I’ve started working out with a friend/trainer on Monday nights, and I thought having a Trainer Tuesday post to talk about those workouts might be a good feature. While these workouts aren’t directly related to triathlon training, we are doing a lot of core, balance and strength training, which can only help my performance in future races, right? Besides I feel less jiggly after Monday’s training night.
Jen, my friend and now personal trainer, will be referred to in the rest of this post and going forward as The Ab Killer. ‘Cause that’s what she does best. She kills my abs. And secretly works in all kinds of other toning exercises in the process. And when we’re concentrating on other toning exercises, like arms, she’s sneaking in ab work.
The Ab Killer’s primary tool of torture is that benign-looking medicine ball on the left there. Pretty colors… round and bouncy… 6 lbs….. how bad could it be? Don’t let the ball’s cheerful appearance fool you. It’s the main tool in The Ab Killer’s arsenal.
You try crunches with this ball, squats with this ball and any other mean and nasty exercises The Ab Killer can think of and you’ll see. It’s not such a nice little plaything after all. My personal nemesis with the medicine ball? Leg lifts with the ball between my feet. Ugh.
But in the end, all the torture is well worth it. Last night, I didn’t want to go and train. I wasn’t feeling good, had a headache, was really stressed (can you hear the whining? I bet you can). However, I didn’t want to call and cancel. I knew that this kind of torture was better for me than curling up in a fetal position under the covers. And at the end of the workout, I magically felt better. Stress was relieved, my mood bounced back, my headache went away.
And I was able to do three, count ‘em THREE, of these crazy-ass situps where The Ab Killer holds my feet and pushes me back and then pulls me up again. Sounds easy? Well, there’s a catch. While she’s doing the pushing and the pulling, my job was to keep my elbows firmly planted on my knees. And no, I wasn’t allowed to use duct tape. Last week, I managed one and a half. This week, I doubled it to 3! Next week, I’m shooting for 5.
I know that under this last 20 lbs I have to lose, there is a six-pack in progress just waiting to be debuted! I have The Ab Killer to thank for that.
Live on Long Island? Interested in training with the Ab Killer? Or maybe you just have a suggestion on how she can torture me further? You can find her at activpersonaltraining.com. Her real name is Jen. But secretly, I think she likes The Ab Killer better!
Jen, my friend and now personal trainer, will be referred to in the rest of this post and going forward as The Ab Killer. ‘Cause that’s what she does best. She kills my abs. And secretly works in all kinds of other toning exercises in the process. And when we’re concentrating on other toning exercises, like arms, she’s sneaking in ab work.
The Ab Killer’s primary tool of torture is that benign-looking medicine ball on the left there. Pretty colors… round and bouncy… 6 lbs….. how bad could it be? Don’t let the ball’s cheerful appearance fool you. It’s the main tool in The Ab Killer’s arsenal.
You try crunches with this ball, squats with this ball and any other mean and nasty exercises The Ab Killer can think of and you’ll see. It’s not such a nice little plaything after all. My personal nemesis with the medicine ball? Leg lifts with the ball between my feet. Ugh.
But in the end, all the torture is well worth it. Last night, I didn’t want to go and train. I wasn’t feeling good, had a headache, was really stressed (can you hear the whining? I bet you can). However, I didn’t want to call and cancel. I knew that this kind of torture was better for me than curling up in a fetal position under the covers. And at the end of the workout, I magically felt better. Stress was relieved, my mood bounced back, my headache went away.
And I was able to do three, count ‘em THREE, of these crazy-ass situps where The Ab Killer holds my feet and pushes me back and then pulls me up again. Sounds easy? Well, there’s a catch. While she’s doing the pushing and the pulling, my job was to keep my elbows firmly planted on my knees. And no, I wasn’t allowed to use duct tape. Last week, I managed one and a half. This week, I doubled it to 3! Next week, I’m shooting for 5.
I know that under this last 20 lbs I have to lose, there is a six-pack in progress just waiting to be debuted! I have The Ab Killer to thank for that.
Live on Long Island? Interested in training with the Ab Killer? Or maybe you just have a suggestion on how she can torture me further? You can find her at activpersonaltraining.com. Her real name is Jen. But secretly, I think she likes The Ab Killer better!