Wednesday, May 20, 2009

General Admission

Humiliated, party of one...

Oh yeah - that's me today! We went last night and picked up the new workout game, for those that haven't seen my other 200 posts about this game - it's called EA Sports Active. Any of you that were around a year ago, know that I was every bit as excited about getting my Wii Fit last year at this time... and I loved it.

This game and I might have a love/hate relationship... the jury is still out.

I will tell you that this is not your children's workout game... this sucker is hard, and really more geared toward the people that truly are looking for a way to work out and have the benefit of a personal trainer that can give you some feedback on how your form looks. (on most things... we'll get to that)

So being the idiot that I am, I put the thing in the Wii and off I went with workout one... OIY! In case you missed it - let me say it again... OIY!

It starts out all nicey nice... and lets you do a little walking/jogging to get warmed up... then it immediately goes in for the kill...

After the two lap walk/jog - it went right into squats. When I tell you that John was cracking up at this point - it's not even a joke. For some reason I couldn't get the thing to register that I was squatting low enough - so I must have done like 20 before it even started counting them! ARG! At one point, John got up and was trying to help me squat lower... and actually pushed me down to the floor.

It might NOT be an understatement to say that I have zero muscle control... so my legs are feeling like jelly already at this point... but I continue on... and we do lunges. Nice...

(I can't remember exactly the order of the exercises... but there was some good upper body work as well as lower body... and cardio too)

So shortly after the squats and lunges... she has you back on the track to do this nifty move where you're running but you kick your legs up high in the back - like running while kicking yourself in the butt. Sounds glamorous, right?

Yeah, this is when it gets really bad... so I THINK that I'm going to be alright and I can't seem to get the brain to communicate with my extremities - so I sort of modify it and walk and kick myself in the butt. John, being the coach that he is... tells me that I'm not going fast enough... so I suck it up and try to do the run... only it doesn't work out.

I sort of hop to get myself off the ground into a run... and kick my one foot up... but when I go to put it down and get on with the second leg... the jelly legs take over and I fall completely on my butt. Insert hysterics... because John and I are laughing so hard that we can't even breathe. He couldn't even ask me if I was okay for a LONG time... and I was sitting there trying to breathe, laugh and cry at the same time. (the crying was a result of the laughing!)

Eventually - I pick myself back up and finish the rest of the workout - there was another round of running, walking, high knee walking, squats, lunges, boxing, and lots of arm work...

When I was done - I was sweating for sure! My muscles were certainly feeling the burn... and I knew right then that I was in BIG trouble. It's going to take me a little bit of time to work up to the 30 day challenge... Laurie and I are talking about starting it next Tuesday, but we'll just have to see if I can walk by then. HA!

I'm not kidding when I tell you before I went to bed - every muscle in my body from my neck to my toes hurt... and I fell asleep in the tub!

The sore muscles were there this morning, but I truly didn't start noticing it until I had to get up and down out of a chair 15 times like I have this morning... and when I went to go DOWN 2 flights of stairs... I'm not kidding ya'll... it was nuts. Picture me in a back stairwell - thank goodness I didn't try to use the main one where the whole building would have seen this... but there I was holding on to both sides of the railing... trying to will my legs to cooperate! It felt like a total out of body experience... like I had zero control over my legs.

Have any of you seen those cartoons where it looks like the person's body is a million miles behind their legs while they are walking... like they're leaned back and walking... that's what I think it might have looked like!

The muscles in my back are screaming too from some of the upper body stuff that I did with the resistance band... my legs and back seem to be the two areas that are the most offended by the workout moves from last night.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm going to do tonight - but I'm thinking that it's going to involve me designing a custom workout and avoiding squats, lunges, and the butt kicking run... at least to give my legs a day to recover.

I NEVER had this experience with the Wii Fit... so I already know that it is a much more quality workout... so long as it doesn't kill me.

Have I scared you guys off, or is anyone rushing out to get one??

If anyone wants to get it and do the 30 day challenge with us - let me know... we could push it back to June 1st if needed potentially. Speak now or forever hold your peace... or well hang in there and laugh when I start writing about it. HA!

*** Edited to add: I just found a review on Yahoo that talks about Wii Fit vs EA Sports Active

8 comments:

  1. That is FABULOUS! I did my leg workout last night (albeit at the gym, where humiliation knows no bounds!) and know the jelly-leg feeling of which you describe. I'm back on the workout horse after being off for 3 weeks again...why do I keep doing this to myself?? I know how much it sucks!! I am more determined now that none of my pants/shorts fit (that is, ones that aren't elastic...)

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  2. Wow! That sounds like me after Day 1 of the 30-Day Shred! I feel your pain...and I encourage you to work through it as best you can. It will get better and you will find yourself being able to do things in time that you never thought possible! I'm rooting for you!

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  3. First off, go to a health food store and get some arnica. They have it in a tablet (which I haven't tried) but sounds like would work better for you right now. They also have it in a gel if you just have one sore area.

    The gel stuff is wonderful. It feels a bit like someone got confused and used dippity-doo instead of deep heat. You will think that it was absolutely pointless having it rubbed in (there is none of that deep heat burn). The next morning though, you won't be as sore.

    It is supposed to help promote healing for sore muscles, bruises, etc and it has worked well for us.

    Next, so you know how wii fit has you do one exercise and then you wait until you can choose the next one (one of my biggest complaints). Does this one do that too or is it more seamless?
    Do you chose any part of it or is it more like a interactive workout dvd?

    Last, if you could put off the 30 day challenge until the 15th, I am in. We will be going to the beach for 1 1/2 weeks so I can't really commit til then.

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  4. I'm so glad this is actually a good workout! The wii fit was a bit of a dissappointment for me. Now I need to buy a wii so I can try it!

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  5. tell me more about the 30 day challenge...I might be in...

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  6. Oh my gosh, this entry makes me laugh because I would be doing the saaaame thing!!

    I also got the EA sports set, but haven't opened it. Work was crazy yesterday and I need some "couch" time to debrief so I think I might break it out tomorrow.

    I would be interested in the 30 day challenge as well, but maybe not till June 1st. I think I'll need time to figure out what I am suppose to be doing with it. :)

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  7. Hey Kim!!! Sorry I have been MIA for awhile but I'm back and dying laughing over this post. Thanks for being so honest!!!! I can't stop picturing you and your husband just cracking up. You guys sound like so much fun!!!!! Good to be back!!!

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  8. Oh how funny! And how sweet of John to "help" you...

    Reminds me of the time I went flying off the back of a treadmill (in front of a crowd of people, no less). Exercise can be painful in more ways than one, I guess!

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Thank you so much for your comments. I really enjoy getting feedback on my writing!