It is FRIDAY Whoop Whoop!

Gosh, I love how Fridays feel. I mean they seriously feel like a holiday! Don't you think???

Any ways, I went to the gym yesterday evening and I had to drag myself there. I TOTALLY DID NOT WANT TO BE THERE! In my heart, I really wanted to be getting my hair done, or nails, or shopping, or anything FUN!  So I make myself get dressed and hit the elliptical (giving my shins a break and didn't run yesterday) and I have to say by the end of my 20 minutes I didn't want to GET OFF! I wanted to just keep going, but I knew that I needed to get my weight lifting on. So then I said good bye to my elliptical and put my jams on and headed to lift weights. After my whole work out, I looked back and wondered why I didn't want to be there. I mean I felt way better after my work out than I did before. Why do we dread going to the gym??

As I was walking out the gym I started to realize that most days I really look forward to coming to that place. It is starting to feel like my second home. I see a lot of the same people every time and normally I run into a friend while I am there so I get a little social time too. But I know that some people get a little intimidated at the gym and that is okay. But I wanted to go through some of my favorite machines/work outs that I have been doing lately. This way if you go to the gym then maybe you will already be a little familiar with things.

First up, I have fallen in love with this:

I have always been curious about this machine and now I understand its beauty.  If you have been eyeing this machine at the gym, GO TRY IT OUT! I use about 180 lbs on the weight, but I was told that you should go somewhere near your own weight, probably a little heavier. Man oh Man, my arms and shoulders burn after doing this!! I can do about 10 of these babies in 3 sets. But by the last set I am STRUGGLING!! Ugh, I hate that feeling because I feel like all the Muscle heads are staring at me, calling me a wimp.  But that is okay. They can think what they want to!! Plus most of them stink and aren't as good looking as they think!! LOL

The first time I used this machine I was sore for days afterwards. I go about 40 lbs on this. I love the burn I get when I use this machine. I do a set of 12, 3 times.

I like this machine because I have used it 3 different ways.  One of the ways is how she is using it now. Another is with a band around my calves and this really makes you hold your form together and use different muscles. And the last way is to use one leg at a time (which was harder than I thought it would be). If I am using it like in the picture I usually do about 60 pounds (with no weights it already at 30 lbs) and the same weight if I am using the band. If I am doing it one legged, then I don't put any weights on it. 

I am still digging these too (curtsy lunges). I usually add weights, somewhere around 10 pounds. The first time I did this, I was sore for days. But I guess to be honest, I enjoy the feeling of being sore because I know that I had a good workout. I do about 12-15 reps for each leg 3 times.

The captains chair is something I use to use at the YMCA, but I just started to use it again at the new gym. I do as many as I can pulling my legs straight out (like in the top pic) and then I finish off the set with the bent knee version (bottom pic). I do a set of 12 and I can usually do about 8-9 with straight legs and then do about 3-4 with bent knees for the rest of the set. I do this 3 times.

Well those are just some of my favorites right now. I thought I would share them with you. I am going to try to get a long run in this weekend. My goal is 5 miles. I need to start logging my miles on a calendar because I think I might be caught up (60 miles in 60 days) on my running if I do a 5 mile run!! :) But I still need to reach my goal of 6 miles without stopping before the end of the month.

And I will probably be doing some of this over the weekend!!

YUMMMM!!!!

Oh and I had to add this.  I was going through my junk mail and I saw this.  LOL It just makes me laugh, who opens these?? It made me laugh.

Have a good weekend EVERYONE!!