Despite the fact that everyone I have ever known makes fun of me, I have always loved Tae Bo. I bought my first tape featuring Billy Blanks straight out of college and was hooked.
In 2005 on a trip home from Japan, I purchased a DVD set thinking that I would take it back to Japan and tear it up. I never even opened the package. They've been sitting in my beloved DVD collection for three years completely forgotten.
Three weeks ago, I re-dedicated myself to my workout routine and while I had been to the gym four to five times a week, it consisted only of an hour either on the treadmill or the elliptical trainer racing with the people on the machines next to me (unbeknownst to them).
Last night I figured that I probably should include some kind of strengthening and toning exercises. Enter Billy Blanks and my forgotten DVDs. I popped one in, thinking that there would be no problem in making it through one of the four advanced workouts.
After twenty minutes of punching and kicking my way to fitness, I started to feel lightheaded and nauseated. I had to lay flat on the floor to re-gain my senses. Then, I spent the rest of the night berating myself for being SO out of shape and for not pushing myself to finish the workout.
Thinking it was a fluke, I woke up this morning and tried the workout again. Sure enough, twenty minutes of squeezing abs and flexing quads induced the vertigo. I followed the voice in my head that shouted, "Come on you WIMP! PUSH!"
Two minutes later I started to get spots in front of my eyes and nearly passed out. Again, I found myself laying flat on my back on the floor trying to re-gain my composure. I thought I could regroup and jump right back in. Wrong. I made it through two more minutes and then barely made it to the couch where I started to cry.
I can't even tell you how frustrated I am with myself. The people on Biggest Loser jump right into seven hour/day workouts and are fine. Why can't I keep up with Billy for more than twenty minutes? It makes me feel like a loser...and not the kind of loser that's getting skinny.
5 comments:
Don't feel bad. Many underestimate the Tae-Bo. It is hard. Hey - I'll work out with you when I get back in August.
Erin, don't worry -- I'd imagine those are actually pretty intense workouts. When I was in college I played ice hockey about 3 hours a day, which is a pretty major workout, so I was in good shape. During those years, I also did (and taught) kickboxing (not Tae Bo, real kickboxing, you know, the kind where we punch and kick each other in the head). Let me tell you, after about 5 minutes of intense kickboxing (the length of 1 kickboxing "round") I generally had to take a breather, and I usually felt like I was about to toss my cookies too.
And you don't think that "toss my cookies" feeling had anything to do with the punching and kicking to the head??
Thanks for the support!
I used to do Tae Bo too and I agree it kicks you in the @$$! My latest attempt to get fit just like you're doing, muscle training and toning with cardio afterwards. I also bought a bike and cycling and that does more for your fitness that you'd think. So cycle!
Good gosh, but I would love to own a bike and ride it everywhere - save on gas, get in shape, etc. But guess what? Yes, I am going to be Miss Doom and Gloom when I tell you that there are literally no sidewalks, no shoulders on the road, and no pedestrian crossings here in Beaumont. Not one! And, it is also 98 degrees and 112% humidity today. Sigh...I wish I could, Pittmeister...you have no idea how badly I want to!
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