How many people just had the John "Cougar" Mellencamp song pop in their heads?
(Side note: I saw him in concert last summer w/ Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. It was superb)
Anywayyy.
I woke up this morning feeling like I got hit by a truck.
Why, you ask?
Well, last night I decided to try a new (to me) class at the gym: Urban Iron.
The gist? Work all your major muscle groups with a bar and weights, with some sit-ups thrown in. The moves were really basic: rows, deadlifts, chest press, bicep curls, military press, squats, lunges. No surprises here. The principle? High reps, low weights... and lift until bust.
I, being competitive and prideful (shame!) completed all the reps for each exercise. It didn't feel great, but being in a class with women like me pushed me harder than I normally push myself.
Tip: no matter what your level of fitness- do not push yourself to the point of injury! It's not worth it!
The music was just blah, I think I would've been even more motivated had it been better!
VERDICT: high reps, low weights is my favorite lifting principle. Not that I think I'll get bulky with heavier weights, I just prefer this method. This class left me feeling strong, but today the pain in my arms really knocked me down a peg. And I realized my biceps aren't as strong as I'd like them to be! It was definitely an eye opener, but I don't know if I'll be returning- as there was a lot of down time in between exercises, the music was blah, and there were no cardio interludes (I love mixing cardio w/ weights!).
I would love to teach a circuit class at some point in my life. How cool would that be, a doctor who's an exercise instructor as well? I could give patients prescriptions for my class :-P
To ensure I'll be delightfully sore tomorrow, I hammered out 8 miles on the treadmill tonight. Am I crazy? Nah- I got to switch between E!News and How Do I Look? and I reallllyyy wanted to see the end of both. Tricky, tricky. I also made sure I stretched a lot. I took some Ibuprofen when I got home and replenished electrolytes w/ this guy..
Mango Coconut Sherbet Smoothie
As well as stocked up on protein w/ a grilled tofu and black bean salad, topped w/nutritional yeast and parmesan.
We'll see how I feel tomorrow.
What are your remedies for soreness? (Share pleasseee!)