Love Hate Relationship

I may Love My Legs, but My Legs Hate Me.  Day #1 (Sunday) of the Love Your Legs workout (click here) began a bit later than normal.  Typically, I attend two classes at the gym on Sundays:  Body Pump (a weight lifting class) and Body Flow (a combo of Thai Chi, Yoga, and Pilates).  I decided to do the leg workout instead of weight lifting, and I figured I could sleep a few extra minutes and still have time to shower before going to Body Flow.  Unfortunately, a few minutes turned into a few more.

The workout would take only about 20 minutes by my estimation, but it turns out reading about working out is a lot different than actually working out.  (Yes, I have subscribed to Fitness for years, but I have only ever done the treadmill workouts, which are timed.)  So, the workout takes more like 45 minutes to an hour when you add in the time spent resting.  I have to say Constant Readers, you are already motivating me.  After 30 seconds of the first move, I was ready to quit.

But I didn't.

I continued on.  And even when my brain tried to weasel out by insisting that I should have brought my little hand weights home, I mustered up the inner strength to scan the room for an acceptable substitute.  After all, this has never stopped me before - I am constantly subbing ingredients in recipes with statistically favorable results.  I spotted a few Yankee candles, and picked them up.  They weighed about right and were easily grasped.  Problem solved.  I should note, however, that the smells of Tropical Fruit and Mango Peach Salsa, inches from your heavily breathing and sweaty face, are a bit nauseating when you are exerting yourself.

The first move, which looks super easy judging from the picture, is really not.  It immediately engages the quadriceps, which are the large rump roasts themselves, front and center.  While the move merely raised my heart rate and brought teeny beads of sweat to my brow at the time, it was painfully apparent on Monday that the muscle fibers were worked a bit beyond their comfort zone.  And Tuesday, when sitting gracefully into an office chair became more of a flop as my legs gave out, I knew the workout was going to be effective.

This is not to say that I have high hopes.  I read the true testimonies of the women who tried this plan before me.  The before pictures are pretty much the same as the afters.  However, if the quotes are to be believed - and I am not sure that is the case - the testers were pleased with the results. 

Perhaps, it just goes to show how it is not so much the vision you project to others, but the vision you project to yourself that is important.  Or this is a waste of time.  Whatever.