Well, Spring is upon us and this morning we were promised 20 degrees but sadly the sun didn’t come out till after 9am so, I still had to head off for my session with Anna Keeble at the studio in Fulham wrapped up.
Another great session and I can proudly announce that after last weeks session I didn’t have any niggles. However, I am not sure I will be able to say the same after today but I did walk back home which was 35 minutes so hopefully that will have helped.
I have tried to find some new images to incorporate in my blogs however, it is not easy to find women exercising as, all seem rather seedy so, please if you know where I can find any do let me know.
So, we started with the usual warm up however when it came to the tread mill the cartoon image below was perfect. I walked uphill to the maximum I may add and briskly as well for five minutes. Then, only to be brought back down but sneakily done by Anna as she added speed to encourage a jog as the hill declined for a further minute.
My heart rate was certainly up by then, but sometimes I think that is the fear that if I let go I might shoot off the back.
Then, we went onto ‘bum crunches’ and when Anna said we would be doing 100, I thought she was joking but soon realised she wasn’t so, it was only when I got to 78 I knew about it. Then, thinking that was over, oh no, straight into leg raisers one at a time and hold. Ensuring the hips were elevated and the lower back was firmly on the mat. Then, straight into general hip flexors or, at least bum off the ground and ensuring the hips up. Boy did my bum burn after that.
We then went onto the bench and it was the exercise from last week, where using only one leg as the other is elevated, you need to push yourself up using just your bottom and using your core. This fortunately was in two sections of five repetitions on each leg. I am using my arms at the moment to propel myself up but, when Anna showed me no arms were flapping.
Then it was into repetitions using weights and the bar. So, firstly it was general lifts with the weight and bar times twenty, with a short break for water and then repeated a further two times. The important element is all about the technique ensuring you don’t lean forward, it is all about using the heals and leaning back and then it’s like a snapping sensation to straighten up, where you thrust your hips forward and stand up. I just need to remember to breathe correctly.
Then, we did a circuit of two exercises x 20 repetitions which was again using the weights but this time using the bench as well.
So, lying on the bench with weights across my chest I was lifting up and then back down to my chest and when it came to the second session it was the 11th, 12th and 13th that burned but I managed it and was extremely grateful Anna was behind me when I did the last repetition.
Then straight into using the ties and standing with soft knees, back straight pulling back and dropping the shoulders to bring the shoulder blades together and then straight, similar to a rowing motion.
Then, I had a long full stretch over the Swiss ball and then after the second circuit using the foam roller where I lay on it and opened out the pecks.
Then it was into the second circuit of the day, again only two exercises. The first was with bar resting on my shoulders squatting against the bench, only touching my bottom not an excuse for a rest. Here it was all about the positioning of my hands on the bar so the proportion of the weight was correct and then remembering that I had to push my knees out. This was then followed by today’s killer exercise and in my fit of madness I have set myself a target above what was expected, I just never seem to learn. So this was the exercise that I remember as a child practising for going on a ski holiday though I am not sure it was as hard! So it was sitting against the wall pushing your shoulders and back into the wall with your knees at right angles. The image below may make it look easy but maintaining it, is another story.
The first one I managed 30 seconds and then the second one 35 seconds which was not bad for a first time but Anna quickly made a note on the file so she’ll expect at least a minute next week!
Then, it was time for cool down and it was critical to do the hamstring stretches.
I have homework which is peck stretches against the wall as I still need to work on the middle part of my back for mobility.
Fortunately, I don’t have any carrying of shopping over the weekend as I fear my arms are going to be telling me about the exercise today, but as my motto states ‘no pain, no gain’.
Anna Keeble of Get Fit for Purpose based in her Fulham Studio is amazing as she really gives you the encouragement to get kick started back into getting fit and it’s not scary. By this I mean, many of my friends go to the gym every day and do an hour’s workout but let me tell you an hour with Anna is about 3 or 4 hours in the gym.
Checkout her website www.getfitforpurpose.co.uk.
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