We’re Almost Done!

As soon as I got to my personal training session, we hit the ground running…literally. After a quick 4-minute warm-up on the elliptical Dan said “Let’s go outside to the parking lot for sprints.” I did a few running sprints at half speed and then some at full speed as instructed.  It actually felt good to run again. Not just a brisk walk or a jog but an actual full speed run! I was SO out of breath on the walk back to the gym and I heard him kind of chuckle. It’s weird how he gets sweet  pleasure from me sweating and being unable to breathe. I remembered to take deeper and slower more controlled breaths as he has told me before. Once back inside, he gathered up two 12 pound dumbbells and a 35 pound weight bar. I had to lift the dumbbells over my head 10 times and then hold the 35 pound bar at waist level and lift it to chest level 10 times. I had to do this circuit three times. Unfortunately, I forgot my weight lifting gloves. I knew that I had forgotten something but couldn’t remember what it was until right then when my hands started hurting a little.

 Then we walked over to what’s still in my mind “The Boy’s Side” of the gym where all the sexy men and a few brave women lift weights. I did 10 push-ups on a bar and then sort of the opposite underneath the same bar by pulling myself up. I had to do three sets of each of those as well. Then it was time for core exercises, so we crossed back over to the other side of the gym where I saw people on the ellipticals and the treadmills “wasting time” as Dan says.  He considers them a waste of time because in a whole hour you only burn off a soda worth of calories on a machine, when you could be doing so much more.

He pulled out the BOSU ball and told me to do a plank on it or 30 seconds. “You want me to do what?” I asked.

“Do a plank on the ball, you can do it”

“You come up with amazing things!” I said sarcastically.

“Amazing things that work,” he said. My arms were already a little sore. It was quite challenging, but I did it! The plank on the half ball thingy was followed by The Superman which is laying on your stomach with your hands and your feet lifted in the air for 30 seconds and followed by the side plank that I discovered recently that I could do.  All of that was followed by his favorite words “Okay, two more sets of those.”

“Two more sets of the left and right side planks?” I asked.

“No, two more sets of everything, the Plank on the ball, The Superman and the side planks.” After this torture I was wiped. He said okay let’s do some walkouts. He demonstrated for me that you stand up in a regular position, bend over like you are tying your shoe and put your hands flat on the ground and walk out your hands all the way until you’re in a push-up position, hold it for a second and then walk your hands back towards your feet until you’re standing up straight again. “Okay do five of those,” he said. I was sweating and breathing heavy. He of course was thrilled to see the sweat pour.  “Now do another walk out and when you’re in the push-up position do mountain climbers, you know, alternate pulling your knees into your chest for 30 seconds,” He instructed.  “Really???” I snapped back with an attitude. “This is the part where I start not to like you.” I always tease him and say when we start our workout session I think he’s such a nice guy, but he always pushes me to a threshold point where I definitely have a change of heart.   This is when we reached that point today.  I had had just about enough of his enthusiastic shenanigans.  

“We’re almost done,” he said. “I’ve been done with you,” I responded. “Huh?” He asked confused. “I was done with you around the time you had me balancing on the ball.” “Oh, Okay.” He replied calmly, like it was no big deal.  “One more round of walk outs and then Mountain climbers” He was completely unfazed by my sassy-end-of-the-work-day-tired-of-you-making-me-sweat bad attitude. So, I did five more walkouts and 30 more grueling seconds of mountain climbers. “And you’re done” he said. “Like done-done?” I asked.  “Yep” He nodded. “Whew!”  It felt like the longest session ever.  “Try to get in a run before the next time you see me again,” He said as I scurried past him towards the door.  All I could think was right now, I’m just running away from you LOL.