HUH!

"Right hook! Left upper cut! Roundhouse kick right! HUH!" Ummmmmmmm... huh? That pretty much sums up my first experience at BODYCOMBAT Tuesday night. BODYCOMBAT is a LES MILLS program that is inspired by martial arts and draws from a variety of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay thai.  If you know me, you know I don't exactly have "cat-like speed and reflexes." And if you played any sports with me in school, you know my coordination is a motor skill that has taken just a little bit longer than others to develop; specifically, to dance routines in cheerleading. 

Of course, I was the only person in the studio who had never taken the class before so I didn't know any of the routines. Luckily, I had done some workout DVDs before that incorporated kempo karate routines, so I knew the basics. It was the sequencing of the moves and routines that had the cerebellum part of my brain working extra hard. The class was an hour long but it actually flew by because I was concentrating on learning new moves instead of the clock. And it was fun! I'm going to have a lethal roundhouse kick by the end of the program ;). 

Wednesday night I went to FLOW YOGA. It wasn't your typical "get in touch with your inner butterfly and listen to ocean waves music" yoga class. Although, there were the occasional "you're floating on the clouds" moments when it was final relaxation time. I wasn't exactly gumby, but this was a class I could actually keep up with. My flexibility definitely trumps hand-eye coordination. The ab routine was the best ab workout I had gotten in a while and the whole class had me sweating just as much as BODYCOMBAT. I was actually 10x more sore from yoga than I was from BODYCOMBAT and cycling combined! Love, love, loved it :)

Bakasana, crane pose. One of my goals!

BODYCOMBAT tomorrow morning at 9:15am! Who's game??

NOOB

NOOB. I've been hearing this term a lot lately.. actually, I'm the "NOOB" people have been referring to in those several instances. 


Since I graduated college over a month ago, I've been switching gears in most every aspect of my life. To name a few, I moved back home with Momma Dukes until I get back on my feet, I took on a serving job at Latitude 36 (bar/restaurant on LKN.. can't seem to escape the service industry quite yet) and I joined a gym down the road, LKN 24/7 Athletic Club. I just started at Latitude last Monday, so you can imagine how many times I've been referred to as the "NOOB," "new girl," "newbie," etc. I really don't mind but it certainly gets old and I'm not used to it since I was at the same bar in Charlotte for over two years and was considered a "vet;" which I resented with a passion because it haunted me with reminders of how long I had been there and how much I despised the place.


Speaking of "switching gears," I survived my first Express Cycling class at LKN at 5am this morning.. well, barely. I suffered from insomnia last night and when I was still awake at 4am, I decided I might as well do cycling. I pulled in the gym parking lot as the only car there at 4:45am. So, since I was the first one there, I got the pleasure of first choice (and you know I took the very last bike in the very back left corner). Unfortunately, that didn't hide me from the cocky regular who made it a point to dub me my "NOOB" status before we began. Whatever, I didn't want to talk to you all anyways :(. Including the instructor, there were a whopping 7 bright eyed and bushy tailed attendees; which was good as I prefer as few people as possible witness the just-hangin-on look on my red, out-of-control sweating face. I love working up a good sweat; makes me feel like it was worth it.
I surprisingly still had loads of energy as the class ended, so I worked on my guns (well, right now they're more like BB guns) in the free weight area for a bit. Five weeks out of the gym really took a toll on my upper body strength. My deltoids have always been my least favorite to work because they are the weakest, so today was even worse. Side lateral raises hurt the worstttt. The (lack of) weight I use is pitiful and the number of reps that I struggle to push out is a mosquito in my ear. Just something to work harder at I suppose! 
What is your least favorite muscle group to work, if there is one?


I've read mixed reviews on morning vs. evening workout routines. I've heard the morning revs up your metabolism and keeps you energized throughout the day, but I've also heard that you give your body a better workout in the evening because your muscles warm up throughout the day and you get more done. Here is an informative article that breaks down the pros and cons for both if you need to figure out which works best for you. The bottom line of it is, just make sure it gets done. Ideally, pick a time that you can stick to and stay consistent with throughout the week and make it part of your daily routine like you do anything else.


I am officially a morning work out girl. I'm done for the day and it's not even 7am. It feels liberating to not have to worry about it the rest of the day. Unless there is a class at night that I planned ahead of time, I will conjure up any excuse during the day to not make it to the gym or for a simple run. If I don't get it out of the way first thing, chances are, it's not happening. This wasn't the case when I was in school. I'd get the motivation to go at the oddest hours, mainly at 7pm or so, and sometimes not until 9pm. The gym being at the top of my priority list really slipped through the cracks my last semester. Between my full time (unpaid) internship, classes and part time job, more often than not, the thought of doing squats and lunges had an appeal equivalent to that of studying the importance of marginal analysis (which is clearly not interesting and those chapters were lucky to get a once-over). Really just getting back in a routine or having to create an entirely new one is the hardest part. Once I go for a few consistent days, I remember how good it feels to be so productive and wonder why I haven't been doing this all along.


Here are a few tips that I have learned along the way and am going to stick by-

• Never skip a Monday
• Never skip more than two days in a row
• Don't think about it. Put on your sneakers and close the door behind you
• Switch it up. New play list. Try new classes. Look up new work outs. I like Fitness Magazine, they have great discussion forums, recipes and mad amounts of training plans to choose from (fo free!)
• Fruit for breakfast, whole grain carbs for lunch, snack on a serving of mixed nuts, salad for dinner. This way I don't eat too much of one food group and not enough of another
• Drink 2-3 glasses of water with every meal. It's a good way to keep track of how much I'm supposed to be drinking and it fills me up
• I've finally acquired the taste for green tea and I'm so glad I did! The benefits are outstanding and a cup in the morning is quite calming
• Read other people's motivation, progress and success. sMILES from Callie :) is my older sister's blog that is just outstanding. I am so proud of her and I love hearing all the progress she's made since she trained and completed her first half marathon earlier this year. She is so passionate and has so much fun doing it that it helps remind me exercise doesn't have to be a chore, it's a lifestyle. And life is fun, right? So make your work out just as! 
• Write.it.down. I find I have to either keep the schedule posted somewhere I always see it or write down my routine for the week. Not just my workout but everything that goes into my day so I don't forget or double book anything.
• Don't dupe yourself on a work out. I've definitely had my days where I go in and seriously wish I was anywhere but. I've learned that I don't have to do a lot of different crazy exercises, as long as the ones I do, I go hard at and focus on form above all else. Walking out of the gym and not feeling like I got a good work out is discouraging and truly a waste of time. Just do it right the first time therefore nothing is wasted and those positive endorphin's can get to work  :)

Just like anything else in life, do what you can and be the best at it. It's your routine, your body and your purpose. Add and play with it to taste. 

"The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime!"