Good News First

The good news is that if I catch an unexpected glimpse of myself in a shop window or whatever, it makes me smile..how cool is that! I no longer need to avert my eyes in fear of seeing something I don't like! Yesterday there was a full length mirror by the checkout in Aldi and after the first surprise glimpse, I kept looking back at it just to make sure that it wasn't a fluke. I may even find photographs less distressing now...let's hope so because there are some new progress pics due in the next couple of weeks.

The bad news is I don't feel like I am making any progress at the gym. In fact let's go back to when I started this programe and review things in the cold light of day.

Nautical Walker
Then: 10 mins / 100 cals
Now: rarely go on it (there's only 3 and it's popular!) but when I do, 10 mins is my limit. No progress.

Bike
Then: 3k - no time mentioned.
Now: 5k in 13 minutes. I have made progress on this, I am sustaining a much faster peddling speed over the span of the exercise.

Treadmill
Then: 10 minutes, "reasonable pace" 3% incline
Now: 20 minutes of walk for 3mins, jog for 1min, horrifyingly mainly no incline - where did the incline go??

Power Plate
No change there, I'm just still doing the same routine I was given in March. I need to up the ante there!

Free weights
Then: Bicep curls with 4kg weights, side arm raises with 2kg weights - I don't say how many I could do but I recall it wasn't many.

Now: Bicep curl with 3kg weights, 3 sets of 12. Side arm raises with 2kg weights, 3 sets of 12. I took the weight down so I could do the reps, I don't see this as a bad thing. No point lifting a heavier weight only a tiny number of times I think?

Chest Press
Then: 25kg 3 sets of 15, I remarked that I couldn't do it and may reduce the weight.
Now: 20kg 3 sets of 15, I can do it.

I have now added in a couple more machines - leg abductor one and it's opposite, and do 3 sets of 20 at 20kg on each of them. And my cool down us usually 10 mins on any cardio machine and then my stretches.

If anyone reading has any idea how I can step my workout up a level without actually suffering a fatal heart attack, I'm all ears. I want to progress but it just isn't happening. And the monthly update with your instructor thing as promised when I signed up just doesn't happen. I've tried a couple of times to book in with him, and even though I've not managed to get to see him yet, aparently when I do, it will be a sit down and a chat. I don't need a chat, I need him to work with me!

I was joking about the personal trainer in a previous post. It's starting to look like something I need to do now!