A class high

Last night I ventured to my gym, cold as hell, bundled up in sweater and scarf over my workout clothes, not really looking forward to even removing my sweater to workout. This is the effects of cold weather. But, once I started working out I felt great. Not shocking. I did a 30 minute class which reminded me what I love so much about classes and the gym. There were 4 of us in the class. I know, a whole whopping 4 people. Another thing that I kind of love/loathe about my gym. I love it because class sizes are small and therefore much more personnel. I loathe it because the numbers are so small classes are always on the verge of being cancelled. 6 is the magic number I’ve been told for classes. Consistency of 6 people. I am slightly hoping January does bring an influx of New Year’s resolutions to the gym.

So there I was, one of 4 participants with an instructor I like, Mary. Mary normally does the workouts with us but as she was recovering from a cold/flu illness she was taking it easy and only demonstrated the moves and then walked around and encouraged people. I love Mary. Mary was one of the first people who truly inspired me at the gym. The very first class I ever took was from Mary, first time I had ever met her in person actually. I saw a few photos of her and I have to say she intimidated the fuck out of me. But that is typical of my personality, fear what we don’t understand. And by not understanding, 6 months ago, I did not really get how women could be so physically strong. Anyhow, that very first class she had a sweatshirt on and when she went to take her sweatshirt off revealing her amazingly chiseled arms I literally had to pick my mouth up off the ground. I was so impressed, inspired and wowed that that particular moment has stuck with me and most likely always will. Her arms were every bit the epitome of strength and certainly something that I didn’t even know I wanted until that very minute. Life changing honestly.

So back to last night. Mary is now a friend and I now have made my way to being up front in most classes. I used to hide in the back of the class as most scared insecure newbies do. 6 months later and I am confident enough that I can either do anything asked of me or don’t care if I can’t quite manage it and believe that I will give it my best and therefore if I am not 100% its okay.

Usually instructor’s beings by telling us what they have in store for us. As they rattle off the exercises I always find myself shaking my head and thinking holy cow that is going to be rough and just smiling and saying, I will try, because that is all I can do honestly. So I just nod and play along. Going one exercise at a time.

Last night was 60 second exercises, 6 different one repeated over and over. In all honesty it was 2 ½ times we got thru the set of exercises, given the time it takes to pause a moment in between, catch breaths and regroup. Believe me, 2.5 times was enough.

I noticed something last night that put a smile on my face. I am definitely a completely capable confident woman. Everything might not be easy but I am capable of anything. We started out with 60 seconds of pushups. Pushups all the way down to the ground touch the ground and then push back up. This is ever so slightly more challenging than a regular push up because it requires complete push up from the ground position on the up. Of course, there are always modifications to any exercise. There are pushups on the knees; there is just hold a push up in a plank position, etc. At some point I usually end up having to slightly modify. But because somehow last night I felt like I was being watched and clearly like I was the most seasoned in the class I just went for it. Regular old pushups. The funny thing is this, I didn’t stop. I didn’t need to stop. By the end I was getting tired but I was still using my shoulders to push my body weight up over and over again. I was the only one who did the regular version of the push up.

We then moved onto Squat thrusters. Basically pick up big ass heavy weights and squat and on the return up push those weights up into the air above your head. After 60 seconds this is brutal and for some reason last night I was just feeling it and decided to up my weight factor. I picked up heavier weights which ended up feeling brutal. This was followed up with bicep lunges. Do lunges and when you go down, use the weights in your hands to do a bicep curl and then come back up. Lunge and lunge. This one wasn’t too difficult for me. I love me a good bicep curl and lunges I can live with.

After this we moved onto arm raises. Basically take a lighter weight, I used 6 pounds and raise your arms to your side and then to your front. This is a workout for your shoulders and after 30 seconds or so everything is on fire. After this we did butterfly crunches which I have to admit I love. Basically put your legs into a butterfly stance, lift a weight above your head and do a sit up and take the weight down to your feet. Repeat. Sit ups with a weight. Love it.

The last exercise I did not love. I never do. It was moving planks. Plank position on your elbows going up and down between hand and elbow. Moving up and down while holding a plank. It is brutal and torture and again Mary offered up a modification for others, either do the moving plank on your knees or else just hold a plank. She told the people that they could do any variation of this as they needed and then she looked at me specifically and said you’re goal is to 20 moving planks, no modification for this girl. Clearly she was pushing me and clearly she believed I was capable of the full on version. It was brutal but she was right I did it. 22 moving planks in 60 seconds. And it was in this moment that I realized that I have come so ridiculously far in 6 months. I am pretty much almost at 6 months of gym time now and I am not the same woman by any stretch of the imagination.

In class last night one of the other people was new to the gym. She said she’s been there for a week and Mary went over and showed her how to properly do the exercises. The correct form for the lunges and squats, etc. And I smiled, not because the woman needed help or because Mary is amazing but I smiled because I too was once there. I remember clearly that first week Mary coming over and showing me correct form because I was clueless, and now here we are 6 months later with Mary telling me that I not only don’t get modifications but I have expectations of how many to do. More than once she told me I had great form and was doing awesome. When she walked around the class to help people out she never had to tell me how to do it. After 6 months I am a seasoned vet I guess. And it felt amazing to still be here, 6 months later, in classes, pushing myself to new limits. The fact that classes can still be effective after 6 months is a testament to not only the instructor’s ability to vary, but your own ability to challenge and push yourself. I find something rewarding in each class because these certainly are not exercises I love or would do on my own.

Let’s face it, I hate moving planks. I rarely make myself do them for a minute at a time. I am not a giant fan of pushups either and yet there I was last night cranking them out and that puts a smile on my face. Yes, I am more capable than I generally believe. We went thru this series of exercises once, and then we did them all over again and then we half of them again, as that was all we had time for. And I walked away feeling like I got a great workout and a solid sense of satisfaction at having achieved something I would not have done on my own.

After that workout, I headed out to man land and spent 45-60 minutes doing weights on my own. Needed a good arm workout and I felt that amazing high come back. That high I can only seem to find in the gym. That feeling of being alive and healthy and strong. That high in knowing that I am improving, ever so surely, ever so slowly every single day. Yes, my goal for December is simply survival but it’s nice to feel the passion every now and then.

Tonight is personal training and a 30 minute class. After that I am jetting out of there as quick as I can as my niece and nephew are in town tonight as they pass thru on their way to the beach for the weekend. So after working out tonight I get to see my kiddos and that means that I will work extra hard to push myself in the hour I am at the gym, to get the most out of it so I can solidly enjoy my time with the kids.

It’s quite nice to get a peek at my passion here and there when it has been dormant for a little while. As much as I adore Christmas and all the blessings this holiday season brings a part of me is secretly excited for January so that I can get a fresh start and a renewed determination and of course setting some personal goals for 2014. I am really thinking 2014 is going to be an awesome year. It’s getting close. With all that said it’s getting close to time for me to change into my workout clothes and then bundle up over them with my layers of warmth and start the process all over again.