Week 1
Photos taken on 1/14/2012 right before our first class.
Photos taken 1/22/2012
Friday, January 20th, 2012 - Weigh In!
Week 1 weight loss, -15 lbs
Weigh in was this morning for me, and the number(s) are in. I say numbers because of some issues brought up regarding the OTF scale. I got on and it said 276, 28 lbs lighter than one week before. I have been very diligent about what I've been eating, drinking a lot of water, and working out quite a bit. Even with that, its a big number for a week so I told them right after I weighed in that I wasn't 100% confident in the scale. They asked me to call them with what my home scale said, lucky for them I just happen to be tracking that too. That scale says 271, a 15 lb weight loss for the week. Not that it matters, their scale HAS to be used. They are looking into the issue. As long as the scale remains untouched it should still produce usable data to determine the winners. It highlights a couple issues I've had with the weight loss competition portion of OTF. One, It's disappointing that a studio that is putting some decent dollars on the line to the winner doesn't have a better scale. Two, I was hoping for a little better organization around the competition. Maybe a meeting before it started to discuss the rules, go over the workouts, fill out paperwork and do a weigh in. Had that happened, pretty sure the scale issue would have been raised prior to the start and something could have been done. Everybody's busy but hey, I'm taking this seriously and if the other are I'm pretty sure they could get there for an evening meeting. Otherwise, I love it! The workouts are awesome and for only having done a week, I feel great!
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Wednesday was a planned day off from Orange Theory. I contemplated signing up for it since Meg was going and I seemed to feel OK. Then I tried to do a couple squats in the kitchen and my thighs and one knee told me they needed a day of rest. Being in the challenge I'm contantly feeling like I should be doing something. So on the days I don't do Orange Theory I'm walking or biking. I've also been taking the dog for pretty long walks each night just to get the legs moving and try to reduce the soreness. It's worked decent, I'm still feeling though. Today I was back and they had new treadmills all ready, just when I thought I'd figured out the other ones. I happen to get on the one that was all ready at 6-7 degree incline (I didn't notice that when I got on), it wouldn't go any lower. So it made for a very challenging treadmill work out. None the less I got into the zones I needed to and carried that heart rate level into the circuit training. I was glad I'd taken a day off, I could go harder in the circuit training section and can all ready feel an improvement in my endurance. As I said before, the workout gets really leg intensive so going forward the days off are going to be neccessary. My schedule right now gives me Wednesday and Sunday as rest days. Tomorrow is FRIDAY...that means it's week 1 weigh in! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Workouts 2 and 3 are complete with this morning being my first 5:30 a.m. session. It's defiantely early for me but the time works out really well with my work schedule. Workout 1 was a taste of what this is all about, 2 and 3 have been significantly harder. Much more pushing from the trainier and even some sprints on the rowing machines. Circuit training with the weights and TRX bands has resulted in the majority of my body being sore when I move, it's really hitting my legs which in my case is good, I have large thighs to say the least so getting those muscles to the point of burning is key. The last two sessions have had louder music, more overall intensity, and as I wished on the first day, two trainers. I'm really liking it so far, the interval training works for me. I'm trying to listen to my body on how often I should go. I plan on a minumum of 4 days a week, most likely 5.
Saturday, January 14th, 2012
Our first class in behind us. It was the very first class for this studio and last night they were still getting some things set up. Only a few minor hiccups and a slight late start but over all the gym is great. They have very nice equipment and aesthetically is quite pleasing, but my favorite color is orange so I may be a bit bias. They have adequate facilities for changing, one stall for men and one for women, they could use a bit more locker storage for people as people coming and going overlap some. If you're looking for a huge locker room like at an L.A. Fitness they do not have that. That is not a priority for me, I'm there for the workout!
Workout 1 went well. First thing to do is get your heart rate monitor on and associate your name with the monitor you are wearing. This way your name is up on the big screen with your current percentage of maximum heart rate, your actual heart rate, and what zone you are currently in. The goal is to be in the orange zone as much as possible with a small percentage of time in the red. Your maximum heart rate is calculated based only on your age, which can be problematic since it's so general. Class is set up into two 'groups' both working out at the same time, with a maximum of 12 persons in each group. One group does the circuit training while the other uses the treadmills. There is one trainer that leads the entire class. I was really hoping for a trainer per group for that extra attention but it seemed to work pretty smoothly with one. Meg and I started on the rowing machines which are part of the circuit training. We warmed up some and then went through a series of exercises that were first shown by the trainer then done at your own pace. The exercises included the rowing machines, TRX bands, medicine balls, steppers and free weights. There seem to be a little more down time on the circuit training side, one because it was our first time and two, the trainer does demonstrate prior to starting. I think I will do the cardiovascular side first next time, my heart rate took a bit longer to get into the orange zone with the circuit training. Of course this will change after doing the class more often and knowing what kind of pace it takes to get it there faster. So it may not matter which is done first. Given members have such a wide variety of fitness levels the treadmill portion is broken up into how you would categorize your self, walker, power walker, jogger or runner. Each is told to find a base level where it is work but more of a recovery zone. For 26 minutes the trainer tells runs you through a series of levels of exertion with walkers adjusting the incline and the runners adjusting their speed. This got me into the orange zone quicker and longer, I went through this class as at power walker level to see how it went. It actually seems to be where I'm at right now so worked out well. I really like the class and can see that as I go on and get better at the circuit training it will be an amazing work out. Today I'm not feeling too exhausted so think I'm going to sign up for the class tomorrow morning as well! So work out 1 is done, now I have the rest of the day to be healthy! That will prove to be much harder than the classes!
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Orange Theory Fitness of Coral Springs/Parkland is having it's grand opening party tonight. Meg and I are attending so I can size up my competition, the local ones at least. Saturday is the official start date for the local challenge, also the official opening day of the gym and our first session...7:30 a.m.!
Thursday, Jan 12th, 2012
Weigh in, Yikes.
At 11:45 a.m. I officially weighed in. I have a digital scale at home that said 286, thirty minutes later a similar digital scale at Orange Theory said 304. That's 18 lbs difference! Since theirs is the one being used by all contestants 304 it is! Wow that's a big number. Given the large difference in scale weights I am going to track both under the data section.
Week 1 weight loss, -15 lbs
Weigh in was this morning for me, and the number(s) are in. I say numbers because of some issues brought up regarding the OTF scale. I got on and it said 276, 28 lbs lighter than one week before. I have been very diligent about what I've been eating, drinking a lot of water, and working out quite a bit. Even with that, its a big number for a week so I told them right after I weighed in that I wasn't 100% confident in the scale. They asked me to call them with what my home scale said, lucky for them I just happen to be tracking that too. That scale says 271, a 15 lb weight loss for the week. Not that it matters, their scale HAS to be used. They are looking into the issue. As long as the scale remains untouched it should still produce usable data to determine the winners. It highlights a couple issues I've had with the weight loss competition portion of OTF. One, It's disappointing that a studio that is putting some decent dollars on the line to the winner doesn't have a better scale. Two, I was hoping for a little better organization around the competition. Maybe a meeting before it started to discuss the rules, go over the workouts, fill out paperwork and do a weigh in. Had that happened, pretty sure the scale issue would have been raised prior to the start and something could have been done. Everybody's busy but hey, I'm taking this seriously and if the other are I'm pretty sure they could get there for an evening meeting. Otherwise, I love it! The workouts are awesome and for only having done a week, I feel great!
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Wednesday was a planned day off from Orange Theory. I contemplated signing up for it since Meg was going and I seemed to feel OK. Then I tried to do a couple squats in the kitchen and my thighs and one knee told me they needed a day of rest. Being in the challenge I'm contantly feeling like I should be doing something. So on the days I don't do Orange Theory I'm walking or biking. I've also been taking the dog for pretty long walks each night just to get the legs moving and try to reduce the soreness. It's worked decent, I'm still feeling though. Today I was back and they had new treadmills all ready, just when I thought I'd figured out the other ones. I happen to get on the one that was all ready at 6-7 degree incline (I didn't notice that when I got on), it wouldn't go any lower. So it made for a very challenging treadmill work out. None the less I got into the zones I needed to and carried that heart rate level into the circuit training. I was glad I'd taken a day off, I could go harder in the circuit training section and can all ready feel an improvement in my endurance. As I said before, the workout gets really leg intensive so going forward the days off are going to be neccessary. My schedule right now gives me Wednesday and Sunday as rest days. Tomorrow is FRIDAY...that means it's week 1 weigh in! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Workouts 2 and 3 are complete with this morning being my first 5:30 a.m. session. It's defiantely early for me but the time works out really well with my work schedule. Workout 1 was a taste of what this is all about, 2 and 3 have been significantly harder. Much more pushing from the trainier and even some sprints on the rowing machines. Circuit training with the weights and TRX bands has resulted in the majority of my body being sore when I move, it's really hitting my legs which in my case is good, I have large thighs to say the least so getting those muscles to the point of burning is key. The last two sessions have had louder music, more overall intensity, and as I wished on the first day, two trainers. I'm really liking it so far, the interval training works for me. I'm trying to listen to my body on how often I should go. I plan on a minumum of 4 days a week, most likely 5.
Saturday, January 14th, 2012
Our first class in behind us. It was the very first class for this studio and last night they were still getting some things set up. Only a few minor hiccups and a slight late start but over all the gym is great. They have very nice equipment and aesthetically is quite pleasing, but my favorite color is orange so I may be a bit bias. They have adequate facilities for changing, one stall for men and one for women, they could use a bit more locker storage for people as people coming and going overlap some. If you're looking for a huge locker room like at an L.A. Fitness they do not have that. That is not a priority for me, I'm there for the workout!
Workout 1 went well. First thing to do is get your heart rate monitor on and associate your name with the monitor you are wearing. This way your name is up on the big screen with your current percentage of maximum heart rate, your actual heart rate, and what zone you are currently in. The goal is to be in the orange zone as much as possible with a small percentage of time in the red. Your maximum heart rate is calculated based only on your age, which can be problematic since it's so general. Class is set up into two 'groups' both working out at the same time, with a maximum of 12 persons in each group. One group does the circuit training while the other uses the treadmills. There is one trainer that leads the entire class. I was really hoping for a trainer per group for that extra attention but it seemed to work pretty smoothly with one. Meg and I started on the rowing machines which are part of the circuit training. We warmed up some and then went through a series of exercises that were first shown by the trainer then done at your own pace. The exercises included the rowing machines, TRX bands, medicine balls, steppers and free weights. There seem to be a little more down time on the circuit training side, one because it was our first time and two, the trainer does demonstrate prior to starting. I think I will do the cardiovascular side first next time, my heart rate took a bit longer to get into the orange zone with the circuit training. Of course this will change after doing the class more often and knowing what kind of pace it takes to get it there faster. So it may not matter which is done first. Given members have such a wide variety of fitness levels the treadmill portion is broken up into how you would categorize your self, walker, power walker, jogger or runner. Each is told to find a base level where it is work but more of a recovery zone. For 26 minutes the trainer tells runs you through a series of levels of exertion with walkers adjusting the incline and the runners adjusting their speed. This got me into the orange zone quicker and longer, I went through this class as at power walker level to see how it went. It actually seems to be where I'm at right now so worked out well. I really like the class and can see that as I go on and get better at the circuit training it will be an amazing work out. Today I'm not feeling too exhausted so think I'm going to sign up for the class tomorrow morning as well! So work out 1 is done, now I have the rest of the day to be healthy! That will prove to be much harder than the classes!
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Orange Theory Fitness of Coral Springs/Parkland is having it's grand opening party tonight. Meg and I are attending so I can size up my competition, the local ones at least. Saturday is the official start date for the local challenge, also the official opening day of the gym and our first session...7:30 a.m.!
Thursday, Jan 12th, 2012
Weigh in, Yikes.
At 11:45 a.m. I officially weighed in. I have a digital scale at home that said 286, thirty minutes later a similar digital scale at Orange Theory said 304. That's 18 lbs difference! Since theirs is the one being used by all contestants 304 it is! Wow that's a big number. Given the large difference in scale weights I am going to track both under the data section.