Courageous Joy

Weekly Fitness Goals (click button for more info)

Weekly Goal - 240 Minutes (40 minutes most days)
Total Weekly Minutes - 285 minutes
Annual Goal - 11,700 minutes
Minutes to Date - 4, 452 minutes

Kathy had asked for comments on my meeting wth the personal trainer. I'll do that here. LOL

First, I should have done this years ago. If you are military, every base has this available for FREE to you through the HAWC. I should have availed myself of this service. I didn't because men intimidate me.....but I should have done it anyway.

At the gym I joined you get a free evaluation with a personal trainer when you join and then I think every so often if you want....not sure. Debbie was great. I told her about my wrists and my knee. I told her I want to tone up and LOSE weight but that my metabolism is slow, slow, slow. I keep a food journal. I'm eating 1200 calories a day. I CANNOT safely go lower than that - and so working out has to be a big part of the key here.

I spent this week implementing the workout that the personal trainer at the gym mapped out for me. She thought 3 - 5 times a week of cardio (20 minute min) would suffice. I KNOW from my past experience and my low thyroid induced metabolism that I simply MUST have more cardio than that to kick the metabolism into gear. I have been doing 60 min most days....she was surprised and gave me suggestions to make those minutes HARDER. I will still do 60 minutes of cardio on days when I don't do weights and aim for 45 minutes on days when I'm doing weights. For Cardio she showed me a new machine - the ARC trainer. It's got a cross country skiing motion (think 21st century nordictrac). She said that I could do the Ellipitcal but I'm finding the ARC just as good a workout without fear of knee injury. Yeah, my knee aches after weeks of videos or working out. She told me to stay way from the treadmill. Since Mike doesn't read long entries I can say here that I've been trying to work up to being able to go running with him by Father's Day. I've been jogging on the treadmill but she says that jogging is not good with my knee. Not sure if I will give up my goal....but I have noted since changing my routine my knee doesn't creek or ache. The main thing she changed here is that every 2 minutes I increase the incline and resistance on any machine I'm on. That keeps my body guessing, overall I'm burning more calories, and I'm working harder. The first day on the ARC I survived 20 mintues.

Yes, I knew I needed to add weights but they ALWAYS ended up hurting my wrists. I had this problem at Curves, as well, and so skipped the machines that used wrist power. Debbie, the trainer (as opposed to the dietician or the friend) told me to stay off the free weights. I do nautilus and other exercises for lower body, and she gave me cybex machines for upper body. She said the Nautilus, hydraulic, air machines still allow you to tweak your wrist...but the machines she put me on immobilze my wrist. She took me to each machine and wrote down what seat number was right for me etc. She set weight goals, and I'm to work up to 2 sets of 20 reps on each station. I'll get there...then increase the weight. My thoughts so far - I FEEL THE BURN! ::snort:: I have that achey tired muscle where I'm supposed to now and not in my knee or wrists. I'm to do the weight routine 2 - 3 times a week. I'm doing the ab stuff every day because I NEED it - badly.

Monday - 65 Minutes (bike)

Tuesday - 90 Minutes (30 min ARC, 20 min bike, 40 min weights)

Wed - 55 Minutes (20 min ARC, 30 min bike, 5 min abs)

Thursday - 85 minutes Community Health Club (45 ARC, 40 min weights)

Friday - 45 minutes (bike)

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