Dan the Man

It's official- I survived my first personal training session this morning! Our trainer, Dan, is also a bouncer at our favorite bar, P Brennan's (go figure). So now, I can say that something good has come from us going to the bar all the time! Last weekend, we struck up conversation with him about getting in shape and how the wedding was coming up quick, and he told us that he's an MMA fighter and a certified PT, and he could help us slim down quickly. Genius marketing for him- convince drunk people at 1:00 am that they need a trainer! Well, it worked.

The first session was great. We walked through the goals I have for the next 7 weeks, and here's what I'm trying to accomplish:
- 1 inch off my chest
- 3 inches off my waist
- Eliminate any jiggle in my arms
- Tone my back
Zeke's goals are much more black & white- he wants to lose 25 lbs, he doesn't care where it comes from. While neither of us are obese, we have both put on some extra cushioning since the move. It's funny, we are both built the same and gain weight the same. No butt, thick middle, skinny legs. Our kids are screwed.

I did cardio for 20 minutes then we focused on triceps, lower back, and 10 minutes of intense ab exercises. We didn't do anything quite as intense as the Notre Dame arm workout, but it felt great and showed him what my limits are. I told him what the ND workout consisted of, and he said it's a GREAT program to follow, but is counterproductive for the shape I'm in now. It's like if someone who has never run before wakes up and decides to do 5 miles. They can probably finish, but they'll hurt themselves and won't be able to run again for a while. So true, because last week I was incredibly sore until Thursday evening... I couldn't even work out.

Another important thing is that Dan's in great shape, so I trust that he knows what he's talking about. You know how they say "never trust a skinny cook"? Well, I say never trust a fat trainer. Or a really scrawny one. I remember when I signed up at 24 Hour Fitness in Midtown, and I got a complementary trainer session. The guy weighed as much as I did and looked like he could maybe bench press the weight bar. If I'm going to pay someone to train me, I want a meat-head with ripped abs who is going to kick my butt into gear!

My next session is Saturday at 10:00 am, but I'm supped to do 20 minutes of cardio and some low weight/high rep circuits 2x this week. 45 minutes total, that's it. I can do that!

On a separate note, I'm excited! I was playing around on Craig's List last weekend and came across a posting for Crate and Barrel Sloane Bookshelves! They had 2 desks and the shelf for $200. That's a steal. By the time I got in touch with the seller, she already sold one desk and the bookshelf, but she still had a desk left. I bargained and got a great price, so we are picking it up tonight and will use it in the living room. We are registered for the bookshelf, hint hint, so if anyone is reading this isn't sure what to get us for a wedding gift, there's an idea! Well, that and our bedding at Macy's :)

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and congrats to the runners who finished the Houston 13.1 and 26.2!