Pain in the Neck

I woke up at 3:50 this morning with shooting pain in my neck. I've noticed that I've been rolling over on my left shoulder lately in my sleep, and this combined with last night's intense workout has completely killed my left side.

not a happy camper

I managed to drift in and out of sleep a few more times until 7 AM and then took a hot shower to relax the muscles. Then I dragged my broken body to CVS for Icy Hot medicated patches. The last time I did this to myself, these patches were a lifesaver. Shout-out to Matt who is facing his own neck pain. Feel better soon and if you're looking for someone to commiserate with, I'll bring the Dewars.

God bless Icy Hot

Now that I've thoroughly scared you, let me tell you about the classes I went to yesterday.

Omar Sandoval is one of my favorite instructors. I also harbor a not so secret crush on him. He is known for his Titan classes and his classes are nuts. He also looks great in spandex.

Back when I was teaching, I made it to Titan Method pretty regularly. He has since introduced another class called Titan Method Phantom that is done entirely with your own body weight. I was super psyched to be able to go to both.

Phantom is 30 minutes of planks, push-ups, burpees, lunges, and variations of those moves. Try lying on your stomach and launching your body into a squat so that you're doing a burpee without relying on your arms. Now do this for a minute. Try not to throw up. The yoga push-up is another killer. It's a fast paced transition from downdog to chatturanga to updog without stopping. It hurts and it's not easy.

I used 8 and 10 lbs weights for the hour long Titan Method class, but I saw some women rocking 15 lbs. To these women, I salute you.

You perform 20 sets of 5 exercises 3-5 times in 9 minutes. Then you mop up your area for a minute. There are 5 different circuits. Everyone moves at their own pace, which is bad for me because I can't follow directions that I hear nor can I count my reps without getting distracted. I tried to find people to watch in the mirror to use as a reference, but alas, I pitifully tried to remember the sequence in vain. I still think I looked pretty good with the one armed clean and snatch.

my disgusting pile of laundry that had to be left to dry in the shower

While lying in a puddle of my own sweat, convinced that this would be the day my heart finally gave out and I would die in the gym I call home, I remembered how fun a punishing full body workout can be. Omar offers Titan Method and Titan Method Phantom at 85th & 3rd on Tuesdays and at Columbus Circle on Wednesdays. I'm open to attending either once volleyball ends the last week in February. Hit me up if you're a member and want to join me.

in case you're wondering what I'm wearing to work today

Crescent Kicks and Camel Toe

I'm not even going to lie and pretend that I've been making it to the gym lately (I do have a few posts from last month that I will eventually publish, I promise). Today, in celebration of my new job offer and because I fucking felt like it, I went for a lunch time workout at 50th and Broadway.

Powerstrike is offered at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Omar Sandoval is the instructor. I love Omar. I love Omar's tight pants. And I absolutely loved that Omar remembered me and told me it was good to know that I was alive. I don't think I've seen him since March of 2011. Oops.

source

The Powerstrike website says, "When you hear OMAR, students know they are going to get a workout. "The Titan" holds all five Powerstrike certifications is a Senior Instructor/Trainer for Powerstrike and has represented the company at ECA and Nike conventions, along with starring in all the recent DVDs. Omar's unique energy, Latin sense of rhythm and flamboyant personality contrast dynamically with his large, often intimidating, figure to create a dynamic class environment unlike any. As Omar says, 'Simple. Easy.'"

So I've been to Powerstrike before and it was never easy. Today I was pretty much able to follow the choreography. Probably because I had no muscle memory and was actually paying attention. Powerstrike kickboxing mixes martial arts and aerobics (so basically it's just better cardio kickboxing, with the exception of Yves' classes because those are pure magic!) so you're getting toned and sweating your ass off. I didn't really sweat that much today, but I think it's because my body is doing weird things and not because the workout wasn't hard. (Or maybe I didn't take enough Ritalin today? I hate when I forget if I've taken it or not.)

I have these grey Nike spandex shorts that are no joke ten years old. Bought them when I was 15 at Choate running cross country, so they are actually closer to eleven years old. Super comfortable, but today they kept riding up with every crescent kick. Hello camel toe. If anyone wants to buy me (or even recommend) spandex shorts, I'm always open to presents (and suggestions.)

I promise to actually start blogging again. Lately I've been in a super funk. It's not related to being dumped or even worried about not having a job. I definitely blame my inability to get out of bed on this stupid Depo Provera shot I got on May 31. My doctor said it might be the cause, but now I have to get my thyroid checked on Thursday to make sure that I am not a lethargic mess because my thyroid is out of whack.

And for everyone who was worried that I'd be homeless and unemployed, I was offered the job I desperately wanted yesterday. And by desperately, I mean I would have given my future unborn children and my left foot. Booyah - guess who's a manager now?

Powerstrike!

Last night I stayed for Powerstrike! after Titan Method. I went to this class once last year but got so frustrated I never stayed again. I am not a very graceful or coordinated person, and rely a lot on muscle memory to get through classes. I practice moves I'm unsure of outside of class. It took me months to master the moves in Yves' cardio kickboxing class and now my body immediately wants to do those sequences.

Taking some time off from cardio kickboxing (I desperately miss it) helped me to follow along with Omar's instructions. I find the timing weird and definitely need to work on the punches so that I can do better next week. I just don't get the random pauses.

I had a lot of fun though and it was a good lower abs workout. Since I can no longer attend Yves' classes, my lower abs have gotten soft. I hate crunches and get much better results from kicks and twists. Powerstrike! and other workouts that feature punching are wonderful for toning your arms. I could definitely feel it in my triceps today when I was writing on the board.

Total calories burned for Titan Method and Powerstrike!: 1,225 calories