It just feels that way. I got a personal trainer, and this is week one of what I affectionately call "torture." I lost a lot of weight about a year and a half ago, which was really nice. But a bunch of stuff including a knee injury interfered with my running, and before I knew it the weight began to creep back onto me. I'm still okay with my weight, and I have gotten back into the grind of running, but the one thing that continued to bother me was my lack of strength.
Enter: a big dude who knows what he's doing when it comes to strength training and toning muscles. He is the buffer between me and all those scary looking machines at the gym, the machines that I have no clue what to do with until he shows me and writes it on my plan.
He knows my goals. He knows I want to tone and gain strength without bulk. He tells me there are three areas when it comes to having the body I want and those are cardio, weights, and diet. He says I am a cardio beast (I'm not really, he's just being nice...) and my diet is okay (mostly, but there is room for improvement...) but where I have been lacking for the past all my life is strength training.
The only drawback to weight lifting is that it hurts like crazy for days. I find myself making an involuntary sound when I sit down and stand up. There are things on the floor that will remain there until I can bend to reach them without screaming. (I don't have a time frame in mind...) My arms ache so badly I seriously considered cutting off my sports bra yesterday instead of trying to pull it over my head.
But, I guess if I can be consistent with my training it will get less painful and I will begin to see results. I've proven to myself before that I can succeed, even when it's really difficult. This is no exception. I'm starting at ground zero, and it is really hard. Really, really hard! I have to get over my intimidation with the weight machines, make myself perform the exercises regularly, and stop celebrating great work-outs with samoas. But I believe it can be done, and the journey itself may even be as rewarding as the swimsuit-ready body.
2 comments:
You know what's weird? I would pick lifting weights over running any day. I actually really like it...as much as I will like any exercise. And I've found that I see results pretty quickly. Good luck...you'll do great!
I agree with both of you! Weight lifting is my favorite over any kind of cardio, haha! I'm just lazy... BUT you are definitely more sore afterward!
Post a Comment