[Simbalism]

I hate the gym too, and decided if I was going to really make an effort I would need to work with a trainer. It is pricier than I would like it to be, but it is working well and my balance/core strength is much improved. I need to bump up my cardio work up a bit, but have been working twice a week for an hour with the trainer.

[scubed]

Well, you usually don't have the choice of seating in a spin class. You're stuck with whatever they got on the bikes. That's one reason why I don't do spin classes as they have hard plastic seats on the bikes. That and the god awful music they play at deafening volume in the ones held at the fitness center I go to. Then there are the strobe lights to go with the music...ugh.

You might consider putting your own bicycle in a trainer (I like this one a lot) http://www.cycleops.com/products/tra...product_id=168, but there are less expensive options and getting some DVDs. These two series are great http://www.spinervals.com/ and http://trainright.shop.sportstoday.c...cp=55677_56685

I have the crazy plan for improving my fitness this year: http://www.causes.com/actions/1721233

[Sannois]

Well I went to the gym for 2 years, my membership is about to expire and I am not renewing. 500 dollars is a lot when I can do it at home. I have all the DVD's weights and an eliptical. Now it is just making me do it. I would like to shed another 30 lbs. And since I am doing the no wheat thing I already feel better. I will resume riding my friends horse in the spring, at least I will have a jump on him. He turned flabby a week after I stopped riding him the end of Oct. The trick is to get in a routine. That is where the gym comes in handy. You just get up and go. I will miss the trainer, and while I will not rejoin.. 500 dollars a year, I can still go and do a session with him once a week. It's a lifestyle, one that the older I get the harder it is to keep, but the alternative is worse.

[scubed]

It's a lifestyle, one that the older I get the harder it is to keep, but the alternative is worse.

This is so true. I also find that tracking my workouts is helpful and a good commitment device. I use www.fitnessjournal.org, but know people who use and like http://www.loseit.com/

[Sannois]

In 2012 I lost 40 lbs and work out 5x a week now with a ton of situps/crunches. I did this for my riding but also so my husband would feel inspired to do the same!

But I still need to work my legs - I do squats but I feel like I dont get the workout for my legs I need unless I am galloping the fields. I rode bareback yesterday and did a lot of walk work and then walk canter departs and some lengthen canter and collect canter work and my legs are a bit mad at me today.

Anyone have great exercises for the legs?

Wall sits. Sit against a flat wall as if you are in a chair. Try for eventually 2 minutes. Then add a weight of 10 lbs in your lap. Killer but very effective!

[DefyingGravityEventing]

I have two horses under 14.3 hands... and since I expect such great things from them (one does advanced), I give myself a weight to stay around. During the competition season, I have found that the p90x DVDs are the most helpful... I wake up early before work (because at the end of the day I'm exhausted or need to spend quality time with the boyfriend - so he doesn't think I love the horses that much more than him!). I don't do the workouts that religiously (usually 4-5 times a week)... because I don't feel the need to be a complete beast... just enough to keep the 5-10 lbs off..... And I keep my snacks healthy... nuts, oatmeal, all that good stuff! (And only one glass of wine in the evenings).

In one of the DVDs, the "team member" has one leg... and good lord he kicks my butt every time! Super depressing.

[yellowbritches]

(And only one glass of wine in the evenings).

Ugh. My beverage of choice is beer (Even worse than wine), and I tend to want to do two (one to sip while I shower, get comfy, make dinner and one with dinner). BAD! And, of course, I don't drink crappy beer...fancy, hoppy, crappy tasting stuff for me. I should force myself to one.

Scubed is right about the trainers for your bikes. I didn't like spin class (nearly shredded my knees because I COULD NOT get used to the fact that I couldn't coast). And, again, it was hard to get a good, comfortable, correct fit on the spin cycles. It is nice to have my bike, all set up for me, right there in my living room. My biggest complaint is that because I'm stationary, I don't use my whole body as much, so my arms get tired if I don't have it set up JUST RIGHT on the trainer.

[North Dakota]

I am admittedly an avid gym-goer, the other sport i've started participating in requires me to be in really good shape.

I love weight training, hate cardio, but cardio is a must for me before a competition for the other sport. So if i'm given a choice for my cardio (a trainer makes my weight training, cardio and diet programs) i LOVE HIIT, you can do it fast and just about anywhere.

[eventerchick517]

Count me in on wanting to shape up for 2013! I've always been reasonably fit, but I've always been heavy too. However I've set some pretty lofty goals for myself this season, and they'll require me spending quite a few hours in the gym! But I'm not just trying to lose weight, it does me no good to be skinny and weak. Like Kate on the Biggest Loser said, "I'm not here to be skinny. I'm here to be strong." Here's to strength in 2013!

[Karosel]

I went to fitness class tonight and plan to go to a yoga class tomorrow.

My muscles are a bit tender and sore, but nothing over the top.

Anyone else been keeping up with their fitness?

[Bogie]

Bummer! We have a specific swap area. We drop what we don't want and are invited to take anything there. I like the old Yankee approach to reduce, reuse, and recycle!

You can get some great stuff at our dump swap area. The trick is to never leave with more than you arrived! I've seen lots of exercise equipment there including a Nordic Track machine.

I've started using my son's rowing machine. It's an incredible workout. I also bought a hula hoop. It's a ton of fun and a great core workout. Just throw some music on and dance!

[Heinz 57]

I went to fitness class tonight and plan to go to a yoga class tomorrow.

My muscles are a bit tender and sore, but nothing over the top.

Anyone else been keeping up with their fitness?

Ah, well, I took yesterday off because that DVD kicked my thighs and I ended up going to an OPRC meeting anyway. Tonight, I walked and trotted up and down the lane bareback in the dark for about 20 minutes, though I admit that didn't do much besides make my undercarriage sore. I did give the big boy a good scratchy massage, which is a decent shoulder workout.


I promise to do at least 50 crunches and a plank or two before I go to bed tonight.

[Napoles]

I did my second half marathon on the 8th of December (1hr 51 mins) and eased off the training during Christmas, but I am back into it again now to work off the wine belly I seem to have acquired!
I would like to do more resistence training and did some spinning last year which I enjoyed. I also joined a workout class with weights in a hotel gym where I stayed for work thinking that it would be an easy option... OMG, I could hardly walk for a week and most of the ladies taking part were about 20 yrs older than me.

[yellowbritches]

I went to fitness class tonight and plan to go to a yoga class tomorrow.

My muscles are a bit tender and sore, but nothing over the top.

Anyone else been keeping up with their fitness?

Pshh...please. Nope. I've done some planks and some other fiddly things, but haven't gotten back on the bike yet. I need to eat better during the day so that by the time I'm done and heading home, I'm not so hungry and spent that I could eat my right arm. Not helpful.

[Polydor]

I'm back on the fitness train as of last night! Had my first session with my personal trainer for the new year, and first one in a month or two due to our schedules.

Went for a quick run (16 minutes) and then circuit training down at the footy field. A good mix of everything from step up, squats, plank, tricep dips, sprints. Really nice good basic work out for the first one back. Hoping to have 2 sessions a week.

Really need and want to get back into the running again since I can feel my cardio is going. Trying to find some races to enter to keep me motivated. There is a local 5Km run if I can get it off work or come in late...

Goals:
a few races (running) - a couple 10km , maybe half marathon
the annual 12Km and beat my time-- maybe under an hour??

P.

ps. also on myfitnesspal as Polydor

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

I'm in this boat too. Not riding much the past few years has REALLY taken a toll on my. Hate it. To really make a change I just entered this challenge at my gym. We'll see what I can accomplish in 12 weeks.
http://www.goldsgym.com/challenge/about.php

[SuperAlter]

I revived my Myfitnesspal and have gone to the gym 2 days in a row. Being 30 and have never gone to a gym in my life, I am finding I actually enjoy the structure. Besides, there was this really attractive guy the first day ( alas, he was not there last night). Im convinced that PlanetFitness actually pays this guy and if they dont, they should consider employing attractive people to work out so those of us that dread it can find some sort of pleasure in the whole experiance.

I tried the Jillian Michaels, Insanity and P90 but often find 2 days in I am completely inable to move, muck stalls, push the wheelbarrow much less ride. No one wants to work out and feel like that ( is this just a sign that I am really that out of shape)? Either way, I can feel the work ( even just 2 days) but I am still able to actually function. I figure, I will work my way up to Insanity and try again.

I really need to find a way to keep my portions under control ( even if Myfitnesspal continually says im under my caloric intake for the day).


I would like to lose about 10lbs. I do understand that I may gain but I have my "goal" jeans ( actually there are 6 pairs I have flat out refused to donate) and have promised myself a a massage one I either lose the 10 or am happy in all 6 of those jeans.

Im feeling motivated for the first time ever, shall see how it goes!

Good luck to everyone!

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I'm heavier and softer than I've ever EVER been. So doing a detox next week...yeah, giving up the coffee will really suck. Working out with a trainer 2 times a week...and trying to hit the gym more often for some cardo interval work. Getting old sucks....but it is better than the alternative! The trip back to home (Hawaii) this summer motivates me better than even riding. But I know working out will help my riding. Woluld love to drop 40lbs by June but that might not happen.

After my lesson this morning....and lugging water (damn water is heavy) to the horses at the unfinished farm (way too long of a story)...I'm sore but will still try and go to the gym tonight and loosen up. What I need is a gym buddy....someone who meets me there and we are accountable. Unfortunately, my current gym buddy and I can both talk each other out of going more often then we talk each other in to going!

[Heinz 57]

What I need is a gym buddy....someone who meets me there and we are accountable. Unfortunately, my current gym buddy and I can both talk each other out of going more often then we talk each other in to going!

Me, too. Mr. Heinz and I work opposing schedules a lot of the time and there is no way in hell I could get him out of bed at 5am to go with me before work. So instead, I try to do stuff at home (somewhat successfully/unsuccessfully). I do most of my exercising around 8 or 9, wear myself out and go to bed. We have a treadmill, I just need to get it into a room with a TV - I get bored SO quickly. I've been watching craigslist for an affordable elliptical, as I prefer that over straight running (and the ability to go backwards).

[KMErickson]

If you're serious about your goals, forget the treadmill and do some bodyweight circuits and high-intensity intervals.

For circuits, make a superset of 5 or 6 bodyweight exercises -- like squats, lunges, push ups, climbers, jumps, etc -- and do them straight through, as in 12 reps of each exercise done in succession, with a one-minute rest in between. Go through the whole thing 3 times. Choose your exercises so that you're working your whole body. Do this 3x week.

For HIT, do a short warm-up, then do 20 sec ALL OUT of something exercisey -- like sprinting or jumping jacks or jump rope or box jumps -- whatever it is, make it max effort. Then rest for 10 sec. Do this 8x, for a grand total of 4 minutes of exercise. This protocol is clinically-proven over and over again since 1996.

Also, there are some very useful, inexpensive pieces of exercise equipment out there. The Power Wheel is a favorite. It gives a great total body workout (but please watch the video and do it correctly!). The same company also sells an excellent jump rope.

Ok, I know this was two pages ago, but I just had to bring it up again because this approach WORKS.

JER, I think it was you that brought up the high intensity intervals in a fitness thread a few years ago. At the time, I was 8 weeks out from a half marathon that I had gotten halfway through training for when I developed very nasty plantar fasciitis. This left me in the pool for my last two months of conditioning, as I could barely even walk comfortably at first, let alone run. I am an awful swimmer and couldn't even do laps effectively.

So I had to tread water... in such a way to simulate running up to 10 miles!! I used the high intensity intervals at the end of my 'long slow distance' treads, and would do modified circuits that didn't bother my foot when I got out of the pool. It made a massive difference. I didn't run more than a mile for the last 8 weeks before the half marathon, let my foot heal... and had a great race, beating the goal time I'd set for myself! So I'm a believer