Peace and Quiet

I must admit that I am loving how quiet the gym is at 5am. There are a handful of people and I've seen them every day this week, so they are regulars that follow a consistent schedule. I've been one of very few females there that early, and the other ladies go straight to cardio, so I've got the lighter weights to myself. The guys stay pretty much out of my way, and I've really enjoyed the space to workout.

I haven't gotten into specific body groups yet this week; I've been focusing more on full body routines and targeting my core. I've been diligent in keeping form and strengthening my core muscles so I don't injure myself. It has been several weeks since I've been lifting heavy and hard and the last thing I want to do is get an injury right off to bat...really I'd prefer to NEVER get injured :)

I do about 40 minutes of lifting and then I head down to the cardio room. I've been happy to do about 20 minutes of HIIT on the Precor AMT. I love this machine! I increase resistance and lengthen my stride during the high intensity interval and then reduce resistance and simulate stair climbing during the lower intensity interval. I can definitely feel the burn in my glutes, hammies and calves as well as see and feel my heartrate shoot up and I know I'm really pushing the limits! I recover quickly; just in time for another high intensity interval! 20 minutes is all it takes and I'm totally dripping in sweat and feeling like I just finished a race!

My mood has already changed and I'm feeling productive and energized! YAY! I'm really glad I'm taking this time for me again!