A Workout Snapshot

Today I thought it would be nice to share with you how and when I workout. I'm not really a "gym" person. I found myself wandering around aimlessly wondering what I should do next and being too afraid to use the weights because so many people were bro-ing down on them. So I've come up with some solutions.

I joined Cosmic Studios in Erlanger. They have a variety of classes to take and classes work out better for me because someone is telling me exactly what to do. So here's the last 4 days in re-cap.

Saturday-Craze Dance Class: This class is a dance/zumba style class that incorporates pop music songs that make you want to dance. This class is great for people of all ages and ability levels and is good if you are trying to get a lot of steps in.

Sunday-R.I.P.P.E.D: This is my favorite class because it kicks my rear end into gear. All the letters stand for something different. R is resistance where we do weight training. I stands for interval, which gets your heart rate up and down. P stands for power where we focus on large muscle groups, like shoulders and thighs. The other P is plyometrics, which is what athletes use. It focuses on explosiveness and agility, oh and a hell of a lot of jumping. E is for endurance. This 10 minutes and 30 seconds of punches and kicks is my sheer bliss. D stands for diet. Of course, we add in C to encompass our core also. This is truly a nonstop full body workout and I am dripping sweat on the floor by the end of it. 

Throwing 'bows at R.I.P.P.E.D. I'm in the front with the grey pants. Yes, I like to stand in the front so I can stare at myself in the mirror. My friend Liz is next to me. This was her first R.I.P.P.E.D. class and it also kicked her butt (which makes me happy!) 

Monday-Bootcamp:  We've done this class in multiple ways, but this week was a pyramid type training where we did exercises for 60 seconds, 45 seconds, 30 seconds and 15 seconds. So you worked your way down, then back up for each part of the body. Legs, arms, core and cardio were all included. Burpees, squat holds, football runs, oh my!  I was very sore when I woke up this morning, especially since I just upped my weights this week.

Tuesday-Running: Today I had a training all day. Sitting still is so hard for me and I actually had to stand up for awhile because I was so tired of sitting. Obviously when I left it was such a beautiful day that I had to go out and get a run in (and some steps!) Sharing my pacing is hard for me because I have so many friends who are runners and would blow my pace and distance out of the water (my friends Liz, Lindsey, and Luke especially) but you may be reading this and thinking that I'm a beast so what do I really have to lose? Here goes: 

Mile 1: 10.01

Mile 2: 11.33

Mile 3: 11.55 (Felt like I was dying....seriously....I can't figure out breathing or pacing....yet...) 

Mile 4: 16.11 ( I walked this whole mile and also got stuck at 2 stop lights)

Mile 5: 11.26 (Woohoo I came back to life for a brief moment!)

Walked last .41 miles to my home. 

Sat outside catching my breath for 15 minutes

This is just a snapshot into some of the things I do, but I will share more as time goes on. I encourage you to find what you like, rather than feel out of place somewhere. You are more likely to stick with something that you actually like and feel motivated to do. There are walking clubs, recreational sports, bicycling groups, and even wii games that can help you get in shape. I do fully recommend doing a variety of things. As you can see, the last 4 days I've focused on both cardio and weight training. When you do the same thing over and over, you will not see as good of results. 

Listened to Katy Perry's "Roar" on miles 1 and 5 today. Go forth, listen, and be encouraged to take on the world!