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Sometimes during workouts for my high school baseball team, I would be pushed so hard by my coaches that I would puke. That was back in 1992. I’m too old to puke during workouts now, aren’t I? Not according to my new personal trainer over at Gold’s Gym. I didn’t actually puke, but it was definitely a close call.
Sometime shortly after my work out, I called Pam at work and told her how hard it was and how long it had been since I had worked out that hard. Her response was great. “It’s his job to get you to work harder than you would do if you were working out by yourself. Otherwise, why would you pay him to workout with you?” I couldn’t agree with her more, but it still wasn’t fun.
Based upon the consultation I had when I signed up for the gym last week, I was expecting to meet with my trainer and get a comprehensive nutrition plan and body fat analysis. I wasn’t really expecting to workout very much during our first meeting. But boy did he have different plans. Here’s what we did:
WARMUP: All of these were down and back across the gym floor.
- Buttkickers
- High knees
- Shuffle steps
- High knee skips
- Backwards skips
- Karaokes
WORKOUT: Each of these exercises were 2-3 sets. Each set was a strength building exercise followed immediately by 25-30 seconds of an intense cardio exercise. After each set I was allowed 60 seconds of rest. The entire workout was “on the clock.” And it was HARD!
- 3 sets of 8–Pistols (one legged squats holding a pole)/Sidesteps (jumping back and forth over a box) for 30 seconds.
- 3 sets of 8–Overhead lunges with medicine ball/ Mountain Climbers (down on all fours switching legs back and forth) for 25 seconds.
- 3 sets of 12–10 lb. Chest crunches (combining chest press with an ab crunch on a physio ball)/Jump rope for 30 seconds.
- 3 sets of 15–Squat toss with medicine ball (throw the medicine ball up off the wall, squat down when catching and do it again)/Side to Side touchdowns (kind of like speed skating in place) for 30 seconds.
- 3 sets of 8–Deadlifts/Russian Twists (hold a tight, anchored elastic band at arms length and twist back and forth to work obliques) for 30 seconds.
- 3 sets of 8–Weight assisted dips/3 different types of weight assisted pull ups
- 3 sets of 20–Ab Machine
When I finished this workout I felt shaky, and queasy and totally horrible. I took a 10 minute shower, got dressed and struggled out to the car while carrying my son, the diaper bag, and my gym bag. I sat in the car with the air blowing on my face for 10 minutes, slowly drove home and tried to think about what the hell was wrong with me–besides being out of shape. Then it hit me, I hadn’t eaten enough food to perform that hard of a workout. For breakfast that morning, I had a package of instant oatmeal and an orange. Less than 250 calories. You’re probably thinking I was foolish, but remember, I wasn’t expecting to workout that hard. So I had a piece of bread with some peanut butter on it and instantly felt better. I’m doing this workout by myself for the next two weeks and then meeting with my trainer again on 2/5. Hopefully, next time I won’t puke. Maybe I’ll even get my body fat analysis.
J.D.
11 responses so far ↓
1 TosaJen // Jan 28, 2008 at 8:11 am
I was thinking “low blood sugar” before you got to the car.
BTDT. Funny the things you don’t think about when it’s been a while.
BTW — instant oatmeal and an orange are good foods, but it’s better to spend the extra 5 minutes to make old-fashioned oatmeal. Instant oatmeal has been processed to the point of acting more like sugar than like whole grain in your digestive tract. It’s also a good idea to toss in a few nuts or a bit of soy or cottage cheese to give your breakfast holding power.
2 Stephen Holt // Jan 28, 2008 at 9:26 am
It’s part of your trainer’s job to give you some idea beforehand of what your first meeting will entail.
You should also have a least some level of assessment, some discussion of your exercise history, and some discussion of your goals before you start the actual workout.
Thanks an awful lot of work for a first workout.
- Stephen
Stephen Holt
2003 ACE Personal Trainer of the Year
3-time NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year Finalist
3 d.a. - allingoodhealth // Jan 28, 2008 at 10:22 am
Yeah, that lack of protein will kick your backside. I agree with @TosaJen: if you can, eat a slow-cooked oatmeal (you can make a huge batch ahead of time in a slowcooker, or on the stove, then store in ‘frige), and add a big handful of chopped nuts.
4 Anne Keckler // Jan 28, 2008 at 10:36 am
The reason you felt like puking is because you used up all your muscle glycogen.
Your trainer should have done a careful assessment of your fitness level before pushing you that hard. he should have also, as Stephen Holt said, given you an idea beforehand of what your session would entail.
~Anne Keckler
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
http://www.annekeckler.com
5 Anne Keckler // Jan 28, 2008 at 10:40 am
I guess I can’t edit my comments here, but I want to add that a high-protein breakfast before working out will help prevent that nausea. Also, a carb drink during exercise can be a good idea if you plan to continue working that hard.
Don’t injure yourself!
~Anne Keckler
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
http://www.annekeckler.com
6 macdaddy // Jan 28, 2008 at 12:20 pm
7 Chris @ ComicHacks.com // Jan 28, 2008 at 1:54 pm
HAHAHA!
But, hey, you mde it through it.
Sorry, not trying to be rude, but it’s been a long time since I worked out so hard that I puked. Been there, done that, and I need to do it again. Your story just made me laugh, though it’s not near as funny when you’re the person about to puke.
Keep it up, man. Best of luck to you!
Chris
8 J.D. // Jan 28, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Ha! Great work, Mackenzie.
The only time I ever worked with a personal trainer was at my last gym. When I signed up, I was supposed to get four weekly consultations. But I hated my first meeting, so I never took the other three.
The trainer met with me in the reception area and spent all his time checking out the “hot babes”. He wasn’t listening to me. He was constantly distracted to say “hey” to all the women passing by. He was very popular with them. He wasn’t popular with me. In fact, he pissed me off.
9 greenman2001 // Jan 29, 2008 at 4:47 am
Fire this guy, Mac. The point isn’t to prove to you that you’re out of shape: you knew that already. The point is to build a foundation of strength and endurance that will enable you to incorporate regular exercise into your life in a “sustainable” way. Being exhausted, sick to your stomach, and sore is a big stack of disincentives to overcome. You’re in this for the long haul, right? Do you see yourself doing this exercise routine, by yourself, three times a week, for the next 30 years? There are better ways of approaching this, and if you don’t try some of the other trainers at the gym you won’t discover them.
10 brooklynchick // Jan 29, 2008 at 5:14 am
My $.02 - oranges are awfully acidic for first thing! I also find caffeine before a workout helps.
Most importantly, GO YOU for doing it! Every time you workout, mild or intense, is a great thing for your body, mind, and spirit! CONGRATS!
11 Lauren Muney // Feb 1, 2008 at 9:50 am
Yes, that’s what you pay a personal trainer to do. Some aren’t too hard but you got one who wants to make you work very hard. Of course, I wouldn’t have started you as hard as he did for the first session… however, if you think you need some help acclimatizing to such rigorous work (he really did do some good stuff with you, it was just too early for that, imo), just tell him to back off somewhat until you get some conditioning underway: it’s a relationship (or should be), not a Spartan death-match.
My 2c,
Lauren Muney
certified personal trainer
certified (several times over) health coach
behavior coach
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