DAY ONE: get ready, get set... SWEAT!

Yesterday was my first day of working out... after a hiatus of nearly 6 months. It felt GOOD. I rediscovered all the muscles I had forgotten even existed.

Hello, 24-Hour Fitness. I knew the gym was gonna be PACKED with people like me, who had decided that January was a great time to get in shape. Again. So I wasn't surprised when I arrived there to find that most of the machines were already in use. It was all good... I was expecting to spend a few minutes exploring the place and figuring out where everything was. 

First up, the locker room. (Sidenote: I know it's been a long time since I've been to the gym when I forgot the combination to my lock... I had to borrow Tony's lock. Oops.)  The locker room is tiny, but clean. Sign posted said that "maximum capacity" was 35. wow. But kinda cool... there's a tv in there. Not necessary, but neat-o.

Next up, machine assessment. Most of the aerobic machines are on the first floor. And there seems to be a LOT of all the different kinds.  I noted 2 different types of treadmills, 2 stairclimbers, 3 bikes, and 3 elliptical styles. I LOVE the variety. Unfortunately, I also noticed a lot of broken machines, too. Not good...especially when they all seemed to be one particular type. Hmmm....

I hopped on a treadmill and stared at the buttons, trying to figure out the controls. Then I was off. Not wanting to push myself this first time around, I opted for a quick walk at a low incline for 15 minutes. Not bad. And with the Ting Tings album pumping in my ears, it was wonderful. Oh, and added bonus... there are several tvs with different programs on. And each piece exercise machine is equipped with a special box to plug your headphones into and "change the channel" so that you can actually hear what is going on. Very cool. (Now if they would only get some halfway entertaining programs on, besides sports and news...)

Next up, I tested out an eliptical machine I'd never seen before. And thus, I found my nemesis. This thing is gonna kick my butt... while it shapes it. It was difficult at first while I figured out the motion of the machine. But once I got going, I was in heaven/hell. While treadmills are wonderful, I can't keep up a jogging pace since I'm out of shape. And I worry about my bad knees. And I like the traditional elliptical machine because I can keep up a quick pace and it doesn't hurt my knees. But it doesn't give me the range of motion like a treadmill. Enter this new machine, which was like a combo of the two. Seriously, it was like cross-country skiing (or what I would imagine that to be like, anyways). I felt my muscles being used. It felt good...even while it hurt like hell. This first time around, I only managed to use the machine for 10 minutes on a super-low level before I was spent.

My legs were like jelly at this point, and I seemed to float up the stairs into the free weights area. I headed straight for the "big boy" wall to grab some dumbbells... and found most of the weights I needed were gone. Hmmm... not good. There were few women in the area, so either they grabbed them and headed elsewhere in the gym or else the weights are just missing. I'll have to keep an eye on this. In any case, there was a set that I could use, so I got to work. Biceps, chest, and came back later for triceps.

I felt a bit lost, spending a lot of time trying to locate my favorite devices. Thankfully, the gym uses color-coding in their machines, so that all "arm" machines have blue pads, all "legs" are green, etc. Made things a whole lot easier.  I found most of what I need, but since it was so busy, I had to wait my turn every now and again. (I need to do some more exploring and find some back-up machines/exercises to use for when this happens.) But no worries... got my workout done. Inner & outer thigh presses, leg lifts, crunches, and back & side stretches. Whew! I actually wanted to keep going... I was feeling so pumped up. But already I was feeling like jelly, and knew I should stop for the night.

It was awesome. I can't wait to go back tomorrow (today I'm doing some stuff on Wii Fit).  I woke up a bit sore today, and I know it will only be worse tomorrow. But it's wonderful.