Back to the Gym

When I first joined the gym, I was doing really well. I had a few sessions with a personal trainer, and then I was going several times a week to lift weights. Even though I didn't lose a ton if weight, I was definitely able to see the effects. Clothes were fitting better and all that.

But then the holidays happened. Between Thanksgiving and New Years I was out of town every single weekend which made getting to the gym basically impossible. I started going back in January, but quickly gave up the weight training in favor of attempting to train for a 5K. Then the weather warmed up and I traded running in for biking. Over the months the muscles turned back in to fat. Again, I wasn't really gaining weight, but my clothes stopped fitting as well.

Then I received two more free personal training sessions simply for continuing to be a member of my gym for six months. It seemed like a great way to get back on track with some sort of training schedule.

I had my first session yesterday, and it was a great success. The trainer I met with was much better than the last one I met with. She was a little more on the same page as me as far as goals were concerned. She also listened to me a bit better. Rather than just walking me through a full body workout, she actually helped me put together a comprehensive schedule that focuses on different muscle groups and means I shouldn't be in the gym for more than half an hour at a time.

She agreed with me that, given my ankle problems, it made more sense to keep on biking rather than returning to running. And when she noticed how much crunches were hurting my back, she gave me some exercises to help rebuild the muscles there (muscles I'm not sure I've ever had).

The bottom line is that I now have a whole program that I'm going to do my best to stick to. It involves three days a week of biking and three days of weightlifting. Each weightlifting day focuses on a different muscle group (back and biceps, chest and triceps, legs), though I'm supposed to work on my back all three days. None of the workouts are too long, which should make it easier to stick to the schedule. Since it won't be eating it my entire evening, I won't feel like I'm sacrificing all of my time working out.

I even made a spreadsheet so I can track my progress. Hopefully that will keep me motivated. I also have a second appointment with the same trainer in three weeks. That alone should motivate me enough to stay on track. After that I hope I'll start seeing enough results that it'll be easier to continue going. Wish me luck.