30 Days of Fitness: Day 8 - Pump, pump it up!

My first pump class today. Was feeling pretty fresh for it, especially as I went to sleep at 9:30 last night and had 8 hours sleep! Haven't had that in such a long time! Pump has had to have been the most difficult form of exercise I have undertaken in the eight days I have been doing this. It was like the instructor said, it's not about lifting weights and being strong, it's about endurance. And I didn't have it. I kept going for about 3/4 of it, or maybe a little bit more. But at a few points, especially towards the end, I felt so weak! Even doing a lunge and my back leg was shaking like crazy! But I did feel good after it and I had no nausea or feeling bloated so maybe that was just my body getting used to it.

All day I was really sore and was grunting like crazy at work when I sat down or stood up - I remember reading an interview with Raquel Welch where they asked her how do you stay so young? She replied that she never makes a noise when sitting down or standing up. If that's the case, I am screwed!

After work I headed to my outdoor yoga class. Was really difficult as my arms and legs were still really tense and sore but I managed to do it. Although that damn dog pose kills me every time. I have really bad flexibility in my legs so I need to work on that. Loved having it outdoors today though as there was a beautiful summery breeze coming in.

Had intended to go to the gym in the evening but I did not feel that it would be at all beneficial to me tonight. I doubt I would be able to do even 10 squats - let alone 120. And chest presses? Forget about it. So instead I chose to rest up and to head over tomorrow. I think I did quite a bit today anyway.

It's been hard so far. The early mornings have been the biggest struggle. Being up at 5:30am. Body clock has a lot to get used to, as well as my body. And the encouragement I am getting from people has been really good and positive so that makes me keep going. Not to mention the fact that I would then have to state on this blog that I failed the challenge. Can't have that!

30 Days of Fitness: Day 7 - Zoom-zoom...zumba!

Due to White Night I had 5.5 hours sleep last night. I swear, if I wasn't writing this blog I would not be going to these classes! But to them I must, so I headed to my first Zumba class at my gym. I had all these nerves again; would I be the only guy? Would I be completely uncoordinated? Would I manage it...the answers were yes, no and yes. I was the only guy but AGAIN no one cares who else is in the class and what their ability is as everyone is so focused on themselves. However, I did have a scan of the room every now and again and I must say, I definitely wasn't the most uncoordinated one and for the most part I do think I kept up pretty well. But man, do I sweat a lot when I get going!

Would live it if my instructor
wore that to class!

As soon as the class was over, I got straight into my gym routine. I thought I would struggle a lot more having just done zumba but I feel like I went a lot better. With my warm up, i spent 2 minutes longer running at 10kmp/h and I smashed my rowing time by 33 seconds and hitting 1km in 4:12sec! 

My circuit felt a lot quicker and I was more efficient in getting through the sets, don't feel like I struggled as much to get through them. By the time the core exercises came, I was struggling a bit and started feeling a little nauseous as I had not eaten for about three hours at this point - for breakfast I had oats with blueberries and a banana. 

I am feeling quite tense in my arms, legs and back but I am feeling a big sense of accomplishment whenever I leave the gym. I am a week into my challenge and I know I'm still in the pain phase but I do feel like the rewards will be great and am hoping a maximum of another week of pain and soreness before ti becomes a bit more natural - but I guess if that happens, it means I need to add more weights! 

30 Days of Fitness: Day 6 - En Guarde!!!

Went to my first fencing class today. And well, it was AWESOME. That's right, I've even caps locked it because it was that great. Again, it was a small group of four, and one late comer. But everyone's on the same page and stuff. Doing it with Spatha Fencing. The two instructors we had were pretty good and were able to teach us the very basics quite quickly.

We ended up having a bit of a round robin tournament and I won all four of my games. Being left handed is an advantage to fencing but also coz I have such long arms, it is much easier for me to lunge my Foil at. Foil being the easiest of the three swords you can use.

The fencing mask was really claustrophobic initially and it's crazy the amount of sweat that builds up in there but definitely going to continue with this one I think. The groups seems pretty nice too. Was only supposed to be an hour long lesson but ended up running 40 minutes over. By the end of it, my arms were pretty sore but I felt good.

In the afternoon I headed back to the Gym and began my circuit which is as follows:

Warm Up
Treadmill 10 mins
Rower 5 mins = 1km

Training
Lats Pulldown 3x15 at 20kg
Chest Press 3x15 at 20kg
Squats 3x20
Hammy Curls 3x14 at 40kg
Shoulder Press 3x15 at 20kg
Seated Row 3x15 at 25kg

Core Excercies
Ab Curls 2x20
Russian Twists 2x40 with 2kg ball
Alt. Arm/Leg Raises 2x10

Cool Down
Cross Fit 10 mins

I managed to do all of this - didn't feel as fatigued as the first day so I think that banana made a massive world of difference.

I was a bit nervous walking in and doing my circuit alone without my PT - gyms ARE intimidating - and even though the majority of it was filled with pretty fit guys, once I got into it, I didn't worry about that at all.

From little things, big things...

So every time I go to the gym and do this circuit I will update how I went and if I have been able to increase my weights...some of it was actually easy - the hammy curls and lats pulldown but I might wait a few more days before I think of expanding or adding more weights. Still very weak with the chest presses find them incredibly hard for some reason.

I also purchased some whey protein powder. And had one straight after my session and I really did feel a whole lot better. Although, since being back from the gym, which has been about two hours now, I have done nothing but lie on my bed. haha...

30 Days of Fitness: Day 5 - Damn I'm Sore

I had intended on going to the gym this morning, even set the alarm for 5:40pm. However, I woke up and my whole body was so stiff and sore so I compromised and did an hour of yoga instead.
There were quite a few poses that I struggled to keep because my arms and legs are so sore. But by the end of it I did better having stretched them out and used them in a "gentle" way.
I'm booked to see Nathan again on Thursday so I'm hoping to be able to get to the gym four times a week and do the circuit he's planned for me. I will admit I am feeling a little self conscious about going to the gym on my own and working out but I guess this is an insecurity I'll just have to face!
The sleep thing is still difficult. I went to sleep at just after 11 last night and that's been the earliest I have done in a very long time. I'm sure once I get into a routine it will become easier, I hope, coz not sure how much longer I can go on 5-6 hours sleep!
Finished work and I am a bit sore in the legs and arms but am functioning quite well so far. Hopefully these aren't famous last words!

30 Days of Fitness: Day 4 - But I don't wanna get up!

5:15am wake up call. So glad the gym is a ten minute walk from home. Had my first proper PT session today.

Nathan wanted me to get there a bit earlier to warm up on the treadmill, cross fit and rowing machine before we met. Did all that for 15 minutes and I either went way too hard for a warm up or I'm really unfit. I want to go with the former.

don't get too excited. I'ts not me but
this machine almost killed

So we did a circuit of shoulder presses, chest presses, back work, leg work and squats. 3 repositions of 15-20 sets of each. I started off well but just over halfway I started to feel a bit fatigued and weak - especially in the arms. We finished on the chest presses and even from our first meet up I knew they'd be my weakest. Had to stop the third set and lessen the weights by 5kg to 25kg and even then had to pause at my tenth and really force myself through the last time. Having said that, I found the squats and leg exercises still challenging but by far my easiest to accomplish.

We finished with some core exercises and by now I could barely roll myself over the mat but somehow managed to get them all done. Followed by a five minute warm down on the treadmill and I was done.

Utterly exhausted and sweaty - and feeling a bit nauseous - but I finished!!!!
I'm not sure if I should be going to the gym on an empty stomach or eating beforehand or snacking? I had water with me and finished almost the bottle by the end of the session but is that the right thing to be doing? Or is it just a temporary side effect from never having had exercise before?