For The Fifth Week Of Fitness, My Trainer Gave To Me...

…A cor-a-naaaa-rieeeee…

For my fifth and final week with Angel, she gave me a rather intense cardio workout that she did (of course) without breaking a sweat, or breathing hard, but that totally…Kicked. My. Ass.

Treadmill---Speed 3.0 / 2 min 0% Incline / 2 min 3% Incline / 1 min 6% Incline
AMT---2 min Resistance Level 8 / 2 min RL 12 / 1 min RL 16

Do a power set of three.

Ah, the AMT machine…Apparently, AMT stands for Automated Mechanical Torture. This device is designed to mimic running without the damage to your joints, and it can mimic a never-ending staircase. The longer you make your stride, the easier it is to keep going (and the more muscles you use too.)

Over all, this has been a very positive experience, and I will not hesitate to do it again when I hit my next plateau. Yes, that is a “when” not an “if”. In the land of physical fitness and exercise, roadblocks and plateaus are inevitable, but you can’t let them get you down. You just have to find a different way to get where you want to go.

My nutrition coaching was just as beneficial (if not more so) as the five new routines. There were things I was eating, and thinking they were healthy, only to find out that they were putting my fat consumption, or calorie consumption through the roof. I changed my habits, started eating 5-6 smaller meals and snacks instead of three large meals each day (this was the hardest change to make). I cut back, but did not eliminate, junkie snack foods. I found alternate foods to satisfy sweet or salty cravings, I can’t say enough about the Mr. Salty chocolate covered pretzels 100 calorie packs.

When it was all said and done, I walked away from the table 10 pounds lighter, and much smarter about both nutrition and fitness.

Next time, an exploration of why you get “stuck” and don’t have any visible progress for days, weeks, or even *shudder* months at a time.

Until then….