Hard Working...Or Hardly Working

Its been another great week in terms of life in general. Some things haven't gone as planned, such as getting my workouts in for the week, but others have gone exceptionally well; namely my client's training.

For those who don't know, I train out of the Bangor YMCA. Along with training single clients, I also work with a group of 4 women who are part of our "Biggest Mover" program. These ladies are kick ass. They do exactly what I tell them (sometimes with a little attitude) and they do what it takes to accomplish their goals while in the gym. Over the past 14 weeks, they have each lost a significant amount of weight, which is the goal of the program, toned up their bodies, lost inches from their waist, arms, hips, thighs, and numerous other areas; and they're still driving head on to keep that progress up. Not only do they push themselves during their workouts, but they continue that work outside the gym (or so they tell me, but I have to believe them because it physically shows) with their diets, daily walks, and other forms of exercise.

Now when these ladies first came to me 14 weeks ago, I have to say they struggled. And I don't mean they struggled simply because they had a hard time catching their breath, moving a weight, or completing another rep, but they also struggled mentally. They complained....ALOT! Luckily, I was able to let it go in one ear and out the other until it ceased. (Now they just complain for the sake of complaining)

But the point is, they had to push themselves past limits they didn't know they'd even be getting to, let alone conquering. These ladies did quite a bit of hard work in a very short period of time. I drove them into the ground each and every workout and they did everything they could to come out on top. For this I am not only proud, I am simply amazed. Not only for the fact that they are accomplishing their goals, but now they are showing not only a NEED to work out, but a DESIRE to work out as well. After one of our sessions this week which ended up a little shorter than normal, these 4 ladies stayed and not only completed the workout I had intended them to finish, BUT THEY STARTED TO GO BACK THROUGH PREVIOUS WORKOUTS!!!!

I couldn't believe it. They had finally gotten to the point where they seemed to enjoy the workouts enough that they couldn't get their fill of them, and this is a desire that needs to be instilled within the entire population. Working out shouldn't be a chore, a struggle, or a problem, it should be fun, enjoyable, and effective. When it comes down to it, hard work, should feel like you're hardly working.

So once again for those who are ready for the challenge, here's this week's workout designed to sit you on your ass and make you feel like you did something you may thought you wouldn't be able to accomplish when you finish. Best of luck!

Dynamic Warm Up
- prisoner squats 12x
- arm circles 8x both ways
- reverse lunges 5x each leg
- walkout to pushup 6x
- walking lunges 5x each leg
- seal jumps 20x
- hip adduction 8x each leg
- side lunges 8x each leg


1A) Diesel Rows 4x10
1B) DB Incline Chest Flies 4x12
1C) DB Cleans 4x10
- use a weight that is challenging for both the Flies and the Cleans
2A) Rope Walkouts 3x5
2B) Planks 3x fail
2C) Bridges 3x15
2D) DB Chest Press 3x12
2E) Stairs 3x3

3A) Mountain Climbers 5x20
3B) Jump Rope 5x100
3C) Turkish Get up 5x3