Getting my hike on this day after Thanksgiving.
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The Gym Rat’s Ugly Truth
25 Nov
I tried to to sweaty-glam in this selfie. Really, I was just stinky.
There are a lot of people who don’t like working out. I’m one of them. But if you look at fitness ads, all of the women seem focused, yet happy about their current situations. Why wouldn’t they be? They’re achieving their goals with determination and barely breaking a sweat. You want to be that person, don’t you?
Have you ever watched women’s professional sports? None of them are happy. Serena Williams is the queen of the death glare. She grunts like she’s in labor. The only time she smiles during a tennis match seems to be after she’s demolished her competition.
You have to sweat. You end up smelling. Your clothes stick to your body. There’s nothing attractive about working out. Yet, there are all of these boutique fitness-wear shops (I’m looking at you, Lululemon) to try to make women feel attractive when they’re sweating like they’ve been in the desert sun all day.
Some women use this fancy wardrobe as a stepping stone to impart pretty-girl instincts in the gym. There’s the woman who comes in only a sports bra and teeny-tiny running shorts to only do a 15-minute walk on the treadmill. There’s also the woman who wears a full face for her low-resistance turn on the stationary bike.
I’ve never used the gym as a place to pick up potential mates. For the most part, it’s because I look a hot, dirty mess when I work out. If I’m paying $40-$50 a month to use the facilities, dammit I’m gonna actually use them. This means sweat stains in places you didn’t know sweat existed. This means hair either in a pony or, in my natural case, pulled up into a fro. I can’t wear sweatpants because my legs get hot. Yes, my legs get hot! Did you know your legs sweat? Because I didn’t until I started working out regularly.
I must—repeat must—have a towel nearby at all times in the gym (on a run, the open air keeps me from sweating into my eyeballs). I drip like I’ve just come in from a downpour. And, like most people, I recycle my workout clothes. There’s an old Sinbad joke where he talks about the two piles of laundry college kids have: dirty and funky.
(Joke begins at 4:20 mark)
Gym clothes are the same way. I will wear my dirty, stained gym clothes for days…until they start smelling. The gym can kind of be like elementary school, and no one wants to hang out with the kid that smells.
If you’re like me and don’t wash your gym clothes every day (don’t judge me), funky comes around a lot more often than you’d like. When you’re running in the open air, being funky doesn’t attack you as hard as it does in the enclosed gym. And let’s not forget that you have to take those sweaty, sticky clothes home.
When working out before work, you have to carry your gym bag with you all day. Make use of those extra shopping bags from the grocery store. You can hide the funk until you can get those clothes home to hang dry. And, please, for the love of all that is holy, let them hang dry. Nobody likes to be around the gym rat with funky, moldy clothes.
Added bonus: Gemma Correll did a cartoon of what’s advertised as fitness wear and what’s actually worn. Funny stuff.
I Did It: Self Magazine’s 23-Minute Lunchtime Workout
18 Nov
“I Did It” is a feature post running on I’m Skinny, Now What where I will tackle a new workout or diet and give you my opinion. Wish me luck, because I don’t like changing my routine.
I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but I work at a newspaper. Not just any paper, but one of the biggest papers in the world (no hyperbole). We cover everything, which can keep a chica busy. I usually like to work out in the mornings to keep my evenings free, but sometimes that’s not possible. Don’t blame me; blame my boyfriend pillow. With that, I decided to try this mid-afternoon workout routine, courtesy of Self magazine. I like to burn tons of calories in order to keep the weight off, but I need to do more strength training so my muscles don’t turn to sludge.
Workout breakdown
Here’s me going through the circuits.
Minutes 1-7
Move1: Power Squat with dumbells
Move 2: Leg Press
Move 3: Plank Jump
one-minute breather
Minutes 8-15
Move 1: Air Lunge with dumbells
Move 2: Seated Cable Row
Move 3: V-Up
one-minute breather
Minutes 16-23
Move 1: Curtsy & Curl with dumbbells
Move 2: Triceps Dip
Move 3: Ab-Blaster Push-up
Day 1
As with any new workout plan, there are kinks I need to work out, one of which is the triceps dip. That machine didn’t exist in my gym. There was a similar contraption that didn’t have the weight resistance. There was some contraption that said “triceps,” so I figured it would be a good cheat for day one until I actually talked to a trainer to help me find the proper alternative.
Something else I realized: I have absolutely no upper-body strength as evidenced by my pathetic push-ups in the above video. It was really sad. I had to go to an out-of-the-way corner so no one would see that I barely put a bend in my elbows to get that exercise done. But I did it, so there!
I definitely burned some calories, but I’m not sure how many. I don’t have one of those watch/calorie-counter thingies. I didn’t build of much of a sweat, which is new for me because I sweat like demon. The exercise circuit also lives up to its name of 23 minutes. I did three sets of the first circuit and one each of the final two, but that was from not managing my time well. I should be able to do two sets of each.
I have to admit I didn’t study the workout plan. But from the couple of times I read it, it seemed doable. I should have checked to make sure my gym had all of the appropriate equipment. But that doesn’t mean this workout isn’t doable. Life’s all about adjustments, and that’s what I’m gonna do…tomorrow.
All told, I spent a little more than 5 minutes changing my clothes, 23 minutes on the workout and another 10 taking a shower and changing post-workout. I was gone from my desk for 45 minutes, a reasonable amount of time for any lunch break.
Day 2
My body was a little sore when I woke up on Day 2. Not so bad that I couldn’t move, only a little achy. The exercises got easier, though, which is to be expected. I was able to manage my time better and completed two sets in each seven-minute circuit.
One of the downsides to having to do this in a small gym is that all the equipment may not be available when you want it. Day 2’s lesson came from the rowing machine. Every time I’d finish one of the other two exercises, the rowing machine would be occupied. Since I didn’t know what machine would be the equivalent, I skipped it. Excuse me while I hang my head in shame.
Tomorrow I’ll be taking a day of rest because at the end of Day 2, I was really feeling the work I was putting in my body, especially my thighs. Those squats and lunges are no joke! Epsom salt bath, here I come.
Day 3
There’s nothing like a day of rest, especially if you’ve been beating your body with a new workout routine. My thighs were so tight that I almost slipped down the stairs a few times. And when you have an enthusiastic dog like mine who breaks off in a sprint at the first whiff of fresh air, it can be hard to maintain your balance while he’s tugging at you from his leash. Luckily, no permanent damage was done. I did remember that stretching is very helpful. I’ll have to remember that when I pick up the workout routine again tomorrow.
Day 4
The best thing about a recovery day is the rest you give your body. The worst thing about a recovery day is trying to wake that body back up. I was able to lounge around my house on Day 3. I didn’t have to worry about packing a gym bag or carve out time between meetings to get to the gym. Also, my muscles were still pretty tight.
I stretched out my hamstrings and glutes before starting, and that helped a lot. Also, the segments got even easier. I was able to do three sets of the first 7-minute stretch and two sets each of the other segments. However, my pride and joy of Day 4 was not looking as pathetic during my push-ups. I got a little more bend in my elbows and was able to do four before needing a breather in each round. Yay, me!
Day 5
Last day of the workout and I’m excited. I’ve been doing this routinely for a few days, so I should kick ass on the last day, right? Um, not so much. For some reason my enthusiasm outweighed my abilities. The lunges, which caused me the most thigh pain, were easy going. But those push-ups were like to be the death of me. I gave it an honest effort, but I was only able to do one final circuit.
Verdict
I really need to incorporate more resistance and strength training in my workout routine. Sure, I’m shedding the fat but my muscles are really weak. My goal isn’t to get a hard body. I don’t want to be one of those small people who has to be rolled around, either. I think the exercise is doable and a little fun. You’re able to shake up your routine during your workout, which is fun. Just make sure some rowing snob isn’t hogging the machine.
Side note: A special thank you to my photographer/videographer Willa Plank, who took time out of her work day to watch me work out.
The Perks of Living in a Walking City
15 Nov
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostmymind/92967452/
photo credit: adropp via photopin cc
I don’t know if I’ve said this here, but I love living in New York. It’s awesome.
From the garbage on the streets to the guy peeing in the corner of the subway, it’s truly an enchanting, quaint little town.
My favorite thing is that you can get anywhere by foot. Manhattan, where I reside, is 32 miles around the island. If you’re training for a marathon, you’re set.
The best part, though, is just walking. I’m a wanderer. I often have no plan of attack, except perhaps finding a nice cafe or a wine bar. Usually I’m just out exploring new neighborhoods. I will trek from the Brooklyn Bridge to the meat packing district and will have only stopped for a cup of joe at Joe. I’ll take a stroll on the High Line and end up walking to Macy’s at Herald Square to buy a new ‘fit.
A lot of exercise is just taking that first step. When I began my weight-loss journey, all I could do is walk. I was living in Atlanta and would get my morning exercise at the park around the corner. In the beginning, I could muster just three miles an hour walking. Now, I cringe at that rate, but I had to start somewhere.
The first step is the hardest. You have to will yourself into taking it. What do you want to learn about yourself during the process? Always have a goal in mind, but you need motivation for that first step.
When I backslide, which happens more than I’d like, my motivation to get up and walk around the city is that I don’t want to be how I was before: sedentary. There’s so much to see and do here that I’ve walked for hours without noticing. And I’m burning calories in the process. I’m learning more about the city and what I enjoy about it.
But that comes from living in a city that encourages walking. I was born and raised on the north side of St. Louis where walking around is OK, but you’ll still get the occasional side-eye. So on my visits back, I have to find places to go. Forest Park is perfect for seeing some beautiful aspects of a great historical city. The park offers so many sights, and as a native St. Louisan I can’t stress this enough: pretty much everything in the park is free. Parking, the zoo, the science center, the museum—they’re all free.
These are a few suggestions on how to get moving during a lull. Maybe it will motivate you to do a little more to burn a few more calories. Moving can be motivating.
What are some of the best walking routes in your city?
I Did It: Asics Treadmill Challenge
4 Nov“I Did It” is a feature post running on I’m Skinny, Now What where I will tackle a new workout or diet and give you my opinion. Wish me luck, because I don’t like changing my routine.
The ING New York City Marathon was this weekend and the entire city was abuzz with action. One of the marathon’s sponsors is sportswear maker Asics, which also sponsors runner Ryan Hall. Ryan take about 4.8 minutes per mile, or about 12.5 miles per hour. I’ve never even thought of going that fast. I average at about 10 minutes per mile, or about 6 mph.
For the past week, Asics had a treadmill truck roaming about the city, challenging New Yorkers to keep pace. I knew I couldn’t keep up for long, but what really drew me in what the harness and bungee cord attached to the truck. When you run out of steam, you just sit back in the harness and kind of float off the treadmill. If anything it would just be fun to do.
So, I did it. I found the truck on its last day before the race and signed up. I was the first woman to participate. The announcer kept saying they needed more women, but I was the one who took the bait. The first guy to try it stayed in the treadmill for more than three minutes, the longest of anyone Asics had seen all week. The following guys all stayed on for about a minute.
A minute? Psssh, I can do that. Right?
Um, not so much. While I had the distinction of being the first woman, I had honor finishing in 22 seconds 😦
What I learned
I’ve never seen myself run; I’m usually outside when I do it. Imagine my surprise to see I run like a velociraptor. Also, I might want to start looking up. But the guy who strapped me in was super nice and supportive. He kept telling me to just keep running. He was like my Jenny. And, like I suspected, floating off the treadmill was all kinds of fun. If it comes back next year, I’ll definitely try it.
I'm Skinny, Now What? 