Yesterday morning I woke up with no real aches and pains to speak of – which is quite fortunate at my age. Also quite rare. It was good but there was a nagging voice in my head reminding me that I had been promising myself to find such an ache free day to go to a Body Pump class at the gym for the last 145 Mondays.
Pump is my favourite gym class. I get to use the present tense although I hadn’t been for about ten years, simply because it’s still my favourite class. Also the only class I have attended since I was 16.
It focuses on low weight loads and high repetition movements and covers all the major muscle groups one upbeat track at a time. It’s a great class because you don’t have time to get bored or too tired – as soon as the track changes you move onto another muscle group and then you just have to get to the end of that song – and huzzah you’re done.
So I got my gym clothes out of the very bottom of the discarded clothes pile, popped on my gym shoes and made my way. I go to the gym quite often but I stick to the treadmill and the machines that don’t require group participation and I look at the communal classes and I feel like an alien. Body Pump requires all sorts of equipment gathering so I had to get there early, gather a step and weights and a barbell and courage and all of that kind of stuff. And then pretend I wasn’t slightly awestruck by how many people attended classes at 9:30am when there are perfectly good beds they could sleep in.
The class began and I was reminded what it was about this class used to love. The loud music, the repetitive motions, the fact that if you squinted at a certain angle it looked like I knew what I was doing. The fact that the class was so full I couldn’t see the mirror
I was having a ball. I felt like Olivia Newton John in Physical.
I was surprised at how strong I was, how fit I seemed, I was really managing to do this class. Even though my weights could best be described as er, lights, I was blitzing this class. I didn’t miss many beats.
When it came to an end I could hardly believe it, I decided next time I would be using heavier weights, I clearly hadn’t lost my Body Pump touch, or strength. What do they say about pride and falling?
I walked out with a smile, told the instructor I loved her (I’m one of those people) and went to get my keys and wallet. It was when I got to the stairs to go down to my car that I realised I was in big trouble. My feet couldn’t actually do the downward motion. I had lost all ability to walk down stairs. I shuffled over to the side and held on to the railing. I considered sitting down for a few days, or maybe phoning my husband and telling him to come and rescue me. I think it was my shame that eventually got me to the car.
As the day progressed the pain got worse.
Lying in bed last night I thought I had contracted man flu – my pain was intense and I could not stop complaining. When I eventually fell asleep (after taking codeine based pain relievers) I dreamt that I was in hospital undergoing surgery.
I have realised that I am not fit and I am not strong. But I can point out every single muscle that I worked yesterday. Well I can’t actually point because triceps, biceps and shoulder muscles are involved and I can’t move those. But I can tell you they are sore.
I will go back as soon as I can move again. Give me another 145 Mondays.
Oh Lana! I’m sorry but this made me laugh, but mostly in sympathy! I’m doing a home based rehab program at the moment to work on nutrition, exercise and rest and try and recover (well more like improve a little) my endurance and health because my list of chronic illnesses continues to grow. But I make it through 3.5 minutes and I’m flat on the floor thinking I’ve just done the London Marathon! But even then even though I’m meant to go for 7 minutes, then 30 seconds rest (ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?!) then 7 minutes of a different circuuit then number 1 then number 2 again….I would rest until I could breathe then do the second circuit then stop. And I STILL ache like crazy! I too can point to the muscles I worked! In my case I’m determined to keep going but seriously!!? Who invented these crazy workouts!
Three and a half minutes is half way there – you are a bloody iron woman xxx
Love the post stare wobble hobble after any gym workout. It’s mandatory…. codeine not so much. Rest up, fluid up, we’ve all been there. Maybe a cheeky inflammatory more so than codeine, but close enough.
I mixed my codeine with an anti-inflammatory – surely that’s a brilliant idea
Oh that did make me laugh. I vaguely remember those days of after exercise muscle pain and walking down stairs was the pits. Magnesium will help a lot. Feel better soon. x
I thought for a moment you said a Magnum would make me feel much better. I was quite excited xxx
Oh Lana you are gorgeous! Don’t change at all ever!
Thank you Cathy xxxx
I used to have that trouble at my last gym but my new gym has no stairs!!
Feel better soon
I wonder if they have a little camera set up there and then at the staff Xmas party they show a reel of clients trying to get down the stairs as entertainment. I prefer your new gym xx
Oh Lana, I sympathise COMPLETELY. My partner is a cross fit nut/coach and has been for two years (while I had two years off anything) just started 3 weeks ago doing PT sessions with him. I understand the pain. Rolling over in bed hurts! I love pump classes too, might have to schedule one in. Thanks for the morning laugh.
Thanks for your comment. Let’s compare notes again soon. xxx
Oh for your sake I hope that the old idea of the pain peaking at day 2 or 3 is NOT true. I reckon it’s safest to sit on the couch and exercise those limbs by breaking off another bit of choccie.
Let’s just say I am regretting the fact that we live in a double story house! But the choccie exercise I can do xxx