Trying Something New

I've been pretty happy with my cardio training over the past two+ months. My stamina has gotten much better, my reps-per-minute have grown, I've developed a routine on the machines and in the pool that's working for me, and thus, it's time to change things up a bit before boredom and complacency settle in. So today I'm adding a class.

Time to shake things up again and try a class. 

I tend to work self-directed most of the time, but sometimes having that extra push of someone egging me on can make the difference between success and failure. And I also know that I haven't been working on strength or core work, only cardio and different muscle groups. Tuesday mornings from 6:00 am - 7:00 am, my YMCA holds BodyPump classes and I think I'm going to start trying these once a week. (They also have a class on Fridays, but that's a Drowning Guppy day and I'm unwilling to give up my swimming pool time.)

One of the major selling points of this class is that it's excellent for
bone density. With osteoporosis, I'm always on the lookout for
something to help improve that aspect of my health. This may be something
that will work for me. I'll give it a couple of months and then see if I want
to continue having it as part of my weekly routine. 

I've heard from several people that BodyPump was very successful and fun for them. It's basically working with reps and barbells to strengthen muscles and improve body tone. That's what I need, so I'm pumped to BodyPump (oh, that sounds so cliche, doesn't it?). I checked the program out on-line last night while watching "The Voice" and I think I'll have a good time, but I'll also be the new person in the class and totally clueless about routine. Hopefully the others and the teacher will be understanding with all my newbie mistakes.

This is key to success. I find others at the gym to be inspirational and
I love knowing that what they are doing gives me a good goal to strive for.
But any achievements I manage must be put side-by-side with where I started.
It's why I keep records, minimal as they are. 

But things are working for me. I started going to the gym at the beginning of January and I've lost eleven pounds since then, can swim for 45 minutes non-stop, and my machine work has gotten intense. I'm not focusing on losing weight as much as getting into better physical condition, but it's a nice side benefit.

It's a pretty little machine. Now if I can
just figure out exactly how to use it during
the day and how to batch out my sales
at night, I'll be a very happy camper. 

On a side note, I should finally be receiving my new credit card terminal this afternoon. That means I'll install it on Thursday morning because I won't be around to hand-hold on Wednesday. That gives me a day to read through all of the directions and thoroughly understand the machine before I plug it in. All thanks to Derek at Chase Payment Tech for finally managing to push this through. Getting this will be one of my major headaches gone.

I love "The Voice" and the Battle Rounds are an exciting
part of the program This is where the coaching finally starts.
Ferrell brought in Lionel Richie to help mentor his singers.
That's pretty cool! 

Have a great Tuesday, everyone. I'll be glued to the TV again tonight for the next installment in the Battle round of "The Voice", and maybe I'll even manage to get some writing done. Maybe....