I have been struggling with how to write about my personal training for
as many months as I have been doing it (which is just over 4 months now). To say that is has changed my life feels like
an understatement and at the same time I feel like putting so much importance
on training takes away from the other parts of this journey that began long
before training. The reality is though
that training has changed a lot about me, not just physically but mentally and
spiritually as well. The way I think
about a lot of this journey, about food and about exercise have changed a great
deal as I have been working with my trainer.
It is true that these things were also changing before training but
certainly I feel that it has been more dramatic since I first got my trainer.
I’m still working on being able to write about all of this coherently
but in the mean time I figured it was time to do something I haven’t really
ever done on this blog before. It is
time to share some of the numbers that I have been using to drive me through
this journey. I am writing this entry
not only to share the changes I have been making but also as a way to show
myself that no matter how slow this journey is and how long it is taking ,
progress is happening. I am moving forward
one baby step at a time and learning to love every minute of it. I am becoming stronger physically and
mentally. I am finding my confidence and
my inner athlete.
Weight Related Numbers
Highest weigh in happened Sept 7, 2013
From Sept 7 2013 to Mar 7, 2015 total pounds lost 38.6 pounds
Weight lost from Feb 7, 2015 to Mar 7, 2015 is 5.6 pounds
Training
Total hours done = 19
Total number of sessions = 27 (I think although I might be off by one
or two)
Strength Training Numbers (based
on the 4 weeks from Jan 14 – Feb 11)
Chest Press with dumbbells – started with 15 pounds up to 40 pounds
Cable Row – started with 60 pounds and up to 70 pounds
Bicep curl with dumbbells – started with 15 pounds up to 20
Cable tricep push downs – started with 20 (which by the 3rd set
was a real struggle) and up to 25
Leg Press – started with 90 and now up to 105
Shoulder Press – started with 10 pounds and up to 15 pounds
Cardio Numbers
First 5K = 1 hour 16 minutes
Exercise
|
Feb 7th
|
Mar 7th
|
Feb 7th
|
Mar 7th
|
Feb 7th
|
Mar 7th
|
Mod Burpee
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
9
|
10
|
Squat and press 6lbs
|
15
|
17
|
17
|
15
|
16
|
14
|
Med ball smash 10lbs
|
16
|
17
|
14
|
18
|
16
|
20
|
Agility ladder single steps
|
7
|
7.5
|
7
|
8
|
7
|
8
|
Step Ups
|
14
|
13
|
14
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
I have learned in this journey that as important as the numbers are for
showing me that I’m improving they really do only tell half the picture. There are times when the numbers don’t
reflect the effort so I have also spent a great deal of time making sure to track
and journal my emotions & overall physical sensations. These results are more subjective but are
equally as important in showing my success.
I know that I feel better, stronger, faster and more agile but these are
hard to document in the same way. I have
learned to trust myself and this process.
I put a lot of faith into the people like my trainer who are guiding and
supporting me. All of this has helped
give me the results that I see in the following pictures.
Even the biggest of distances can be tackled over time with the
smallest of steps, as long as you keep moving in the right direction. Hills happen but if you keep putting one foot
in front of the other even they can be climbed.
I will end this entry with a quote that I love from C S Lewis - “Isn’t
it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is
different”.
