1st Toning Workout

[Dia Minha]

I am so sore. My arms are fine. The soreness in them went away with a dose of ibprufren. My legs however are still very sore even after a dose. I'm going to go for my usual cardio workout today to see if I can't work a little bit of the soreness out.

It took a long time to go through the workout yesterday. Too long. It took about 75 mins. I wanted to make sure I was doing each excercise correctly. So, I kept reading and rereading my instructions. I'm hoping I can get it down to 30 or less minutes so I can do a 30 min long cardio the same day. Then I will eventually increase my cardio to 45-60 mins on the other days.

It is hard going up and down the stairs, but it feels good, because I know I am doing something to make me stronger and healthier. And after all that is my ultimate goal.

Dia

[Imahoot]

You are doing really good. Most people are so hung up on the weight number that they do not do toning work as well. I go through periods of time as well where I stress about how much I weigh but I don't ever quit the weight training because I see more results from that. It is better to go slow and do it right then hurt yourself. It took me about a month before I could get my routine down and get it down fast so that I could fit cardio in as well. You are doing good and you are going to see inches come off. Congrats and good luck to you. My weight training part takes about 20 minutes now instead of 40 minutes. My cardio is at about 30 minutes. My trainer also told me that alternating what you do first is helpful as well. One day do your lifting and toning first and expend your really good energy on that and the next day do cardio first.

Are you doing multiple body parts on one day or concentrating on one area? When I meet with my trainer (only two times a month), she concentrates on one body part and just plain fatiguing and killing that one area. So we will do two fast paced circuits on one muscle group. Example...shoulders, chest, abs, etc. I never knew there were that many exercises for one area. I am very sore from it but I am sweating up a storm and losing weight from it. When I work out alone I tend to do my whole body. Just wondering what you do and what you find helpful.

[5ft Diva]

Way to go Dia and Ima!

[Dia Minha]

Right now I am doing a routine I found on the WW website. It is a basic, all over, body workout. I do a little arms, a little abs, a little glutes, and a little leg. It is very basic, yet is supposed to increase intensity throughout a 12 week period. I think once I get a good base going, I'll lean more toward doing what you are doing. I don't have a trainer, so I'm on the look out for a good video, or instruction book, that can help me work on that, when the time comes.

I eventually want to get my toning down to 30 minutes. Then on Mon. Wed. and Fri. when I do toning I will do 30 minutes cardio as well. Then Tues. and Thurs I'll do 60 min cardio. I'm hoping to work in about 60 min cardio on Saturday too, but not right now.

Actually, I would love to get back on to doing some pilates. I have borrowed the Winsor pilates DVD a couple of times from a couple of different people and have loved it. One of these days I want to be able to do the entire 60 min original workout. Before I had to skip a lot of the movements, because I just physically could not do them. I would get so frustrated that I couldn't do the entire video, I just quit and wouldn't do any of it.


Dia

[Dia Minha]

Todays cardio was a little hard, because I was so sore. I had to limit a few of my movements. However, I did notice that I loosened up a bit within the first ten minutes and was able to increase the extension of my movement as the workout went on. Even though I am so sore, I still feel really good. I wish I could capture this feeling in a bottle so I could take a little bit of it whenever I feel like giving up.

Dia

[Imahoot]

Good for you! I agree that it is hard to workout when you are sore but it does tend to work it out better than anything else if you can just get through the first ten minutes or so. Have you tried Ibuprofen about an hour before working out. If I am really sore (after having a training visit usually) I take two and then go and workout. It is great that you feel better!

Congrats on the hard work!!!

[bookworm]

you ladies are very admirable. Keep up the good work!!

[Imahoot]

Dia you are doing very well.

Personally I haven't been to the gym since last week because of this darn cold. I did maintain all summer without going to the gym so that was my goal. I went up once a couple of pounds and then tried harder the next week and lost it.

So how are you others doing? What is your biggest pitfall with exercising and what is your best motivator. It would be pretty cool to hear what all of you are doing or have done in the past.

[bookworm]

I'm pathetic. I go walking for 2 or 3 or 4 weeks straight and then something comes up (like my wisdom teeth surgery) and we never go again. Then this fall, my neighbor wants to go walking, and I know I need to so I say yes, but I DREAD it. I just don't like it. I loved dancing when I was young- that is how I got exercise in. Now it's just lifting my fork to my mouth... I just don't seem to feel any motivation in this area at all.

[Dia Minha]

BW if you like dancing then by all means dance. When I was young I would go out dancing 3-4 times a week. Who needed to excercise when they spent 12 hours a week on the dance floor.

There are several different ways you can turn your love of dancing into an excercise routine:

First, you can put together a CD of your favorite dancing songs and put it on and dance in your living room just like you would if you were at a club.

Second, borrow some workout tapes until you find one that makes you feel good and then buy it. I have one that I am not using right now if you would like to use it. It is a combination of hip hop and modern type dances. The ladies are only half dressed, but that doesn't bother me unless my DH or DC are around. I also have a country line dancing VHS. It isn't really a workout. It is an instructional video. But you could get a good sweat breaking workout by learning the dances. You could try the library too. I'm not sure what the Tooele library has, but if you want to scan through the Salt Lake Library system I would be willing to pick it up for you. I have a SL county library card and I go in once a week. I like to borrow a workout tape before buying it to make sure I like it. There are so many dancing ones out there. You can do the hula (one of my personal favorites) or belly dancing. There is also hiphop and ballroom dancing DVD's out.

Third, I have a dance pad you could borrow to see if you like it. We got it for under $20 a couple of Christmas's ago. If you like it, you could always buy yourself one.

And just so you know. I know exactly how you feel. I too have been in the same mode as you many times. I really don't know how I get myself out of it, or how to help someone else out of it. My only words of incouragement or advice is to find something you like doing. If you don't like walking, then by all means don't do it. Find something you enjoy and work it into your daily schedule slowly. Good luck. I'm pulling for you.

Dia

[Imahoot]

Originally Posted by Dia Minha

I know exactly how you feel. I too have been in the same mode as you many times. I really don't know how I get myself out of it, or how to help someone else out of it. My only words of incouragement or advice is to find something you like doing. If you don't like walking, then by all means don't do it. Find something you enjoy and work it into your daily schedule slowly. Good luck. I'm pulling for you.

Finding something that you like doing is important no matter what it is. There are some great workout tapes out there like Dia said. Sometimes trying something new also makes it more interesting. I found Tae Bo very interesting but couldn't take the intensity awhile back. Maybe something different is what will work. Are you a person that has to schedule it in? Maybe writing it down on certain days of the week and sticking to it. Start with maybe one day a week and after a couple of weeks add another day. I am not sure what will work for you but I believe that there are times in our lives where it is hard to get out ther eand just do it. Maybe think about the things you are successful at and find out what your motivation buttons are. Good luck!!!

[bookworm]

What great friends you ladies are! I love your ideas. I do have a Jane Fonda aerobics tape that I love the dance workout on, but I haven't done it in years. I have some really obnoxious Richard Simmons tapes, too, but I don't really like them much. My sister gave me some yoga tapes, but when I tried the first one it made me cry. (can't quite figure out why...) so I'm not doing those either.

I appreciate all your thoughts. I will definitely take them into consideration. Thanks, gals!

[Imahoot]

Your welcome. It is hard to fit it all in with the busy lives that we all have and it can be hard. Good luck on starting one of the good tapes that you have done before. Maybe renting from the library like Dia said. I might just rent a pilates one now that she has mentioned it. You never know...you might find something you really like. Let us know how it goes for you.

[5ft Diva]

These are great suggestions, guys! I'll have to remember them myself.

[bookworm]

Yeah, sounds good. I think I'll wait a week or two more until my tailbone is less achy. My DD prayed that the Lord would bless my "butt to get better fast" last night. She is so funny. Anyway, I think I will see what they have at the library. I know my little sis has some pilates. I think that might be a fun thing to try.

[Dia Minha]

I got through my second Toning Workout in about 40 mins today. Of course I was still really sore, even after taking some ibuprofen and hour before (thanks for the sugestion Ima). I could tell it helped, but I didn't quite have a full range of motion. Monday I was able to bring my knee almost to the ground on my lunges. Today I cut them a little short and started out about half way and was able to finish up the last set going about 3/4.

Thanks for all your support. It really helps keep me going.

Dia

[Imahoot]

Good job and keep up the good work! Hopefully your range of motion will come all the way back for you soon. Your body will start to get used to the movement and it will get easier. Of course then it will be time to move to something else that hurts. Well at least we can share the pain together.