Going to the gym has proven to be pretty eventful! There have been some highs, some lows and some definite embarrassing moments so far.
Here's what I learned so far and what I'd like to forget.
The good
- When your trainer tells you that one day you'll be able to bench press your own weight, believe her. In just three weeks I went from lifting five-pound dumbbells to a 65-pound weight on a deadlift. Sure I couldn't move for the next two days but I still can't believe I actually exercised with something so heavy. I was so sure that my friends wouldn't believe me, I made my trainer take a picture. I conveniently deleted the one which showed an expression of pure agony on my face.
- I can actually run an entire mile now. When I first started working out, I would run about 4 minutes on a low speed. Now, I can run a mile in 12 minutes and 45 seconds at a speed of 4.7 on the treadmill. Baby steps, people.
- I walked past a decadent sweet table at a recent bar mitzvah. Yup, it's true. This buffet was complete with chocolate fondue, incredible French pastries, a cotton candy machine, three kinds of cake and a candy bar. I opted for fruit and walked back to my table. Yes, I grumbled but nonetheless I walked away.
The bad
- Some people turn a bad day into the best workout. I turn a bad day into a worse one by not being able to complete a single exercise. Exercise makes you realize a few things about yourself and the one thing I learned quickly is that my energy level is often dictated by my mood. I know working out helps boost your endorphine level but my last "moody" workout was a bust. Ugh.
- My paleo crackers are chewy. That's right, chewy, meaning there's no crack when you bite into them. In all fairness, it was my first time making them and maybe I rolled out my flaxmeal and spice dough too thick. All I know is that a chewy cracker is not a cracker, just a really bad cookie. Ugh.
- Burpees. I saved the worst for last. Burpees are a combination of a push-up, downward dog and jumping jack. My trainer Michelle made me do 65. They must call this exercise burpees because of the fact that your food is guaranteed to come up at some point. I was so mad when I got home I showed my boyfriend what my evil trainer made me do. That made 66 burpees in one day. Afterwards, I immediately marched to bed and slept the entire day out of sheer exhaustion. Michelle has since warned me she'd make me do more burpees if I ever cheat on my diet. UGH.
The ugly
Why is it that embarrassing moments are always more embarrassing when they happen at the gym?
- I must have looked incredibly miserable or near death while doing the aforementioned burpees. I certainly felt that way and it must have shown because a senior citizen went up to my trainer in the middle of it and suggested she might want to take it easy on me. At first I was grateful for his intervention but then I saw the sly smile on his face and I knew he probably does burpees in his sleep.
- Never eat before working out. At least I know I can't anymore because I nearly threw up my apple all over Michelle's shoes last week. I wish I could say I felt nauseous during a particularly extreme workout but nah, I was just doing a set of girly pushups. Wasn't even sweating. Nonetheless, I still had to stop in the middle and sit down somewhere to keep my food down. When I looked up I noticed a couple of people looking my way and snickering. "Don't worry, we've all been there," said one nice lady reassuringly.
*Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new health/fitness routine
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