Tuesday, October 26, 2021

And So it Begins! (Harder and Longer Workouts)

 My personal trainer has got it into his head that I need to work out more, and by working out more I mean more than I already do. Mind you, I am a fit woman! (OK, the word "fit" could be mistaken for "relatively in shape")  I drag my butt to the YMCA three times a week and I do the expected tortures for about 18-21 minutes straight. The trainer by the way is really amazingly handsome, and I could stare at him all day long.  In fact, there were days when he was an even younger man that I made it a point to stare at him all day long. I even watched him sleep! That's how creepy this mom is....yeah, I'm that mom! One night, and this has nothing to do with the story I'm telling you, but shows you how I have no interest in keeping on track, I was diapering my child and literally taped his arms inside his diaper. I woke up the next morning to my son thrashing around his crib like a baby seal. So sad!  OK, back to the torture thing - - wait, could this be payback? Let me think about that?

    I used to go to the YMCA three times a week and do about 18-21 hard minutes of workout between the ab cruncher/back extension machine, the arms push, the leg/ankle pump, the leg press, the pull to the chest weights, and then I'd finish off with 6-8 minutes of squats and ring stretches for resistance.  Well, now I'm going in and spending about 31-34 minutes on the same things but adding 3-4 minutes of rope hauling, an over the head pull thing with 30-40 pounds and another EXTRA 20 pounds on all of the machines except the arm push thing, I only have to do 10 more pounds on it because some things do have their limits. If I thought I was going home after all that I was wrong. The treadmill was prepped and ready for me. I set it at 3.7 speed and at an incline so I could struggle a little -- I did 9 minutes today and I'm expected to get that up to 15 soon.  If I die at least I'll look good.

    Today, I'm over at the leg/ankle thing and this really sweet older man stands next to the machine. I thought he was waiting for me to finish with it so he could get on it, but he was just wanting to watch me. He said he watches me all the time because it seems I'm either praying or talking to myself. I had to laugh. I'm actually singing.  I have my ears full of Nickelback, Daughtry, Santana, Foreigner, Kansas, Journey, and sometimes for grins and giggles I switch to Celtic Worship...good for a cool down. There's a beat for every machine really  -- why not let the treadmill be the walk to Jesus?  

    It may not seem like 30-34 minutes of constant moving and hustle is hard enough, or effective enough to make a difference in your life, but it does. The secret is not hours and hours of steady as you go, but to get the heart rate up for several minutes a day and to use resistance when you can. When I'm on the ab machine I tighten the core and hips. When I'm on the row machine I do the same - - I forgot to mention earlier that I do a row now and again if someone is on the ab machine. I can do just about as much damage on it as I can the other. Squats are hard on you no matter where you are or what you're doing. You can buy the DB Method machine, it's a great work out, but I am using the rings at the gym and angling my body pretty much the same way as I would on the DB. I can do the same hand motion, or with the rings I can turn my wrists over and pull myself with my arms, but again, all the while you want to tighten your bum, core, and thighs. You need the resistance. 

    The ropes! OMG....the ROPES.  I will celebrate the day I can pass 3 minutes. I lag and pull and cuss myself through the 2nd minute just trying to get to the 3rd. It is so hard. I mean, if I had smaller ropes I could do more than three but it is what it is. The ropes they have at the YMCA are thick! They are the real deal, and they are hard as heck trying to lift, twist, and throw.  I think I've started a trend, more people are going to them now. I hope to be able to make them a popular choice for the patrons, most people just walk right past them.  One sweet man asked me today why I only do them for such a short time. He's watched me a few times. I told him I go as long as I can, but they're pretty hard to manage after the 2nd full minute.  He was a younger man than myself, and he tried them for a while. After a full minute or so he glanced over at me and laughed -- we both understood.  He stopped.

    Soon and very soon I'll have the body I should have had 30 years ago.  Soon and very soon I'll have the money I need to have the surgery to remove the skin I have left over from not having the body I should have had 30 years ago.  I'm not ashamed of admitting that I'll go under the knife to be gorgeous. Nope, quite the opposite. I'll even let the doctors know I'll blog about them so they'll be apt to do a great job.  I want the mirror to agree with my head, and that's going to take a bit of planning on my part and on the part of the surgeon.  Maybe this spring I'll reveal the new and improved Jude.  Let's see. I've lost about 54 pounds since August 2020; I have about 22 more to go. I don't mind the number on the scale as long as the number on the jean sizes go down.  I will likely have another surgery to perk the boobs up too. I'm by no means wanting to augment those babies, they need to take a hike. I have longed for a "Barely B" for years, instead I'm rocking a "Copious C" and let me tell you, I thought all this sweating and heaving around would force them to reduce themselves. Instead they've taken a stand and just get harder not smaller. Dang it.

    Maybe some day I'll have the body I thought I should have growing up, but no one told me growing up would include all those years of child rearing, working crazy hours, touring with a two legged dog, and scraping the bottom of the barrel for a penny to pay the cable guy!  It's my turn now. My kids are grown, my bills are paid, my sites are set, and before Jesus comes back (or not, I may have to just let my perfected body be it) I want to do things MY WAY this time - - and be happy to say good morning and good evening to myself. I have always loved my brain, but now it's time to love my body (and my face) too.  I haven't even told you guys about the laser thing I'm doing for my face....OMG, maybe next blog. I want to see how it works first.


    

Photo Credit: Fettle Fitness


    

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