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Happy Monday! (And An Exercise Request…)

A few things on this (rare) rainy morning in Southern California.

1. I redesigned my site again. Actually, D redesigned my site. Don’t we love D? I love D. Especially when he picks up on my very subtle clues that I’m needing a change. (You know, like staring out the window with a fake tear, shaking my head and muttering that I can’t continue my online presence. “It’s just too hard. The inspiration is GOOOONNNNE.”) He’s a doll, that one. Worked on it all weekend for me!

2. Aunt Flo came to visit this morning. I’m sure you all are thrilled to start off your week with that information, but let me just say, Aunt Flo visited after being 7 DAYS LATE. You know, I have a lot of big things planned for 2012, but another baby was really not one of them. I think I am electing myself President of the Two Is Enough Club.

3. Exercise! I realize I haven’t updated you all on my exercise routine after the boot camp post, but in March of this year, I hopped off the boot camp train and started doing small group Pilates on a reformer three times a week. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it had changed my body! However, after an unprecedented family discussion and vote (that Wita is quite the orator BABAAAAA DAHHHHGIE NOOOOOO), we joined a gym yesterday. (How dare they want to work out too! Assholes!) Starting this week, gone are the days of completely individualized instruction (BOO, but also gone are the ginormous monthly payments, YAY), and I’m a little nervous about losing the muscle tone and definition that I worked so hard to obtain, especially in my arms and back. (Which led me to do this Tracy Anderson video twice yesterday.)

Do you have any suggestions? I’m planning on getting my cardio via spinning and/or Elliptical, but in terms of toning, the gym offers a Barre-type class, as well as Mat Pilates. Do you all have any experience with those? Or great exercises I could do on all that meathead gym equipment? (Which totally intimidates the hell out of me, by the way. I’m skeered.)

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62 comments
  1. Leslie Capron

    December 12, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    Yay for gyms with childcare! I haven’t tried the Barre class yet, but after reading the comments I must try it! (BTW, they do use the barre). There’s a yoga class right after spin class that is supposed to be insane too. It’s fast paced and will kick your booty.

    • whoorl

      December 12, 2011 at 12:46 pm

      Oh yay on using the barre! Slynnro would be pleased. :)

      I just want to warn you that if we happen to do any spin/cardio classes together, you might need to pick me up off the floor. That’s one thing about the reformer, it doesn’t really get your heart pumping!

  2. Amanda

    December 12, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    My gym has this computerized program called Fitlinxx that can track your weight-lifting and cardio workouts (and any classes you take at the gym). At the end of the month, the computer e-mails you a progress report that tells you how many calories you burned (in ice-cream sundaes) and how many pounds you lifted (in African elephants!). I love having the data. It keeps me motivated to stay at my goal levels. If you have this at your gym, definitely enroll in Fitlinxx. It’s typically free.

    I used to do mat Pilates (loved it!), but now you have me dying to try Reformer. And the day my gym gets a Barre class, I’ll be the first to sign up.

  3. linette

    December 12, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    frequent reader, infrequent commenter…but had to jump in to say I love the site redesign :)

    • whoorl

      December 12, 2011 at 7:26 pm

      Thank you!

  4. Jessica

    December 12, 2011 at 5:09 pm

    Love the new site design!

  5. Seriously Sassy Mama

    December 12, 2011 at 5:16 pm

    I love the site. Oh how I wish I had an exercise routine.

  6. Amti'b

    December 12, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    Is it a 24 hour? If so try piyo or body fusion. Finally after about 4+years i got back to my group fitness obsession. Zumba is so funny but you love to dance and if you enjoy watching peeps it is amusing. Mat pilates is different but still hard because it is all you! Look forward to the updates.

    • whoorl

      December 12, 2011 at 7:26 pm

      Zumba is on my list!

  7. elz

    December 12, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    Barre classes are THE BEST. I hated all group exercise class with the heat of a thousand suns. But, barre classes? LOVE with an equal passion.

    • whoorl

      December 12, 2011 at 7:25 pm

      I’m really excited to try it out!

  8. Kathleen @ Sugar and Spice

    December 12, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    Pilates Addict here, 5 year running. If you wanna join my duo for an uber discount, you would be welcomed.

    • whoorl

      December 12, 2011 at 7:26 pm

      Thanks, Kathleen!

  9. Kathleen @ Sugar and Spice

    December 12, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    oh hey, D knows you well. :)

  10. Caroline Cohenour

    December 12, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    I love the site redesign! That D is something else. So PERFECT. And the pic works fabulously, too.

    • whoorl

      December 12, 2011 at 7:24 pm

      I thought you might like that photo!! ;)

  11. Amy Harmon

    December 12, 2011 at 7:39 pm

    I have a hard time w my ADD at the gym and i look at the machines and weights and can’t decide what body part i want to work on…blah blah…I found this ap on my iphone…its fantastic! “body fitness” app…you can pick out which area you want to work on and it gives you tons of exercises and shows you exactly how to do it even. I just have a very very hard time pushing myself! Try it!
    Also, I am sure your gym has body pump, weight lifting class of some sort…I would def try one. Resistance training is ESSENTIAL for me.

    • whoorl

      December 13, 2011 at 5:39 pm

      Checking that out now!

  12. Nila

    December 12, 2011 at 10:36 pm

    Yay for Aunt Flo, although you guys do make some pretty babies.

    The best part of a gym membership for me is the childcare. My son really enjoys that hour in there. He asks to go to the gym so it helps get me in there too. Spin and body pump classes seem to give me a good balance of cardio and weight conditioning. Have fun finding your new groove!

    • whoorl

      December 13, 2011 at 5:41 pm

      Childcare was the #1 reason we joined. ;)

  13. Tina

    December 13, 2011 at 6:20 am

    Oh, I am obsessed with my reformer classes. (Though I can only afford them once or twice a week). Your gym doesn’t offer them? I have taken a mat class. I liked it okay but I have found that the reformer class makes me work harder in yoga now. If I take a Vinyansa class (instead of a relaxing Hatha Class) I can FEEL more core now and work harder. It’s like the reformer class helped me recognize muscles I didn’t know I had. SO you could try yoga? But I also like my cardio interval classes too.
    Good luck.
    And also? I pulled the trigger on the Oribe spray. It’s pretty great but do you see a difference between that and the Aveda Air Control? I have been obsessed for Air Control for years and they seem to do similar things? But the oribe smells better!
    Best,
    Tina

    • whoorl

      December 13, 2011 at 5:43 pm

      My gym does offer the reformer classes, but they are an additional (huge) charge.

      I have never tried the Aveda Air Control, so I can’t really speak to any similarities or differences between the two.

  14. Darcy

    December 13, 2011 at 8:53 am

    In my early 20s, I went to a gym in DC that had a kick ass pilates mat instructor. Kick. Ass. Since moving to Houston, I have had very little luck finding anything that compares (and I’ve been looking for seven years now). In fact, I have turned in feedback cards at my current gym telling the management that they need to cancel all their mat classes because the instructors are so awful. Tres disappointing. However, I recently came across a website called pilatesanytime.com- online mat pilates videos (and reformer, etc if you happen to have the equipment at home)! I’ve gone through a couple and found some instructors that I like more than others, and now I just do one of those at home a couple times a week. For $18 a month, you really can’t beat it. I think you would need to go to a couple of mat classes in person, just to get the gist of the classes, but once you know the patterns and routines, this is a great option.

    • whoorl

      December 13, 2011 at 5:43 pm

      Thank you!

  15. sarah

    December 13, 2011 at 9:48 am

    OMG I think I had a PTSD type flashback when you said you did a Tracey Anderson video *twice.* I was picturing the postnatal workout DVD that I did a handful of times and while the workout was fine (boring even) the cuing was so bad I could not even keep it in the house. Can’t argue with her results, though.