Hizzah!

[RebelNinja]

Hiya!

I'm 5'3", currently at 125 pounds and I'm freakin excited to start power lifting.

I've cut out soda and fast food from diet which was no where near as hard as I was expecting. Yay!

I hate cardio with a passion, but with the backpacking trips coming up in summer, I have to try to incorporate it in some how.

My goals are to improve my strength and endurance. I don't care about "losing" weight, I just want my body to look better and feel healthier.

Luckily I have support at my gym with weight lifting (which has been amazing fun so far), but can't find anyone who's up for the endurance training yet. I think that's going to be the hard part.

Very excited to be here!

Jenny

[ebm1224]

welcome to the community! where will you be backpacking? does your gym offer any classes? i think they are way more fun than being stuck to a treadmill for 30 minues or more...and the routines changes each time so you don't get bored as easily.

[RebelNinja]

Not sure where we'll be backpacking just yet, but we have quite a few spots in Washington

My gym does offer classes, but another thing I need to work on at the gym is not being shy. It was easy to start with weights because I have 3 people to go with any time I need them. My interaction with strangers is normally over Vent or screaming at people through a mic while playing shooters, lol.

They do have a belly dancing class that I was really interested, but the shyness factor is preventing me from going alone. Also, I have NO endurance right now and not sure how I'd be able to hold in a class yet.

[ebm1224]

it's so funny because people always talk about how fitness classes are social...but my experience has been that they really aren't. yes, if you get a good one, people may make comments or give a "whoo!" to help keep their energy up...but i rarely if ever talk to people i'm in class with. it does feel weird sometimes when you're doing something you're not entirely comfortable doing in front of strangers...but you just have to push past that initial awkwardness and go for it. i tend to focus my attention on the instructor or myself in the mirror to stay in the zone and help me not be shy. i'm just now starting to get into cycle classes and that is the weirdest yet because the personal space in those classes is really limited. but, once you start sweating, you'll have other things to concentrate on.

one piece of advice for classes: don't leave. even if you find the class is above your fitness or experience level, just tough it out. march in place, pick a different move, modify things...just don't leave. because, when i've left classes early, i've found it harder to go back the next time. and dont worry if you're not doing the same thing as the rest of the class. in almost every class i've been to, there is at least one or two people who are doing something COMPLETELY different from the rest of the class. maybe they have an injury. maybe the class is too hard or too easy for them. i don't know and, frankly, i don't care. the nice thing about a class is that everyone is in it together and you can feed off the energy of the instructor or the group.

so go belly dance!

[Rosie]

it's so funny because people always talk about how fitness classes are social...but my experience has been that they really aren't. yes, if you get a good one, people may make comments or give a "whoo!" to help keep their energy up...but i rarely if ever talk to people i'm in class with. it does feel weird sometimes when you're doing something you're not entirely comfortable doing in front of strangers...but you just have to push past that initial awkwardness and go for it. i tend to focus my attention on the instructor or myself in the mirror to stay in the zone and help me not be shy. i'm just now starting to get into cycle classes and that is the weirdest yet because the personal space in those classes is really limited. but, once you start sweating, you'll have other things to concentrate on.

one piece of advice for classes: don't leave. even if you find the class is above your fitness or experience level, just tough it out. march in place, pick a different move, modify things...just don't leave. because, when i've left classes early, i've found it harder to go back the next time. and dont worry if you're not doing the same thing as the rest of the class. in almost every class i've been to, there is at least one or two people who are doing something COMPLETELY different from the rest of the class. maybe they have an injury. maybe the class is too hard or too easy for them. i don't know and, frankly, i don't care. the nice thing about a class is that everyone is in it together and you can feed off the energy of the instructor or the group.

so go belly dance!

^

This entirely! I used to be painfully shy and didnt want to try anything new but last year I just had a massive brain overhaul and thought **** it I'm only here once and I'm gonna enjoy the hell out it! Last year I took a course on indoor rock climbing and stepped out of my comfort zone to find others who enjoyed it as much as I did. After a few weeks of hit and miss meeting out to go climbing with complete strangers (awkward!) and almost giving up, I found a super sweet group who I go every week with and even meet up with outside of climbing for other things like running and bowling!

so dont let the fact that you dont know anyone freak you out. Chances are you'll meet otheres that are there on their own for the first time and are as nervous as you! At my zumba class there are new people there every week who looking freaked out as hell to start with, but by the end of the class they are jumping about, dancing and smiling along with us veterans!

[Sco]

Welcome Jenny! Sounds like you're lucky to have some great people to support your lifting endeavors! Best of luck in figuring out the cardio/endurance side of things, but I'd also agree with ebm and Rosie and would say just go for it!

[Deansy]

Welcome to the Rebellion.

I understand the shy bit. For a few months there all I did was work and hang out at home. I was almost a hermit.

Then I met some like minded folk, we started to hang out and now I will be going to the wedding of one of then in November.

Good luck with your goals