“CHECK OUT MY BUNS OF STEEL”… is a phrase I actually uttered this week, having newly discovered that my butt is capable of slightly more than squishy floppiness. Jokes aside, I must admit that something is happening to my body, and I’m not sure what it is…
You see, muscles are forming in strange places – i.e. on MY body. Last week I passed the 10th class mark at the Hackney studio of Tempo Pilates, and my 5th class of 2013. This week also marked another important achievement – my completing a full session on the Pilates reformer without stopping at some point for a second to wonder “if someone thinks this is humanly possible they must be joking” – until I look around in disbelief see all my Pilates classmates happily holding up their entire bodies with one finger (that might be a slight exaggeration).
My biggest problem area (upper-body/arms) is coming along as well. I can definitely get through ten triceps dips now with the encouragement of the East London trainers. But usually those ten are followed by twenty more, which is when I start struggling. But ten is definitely an achievement! The dreaded plank is a lot less dreaded – though I can probably last no more than 5 seconds, that’s already 5 seconds longer than when I started. My biggest problem was pain in my arms from holding up my upper body, but now I’m happy to report that the focus has shifted to my core muscles during a plank on the reformer – which is how it should be. Progress!
The diet aspect which Pilates trainer and nutritionist Jane Grogan, a regular teacher at London E8 has devised, is coming along fine as well, I’m so used to it that it almost doesn’t feel like a diet anymore. The food is delicious and what was so great about bread anyway? Hmm…
Overall I’m feeling great and slowly starting to look different as well. Cutting out foods that make me bloated (hello local beer) and working on my core has got my belt down two notches after two weeks. If that’s not progress from Tempo Pilates reformer Pilates classes, I don’t know what is.
Check back later this week and keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for words of wisdom from Jane on nutrition, and Dana’s healthier eating lifestyle plan.
