What's in my gym bag?

I love watching what's in my bag videos on YouTube and I don't really know why. Chalk it up to nosiness, or just my being an information junkie- maybe someone knows something I don't? Or has a better/easier way of doing things?

I'll go through this in the sequence that I use things; in that way this post will also serve as a gym routine.  But first, I must say, my workout prep begins the night before.  Being a makeup artist and general cosmetic lover, I typically wear makeup on a daily basis. Every night I wash my face which I must do out of compulsion, but also because if there is any trace of eye makeup left, I will be hurting when I hop in that steam room.  That being said, first thing I need is an excellent makeup remover and face wash.  I prefer Neutrogena and Clinique. 

To start, it feels really good to wear appropriate clothing for the day.  I have found out that I like wearing tight-fitting capri pants.  They cover enough, there's no loose fabric, and them are slimming, so I already feel skinny when I head in the gym.  Up top, of course a sport bra, and I like tees with the sleeves cut off or wife-beaters.  Again, I just don't like having extra fabric bunching, flying, etc.  I get really sweating and so its just more fabric to get wet and then cold, and its just uncomfortable on me.  Socks and sneakers.  I don't really have a preference, my sneaks are just basic, no name cheapies I don't even know where I got them, but I liked them originally because they made my feet look slender (I don't know why I like that it just makes me happy, ok?).  I've washed them so many times though, they've puffed out.  But that's ok with me, I snazzed them up a while back with some bright blue shoe laces.  So they work. 

Next, the bag: I actually use a free [read: cheaply made] Red Cross backpack.  It has a giant hole in it, but a lot of pockets, which I love.  But the hole factor?  That's how I do.  I use what I have and if I make it a habit, I get myself a new one-- its a great non-food reward and I don't end up buying new things that I won't use, because if I've already made a habit of using the crappy one, I'll end up looking forward to using my new one.  

A few things I have to have on me before I even get to the gym:  keys (duh), my wallet--  I have to use my military ID to get into the gym and I don't like switching it out of and back and forth, I just throw the whole wallet in there, and a padlock to keep all my things safe.  Before I leave the house I fill my water bottle halfway up with ice and then water.  I also pack a smaller travel bottle with organic fruit juice and, if a have any, a single serving of fruit snacks.

When I get to the gym the first thing I do it set up my locker.  I drink some water, take off my coat/sweater and get set up for the dry sauna.  I always pack three things for this: a washcloth which I drench with cold water-- its so dry in there, you need to have some moisture over your nose and mouth so you don't dry out your respiratory system.  I also tap on some eye cream all around my occipital bone.  This skin is very delicate anyway, and being in a dry environment just makes it feel extra crispy. Right now I am using Chanel Ultra Correction Line Repair Eye Cream.  For the same reason I always put some moisture on my lips, either vaseline or a specific lip product.  Now I'm ready to lie down and warm up for 10 minutes before I hop on the elliptical.  

To the cardio room I have to bring with me a hand towel, my bottle of water, my phone or mp3 player, and earbuds.  If I chose, I could also bring a thumb drive to insert into the machine to keep track of my workouts.  I haven't gotten there yet, but it might be something I'll try in the future.  Also, If I had it my way, I'd have an arm band to hold me phone on me at all times, but that will have to be a reward some time down the line. 

When I'm done with the elliptical, I need a refill on water.  Thankfully, this gym (unlike my last one) has a bottle filler spout on the water fountain; I'm telling you its the little things that make you happy and makes working out easier.  If I didn't bring it with me to the cardio room, I'll go back to the locker to get my logbook.  I like those mini composition books Staples & Target sell. 

They're classic, customizable and they happen to fit perfectly in the niche on the weight machines, even with a pen in it.  So in the weight room I've still got my water bottle, hand towel, logbook and music player/buds.

If I'm feeling frisky, I get back on the elliptical with all those same things. 

For a happy ending, I love my steam room time.  Working out doesn't release endorphins in me like it does normal people.  It doesn't make me feel better, or happy.  In fact, sometimes it just down right pisses me the fuck off off.  That I can't do what I want, that my blood itches, that I'm sweaty and gross, that my face is tomato red, that I'm puffy.  Steam room time melts all that away.  I get to my locker and grab my shower pack.  This includes a bar of moisturizing soap, a shower cap, flip flops, and a plastic grocery bag for my dirties.  I throw in my gym hand towel before I shower.  I peel off my sweaties, wearing my flip flops, get in a lukewarm shower and wash up, keeping my hair covered under my the cap.  Throw my soap and dirty laundry bag back in the locker and I sit in the steam room for about 20 minutes.  I could better time this if I had my water resistant watch/timer interval, but I don't yet so I just guesstimate.  

I like to cycle 20 minutes steam room to 5-10 minutes cold shower, for about 3 cycles.  In between cycles I drink a lot of water, and this is also where the juice bottle and snacks come in.  During my last shower, I lather up again and I make sure I bring my big fluffy towel, some lotion and a set of really comfy, slouchy clothes.  My favs are thin loose full length yoga-type pants, a cami (hate wearing a bra after all that), a tee and a fresh pair of fluffy socks!  Throw on some hater-blockers and I'm headed home to blog :-)

Recap::

Gym bag

Water bottle, half ice

Juice bottle

Fruit snacks (optional)

Large fluffy spa towel

Hand towel

Washcloth

Flip Flops

Eye Cream

Phone/mp3 player

Ear Buds

Phone Arm band (optional)

Thumb drive (optional)

Logbook/pen

Bar soap

Shower cap

Plastic grocery bag

Deodorant

Body lotion

Set of slouchy clothes, including socks

Hater-blockers

*The phone arm band and watch are premiered on my Amazon wishlist, if you'd like to provide me a gift you can do so here. 

Ab Ripper @ Home

Greetings! I write this barely able to lift myself because my muscles are so incredibly rocked.  Monday, I went to the gym on post with the intention of working with the trainer, but instead hung out on the elliptical for an hour and came home to use one of my phone apps.  I used Workout Trainer, and it had the P90X Ab Ripper routine on it, so I did that.  It was hard while I was doing it, but once I rested, it didn't hurt anymore.  Nor did it hurt afterward.  And even today, I am not really in pain so much as just can't move.  Surprisinly my abs are fine-- what's affected is my super lower abs and what seems like my upper leg/front part of my hip area.  My right leg in particular does not want to let me lift it above about 6 inches off the ground.  I'll proabably end up doing it again, but none too often!

Here's what it entailed::
25 Ins and Outs
10s rest
25 Bicycles
25 Reverse Bicycles
10s rest
25 Crunchy Frogs
20s rest & hydrate
25 Wide Leg Sit-ups
20s rest
25 Fifer Scissors (harder than they look!)
25s rest & hydrate
25 Hip Rock n Raises
25s rest
25 Pulse Ups
30s rest & hydrate
25 V-Ups and Roll Ups
25s rest
25 Right Oblique V-Ups
20s rest
25 Left Oblique V-Ups
25s rest
12 Right Leg Climbs
10s rest
12 Left Leg Climbs
25s rest
40 Mason Twists
Cool Down Stretch (my favorite part!)

Back In the Saddle!

Nothing like a handfuls of girls trying on the same dress and you being the only one who can't zip it up to motivate you to get back into hardcore gym-going!  So starting this past week: more water, more activity, no Red Bull! 

Tuesday I got into the gym for the first time in a long while, and I could feel it.  The death machine took its toll on me and my weights were lower than the last time I went. 

Wednesday I got some time in with my trainer.  20 Minutes on the new elliptical, I climbed all the way to the top of the Level 2 rock wall, which I had never been able to do before so I was very proud of myself :)  Afterward we did what he called Hi-Lo intensity interval training; The "Hi"s were standing side cruches on a step and they WERE high intensity!  Mediums were squats along the long wall with a resistance band around my ankle, forward then back.  "Lo"s were crunches (hah!).  Overall, a short workout, but I felt good. 

Thursday, I played around with the gym's new elliptical.  They have a fancy screen so I changed my "view" to a picture of a mountain, and as I went, it would show my track in terms of elevation on the mountain-- it was like a fun game of racing myself to the top!  I stayed on for an hour and got up to 4200 feet!  We hit up the nautilus machines after that: I alternated shoulder presses, leg presses, rows, pull ups, arm extensions, and then something he calls "pouring lemonade" (not really sure what it's called), and used the ab machine in between each.  Holla!

After all of that, I wasn't too sore-- I could feel a difference in most muscle groups, but not in a debilitating way-- with the exception of my calves!! I'm not sure if its because I am used to the death machine vs the elliptical, but every morning I find it extremely difficult to stand up straight, walk down stairs, or change walking direction too quickly, just because my calves are super tight. 

Thursday night I had a lovely stretch session before bed.  It felt incredible!  I did a few yoga poses, and just generally listened to my body, tried to warm up and stretch tight muscles.  I ended up doing handstands, cartwheels, roundoffs, and headstands in the middle of my living room-- much to the enjoyment of my husband, and dismay of my dog lol!

Today, Friday, I told myself in the morning I was going to complete a BodyRock Fit Test.  And though I wavered in this desire as the day progressed (I came up with numerous excuses), I did eventually get it done.  My lungs were on fire afterwards!!!

Here are my results:
Squat Jumps: 33
Push Ups: 21
Burpees: 15
High Knees: 70
Switch Lunges: 20
Tuck Jumps: 10
Tricep Dips: 16
Straight Abs: 20

Pretty pathetic in terms of progress, stamina, or any other measure, but in reality... I did something today, I got my heart rate way up, I warmed my muscles and didn't laze out so I feel Awesome!  Go. Me.

Round II on Post:: Personal Training

I mustered up what little courage I had today and went to the gym on post to attend a class I had never been to before-- Extreme Workout with Jay.  Unfortunately, no one else showed up so they didn't even have the class.  But while I was waiting in the hallway, a trainer approached me and offered to personally train me for that hour instead, what luck!  His name is Mike, he is about my age and he is a Cowboys fan (hey, no one's perfect). 

First, I hung out on the elliptical for a bit while he got set up; they don't have arc machines there.  He came and got me and he made fun of my pathetic pace, to which I argued "I'm going backwards!"  We walked back to the rock wall room, and I asked if that's what we were doing, and he said we could but clearly hadn't anticipated my wanting to.  I got all the way up on the Level I, but barely halfway on the Level II.  On to the actual interval training workout he planned for me.

Since I told him it took everything I had just to show up to the class, he assumed it was my first time back in the gym.  I didn't correct him on this assumption because I figured he was going to kick my ass, I might as well not let him know I've actually been working out all year, thus looking even more pathetic during the ass-kicking. 

• 30 Seconds jumping rope
• 5 Do-si-do's (?)-- Feet apart, jump forward land feet together, jump forward land feet apart, then backwards is one.
• 5 Do-si-do twists-- Same as above but after landing on the second jump forward, jump to turn around and then continue.  My biggest problem with these was that I was landing too hard, so he kept telling me to be lighter on my feet.
• Kickbacks w/an 8lb dumbbell
• 10 wall sits with a stability ball on the small of my back, against a wall, feet facing forward
• 10 of the same but with feet out-turned, not unlike grande plie in second position from my ballet days-- maybe he could tell these were easy for me because at this point he asked me if I danced
• Lose the ball.  10 Calf raises both legs
• 10 Left Calf raises
• 10 Right Calf raises.  I leg press 170 pounds, then do calf presses on the same machine but these hurt me more than those do.
• With the dumbbell in one hand, bend at waist to touch dumbbell to the heel of the opposite foot, without using momentum.  10 on each side
• 10:  Half bridge (shoulders and arms on ground but mid-lower back and hips in air) with feet on stability ball, extend legs, then roll back in = one.  When asked how this felt, I said "Squiggly" with a straight face
• 10:  Lie flat on back with knees bent and feet on the ground.  Shoulders off ground to tap left shoe with left hand, center, tap right shoe with right hand, center, then both shoes with both hands
• 10 Push ups; I did mine girl style... with that stupid rubber band around my ankles
• With an elastic strap around my feet, stretch feet as far as they would apart, squat with arms extended in front of me, legs together.  I traveled the entire wall doing these.
• 10 more push ups
• Squat back along the wall

So this is what I remember, I think that was all we did.  Looking back, it doesn't really look that intense, but believe me-- IT WAS!  I was dying by the end, my heart was pumping out of my chest and an ocean wouldn't have quenched my thirst.  He tried to hold a conversation with me after this, and all I could say was "haha yeah" to everything he asked.  All I wanted to do was get to the locker room so I could puke lol but I didn't. 

I don't know how personal training works there; he wouldn't accept a tip, but somehow I don't think he'd be available every week.  I have to train with him again, though, so I can find out how to get rid of my hate handles.  But now that I've written down what I did, maybe I could continue on my own and just come back to revamp the routine when it gets easier.  My problem has always been that I don't push myself hard enough.  I need a drill sergeant yelling at me and pushing me.  Mike was far from a drill sergeant-- he was actually very encouraging and did not yell at me at all.  We joked around a lot and besides feeling like I was going to die right at the very end, I had a really fun time.  But it's the whole accountability thing again, having someone there makes me try harder.