Week Without Trainers: Day Five

Finally Friday arrived!  The end of a hard work week and the end of the week without trainers.   We decided to do something fun and ended up in the group exercise room with a Zumba DVD.   I've taken a lot of Zumba classes but this was my first time doing the DVD that you see advertised on TV.

I will recommend that if you are interested in Zumba, definitely take a class if there's one available to you. But, if you don't have access to a class or can't fit it in your schedule, the DVD is a good option.   It was a change from the class I take in that it was almost 100% Latin dancing. While my class is heavily Latin influenced, it's mainly hip hop which I think is why I liked it better.

We did have a good time though, learning our way through Salsa, Rumba, Cumbia, and other styles.   The only downside was that the music reminded me of the music you hear playing at Mexican restaurants.  Immediately I had a strong craving for chips and salsa that wouldn't go away.   At one point, even the Spanish lyrics sounded like "eat some chips and salllllllllllsa" although I know that's not what the singer was saying. 

It was fun and who knew Miss Florence was such a Zumba machine?  I laughed as much as I sweated and that's got to burn some calories!  Next week we are back to having our trainers which will be wonderful, but I am so proud of how we did on our own!  Jeff and Marisa's little birdies flew well when pushed out of the nest.

Week Without Trainers: Day Four

For our fourth day on our own, we chose to do a workout that you need no equipment for, one that Marisa designed for Lakshmi as she's on the road traveling the majority of her week.  It consisted of squats, push ups, crunches, burpees, bench step ups, more burpees, more push ups, bench dips and mountain climbers.  It proved to me that even if you don't have a trainer, a gym, or even any equipment, you can still get in a good workout.  You simply use your own body weight as resistance and you are good to go.

Even better, the whole team (guys included) had a great victory at our weigh in!  I think we proved to Jeff and Marisa that we've been listening to them all of this time and retaining skills that we can use beyond this wonderful year we've been given. 

The key to true transformation is to first open yourself up to it, then to root it firmly in your brain, and then to root it firmly in your heart.  The true transformation is all mental.  Once your routine becomes your lifestyle, the physical results will come and you will find yourself transformed.

Week Without Trainers: Day Three

The whole girl's team turned out today for step class.   It's not often that all of us are together as some of our team travels on business and everyone's schedules are crazy from time to time.  Although the class was packed and we couldn't set our stations up near each other, it was obvious to me the strong bond of our group. 

Whenever you have a group of people who set out to do something, it seems like you always have one or two who are wishy-washy, or who disagree with the direction the majority decides to take, or whose commitment isn't as strong as the others. That's not the case with us girls.   We're strong.  We have the same mindset.  We have the same goals.   We have the same desire.   We don't bicker about what exercises to do; someone makes a suggestion and we all nod our heads and get down to business.  We are unified.

I personally find this phenomenal and unlike any group I've ever been a part of whether it was in business, church, or philanthropy.  I am blessed not only by my trainers, but by Millie, Sylvia, Mary, Lakshmi, Cadelia and Florence. 

Step class - check.  Sweaty shirt - check.  Day  Three Without Trainers complete - check.

Week Without Trainers: Day Two

I am so proud of us!  We put ourselves through a tough strength training workout today.  Millie - who should seriously consider a career in personal training - took the lead and made sure we got our muscles moving!  If anyone needs motivation to work out, find a friend who has the same burning desire that you do...it has made all the difference for me!

Week Without Trainers: Day One

When we first heard that we wouldn't have trainers this week we were scared to be quite honest.  I know most people don't have the wonderful benefit of a personal trainer and manage on their own, but you quickly get used to leaning on their leadership. A funny thing happened when we got to the gym today though: we all had stories ofweekend exercise and also a new resolve to show Jeff and Marisa a return on their investment.  We had confidence in ourselves and more knowledge than any of us were expecting.  Millie played trainer-for-the-day and put us through a cardio workout that would make our trainers proud. I walked back into the locker room with wet clothes and something more surprising: the assuredness that I actually know what I'm doing.

The Towel

I've been swimming almost as long as I've been walking, although for the past few years what I called swimming amounted to pretty much standing around in the water.  I approach it in a whole new light now. I approach it as a workout now...getting my muscles in sync to propel myself through the water.  Today I am proud to say I swam half a mile! That is 18 round trip laps down the lane of the pool! My goal is to build up to a mile.  In the locker room of the Y was a quote that said, "You have a choice: to throw in the towel or to wipe your sweat off with it." I know what my choice is!

Quotes to Sum Up the Week

This has been a crazy week and I haven't had time to blog that much, but I will share two quotes that sum up my week:

When my mom inquired as to why a friend's horse had to be put on a diet, saying "Grass can't have that many calories!" The horse owner then stated dryly, "When you eat it all day long it does!"

And the next from my team mate Lakshmi, "Jenn, no one can live in a gym!"

Next week our group is going completely trainer-free to see how much we've learned!  Should be interesting!