Double Duty and Drinking

Today was a sloppy, bitter cold day that I preferred to spend out of the gym. I went to classes, read and studied. Spent much of the day rehydrating, which is a major problem of mine. I actually have to monitor the color of my pee. Lemonade...good. Apple juice... bad. I know, gross.

Feeling much more hydrated after guzzling water and limiting myself to a lone cup of coffee, I am ready to hit the gym double duty tomorrow. That means cardio and strength training, totalling about an 80-minute visit to the gym. So here's my plan to combine the workout.

Arrive by 9:30am at the latest.

Warm-Up: 5 min Spinning

Scissor Crunches: 2 sets of 12
Bridge and Lift: 2 sets of 12
Back Lunge with Bicep Curl: 2 sets of 12
Push-Ups: 15
Weighted Jumping Jacks: 2 sets of 12
Squats: 2 sets of 12
Plank Pose: 30 seconds

Spinning: 30 minutes

Cooldown: Walk to School to study

Wish me luck. I'm turning on my brain for the weekend because next week's focus is diet. And that's beyond scary.

It's Like the Beatles Have Arrived

I was an incredibly rebelious teenager. I rebelled simply for the sake of rebelling: combat boots, punk rock, pink hair, the whole deal. Before they sold all that stuff at the mall, too. Eventually, I ran out of things to rebel against. And that's when I took the final rebellious step, and I mainstreamed myself.

This happened my sophomore year of college, when under pressure from friends, I finally admitted it- I love Christina Aguilera. I mean hands down, stop what you're doing, squeal when the curtain goes up love her.

So most days I find myself jamming to some Christina while I'm working out, which results in a whole range of powerful emotions: feeling sexy, feeling feisty, and not feeling the pain of a hard workout. As a challenge to keep my workouts different, I've also decided to mix up my playlists. I prefer pop music for the beat while I'm working out, but I've snuck in the occasional other genre as well. Except for my cardio workout. That's typically a Christina-only event.

So visit a music site, download what I think are some awesome workout songs, or laugh at me because, well, isn't it obvious why?

Cardio Playlist (38.4 minutes):

Senorita -- Justin Timberlake
Still Dirrty -- Christina Aguilera
Toxic -- Britney Spears
Clumsy -- Fergie
Dynamite -- Christina Aguilera
Candyman -- Christina Aguilera
Come On Over (Baby) -- Christina Aguilera
Dirrty -- Christina Aguilera
Fighter -- Christina Aguilera
Ain't No Other Man -- Christina Aguilera

Strength/Stretching Playlist (47.2 minutes)

The New Workout Plan -- Kanye West
Butterfly in Reverse -- Counting Crows
La Tortura -- Shakira
Kiwi -- Maroon 5
Makes Me Wanna Pray -- Christina Aguilera
Gasoline Dreams -- Outkast
Te Aviso, Te Anuncio -- Shakira
Bubble Pop Electric -- Gwen Stefani
A Mistake -- Fiona Apple
Closer -- Nine Inch Nails
American Girls -- Counting Crows
Le Derniere Minute -- Carla Bruni

It's Almost 95 Degrees in Here... and That's Not Why I'm Sweating

Everyone says that working out will rejuvenate you; it will make you feel young again. Young again? Doesn't anyone know what an uncomfortable and awkward tween/teen I was? But, truth be damned, today the gym turned me into a 14 year old in combat boots. I'm self-critical. I'm judging. I'm feeling left out.

The gym was a little closer to a balmy 95 degrees than usual. I was doing my lunges and lifting weights when an entire pod of 18-20 year olds showed up and proceeded to discuss their army-style push-ups and the number of pull ups they can do. They learned this in lacrosse, in gymnastics. I was on the trivia team in high school, and spent any free time in the art room or writing poetry in my bedroom. No one ever trained me to do anything.

So the voice in my head turned on: "I'm not lunging right."

"My toes are turning in."

"I have to do push-ups on my knees."

SHUT UP! And the light turned on-- I'm not working out to deal with a weight problem, but a confidence problem. Taking control of my body is putting me back in control of ME. I'm a goal setter, a bearer of self-control and intention. Is there anything wrong with me? No. Did those girls even notice that I was there? Probably not, unless they needed the mat I was using.

So for the end of this week, I have a non-fitness goal: go to the gym tomorrow and focus on me, on my body's feedback, the rise in my endurance. The mirrors are there for me to watch my form, not to check if the people around me are staring at me. And if I'm sweating, it's because I'm kicking ass, spaced out in my own little world of exercise.

Oh God, I Don't Know What to Tell You... You're a 10

Well, what I have to tell you is that I spent $223 and change on a dress that is purposely a size too small.

Today I had an early breakfast with my friend the bride. My $5.99 bride. As she ate her tiny pastry and I ate my peanut butter bagel, we discussed our experiences at the bridal shop where she asked us to order our dresses. Via phone, I spoke with a career sales lady and gave her my measurements. She "ummm"ed and "well"ed for a good minute before telling me that "I don't know what to tell you, but you're between an 8, and, well, a 10. What do you want to do about it?" To avoid a complete screaming, raging bitch-fest on the phone, I did the dumb thing, and I ordered the 8. So there is the secret behind my motivation. I was intimidated by a 45 year old sales girl in Philly. Ick.

My bride friend is sketching up a plan to make the lady apologize. (No thanks). So, in a world where I make lemonade, not lemons, I'm using this chance to get back into shape, and you know what... it's working.

Yesterday was moving trip #2. 35 trips on the stairs, loads of boxes, and today I can still walk just fine. Even better, while cleaning, I found an old magazine under my bed with an entirely new workout on it. It's from an old issue of Self Magazine and is not dated. So to still pass on some helpful advice, I searched the Self website and found a link for a comparable ab workout routine. All you need is a light set of hand weights. This is tonight's workout:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1767981817/bctid1845376307

And I'm hoping that tomorrow, on my way to a smaller tighter waist, I will also continue on my journey back to the land of "Oh God, I don't know what to tell. You're between a 4 and a 6."

My Name is Molly Shannon, and I'll Be Your Trainer

My father has recently retired, and wants me to put together a workout routine for him to lose weight. He's had a membership to the YMCA for several years now, and after a successful round of water aerobics classes, he has stopped going. He was excited that I'm working out again, and we're setting a goal of visiting the YMCA together once a week so I can pass a workout on to him, and he will hopefully pass it on to my mother as well.

In using my magazine subscription (2 issues so far), I have begun using hand weights, the weighted bar, and the elastic band. I have also ventured a few moves using the exercise ball, but my stabilizing muscles are still weak, so that has been a challenge. For each move that I use, I am considering the ways that my parents can perform these exercises. My father is strong, but has "secretly" smoked for that last 45 years. My mother has broken her back and neck, and although she's recovered, she believes her limitations to be, well, insanely limiting. Both of my parents are also pre-diabetic, and as someone who has had diabetes for 15 years, I do not want that to happen for them. So family fitness it is!

I use SELF Magazine for most of my fitness ideas, and I've been viewing their online videos for ideas or clarity on directions as well. My favorite is the SUPERSTAR, which although for legal reasons they don't say it, is a lunge and weights move based on Molly Shannon's character from SNL. My workout has been borrowed from the celebrity highlights of SELF this month, including Michelle from Destiny's Child and Jillian from the Biggest Loser. My job now is to transfer these moves to my two 60+ parents, and hopefully our family will be toned, tight, and light on glucose. My name is Molly Shannon, and I'll be your trainer this year. Our workout so far is as follows:

1. warm-up for 5 minutes on cardio equipment of choice

2. 24 SUPERSTAR lunges (12 per leg)

3. 24 back lunges with bicep curls (12 per leg)

4. 12 push-ups (classic or girly)

5. 12 Scissors crunches

6. 30-60 seconds in plank pose

7. 12 bridge pose with overhead weights

8. 12 Dancers' reaches

9. 12 Flamingo Firmers

10. 12 Twist-Aways

11. 24 reps in "starter block" pose

12. 5 minutes of cool-down on cardio equipment

This looks brutal to me, but each move goes pretty quickly, and doesn't seem to hard until you try to walk around the next day. I highly recommend the two workouts from the January issue of SELF, and I've posted the links below. SUPERSTAR!

Jillian Michaels's Workout: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1767981817/bctid4848279001
Michelle's Williams Workout: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1767981817/bctid4680854001

Plank and Plough

After sustaining mild injuries from so many trips up and down the stairs, I spent the weekend with hot baths, rice bags, icy hot, and Vick's VapoRub. I was ready to head back to the gym this morning, and thankfully did. I am again able to walk down stairs again normally, which is convenient since I'm still in my walk-up (and walk-down) apartment.

I found 10:30am to be a fairly quiet time at the gym. I did 30 minutes on the spin bike, incorporating seated and standing positions. The only drawback is there's no size-appropriate cup holder to hold my water, so I have to stop to drink.

In honor of my goal to try something new, I decided to tack 2 new moves onto my abs routine: plank pose from yoga class (which I haven't attended since 2007, but really liked) and something awful I saw in a magazine. You get into push-up position with your feet resting on a large exercise ball. As you exhale, you pull your knees toward your chest, and roll the ball forward. I did 12, and it seemed like 100. This is Plough. Plough was really awkward. But thankfully I am still sore while sitting here at home afterward... a rare feat in the ab department.

My new fitness magazine came (a gift, thankfully, and therefore not counting toward my $5.99) and I'm ready to sit down to lunch and study so I have new ideas for tomorrow morning at the gym. Because I can already smell a routine forming.

Will Work for FREE!

In my quest to keep things cheap, I'm also packing up my apartment that I've had since I was an undergrad, and boomeranging right back to my parents' house. Again, the good news is that this offers me a lot of manual labor, and therefore exercise.

I live on a third story walk-up, with a staircase that is split into 4 turns and flights. I also live in a neighborhood where it is difficult to park close to the building. So my task today is my own personal stairclimber and a giant, angular medicine ball. The truth is that I have about 30 trips to make up and down the stairs carrying boxes, baskets, suitcases, paintings, and lamps. All of the small items I can cram into my little hatchback. Apparently I am also exercising my spatial reasoning skills.

I've geared up for my workout: sneakers, sweatpants, and a bandana. All I have to do is get started, and then force myself to drive back up to the North Hills. This will be trip #1 of 3 or 4 this month, until I'm actually moved back, with not a care in the world but real exercise, and grad school.

Nothing Costs $5.99

Most girls go crazy to get in shape for their own weddings. I've chosen to go insane for someone else's. My oldest friend has chosen to get married on 05/09/09 in honor of $5.99. This girl has also chosen to have an extremely over-the-top wedding, destined to be in WHIRL or the City Paper.

Nothing about her wedding is $5.99, so in honor of her "theme", I've chosen to get in shape while spending no more than $5.99. Thankfully as a new grad student, I have many new tools at my fingertips that I'll consider to be "free."

First of all, I don't believe in working out at home. Second, I don't believe in running. So I've chosen to frequent a campus fitness center. The room is tiny, and although it is 32 degrees and dry outside, it is 82 and steamy in this room. It's also crammed to the hilt. The silver lining in all of this is it allows me to take on my favorite persona: the anti-social athlete.

I love working out, but I have never exercised with a friend. I have even been guilty of wearing purposefully frightening things so that strangers wouldn't talk to me. Forgoing my usual grooming routine to avoid people talking to me.

To set the bar higher for myself this time, I am setting three new goals:

1. Go to the fitness center at least 4 days a week
2. Use 1 new prop or piece of equipment daily (weighted bars... here I come!)
3. Try not to be the one glaring at people from the Spin Bike.

Also, my only expense can be 1-2 post-workout tea lattes for this entire semester, so I better take really good care of my sneakers.