Let's Get Physical!

In a bid to get fit, avoid unwanted kilos later in life and just to generally stay healthy, I have joined the gym. I had my first appointment for health assessment on the 19th of July in which I spoke at length with a personal trainer about my physical and mental health, what I wanted out of an exercise program and how I wanted to approach it. The trainer then drew up a program for me and showed me how to work the machines in the gym that I would be using. I went to the gym for my first workout yesterday (July 20).

I warmed up on the treadmill, covering a kilometer at a fast walk. Once I was nice and warm, I hopped off the treadmill and went to the back of the gym for two sets of twelve reps on the lat pulldown. I've used a lat pulldown before, so that one wasn't too hard. It was then over to the leg press, again for two sets of twelve. This one was more difficult than the other machines I used as I was using my legs to push my body up. I can still feel those muscles this morning! I did another two sets of twelve on the seated row, but I don't think I did it quite right because I couldn't feel anything in the muscles it was supposed to be working out. But, then again, I am only starting, it will take a while for me to really get into it, I guess. From the seated row, I went on to the leg extension machine for two sets of fifteen reps. This one was really, really hard, my legs were shaking by the end of it! Next was the seated chest press, this one was only two sets of twelve but I could really feel my chest and back muscles getting a workout. From there, I did two sets of fifteen at the seated leg curl, this one wasn't so bad, but I sure can feel my legs today. My last machine before I moved onto my abdominal workout was the pec dec. This one was hard, I could really feel the muscles in my underarms working. I can still feel them today.

From there, it was onto my abdominal workout. I had a bridging position first up, which is where you lie face down on the floor and then imagine that someone has put a drawing pin under your belly button (ow!) and you suck your tummy up. It's harder than it sounds, especially if you've got weak abs like me. I've got to hold it for ten counts, I managed ten the second time, but only got five the first time. Next I did two sets of twelve reverse curls. These are hard to explain, so I've included a picture below.

Reverse Curls

After the reverse curls I found myself on the rotary torso machine. This is a nasty little machine that stretches the big muscles at the sides. You sit on it, put yours arms behind to padded bars and then twist to one side. It sounds easy, but it's acctually very  hard work, even if you do it with no weight like I do. I do twelve reps on one side, then switch over and do twelve on the other side. Believe me, I was happy to finish on that one.

I finished working on my abs and it was time to cool down. The cool down period is my favourite because I get to use the coolest machine (no pun intended). It's called a vibrating fit massager. You stand or sit on a vibrating plate, put it up to a comfortable speed and then stay there for between five and ten minutes. Not only does your whole body get a very vigorous massage, it helps to stimulate circulation so that the lactic acid is washing out of your muscles to avoid cramping. After my five minutes on the massager, I did some stretching, again to ward off cramps, and then it was time for me to pack up and go home. 

Now, what do you think I did when I got home?

 ~ Australian Kiwi