Stacie Angel

Ahh, it’s summer, without a doubt, my favorite time of year.  I am happy to have chosen a career that allows me relative freedom for two glorious months.  The minute I am no longer required to go to an office each day, I am in summer mode.  This results in an interesting mix of complete laziness and frantic motivation.  I am terribly lazy about anything work related.  I have a pile of professional books I know I won’t read, I can barely get myself to open a work-related email and prepping for next school year…forget it.

On the contrary, I’m filled with energy when it comes to cleaning my house, reorganizing my closets and playing with my kids.  I can’t wait to tackle all of the projects I put off during the school year and pretend for a while that I am a stay at home mom.  This frenzy of motivation extends to my exercise program, and just in time, too.  I’m a week and a half away from my Fourth of July 5k and I am nearly ready.

The Lake City Greatest Fourth in the North 5k is a bit of a family tradition.  The sportier ones among us, my sister, my brother, my husband, run pretty much every year.  My parents, committed power walkers, always enter and finish in first or second place.  My participation has been a little spotty.  Depending on what stage of child rearing I happened to be in–pregnant and not interested, recently pregnant and too out of shape, waking up with crying kids and just too exhausted, or unwilling to miss the joy of kids in bed and open wine and, as a result, too hung over to even stand at the finish line– I’ve often not been a competitor on  race day.  Last year I was out of excuses.  It was my first attempt to run.  I’d almost rather reveal my weight then my time from last year, but because I’m hoping to crush this “record” I will tell you:  33:55 minutes.

This year is different. Last year, I was just hoping to be able to make it the whole way without stopping.  This year, I’ve been completing a hilly 5k course in under 30 minutes.  I am definitely more prepared.  I have also recently begun doing the Insanity Workout and suddenly my running has improved.   So, either Jeff is right and high intensity circuit training really does improve cardio endurance.  Or running, when compared with the exhausting Insanity work-outs, just isn’t that hard.  In any case, running is easier than it has ever been for me.

So, with a week of training left, I have a plan.

• Add music to my run.  I may be the last person on the planet to lack an iPod and I need to rectify that before race day. (Thank you Kelli who ran a 5k in 24 minutes…I’ll follow any advice you give!)
• Work on my form.  My husband runs like a gazelle and from what he tells me, I don’t.  I continue to work on my posture and being light on my feet.  (Thank you, Jeff.)
• Keep doing Insanity.  (Thank you, Jen, you were right.)
• Work on my breathing techniques. (Thank you, Shaun T from my Insanity videos, the deep inhale quick exhale does wonders.)
• Practice my mantra, “I’m okay right now,” to keep me from getting overwhelmed by the distance.  (Thank you, Toree, for loaning me that technique.)
• Think of myself as a runner.  (For this I must thank Ang who never thought she was a runner but recently ran a half-marathon on The Great Wall of China.  Looks like we can decide to be anything we want.)

It takes a village to raise a child and apparently it takes the same to get me ready for a 5k but come race day, I will be ready.

I’ve recently realized that I’m not very adventurous when it comes to my workouts.  I have become very comfortable with circuit training with weights and cardio bouts.  I spend lots of time on my treadmill and when it’s sunny, I jog outside.  If I can ever get to a class, it is cycling or a weights class.  I don’t do yoga, Zumba, Pilates, Cross-Fit, or TRX.  Oh sure, back in the day I did step aerobics and even jazzercise.  But these days, I don’t step out of my comfort zone.  My sister likes to say, “If I’m only going to drink one glass of wine it needs to be fabulous.”  And if I’m only able to do one class every other week, I want to make sure I like it…and that I can get through it.

So it was with a bit of apprehension that I headed out to a jewelry and workout party at The Dailey Method in Birmingham. (This is a wonderful change of pace for a Stella and Dot party, by the way.  Instead of my usual, drink too much wine and buy too much, this party offered a free workout before the wine.  I felt far less guilty the next day.)  My understanding of The Dailey Method was that it consisted of a mix of yoga and a barre workout.  I have done one yoga class in my life and I am in no way a dancer so a workout of this nature would be a legitimate cause for concern.

But the workout we did was not at all what I expected.  It was not yoga and we did not use the barre for dancing.  That might have been easier.  Instead we worked our way through intense, isolation movements targeting all of the major muscle groups.  Each exercise was designed to be done with minimal motion, like triceps extensions held and extended just an inch.  We relied on our own muscles for most of the resistance, and honestly, that was enough.   Before we began I had scoffed at the weight selection:  only 2 or 3 pound dumbbells?  Within a few minutes of the triceps series, I had to put the 3 pounders down.

I struggled through the workout, shaking and sweating and amazed at how unlike my usual routine it was.  I feel like I’m in reasonably good shape but this was a whole new adventure.  I suddenly realized that my unwillingness to try new classes and approaches to fitness has been limiting me.  Up until now, I would not have considered doing a Zumba or a yoga class at my gym.  I thought I knew the best way to exercise…do what I’ve always done.  But the truth is, there are so many approaches to fitness and it is good to shake things up.  A different kind of class is not just physically challenging, it will keep things interesting and help me in the area I need most:  staying motivated.

So the evening was a success.   The Dailey Method left me with sore muscles and a desire to expand my fitness horizons…and, of course, a fabulous pair of earrings.

Finally, after months of dragging myself to the treadmill and sneaking mini Snickers every chance I got, I’ve rediscovered my passion for healthy living.  It wasn’t one thing that allowed me to shake my fitness slump; it was a combination of several…the perfect storm of panic, inspiration and bathing suit season.  My motivation was lost but I found it… in some rather crazy places, but I found it.

I found it in my closet, specifically, in last year’s bikini.  I put it on.  I stood in front of a full length mirror and took a long look, front and back view (gulp).  I sat on the bathroom floor and pretended I was on a dock. I sat on my bed and pretended to be in a lounge chair.  I grimaced as the elastic pinched my hips.  I sucked in my belly to a point beyond breathing and the flab was still visible.  And my thighs…I can’t even talk about it.  This method of self-torture was equal parts pain and motivation.  And it was just what I needed.  I had to feel the rising panic as the truth stared me in the face.  Unless I plan to spend my summer under a beach towel, I must take action.

I found it in new work-out clothes.  There is nothing like new work-out gear to get me excited about jumping out of bed in the morning.  When I look like an athlete, I feel like an athlete.  I love Lululemon for their insanely flattering magical seams.  I love Athleta for making work-out clothes I can wear as regular clothes, as though any minute I might burst into a sprint or strike a yoga pose.  And I love Target because, although the stitches are not nearly as flattering, I don’t feel quite as guilty sweating in a $20 pair of capris.  Even though I work-out alone in my house, I still feel happier in a new outfit.  Everyone agrees, you can’t put a price tag on your health.  So if it takes a $100 pair of Lululemon capris to motivate me, so be it.

I found it in my old favorite magazine.  I rediscovered my love of the hard-core fitness magazine: Muscle and Fitness Hers.  Unlike other magazines that give you the same 10 basic exercises re-packaged every month, this magazine focuses on building muscles through intense work-outs and weights.  I know it makes some girls nervous thinking about lifting real weights and, heaven forbid, building muscle. But for me, I know that it is the key to really changing your body and losing fat.  Reading this magazine reminds me of what a hard work-out really looks like.  I’m renewing my subscription.

I found motivation in my guilty pleasure.  Its embarrassing how much I love reality tv.  I know that it is not totally real.  I’m sure much of it is scripted.  But the idea of regular people transforming themselves into stars is fascinating to me.  And some things you really can’t fake.  Kate Gosselin really did have 8 kids.  And she wore a bikini on tv.  You can’t fake that.  These days, I’m fascinated by Melissa Gorga.  Not that I think she’s had a particularly challenging life, but she has had three kids.  You don’t get your body back without effort.  Reality tv makes me think, “If they can do it, I should be able to do it.”  So I’m watching the RHWNJ and making plans for tomorrow’s work-out.

I found it in another Personal Trainer’s advice.   I don’t think I have to consider it cheating on my husband just because I get some fitness information elsewhere.  In the same way you probably don’t like it when your significant other tells you what to do, I get a little annoyed when my husband gives me fitness advice.  It doesn’t matter that I know he’s right.  But I sure do love fitness advice from other trainers.  I love to read fitness books. One of my favorites is This is Why You’re Fat by Jackie Warner.  I re-read this book recently and was so excited about her recommendations for meal plans and work-outs.  She has a great 20 minute treadmill routine that I have been doing every day.  I told my husband about it and he said, “Well, yeah, that’s the same kind of thing I’ve been telling you to do.”  That’s true.  But somehow I find it so much more interesting coming from someone else.  Sorry Jeff.

Finally, I found motivation in a giant jug of Pure Protein Whey Protein Powder.  Something about buying this makes me feel like an athlete.  Mixing this with water and drinking it as a shake tastes like fitness to me.  It reminds me of the days when I really did do enough at the gym to warrant this kind of high protein drink.  These days, I probably don’t require it, but the memory of a me that did is motivation and I’ll take it.

And there you have it.  I’ve rekindled my fire for fitness.  I’m back in action.  I’m excited to work-out.  I’m eager to eat right.  I’m even considering cutting back on the wine.  Bikini seasons, here I come!

 

Its lunch break at the conference I’m attending.  A group of us are sitting down to our boxes of prepackaged salads, bemoaning the wilted lettuce and limited fat-free dressing choices.  Our talk turns, as usual to diet and exercise.  They know what my husband does for a living so they ask me a few fitness related questions.  One woman turns to me and says, “Doesn’t it make you jealous?”

“Jealous?  Why?” I ask.

“Jealous that your husband spends so much time with other women, women who are in great shape because they have a personal trainer?  That would drive me crazy.”

It is an odd moment, not only because of the backhanded insult she so smoothly delivered, but because I had actually never thought about it.  Although about half of my husband’s clients are men, the others are female.  And he does spend an awful lot of time with them.   Could I be jealous of all of the fit women my husband spends his days with?  Am I secretly bitter that I’m not one of them?

It’s strange because I have actually met very few of my husband’s clients.  They exist in my mind as first names and appointment times.  For most, I have an idea of how long he’s trained them, if they have children, but that is about it.  On the rare occasions that I do meet one, I am usually struck by how fit and gorgeous she turns out to be.

Several years ago we were invited to Halloween Party thrown by one of Jeff’s clients.  The theme was James Bond.  I don’t know much about that series and couldn’t decide which Bond Girl to be.  So, I settled on a generic 60’s minidress from a thrift shop.  I found some amazing white patent leather platform boots at a store specializing in “dancer” outfits.  I splurged on pair of thick nude tights to cover any cellulite that might be visible in a skirt that short.  I felt ok.

When we arrived at the party, we were greeted by our hostess dressed up as Catwoman.  She was stunning  in a skin tight black cat suit complete with thick silver collar and leash.  I had never met this woman before, only known that she was a long-time client.  I was in awe.  She would have looked incredible for a teenager but she was over 50.  I told Jeff, “She has the body of Britany Spears in her prime.  She is the best advertising you could hope for.”

I don’t recall being jealous or insecure or anything other than impressed.  I do recall thinking, “Wow, Jeff is really good at this.”

All my life, I’ve been around fabulous women.  I grew up with sisters and girlfriends.  I have always been close to my mom.  I work with far more women than men.   I cherish the women in my life.  I’ve never been jealous of my friends or sisters.  I’ve always been excited for their success.  I am a girls’ girl.  Most women I know are too.  We are champions for our friends.  We want the best for them.  We are thrilled when we see women we don’t even know succeed.  We feel a shared pride when a woman overcomes an obstacle and achieves her dream.  We don’t try not to be jealous, we just aren’t.

So am I envious that my husband has gorgeously fit clients?  On the contrary, I’m happy for him and for them.  I am fascinating by the clients who have trained with Jeff for years and years.  I am inspired by their commitment.

So I turn to the woman at my table and say, “No, I’m not jealous at all.  I have no reason to be.”

“Hmmph,” she mumbles and looks a little disappointed.  Clearly, she is not a girl’s girl. 

 

 

 

One benefit of having a PERSONAL TRAINER must be that you don’t have to come up with your own work-outs every day.  I know if I spent the time planning creative work-outs, I could probably come up with some.  But most days when I wake up blurry eyed and tired, I don’t stray too far from my three favorite exercises:  push-ups, lunges, and crunches.  I have found these exercises have kept me pretty fit and, with small modifications, they continue to be challenging after years of use.

Push Ups

To me, push-ups are the single most important upper body exercise.  I do about 300 a week.  This exercise covers every major muscle group from pectorals to deltoids to biceps and triceps.  Don’t believe me?  Try the 100 push-up challenge that my TRAINER husband likes to give his clients.  Do 5 sets of twenty push-ups or 4 sets of fifteen and 1 set of ten.  If you can complete this challenge, tomorrow the soreness in your muscles will illustrate exactly which muscles you’ve worked.

Push-ups are easily modified to make them easier, more difficult or more focused on particular muscle groups.  I generally do “girl” push-ups or knee push-ups.   These are still effective and you’ll find you can do more than standard push-ups.  A change in hand placement will change the muscles worked.  Further apart you’ll be working  your pectoral muscles, close to your body and slightly behind the shoulders, your triceps will do most of the work.  If I’m feeling ambitious, I put my legs up on a fit ball.  By placing any part of your leg on the ball, thigh to tops of feet, you can change the angle and intensity.  The further your hands are from the ball, the more challenging the push-up.

Lunges

I used to try to achieve the toned thighs I desire by lifting heavy weights at the gym.  My thighs will probably never be slim, but I thought they could at least be muscular.  I wasn’t afraid to put 80 lbs.  on a squat rack and go to town.  I lifted the heaviest weight I could on the leg press or hamstring curl.  I got pretty strong but I also think my legs got pretty big.  I’ve changed my strategy.

I now believe my body weight is more than enough for my legs to be lifting.  I rely on the many variations of lunges instead of super heavy weights.   I lunge forward and backward.  I do walking lunges around my exercise room.   When I’m lucky enough to be jogging outside, I love to stop and do walking lunges to break things up.  I lunge up on a Bosu ball and lunge down from on top of a bench.  I like to incorporate jumping lunges into circuits for a high-intensity bout of cardio.

Crunches

I’m not sure if “crunches” is the technical term but what I mean is any exercise that targets the abdominal muscles or the core.  Most of these exercises involve some kind of “crunch” or squeezing of the abs.  I like to think of the ab muscles as a built in corset and, if properly trained, they can pull in everything around your midsection.  Because of this, I try work my abs every day.  The trick to keeping this exercise effective is variety.  By mixing up the angles, the resistance and the movement, your body will continue to be challenged.

Basic crunch:  lie on your back, feet on the floor contracting abs as you curl up; this can be made more challenging by holding arms straight up above your head, holding a weight in your hands, or holding the contraction up for a few seconds before lowering

V-ups:  lie flat on the floor arms stretched out above your head, bring up your hands and feet at the same time to form a V; this is so challenging you may not need to make it harder but holding a weight  in your hands or  a medicine ball between your feet will certainly do so

Fit ball crunches:  lie back on a fit ball with feet on the floor and complete standard crunch motion;  work on balance by straightening your leg and holding while your crunch; work your oblique (side abdominal) muscles by crossing over left elbow to right knee and vice versa

Standing crunch:  stand feet apart and pull one knee up at a time as you contract your abs and curl into a C; Pull knee across your body toward opposite elbow to work the obliques

 

Using variations of these three exercises have kept my work-outs challenging and easy to plan.  For a full body work-out, I do circuits containing one of each type and a cardio bout.   Simple, challenging, and effective.

 

If all had gone as planned, I’d have completed two intense weeks of training for my 5k race by now.  Unfortunately, as usual, I have been unable to stick with a routine that involves a commitment to long cardio sessions.  So, two weeks in, I’m pretty much in the same shape as I was when I made this pledge.  Here’s why.

Week 1

Monday:  Set my alarm, assuming my birthday celebration hangover would be gone by day two…it wasn’t.  I turned off my alarm.

Tuesday:  No longer hungover but still sluggish.  My workout time consisted of watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as I “recovered” from sets of 10 pushups or 20 crunches.  (I really think Vicki looked better before her plastic surgery…and Tamara looks great this season, she’s anti-carb, it seems to be working…)

Wednesday:  Early in to work, no time

Thursday: Feeling lazy, 30 minutes of treadmill walking

Friday:  The week is already  a wash…no reason to wake up.

Not likely to be running a 5k at this rate, time to start over.

Week 2

Monday:  Insomnia kept me up most of the night, turned off my alarm.

Tuesday:  Middle of the night visits from both of my children and again, I’m up for hours.  Turned off my alarm…again.

Wednesday:  Finally, success!  Thirty minutes of cardio with a total of one mile of running (well, jogging).

Thursday:  Forty five minutes of interval training, I’ll do anything not to stay off the treadmill. 

Friday:  Thirty minutes of cardio, again alternating between half mile walking and jogging.  So far, I sustain a half-mile at a slow jog.  I’m not feeling ready to move on to week 2, particularly since the schedule suggests not moving on until you can run 2 miles without stopping.

Well there it is.  Two weeks into my forties and I’ve not accomplished much.  I once had a college professor who was trying to encourage us to pursue post-graduate degrees.  She said, “Five years will come and go and either you will have accomplished something or you’ll be in the same place you are today.”  I always think of those words as I find myself stagnating in the same place for too long.   Two weeks have come and gone and here I am in the same place.  If I’m not careful, five weeks will come and go and I’ll still be here.  So tomorrow, I’ll try again.  Week 1 take 3.