Well that's 5 classes down. (Technically 6 because you're reading this on Monday after I started the day bright and early at Barry's).
15 to go.
Currently, everything hurts. In that bad-in-a-good-way. Like I just WORKED.
And I'm fully endorphin wasted.
So how'd Week 1 go?
Let's break it down.
Monday - Arms & Abs - Shauna
Also - LIES! This is from Barry's Miami in October. But you get the idea. I was also tan here. I'm not tan anymore.
Let me make one thing very clear - I'm an morning exerciser. Through and through. I'd happily wake up for a 6am class if it meant that I'd be asleep by 9pm. The words "night owl" do not exist in my vocabulary. Are you caught up on House of Cards where Tom Yates tells Claire, "I can sleep anywhere, I'm very lucky like that"? Yeah, that's me. I can and will fall asleep anywhere.
Knowing this - Monday's PM class was a STRUGGLE. Just energy wise. I chose this class because the Marina studio was closed in the AM for maintenance (adding more treadmills!) and I didn't want to deal with the rain and driving to SoMa and parking and all that jazz. I was pretty spent from a day at work and also a stupid decision to run like 5 miles on Sunday when the rain let up in San Francisco. Shauna's a fantastic teacher (did you know she has a phD in Exercise Science?) and made the time go by quickly with short(ish) sets.
I left all cocky like, "Pshhhhh this is going to be a cakewalk".
Tuesday - Butt & Legs - Vanessa
Here's a fun fact: Butt and Legs day is my least favorite. Squats, lunges, booty bands - NOT FUN. Running at an incline? NOT FUN. But I love Vanessa's energy, her music and her teaching style. Even if we did do loooooooong sets that made me want to cry and go eat a breakfast burrito. But I (and better judgement) prevailed and I inhaled my smoothie after class.
Wednesday - Chest, Back & Arms - Alvin
Alvin's class was one of the first Barry's classes I ever took and I absolutely love them. They're hard, efficient, and the moves are meant to burn out your muscle groups. The runs are always long and fast and while I hate 60 second sprints while I'm in them, I appreciate them after. I woke up SORE this morning. So sore. The spot where butt meets leg. OWWWW. Still sore. But I made it!
Also on Day 3 - ALL OF THE HUNGER. I knew this would come (hello marathon training RUNger) and thought ahead and packed snacks for work after my post-class smoothie (Morning Snack: Protein Bar, Lunch: Turkey/Avocado/Greens/Hummus on an Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Wrap, Apple, Food Should Taste Good Blue Corn Chips, Afternoon Snack: Siggi's 0% Greek Yogurt + PB + Blueberries). The last thing you want is to undo all the work you're doing in that studio with poor nutrition choices. #beprepared
Thursday - Abs - Gabby
Gabby is the most energetic delightful person on this planet. I know no one who has that much energy before 7am and I love her for it. Also she was the driving force behind my vegan experiment - if you're interested in a plant-based diet and want to know how it will affect your workouts? Talk to Gabby, she's the best.
Abs day - not my favorite (um because it's HARD) but so good afterwards. C'mon 6-pack, where you at?
Hunger/Sore/Exhaustion Levels? Getting progressively worse. But, to be expected.
Friday - Full Body - Brian
My favorite day of the week - not only because I get to sleep in an extra hour, but because the workout is varied, I love Brian's playlists and his class is KILLER. I used to take his classes at Equinox and I'm SO GLAD he's now at Barry's. Request: MORE MARINA CLASSES PLEASE.
Felt amazing to get week 1 in the books but Friday at 5pm I was feeling it. Sore, SO HUNGRY, exhausted. It was like wine me immediately.
Had an indulgent (and let's face it - very well deserved) meal of homemade pizza and coconut milk ice-cream sundaes with said wine and crashed.... hard.
Saturday - REST REST REST
A full day of rest. That's a lie - I went for a walk with my mom during a break in the rain. But otherwise - REST. I was worn out and feeling pretty run-down. An evening on the couch watching House of Cards (THAT LAST SCENE WAS EVERYTHING) and 10 hours of sleep and I was a new woman.
Sunday - SoulCycle
A non-negotiable. I love SoulCycle, especially with Steph, but during Academy? My legs felt heavy and not even Beyonce could pull me out of my lethargic state of being. But I pulled through. Because that's what Beyonce would do.
Key Take Aways?
-Eat more. Eating nothing before a 7:10am class and then pounding ~300 calorie smoothie afterwards sort of sets me up for a ravenously insatiable day. Today I had a banana + almond butter with black coffee pre-class and eggs post class and I feel like my blood sugar/appetite is much more stabilized.
-Keep getting that sleep - I've been averaging 7.5 - 8 hours of sleep a night and it makes all the difference when that 6am alarm hits you in the face.
-STRETCH - I need to foam roll. I need to go to yoga. Goal is 2x a week for the remainder of Barry's Academy.
-Water - I'm thirsty like all the time. I now keep a bottle on me at all times and go through ~7 Smart Water bottles a day. (The one with the sport top - I don't know how big it is.)
Let's do this Week 2!