Since January I've been going to the gym/pool/classes around 4 times a week.
My main aims were to lose weight, tone up and generally get fit and healthy again.
I get stressed out easily from Uni work and other things, so the gym really helps keep that under control, otherwise I get ill with stomach cramps and headaches, nice!
After deciding on joining Bannatynes, I threw myself right in at the deep end and had my personal training session where my really nice female trainer took my height/weight measurements etc and devised a work out for me to do.
Basically it involves 3 types of cardio broken up by arm and leg weights and finished off with crunches.
I've been aiming to do this 2/3 times a week and once I'd got used to it added in swimming afterwards.
I don't feel like I'm exercising when I swim, it's more a stretching and relaxing activity for me so I try and swim as often as I can after exercising to burn off that little bit more.
I've also been trying out a few classes, zumba was one of them but the instructor wasn't very inspiring so I didn't enjoy it as I have in classes elsewhere.
Body Pump terrifies me and kicks my ass every week but I love the workout it gives me and I totally die afterwards! It's aerobics with step and weights with loads of squats and repetitive arm movements and is pretty high impact, lots of shouting! Would love to go more often but I never know if I can make the class time.
Body Design is also a good workout, didn't feel it at the time but the aerobics/step/light weights combination really does workout every muscle in a low impact way.
I use the 'My Fitness Pal' app on my phone, which logs in all foods and cardio/weights really easily and you can set a calorie limit for each day based on your weight and rate of weight loss that you want.
Mine is currently set at eating 1340 calories a day, which I manage 90% of the time.
In spite of all this I have lost a miniscule 5lbs in 9 weeks which I was REALLY disappointed with, particularly after all my efforts with fighting my inner chocoholic and exercising four times a week!
I have definitely got smaller due to my clothes being looser, belts needing to be tightened and bras being too big (sigh!) so I'm putting this down to the fact that by toning up I've put on muscle, and therefore as muscle weighs more than fat I won't have gone down in weight so much as expected.
It's my birthday coming up and like every other girl on the planet I want to look GOOD!
It was my aim when I signed up for the gym, to be lighter and more toned by my birthday.
You could say I've achieved this in some way, but it's not enough for me!
So I've decided to step it up a notch.
My plan of action is:
- Concentrate my cardio time to the cross trainer and swimming as I enjoy these and they burn the most amount of calories
- Increase the type of arm weights and number of reps for each type
- Complete as many crunches as humanly possible! (this is no easy feat for me!)
- Try out new classes so I don't get bored. First up is Body Combat, an aerobics based class with lots of punching and kicking movements.
Do you go to the gym often? What are your reasons for going?
Do you have any suggestions for me and my less than toned abs and arms?!
Throw suggestions my way, I'm up for anything once!
L xxx
