A Return to LA

While I wish this post was about a trip to Los Angeles, it's not; however, I am honestly nearly as excited as I would be about a trip to Cali.

In December 2015, I joined LA Fitness, as it was inexpensive and across the street from my apartment. I loved that place and was quite the gym rat, spending upwards of two hours there each day, skipping happy hour with colleagues to lift weights, making friends with other "regulars." I loved it so much, in fact, that I started working there part-time, simply to spend more time at the gym.

However, I ended up working much more than fit comfortably into my schedule, and I was therefore unable to workout as much as I liked. And, that whole ankle injury was quite a hindrance to my lifting regimen, too.

I stopped working at the gym this winter, and I never reactivated my membership. After all, I had found Pilates, and let's be real: I didn't want to have to pay the initiation fee again. But, I really, really missed lifting -- and I really, really wanted to get back into it.

Long story short, after talking to my former boss last week, I got my membership reinstated (free of charge), and I switched my club to one much closer to my house.

Today, I worked out at the gym for the first time in months.

And it felt incredible.

I started with my favorite -- deadlift. I was going to keep it fairly light (135 pounds), but on my second set, a woman approached and asked if she could alternate with me. That has never happened to me at the gym, and I was all about it. It was really nice having partner of sorts.

I ended up doing three sets of five at 135 pounds, and then we started increasing: one set at 145 pounds, two sets at 155 pounds, and then a set of three at 165 pounds and 175 pounds.

I. Was. Pooped.

And it felt incredible.

Then I moved onto the leg press, where I did two sets of ten at 298 pounds and three sets of ten at 388 pounds. When I stood up to add the plates between sets two and three, my quads definitely let me know that they were being worked. I almost had to take a lengthier break just to get them to stop firing.

But I pushed on.

Finally, I did five sets of ten good mornings with a 30-pound barbell on my shoulders. That is one of my favorite lifts: it feels fairly easy, but it works those hammies and glutes like you wouldn't believe.

Just being in the gym -- lifting, sweating, working hard -- worked wonders for my self-esteem, for my mental health. I already can't wait to go back.

That being said, here's my workout plan for this week:

Monday: Pilates
Tuesday: Deadlift + Leg Press + Good Morning
Wednesday: Pilates
Thursday: Pilates + Walk/Run
Friday: Bench + Close-Grip Bench + Shoulders
Saturday: Squats + Lunges
Sunday: Pilates + Walk/Run

I'm excited to talk more about the walking/running I have planned, but friends, it was a hard day of lifting, and I'm pooped. So, stay tuned. :)

Peace,