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This blog is about my battle with weight and the journey that ensued.

Along the way are some not so subtle side tales but, for the most part, it is in chronological order. If you want the story from the beginning, start on March 24, 2009 at "The Tipping Point", and read your way to today. Thanks and best of luck on your journey.


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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Insanity: "Alone Again" Day 5 of 60


Challenge Groups are a great thing that we are encouraged to do as Beachbody coaches.  It helps a lot for those working out to know they are not going through it alone.  Many ask me that question, “Who do you work out with?”  The answer?  “Nobody.”

If you work out alone, how does it affect you? 

I work out alone.  Even with the Challenge group format, you are a solo act because it is primarily social media driven.  There is no physical presence.  In spite of that, I probably push just as hard when it’s only me as I would if someone were with me.  I guess, for many, that’s not the case. 

Let me rationalize my perspective.  I have the DVD’s and there are plenty of people in them.  If I were at the gym, it would be the same.  People would be standing around me, sweating while I sweat.  When I work out, I don’t converse, I work out.  I do the same with the DVD’s.  Oh, sometimes I found myself talking back to Tony Horton in those P90X workouts.  Sometimes I mimicked him. 

“You’re lookin’ at me, I’m lookin’at you!” 

“They’re working hard, I know YOUUUU are!!” 

“That’s it, get a close up of my little calves.”

When I did P90X, I could be heard mocking Wesley Idol’s lack of energy in Kempo X, or making fun of Dom the bouncing frog in Plyometrics with his awful form and lack of thigh and butt power.  I would smirk at Dreya’s overly made up face while noticing that she bore a slight resemblance to Michael Jackson.  Sophia made me smile just because she did all her exercises with a pleasant grin and without weights as though she hadn’t a care in the world.

So was I alone?  Not really.  Certainly, no more alone than I was in the 70’s and 80’s when television kept me company.  Steve Austin and the Fonz were my buddies.  Charlie’s Angels were the women in my life.  Archie Bunker kept me laughing.  They don’t talk back to you…but they get a rise out of you.

So here I am, alone again.  Working out to the DVD.  For Insanity, I now have Shaun T.  There’s a whole new cast of players for me to warm up to…or not.  I already like some, and dislike others.  There are the ones that actually hide behind Shaun so their pokey effort isn’t caught on camera.  There are less stealthy ones who, after they know the camera is on them begin to pick up their effort.  The girls in front really give their all, while the guys in back kind of drag.  Then, there’s the guy from the fit test.  He looks like an accountant who got tossed in by accident and hasn’t worked out since he played racquetball in business school.  So I am not really alone.  I have all these people to watch critically.  It’s not that I dislike them…it gets me through the routines.

So tonight, its back to the mat, all alone again.  But I will get results.

THE WORKOUT

Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  Round 2.  I did this on Day One, so now I am going full circle.  I got through the warmups with no problem and the sweat started pouring out during the stretching.  When we went into the circuit, I was ready for it.  I made it through the first circuit fine, the second circuit was a different story.  The pushup, run it out…followed by the ab jumping thing…killed me.  I had to break.  It’s not the cardio mind you, my muscles are failing…I just have to stop because I can’t go anymore.  Everything else is fine, but those two in a row just break me.  So that’s my goal…to get through the third circuit without stopping.   

Everyone should put their goals in front of them.

I also owe Shaun T. an apology.  I was saying earlier in the week that he didn’t warm up the calves enough.  I may have been a little too harsh.  You DO have to stretch them a bit prior to the warm ups.  But if you stretch correctly with him during the stretching phase, and don’t bend the knees, you will stretch those calfs out…but you need to use proper form at all times.  I really focused on that tonight and it helped a lot.

Also, I have had success with the treadmill post workout, so I did another 20 minutes tonight.  Ab Ripper X tomorrow and I get tomorrow night off!  Good night!  

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