Fatty’s New Planet

 

My husband and I just recently decided to join a gym.  Yes, fatty has a husband.  And yes, you should probably feel bad for him- being married to me is no picnic.  Or maybe TOO MUCH of a picnic- I am a fatty for a reason.  So, anyway- we decided to join a gym.  The place that was closest to our home was Planet Fitness, and so that’s where we decided to visit.  Turns out, it’s the perfect gym for not in shape people like me.

 

Planet Fitness claims to be a “judgement free zone”.  This appeals to me, because I can judge myself just fine (I’m awesome!).  But I have found that after hitting a weight loss plateau I need more help.  And this is another reason that Planet Fitness stood out.  Included in any membership is personal training.   And honestly, having someone encourage (yell at, push, threaten) me helps.  Most classes are small (max of 5) so the trainer can work more closely with you, and there is also a “design your own” program where the trainer meets with you to determine your specific goals.    A once a week meeting with the trainer has pushed me to work harder and better (and requires me not to slack).

 

The trainer always uses the 30 Minute Fitness room.  I very much enjoy this area because it works EVERYTHING.  It’s a great (terrible, awful, painful) workout because it alternates between weights and cardo.  You push yourself as hard as possible with sprints, burpees, high knees, and other forms or torment.  Then after each cardio set, which shoots your heart rate sky high and makes you feel like it may explode, you get a short rest and then a weight machine is used.  This allows for “active rest”-you tone a different muscle group each time while your heart rate slowly comes back down.  Each circuit lasts 1 minute.  There are 20 stations, and 30 second rests between each station.  It’s a fast set, but an intense workout.  It uses a HIIT schedule (high intensity interval training), which gets the heart rate up super high, and then gives short rest periods.  I have found that even though it is only 30 minutes, it is the best workout I’ve ever done.  I often come home tired and sore, but I feel that I really pushed myself.  Which is great, because hopefully my weight plateau will become a thing of the past.  But maybe not lose TOO much, because then I will have to change the name of my blog- and I have no clever name for being fit and THIN.  So fat and fit may be the best way to go.