Category: Live Fit Trainer

I’ve decided to stop using the Live Fit Trainer.  The thought of heading to the gym everyday with my white binder started to make me cringe.  I always said that I would never force myself to do a certain fitness program, just because everyone else was doing it.

Let’s back up a bit.  I started the Live Fit program with good intentions– to gain muscle mass and to increase my strength.  I remember finding the free program and thinking, “This is the best thing in the world.”  I still believe that the program is great, it just isn’t something that I want to continue doing everyday.  I didn’t follow the program perfectly.   First, my very small gym in my complex did not have all of the needed machines for the daily workouts.  That became frustrating almost immediately, because I felt like I was cheating.  Second, I had to take 2 weeks off in the middle of the program:  one because my gym was closed for renovations and again when I got a nasty cold.  Taking time off made me lose my motivation very quickly.

Now that the weather is starting to warm up (but honestly, did the Philadelphia area even have a winter?!), I can’t wait to start doing more of my exercising outside:  running, tennis, yoga.  The plan just didn’t have room for fun workouts.

I was following a few bloggers’ progress on the program, and honestly felt like I had to keep doing it because I was tracking progress here.  Every day felt like I had to complete my homework before logging into blog.  “What would my readers’ think if I didn’t post my progress on Live Fit!?”  I know it sounds crazy, but that’s exactly what was going on in my head.

After Clare made the decision to end her Live Fit training, I finally took the plunge as well.  I chatted with her a little bit the other day and we talked about guilt and how our love for exercise should not be determined by posting each one of our workouts to the blog and being tied to a binder at the gym.  I was glad to talk with someone who knew exactly what I was going through.

In conclusion, would I try Live Fit again?  Probably not.  However, I do plan on using the weight training workouts when I do head to the gym– just not in the rigid was the program was designed.  I want to continue getting stronger, but would much rather head outside for some workouts as well.

Now that Phase 1 is officially over, let us take a look at what’s up next!

Phase 2 involves the following:

• Building muscle:  working out at 85% maximum effort
• 6 day/week workout
• Longer rest periods between sets:  2 to 3 minutes rest
• Supersets:  performing an exercise set immediately after a different exercise set with no rest in between
• Lifting to failure:  on the last set of an exercise, instead of lifting to a set number, continue lifting until the muscle is so tired that another rep cannot be performed
• Cardio:  4 days of medium-intensity cardio in 30 minute increments to facilitate fat burning, while also minimizing the risk of losing any muscle

I honestly can not wait for cardio.  Phase 1 restricted cardio for the purpose of building important muscle.  Now that underlying muscles have been developed, it’s time to start some fat burning.

Although I feel stronger, I’m not gonna lie… I don’t look like this yet:

I took a look my log sheets for the weight training that I’ll be doing, and I had to look up videos of how to do some of the exercises!  I don’t think I’ve ever attempted some of these exercises.  Well, there’s always a first for everything.

Any one else on Phase 2?

Good morning everyone!  Check out this amazing weather we are having here today.

70 degrees today!? YES!

Today was a rest day from the gym, but yesterday was a shoulders and abs day.  Since we’ve been having great weather lately,  I was able to wear my one of my high school’s gym shorts.  (Yes, you read that correctly:: “one of my high school’s”.  I went to 3).

Shoulders/abs day went well.  I finally am finished Phase 1.  Since I took a week off in the middle, this first Phase felt so long.  I am starting to feel strong enough to lift a little bit more each week!  Although I am starting to really enjoy these exercises, I started to get bored.  I am very excited for new exercises in the next Phase… oh, and some cardio!

After a very busy day at work yesterday, my coworkers and I decided that Happy Hour was in order.  We headed over at precisely 5 o’clock to our favorite place.  I, of course, ordered a margarita. It is so important to just relax and not think about work for a few hours.  Bryan met me at the bar after he was finished with physical therapy.  It was nice for him to meet all my work friends, and with no surprise he liked them all!

This morning  I slept in until 7:10.  I am really starting to feel sick.  This cold/flu has moved from just my throat and chest to my sinuses as well.  No good.  I can’t wait to spend an entire day in bed this weekend.  It will be very much needed.

Ok, time to go get ready for work.  I have to iron my spring khakis!

How’s the weather in your area?

Happy Friday!  I woke up this morning with a stomach ache, but knew I had to make it to the gym before having 2 days off.  Today was triceps day (my least favorite).

The walk to the gym was pleasant though.  It was a bit colder this morning, but overall not too shabby. I tried to do regular push ups today, but still am not strong enough to complete a full set.  I also tried doing them with my knees bent on the ground, but after about 2 push ups… I had shooting pains in my knees.  I am hoping by the end of the next Phase, I will be able to complete the entire 3 sets of push ups without fail.

Let’s take a look at yesterday’s workout.

Yesterday was a shoulders/abs day!  It’s not as fun as legs day, but not too bad.  My favorite exercise today was the dumbbell front raise.  My least favorite exercise is the rear-delt raises.  I’m not sure I’m doing them properly, so I’ll have to re-watch the instruction videos.

I’m really liking the 10 reps instead of 12.  It allows me to lift heavier weights for a shorter amount of time.

On another note, something I wanted to address was working out with a friend or a group.  At my gym, I see groups of women  who work out together.  I don’t have anything against working out with a friend, but if it becomes more of a social session instead of a workout…I see a problem.  However, I do notice many benefits when groups of women work out.  The one benefit I’ll talk about today is motivation.

Here are some of the ways I think working out with a friend can help motivate you.

1. Motivation to get out of bed and head to the gym.  When working out with a friend, there is much more motivation to actually get to the gym.  There have been many mornings when I didn’t want to get out of bed.  I thought to myself, “Who’s going to hold me accountable?”  The answer is no one.  Since I go to the gym in the mornings by myself, no one is there to call me to get out of bed or yell at me for not showing up.
2. Motivation to keep up.  I noticed that if one person feels like he/she can’t keep going, the other person pushes and motivates the other.  If you go to the gym and work out alone, like myself, you have to be self-disciplined.  When I feel like I can’t push any more, I keep telling myself “one more.. one more.. one more.”

So I got to ask… do you work out by yourself or with a friend? Why?