The Gym Thread

I've just started to get back to my regular routine at the gym (try to go 3 times a week or so). My attendance got pretty bad from the end of the summer to Christmas, but I am back on track now. When I go I do a mix of cardio (either treadmill or elliptical and rowing), weights, and the 20 minute instructor-led 'tummy session.'

I joined the local leisure centre when I first got here. It's not the nicest gym (and not that cheap either!, but hey, this is London), but it has everything I need,  and there is no contract. One thing that is great about it is that personal training is pretty much free. They have a whole program they set you up with when you join, and you meet once a week or so for the first month, and then you can basically schedule further appointments as and when you feel you need a change to the program. No extra charges. I used to take advantage of that when I wasn't working, but don't so much anymore.

I am going to try out one of the other gyms in the council network (you can use any of them with the membership). It will be a bit further away, but was recently refurbished. Also, I am going to start doing Hatha yoga again this week. I haven't taken a class since I moved here, and I REALLY miss it.

I did about 30 mins of cardio today 10 on the treadmill 10 on the crosstrainer and 10 on the rowing machine and then did about 20 mins on the resistance training equipement.  I feel really worked out and a little sore but it was good and I stuck with it.  I did a minute of jogging and a minute of walking and so forth so I did 5 mins of jogging and 5 mins of powerwalking. I couldn't be prouder of myself. 

As for the gym I am loving it more everyday the price for membership includes the equipment and the pool and that is it, no raquet courts and none of the sports team but I don't think I would want any of that, just want what I have now...even the showers are heavenly.

I did about 30 mins of cardio today 10 on the treadmill 10 on the crosstrainer and 10 on the rowing machine and then did about 20 mins on the resistance training equipement.  I feel really worked out and a little sore but it was good and I stuck with it.  I did a minute of jogging and a minute of walking and so forth so I did 5 mins of jogging and 5 mins of powerwalking. I couldn't be prouder of myself. 

As for the gym I am loving it more everyday the price for membership includes the equipment and the pool and that is it, no raquet courts and none of the sports team but I don't think I would want any of that, just want what I have now...even the showers are heavenly.

Kristen, I'm really proud of your time at the gym! It sounds great! I would check with the gym to see if they have any deal with your work for memberships. My position is in the civil service and I was able to save 6 pounds on the membership, but she mentioned that they do a lot of offers with local business and such. The gym membership isn't much more than the membership for the leisure centre and they offer a lot more.

Thanks so much, I really love the group that all exercises together because we are all not a size two and we really encourage each other but I honestly think I could keep this up.

Now - what is a 'fartlek'? 

Essentially the same thing as HIIT, which is why I did the "/". Google will tell you way WAY more than you'd ever want to know about either, really, but it's a great way to get faster once you've got a good aerobic base, and i'm trying to get my 10k times down (slowly!) before my race in May. It will leave you absolutely SHATTTERED though after even a short amount of time!

And by "pansying about with the bar" I was just meaning that I'm lifting actual weights now and challenging myself rather than just lifting tiny pink dumbells because "I don't want to get omg huge muscles" or "that's what girls do" (which are both HUGE myths, hence why I'm lifting big weights now). I promise I don't look like Arnie.

Sorry it took me a while to reply, I was out rambling today - Leigh to Tunbridge Wells and the rain managed to stay away even though the light failed near the end.

Ok,thanks squirrellypoo!   I do the weight machines right now - not the little dumb bells that you are talking about, but I'm not doing anything with the big free weights.  I like lifting weights & I like building muscles.

Good on you for the walk yesterday!  We had decent weather up here too until about 3-4 pm when it started to rain again, so I wished we had walked.  But Saturdays at our house are usually about doing the shopping & household stuff - we tend to leave the rambles for Sundays (but not 100% always).  Now it looks like we're back to rain again & there are flood cautions out for parts of Yorkshire today.

But we need to get out there soon & start building up my distance duration again, because we are going to do the Cumbrian Way in June -- but that's another thread (Country Rambling).

You gym ladies are inspiring me!  I hope it makes thought turn into action & I really get myself back on good track again.

ETA:  The last time DH was training for a distance run (can't remember if it was the Leeds 10K or Half-Marathon -- he's done both), I think he might have been trying to do some of that HIIT/fartlek stuff with the 20-somethings in his office that were doing it.  They were running & sprinting & mixing it up like that.  Only DH (a 30-something) ended up injuring himself (something to do with his heel or Achilles tendon) amidst the sprinting parts (and trying to keep up with the 20-somethings) -- an injury that took a long time to heal, and he never ended up running the race as a result.

But Saturdays at our house are usually about doing the shopping & household stuff - we tend to leave the rambles for Sundays (but not 100% always).

We used to do Sundays but then we ran into sooo many engineering works that we switched to Saturdays. So now it's every third Saturday of the month. And Sundays are for cleaning and laundry and shopping and DIY.

But we need to get out there soon & start building up my distance duration again, because we are going to do the Cumbrian Way in June -- but that's another thread (Country Rambling).

Wow, good luck - that's serious stuff!

Ha ha!  Not too serious...we'll split it into 8-11 mile stretches, nothing longer than that, over the course of 8 days.  We'll be walking at the longest time for daylight hours (mid-June), with lots of pub stops along the way...   (And we pay a service to carry our luggage from one night's stop to the next, so we only carry daypacks with our lunches, water, maps, etc)

I'm just hoping it doesn't rain the entire time!  Ok, it's around the Lakes so there's bound to be rain...but please(!!) not these days where the rain just doesn't stop...  We walked the Dales Way same time last summer - the week we were having the flooding up here in Sheffield & Hull.  It was interesting.

Speaking of flooding, I was all set for a trip to the gym after work (you have all shamed me into it with your great progress!), but we have all these flood warnings out & advisories that it was liable to be a biatch to get home.  I was worried - I mean I don't want to spend the night in the gym!   So I came on home.   Will do Pilates instead.

Hello again,

I think the resistance training is really starting to work (hurt), last night my left arm really really hurt and I tried all kinds of things to make the pain go away; paracetomel, deep heat, deep heat patch (brought from the states), a hot bath, a heating pad, finally I had to take Tylenol PM to sleep.  This morning it is still sore but not nearly as bad, I don't know if I over did it the last time I was at the gym but I didn't swim last night because I was in so much pain.  Has anyone had an experience like this with resistance training?  The pain didn't start until yesterday afternoon so I am a bit skeptical about what really happend. 

Plus I just wanted to know if the soreness ever goes away?  I am not as sore as I was last week but I am still sore, does this ever stop or is it something I going to have to deal with?

While you were working out, did it feel like you strained something at the time? If not, I'm inclined to think you just over worked your left arm (possibly compensating for your right). It's not uncommon to not start hurting until a day or so after you worked out. That actually has a name, but I can't recall what it is right now. It sounds like you're doing what you can to help with the pain. If you have ibuprofen I would take that instead of paracetomel or tylenol. It's better for muscle pain.
 

That actually has a name, but I can't recall what it is right now.

DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. Usually gone in a few days!

DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. Usually gone in a few days!

Thank you! My BF tells me about his all the time and I couldn't remember the acronym!

I usually get sore about 24 hours after I do weight training.

Make sure you stretch properly both before and after you work out. It should also get better as you get into your routine.

I usually get sore about 24 hours after I do weight training.

Make sure you stretch properly both before and after you work out. It should also get better as you get into your routine.

Yup and when it gets better its time to increase the weight! 

thanks everyone I am off to the gym in about a half hour..wish me luck.