Notes by Nectar

I didn’t go to the gym on Sunday morning as I was going to a Sculpt Yoga class that evening. I had been wanting to meet up with Chandra (who runs the Jamaican yoga retreats) and she suggested joining her class at 7.30pm and then getting some food afterwards. I agreed – and I think she was shocked! She teaches twice a week at Rawr Yoga Studio in Media City and I kept promising I would go to one of her classes – so this was the perfect time.

So, on the website the class is described as:

Fast-paced, full body workout with music that combines the best of cardio, strength training and yoga moves. This class features the use of individual hand-weights to target all major muscle groups.

Oh god, it sounded like torture! I somehow managed to convince a friend (S) to come with me – and in return I would have to go to a swing yoga class with her on Tuesday.

It took me 40 minutes to get to the studio in Media City, but I made it in time. I got changed, shoved my things in a locker and went to the studio. It was warm in there, but I think that’s either because there was a Bikram yoga class in the studio just before our class, or the heat from the Bikram class next door was making its way into ours. I wasn’t expecting it to be that warm.

It was a tough class! The warmup was pretty standard, and the sun salutations were fast, but I managed to keep up (I think). And then there were jumping jacks and mountain climbers, and bicep curls and squats and lunges. By the end of it, when I lay down in savasana, I was drenched in sweat. My t-shirt felt like it had just come out of the washing machine. I was so glad that was over!

The following morning, S texted me saying that if my legs weren’t sore she was never speaking to me again! I moved around a bit and realised that only my shoulders were a little sore.

I had a session with Pete on Monday. When we got to the gym there was a vague notice stuck on the door saying that the gym would be out of use for ‘some days’. The notice wasn’t dated so how were we supposed to know when it would be back in use. We went in anyway and everything looked fine so we carried on with our session. I started with a 10-minute warmup on the treadmill:

• Walk x 3 min
• Run 30 s, walk 30 s x 4 min
• Run x 3 min

I struggled. I’d slept badly and I was tired and dehydrated (not hungover). I did the warmup stretches and did the following circuit with two 10-lb dumbbells:

• Deadlift x 1
• Bent-over row x 1
• Front squat x 1
• Straight leg deadlift x 1
• Reverse lunge x 1 on each side
• Sumo squat x 1
• Repeat five more times, no breaks
• Rest x 90 s
• Repeat two more times

Well, if my legs weren’t sore on Monday morning, they would definitely be sore on Tuesday! I had some water and then did the following circuit three times with no breaks:

• Treadmill run x 100 m
• Side leg raises/reverse kicks x 10 on each side

After some more water, I did two sets of this circuit holding one 10-lb dumbbell:

• Combined bench squat/upper body twist x 10
• Combined unilateral Russian twist/press x 10 on each side
• Toe touches x 20
• Rest

I then did 3 minutes on the treadmill at 5.2 km/h at an incline of 3%. I did a few stretches after that and was done. Yay!

I did ache a bit on Tuesday – especially my hamstrings and glutes. That evening I joined S at a swing yoga class at Voyoga in Tecom. I was nervous, I have to admit. My greatest fear was that the bolts in the ceiling holding up the hammock would pop out and I’d end up in a heap on the floor. Or the hammock would tear and I’d end up in a heap on the floor. Most of my fears involved me ending up in a heap on the floor.

I knew the class would be tough, but I had no idea how bloody hard it was! I found the warmup difficult! I (re)learned that I have no upper body strength, and the one time I did manage to get into an inversion I was so scared of falling that I wouldn’t let go of the hammock while I was upside down. I kept worrying that I’d slip out of the hammock during certain poses… I find some yoga poses hard enough on a flat surface, but to think about balancing while suspended and not falling as well was just too much for me!

In spite of all that, I would go back. Perhaps it was just first-time nerves and I didn’t know what to expect. Perhaps one day I’ll be able to do this:

On my way to meet Pete for our session on Wednesday morning, I suddenly wondered whether the work had started on our gym yet. Sure enough, I got there and all the machines were in the corridors and the room was totally bare. I asked one of the workmen how long the gym would be out of order and he said, ‘I don’t know. One month? Maybe two weeks?’ He was right – he didn’t know. Pete and I had a look around the pool area outside – the weather is much cooler now so he said he’d bring his equipment on Monday and we could have a session outside. I felt bad that he’d come all that way for nothing!

On my way back into the building, I stopped by the management office to find out what was going on. The guy in the office (the one I’d complained to about the treadmills) said it would be ‘about one week maybe’. As vague as the notice! I asked him what they were doing to the gym – he said they were redoing the floor, repainting the walls and repairing the machines. Wow. Let’s hope it’s as good as it sounds!

I ended up going to the Shangri-La gym for a workout. I did 3 km on the treadmill (27:51). I started alternating between 5.5 km/h and 7.5 km/h and then decided to alternate between 6 km/h and 8 km/h. I alternated walking and running – and I alternated between 30-s walks/runs and 1-min walks/runs. I then did Week 1 Day 3 of the Great Butt app:

• Reverse leg lifts x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse leg lifts x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse kicks x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse kicks x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Butt raises x 6
• Rest x 30 s
• Butt raises x 6
• Rest

I then did the Great Abs app:

• Crunches x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Crunches x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Side obliques x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Side obliques x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse crunches x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse crunches x 5
• Rest

I did a few stretches after that and went home.

On Thursday morning I went back to the Shangri-La and did 3 km on the treadmill – alternating between 6 km/h and 8 km/h. I managed the 3 km in 27:33. I then did Week 2 Day 1 of the Great Butt and Great Abs app. The Great Butt app went like this:

• Reverse leg lifts x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse leg lifts x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse leg lifts x 5 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse kicks x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse kicks x 5 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Butt raises x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Butt raises x 5
• Rest

I then did the Great Abs app:

• Crunches x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Crunches x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Crunches x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Side obliques x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Side obliques x 6 on each side
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse crunches x 5
• Rest x 30 s
• Reverse crunches x 5
• Rest

I didn’t work out again at the weekend.

I’ve reached a point where I’m wondering why I bother. I’ve been working out consistently for the last few weeks, four to five times a week and I’m not seeing any results. I feel like nothing has changed. Yes, I know my weekends involve food and alcohol but the rest of the week, I’m very careful about what I eat and try to avoid carbs at night as much as possible. Anyway, I’ll stick to it for now and see what happens…

Low point of the week? I ate and drank a lot on Friday – I was out for brunch.

High point of the week? Five workouts done this week!

Weight loss? Still going up and down.

Read more updates here.