Melissa's Training with Equinox: 3rd Session

This was my toughest workout by far with my trainer! It is starting to be rewarding. I've lost 5 lbs. since I have started! For this session on February 20th, we ended up working out on the 3rd floor. It was a little intimidating at first because that is where men are lifting weights. Thankfully, there aren't as many people working out at 1 p.m., so my focus could stay on the hard workout at hand. It started out with lunges by way of a step - very hard, especially after doing several. This workout consisted of lots of lunges, including walking lunges with free weights and lots of repetition. I must have done this six times and by the last set, wasn't able to feel my legs. Since we were on the 3rd floor, my trainer had me do an exercise that made use of their stairs. I had to run down the stairs and then back up, skipping every other step on the way back up. Since the training was more intense, I was able to rest for about a minute between intervals. We also worked this time on arms with exercises like the lap pull down, rowing and lateral pulls. After this workout, I was sore for another two days, so Traci is really doing her job, and I can't wait to continue on my quest for losing weight and toning up.

Melissa's Training with Equinox: 2nd Session

I've made it past my second training session! I have to admit, it was a little difficult getting in the mood to train again, but once I was there, it was fine. We again did a mix of cardio and weight training and I can tell you that I am sore 3 days after the session, so my trainer is doing her job! My session went a little like this, bike for 3 minutes, then weight training, then back to the bike for another 3 minutes and then more weight training, and again, back to the bike for another 5 minutes.

This time, we did work on arms, legs (inner and outer thigh), as well as abs, so my overall time with her is an hour. Mixing up your workout like this can definitely make it more exciting. And, you can get through spurts of 3-5 minutes right? My toughest moments in a workout is staying focused for 30-40 minutes on a bike, treadmill or elliptical machine, so this way is really working for me.

Melissa's Training with Equinox: 1st session

My first session was on Wed., February 6th and can I just say, nothing would have prepared me for it! I wanted someone to bust my butt back into shape and after my first session, I can tell you that my trainer Traci is going to do just that. During my brutal hour workout, we mainly just focused on doing weight machines, mixed with basic cardio exercises such as jumping jacks, leg lifts with a step, tons of squats and lunges and more. I was exhausted after the first session and could actually feel the heaviness of my excess body weight! Needless to say, I was completely sore for the next two days, but I knew I had to get my workouts in. I, again, hit the gym solo that Friday! Stay tuned for a re-cap on my next training session, which happens this Wednesday.

Melissa's Training with Equinox: The Intro

Welcome to our fitness blog! The publisher (Henrique Kerch) and I have decided to take on a fitness challenge with Equinox Fitness and their personal trainers! We each have snagged our very own trainer from Equinox and will separately train with them once a week and re-cap it right here at this blog. You can take the tips we learn from them and hopefully use them to reach your own fitness goals! Before I get going on my first training experience, I'm going to give you a little background about me, my life and my fitness goals.

My name is Melissa Maynard, and I am the editor-in-chief of Factio Magazine, an oversized glossy fashion magazine that publishes quarterly in Chicago for fall, winter, spring and summer. Our online version www.factio-magazine.com publishes 24/7, and I also manage editorial for a blog called runwaytoretail.com which also publishes several articles daily. My life is hectic to say the least, not just in my job, but also personally. I'm a wife and a mother, which is on the top on my priority list. So let's just say that in the past couple of years, fitness has been put on the back burner. During my high school years, I was in the best shape of my life. I was on the pom squad, so we worked out for about three hours everyday of the week and sometimes on the weekends. I also ran track and even though I hated running, I managed to do really well at the sport, running the half mile in track meets. In college, I kept working out often, while working all of the time. As I fell into my job as an editor, becoming more sedentary and after becoming a mom, things began to change! For the past several years I have been attending several parties a week, where drinks such as champagne is free flowing and rich appetizers come one after another.

Time for a Change
My first meeting with my trainer was Saturday, February 2nd and it was really just an evaluation of my overall fitness level. The good thing was that she could tell that I have done these types of exercises before. The bad thing was that my fat % was a little higher than we would like. Here are some tips that she gave me that I am starting to follow:

1. Get a heart monitor. She told me that I am going to want to keep my heart rate at 150 mph or higher in order to get into my fat burning zone. If I don't get it to this, I'm basically wasting my time! This was really good to know, since I am limited on time due to a hectic business and family life. I really want to make the most of my workouts!

2. Focus on cardio three days a week and lifting weights two days a week, so when I'm lounging around or having a lazy Sunday, I'm still burning fat!

3. I also discussed with her my going-out-to-events issue. We both agreed that I'm going to have to let the appetizer plate just keep passing me by and limit my alcohol intake. I also told her that I'm really watching my portion control on everything I eat. A general rule is to eat only about a cup of your main dish and don't go for seconds and load up on vegetables.