New Trainer Take Two

I went to the gym today to workout and see Zak on his last day as a Lifetime Trainer. I did not want to work out. I have not been sleeping more than 5 hours a night and am exhausted. While talking with Zak and all but passing out on the personal training desk, we discussed my new trainer options and Zak chose Devon. I informed Zak that I didn't like him at all for the entire first TEAM session--which you all have known, but apparently he did not--and he seemed offended. I told him that I like him now and that's all that matters. And that I consider him a likeable person so getting to know this new trainer is going to be a rough process I think. Zak thinks it will be different because we were in a group session and I will be one-on-one with Devon. We shall see...

Devon came over to the desk and Zak introduced us. Zak bragged to Devon about all of my, er, uh...I mean *our* awesomeness over the past 8 months. I informed Devon that I had only ever trained with Zak and did not want a new trainer. Zak told Devon (in front of me...thanks Zak) that I was afraid I wouldn't like him. Devon looked me in the eyes and quite directly said: I'm afraid I won't like you either.

I think I'm gonna like Devon.

According to Lifetime's website Devon has been a NASM certified personal trainer since 2003 and his strengths are: Weight Loss, Athletic Performance, Self-Defense and Post-Rehab. Zak said that he is very good and will be tough with me, but also chat with me and Zak even thinks I'll be able to talk to him about all of my crazy life drama like I do to Zak....we'll see about that...

I am going to email him my goals and expectations and we are going to have my weekly Tuesday at 5 session next week, then decide if we want to move forward.

I got on the treadmill but wasn't feeling it so I hopped off after 15 minutes. :) I am a slacker until Tuesday. Accept that fact. I already have.

The End of an Era

The day has come. Sooner than we thought. I had my last session with ZTT today. He put his two weeks in and his company told him to take the two weeks paid and don't come in anymore. I guess they are scared he will steal clients. What they are really doing is ticking all of us off. They are hurting us, not him. But whatever. It's done. So, today was the end. I want to write a nice wrap up of my time with ZTT, but today is not the day. Hopefully I'll do it soon.

The Lifting:

Group #1:
Leg Extensions: 60 lbs, 15 reps
Walking Lunges: no dumbbells!
FM Chest Press: 30 lbs, 12 reps

Group #2:
Lat Pulldown: Setting 5 (which I think is 60 lbs), 12 reps
DB Floor Rows: 10 lb dumbbells, 6 each arm
Mtn Climbers: 15 each leg

Group #3 (super set):
DB Bicep Curl: 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
DB Shoulder Press: 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #4:
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps

I don't want a new trainer. Brandon is out. Zak is working to find me a good one. I don't want one...

Step Class with Heather!

My friend, Heather, has wanted to check out my gym and possibly join for quite some time now. She wanted to check out a step class. I am always down for whatever, so whatever, step class it is.

I thought I knew what step class was. Basically an hour of aerobic activity involving the use of a step. I was wrong. It is an hour of pure misery led by a little, happy woman named Debbie. But I really think that Heather and I held our own...well, uh...most of the time...ok, some of the time. :) But Debbie affirmed me several times throughout the class with her perky, happy headset.

I have no idea how many calories I burned. But I think a bunch. Haven't worked that hard in a while...

Oh, and much to my dismay Heather now wants to join the gym and try the Latin Fusion class. This will not end well. But I am certain there will be stories...

Sole Sisters Run - 12/28/09

Ran with the girls today! I have missed it since I had a two week break (sick, then poor weather). But, as expected, it was wonderful!!!

We had a new sister this morning, Doreen!!! What a treat! And she thinks she may even come back!


Also, I am super excited because Amy and I ran for 30 straight minutes today! Since we were inside the gym we have no idea how far this was, but who cares?!? We tried to go as long as we could and we could have kept going, but I had to get off to work! With the 5 minute warm up and cool down we went for a little over 40 minutes. What a great morning!

Also, I will be doing a step class tonight at the gym with my friend Heather. Look forward to a post later if I can stay awake after my crazy busy day!!!

P.S. I went to the doctor about my cough today and I am not sick! :) But I do have exercise-induced bronchospasms or, as I like to call it, pansy asthma. :( He thinks it should go away in a few weeks with the help of two inhalers. :)

So Many Dirty Looks...

Today the assignment was 50 minutes of cardio as follows: {5 min zone 2, 3 min zone 3, 2 min zone 1 recovery} repeat.

I did everything at an incline of 2.0. The zone 2 was around 3.9 mph, the zone 3 was between 4.5 and 5.0 mph and the zone 1 was 3.0 mph (but it was mostly zone 2 since it took my heart that long to regulate back down from the zone 3).

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 480 (Treadmill)/534 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.77
Total Time: 60:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 129

About 30 minutes into it, I started coughing really bad. I got so many dirty looks from the other gym patrons... It passed and I finished healthily... :)

Next workout: tomorrow morning, bright dark and early, running with the girls!

Saturday Workout? Check.

Today I was not in the mood to workout. And it stunk. But, per usual, I felt better after I did it. The assignment was to repeat the weight routine from Thursday and do 30 minutes of cardio: {5 min zone 2, 5 min zone 3} repeat--attempt to get into zones via inclines rather than speed changes.

The lifting:

Group #1 (3 sets):
DB Walking Lunges: 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Bent Over Row: 70 lb bar, 12 reps
BB Deadlift: 70 lb bar, 12 reps

Group #2 (3 sets):
SB Chest Press, 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Bicep Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Shoulder Press, 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #3 (3 sets):
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back, 37.5 lbs, 12 reps

The first group really stanks. It is *rough*. Lunges hurt. Bad. Then to go into the 70 lb bar for two sets of exercises. My forearms are mush when I am done. But I do it. Cause I'm amazing. Don't forget it. ;)

The cardio (I used my iPod shuffle instead of my iPhone, so I had no way to write down my stats...this is from memory... ::grin::):

Calories Burned: 313 (Treadmill)/620 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 1.93
Total Time: 35:00 (including cool down)/1:05:58 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 129

I was able to keep my speed right around 3.5 mph and varied the inclines from 4.0 to 8.0 depending on my heart rate.

Next workout: tomorrow. ZTT still hasn't told me what to do yet... ::sigh:: It will be cardio of some sort...

Swimming PR!

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Today was great! I ate waaaay too much at Ajay and Julie's, but it was totally tasty and thus, totally worth it! Then I went to the movies with them and hit the gym to go swimming.

Now, originally I had hoped to do some amazing feat of athleticism today like perhaps an indoor sprint triathlon... But due to my current coughing state, ZTT did not think that was a good idea. He told me he would email me my assignments but it would be swimming today. Well (shocker!), he never emailed me, so I decided to swim whatever I felt like! And I did...

Amanda F. had belittled intimidated made fun of mocked challenged me to swim longer distances without taking breaks. She thinks that I am not challenging myself enough. So, if you recall, in the past ZTT had had me do 6 laps, take a break and do 6 more. Today, I decided to attempt to do 12 laps without stopping. I also decided to do them all breathstroke since the elementary backstroke is my catch-my-breath stroke. So, I did! I did 12 laps all breathstroke. Then decided to do an elementary backstroke lap or two. At this point, I realized that I was very close to a half mile (16 laps in my pool) so I continued (I love a nice solid goal!).

Here is my lap breakdown:

Lap 1: BS, 1:34.97
Lap 2: BS, 1:47.29
Lap 3: BS, 1:49.62
Lap 4: BS, 1:50.82
Lap 5: BS, 1:53.64
Lap 6: BS, 1:53.49
Lap 7: BS, 1:57.06
Lap 8: BS, 2:00.87
Lap 9: BS, 1:59.70
Lap 10: BS, 1:55.89
Lap 11: BS, 1:58.95
Lap 12: BS, 2:00.12
Lap 13: EB, 2:02.78
Lap 14: EB, 2:01.61
Lap 15: BS, 1:48.25
Lap 16: BS, 1:49.86

Total swim time (without stopping!!!): 30:25.57

So, I am very happy that I swam a half mile for the first time and did it strong! I felt fine. Could have kept going. Guess Amanda F. was right...

Next workout: tomorrow. ZTT has not told me what to do, so I guess I'll do whatever I feel like... :) I know it will involve repeating the weight routine and some sort of cardio.