You Want Cheese with that Whine?

Thanks for the support on my last post! It's been an interesting little journey, and one that I hope keeps on giving.

I keep wanting to start working on strength training more, but, to be honest, I just don't find it very interesting or engaging. I don't know why. It's not even the reason many women give of not-feeling-comfortable-lifting-weights-in-front-of-guys (in my mind, I'm not there to look cute, I'm there so I can look cute later. Hi-yo!). Maybe it's because I don't get the same rush I get from running and other cardio. The same feeling of immediate results. I keep meaning to try the Bodypump classes at my gym, which is a sort of group-lifting-in-rhythm (from what I can see through the class window). I'm not sure if I'm interested in a personal trainer, but that's probably because I'm not in a financially-advantaged position at the moment. I've got a couple of books that I could use (New Rules of Lifting for Women and Sculpting Her Body Perfect) sitting on my bookcase, gathering dust. So, at some point, I'm sure I'll just suck it up and cart myself into the weight room. Soon, because it'll be hot enough to swim in about a week or two, and I'm as vain as the next person in wanting to look decent in my swimsuit. But dontcha wanna hear me whine about it just a little bit more...?

So, yeah, my March race = FAIL. Last Saturday rolled around and I just decided that I didn't want to put up with running an impromptu 5K that I hadn't researched much and didn't know anyone who had done it and whose website I wasn't a huge fan of (and, and, and), so I did a 7-miler instead, then had a massive (well, a larger than usual) Tex-Mex breakfast at Juan in a Million (of Man vs. Food fame). As far as 7-milers go, it was pretty enjoyable. Nice spring weather, lots of people out, beautiful scenery...a great time had by all. I'm not feeling too guilty about the lack of a March race since I'm doing two 10Ks this month. The first one is next weekend and is more of a fun run for me. The second, two weeks later, will be a real deal. And I may even race the 5K that I originally signed up for, which has been allegedly rescheduled in May and will give me two races for that month. We shall see.

Any advice on getting oneself into the weight room and/or making it interesting?

Any good cheese-and-wine combos?

Traditional vs. Circuit

I recently received an email from Gold's for a free PT session, so I went in today to use it. I wanted to see if I could learn anything about using the weight room and performing exercises using free weights. However, like the last trainer I worked with, he showed me how to do a circuit. He assured me that it would burn fat quicker than doing traditional resistance training, which involves doing 2 or 3 sets, then moving to a different exercise. As in the circuit that the previous PT demonstrated for me, this circuit involved small bursts of cardio. I'm sure I would have appreciated this more...had I not already done 25 minutes on the elliptical prior to the PT appointment. We did about 8 different exercises, doing one rep of each, moving quicking between each exercise, and did the circuit 3 times.

Overall, he was helpful, and did show me how to do a barbell squat (though I had to ask him), but I still really wanted to work more with the free weights and learn how to do traditional resistance training. I don't really see anyone in there doing circuits on their own, so are circuits truly where-it's-at? It makes me wonder if the trainers are supposed to tell all the free clients the same thing, then maybe cater more to their requests once they become paying clients. Or maybe I'm just thinking about that too hard. Conspiracy!

Anyway, I've been reading a couple of resistance training books geared towards women. The first, New Rules of Lifting for Women, gives you specific exercises to do in specific stages. The other book, Sculpting Her Body Perfect, recommends three different stages, but gives you a number of exercises to choose from in order to design your own routine. You do your whole body three times a week, using one exercise per area of the body. At the moment, I'm leaning towards Sculpting to get started, and maybe continue on with NROLW when I become more comfortable in the weight room.

I'm visiting my parents in the town where I grew up, so I'll get in a couple of runs on FLAT ground, which will be nice. I'll also get to run through our neighborhood, which is always an adventure, and kinda nice. And maybe, after these runs, I'll announce something BIG! Whoosh! Such a tease...