OMG.....if I didn't realize it before, well, I am completely aware of it now. I have absolutely no upper body strength. Zero, nada, zilch. My guns, in which I have none, are pathetically weak.
I just got myself a new exergame on the Wii, it's called "My Fitness Coach", and I was road-testing it today. After an hour of cardio and yoga workouts, I ended up flat on my back on my yoga mat, all muscles screaming for relief. I thought "WiiFit" killed me the first time I went through it.....oh, how innocent I was then, I knew nothing. "My Fitness Coach" is "WiiFit" times 50.
The first time you run the game, Maya, the virtual trainer, will ask you to input your stats so that a customized fitness programme can be created to suit your fitness needs. Unsurprisingly, after jumping through the set-up hoops (jumping jacks, crunches, push-ups), it was determined that my fitness regime should concentrate on upper body strength. Once that was done, you can choose what type of workout to do and for how long. My first pick was to do a 30 minute cardio workout. I initially chose 45 minutes but thinking that I might want to do some other workout after, I then down shifted to 30 minutes. Boy, was that a good judgement call. Not even 10 minutes into the cardio programme I was already hoping for the end to come fast. I would just like to say that I have a hatred for any and all crunch moves. I hate working my abs, not that they don't need it, but it is the workout I most detest. And waddaya know, there were so many different crunch exercises and too many reps that towards the end, I was barely lifting my shoulders up off the mat, if at all. My stomach was aching. Next on the "Exercise I Hate" list are push-ups. Don't ask me to hold the position for a pulse, lower myself down and then expect me to be able to push myself up again for another pulse. I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH! YOU KILLING ME MAYA! But quitting isn't an option. When it comes to exercises with set time limits, I will force myself to finish the entire duration. It's a "you-won't-defeat-me" kinda attitude, I guess it's a good thing to have.
After the 30 minutes was up, I am lying down on the mat, contemplating how I'm going to stand up without straining anymore muscles. After about, perhaps, 10-15 minutes of lying down, I finally manage to haul myself up, all the while thinking, do I want to put myself through anymore today? In the end I thought, ok, let's try going low key, some yoga for 30 minutes should be relaxing right? Wrong, Zlena. This is a fitness game, it's not for you to be taking things easy. The yoga is going to make you stretch and twist and bend like you've never done before. I don't mind so much the sun salutations and child pose but what's with the crocodile pose? That's like a push-up disguised as a yoga pose! My favourite pose.....the sunflower :) That was the most relaxing and non-physical pose throughout the entire segment.
In the end I did manage to get through the entire 30 minutes. And I have to admit, despite all the complaining up top, I did enjoy it, it was a break from the monotony of "WiiFit". I'm "scheduled" to train again with Maya on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Amazingly enough, after that I was still pumped up and decided to "WiiFit" for a bit. I did the level 1 and 2 step routine as well as the 30 minute step. Also put in a 10 minute boxing routine and a bit of hula hoop. I think in total I exercised for 2.5 hours today. I was surprised. But I haven't been exercising all week so I guess I was subconsciously trying to make up for the days. The last time I exercised was last Sunday and I guess I could count the Tuesday night dance-o-rama at the wedding as well. Anyways, I'm dead tired, I need a relaxing soak in the tub!
I just got myself a new exergame on the Wii, it's called "My Fitness Coach", and I was road-testing it today. After an hour of cardio and yoga workouts, I ended up flat on my back on my yoga mat, all muscles screaming for relief. I thought "WiiFit" killed me the first time I went through it.....oh, how innocent I was then, I knew nothing. "My Fitness Coach" is "WiiFit" times 50.
The first time you run the game, Maya, the virtual trainer, will ask you to input your stats so that a customized fitness programme can be created to suit your fitness needs. Unsurprisingly, after jumping through the set-up hoops (jumping jacks, crunches, push-ups), it was determined that my fitness regime should concentrate on upper body strength. Once that was done, you can choose what type of workout to do and for how long. My first pick was to do a 30 minute cardio workout. I initially chose 45 minutes but thinking that I might want to do some other workout after, I then down shifted to 30 minutes. Boy, was that a good judgement call. Not even 10 minutes into the cardio programme I was already hoping for the end to come fast. I would just like to say that I have a hatred for any and all crunch moves. I hate working my abs, not that they don't need it, but it is the workout I most detest. And waddaya know, there were so many different crunch exercises and too many reps that towards the end, I was barely lifting my shoulders up off the mat, if at all. My stomach was aching. Next on the "Exercise I Hate" list are push-ups. Don't ask me to hold the position for a pulse, lower myself down and then expect me to be able to push myself up again for another pulse. I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH! YOU KILLING ME MAYA! But quitting isn't an option. When it comes to exercises with set time limits, I will force myself to finish the entire duration. It's a "you-won't-defeat-me" kinda attitude, I guess it's a good thing to have.
After the 30 minutes was up, I am lying down on the mat, contemplating how I'm going to stand up without straining anymore muscles. After about, perhaps, 10-15 minutes of lying down, I finally manage to haul myself up, all the while thinking, do I want to put myself through anymore today? In the end I thought, ok, let's try going low key, some yoga for 30 minutes should be relaxing right? Wrong, Zlena. This is a fitness game, it's not for you to be taking things easy. The yoga is going to make you stretch and twist and bend like you've never done before. I don't mind so much the sun salutations and child pose but what's with the crocodile pose? That's like a push-up disguised as a yoga pose! My favourite pose.....the sunflower :) That was the most relaxing and non-physical pose throughout the entire segment.
In the end I did manage to get through the entire 30 minutes. And I have to admit, despite all the complaining up top, I did enjoy it, it was a break from the monotony of "WiiFit". I'm "scheduled" to train again with Maya on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Amazingly enough, after that I was still pumped up and decided to "WiiFit" for a bit. I did the level 1 and 2 step routine as well as the 30 minute step. Also put in a 10 minute boxing routine and a bit of hula hoop. I think in total I exercised for 2.5 hours today. I was surprised. But I haven't been exercising all week so I guess I was subconsciously trying to make up for the days. The last time I exercised was last Sunday and I guess I could count the Tuesday night dance-o-rama at the wedding as well. Anyways, I'm dead tired, I need a relaxing soak in the tub!
