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The final few

by Notes by Nectar

I had a Sunday session with Randy.

I started with 5 minutes on the cross-trainer and spent the first half of the session doing a few rounds of boxing: jabs, hooks, upper cuts, kicks. All of them separately and then combining them. The last round we did was four alternating jabs and two kicks – 15 times on each side. It was exhausting!

I took a water break and then did the following circuit:

Fly press (3-kg weights) x 15
Leg press x 15
Squats x 15
Tricep pullover/extension combination (3-kg weights) x 12
Abdominal leg raises x 15

I did that circuit three times and my session was over! Randy stretched out my lower body and I was done.

I had my yoga class on Monday morning. We mostly do the same things each week but this week was the first time I was able to get into a reclining twist. I’m not sure what it’s really called so here’s a photo.

It has taken me months to be able to get my knee to touch the floor. Even with my shoulder off the ground, my knee was nowhere near the floor. I should probably say that my shoulder still isn’t on the ground but at least my knee is. Hopefully the rest will follow but considering it took me two years to be able to get into child’s pose, I’m not expecting this to happen any time soon!

I didn’t go back to the gym for the rest of the week – I was supposed to have a session with Randy on Wednesday morning but I woke up feeling rather queasy and so I cancelled. I left for Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday for a friend’s wedding. It was a heavy few days – drinking champagne and dancing till at least 6am for four nights. Crazy stuff!

Low point of the week? Drinking far too much – in fact I think I need a new liver!

High point of the week? Being able to get my knee on the floor while in that pose I mention above.

Weight loss? Again, I’ve been mostly 69 kg all week…

Read more updates here.

Health and fitness

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The final few

by Notes by Nectar

I had a lazy few days while Randy was on holiday and finally had a session with him on Wednesday. He went easy on me as it had been a couple of weeks!

I started with a 5-minute warm-up on the cross-trainer and then did the following circuit:

Bench press (3-kg weights) x 15
Leg raises x 15
Kettlebell swings (6 kg) x 20
Tricep dips x 12

I did that circuit three times. In the last set Randy increased the weights for the bench press to 10 lbs.

I did 3 more minutes on the cross-trainer and began the second circuit. It consisted of:

Combined squat/upright row/military press x 12 (on each side)
Lateral pulldown x 15
Leg-lowering abs x 15
Bicep curls (3-kg) x 12 (alternating sides)

I did another 3 minutes on the cross-trainer and then Randy stretched me out.

That was the only time I worked out this week!

Low point of the week? Only working out once – I’d been feeling a bit fluish on Monday/Tuesday and even cancelled my yoga class on Monday.

High point of the week? Thank goodness Randy’s back – I need someone to force me to the gym these days.

Weight loss? My weight has fluctuated between 68 and 70 kg this week! I can live with that…

Read more updates here.

Health and fitness

The final few

by Notes by Nectar

I couldn’t have my usual Sunday session with Randy as my cousin and a friend were having a lunch for me that day – to celebrate my 40th. I thought I might be able to get to the gym before lunch, but that didn’t happen! I had to be at the hairdresser by 11am, and lunch was at 12.30pm. But I did have yoga on Monday, and I did spend 30 minutes on the treadmill on Tuesday (3.7 km).

I had a session with Randy on Wednesday. He started off by measuring me. This is how my body has changed in the last 3 weeks:

Arms: no change
Chest: +1 cm (+0.4 inches)
Waist: -4 cm (-1.5 inches)
Hips: -1 cm (-0.4 inches)
Thighs: -5 cm (-1.9 inches) (l), -7 cm (-2.7 inches) (r) (now there’s only a 2-cm difference between them)

I’m convinced the first measurements we took were wrong. Is it possible to lose that many inches in 3 weeks??

I did a 5-minute warm-up on the cross-trainer. My first circuit consisted of:

Alternating backward lunges x 2 minutes
Push-ups x 40
Squats x 40
Sit-ups x 40
Rest
Alternating backward lunges x 1 minute
Push-ups x 20
Squats x 20
Sit-ups x 20

I had a brief rest and then did another 3 minutes on the cross-trainer.

The second circuit consisted of:

Squat/shoulder press x 50 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Plank and reach x 50 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Kettlebell swings (6 kg) x 50 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Burpees x 50 seconds

I did that circuit twice.

I then did 4 minutes on my abs:

V-sit (boat pose) x 20 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Extended leg reach x 20 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds

I did that four times and then Randy stretched me out.

It was my last session with Randy before he went on holiday. I told him I’d be on the treadmill while he was away so I better stick to that. Having said that, I didn’t make it to the gym the rest of the week. I had friends in town for my birthday and it was all a bit too much!

Low point of the week? Drinking far too much – in fact I think I need a new liver!

High point of the week? Losing inches around my waist and thighs – I wasn’t expecting that at all.

Weight loss? Again, I’ve been either 68 or 69 kg all week! I love seeing that ‘6’ at the front…

Read more updates here.

Health and fitness

The final few

by Notes by Nectar

I had my usual Sunday morning session with Randy. I started with my 5-minute warm-up on the cross-trainer while he set up the equipment. The first circuit consisted of:

Step-ups on a bench combined with a shoulder press (3-kg weights) x 10 on each side
Push-ups x 12
Plank x 40 seconds (50 seconds in the second set, 60 seconds in the third set)
Running on the spot x 30 seconds

Step-ups are hard enough without adding a shoulder press to them. I really notice how much weaker my left leg is when I do these. My terrible balance and fear of falling don’t help either!

I did 3 minutes on the cross-trainer and then did the next circuit:

Squat x 20 seconds (held)
Rest x 10 seconds
Squats x 20 seconds
Ladder x 2 (stepping in and out, no jumping this time)
Sit-ups x 20 (holding a 10-lb weight above my head)

Randy thinks the regular sit-ups are too easy for me and is making them harder. The 10-lb weight also worked my arms a bit more!

I did another 3 minutes on the cross-trainer and then Randy stretched me. It was a good session – and nowhere near as tough as the two sessions I had the week before.

I woke up on Monday with sore shoulders and glutes. I was also tired from a night out on Sunday. I had my usual yoga class on Monday morning – our teacher introduced another new pose (the heron or krounchasana) which of course I can’t do!

On Tuesday my glutes were even sorer than they were on Monday. I went to the gym for a quick workout as I was meeting my cousin at noon. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill and two sets of sit-ups. Better than nothing, isn’t it?

I was still sore on Wednesday morning but had another tough session with Randy. I started with 5 minutes on the cross-trainer and then we went outside.

My first two exercises consisted of:

Plank x 30 seconds
Running up the length of the pool and back x 20 seconds
Repeat x 4

I did that circuit twice. If I finished the running there and back in under 20 seconds I could rest for whatever was left of the 20 seconds (that only happened the first two times I did it and it was for 5 and 3 seconds).

We went back inside after that and did three 2-minute rounds of boxing. Each 2-minute round consisted of:

10 alternating punches
Duck (i.e. squat)
20 alternating punches
Duck
30 alternating punches
Duck
40 alternating punches
Duck
50 alternating punches
Duck

If the 2 minutes wasn’t up by the end of the 50 punches, we started again at 10 punches and carried on until the time ran out. In the second and third rounds, Randy kept raising his arms so I had to punch higher and higher. I couldn’t wait for it to be over!

I then did 3 minutes on the cross-trainer and began the next circuit:

Jumping jacks x 45 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Deadlift/upright row (3-kg weights) x 45 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Burpees x 45 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Stair-climbers x 45 seconds
Rest x 10 seconds
Alternating backward lunges x 45 seconds
Rest

Luckily I only had to do that circuit twice. I got back on the cross-trainer for a 3-minute cooldown and then Randy stretched me. Done for the day!

I didn’t work out again the rest of the week – I was a bit hungover on Thursday and really hungover on Friday, and on Saturday I was out of the house from 7am to 7pm!

Low point of the week? I don’t think there was one – apart from the two hangovers.

High point of the week? Deciding that spending even 15-20 minutes on the treadmill on Tuesday was better than nothing.

Weight loss? I’ve been either 68 or 69 kg all week! Let’s hope this continues…

Read more updates here.

Health and fitness

Notes by Nectar

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