Jumping Hurdles

I'm feeling badass these days! Why?

I'll tell you why.

I had a great discussion with a friend, Isabel, about my workouts. I've never been able to figure out how to come up with an optimal plan that will get me to where I want to be. Sure, everyone can randomly do a lat pulldown or a chest press, but when and how do you do them in a way that will actually get you to a point where you're feeling and seeing your muscles get stronger?

She helped me understand the difference between certain movements, the block program, and bunches of other things. Basically, together we got a fantastic program put together for me, and after one day of trying the full body routine, I was feeling amazing.

Of course I go to do the second day, and viola! I get a call from my mother-in-law saying Madelyn has a really high fever.

So much for a workout!

After thinking about it, I don't mind starting all over again on Monday.

Here's where I jumped a major hurdle: I did squats in front of everyone at the gym. Yes, you heard me. I DID SQUATS! IN FRONT OF PEOPLE! Woo hoo!

I almost didn't, though...I actually looked over at the free weights section, saw two dudes standing there, and walked into the bathroom. I didn't have to use it. I could have gone into the locker room and stay there, but I didn't. I walked into the locker room and went straight for the bathroom. I felt like if I did that, anyone watching me would think I had left the room with a purpose.

Um. Hello. Now that I repeat that statement on paper, I have said to myself, "Do you really think anyone is watching you enough that you need to prove you had a purpose in leaving the gym!?"

Silly. Totally and utterly silly. No one cares about me that much. I'm a stranger there. I don't go around watching the people in the gym. I might glance at them, but I pay attention to my workout. Not the people. Hi, silly...so does everyone else.

Anyways, I looked in the mirror and said to myself, "If you don't do it now, when you have to, you'll never do it, and you'll never get to wear you want to be."

I walked out of the bathroom, through the locker room, and I grabbed the 30-pound dumbbells. And I did two sets of ten. I caught someone looking at my butt. Nerves kicked in, but I looked away and up, and busted the last set out.

I spent ten minutes in the locker room cooling down. I worked myself hard that day. Harder than ever.

This is the second instance in my life, when it comes to fitness, that I've realized it's all in your mind. Your mentality is what will decipher if you survive. If you think you can't, you won't. If you think you can, you will. You have to jump that mental hurdle, and tell yourself it's stupid to not do something for a reason as silly as "people watching you".

I'm ready to conquer this weight loss battle. I'm ready to start seeing some muscle growth. I'm ready to start feeling the energy that comes with those two goals. I'm ready to start feeling better, stronger, and happier.