Success!

I can’t believe the two week blast is already over. Now I have to take a two-week hiatus until the next bootcamp session resumes. I am hoping I can keep my intensity and motivation up without Jen and Mike’s help.

When I started the blast I vowed to improve my food choices along with the exercise regime. I did just that and I’m happy to announce that I lost 3 pounds! In two weeks, the combination of intense workouts and meticulous food choices helped me to shed 3 pounds. That is measurable success.

Something else I noticed as a result of my bootcamp experience is that I’m developing tricep muscles. Last night I was stretching behind my back and I could see the muscles outlined in my arms. So, narcissistically, I flexed for myself in the mirror and was impressed with what I saw. I skipped proudly over to my husband and said, “feel this,” as I flexed my arm and had him run his hand down the back of it. “Nice tris,” he replied. A secondary confirmation! I’ll take it!

I’ve been noticing muscle definition in various places since beginning bootcamp but the triceps hold a special place in my heart. I’ve always had bigger arms and as a chubby teenager and college student I was always paranoid about my saggy arm fat. Seeing one of my most prevalent insecurities slowly being reversed is a thrill. For years I’ve lovingly (haha) referred to my arm flab as “bat wings” but lately the wingspan has seriously decreased.

Now with two weeks of bootcamp vacation ahead of me I am anxious yet intrigued to see how I manage on my own. I am confident that I’ve picked up enough pointers to maintain my current fitness level in order to keep moving forward come September 14.

Down and Dirty

In the interest of being honest and candid I have to say that Wednesday morning was my least favorite bootcamp session to date. It was the first time I actually gave up on an activity we were doing. I was a bit whiny and a lot miserable. But in keeping with my post from earlier this week about attitude and positivity, the happy spin on the workout is that I’m certainly sore today and am seeing more muscle tone.

Isn’t it funny how quickly my tune can change from blog post to blog post? This post today is an example of just that. My last post I talked about faking it till you make it. And I was able to keep that happy mantra on Tuesday night (and this morning too) but Wednesday found my weak spot…

We focused on chest and triceps. Normally this is an area of focus that I welcome; but, not this time. In an effort to keep things interesting, Mike had us trying new ways to hit these muscle groups. I’m no girly-girl but crawling on the ground threw dew-soaked grass is my idea of punishment. We not only got sweaty but wet and dirty to boot – yuck!

The obstacles we performed were a series of inch-worm-type movements, crab walks, plank walks, pushups, etc. They were hard and they hurt! I tried to stick it out and remind myself that I’d feel so good when it was over; but, I found myself asking Mike if I could run a lap instead of complete the course. Never in my life have I suggest running as an alternative – I guess there is a first time for everything! Instead, I finished up the routine doing bench push-ups while the rest of the women completed the circuit. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t stick it out but grateful for another non-dirty option.

Fortunately for me, in the 10 weeks that I’ve been attending bootcamp sessions, this is the first time I’ve given up and I hope that it is the last. I know I’m getting stronger and more fit. I just have to work on pushing myself to the next level and working through the painful moments. As long as we stay out of the dirt, I welcome any challenge Jen and Mike throw at me.

Tomorrow is the last session of this two-week blast. As I vowed at the beginning of the blast, I’ve focused on healthy eating in addition to consistently attending the camp sessions and the scale has shown me happy results. Camp is taking a two-week hiatus until it starts up again so in that time, I’ll see how hard I can push myself without the trainers’ assistance. I’m sure I’ll be ready for more come September 14 (just keep me out of the dirt!).

Fake It Til You Make It

This morning Jen sent out an email congratulating us on making it through the first week of bootcamp and noting the value of a positive mindset. As a group, we weren’t very chatty this a.m. and it’s possible that this lack of enthusiasm affected our workout. That said, even without much chatter, I still found myself sweating and panting.

I can’t speak for the group as a whole, but it certainly took me longer to wake up this morning than it had last week. Something about it being Monday and facing a new week tends to make me drag a little bit. But, by allowing the Monday mindset to affect my mood, I’m choosing to waste part of my day in a funk.

Jen’s email mentioned one of my favorite mantras: fake it til you make it. I have quoted this tidbit for various situations – adapting to a new job, moving to a new town and learning to fit it, grieving the loss of a loved one, and aspiring to a new fitness level. The mantra doesn’t imply putting on a front, but it asserts that by working through challenges and putting a positive spin on tricky situations will eventually lead to success.

Fortunately, with bootcamp we usually snap each other out of our morning stupors. A little conversation, and mutual pain gets us all laughing and motivating each other. But today we were all much more silent. The sun is rising later in the morning and the crickets seem to be louder than usual. It’s harder to wake up without the sun welcoming us but it is too easy to blame the season change for our moods. The email was right. We choose to have energy. When I wake up and my eyes droop I can tell myself – wake up. Let’s get this day started. I can talk myself in to having energy and pushing myself. Fitness is very dependent on mental well-being. If I am getting myself up, making it to Reeve Park, and working through the hour-long camp session, I need to fake my way to an energetic attitude if I want to make the most of it. There is no point in dilly-dallying through it. That’s just a waste of time.

Drenched in Sweat

I am proud to report that I am doing incredibly well achieving the trifecta of success I mentioned in my last post. Since my mini self discovery I have been focused on fueling my body with healthy foods and avoiding any overindulgence. Additionally I made it to all four bootcamp sessions so far and have been giving it my all. According to my morning peek at the scale, the efforts are starting to pay off.

Because of some crazy scheduling I haven’t been able to make it as a regular morning or evening camper and I keep alternating the two. It’s a great option to make the hour regime fit into my schedule. So, once again, I banged out two bootcamps within 10 hours. And both left me looking like this:


YIKES!

When I started this blog I vowed to the readers to be an open book about my experiences. Well, then the photo above is a little show-and-tell. Notice that there are few dry patches on that shirt. And no, it wasn't raining. While some of you might be a little grossed out by the sweat it is not something disgusts me. In fact it both pleases me and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

That sweated-up shirt is proof that the trainers are pushing me to work my body. And the dripping I’m doing validates that I’m doing my best to keep up with the routines and push myself through them.

So, what did we do in the two sessions that left me looking like I had been standing in the rain? Here’s the rundown…

Wednesday night challenged me by focusing on various upper body exercises with cardio spurts in between. We’d churn out sets of rows with jumping jacks in between and then move to lateral raises with butt kickers. We also used the gazebo at Reeve Park as a prop as we laced resistance bands around the benches. After plenty of lifting, jumping, pulling, running, etc. came the trickiest move of the night: plank rows. As if planks aren’t hard enough on their own, try balancing on one hand while rowing a weight toward your shoulder with the other. I toppled over a few times.

Thursday morning was a carnival of cardio. Mike set up 10 different obstacles for us to navigate. But it wasn’t just complete 10 and call it a day. No, we had to do each of the 10 for 20 seconds, six different times.

So… if you’re judging the sweaty shirt in the picture above, I dare you to come to a bootcamp session and see what your ensemble looks like when you leave.

Trifecta for Success: Attendance, Effort, Will-Power

I can tell already that I am going to love this two week blast. The hard-core workouts combined with my dedication to two weeks of focused healthy eating are going to be great. I am feeling very motivated and hope to keep up the positivity for at least two weeks. Small goals are easier to manage so I’m just focusing on these two weeks for now.

Last night’s workout was a killer way to get back to bootcamp mentality. The warm-up felt like a major cardio workout to me. The 90+ degree heat made sure that we were warmed up before we even started moving. Some running, jumping, butt-kicking, and high knees got my heart rate way up before the meat of the session even started.

Our focus was on upper body. The workout consisted of building blocks. A total of 5 moves built up on one another until we could barely move. Push-ups, overhead presses, tricep kickbacks, mountain climbers, and dips had me aching and sweating but still enthusiastic.

This morning kept the enthusiasm going. This time it was lower body. Lots of repetitions of some tricky moves. The group of women is fantastic. Everyone seemed to be pushing themselves and it really helped me to up my own efforts. Working out in a group environment with a motivating leader really is the best way for me to burn calories and build muscle. I couldn’t do it alone and I’m grateful for this great group of people to keep me going strong.

I am really amped up for a great two weeks. I can’t wait to see the changes and report them here.

Last night I was chatting with a fellow bootcamper who reads this blog. Together we noted that coming to bootcamp is one thing but pushing ourselves once we are there is just as important AND paying attention to the food we eat is pivotal. It sounds like I’m not the only one who struggles to maintain the trifecta – attendance, effort, will-power. It helps to know I’m not alone and also to know that these three things really are the keys to health and weight loss success.

In an email that Jen sent yesterday, she quoted Joseph Cambell. The quote is perfect for the start of a new camp session and perfect for my own personal re-commitment to healthy eating:

“We must be willing to give up the life we want in order to make room for the life that is waiting.”

The life that is waiting for me is one of health and strength and I’m on my journey to attain it.

Commitment and the Two-Week Blast

I’m really looking forward to the start of another bootcamp session. This week off has been pretty good and it has given me some time to do a little soul searching. Last session, as I wrote about many times, helped me to improve my fitness level immensely. I could feel my body improving as I was challenged and pushed. Because of that obvious improvement I expected to see more results on the scale. I didn’t.

Where I did see results is in my jeans. You know, we all have a favorite pair of jeans. Well, for the past few months I’ve avoided putting them in the dryer. They fit, but are always snug after washing and I certainly didn’t need to shrink them up in the dryer.

But, last week, after a washing, I pulled this pair of jeans on as easily as I did after a week of stretching out. They were loose. Baggy even! No matter what the scale says, I can’t argue with denim. Denim does not lie. It is the least forgiving fabric and I have to say, I like the truth these jeans are giving me.

With the success of the jeans I was pumped to get weighed and measured. I figured there must be some excellent results waiting for me. Unfortunately, something came up and I missed the post-camp evaluation day.

So, I weighed and measured on my own. Because I was doing this for myself it’s hard to say how completely accurate the measures are. But, from what I could see, I pretty much maintained the success I’d had from the first camp. For me, maintenance is great but I think I had higher expectations because of the huge improvements I’d seen that first session.

After a little reflection I’ve realized that I may have sabotaged my own success. Because of the great success of my first four weeks I got a little lax about food choices. Each weekend I had social events that I allowed to de-rail me. I believe with a little more self control I could have easily seen a weigh loss over the past four weeks but because of my indulgences I acted counter-productively. So, I’m committing myself to better choices. At least for the next two weeks. Then we’ll get another hiatus from bootcamp where I can evaluate my choices yet again.

The August 2-week blast starts Monday. But I’m committing to better eating habits today. The blast ends on Friday the 28th and by then my goal is to drop 3 pounds. It is possible and I can do it. The bootcamp workouts make it possible and the rest is up to me.

Measurable Improvements

In just two months my fitness improvements are not just in my head. I knew I was improving by the way I felt as I continued the sessions but these results show an awesome improvement from the first camp and even more improvement in these last 4 weeks.

Start: 6-13-09 9:15 minute mile 1 minute plank hold 3 regular pushups 29 knee pushups 63 sit-ups (3min)	7-03-09 8:22 minute mile 1:20 plank 4 pushups 45 knee pushups 75 sit-ups	8-07-09 8:22 minute mile 1:30 plank 5 pushups 45 knee pushups 89 sit-ups

It feels great to see measurable progress from the work I'm putting in.

Test Day

Today was the last day of my second bootcamp. On the final day of camp we complete a bunch of fitness tests to compare our fitness level from week one to week 4. It’s great to see the progress you can make in a few short weeks.

The tests we do remind me of gym class. Remember the Presidential Fitness Challenge? When I was in school, Phys Ed would bring my GPA down. In order to ace gym we were required to beat the Presidential Fitness Challenge. That challenge was made of four events and each had a goal. If you reached the goal for all four tests, you would ace PE. If not, the best you could hope for was a B+. I could never get higher than a B in PE because I didn’t stand a chance at reaching the fitness goals set for us.

It’s funny because most people gain weight or lose their active lifestyles as they get older. I’ve done the opposite. Lately, I credit Great Valley Adventure Bootcamp for my weight loss and fitness improvement. And the way I know I’m improving is through these fitness tests.

It’s funny, because I still wouldn’t ace PE based on the president’s fitness goals, but I’d probably manage an A-.

I remember being one of the last kids in my class to complete the mile. I could never finish it without walking. Mile-day was by far the worst day of any semester. Today, we ran the mile and I completed it in eight minutes and 22 seconds. 7 seconds over the presidential goal for a 17-year-old girl. Granted, I’m 26, but 17 is the oldest I can find the standard for.

President’s goals for 85th Percentile:
Mile Run: 8:15
Sit-ups: 44 in a minute
Push-ups: 25

My fitness today:
Mile Run: 8:22
Sit-ups: 89 in 3 minutes (Average 29/minute)
Push-ups: 5 regular, 44 knee

While I’m just below president’s standards I have far exceeded anything I was capable of in my youth. The best part is that I no longer dread the mile. In fact, I looked forward to today as a test of how far I’ve come.

My eventual goal is to break an 8-minute mile. I am realistic and don’t expect that to happen over night. I imagine it will take me another 2-3 bootcamp sessions to break that goal. I’ve despised running for as long as I can remember. I’ve never been capable of it and so I’ve hated it. While running may never be my activity of choice, I no longer dread it as I once did.

Later this week I expect Mike will give me my fitness comparisons. I know I improved since the end of last camp but I will post the specifics later this week. Stay tuned...

A Royal Flush

What a fun way to burn calories! Today, Mike made bootcamp into a competition. He took our minds off of the sweating and panting we were doing and put our focus on winning a mystery prize. How did he do it? He challenged us to a game of poker.

When I arrived at 5:25 this morning, I saw Mike wandering around the park. In my fuzzy morning state I didn’t think much of it. But then, mere moments later, he explained what he had in store for us. We were going to play 5 card draw. But there was no dealer. That morning Mike had placed various piles of cards in each corner of the park. Instead of drawing from a deck, we had to run to find the card piles in order exchange our hand.

As we ran from corner to corner of the park collecting our 5-card hands, we returned to the center of the park to do an exercise which coordinated with each number we drew. Of course, the better the card in your hand, the more difficult the exercise. God forbid I get four aces!

We spent nearly the entire hour running to the decks and swapping out our cards in order to make the best possible hand. As I concentrated on pulling the missing King of Clubs for my Royal Flush, I lost track of how out of breath I was or any pain I might have been in. My concentration was on finding that card and beating the odds.

After everyone had the chance to exchange their cards, do their stationary exercises, and put their best hand together, Mike examined our collections. The hands were close: two women had full houses but I came out victorious as I did stumble upon my missing King of Clubs just before the final ante. Tomorrow I’ll find out what prize Mike has in store for my jackpot.

It was great to be the winner of the mystery prize but it was even greater to spend and hour running around on a silly mission. The best part is that on this silly mission I was working out. Other than jumping on a moon bounce as a 10-year-old, this is the most fun I’ve had burning calories. I hope Mike pulls out this deck again in the next bootcamp session.

Week 4: Painfully Awesome

I’m having conflicting feelings about week four:

Feeling #1: I am in pain from having my butt kicked by Jen and Mike and I wish it were easier.
Feeling #2: I am stronger from having my butt kicked by Jen and Mike and it has gotten much easier.

I attended Monday’s evening bootcamp with both Jen and Mike. I was pushed to my limit. I repeatedly had to ask Jen “are you kidding me?” as she encouraged the group to move from one exercise to the next with minimal breaks. This session was no joke.

We started off with jumping, running, skipping, high-knees, butt kicks, and leaping. Yes, that’s right, that is just how we began the evening. We continued focusing on lower body combined with shoulder work, with some plyometrics mixed in for good measure. Every time I thought I was going to get a water break we were given the next task to start. My heart rate was up the entire time, I poured sweat, I grunted, and I cheered.

While I was taken back by the difficulty of the exercises we were doing, I was more shocked by the fact that my body could actually handle them. Sure, I had to take a few pauses between squats and raises, but overall I completed a huge feat. Within the past two weeks (not to mention the previous camp session) I have felt amazing improvements in my fitness capabilities. Monday night’s camp solidified those feelings.

I was able to keep up with all of the other campers. And, while my legs and arms felt like play-doh yesterday, I’m not nearly as sore as I thought I would be. My muscles are getting used to working hard and recovering from the exertion. I am anxious to see my measured progress on Friday when we do our time trials for the mile, push-ups, sit-ups, and plank holds.