Starting out

Ok. I don't know what a "normal" person's idea of a good workout is, but my idea of a good work out is when I limp away on the border line of sore and pain - teetering towards pain - drenched in sweat and all my muscles are screaming and cursing at me. Even the ones I didn't know I had until then. 

Today was not that day.

I walked calmly away. Shirt was damp but not sticking to me. Muscles were smiling at me. Complimenting me on a job well done but not screaming at me in pain. And I was mentally kicking myself for not pushing harder. Was this wrong? Does this mean I did not get a good workout?

As I sit here, my triceps are not happy with me but the rest of me is ok. A little sore but nothing I can't handle. I will be honest and say I pushed harder while working out my arms than I did my legs. I went to spin (cycle) class Friday, Monday, and Wednesday so my quads, hamstrings, and gluts have been none too happy with me lately.  So as I was mentally bashing myself for wasting an hour of my time and taking the old easy way out I was reminded of how far I've come.

When I first started working out, I had absolutely no muscles. No endurance, and forget strength.  I was so sore I woke myself up rolling over at night. It hurt to laugh and so of course I found everything that week the most hilarious thing I had ever heard in my life. As I would shampoo my hair, I would wonder if I absolutely had to use my hands or if I could rub my head along the wall and accomplish the same results. Then I remembered who was responsible for washing my bathroom and how often it happened so hurting arms were raised and hands were used.

So then it occured to me that my second post should be how to start working out.

I started by committing 5 days a week, 30 minutes.  I am still committed to that, but if I have nothing else going that day, I'll come the other 2. Just because I don't want to come home from work, turn on the tv, and look up 6 hours later to find it's time for bed. 

I started on the recumbant bike. I kid you not - it's like a recliner that you sit on and peddle! The seat kind of inclines back  and people! there are arm rests! Arm rests!!  And at my gym they have tvs so all I had to do was find one in front of the tv show I wanted to watch and go to town.  Some days I did a little more than 30 minutes just because I got caught up in the tv show. After a week I'd bump up the resistance by 2 then the week after 2 more bump ups.  Until I got to about a 10 which is when I switched to the elliptical and took it the same way. Only I could go for about 5 minutes before I pretty much fell off the machine - so I did 25 minutes on the bike and finished my cardio. Worked my way up on minutes on the elliptical and whatever I couldn't finish on there I finished on the bike.  Now if I forget to watch the clock, I can do an hour on the elliptical! Progress is good!

Now the trick is to switch it up. The less you weigh the harder it is to lose weight. I really don't like that rule. But you are moving around less body mass so it takes less energy to move. So you have to surprise your body. And have I mentioned I don't like surprises? I like my little comfort zone and doing what is easy.  So tomorrow, new goal: switch up my cardio and get off the treadmill. After 2 months doing cardio that way it's time for a change.  Happy workout everyone!