Back to Body Pump...

Between the holidays and some projects at work it's been hard for me to fit in my Saturday Body Pump class every week.  I went about 3 weeks without going to one..  I'm still running at home... but it's just not the same.  So when I was working a swing shift I decided to get up and go to a 9am class on a random Thursday.

Holy Hell.  That hurt.  My friend Allison taught it.. so you know it was tough but fun.  I went right back to the weight classes I was using the last time I did a class... and consequently my legs are still sore.  But it wasn't nearly as hard to get right back into the swing of things as I thought it would be.

It's crazy how your body remembers what you're capable of, even if your brain doubts it.  I've heard people talk about muscle memory before but never really paid much attention to it till now.

I made it through the class, listening to Allison talk about sweating too much, farting too much and how Jason sweats on the headset before her... and had a great time.  I'm still skipping shoulders because I finally have my neck so it doesn't hurt every morning and I'm afraid to mess it up inadvertantly.

And I was back in a Body Pump class the next time I had a free spot on my schedule.

Pump Up The Jam

So if you follow me on Twitter and have read the blog in the past you know I'm a little obsessed with Body Pump.  It's the one thing I keep written on my calendar no matter what.  I've missed shopping trips and scheduled hair appointments around my weekly class.. but is it doing any good?

The short answer is yes. 

The long answer is hell yes, I can see it in a million little ways.

Aestheically my legs are slimmer, I have biceps and triceps forming and my back is tighter.  But  I'm also stronger.

I have more stamina when I'm running, I can lift heavier boxes and could probably kick a variety of people's asses.  Watch out asshats.

Last week I upped my weight, doing 20lbs for squats, and 15 for back... 10 for arms and my bum knee means no weight for lunges.  Holy hell did it hurt. 

Halfway through the squat track my legs were shaking, the bottom half reps were making me want to scream and there was sweat dripping down my nose... but I kept going. 

When I started these classes I'd be the first one to stop when it hurt or strained to hard.  Screw that burn, I'd be satisified with just doing enough to break a sweat... but now I want to see more results.

Week after week, either alone or with my corner of peeps (Hey Wes, Jason and Ann!) I'm looking for the burn... for the pain that tells me I'm pushing my muscles, then I'm satisfied.  I want to leave class sweaty and drained. 

It helps me feel less guilty about my addiction to fried pickles.

Surprising Myself

I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but I haven't been running too much lately. I've mainly been working on my diet and doing Body Pump and walking. But I decided to sign up for a leg of the Route 66 Marathon with my peeps at work.

So now I have to run a 6k in about 10 weeks. I decided to guage my running readiness before Body Pump class. I had 20 minutes and hopped on the treadmill and just started running to see how my endurance held up. Surprisingly I ran the full 20 minutes with no pain and no stopping. Typically my knee starts to kill me and I have to alternate with walking.

So I'm chalking it up to Body Pump helping my knee by working the muscles around it more. Or I just overnight became a running fiend. As long as it makes me look better in jeans I don't really care.

It's all about shape...

Huffing and puffing my way through Body Pump this week the instructor kept talking about "re-shaping your legs" as we all struggled through the lunges.

I remember thinking the first week I started the class and hearing the phrase and laughing. Yes, doing squats and lunges will change my short and stubby legs into long, lean limbs. Ha!

So, now that it's been a while since I started doing the classes at least once a week, sometimes more when I drag my ass out of bed early, I looked at my legs. To see if there were long, tan stems where my pasty legs used to be.

Not surprisingly the answer is no.

But... my legs are thinner and more toned. Specifically my thighs. I know! Thighs are evil and I didn't think they'd ever get smaller, but squats and lunges have tightened mine up, not quite mini skirt ready, but a hell of a lot better than they used to be.

And my arms still jiggle... but it's much less like I could take flight with the sagginess. So... that's a big win for Body Pump.

Imagine what I'd look like if I did it more religiously.

Early to Rise...

...makes my brain fried.

I've been threatening to do it for weeks, but I finally got up at 5 this morning and high tailed it to the gym for the 5:30 Body Pump class.

I've been going to the Saturday morning class for the last few weeks, and going to an evening class once in a while. I did the class with the upped weight I tried last time, hoping I wouldn't be as sore after this class.

I started off tripping over the mat as I tried to walk it over to my spot on the floor. Then I dropped my phone and broke it for a short time. But eventually the workout woke up my brain and I made it through the class without injuring myself or anyone else.

Spurred on by my workout, I took a shower and ran a ton of errands before work. I guess that happens when you get up 4 hours before your shift starts. I was feeling productive before my day really even started. Suck on that people who sleep normal hours.

Since I started Body Pump classes I have seen a big change in my muscles. Push ups and planks used to be almost impossible for my flabby arms and mid-section but now I can handle both much better than I used to... soon I'll be able to kick everyone's ass.

The class is also giving me a lovely set of "guns" which I flex and show to Mems whenever I think of it. She is not amused. If any of you see me in person I'll probably whip out the guns for you too.

The downside is that now it is 830 and I could easily go to sleep right now. Brain has checked out of the building.

Planning Ahead

As I write this I can barely lift my 10 pound shih tzu up onto the bed. Emptying the dishwasher was also fun. Every time I bent over my back muscles screamed in pain.

Ah, the joys of Body Pump.

Yesterday I decided I'd been doing the class regularly enough to go from the 5 pounds I was using to 7.5 lbs. But, I was late to class and most of the weights were gone.. so I ended up using 10 pounds at Saturday's class.

Holy crap I'm sore today, but it's that sore that makes me feel accomplished and productive. Hoping to hit Wednesday night's class... and I will be on the elliptical in the morning. I kind of love sore muscles.

Now I'm planning my meals for the week. Quinoa pasta and organic pasta tonight. Stir fry, polenta & veggies, big salad, beans and rice. I'm pre-cooking some stuff tonight to make it easier.

Look at me planning ahead, such a big girl.

Mental Health moment...

Do you ever have weeks where you feel like you're more inside your head than normal?

I've been having one of those weeks... almost two weeks really. Between worrying about my blood... stress at work and just my day to day bullshit... I feel like my brain needs a break from thinking.

In theory working out is that break, but I've been slacking (I know huge surprise).. so I'm hoping tomorrow's Body Pump class will help me shake my brain loose from my self indulgent gripiness.

I'm also hoping a jump start on my to do list and a productive weekend helps. No more laying in bed reading novel after novel... by the way I'm addicted to True Blood books now.

Of course that could be another kind of motivation... get hot and skinny to land myself a sarcastic viking vampire.

Too bad vampires are like black republicans... I just don't think they exist.

Pump It Up

I've been needing to spice up my workout routine, so I decided to take a new class at the gym. Body Pump by Les Mills.

The gym website describes the class as: the original barbell class that strengthens and tones your entire body.

So I joined my friends Ann and Rebecca at their regular Saturday morning class at our gym. Ann set up my platform with a mat and a barbell and varying weights. I showed up and stretched out and was ready to go.

This wasn't my first time at a Body Pump class, I did it a few years ago at my old gym. But the majority of my workout has been cardio and pilates, no strength training so I was a little daunted at the idea of lifting.

Class started with some loud pop-like music and some squats and dead lifts to warm up the body. But the end of the warm up I was already sweaty, so I knew class would be a doozy.

The joy behind the hour long body pump class is that you really do work every muscle group during the class.

We started with squats while holding the weighted barbell. I could feel it using muscles I don't workout while running. By the end of the squat session my legs were shaking.

A session of chest and back exercises... then to arms, biceps and shoulders.

All things I never work out at all. So I stuck with the five pound weights and went for it balls to the wall.

I did stop to ask the teacher if there was a break, at the prompting of Ann... that's when the instructor told me there wasn't, and if you weren't struggling at the end of class we weren't really working.

I'm still having trouble lifting things. But hopefully it will give my arms some definition other than flab.

Then it was back to legs with lunges... now my bum knee can't take lunges too much, so I did an amended version of them and still felt the burn.

We finished up with abs, crunches and obliques... and a couple of pilates exercises I was already familiar with... I guess when something works for your abs different workout techniques.

At the end of class I was sweaty and some of my muscles were shaky... but I felt like I got a good workout in... it's definitely something I'll do again... and hopefully I'll be less sore next time.

Although I do feel more accomplished when I'm sore after a workout. I laugh a little and thing "Take that lazy muscles." But again, I'm pretty strange.