February 23, 2012

Group Fitness, When Will I Learn?


I've been doing something stupid lately, I've quit strength training.  I used to take strength training classes at the Y twice a week, but I quit going back in the fall because I was bored with the classes.  Plus, I was doing yoga twice a week, so it kind of balanced out.

In what has been a little bit of a surprise to me, I have not lost weight as I've been training for the half marathon.  I'm burning enough calories to easily result in a 2-3 lb weight loss every week.  The problem is, well there are two problems:  1) I'm eating too much, shocker; & 2) I'm not doing strength training.

I had lunch with my friend Mark last week, who has successfully lost a crap-ton of weight & has really changed the way his body looks over the past two years.  Mark couldn't believe I wasn't losing weight either, especially since I'm burning up to 1400 calories on some days.  He asked me two things, am I tracking my calories & am I strength training?  No & no.  I HATE tracking my calories.  Hate!  But...  if you've ever seen me skinny, it's because I was tracking my calories, so there's that.  I told him my conundrum with strength training - that I'm bored with the classes & was doing yoga, but now have gotten too busy to even do that.  

Mark said he'd bet money that if I started strength training again, I'd drop some lbs.  He said to either start going back to the classes or come in & do the free weights on my own.  Ha!  On my own.  Has me met me?  I only exercise as a vehicle for seeing & talking to my friends.  But he has a point.  He said I should check out magazines like Women's Health or Shape & use the work-outs they provide in their magazines, which again, is a valid point.

I didn't strength train last week, but I did swim twice with my injured friend, MHG.  Just adding two swim days to my routine last week resulted in a 2 lb weight loss.  Ha!  Who knew?  God, I love swimming.  This week I had planned on meeting MHG at the Y on two morning to strength train with her, but I haven't been able to because of work, so the other night I went to a group fitness class at the Green Hills Y.  Apparently there's a big difference between classes at the Downtown Y & classes at the Green Hills Y.  Sculpt class Downtown is 45 minutes of free weights.  Sculpt class in Green Hills is boot camp, with no weights & lots of obstacle course style running.

We had to set our benches up around the room like an obstacle course & then we formed a congo line & ran all around the room, jumping over things & running sideways & backwards.  I was annoyed that we weren't using weights, but I was having a little fun running around the room like an idiot until.....  my knee gave out.  Yeah, apparently my knees are cool with running 10 miles, but jumping & sideways running, not so much.

I was so mad.  Mid-class, I grabbed my stuff & limped out of the room.  By the time I got home, my knee was super swollen & sore, so I took an Aleve & iced it & it was fine by morning.  I didn't run last night in an abundance of caution.  I think it's okay.  I hope so because I'm running 11 miles this Sunday & I kind of need my knees to work.

Ugh, group fitness.  When will I learn?!

2 comments:

Loren said...

I've gotten into Body Rock. You can do it all at home. It doesn't take that long, and you can go at your own pace. They offer modifications for everything.

http://www.bodyrock.tv/

The Blonde Mule said...

Oooh, noted! Thanks!

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