My first day at the gym

Week 17: Monday 3rd May - Sunday 9th May 2021

My break is over and it's back to the personal training sessions this week. The first one is booked in for Wednesday morning, and now that gyms have re-opened again, this session is going to be my first session in a gym.

I'm not particularly looking forward to it to be honest.

The idea of exercising in a gym just seems a bit stuffy to me. I'd much rather be outside in the fresh air, taking in all of the sights and sounds around me.

My PT seems very excited about it though. On Tuesday evening he texts me the location -

"Hi Lisa, here is the studio location. Really excited to get you in here!!!!"

Going by all of the exclamation marks he's sent me, I'd say he has enough excitement and enthusiasm for the both of us, so perhaps it doesn't matter that I'm not very excited...

My first gym session.

I arrive at the gym, feeling fearful when I think back to his, "You'll make up for it on Wednesday!" comment from last week. What is he going to put me through today?

It is a small, quiet gym, and there are only two other people in here at the moment: an older gentleman, and a middle-aged woman, who looks more like she's dressed for an 80's disco than a gym session. There is a slightly intimidating looking boxing ring in the middle of the room, and many strange looking pieces of fitness machinery line the walls on all sides.

There are also some battle ropes flailed out on the floor. You may remember how I moaned about the battle-ropes previously. My PT knows that I hate the battle-ropes, and he takes great delight in pointing them out to me.

"I hope you didn't think you were escaping these just because we're indoors now!" he squeals with glee.

A leg-kicking machine

I'm introduced to several of the strange pieces of machinery. Here is me on one of the pieces of machinery - doing an exercise where I have to keep kicking my legs up into the air, and back down again:

In between being introduced to various pieces of machinery, I'm made to do all of the usual stuff - loads of mountain-climbers, plank-jacks, fast-feet, knee-high sprints, shoulder-taps, star-jumps, and sadly also three sets of 'arm-waving' exercises on the battle-ropes.

The session comes to an end and I decide that my initial opinion of the gym hasn't changed. It is a bit stuffy. And I'd rather be outside.

My PT is completely convinced that the gym is good for me though. He messages me again on WhatsApp:

"...it will really open up new avenues for you and be a huge boost in your progress!!!"

So whilst I'm not particularly keen, I do trust his superior judgement. I trust that the gym - with it's stuffy air, funnily dressed people, and strange looking bits of machinery - is good for me, and I trust that it will target some areas of improving my strength and fitness that I wouldn't be able to do outside.