Resolutions Redux

So, sometime way back in December, I mentioned the fact that I would like to drop a few pounds. Since I am officially in my mid-thirties, this is not as easy of a feat as it once was and I realized that it may take some effort besides cutting down my daily Dr. Pepper consumption. In fact, I actually joined a gym.

This isn't the first gym I have gone to. I've spent many hours on treadmills during marathon training and such. This is just the first gym where they have cared whether or not I am doing something besides jogging slowly on the treadmill while watching the "Price is Right" without sound because the headphones make my ears sweat.

So, this is a CrossFit gym. When I walk in, I am given a patented "workout of the day," which, at first, involved all kinds of exercises that I had no idea how to do - and even when I did, my ability was sorely lacking. The first time I was instructed in the fine art of a pull-up, the coach brought out a huge blue rubber band that offered 100+ pounds of resistance and then he still had his hand on my back helping me to get my chin over the bar. I am also embarrassed to say that even a squat was a challenge for me at first. I kept feeling like I was going to tumble backwards and would over-compensate by lifting my heels, which is, apparently, bad.

Well, I've been going to this gym for almost three months now and I dare say that I am making improvements. I have dropped about ten pounds - which still puts me above where my weight was a year ago, but as I said before, mid-thirties and losing weight don't really mix, so any loss is a victory. I'm actually just grateful that I'm not still gaining weight - the trend had me a little worried.

I've also come up with some new fitness goals and would like to post them here for the world (or at least my three regular blog readers) to see. The first is to accomplish the same hundred push-up challenge that my husband finished last fall. There is a nifty little website that has charts to follow and such and even a place where I can log my progress. I just did my first exhaustion test on Sunday and was able to eke out 18 push-ups from the toe without rest - fairly good form and everything. Today, I did the first workout and completed it successfully as well. It was five sets with 60 seconds of rest between each one. The sets were: 10, 12, 7, 7, and max. My max today was 12.

My second goal is to do a dead hang pull-up with no rubber bands or other helps. I may modify this goal once I accomplish the first one and try for two or more in a row, but for now I would just like to be able to do one. I have been working on negatives the last month and so I've got the easy half of the pull-up down. Now I've just got to find a way to get my chin over the bar in the first place.

I'm also hoping that by publicly posting these goals that I will be encouraged to update my blog a little more regularly. Of course, if I don't, you all are free to assume that I failed miserably.