“The Beast”. Yes, when it comes to exercise, I give it all I have and my husband has called me that, as well as “Y Rat”. I’m one of those rare people that actually love to exercise. Just give me a great playlist and I can workout until the cows come home! I love to start my day at 5:00 a.m. with a cardio workout at the Y. On M-W-F I’m on an elliptical trainer for 45 minutes and usually put in about 9 miles. After that I get on a treadmill for 10 minutes and use 5 lb. weights to do curls and alternate lifting for 6 minutes straight. I finish up by doing assisted pull-ups and if I have time I do some push-ups, abdominal crunches, and other exercises. On T-Th I do Spin class to some high energy music and get in a great workout as well as have fun!
I go to a personal trainer two afternoons a week for strength training. I’ve learned so much since starting at The Shed Fitness Center last September. I’ve learned that you don’t have to have a lot of equipment to get in shape. There are so many things you can do at home, using your body weight. Most of us remember burpees, pushups, lunges, and other exercises you learned in gym class, but there’s something about having someone watching as you’re doing them, while correcting your form, if you do them incorrectly, that makes you want to do your best. If you haven’t been to a certified personal trainer, I highly recommend it! I workout with another lady from my church and we have so much fun that the hour goes by in a flash! I always look forward to my workouts at The Shed because there is so much variety and even after going for seven months, no two workouts are ever the same. It really keeps your body guessing, to mix it up all the time. I have accomplished things I NEVER thought I would be capable of doing. On Thanksgiving, Justin McRary, certified personal trainer and owner of The Shed , opened up his facility to anyone who wanted a pre-turkey feast workout, for what he calls the Thanksgiving Throwdown. This consisted of picking 10 different exercises out of a hat and then you had to do 100 reps of each, as many as you wanted to do at a time and in whatever order you wanted to complete them, until you finished. The exercises that I ended up with were:
Burpees
Lunges
Lateral Raise
Overhead Extension
Assisted Pull Ups
Straight Leg Lifts
Shoulder Press
Push Ups (I did modified)
Step Ups (on a bench)
Russian Twist
Weighted Squats
Sit Ups
I will never forget the sense of accomplishment that I had after finishing that workout! That goes down in the record books as my Best Thanksgiving Ever! I was the next to the last person in the group to finish up, but I finished it! After going there for just three months, I lost a total of 11.75 inches. It’s slowed down some now but I’m building muscle and losing fat, and I know I’ll slowly get to my goal weight. It seems like the more I workout, the hungrier I am, so there are days that I go over in calories, but I still eat healthy foods. So far I’ve lost eighty pounds and want to lose twenty more.
If the weather is good I run about four miles on Thursdays and Sundays. Right now my pace is about a ten minute mile on a good day. I have an app on my phone – Run Keeper, that keeps track of pace and distance for me. I’ll be running my first race – a 5k tomorrow. I’ve had to slow down on training for it, because I’ve had some pain in my hip. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue to run because I really love the feeling of being outdoors and getting in the zone to some great music as I get in my workout. On days that I don’t run, I walk my dog in the afternoons when the weather is good. On Saturdays I do back to back Spin class and Zumba class. I’ve grown to love Zumba because of the music and rhythm, and also it is mentally challenging. It’s a great workout for my brain to remember all of the dance steps!
In January I started doing an online contest sponsored by Lee Labrada – The Lean Body Challenge – which lasts for three months and involves a diet consisting of 40% protein, 30% healthy fat, and 30% complex carbohydrates, as well as strength training everyday for six days each week, with one rest day built in. I like being active everyday, so even on my rest day, I usually do cardio. I don’t stick strictly to the diet that they suggest, but follow it loosely. I find if I eat clean, but do what I can live with (such as eat more than one fruit per day), then I’m more likely to stick with it. I do follow the workouts as closely as I can and haven’t missed a day. I’m in the third month now and the workouts are getting much more intense. I’ve never felt sore muscles like I’m feeling now! Even though I was apprehensive about my ability to complete the workouts this month, I am realizing that I do have what it takes to get it done! My workouts at The Shed have really helped prepare me for this Super Bowl Month of Workouts!! Justin’s motto is “Believe It, Achieve it.” I take it one day at a time and know that this is a journey of healthy habits for a lifetime. I know I will reach my goal because I believe in my ability to achieve it.
Whatever it is that I do, I try to do a variety of things so I don’t get in a rut. Mix up your routine and keep your body guessing what you’ll do next! Pick an activity you enjoy today and just do it! This summer when I have some free time, I plan to start taking a Yoga class. I also want to get in the pool more because I love to swim and it is a great cardio workout.
Even at my heaviest weight I worked out and went hiking, but it wasn’t on a regular and consistent basis. Now I attack each workout with an intensity that I never had before. After losing this much weight, it is so much easier to move my body and even though it can be hard work, I love it and always look forward to the next day! I move for the sheer joy of being able to move freely without the burden of the eighty pounds that was weighing me down. Yes, I’ve been called The Beast and I take that as a compliment. I embrace my inner beast and give each workout 100%. As I have become more in shape, I think of myself more as an athlete who is in training. I’m training to live life to the fullest!
I will leave you with this verse in which Paul is speaking to the Corinthians:
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:26, 27 NASB)
Obviously with the working out that I do, my goal is to have a strong and fit body, but I also focus each day on my relationship with God and His will for me. My purpose for this blog is to be an inspiration to others, as well as to draw others to seek God in their lives. My prayer is that God uses me to further His kingdom. Less of me, more of You, Lord!
Cyberdi Fitness Journey 