Ouch.

Did you know that humans have six different abdominal muscles?  Neither did I.  But I am deeply aware of each one as I write this.  They are all communicating to me this morning!

My new personal trainer, Nina, arrived right on time yesterday (6:30 a.m.) and ready to get to work.   She started me out with a 10 minute warm-up on the treadmill and then we got into the tough stuff.  I think it's only tough, though, because I'm so out of shape (wait! a circle is a shape!).  She had me do 2 sets of 10 each of several exercises, some of which I have done in the past and some were a bit new:

• crunches
• reverse curls
• leg lifts
• sit ups (modified)
• oblique thingies
• scissors
• hydrants (this was not too attractive, looks just like what it sounds like, and made me glad I chose a female trainer)
• donkey kicks (this may double as a self defense move)
• squats (I was almost disliking her by this point)
• lunges (my legs were shaking on the last two moves)
• calf toe lifts
• side lats with hand weights
• front lats with hand weights
• bicep curls

In order to do some of these, I needed to be laying or kneeling on the floor, so she came prepared with a Harbinger Folding Exercise Mat just like this one I ordered last night from Amazon.  I figure I am going to be doing some of these maneuvers on my own while she is not here, and since my addition/dining room is fast becoming my home gym I can lay on the mat and crunch things while watching tv at night!.

What I loved about the workout was that if I couldn't quite make 10 of something, she'd switch me to either the other side or another move and then come right back to the one I had not finished.  By the end of the session, I accomplished all the reps she wanted me to do.  Left to my own devices I would have packed it all in after the first time through or if I was too tired or shaky I would have stopped that exercise and just moved on without looking back.  This is why someone like me needs a drill seargant personal trainer.

Sadly, I didn't quite make the full hour of working out, in part because I was not hydrated and in part because I am so out of shape.  So in preparation for tomorrow morning (Wednesday) I have been instructed to do a few things:

1. Get up a full hour before the workout.
2. Eat an apple or a yogurt; have a little something in my stomach.
3. Drink a couple of glasses of water.
4. Lay off the coffee,

I can, and will, do numbers 1-3.  Make me do number 4 and we're gonna tussle (you know, once I'm in shape).  I'll go with maybe a half cup of coffee, but there's no way I'm going cold turkey on the morning coffee!  Baby steps, Carly.  Baby steps.  I'm also supposed to do 20-30 minutes on the treadmill today, which I'm going to do as soon as I sign off here.

So that was my first day with an in-home personal trainer and I have to tell you, even though my stomach muscles are sore, and the rest of me is stiff, it FEELS GOOD.  It's a reminder that I did something really good for myself yesterday and I bet during the day if I want to reach for something unhealthy, the sore, heavy arm will be good reminder to step away from the cookie, cupcake! ♥♥♥