Try a New Thingy: Episode 2

It's another week and another new cross training experience. Yesterday I took a class at my Y called BodyPump.  I didn't know much about the class other than that it was strength training with barbells, and suitable for all levels of fitness. I had noticed it was on the schedule a number of times per week, and I had previously walked by the class on my way to the indoor track. I was interested to add more rigorous and organized strength work to my running training. I already do some light strength training, but not quite enough minutes or times per week for my current running goals. And I hate lunges so much, a group class was the only way I'd be doing those!

I was a little nervous about what weights to pick. I eyed what items other class members had grabbed and walked over to the weight rack. I couldn't tell what weights would be right for me, so I watched the woman next to me pick hers. She looked pretty strong so I rounded my picks down from hers. Good thing, she turned out to be the instructor!

The class was challenging, but not overwhelming for a first-timer. Today, my quads are a little sore and my upper body is really sore. There are tiny muscles in my armpits that I didn't know I had!

I really liked the musicality of the class; the movements were timed to switch with changes in the music. I got the feeling that the playlists are kind of standard for these classes, which makes me wonder if it will be the same music next time I go? 

Another positive is getting an intense workout without getting intensely sweaty. It's a great lunch break exercise option since I can go back to work without a full shower.

The only negative was that the focus seemed more skewed towards upper body. I'm happy to strengthen everything, but legs had a much shorter set than everything else. It could be this instructor, this day, or just my perception, though. I'm definitely interested in giving it another try. Maybe making it a regular workout once or twice a week. Looking forward to getting even stronger! 

Try a New Thingy: Episode 1

During Goofy marathon and a half training, nearly every day of the week was filled with a specific workout: short run, cross train (bike or elliptical), tempo run, walk, long run, strength train, rest day. Near the end of training I was starting to long for a day when I could try something different. I joined the Y at the end of November, which contributed to my feelings of workout wanderlust. The long list of group classes, the pool, and ooh, a rowing machine! On lap 34 of the indoor track, anything looked good. I sometimes circled around envious of the lunchtime yoga or spin class. 

It's not that I couldn't do other workouts during marathon training, it was more about how I prioritized my time and not wanting to jeopardize training with something brand new. Today, I had the chance to try something new. 

It's called the Lateral X, and it's an elliptical style workout with more of a side-to-side motion. It was easy to get started and definitely worked my quads, but I had assumed it would give more of a glute workout. The pictures on the machine indicate a few different motions one can do, so maybe I need to do a little research online to see how to optimize it's use for my training. 

Looking forward to my next new cross training day!