You've been a bad bad girl!!

When I exercise I sometimes turn into a bit of a pain in the ass. When I am with my Crossfit trainer (yes even trainers have trainers) I can sometimes get belligerent. He gets a kick out of it, he may have issues. Unfortunately though my bitching about burpees usually means I'm going to end up doing more burpees, you'd think I'd learn.

For those of you who don't know what a burpee is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxrFducMgYQ  give it a try, I did 50 of those in a row the other day until I thought my arms were going to fall off.

Don't get me wrong, I love to push myself to the point where I can't lift the barbell one more time, I can't keep going at the same pace and I just want to be done but when you feel completely spent and you have someone barking in your ear to lift that barbell one more time it sends a bit of rage through my veins. Thankfully it fuels me to lift it one more time.

Another thing I do to pump myself up for a workout is listen to very loud, very high energy music. I crank Godsmack, AC/DC,  Metallica, Eminem, Jay Z, Nickleback, Three Days Grace and Puddle of Mudd until I can't hear myself think and I focus on the task at hand. Sure I'll be deaf by the time I'm 50 but I'll be that much closer to a six-pack.

Unleash your inner Badass and push yourself! What do you need to do to get the most out of your time at the gym? Last time I checked the girl running sprints on the treadmill wasn't listening to Yanni.

Tick Tock...

Do you ever feel like you are running out of time? I don't mean in the "great question of life" kind of way but I mean running out of time to get ready for an event? I'm a big procrastinator in life... I procrastinate on everything...laundry, groceries, work, you name it. I procrastinate on everything, except exercise, yet for some reason I'm two and a half weeks away from our trip and I've been working my ass off and I feel like I'm playing catch up.

As I've mentioned I outlined a detailed exercise program for 20 weeks and I've stuck to it pretty religiously but somehow now I am driving myself crazy with the number of workouts left on the schedule. I missed the odd one here and there but added in other things and have now convinced myself that 20 weeks of hard work will amount to nothing if there is a single workout left undone. Competitive, maybe, neurotic, most likely.

So here was my plan...over 20 weeks (140 days):
51 hot yoga sessions
44 kickboxing classes
39 runs (5-10km each)
39 weight training sessions

Lets do the math, 140 days for 173 workouts. Let's add to that the other workouts I didn't plan for (9 spinning classes, a game of squash, 25km bike ride etc). 185 workouts. Good lord! I've calculated in the next 17 days I have to complete another 35 workouts to have everything marked off my schedule. There might be room on the flight to Hawaii yet folks because I'll be in the belly of the plane in a body bag.

Obviously I need to learn how to relax. Short of popping some anti-psychotic medication I haven't been able to make that mental switch of how much is too much. I can always hear that morbidly obese girl huffing and puffing behind me telling me to stop, it was so much easier when she was in control, think of not having to run, to not count calories, to lay on the couch and do nothing. My virtual workout buddy scares the bejesus out of me and she pushes me to workout even harder, sometimes too hard.

The funny thing is I have no problem counseling my personal training clients on rest days, over training etc but when it comes to my own fitness schedule I'm like a Whirling Dervish, spinning and spinning looking for that elusive enlightenment.

I'd love to say that I'll dial it back and be ok with a few workouts not highlighted on my schedule but that would be a lie. I know I'll bust my ass for the next 17 days and crawl onto that plane and be proud of myself for completing it. It's a sickness folks, don't judge me. But this I will promise to myself....when I create my post-Hawaii training schedule I will factor in two rest days a week! Can you imagine? I don't know what I'll do with all that free time.

Thanks once again for reading the ramblings of an obviously deranged individual. ;)

Starting an Exercise Program

Quite a few people have mentioned the lack of motivation or direction to start an exercise program.  I've highlighted a few things that help keep me off the couch in hopes maybe they will help you as well.

#1 Make a Plan
I'm one of those people who likes a very regimented work-out program. I currently have a schedule on my fridge of all my daily workouts until I go to Hawaii in February. Each time I complete one I mark it off.  I find it very motivating to look at the list all complete.  If I miss a workout I have to make it up....but I also factor in at least one rest day per week.

#2 Variety is the Spice of Life
I used to focus on one activity like running and would inevitably end up at my physiotherapists every year with over-training injuries.  Now I mix it up! Each week I kickbox 2-3 times, run twice, weight train twice and practice hot yoga 2-3 times. And I'm always open to substitute in other things like spinning, squash, Crossfit.

#3 Set a Goal
Sometimes we can be very vague on what our goals are. If you want to get in better shape, what does that mean?  Does it mean losing weight, increasing muscle mass, decreasing fat, improving cardio, improving strength, becoming more flexible? Be specific!

What is the goal?  Run 5km, Lose 10 lbs, do a chin-up, bike 20km

What is the timeline? 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months etc  (A goal without a deadline is just wishful thinking)

Is it realistic?  Forget fad diets or exercising yourself into the ground, be smart .5-2lbs of weight loss a week is healthy, 10% increases in mileage a week and remember to give your muscles time to rest between workouts. 

What is your action plan? Meet with a trainer, join a running club, attend group fitness classes, log your daily calories, weigh yourself weekly. If you are going to join a gym what are you going to do there? Have a plan whether its to take fitness classes, meet with gym staff to set up a basic training program (free at all YW/YMCA), or meet with a personal trainer to set up a specific program for you to reach your goal.

Reward yourself!!  Celebrate your successes along the way, if you lost 1lb this week that's awesome!!! That is 3500 calories!!! Treat yourself to a long bubble bath, a new book, a new workout song on iTunes.

Most importantly have fun!!!


Note:  You should always have the ok from your doctor before starting any exercise program.  Be safe.

Guilty as Charged!

We all have guilty pleasures whether they be bad tv, junk food or romance novels. I find it so interesting to see what people secretly enjoy. I'd love to hear yours!

My Top 10 Guilty Pleasures

1. Anything and Everything Nickleback
2. Cheap grocery store vanilla slab cake...with icing flowers of course
3. Sex and the City (the show, the movies, everything)
4. Diet Coke
5. The Hills
6. Somewhat historically accurate novels about 10-14th Century England
7. GoFugYourself.com
8. VH1's Behind the Music....doesn't matter who it is
9. Hallmark Christmas movies
10. The Real Housewives of NewYork