He then got down on his hands and knees, placed both hands on the step, and got up on his toes, and showed me the exercise. I was to "walk" my hands first to one side, then back up onto the step, then to the other side, and back, and so on. The whole time, I would balance on my toes.
He made it look so easy.
When it was my turn, I made it through about three before my arms started to wobble. The sweat was streaming into my eyes, and my core was screaming at my knees, "Down, you stupid kneecaps! GET DOWN AND GIVE US SOME RELIEF!!!"
I could barely get through a whole set. B. always pushes me to push through the pain of an exercise, and if he thinks something is too easy, he'll increase the weight or add some sort of twist to make it harder. Every time my knees dropped, my former-Marinie-trainer would say, "Keep going. Get back up."
It was hideous. I felt like a big blob and my body was screaming at me.
It was with great relief that we abandoned that exercise...until today. B. led me into the aerobics room to do some walking lunges, and tossed a step onto the floor. He said, "Remember these? You hated them." I groaned in response. He smiled (bastard!).
But here's the thing. I DID them. I was able to get through whole sets of 15, only stopping to re-adjust my hands on the step one time in each set. I moved quickly through the exercise. Don't get me wrong; it was painful and the sweat flowed--but it was nowhere near as excrutiating as the last time. I told B. this and he agreed, saying, "You're doing a great job."
And I am. It goes beyond the 15 pounds I've lost, or going down one size in jeans--I'm building my strength up, and it feels so good to see the difference it makes. Two weeks ago, I could NOT do that exercise. Today, I could. I'm getting through 50 minutes a day of intense cardio on the cross-trainer. The difference in my energy levels is astounding.
I probably won't see this exercise for a while--B. likes to change things up from one workout to the next. But I know that the next time he throws that step down on the floor, it will be that much easier for me to get through the exercise. And that's a great feeling.
2 comments:
Dude. I am totally in awe of you. It's one thing to SAY that you're gonna lose weight/get in shape/eat better, but it's another to actually do it. I have had gym memberships 4 separate times in the last 5 years and I've never gone more than 5 times. Total. Between all 4 memberships. The fact that you decided to do something and are actually doing it is amazing.
Rock on, girl.
Aww, thanks! I just got so sick of being too big. And out-of-shape. I don't want to shop at Lane Bryant anymore!
Having a former Marine making me work hard doesn't hurt, either!
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