One way to pass the longest year ever is with a specific goal. Mine is to finally get fit and gain some muscle. Specifically, I’d like to look like this lady (hey, one can dream). Anyway, I bought Shape Magazine’s A Woman’s Guide to Weight Training (which came with a handy training log), read the intro thoroughly and put together a routine for myself. I’ve joined the YMCA (enrolled Toddler E. in their nursery service at a reasonable $2/hour). I’ll be doing a routine based on the "beginner workout" suggested in the book, then move up every 6 weeks. My workout (3x/week) consists of 30 minutes of cardio (I hate machines so I’ve chosen solo racquetball for now), and an hour of full body weight training (chest, shoulders, back, abs, arms, glutes/legs).
The book is an excellent guide to weight training. The introduction
outlines the basics of a good weight routine (how often, what order,
etc, you should do exercises), and has excellent descriptions and
pictures of a comprehensive list of exercises for every muscle group,
further categorized by skill level. My only gripe was that it came
hardback. But with $5 and 15 minutes, I took it to Office Max, tore
the binding off, copied the cover, and used a couple of clear textured
report covers for front and back covers before having it spiral bound.
I started Monday. After figuring out the process for dropping off
E. in the nursery, finding all the appropriate machines, and trying to
follow my routine (I had to bring the book and flip the pages a lot –
it felt a lot like an in-class test), I had little time left for the
actual exercises. But what exercises I did manage kicked my butt. I
woke up today barely able to get out of bed. Did you know you have
muscles in your neck?!? I didn’t. Until today. I’m going to tweak
the routine a bit to suit the gym’s setup a little better, but I really
did feel great about getting started. I can’t wait for the next round
at the gym.
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