Wednesday 27 May 2009

Let's Get Physical!

I’m excited! Today marks the official ‘return to routine’ that I was so loving before I went all bonkers with dizziness 2 weeks ago.

Just before that I had a session with Mr Motivator, aka Chris the PT, and he changed my programme – something that I gather will be done every 4-6 weeks or so, in other words PRECISELY around the time I finally get the workout programme into my head and don’t have to carry around his (branded) programme file at the gym with me – a cunning marketing ploy if ever there was one! And further proof that he is most certainly trying to cure me of my borderline OCD tendencies......

I digress.

So he changed my programme and it now involves something called ‘Russian Steps’. This essentially involves running as fast as you can tolerate without going A over T for one minute and then walking at a slow pace (like 5kph) for one minute, then running as fast as poss again for one and a half minutes, then walking for one and a half, then running for two and walking and then decreasing to one and a half again and so on. IT IS FABULOUS! The reason I say this is because I was boring myself stupid getting all fixated on distance with my runs and then getting annoyed with my ineptitude when I couldn’t manage a 5k-er. The Russian Steps training is, by total contrast, not about distance – bloody hell! I don’t even have time to look at anything other than the time check when I’m running so fast I think my legs will fall off! Don’t get me wrong – it’s flipping hard and completely knackering but it’s increasing my stamina and also affects one’s metabolism in much the same way that interval training does. I tried the running version of Russian Steps before I was ill and then again on Saturday just gone – I was so relieved I could still do it. Sometimes it’s just nice to sprint instead of a steady jog and to feel your legs really reaching….or is that just me? On my new programme there is also a version of Russian Steps on the Cross Trainer which involves one minute of the highest resistance you can tolerate followed by one minute of easy training, then up it to one and a half etc etc you get the idea. I haven’t tried this yet so I will be giving it a whirl this evening. The idea is that you focus on resistance rather than speed with this exercise. I am so happy to be healthy enough to get my Wednesday routine back on track!

Another aspect of my new programme is that the weights have ‘upped’! I obviously looked panicked when Chris mentioned this as he reassured me I would not bulk up -I was having crazy visions of myself with Popeye arms





rather than Jennifer Aniston arms!







SO now instead of lifting wimpy 2kg dumb bells I am onto the 4’s! A WOO HOOOOO! THAT is an NSV - an indication of my improved fitness and strength that will give me nice toned muscles rather than Popeye-esque arms!

I am still a bit of a wuss in the gym when it comes to the weights! One centre that I use on weekends lets me use the spinning studio with free weights rather than subject myself to hangin’ with the meatheads all straining and grunting and popping neck veins to lift the equivalent of a small car…..yeeeeeesh truly MINGING! But the gym I use midweek is too small to do that so I just have to suck it up and hang with the meat heads. Because I’ve been going at the same time, obviously I’ve started to recognise some of them, and HILARIOUSLY the other day one sweaty dude stopped me mid reps (ooh HOW ANNOYING) and asked what I was doing! I explained what my trainer had told me about all the different exercises and lo and behold he asked if he could join in! (albeit with the equivalent weight of 2 small children in each hand – after all, he wasn’t going to be shown up by a girl, now was he!?) At the end he thanked me and said he would show the exercise to his other buddies! Haha how funny is THAT! I figure pretty soon they’ll all be my new BFF’s….what was I worrying about!? Looking stupid? Yep! Being judged for lifting a measly weight? Yep! But all of a sudden with my new meaty pals I don’t really care! That said, I'd sooner do my core work and weights work in the privacy of my own living room - and I sure will! Rich works late on a Wednesday so I can get weighty and then reward myself with Gossip Girl....now that American Idol is over my USA shows are SERIOUSLY diminishing (Do not even get me STARTED on the debacle that was Kris bloody Allen winning! OH-DEAR-GOD!)
Right.
It's approaching 5:30pm - this BigFatPie is off to the gym!!!!!!!!!
Laters lovelies!!!!!!
xoxo BFP

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Great post! I'd love to know what "minging" means!
Weights are fun, I think. I'm actually doing more strength training then cardio at the gym right now, just cause I like the weights more (and I don't look at all like Popeye!).

♥ Dee ♥ said...

HA! I thought I was the ONLY one that didn't know what minging was! I wasn't going to ask. Glad you did, Jenn. Tee hee!

Lizzie said...

minging means really gross and disgusting, as in 'omg that's completely minging'

I think it might be a Liverpool word!

Get using it in your cute little accents American pals!!!!!