Aug 5:

Elliptical:
6.02 km
28:39 min
260 cal

:clap: :D

Thanks Teach :D

Going to the gym soon :happydance:

Aug 6:

Elliptical:
8.01 km
44:01 min
400 cal

Weights:
3 rounds of circuit (9 machines, whole body, 36 mins total)

Rower:
2.347 km
13:06 min
121 cal

Plus:
A LOT of brisk walking all day, and to the shops after the gym, carrying bags and textbooks, walked home afterwards
Taking the stairs


Notes:

I feel GREAT today, I haven't pushed myself this hard before. This won't be a typical workout though, as I don't have this kind of time every day, and don't want to push myself too hard too soon. I have a feeling I'm going to be very sore tomorrow, though :lol: I don't know if it's all in my head, but I can already see (and feel) my arms toning up from the rowing! (It was my 2nd time on it in my life, 1st time was in 2004.) If I don't see a loss this week, my scale must be crazy! :P

On a side note, I know this might sound shallow, but I have been getting second looks at the gym, and it has done wonders for my motivation. Also, last week I was doing weights and this teenage boy asked me to show him how to use the machines, then his mom came along and asked me to show her too. This lady who was further down the circuit saw the whole thing and thought I was a personal trainer at the gym. :lol:

:clap: :clap: :clap: That GREAT Sapphire!

Thanks Prin :D

Aug 7:

Walking all day, although I'm now sick :sick: (fever, cold, sore throat, drowsiness). I'm going to sleep soon so I can get some rest; hopefully the scale is nice to me tomorrow. :lol:

I hope you feel better soon. Sleep sounds like the best way to take care of yourself right now!!

Thanks Cherri :huggs:

Aug 8:

None. Too sick to do anything today.

Aug 9:

Doing an experiment in the lab for 6 hours (walking)

Feeling much better today. I won't go to the gym til I've fully recovered, though. Funny thing is, I went to the gym today to pay my fortnightly fees, and I wanted to stay! I really felt like I was missing it! A few months ago I wouldn't have thought that would happen.

Glad you are feeling a bit better Sapphire... :huggs:!!

hey sapphire, it is great that you want to go the gym and miss it..you are also being incredibly sensible in staying away until you are fully recovered. I have made the mistake of exercising unwell and boy do you pay for it afterwards. I had a nasty nasty chest infection andwent on a 25 mile bike ride (the first I had ever done of that distance0. I was SO sick after and stayed that way for a week. Had I not gone, I would have recovered much much quicker.

Glad you're feeling better. Take care! :huggs:

Thanks Teach, Stormy, and NicC! :huggs:

glad to hear you are feeling better....

experiment?? :D B) do tell!

Thanks Shy!

I spend 12 hours/week in the lab, for different courses. It usually involves some activity: walking to the other side of the lab, retrieving something, making things, washing up, etc. This is usually fast-paced as we can leave as soon as we're finished.

The Medicinal Chemistry prac on Thursday involved synthesising a chemical called para-aminobenzoic acid, or PABA for short. It used to be used in sunscreens but was found to interfere with DNA and increase the risk of skin cancer in some people. It was quite a long prac - it took 6 hours!

Aug 10:

Had pracs in the lab again
Walking throughout the day



Aug 11:

None. I didn't leave the house today. After I thought I had almost fully recovered, it seems that I'm now sick again. Everyone at uni is sick, and people were sneezing on the train. This might take a few more days. :wacko:


Notes:

This month is Osteoporosis Month, and my gym is letting members bring a friend along to a free Body Pump class to promote the benefits of weight-bearing exercise. I told my friends at uni, and 2 are interested. My sister is also interested in coming along, but I'm not sure if you can only bring 1 friend along at a time. In that case I'd have to go to 3 Body Pump classes this month! It involves weight training with barbells. My friend tried a similar class at another gym and said it involved a lot of squats and push-ups, and that you really get pushed to your limit. I'm feeling nervous about this because I haven't been to this class before, but hopefully it'll turn out okay.

That is a great idea at the gym! I'm glad you have found some people who are interested in going with you.

I might be going to the annual Faculty Ball which is on 31st August! So that means I have under 3 weeks to get in the best shape I can in that time frame. Wish me luck!

Hopefully it should be fun :)

Aug 12:

None today. I might go to the gym tomorrow if I feel a bit better.

Aug 13:

Walking


Aug 14:

Walking


Aug 15:

Elliptical:
5.00 km
26:11 min
232 cal

Rower:
1.883 km
10:06 min
99 cal

Weights:
1 round of circuit

Elliptical:
5.00 km
27:41 min
245 cal


Notes:

It feels GREAT to be back at the gym! :bouncy:

:clap: WOOOT!! :clap:

i hear ya! it is hard to get back at first but then once you are there, you realize you really do miss it! :bouncy:

That's so true, Shy!

Aug 16:

Sprinting uphill so I don't miss the train :lol:
Some walking throughout the day
Stairs


Aug 17:

Elliptical:
5.02 km
26:02 min


Notes:

I did interval training (with higher resistance and hills) for the first time on the elliptical. I really wanted to stay for longer but only had 30 minutes because of other commitments. I know I'm doing enough cardio. This week I plan to to do some core exercises and take a break from strength training. This will be a challenge for me because I haven't been doing any sort of core work.

:clap: WOOOT!! :D

Sapphire, you're doing awesome girl :bouncy:

Thanks ladies :huggs:

Aug 18:

10 squats
10 lunges each leg
Belly Dancing

Aug 19:

Scissor kicks
Lying down scissor kicks
20 crunches
5 leg raises
20 squats
20 walking lunges
Belly dancing

I need to get back to my belly dancing classes... :D

GREAT job on the exercise girl!! :clap:

Thanks Teach!

Aug 20:

Elliptical:
5.60 km
28:49 min
259 cal

Stairclimber:
5:15 min
39 cal

Rower:
0.987 km
5:05 min
53 cal

Elliptical:
4.40 km
26:41 min
236 cal

PLUS:
A LOT of brisk walking throughout the day
Taking the stairs


Notes:

I think I pushed myself a bit too hard today. Funny this is, I just wanted to keep on going... I feel sore and a bit sleepy now, though :lol:. I'm glad I tried the stairclimber for the first time. I'll be taking a break from the gym tomorrow, to give my muscles a break and to catch up on my studies.

WOW, that is alot! :bouncy: Enjoy your day of rest Sapphire!

Thanks, Teach :)

I was very sore from the gym the previous day, especially in my abs, so I hope that means they're getting stronger! I still ended up walking throughout the day though (at uni, and to public transport). Today I feel much better, but my weight has gone up a bit for some reason.


Aug 21:

Some walking throughout the day

hey sapphire:

my "two cents" about cardio workouts (if you are interested) is that it is better to spend a longer time on one machine rather then doing a bunch of different machines in a row..i think you get more benefit as it takes about 20 minutes to get into the fat burning zone in your workout.

so if i was you i would have done the eliptical workout all at once (assuming you just went to the gym one time) and i know you were trying out the stairmaster which is good, but i would have done that either before or after.

just my two cents, the bottom line is that it is great that you are doing so much exercise! :danceparty:

Thanks Shy, I totally agree with you. I won't be using the stairmaster anymore though; my knees hurt a lot afterwards, and I prefer taking normal stairs. I haven't been doing much cardio in the "fat burning zone" but rather focusing on hills and cardiovascular fitness. According to the elliptical, for fat burn mode, my heart rate would have to be aroun 136 (if I remember correctly), and 168 for cardio. I don't feel like I'm doing much when my HR is 136, so I just go as hard as I can for as long as I can, or til I have to go home. I've been doing interval training on the elliptical for the past couple of days.

I just tried mixing things up that day by using different equipment. I'm still trying to figure out a cardio exercise plan, because if I did only elliptical one day, I can't do only rowing on another (it's too hard to sustain for a long time). I don't use the treadmill at the moment because I prefer doing my brisk walking outside, throughout the day. The weather is getting much better and I miss cycling, so I might incorporate that into my program soon.

Thanks for your input - I'll try it next time (like in my first entry) :)

Aug 22 - 23:

Walking throughout the day


Aug 24:

A LOT of walking.

My train stopped suddenly on the way home, and we were all stranded. They asked us to get off the train and wait for a bus to go to another station and take the train from there. After 150-200 people waiting in the sun for ages, no bus showed up. I walked back to the station to take the train to the city and change trains there, but even that train wasn't running. At the end of the hour-long ordeal, a train finally arrived, and I was so tired I fell asleep on the way home.

Aug 25:

None


Notes:

I can't wait to get back to the gym after Monday's test. I want to go to a class but it's a bit daunting at the moment because I haven't been to them before and I'll be alone... I heard it's just hard at first, and it gets better from there.

Also, another thing I've been thinking of trying is the sauna / aromatherapy / steam room at the gym. It's all included in the membership but I've never gotten round to trying it. I might go around the time of my birthday. :)