Finally - Training Progress! Wk 8 Mini Milestone NAILED!!

Yeah baby, yeah!!

Last Friday was another attempt at what’s been a benchmarking or mini milestone workout for me in recent times. I smashed it beyond my expectations!! Still buzzing from the high!

As mentioned in previous posts, I’ve had periods of hip trouble and back pain that’s meant training has been two steps forwards and three steps backwards for a while now. It’s been confusing and frustrating but we are on top of it at last!  When I say “we” I literally mean we as it’s been the group effort of Mase, Steve and Jodie from Zenergy plus my physios, doctor and remedial masseuse. I cannot thank everyone enough for helping me get to the bottom of the issues (literally, since it’s my hip joint, pelvis & butt muscles at the core of the issue!).

Still plenty of work to do, plenty of discipline required on my part, HOWEVER, I am celebrating because I have had 5 weeks of CONSISTENT improvement! As a result of being disciplined my body is feeling better than it has in a long time and I am seeing consistent improvement rather than stop / start frustration and confusion!

Let’s just say it’s been a bumpy ride and I am a massive pain in the arse when I am frustrated and confused but all of my ‘support crew’ have been eternally patient and have no doubt earned themselves a stack of good karma! (Sorry sorry sorry X 50 B-million!)

SO – on to the results of my benchmarking mini milestone session!

I’ve been doing a very simple workout that 6 months ago I would have ripped out in no time without blinking but 5 weeks ago was a huge struggle. It’s simply a combination of 4 body weight exercises, focussing on kick ass super technique for a total of 400 reps broken down into 10 rounds for time of the following:

10 x push ups (on incline, using smith machine)

10 x squats

10 x pull ups (using smith machine)

10 x butterfly sit ups.

First attempt on 28 June took over 22 minutes. I finished but it was a struggle. It felt almost impossible and just finishing was an achievement, truly. I did it and was happy but also conscious that it was so much harder than in the past. Tough to swallow! But – my challenge has been to deal with this frustration and not get disheartened.

Second attempt 2 weeks later on 6 July I was aiming for under 20 minutes and smashed it with 17 min 56sec! I was stoked! It was tough and my body still felt a bit slow, tight & oogey but I could see and feel the improvement that occurred as a result of all the disciplined rehab and training I’d been doing. Click! That mindset change was becoming solid – training is not just smashing it up – it’s also triggering, massage, physio, rehab. There are different types of training required in different amounts. You must listen to your body and give it what it needs – in terms of rest, food and training!

Third attempt was last Friday on 26 July. I aimed for faster than the second attempt and absolutely nailed it coming in under 15 minutes with time of 14min 38sec!  Shaved 3min 20sec off between 2nd and 3rd attempt which were 2 weeks apart. Shaved over 7min 20sec off in the month between my 1st and 3rd attempt!

Beyond stoked! Finished the workout strong, feeling like I could have gone harder or worked out for longer!!  Not sure who had the bigger smile… me or my trainer, Mase! Or… Jodie when she bumped into us after and I was beaming!

Mase said some really important things to me during the post-workout stretch… something along the lines of “Now your body is back in a great place, let’s work to keep it here!“ He pointed out that it’s taken a lot of work over the weeks to get my body to this point after being ‘broken’ and now that it is on the mend it is crucial to keep it working well, to not do anything to undo all the good work. It is crucial to keep my body balanced, pain free and strong. It is important to keep listening to it and to work for consistent improvement: to stretch & strengthen, to do my rehab and triggering.

Yeah baby!! Plenty of hard work ahead, I am no fool. Under no illusions. This is rehab-ing years of obesity-related damage, this is building up strength and stability in my wonky donkey hips that are just part of how I am made.

I have my head straight about it all. I have a great support crew around me. I have seen the value in being disciplined about doing consistent hard work to take steps – albeit them small (and painful!) some days – in the right direction.  There’ll be hiccups and set backs but that’s all part of the adventure.

Yee-har! Mini-milestone nailed!! Onwards and upwards – time to set new goals and build on all this hard work.

Hope your mini milestone session has you feeling as fantastic as mine did!

xx Ange

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