The Power Of A Push Up!

I might be losing it but I was sitting on my floor the other day having a little happy cry and all over the fact that I just did four push ups in my daily workout.

It’s a funny thing because for a long time I thought a person (or at least I) could do without structured exercise since I could stay fit with just every day living and activity. Then came kids and life slowed way down. It’s hard to get the heart rate going while walking at a three year old’s pace, you know? I started running again last spring and had great success getting up to running 30 minutes at a time but then at the end of the summer life got busy and I started wondering how I would continue through the winter. I definitely don’t want to be hurt, slipping on the ice or otherwise.

Enter Turbo Fire. I was gifted with this video set and my first thought was “Oh my gawd! I could never get into this!”

Think perky, blond american instructor dancing and boxing at high speed! It didn’t look like my kind of thing but then reading an online acquaintance’s great experience losing more than 50 lbs and getting fit in less than a year thanks to this program I thought it was at least worth a shot.

I was completely dispirited when I tried the first class. It was labeled “EZ” and supposed to be a breakdown of the moves. It was still SO fast and I didn’t understand most of the moves very well. I was ready to give up but I didn’t.

I just went slowly and learned the choreography in parts on my next try. After about the third time I really started to get it and each new cardio workout hasn’t been too hard to learn thanks to getting that first class’s moves down. It turns out that that perky, blond american instructor is actually really inspiring. I really do feel like she’s talking to me and encouraging me to push harder and to dig a little deeper.

The program is broken down to videos for cardio, strength training, flexibility and stretching and high intensity interval training (short, intense workouts) and the only equipment needed are a couple sets of resistance bands (the kind with handles and a lower body band kind that can be tied into a loop) and a yoga mat.

Before I started I don’t think I realised just how out of shape I had got! I couldn’t even do one push up! It was a shock but it also motivated me to start the nine week prep rotation. Nine weeks of getting myself used to the program before starting the more serious twenty week calendar.

I was five weeks in when I had my happy cry on the floor. I had seriously surprised myself when I was able to do four proper push ups after the ab burning Core workout. I grunted all the while I did it and finish the last few with my knees on the floor and and feet in the air but I felt pretty damn proud! I can’t wait to see how I feel once I start the actual 20 week schedule!