Week 2 - Getting Jiggy with It....

                                           

Week 2 of my gymming blog...well it sure has been interesting! Over 600 hits (from about 15 countries) on the 1st post - which I am pretty chuffed about :).
Disclaimer - not promising this will be half as insightful or humourous but I will carry on!

I have received lots of lovely feedback on my first post - some of which included -
1. "I'd like to try a class with you" - which happened in week 2!
2. "Now I know what classes Im NEVER going to  try- thanks for the heads up" - possibly not the aim of the blog, but hey at least she was honest.
And finally
3. "Which gym do you go to - classes sound familiar?" - Well I did refrain from telling you in the 1st post- I live directly above a gym and swimming pool (Swan Leisure in Rathmines). I have absolutely no excuse to literally go downstairs after work and hit the gym.

I cannot say enough good things about the gym. The classes are very reasonable - only 6.50eur and the instructors are just lovely ;) Classes are free if you are member. Now - enough of the plugging of the gym!

Also - I lost SO much weight in week 1. When I was getting my coffee one day last week - the automatic doors to the shop didn't open when I tried to get in*.
*The doors may have been faulty.

This week I tried 2 new classes in the gym and started teaching an Adult Irish Dancing class to shake things up!

Monday: - I signed up for POWOW (Power Workout of the Week) in my gym. 45 minute class straight after work described on the website as "Special technique class with a challenging workout to keep you motivated". It did exactly that. It was certainly different - strenous warm up (they arent getting any easier!) - followed by getting into pairs. Again - pick someone that looks like they may be at your fitness level (I understand this can be hard by just looking at a stranger up and down!). It will help in your workout later. The class basically involved completing an exercise 30 times e.g. kettlebell swings or sit-ups/v-ups, while your partner counts to 30. The exercise part was obviously worthwhile. However the repeated exercise of counting to 30 got old pretty fast. I felt like I was putting the weight back on everytime my partner was exercising!

Overall I really enjoyed the class - it is a different class each week. I was told by the instructor that this particular class was a relatively low intensity one. Not sure why I was disapppointed - it was a nice way to easy myself back into the gym after a weekend off! However I didnt feel completely wrecked after it - so I decided to hit the gym after (dare I say it - I may ACTUALLY be getting my fitness back!).

This brings me to my next point - machines in the gym. I am a bit sceptical how valuable running on a treadmill for 40 mins at a time is. It can be quite hard on your legs to run on a surface that doesnt have much give. One of my favourite machines is the Rowing Machine - I didnt really know how to use it at first - but do not be afraid to ask the instructors in your gym how to use machines. It is really important to get the technique right - that way you will get the most out of the exercise and you will not be damaging and muscles/joints. Thanks to google - Ive rooted out the main benefits of this machine - apparently - its good for weight loss, toning, cardiovascular health and stress reduction. All round great machine. It burns calories rapidly (I do enjoy seeing the calories burned numbers go up!)- about 350 calories for a strong 30 min workout. It is a low impact machine - that works the arms and legs. I will stop harping on - but trust me, its great!

Tip #1 - I usually give myself a target e.g. Row 2,000 metres or row for 10 minutes, and whichever happens first I just stop! It works for me anyway!

Tuesday: Myself and my friend have started teaching an Adult Irish Dancing Class for an hour on Tuesdays. I hadn't danced properly in about two years - so I had a feeling it was going to be a shock to the system. To all my dancing friends out there - there is no fitness like Irish Dancing Fitness! It is serious bursts of energy for about a minute, followed by dying on the side of the dancefloor for the next 5! It was a really fun class - and a great workout indeed! If anyone in Dublin is interested in trying it out just let me know - we can take from beginners to people who danced competitively - we don't discriminate!! My muscles hurt an obscene amount the following day. Which leads me nicely into tip number 2!

Tip #2- I did mention the importance of eating well when you are working out. One thing I have realised (again you will know who you are when your reading this!) - Protein helps muscle recovery. So I try and overload on protein after a workout and in the following means. E.g. Tuna salad or for the non-tuna lovers - Eggs are great too. So maybe have eggs for breakfast the next day.

Here is a good link on Muscle Recovery in General - Muscle Recovery

I have been trying by best to Eat Well - by bringing my lunch into work (Tuna and wholewhat crackers) or salad, eating and snacking healthy. It is in no way as fun and chocolate but - my new favourite snack, carrot sticks and low fat hummous. I can buy the carrot sticks pre-cut in the supermarket - so I have no excuse at all!


Wednesday: Total Body Tone. Now - I have thought long and hard about actually putting pen to paper on this one. I do not want to scare anyone but... It was the worst class I have ever been to in my life. Sounds like I am being a drama queen...but it really was! I had been given a warning by a friend before the class "it is not for the faint hearted". She was right.
                                                      

                                                 

Described on their website as - "This class will focus on toning up every aspect of your body with a combination of using your own body resistance and weights." - seems pretty harmless -sure why not give it a go!

When I say the "worst class" - I mean in a good way. I have never felt so good after a workout. I did think half way through - Im gonna be stretchered out of here..but alas that did not happen thanks be to God. Unfortunately - this was the class that my friend came to with me. She hadn't been gymming in a while, so this was an absolute Baptism of Fire!

The class was all on a yoga mat, 3 exercises e.g Plank, Plank Pull Ups and Press Ups. 30 seconds each, 30 second break. This lovely routine occured over and over for 45 minutes. Obviously the instructor varied the exercises each time. This meant we were continously exercising for about 35 minutes of the 45 minute class. I'm actually feeling sick just thinking back on how tough it was.

However - we did it. It felt great at the time. The next day, joints I didnt realise I had hurt. It was sore to stand up and sore to sit down. It was sore to sneeze, my abs were in shock -they had never been under so much strain! If I was a horse I would have been put down. But I did it - and strangely enough - I will actually go again!

Workout Choon of the Week - There is nothing like working out in the gym to a great tune. This week I would recommend Pitbull and Keshas - Timber. Great little workout tune! - Workout Choon of the Week!

To be perfectly honest with you lot - the rest of the week consisted of dining out Thurs and Fri (undoing all the workouts - but I have to live too!) and NO GYM!. I also indulged in a few drinks - I am drying to enjoy alcohol by thinking about what I drink e.g. Bubbly instead of a glass of wine. Sparkling Wine contains less calories about 80cals a class vs 120 in a glass of Red/White. So no better reason to enjoy a glass of bubbly after a good week working out/rough week at work! I will however try to have more self control in future with regards the weekends indulging!

Next week I am going to take on 2 more classes - and look forward to sharing my experiences!

Feel free to get in touch with any hints or tips you have on gymming :)

SJ x