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After 11 weeks of successfully going to the gym at least three times a week, I've decided that this must be working for me, even if it does require a 5:45 AM wake-up call at least twice a week. It may seem logical to some to suggest that I go in the evenings instead, but I have two reasons for not doing this. Firstly, it would mean I'd have to pay for a peak time membership, which is £20/month more expensive. Secondly, I'd have to forgo spending my evenings with the bloke. He's not awake from 6-7 AM most of the time, so we don't miss out on one another's company then. Much as I'd like not to have to rely on belonging to a gym to get regular exercise, I've faced up to the evidence of the past few years that having a routine and a fixed venue keeps me going, so I'm going to bite the bullet and sign up for a yearly contract.
I've even lost weight (about 3 kilos/7 pounds). That wasn't my goal, but it's a pleasant side effect.
I'm hoping this will turn into a habit I don't even notice I'm maintaining, although that's a bit of a challenge (see: 5:45 AM start).
I've begun running on the treadmill again. For the first few weeks, I started out doing 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer followed by 30 minutes of weightlifting (alternating arms and legs each workout) and situps/pushups/core exercises. Now I'm doing 15 minutes on the elliptical and 15 on the treadmill at a slight gradient at 10-11 km/h pace. Same weightlifting regime. I increase the times at the weekends to 40 mins or 20/20.
Once it starts staying light a bit later, I'll begin running in the evenings with the bloke again. This is good for me because he's a natural runner (long & lean) and I'm not, but I'm competitive, so he pushes me to go faster. I'd like to set a decent pace at the 5k Race for Life in July and for a 10k at some point later this year. It would be nice to do the 10k in under an hour.
Other gym rats: What are your routines? Any exercises that you swear by? I really like doing free weight work, but I only do stuff for my arms & shoulders (bicep curls, shoulder presses, etc).
I've even lost weight (about 3 kilos/7 pounds). That wasn't my goal, but it's a pleasant side effect.
I'm hoping this will turn into a habit I don't even notice I'm maintaining, although that's a bit of a challenge (see: 5:45 AM start).
I've begun running on the treadmill again. For the first few weeks, I started out doing 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer followed by 30 minutes of weightlifting (alternating arms and legs each workout) and situps/pushups/core exercises. Now I'm doing 15 minutes on the elliptical and 15 on the treadmill at a slight gradient at 10-11 km/h pace. Same weightlifting regime. I increase the times at the weekends to 40 mins or 20/20.
Once it starts staying light a bit later, I'll begin running in the evenings with the bloke again. This is good for me because he's a natural runner (long & lean) and I'm not, but I'm competitive, so he pushes me to go faster. I'd like to set a decent pace at the 5k Race for Life in July and for a 10k at some point later this year. It would be nice to do the 10k in under an hour.
Other gym rats: What are your routines? Any exercises that you swear by? I really like doing free weight work, but I only do stuff for my arms & shoulders (bicep curls, shoulder presses, etc).
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