Getting Out Of That Gym Funk

I think I recently told you about the funk I was in regarding the gym. Well, I’ve finally pulled myself out of it and have gone full force into working out again. I went back to see my trainer, Jamie, yesterday. She offered me a spot that opened up and at first I said thanks, but no thanks (I’m trying to cut back on extra spending so I can focus on saving as much as possible). But as it neared 5pm and I kept thinking about how I had to go to the gym to workout, I slowly started talking myself out of it. I immediately text Jamie and asked her if she had it open still. Actually, what I really said was: “Fuck it… You still have 6:15 open?”

I got to the gym at 6 and did 15 minutes of HIIT cardio on the Arc Trainer. Normally, I would save the cardio for after I workout, but I was a few minutes early and I wasn’t about to just stand there and wait for her. I might as well utilize my time and get to burning some calories! In 15 minutes, I burned more than 150 calories. Not too bad! Beats doing regular cardio for 30 minutes and burning about the same amount.

I told Jamie I wanted to work on my hamstrings – and boy, did we ever! I performed a glute-ham raise (first time I’ve ever done this exercise). She held my feet/ankles down while I fell forward on my hands and picked myself back up using only my hamstrings. I loved that exercise because I really felt my hamstrings working. Next, she had me superset the glute-ham raise with single-legged prone leg curls (aka lying leg curls). Eventually, we moved on to a wide-stance single dumbbell deadlift, two-part lying leg abduction superset with phsyio ball hamstring curls, straight legged deadlifts with my feet on a plate, and good mornings.

It was definitely a great hamstring workout! My hammies are tight today and starting to get sore. I bet tomorrow they will be the sorest. Usually the second day is.

This morning my alarm went off at 5 and I contemplated sleeping and going to the gym after work. I started looking at motivational workout pictures and reading motivational workout quotes. That was enough to get me out of bed. I was at the gym by 6 and completed a full hour of heavy lifting for back and biceps. After, I performed another 15 minutes of HIIT cardio.

For back, I did wide-grip lat pull downs, reverse grip lat pull downs, one-arm row, seated low row, pullovers, and straight-arm pulldowns. For biceps, I did alternating dumbbell curls, preacher curls, hammer curls, and 21s with the E-Z bar. I wanted to get to abs, but I had no time. I drove over to the other gym I train at and showered and headed into work.

It’s such a wonderful feeling working out first thing in the morning for a few reasons: great start to my day, I feel energized throughout the entire day (no 2pm crashing), and when I get out of work at 5pm I don’t have to worry about working out! (Although I wouldn’t mind doing another bout of cardio!) I will definitely stick to the morning gym routine from now on until I get bored with that and need to switch it up and start going at night again.

Already I feel much better having worked out with my trainer and performing HIIT cardio. My diet has been on point, too. On my way to my best body! I can’t wait until I’m there. My goal is to be there within the next eight weeks. We shall see!

What I Did For A Workout Today

I worked out at Obie's Fitness tonight, which is located in Westbrook, just down the hall from the Stockhouse Station (and pictured above). I was in a workout funk for a little bit, but finally snapped out of it yesterday. I was so drained starting Wednesday of last week and I knew I had to rest. The days I didn't lift, I'd do cardio and the days I didn't do cardio I'd just lift. I did, however, take Sunday off completely and I think that cured me. One thing I've learned while working out is to listen to my body. Whenever I feel super fatigued, I don't push myself and instead I let my body rest. Your body does need that from time to time. The rest is great fuel to jump start your next workout session and give it your all.  


I worked hard with my trainer last night doing shoulders and abs. This morning I woke up and started my day off with week two of Insanity, which is produced from the makers of P90X - Beach Body! I started Insanity last Monday and I really like it. I did miss Wednesday and yesterday's session, but plan on making them up either by doing it on a Sunday (Insanity is a 6-day workout) or just tack it on at the end of my two-month session. Insanity is pretty much all cardio with some core resistance, plyometrics, and stretching. It's a two-month program. The first month is supposedly the easier of the two months. I'm excited to get to the second month to see how insane that one is! I perform Insanity in the mornings. It's a great way to start my day and wake me up! After work is when I lift. I've already seen some difference in my lower half and my core. I feel tighter and I believe my body fat is going down again. Of course my diet is much better, too. It all goes hand in hand! 


Tonight I trained legs, heavy. I started out with a warm-up set of squats, making sure I focused on pushing through my heels so I really targeted my glutes. The area I really would like to focus on and build up is my glutes and legs. I plan to train them heavy one day and about three days later train them light. Eventually, I'll be exactly where I want to be. 


After my set of warm-up squats, I added weight on the bar and proceeded to perform 4 sets of 10 reps all with about 30-40 seconds rest. 


From there I did:


Leg Press - I performed a set of 10 reps with my feet placed lower on the platform and toes pointed out. Then I performed 5 unilateral (one-legged) leg presses on each leg. On my next set I increased to 12 reps with my feet placed higher and toes pointed out, again repeating the 5 unilateral leg presses. My third set was 15 reps of leg presses (lower and toes out) and 5 unilateral. My last set was 15 reps (higher and toes out) and 5 unilateral. 
10 reps with 5 unilateral
12 reps with 5 unilateral
15 reps with 5 unilateral
15 reps with 5 unilateral


Leg Extensions - I started out with 20 reps and low weight. I increased my weight and went for 15 reps. Increased again and went for 12 reps. My last set I increased again and went for 10 reps. 


Lying Leg Curl - Here I started with low weight and went for 15 reps. Increased my weight and went for 12 reps. Increased for 10. And increased for 8. I really pushed myself on these and the leg extensions. I felt the burn!!


Cable Kickbacks/Side Lunges/Fire Hydrant - I superset these. I did cable kickbacks with side lunges and then switched to cable kickbacks and fire hydrants. Looks like this:


Cable Kickbacks - 12 reps
Side Lunges - 10 reps with medicine ball


Cable Kickbacks - 12 reps
Fire Hydrant - 15 reps on each leg


Repeat twice more. 


Seated Calf Raise/Standing Calf Raise - I also superset these. 


Seated Calf Raise - 20 reps
Standing Calf Raise - 20 reps


Repeat twice more. 


Back Extensions - Instead of focusing on lifting with my lower back and working that, I lifted with my glutes and really squeezed them at the top. I performed 4 sets of 12. 


I also stretched for a bit toward the end. I want to become more flexible and I will with time! 


Immediately after my workout I drank my Myofusion Milk Chocolate protein shake with water and ate 25 gummy bears to help restore my glycogen levels.