Notes by Nectar

My plans to go to the gym on Sunday morning were put to one side when our cook told me there was no food in the house. I thought it would be best if we went to the supermarket first and then I could go to the gym instead of feeling rushed. As a result it was noon by the time I got to the gym and it was crowded! All six treadmills were being used and as I walked past they all seemed to be in the first ten minutes of their walk/run so nobody was finishing any time soon. Don’t these people work??

I resigned myself to a bike (the cross-trainers were being used too) and started pedalling. Ugh, it was so dull. And uncomfortable! I made it to 5k in about 13 minutes and decided I’d had enough of it. The treadmills were still busy. I decided I’d do a few rounds of abs exercises and call it a day. I did three sets of the following:

• Situps x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Elbow to knee crunches x 30 s (on one side)
• Rest x 30 s
• Elbow to knee crunches x 30 s (on the other side)
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse crunches x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s

I did some stretches and went back home. Later that day I was still feeling like I hadn’t done enough so I did a half-hour yoga class using my Yoga Studio app. I took the easy option and did the relaxation class which was a lot of stretching and not too strenuous.

I had my usual session with Pete on Monday morning. I started off with a 7-minute warmup on the treadmill:

• Walking x 1 min (5.5 km/h)
• Running x 30 s (7.5 km/h)
• Walking x 30 s (5.5 km/h)
• Running x 30 s (7.5 km/h)
• Walking x 30 s (5.5 km/h)
• Running x 30 s (7.5 km/h)
• Walking x 30 s (5.5 km/h)
• Running x 3 min (7.5 km/h)

After some stretching, Pete told me I was going to give 110%. OK, but what does that mean? He said I would run for 100 metres and then do 10 reps of seven different exercises. It didn’t sound too bad, right? What he actually meant was I’d be doing 100 metres between each exercise. Clearly he’s mad. I did the following circuit:

• Running x 100 m (7.5 km/h)
• Squats x 10
• Running x 100 m (7.5 km/h)
• Tricep dips x 10
• Running x 100 m (7.5 km/h)
• Alternating reverse lunges x 10 (5 on each side)
• Running x 100 m (7.5 km/h)
• Steps ups x 10 (on the side of the stationary treadmill)
• Running x 100 m (7.5 km/h)
• Tricep extensions x 10 (10-lb weight)
• Running x 100 m (7.5 km/h)
• Pushups x 10
• Running x 100 m (7.5 km/h)
• Burpees x 10

There was no rest in between any of the exercises and no water break. I was so happy when it was over! And I was even happier when Pete told me I’d only be doing that once! We moved on to an abs circuit after that:

• Mountain climbers x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Elbow to knee crunches x 30 s (on one side)
• Rest x 30 s
• Elbow to knee crunches x 30 s (on the other side)
• Rest x 30 s
• Plank x 30 s

I then did three sets of the following:

• Lateral pulldowns x 14
• Bicep curls x 10 (10-lb weights)

I was struggling by the third set of bicep curls and in the end Pete told me to do 8 reps instead of 10.

I did one more abs circuit:

• Hip raises x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Russian twists x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Rolling plank x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Situps x 30 s

Then it was back to the treadmill for another 3 minutes of walking at 5.5 km/h followed by some stretches. And I was done for the day! Man, that was tough!

I had my usual yoga class on Tuesday morning. It was just me in the class as my cousin was ill so I got extra attention. I’m not sure that I like being her main focus though! I have noticed that my balancing poses are getting a bit better – could my legs actually be getting stronger??

I had another session with Pete on Wednesday morning. I did a 7-minute warmup on the treadmill:

• Walk x 1 min (5.5 km/h)
• Run x 30 s (7.5 km/h)
• Walk x 30 s (5.5 km/h)
• Run x 30 s (7.5 km/h)
• Walk x 30 s (5.5 km/h)
• Run x 30 s (7.5 km/h)
• Walk x 30 s (5.5 km/h)
• Run x 3 min (7.5 km/h)

The last couple of times I’ve done this warmup I’ve decreased the speed slightly at the end of the sixth minute or I would hold on to the sides of the treadmill for some support during that last 3-minute run. But this was the first time I’d been able to run the 3 minutes at the end without decreasing the speed or holding on to the sides of the treadmill. Even Pete commented that it looked like it was getting easier. Yay! He then told me we were done with the treadmill for the day. Double yay!

Instead, I did three sets of this circuit:

• Crunches x 10
• Abdominal toe touches x 10
• Reverse crunches x 10
• Rhomboid exercise x 6 on each side (alternating)
• Fly x 12 (10-lb weights)
• Pullovers x 12 (10-lb weights)
• Lateral pulldown x 12
• Abductor machine x 20
• Glute kickbacks x 20 on each side (3-kg weight in the crook of my knee – or popliteal fossa, if you want to get technical)
• Side-lying leg lifts x 20 on each side
• Hamstring curl machine x 12
• Leg extension machine x 12
• Rest

The rhomboid exercise involved me kneeling on the mat with my elbows on the bench, almost in a pushup position. I would then raise my arm to the side, keeping the arm bent and return it back to the bench and then repeat on the other side. I didn’t even know where the rhomboid muscles were:

I found the hamstring curls the hardest and was sure I’d definitely be able to feel that the following day! I did some stretches after that and was done for the day.

I didn’t work out on Thursday – I was tired and wanted to take it easy. Surprisingly, my hamstrings didn’t ache at all but my triceps were really sore after Wednesday’s workout!

On Friday afternoon I decided to do a 30-minute yoga class at home using the Yoga Studio app. I decided that I’d go to the gym on Saturday morning but when I woke up on Saturday I was feeling feverish and thought it probably wasn’t a good idea.

Low point of the week? Feeling a bit fluish and unwell in the week…

High point of the week? Managing to do two yoga sessions on my own this week.

Weight loss? Up and down, as usual.

Read more updates here.