Working out at the rec center

Hey all! I promise I didn't forget about working out. For these next two weeks I'm gonna be visiting the rec center every day before lunch and working out for an hour. So today I warmed up on a stationary bike for 20 min, cuz I got bored after that lol But it was a good warm up. Then I proceeded to do my weight training and ab workout. I did three sets of all that and headed over to my rowing machine. Mmmmm. That was a good half hour. I went approximately 4700m and burned like 220 calories + the 180ish I burned on the stationary bike earlier. Woot! So since I didn't post Friday, whoops!, here's my measurements and pics and such. 

My current weight: 184

My current Waist measurement: 36"

My current Hip measurement: 42"

My current Thigh measurement: 27"

Row row row your boat

Ohhhhhhh I feel so good right now. I just finished telling my roommate all this, but I'll jot it down here too. So earlier today I tried to motivate myself to do Insanity. I was like, "Yea come one. You gotta do this. Come on......." And yea it wasn't happening. Finally I psyched myself to getting dressed and getting my laptop all set up. When I start up Insanity I'm just trying to get myself into it, get motivated. Not happening. I stopped at least 3 times and was just like, nope. I don't want to do this. Nope, I really don't want to do this. Fuck I'm not in the mood for this. I walk away from my laptop. Come back. Close my laptop. And then I'm like, "Well I should do something." So I put on a shirt, hop on my bike, and pedal my way over to the rec center on campus.

This was my first time working out in there! :)

So I'm all cutsy with the guy and obviously a newbee. Not flirting with the guy, pfft but I'm sure I look like a freshman or sophomore who doesn't quite know her way around lol Anywho, I ask the guy if he needs to swipe my card and he says "yes please". So I give it to him and I'm waiting for him to give it back and he quick tells me that he hangs on to it. Yea. I might as well have a stamp on my forehead lol

Sooooo...... I make my way upstairs because I wanted to see all that was up there. I find a digital stationary bike and hop on. Kinda finicking with the settings. Figuring out the resistance, what setting to use, how to pedal. Tell you what riding fixed gear and then coming back to regular bikes is so weird! I'm so use to have the direct relation of effort put into the pedals being constant. I swear it was like I hadn't quite gotten my sea legs or something. I'm sure I looked silly. I set up the program to run for an hour but I got bored 20 min in. I'd been looking around and I'd noticed some weights over yonder. So I paused it after the 20 min and I had the intention of doing some ab work and weight lifting then coming back to it. Ohhh that felt so good. The ab work out was pretty good. Just to cover my bases. I did 20 of those. Then I picked up 5 lb barbells and did some dips behind, lifts to the side, and lifts in the front 10x. I did that circuit 3 times and then I was gonna hop back on my bike.

Well apparently I'd been off the bike for too long cuz it went and shut itself off. I try and finick with it, but then I'm just like fuck it. I look around look around and I spot a rowing machine. I'd seen a girl use it like 15 min ago and I was just thinking, why the hell not? Push a few buttons, strap in my feet, and start pulling. Ohhhhh I fell in love. I was on that baby for half an hour and burned like 200 calories and felt like I was working my entire body. Push back/pull, release, push back/pull, release. Oh it was beautiful. After I got warmed up in like 10 minutes I smiled to myself and said Fuck yea I got this! mmmmmmm it was so sexy. I can't even fully describe how good I felt with that machine. (rolls rrrrrr's) ;)

So I think I'm gonna definitely go back to that tomorrow. Idk about Insanity if I'm gonna still try to keep up with that or what. I've got 2 weeks before I head home. So that's 2 weeks that I can spend in the gym on my beloved rowing machine and doing other stuff.

And hell the way I look at it, Insanity got me wanting to work out. My aerobics class gave me a lot of knowledge about working out and I should do 30 min of vigorous working out or 60 min of moderate working out. I worked out for a lil over an hour tonight and I feel great. Plus, this helps me for during the semester in the fall because we'll have another girl in the house so I won't be able to use it as a workout room. I was gonna have to go to the gym sooner or later.

Oh! I did have an epiphany though. The reason that I was getting so frustrated with Insanity is that it had no weight lifting. It was just all cardio and jumping here and there. That stuff is good and all but from my past experience I would do just lifting weights. I would do a lot of upper body workouts. And I've really been missing that. So maybe what I'll end up doing is having my rowing every other day and having cardio days. Idk. That sounds like a pretty good plan though. But man oh man I do love that rowing machine. I finally feel strong again. I felt so clunky and just everywhere when I do Insanity. Today I felt like I had a real handle on things  :)

Ok din din time then I gotta study for my other exam!!

Hey Sorry

No time to workout today. I'm hardcore working on a final project for tomorrow THEN I need to read and review some chapters for my aerobics final tomorrow.

Deep Breaths

Today was good :)

Work out was good :)

Lots of stretching, got my heart pumping, started sweating

It's interesting to be working up a sweat when just doing stretching, but it gets pretty tricky.

Now time for shower and gotta do homework.

3 days left of classes!!!

Developing a new lifestyle

I'm criticizing myself because I've become somewhat complacent with missing a day here and making it up later. I mean there are arguments for both sides:

For Sticking with the Regimented Workout

• It's proven to work well staying on schedule
• It's creates a better routine throughout the week
• It's designated for a 2 month routine

Reasons It's Ok to Deviate Sparingly

• As long as I'm working out 3-5 times per week I'll stay healthier
• I want to make this into a longer standing routine than just 2 months
• There may be some times where life gets in the way and my workout have to take the back burner

I did my workout today. Sorta? It said that it was Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs and I did the Cardio Abs. I wasn't sure whether or not to do them both because on every other one that it has Cardio Power and Resistance it's all bundled up into the same video. But anyway, I got back into it and I intend to stick with this program (hopefully) without deviating anymore than I already have. 

The way that I look at it is that I want this to be a kickstart for me to have a more healthy life, not just a quick-fix program. After being in this aerobics class and being around my professor I really like the idea of being more physically active. There are new foods that I want to try and cook because I want to get away from packaged foods with trans fats and high sodium. I want to be working out, even though sometimes I really do drag my feet on it because it's hard work. 

Oh! That reminds me. There was this position where we're contorted in a C and we have to life both our legs to our chest, out, then up, then back down and do it over again. Yea my hips were popping at that :/ no bueno. So I don't know if that's because of my lack of abs or something with my hips. Hopefully I'll get better at that. 

But yea, I'm making good progress overall. 

• I've cut out mtn dew from my diet (excluding the mishap back at home, which I'll try to avoid when I go back after classes)
• I've been eating healthier
• Not so much processed foods
• Eating more fruits
• I still need to eat more veggies though
• I think I'll talk to my dad when I go home and see if we can go to the Market and do some daddy-daughter bonding :)
• And I've been active 3-5 days every week even with my mishaps

Um...I have a scheduled Off Day that would fall on Friday, but I think I might just skip that since I had 2 days off this past weekend. However, it's been awhile since you guys have seen an update from me in regard to my weight and such. Tentatively, my weight is currently 186.2 That's me just weighing myself a few seconds ago lol But I'll do another check on Friday with full pics and sizing and whatnot.So hold out for that. 

The main thing I want to walk away from this is a new sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that I can change my weight if I put in the time. And I'm trying to do that. 

Sweat Dripping Deliciousness

I'm actually coming to like having sweat dripping down my back. Means I had a good workout :) But yea today was Plyometric Cardio. Tough shit! This one along with the pure cardio are the worst. There at the end the circuits are up, down, jump back do 4 push ups, run it out then do it again and again and again. It's rough! That shit I could do, not quite as fast as them, but I was definitely doing it!

Then the next circuit had us doing more pushups and we'd have to jump up to the left and then the right. Abdominals! And then we'd jump out-then back in-then back out-then back in....Sounds kinda kinky now that I think about it ;)

Pervertedness aside, that was the circuit I had a lil bit of trouble with. It wasn't necessarily that I couldn't jump up and back in, my arms just couldn't take it. Maybe I should work in some other push ups earlier in the day...?

Anywho, thanks for reading this! I gotta go grab some supper!

Fit Test #2

Hey! Today was another Fit Test. I was kinda dreading this all day because I started this a bit after 7 because I forgot I had to meet with a classmate to go over a presentation for Tuesday. A part of me was like, "Uhg I have to do this..." and another part of me was genuinely kinda excited. I wanted to see if I had progressed or not. 

And I totally did!!

These are the scores from my first Fit Test

1. Switch Kick: 80?
2. Power Jacks: 36
3. Power Knees: 68
4. Power Jumps: 17
5. Globe Jumps: 6
6. Suicide Jumps: 9
7. Push-up Jacks: 11
8. Low Plank Oblique: 30?

And these are the scores from my second Fit Test

1. Switch Kick: 86
2. Power Jacks: 40
3. Power Knees: 78 
4. Power Jumps: 26
5. Globe Jumps: 7
6. Suicide Jumps: 12
7. Push-up Jacks: 20
8. Low Plank Oblique: 32 

I improved in all the exercises :) It kind of interesting just looking back at the first post from where I am right now. And I felt like I had better form on all of these too. The switch kicks I dunno if I'm getting my feet up high enough... The power jacks are a bitch but I'm actually starting to like those. Because they suck so much I'm really trying to do those ones well. Weird I know lol Oh and the power knees were good. The problem that I have is trying to keep my balance.

Oh so while we're talking about things to work on: 

1. Better balance whether it's stretching, or doing power knees, or those leg compressions
2. Making sure to contract my core while I'm working out. Too often I feel like I'm doing the move but I'm not fully utilizing it. 
3. Breathing. I cannot stress how important this is. And there were a couple times in the past couple days where I was worried I was gonna hyperventilate because I just breathed too quickly and then I couldn't slow my breathing down. So big deep breaths is best.

But yea :) Today was a good day. I strove to get a few more than last time and I wanted to shoot for good form. I accomplished both of those today :)

Now I'm outta the shower, in nice clean pjs, I'm gonna grab dinner and sit out on my porch.