Notes by Nectar

I left Dubai for the summer on 8th June. I had a workout with Trevor on Sunday, 31st May.

After my 5-minute warmup on the bike I did the following:

• Treadmill x 4 min (1 min 5.5 km/h, 1 min 5.5 km/h (5% incline), 2 min 7.5 km/h)
• Pushups x 30 s
• Mountain climbers x 30 s
• Bench squats x 30 s
• Walk out/in x 1 min
• Manmaker x 1 min
• Squat press x 1 min
• Rest and repeat

I then moved on to an abs circuit:

• Reverse crunches x 30 s
• Russian twists x 30 s
• Abdominal in and out x 30 s
• Rest and repeat

I then did some stretching and was done for the day. Looking back at my notes, that doesn’t seem like very much but perhaps I forgot something. I didn’t do much until Wednesday when I had another session with Trevor. I did 5 minutes on the bike and then did the following circuit:

• Deadlifts x 15 (weighted bar)
• Squats x 15 (10-lb weights)
• Bent-over row x 15 (15-lb weights)
• Lateral pulldown x 15
• Mountain climbers x 15
• Toe touches x 15
• Treadmill x 4 min (2 min 7.5 km/h, 1 min x 5.5 km/h, 1 min x 7 km/h with 3% incline)

I had a rest and did the circuit again. The second time I did 20 reps of each exercise, but I had to lower the weight for the bent-over rows to two 10-lb weights as it was too heavy for me.

After another rest I did an abs circuit:

• Reverse crunches x 40 s
• Rest x 20 s
• In and out x 40 s
• Rest x 20 s
• Sit-ups x 40 s (10-lb weight)
• Rest x 20 s
• Russian twists x 40 s (10-lb weight)
• Rest x 1 min 20 s

I did some stretching and was done!

I had my last session with Trevor the day before I left – on Sunday, 7th June. He was running late so I ended up doing a 10-minute warmup on the bike.

I then did the following supersets:

• Bent-over row x 12 (15-lb weights)
• Chest press x 12 (10/15-lb weights)
• Repeat x 3

• Lateral pulldown x 12
• Bench squats x 12 (10-lb weights)
• Repeat x 3

• Treadmill x 4 min (2 min 5.5 km/h, 2 min 7.5 km/h)

• Deadlifts x 12 (15-lb weights)
• Tricep extensions x 12
• Repeat x 3

• Abdominal toe touches x 20
• Mountain climbers x 20
• Repeat x 3

• Treadmill x 4 min (2 min 5.5 km/h, 2 min 7.5 km/h)

I did some stretches and was done. Trevor told me he’d been offered a new job – still in Dubai – but he wouldn’t know his schedule for a while. Let’s hope he can still train me when I get back in August!

I was in London for a week and I did no exercise whatsoever. I did walk a lot, as one does in London, but I don’t think it was anywhere near enough to burn the calories I was consuming!

While I’ve been in Jamaica, I’ve only been to the gym once. And that too for just 30 minutes (20 minutes on the cross-trainer as the treadmill was out of order and a few minutes of weights). Everywhere is just so hot, I’m finding it hard to motivate myself to move.

I did spend three days at a yoga retreat with my sister-in-law (T). It was at Old Fort Bay near Ocho Rios, the same place I went to last year, so at least we were doing something then. Apart from T and I, there was just one other girl from Vancouver on the retreat so it was a nice small group. We had five yoga classes in three days – and I really needed that. It was nice to see that there were some things I had difficulty with last year that I could do this year.

I also noticed that there were some things I could do last year which I found harder this year. I suppose that’s the way it goes!

It’s difficult to focus on something when you’re doing a balancing pose and then see that particular thing that you’re focusing on being washed away by a wave! I’ve also noticed that my wrists ache a lot more than they used to while doing yoga. It’s probably because I’m heavier. Ugh. I really need to sort this out when I get home!

I’ve bought myself a yoga retreat in Bali in December. I’m going there for my cousin’s wedding and have decided to go a few days earlier and treat myself. It sounds amazing and I can’t wait to do it.

Anyway, since we got back a week ago, I have done no exercise. I have been sweating profusely because of the heat though!

Low point of the last month? Eating my way through London and eating far too much bread here in Jamaica.

High point of the last month? Yoga on the beach for three days… and booking myself a yoga retreat in Bali. I will get into shape for that. I will, I will, I will… Watch this space.

Weight loss? All my clothes are snug so I’m guessing there’s been none whatsoever.

Read more updates here.