Boot Camp: Ann

Our boss approached our Friends group with a unique Christmas gift proposal this year: instead of giving us 

a big supply of candy (which we all enjoy a little too much), would they be willing to join her in giving us the opportunity to have some workout sessions with a personal trainer? We all agreed, and after a lot of mental exercise on her part, she handed us our schedule. Our first visit would be on Martin Luther King Day when the library was closed.

None of us knew quite what to expect, and I think we were all a little nervous. All of us have been pursuing fitness
in our own ways, but we’d never tried to do anything together. As we gathered in the front of the gym, we named
our goals. Though I continue to battle my weight, my main goal for this series is building upper body strength.
I’d like my arms to be strong enough to do some of the work when I have to lift, push, or pull.

Our trainers, Alex and Anthony, put us in two groups of three. Each group was to do a circuit of exercises. The
 trainers were young and fit, but took our sizes and ages into account and set up reasonable exercises for a bunch
 of women “of a certain age.”  I had a little trouble getting the hang of the kettle bell swing, but once I got it, I liked
 doing it. A couple of familiar weight moves were too hard with the 10-pound weights they set out, so I wimped
 down to the 8 pounds. I felt that, with some modifications, I was handling this workout pretty well. And then
 came the sled.

My group of three had been on the upper body circuit when we started, and we had all seen our friends pushing
 a weighted sled up and down the length of the gym. They were clearly working hard with every step forward. 
I could see one 45-pound weight on top, and another weight the same size beneath that. My mad math skills
 figured the added weights were therefore 90 pounds. I have no idea what the sled itself weighed, but judging
 by the strain on my friends’ faces as they pushed it, it was plenty. My turn for the sled came. I got behind it, 
grabbed the bars, and pushed. Nothing happened. No movement at all. I might as well have been pushing a 
brick wall. I could not believe it. I was going to be the only one in the group who couldn’t push the sled. I was
 going to face the humiliation of asking the trainers to lighten the load. That seemed much more shameful than 
wimping down to 8 pounds for overhead presses, and I couldn’t face it.  I let go of the bars, shook out my arms,
reexamined my stance, bent my elbows, leaned in, and gave it all I had. It slid forward! Now all I had to do was
 keep it going. Every muscle in my legs, every muscle in my back, every muscle in my arms was engaged. As I 
approached the other end of the gym, I felt my heart pounding just as it does when I try to run. I checked my 
Fitbit, and my heart rate had hit 108.  We each did the sled push a total of four times. I wish I could say it got
 easier with each trip, but I was taught to be honest. However, with each trip, I grew more confident. I also 
looked forward to the relative ease of the kettle bell swing and weighted squats.

And how did I feel the morning after? Honestly, there was pain here and there. A little stretching, a little
 Tylenol, and a little Biofreeze got me through the morning. Shoveling the snow that fell the other night may
 have helped a bit, too. And my motivation to do work out sore muscles with my usual back exercises and a few steps
 on the mini-trampoline was strong the next night. I’m proud of myself, proud of my friends, and looking forward to 
learning more about how to build strength on our next visit to the gym.