"Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going!"

Personal workout experiences from being motivated to hitting a wall to backtracking to being motivated again. All in the attempt to attain a single goal: to be better than yesterday.

[workoutmuch]

Two Months Later...

I have used two months to get into a routine, and slowly but surely, I am in the routine! My schedule is essentially 6-7 ClassPass classes Monday-Thursday; basketball on Saturdays; running at Planet Fitness with The BF on Sundays; Fridays is rest day! However, I am contemplating on taking a Yoga class for Fridays as my rest day.

Here are some ClassPass gyms I stick to now on a monthly base:

Epic Hybrid Training | Obstacle Circuits Surfset New York City | Cardio Circuits Trooper Fitness | Strength Training BFX | TRX Strength Training Brick Grand Central | High-Intensity Interval Training Sky Ting Yoga | Yoga The Yoga Loft Tribeca | Traditional Hot Yoga The Aqua Studio | Kundalini Yoga & Meditation Mile High Run | Running Nike+ NYC | High Intensity Training Throughout the last 2-2.5 months, I have done 1 class a day, as well as 2 classes a day. I’ve learned that I really shouldn’t push myself for back-to-back high impact classes because the body needs time to recover. And if I were to take 2 classes a day, one of them should be a low-impact class like Yoga or Meditation.

So far, circuit training and high intensity training are still challenging, but I have been able to do more reps before needing to take a break. I have also learned that I can squat at least 135! New PR! This has been an exciting 2 months, and I am actually excited about working out! I am still lazy (aka when the instructor or coach is not looking, I sometimes take a break and rest).

Right now, I think the main focus for me this month is to tell myself “You can do it!” and just push through. Hopefully that would encourage less breaks and more working out while I am there!

[workoutmuch]

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

Frederick Douglas

[workoutmuch]

Crunch – Cardio Groove

Wasn’t in the mood to go to the gym today and nonetheless, dance. There was a meeting that went 30 minutes over till 12pm and it takes me 15 minutes to walk to the gym for a 12:45pm class. So with the rush and all, the motivation really wasn’t there, but I probably would’ve been more upset that I had to pay a $25 cancellation fee – so I forcefully went. With that in mind, I really felt like kicking and punching something instead (good thing I signed up for Kickboxing this evening!).

I can surely say that I haven’t danced since NDI in the 5th grade. Even the instructor said to me, “You’re so cute!” I guess that’s a nicer way of saying you dance like your arms and legs belonged to 4 different people? To be fair, I didn’t have glasses or contacts so I couldn’t really see and follow the dance moves. Not sure if that can justify my “cuteness” though...

About the Class Simply put, it’s a dance class. Some of the moves reminded me of Shaun T’s Hip Hop Abs, which was nice so I didn’t look completely lost. Though it’s not high intensity, it definitely was a full body workout and I left the gym still sweating. Overall, I would add this to my workout for days when I need a break from HIIT or circuits (which will be plenty) or just to get steps in since the class was fun and upbeat, 30-minute flew by in a blink of an eye!

About the Instructor The substitute instructor (I’m so sorry I forgot her name!) was very pretty, friendly, and all full of smiles. I guess after the class, my mood has enlightened a bit by the contagiousness of her positive persona. Oh, and she can totally dance!

[workoutmuch]

BRICK New York – B|X

Oh, another HIIT workout! I am totally dreading these classes right now...

After taking a week off +1 day, I felt like if I don’t go back, I won’t get back on track. Epic Hybrid Training left me sore for a good amount of days. So this was another interesting class, the locker room is like a flight up (so that’s a warm up!) and you come back down for class after getting ready.

The class was also another circuit class, except this time we did 3 sets on 4 stations, but unlike Epic (which was 1-minute per station), this was 2-minute per station. The stations consists of:

Row Machine: 5x Plank & Tuck, 5x Burpee

Weighted Jumps

Weighted Stick Lever: Lift, Cross

Treadmill

Class was 1-hour and boy I must say, by the 2nd set, my arms were so week from the row machine workout! Didn’t even know you can use a row machine like that! Also, the treadmill was interesting... you need momentum for it to go by leaning forward with longer strides, the treadmill goes faster. Otherwise, the treadmill doesn’t really move. I thought that was super interesting.

Overall, the class was as exhausting as Epic, but it is really how you push yourself. The instructor would get on your case for slacking, but not too much. The stretch at the end of class was SO good, and I thoroughly enjoyed that part of class. I would consider coming back as this class is similar to Epic’s The Blast, but I do feel like this is toned down a notch so it is, at the moment, a bit more bearable (at least I didn’t feel nauseous!). However, it is one hour long, which is kind of tough to take during lunch considering my walk there and back is 20 minutes. So I would probably take this class again when I feel super energetic or need a push because when I build more stamina and endurance, I think this class can be a lot of fun!

[workoutmuch]

Epic Hybrid Training – The Blast

So for some reason, I decided to listen to my buddy that have been taking these EHT classes and he told me The Blast is the easiest workout. It was not! First day back, I was really nervous and I was afraid I didn’t have enough energy so I ate a big breakfast. Bad idea. I guess the food didn’t digest in time, because I felt really nauseous. The last time I felt this nauseous was when I did Shaun T’s Insanity, and I stopped thinking it’s not normal to feel this way. Apparently, it can also be caused by pushing yourself too hard when your body is not ready for it.

The class was a circuit class of 7 stations:

Kettlebell Lunges

Alternating High Knees & Mountain Climbers

3′ Box Jumps

Row & Jumps

Jumping Jacks with Ankle Resistance

Burpees

Box Toe Taps

Weighted ball Squat Throws

It was amrap-style, so of course not knowing we will be doing the same circuit 5 times, I pushed myself really hard on the first set. Well, the instructor was also kind of hot so naturally, I felt the need to push myself. But by the second set, I felt nauseous towards the end of the set, and by the end of the third set, I had to sit out. I felt really embarrassed, but it was better that, then me puking all over the floor, right? 

The instructor was kind enough to not give me any looks or attitude that I couldn’t complete the session, and had the sincerity to ask if I was okay at the end of class. He also explained that he saw I was pushing really hard in the first set, and that I should learn to pace myself so by the last set, I can really push myself. I’m just glad he saw that I actually tried to push myself, and it was not because I was being lazy. 

Overall, this class was a really intense one and perhaps a bit more intense that I anticipated for my first class back. However, it does make a nice motivational goal to be able to take this class again in the near future and making it pass all 5 sets! Though it won’t be anytime soon...

[workoutmuch]

The Motivation

A lot has happened in the past few months emotionally, mentally, and physically that pulled me back from working out – completely. Lame excuse, I know.

Emotional I was thrown on an emotional rollercoaster for the past few months. It led to heavy drinking, drunken nights, and binge midnight feasting. Weekends went on to recover from hangovers, just to start it all over again. Weekdays started to be blurry with happy hours, and drinking until day break (not things people of my age should be doing). Weight was packing on, and I wasn’t feeling better about myself. I was literally on the brink of falling apart until I finally learned one thing – to let go.

Mental Because I was so emotionally drawn back, my mind just wasn’t there for anything, nonetheless workouts. I pushed myself, to go back to kickboxing, to let some steam off, to sweat it all out. Therefore I went back on a 2 week 4 days in a row schedule. On autopilot. Did I workout? Yes. Did I sweat it out? Yes. But the main question is, did I feel good? Nope. It didn’t feel good because I didn’t feel accomplished because I wasn’t 100% there. I didn’t give it my all.

Physical Knee was always a setback for me from an injury back in the days. It was noted as no physical damage, but the psychological thought over the years – thinking it was weak – had encourage a series of bad habits took its toll over the years. The lack of weight being put on it, and the lack of confidence in trusting on it, has made it weaker than it was. So I have been doing some physical therapy and focused on getting my core, hip, and glut muscles strong to help support the knee again.

Now that my knee is starting to get stronger, and I’ve let go the emotional baggage that deterred my mental state, I have no excuse to not jump back into my workouts and get in shape.

I have put my kickboxing membership on hold, and now trying out this new thing called ClassPass for various of reasons:

Find a gym closer to work to feel motivated in going.

To try out different gyms and get a feel of what I like and don’t like.

Have the benefit of getting access to a variety of workout(s).

The gym pass itself is quite expensive @ $125+tax a month, but given its variety, flexibility, and nationwide options (workout when you’re on vacation!), I think it’s worth it – for now. I will need to keep you posted on whether it is worth it on the long run (of course depending on how many class you can also take in a month).

Today is day one, and I’m so excited and nervous at the same time for my first gym class back on my on/off workouts since a year ago!