September - Month-end Round-up

Hmm. Well every month my main aim is to work out more times than there are days in the month.

There are 30 days in September, and I worked out 33 times so that's pretty good.
Having said that, a great deal of those workouts were done in the first half of the month, when I had a week off work and did several extra sessions. The second half of the month I had times when I had 3 or 4 days off in a row which is not good. I need to even that out a bit.

And, as I seem to say at the end of every month (and every week!) my diet has been a bit shocking. The last month or so especially, as I've started eating chocolate and drinking Coke again. Not as much as I was before, but enough that it's not good. I'm also suspicious that this desire to eat crap and lay about under my duvet feeling sorry for myself rather than going to the gym may be down to the contraceptive pill I'm taking.

The shortened version of this story is that I changed my contraceptive pill abut 3 months ago, and since then I've had a couple of rather irritating side effects. When my trainer weighed and measured me in the week I was pretty gutted to find that I'd lost 2% body fat, but still put on weight, and a couple of inches around my waist and hips. I think this may be down to water retention - partially from my diet, and partially from the pill. I also think my diet may be partially down to the pill. Therefore the pill may not be such a great idea. I'm going to give it another month to see if it settles, and if not then it's out.

So for October I will still be on this pill, but I need to be more strict with myself when it comes to eating junk and lazing about. I feel like crap at the moment, really foggy and miserable. I need to try and push past that and go to the gym any way. There are 31 days in October so am aiming for at least 35 workout sessions. And a better diet, of course!

Wednesday 30th

I had a PT session this morning, wasn't sure what she was planning to do with me, so I got there early and did 15 minutes on the cross trainer first.

Then my trainer arrived, and I remembered I was due for a weigh in. Oh dear.

Basically, I've put on 3 pounds since the last time she weighed me, and a couple of inches in the waist/hips region, but my body fat is down 2% to 33% which is good. She thinks the extra weight/inches are partly due to increased muscle, and partly due to water retention caused by a bad diet and a couple of other things. Am currently toying with coming off the pill and all the other junk I'm taking, and just seeing what happens. Would like to think once I stop taking all this crap my body will know how to look after itself and I will lose the water retention etc and therefore weight. Watch this space...

Tuesday 29th

Legs Bums & Tums tonight, and man alive did it ever hurt. It seems to be getting more and more evil as the weeks go on! Not sure what that's about! There was lots of abs work this week as well.

My view on the way home from the gym

How can anyone fail to smile when faced with a view like this! Nothing better than working your muscles to shaking point then walking home surrounded by beautiful scenery!

Monday 28th

Body Balance at lunch time today. Was a bit sore from yesterday but it was ok.
I felt like crap most of the day, and was really knackered in the evening but decided to go to Body Pump any way. It was the new release, I was thinking of doing light weights but figured, since I've had loads of missed sessions and have been generally a bit pants I shouly just suck it up and do it. So I did.

Warm up 10kg
Squats 20kg
Chest 10kg
Glutes, Back & Hamstrings 12.5kg
Lunges 7.5kg
Abs 5kg

ouch ouch ouch! I felt so much better when the class finished though, more awake and alive.

Sunday 27th

Yep, I've really not worked out since Thursday. Like I said before, I've had a crappy week and haven't really been trying.
I think I made up for it this morning though.

Squat & arm raise x 10
Leg swings
Windmills

Crunch & heel tap x 12
Ball plank toe taps x 12
Ball cobra 30 second hold with external rotation
1 set

Hex bar squats 27.5kg x 8
Squat with side step-up and leg raise 2x10kg x 12 each side
Sprintees x 20 (didn't want to risk jumping with the ankle)
3 sets

Stability ball hamstring curls with arms up x 12
Hex bar deadlifts 27.5kg x 8
Stability ball back extension with arms extended x 10
Stability ball roll-out x 12
3 sets

BOSU alternating rows 2x8kg x 12
Alternating press ups x 12
Woodchops with dumbell 1st set with 6kg, then with 5kg x 12 each side
3 sets

Over head weight taps with leg extension 6kg x 12
30 second plank
3 sets

Side jacknife x 12
Stability ball side raises x 12 each side
2 sets

I think I'm supposed to do more than one set of the abs at the beginning of the program but I keep forgetting.
Also I added in a few extra bits to the normal program. I figured I may as well work as hard as I can.

Back to the proper workouts tomorrow, with Balance at lunch and Pump in the evening.

With regard to the weekly weigh-in, I was in a rush to get to the gym when I got up this morning, and didn't realise until I was half way to town that I'd forgotten to do it. I was thinking I might do it tomorrow instead or something but I think I'll just give myself a week off, since I've had a shocking week both food and exercise wise. I'll check back in next week and keep my fingers crossed for a good result!

My house is being invaded by spiders. Good job the vacuum cleaner works or i might have to move out!