Friday fitness update and a killer core workout

This weeks workouts didn’t go quite as planned. When you’re a mother you have to be ready for changes in schedule and routine. Princess Pea was sick on Tuesday which meant I had to skip the gym.  Although my kids normally play in the gym’s kid club with the other “regulars,” the doctor wasn’t sure if Pea was contagious or not so we didn’t risk it.

The babies come first.

Luckily for me, I have workout equipment at home so I was able to get in a 5k row and do kettlebell squats.

My workout partner went to the gym without me…which leads us to what happened the next day.

On Wednesday, it was clear that Pea was not contagious and her rash was due to the change in temperature.  (Juvenile Arthritis is an umbrella term for several autoimmune issues including joint pain.)  We decided to go to the gym that afternoon.

My workout partner and coach used to do Olympic weight lifting so she has attended seminars on proper lifting form, competed, and done tons of research on the sport.  She’s kind of obsessive about researching stuff and is that way with everything.

As we were squatting, an older gentleman interrupted her set (which according to gym etiquette is a BIG NO NO as someone can drop the weight and hurt themselves and/or others due to the distraction.)  He stopped her to tell her that she shouldn’t be squatting a second day in a row.

So…

1) he was paying attention to her workout instead of his own the day before and now

2) she did back squats Tuesday and was doing front squats with lower weight on Wednesday, so her workout was not identical to the day before

I’ve known her for 15 years so I was really proud of her for her miraculous restraint.  She simply said okay continue to set up with weights.

Apparently, the gentleman expected her to stop doing what she was doing or to thank him for sharing his wisdom because he flipped out on us!  He got angry and yelled “Oh! You know everything!”  and walked away ranting.  All she had said was, “ok.”

No yelling at strangers in the gym, man.  Just work out.  If he spent as much time focusing on his workout as he did walking around and watching ours, he wouldn’t have to be in the gym so long.

Anyway, that was our big excitement in the gym for the week.  The important  thing is that we just brushed it off and went our merry way.  People like that can be a big turn off when it comes to working out but there have also been very helpful people there too.  When we haven’t known how to adjust a machine, people have readily shown us.  Random strangers smile and encourage us for showing up.  Just like any place people gather, the gym has a few bad ones in there but a bunch of good ones too.

Want to know why I call her my “coach” even though she really is my bff?  During one of our very first workouts, I was so exhausted and sore that I told her I didn’t want to be her friend anymore (according to my kids this is the worst thing you can possibly say to someone lol).  She responded with, “that’s fine because in here I’m not your friend.  I am your coach.”

And my coach had me do add this core workout yesterday after we had a killer leg day.  And it was horrible.  After two c-sections and three other abdominal surgeries (to remove organs and scar tissue 😛 ), my core is notably my weakness.

Core Workout

50 hanging leg raises  (in sets of 10)

50 hanging vertical knee raises

30 second plank, 10 sit-ups  no rest, 30 sec plank 10 sit-ups.  Do until you have a total of 4 minutes of planks.

   In the middle of the core work, she asked me if I was hating life yet.  Of course I said, “No.  I only hate you.”