Workout Wednesday... Where did February go?

Time is disappearing before me lately. It feels like no time has passed since Christmas. On Tuesday next week, I start my new job; quickest months' notice ever! So here's a little update on what I've been up to.

Firstly, I went spinning! At 7am. On a Monday morning. Three times. I'm so proud of myself. I never thought I would even go spinning three times in my life, let alone before work! Somehow, it gets me super pumped and awake and ready to face my working week.

I'm finding that this whole fitness business is spreading across my life. Like on Sunday, the beautiful sunshine came out to play. Instead of going to the river & sitting by a pub consuming endless calories, I decided to take to Richmond Park with a friend and stomp around for a couple of hours. We saw stampeding deer, pretty flowers and generally skipped about while loving life. I always feel so refreshed after a nice afternoon burning off some energy in the park!

 

I also realised in the last week that I am most definitely a gym addict. Not a bad thing to realise. Positively brilliant, actually. I may not quite have the body yet but it's definitely in progress. I no longer have any hesitance in heading into the weights area. I know what I'm doing, what I need and go at it like there's no tomorrow. I claim my space, shred my muscles, tidy up and go. I feel safe and strong there and I love that.

 

One of my happiest moments in my journey so far is this picture below. Yes, lots of filters are added on but that's to emphasise the shadowing; I took the pictures in awful changing room lights. I have never had muscle definition anywhere except my calves before. I've always been really weak in my upper body and never loved my arms. But now they're shredding fat, growing muscle and looking swole. Obviously they don't look like that all the time but the shoulder / arm workout I did that day gave me a super pump. I was so impressed that I just had to document it.

 

If any of you have progress pictures, I'd love to see them. I spot a few on twitter and it gives me another bout of determination to keep up my hard work and watch my own progress develop!

Workout Wednesday... Back on the grind

Last Wednesday, I came home from work to a letter from my gym saying they are going to close permanently as of the 20th December! There's two VA gyms in my area, "not financially viable", "we regret", blah blah blah.
 
I was devastated. I love my little gym. It's not huge and it's not over-subscribed. It's full of friendly staff and members and there's almost always something that you want free. The yoga classes have become a staple in my life and part of what keeps me sane. The facilities are well-kept and the luxury of having a jacuzzi etc is a lovely bonus in a somewhat dreary world.
 
I struggle to adjust to changes that I don't initiate so I was worried that the loss of my life line was going to make my world fall apart. I am also a drama queen, occasionally.
 
Luckily, the lovely bods at Virgin Active realised that this would ruin several people's lives and have created a special transfer membership for us to the other, swankier, bigger VA gym in Kingston. For only a slight increase in price, I get access to almost twice as much as before; two jaccuzzis, double the size of gym, double the size of the pool, twice as many classes and more.
 
So I don't think my world is going to fall apart. I think it's going to be a challenge getting myself into a new routine with the classes etc but there's more classes that will help me to achieve my cardio goals as I really fail at it on my own! Plus a friend of mine trains there so he's gonna be my buddy from time to time and help me when I've lost motivation! I'm almost at the point of being excited about starting at the new gym too and I'm hoping the change will create fresh motivation in me!
 
Back to the current routine...
 
I was still poorly with a chest infection last week so I decided to give myself a good rest to recover and not hit hardcore cardio or weights. I went to a lovely Dynamic Yoga class as a tester at the new gym and for a really gentle swim after but that's literally all I did all week!
 
Sunday afternoon came; I was fully recovered and itching to get my hands on some heavy metal so I took the opportunity and went so hard my arms still ache today! 

 
I definitely noticed the setback that the sickness and time off caused. I'm weaker than I was two weeks ago and quite annoyed about it but it's made me more determined to get back to where I was and progress from there.
 
Sunday was biceps / chest day and I definitely felt the burn! Monday was legs day and I squatted hard and, magically, at a deeper angle than I have before! Tuesday was yoga and a good chance to stretch out the burn and clear my head.
 
I've set myself a challenge for the next week: attempt a spin class! I'm a little scared but I definitely need to up the cardio and the fat burn!
 
What challenges do you set yourselves? I'd love to try more challenges and shake things up sometimes!