Personal Trainer

I joined a nearby gym about a month ago and I have consistently been going 2-3 days a week as cross training to my running obsession. I have not branched out farther than the elliptical and stationary bike.

I'm happy on those machines. I get a good workout on those machines. I am comfortable on those machines.

Too comfortable.

I feel like I am getting plenty of cardio in my routine, and yet I am doing very little if anything to tone up those muscles and in reality my body will never change if I don't start adding some of those workouts.

So I took up the opportunity to meet with a personal trainer after receiving an email for a free orientation. We met for a total of 45 minutes. We worked out for a total of 12 minutes.

In those 12 minutes I worked out harder than I have on my own in about a year. I would say when I was doing 30 Day Shred was the last time I sweat so hard, was so out of breath and wanted to die as much as I did in those 12 minutes. 12 minutes! And we only did three different moves! Granted, we did each move 12 times and then repeated all three four times, so at least there was a reason why my legs wobbled when we were finished.

That, or I really am that out of shape...

And after taking my body fat percentage it was clear that I really am that out of shape. I haven't calculated my body fat percentage in years. In fact, the last time I did I was still in college. So, it's been close to 5 years. I don't remember what it was then, but I was disappointed and frustrated and depressed by what it is now.

31.8%

0.2% away from being obese.

Don't get me wrong, I never expected to go in there and have her say that I was in great shape and that I had less than 10% body fat. But, I did think that after completing three marathons in the last 2 years I would be a little farther away from being obese.

I could have let it destroy me. It could have affected me the same as the number on the scale usually does. But I didn't. Instead I sat Patrick down, worked out our budget and made sure that four sessions a month is manageable.

My plan is to continue to go to the gym two days a week. One day I will use the stationary bike for 30 minutes and then meet with my trainer for 30 minutes. The other day I will do 30 minutes on the elliptical and then follow the same exercises as I did with my trainer except I'll be doing them by myself.

I'm excited to be starting this in a few weeks (after I get paid again). But, I'm also scared. She's going to kick my ass. It's a good thing, I know that. And it's my choice, I know that too. But it doesn't keep me from being so, so nervous. It's going to be the absolute most hard core workouts I ever do. And it's going to be exactly what I need.

Heck, I'm still feeling the pain from my workout on Monday. I haven't been this sore in too long.