Post holiday bootcamp

Hello everyone


I've been off for a few days enjoying the hospitality of our very own Co Galway.  Oh and before I went, I lost 4ibs courtesy of the new Weight Watchers program which I was thrilled about.... may have found those 4ibs when I was away but I will let you know if that is the case on Thursday when I get weighed in (yikes!)


So, boobies strapped into the old sports bra, jelly belly safely tucked into the elasticated waist band of the old trackie bottoms and I hit Kilbogget for my post holiday bootcamp class.  Humidity in the air, I was sweating before I even got there and then I spotted my old friend 'The Rope'. 


Slim Jim Paula was the instructor of the evening and just got there for the beginning of the warm up.  Jogging around in a circle, changing direction, stretching, bending and a serious amount of sweat later, warm up done, dusted, bought the t-shirt etc... and lungs about to collapse at any given moment, we step into the loop of 'The Rope' (don don donnnnnn).


We ran and ran and ran, rope up at shoulder level, up over head, down by the side..... The Rope is an amazing addition to an already great workout.  It adds a little weight to your arms, even though it's not heavy as such, you feel a little more like a soldier in the field as opposed to a middle aged, overweight jelly flopping monster trying to maintain a little dignity while being viewed by what seems like the entire country of Spain in the form of their teenage students!!!!


Anyways..... I was slightly delighted with myself because we ran a great deal last night and although I was absolutely wrecked, I ran a great deal!!!! The thing with this bootcamp I have found, is that my recovery time is less and less each week.  Yes I'm totally fecked running but it seems like I now only need the 20 seconds to regain my composure, dignity and breath.... when I first started I probably, in all honesty, needed about a minute or 2 to recover properly so it's definitely working, fitness is coming :0) 


We did squats, burpees, lunges all before doing ab work with the AB QUEEN herself.  She loves the props and the ab work does our Paula and likes it more when we are in a little bit of pain doing it, odd!!!!  I had a little bit of difficulty getting out of the bed this morning but that's good right?  I can definitely see the difference in my shape since beginning this journey and now that I am finally actually loosing a bit of weight, I feel I'm on my proper journey now. 


Positivity guys and gals, it works wonders xxx

Until next time my jelly watchers ..... start your journey xxx

Abs of Steel, Arms of Arnie, Legs of Jelly

I went to Weight Watchers on Thursday for my first weigh in.... feeling light, feeling I had lost weight..... Eh, no, stayed the same WTF!!!!! Seriously, WTF!!!!! Ok, so, I have to think positivly.  I was actually lighter than what I thought I was to start off with so that was a bonus and in fairness, I went out and had a fantastic time at the weekend so maybe the whole Party Points thing was a little bit of an excitment that I got completely carried away with..... not really realising how many points I was actually consuming BUT I stayed the same, I didn't gain soooooooo positive thoughts.

I turned up to my bootcamp the night before getting weighed ...... lashings of rain ..... dedicated.com

Myself, another dedicated bootcamper and our instructor, slim jim Paula hang around under a tree for shelter while we wait for more people...... mmmmmm, riiiiiiggggghhhhhttttt...... they were all at home, curled up on their armchairs watchin telly with a cup of tea and a ginger nut ..... feckers

So myself and my fellow madser are informed by Paula that tonight we will be doing 'The Rope'.  Now, The Rope, I'll explain, is like the size of a rope that you would tie a boat up with, it's huge.... somewhere out in the harbour there are boats without their ropes and I know who has them (eh, bodytoners bootcamp, you know who you are).....I have done the rope bootcamp, I have done the rope bootcamp with 10 people and it's hard, it's heavy and it's tiring so with just 2 people it was like literally dragging 10 dead bodies behind us but nonetheless, we ran and ran and ran, lifting the rope up to shoulder height, lifting the rope over our heads, strangling Paula with it.... oh, no, wait, that was a dream :0)  You seriously have no idea how much a rope can add to your workout.  Such a simple addition, such a simple idea and yet the resistance it adds to your workout is unbelievable.  We were wrecked.com but it was brilliant to have done it, you feel absolutely brilliant about yourself when you do bootcamp, I cannot stress that enough.  I feel brilliant :0)

Tonights bootcamp was also brilliant and no rope this time but Paula loves the old props so this time she had cones layed out all over the little area we use.  There were 10 of us tonight which was great.  We had to start, in a line side by side, doing 10 burpees, sprinting to the next cone and doing 9 pushups, sprinting to the next cone and doing 8 burpees, next cone 7 pushups and so on.  Arms like Arnie at this stage and defo dropped my lungs around the 8 rep point :0)  Around again and this time we had to do 30 seconds of squats, crawl like a crab to the next cone (yes, I said crawl like a crab, not attractive) do 30 seconds of lunges, crab crawl to the next 30 secs of squats and so on until we got back to the beginning.  Legs like Jelly at this stage and lungs are still missing.  Drop to the ground and we do 30 reps of ab exercises, up and do 30 squats, drop and do more ab work, up and do more leg work.  Abs of Steel now...... I actually think I may have died in there at some point though :0)

Such a great workout and although it's tough, it's meant to be tough.... it's not easy, it's not meant to be easy.   If it wasn't tough and it was easy, everybody would be in shape and fit!!!!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Until next time my darlings, be well, stay focused and take the first step xxx

Health, Wellbeing and Hanna!!!!!

Hey everyone

So, last week I joined Weight Watchers.  Realistically, I don't think the Protein Diet suited me... not sure why but I just know I was maintaining weight while working out which was fine, at least I wasn't putting it on but I just felt after 7 weeks of working my ass off, I should be about a stone lighter and while my clothes were fitting slightly better I just didn't feel like it was reflecting what I was putting into it.

Anyways, Thursday will be my first weigh in so I will let you know how I get on with that!!! Feeling positive about it..... there are Party Points to use!!!! Party Points!!!!! Captain Morgan, how the hell are ye? Haven't had a moment with you in a while :0)  I went out on Saturday night and blew every last one of the party points but climbed Bray Head the next day under the heat of Sunday's sun so I think I may have cancelled out the indulgence but the scales won't lie so we'll see!!!!

Went to Kilbogget Bootcamp last night.  Hanna was there, ready as ever, to give us the soldier treatment.  We started with jogging for the Warm Up..... Jogging.... Me..... Warm Up..... they just don't really mix well!!! I am in a heap after about 10 seconds and with Hanna loving the whole 'lets just jog' thing, I just die BUT 5 mins pass and the lungs drop back into place with a few deep breaths and we're off!!!  

It was real bootcamp (I actually say that like none of the others have been 'real' but they've all been 'real' believe me)... What I mean by 'Real' bootcamp is what I thought of bootcamp before joining, like what you see soldiers do on their assault courses complete with camaflauge.... Ok, so, there was no camaflauge (it would come in handy sometimes to be honest, the kids are off school and so we have a huge audience lately) but we crawled, squated, jogged, sprinted, press up'd, sit up'd and burpee'd our way across Kilbogget Park much to the amusement of the kids who were 'scarle' for us'!!!!

There are a few little hills around the park (for fit people these are NOT hills, just bumps in the grass but for me and my fellow bootcampers, these are actually more like mountains).  Standing in a line, group split into 2, we had to run up the hill complete with Medicine Ball being pushed up and down as we ran up the hill and jogged back down, handing the ball to the next in line - nearly took several tumbles down the hill, which would have looked more like an audition for a Chuck Norris film if I had of fallen but thankfully my balance has improved slightly since starting this bootcamp :0)

We then had to crawl up the hill and jog down .... sooooo not pretty!!!!!  We had to squat jump up the hill ..... seriously, not pretty!!!!  We had to walk like a crab up the hill (I call this the Hakka/Sumo stance) .... Hanna, why do you think of the most unladylike positions for us to exercise in????

Next up we were told to lie face down on the ground in a line with our hands beside our waists..... when she said go, we had to hop up, sprint to the other side of the field and do 10 press ups and sprint back and back down onto the ground..... Go!!!! sprint over the other side of the field and do 10 situps, sprint back and get back down ...... Go!!!! sprint over the other side and do 10 burpees and sprint back and get back down .....Go!!!! first person is to hurdle over each one of us while we are holding the Plank position, when that person gets to the end, down they get and the person at the top of the line gets up and repeats .... until we've all had a go

Lots and lots and lots of running, jumping and squating at this bootcamp but I have to say, brilliant workout, lots of changes and lots of variety and I feel it today, I felt it last night too but man, I'm wrecked today but I feel great at the same time.  I feel like I'm doing good for my body and for my mind too.  It's good to do something for yourself.  It's good to have a focus outside the house or office, it keeps your mind in check too and if your mind is in good nick, then so are you. 

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.  If any of those are in difficulty, most likely all will suffer.............. Be well my fellow blogspotters, until next time darlings  xxx