#5 - One Hundred Consecutive Stomach Crunches

Abs of steel!

Not quite. Unfortunately stomach crunches can only do so much, because if there's a layer of fat on top of them then you still can't see the awesome six pack that may be residing underneath. Which is why cardio is just as important as building muscle.

Still, I've been wanting to get better at stomach and arm exercises, which is why I chose to make a goal for crunches and push-ups. I'm still working on the push-ups, in part because they weren't a part of my original work out routine. I've been doing sets of 30 crunches - on my back, on my side and bicycle style - as part of my regular routine for awhile. It makes my stomach feel pretty good, but I always got plenty of rest in between each set.

The very first time I attempted to do 100 in a row I made it all the way to 74. At first I thought perhaps my goal of 100 was too low... maybe I should attempt a higher number... but then I started slacking at the gym and I wasn't going as often, so it took me much longer than I thought it would to hit my goal of one hundred.

There is nothing more frustrasting than reaching 91 stomach crunches and having to give up because your abs are cramping. Only 9 to go! Ridiculous.

I didn't try to do 100 in a row every day. Mostly I concentrated on doing my normal 30 at a time, but I started doing more sets. This helped work out my stomach to a point where I could do 100 without stopping.

The push-ups are proving to be even more of a challenge, but I have hope! I've already done 15 in a row.

Just Do It

Last night I went to the gym for the first time in 2 months. I had good reasons, of course, for why it's been so long. There was the whole getting married thing. Then the being on my honeymoon thing. Then the recovering from incredible jetlag and honeymoon thing. But about two weeks ago my reasons ran out and only the excuses remained.

Getting back to the gym was harder than I would have imagined. Before my wedding I was in the habit of going at least twice a week and I loved it. After the honeymoon, my brain remembered how good it felt to work out, how energetic I felt afterwards, and how much healthier I felt when I was exercising on a regular basis. My lazy body told my brain to suck it.

This past Sunday I was determined to go to the gym. I put on my gym clothes as soon as I woke up. Made a nice healthy breakfast of scrambled eggs and blueberry muffins. Sat down to read a little while I digested. A chapter turned into a few chapters turned into surfing the internet. By 3pm I was annoyed with myself, because I was hungry again and I still hadn't been to the gym. I ate a snack and then, not having learned my lesson from the morning, sat down to read a little while I digested. At 5pm, utterly disgusted with my lack of motivation, I made myself get up and do some stretches in preparation for the gym while watching my How I Met Your Mother DVD. As I sat on the floor in front of the TV stretching, I noticed that my husband had done the laundry and then left the clean clothes in the basket. Stretching turned into folding laundry, with the determination that I would go to the gym once the laundry was folded and put away. Instead, I made dinner. Hey, it was 6pm! Dinner time! Of course, the gym closes at 8pm on Sundays. Oops.

I never made it to the gym on Sunday. That evening, so that my exercise clothes weren't completely wasted, I did attempt #5 & 6 of my 101 tasks - 100 consecutive stomach crunches and 50 consecutive push-ups. I managed 62 crunches before I started to cramp and 8 push-ups. I am particularly proud of the push-ups, since the most I usually do during a workout is 5. I felt like I really pushed myself for those extra 3. Looking at my 101 list motivated me, I swore that I would get to the gym on Monday. After all, I have all these exercise goals like going to the gym 3x a week for a month, taking zumba classes, trying out yoga... and as weird as it sounds, I don't want to just jump right into those things. I want to be in slightly better shape before I embarass myself in front of a zumba class.

Yesterday, mindful of Sunday's setbacks, at 8pm I put on my exercise clothes, kissed my husband and went to the gym. Do not stop to stretch, do not stop to think, do not check Facebook, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. I knew that I just needed to get myself out the door.

I stretched, I crunched, I lunged, I lifted free weights while sitting on top of an exercise ball (helps to strengthen core muscles). Then I moved to the machines and managed a couple sets on those before my arms felt like soggy string beans. And although I didn't manage to complete my full 30 minute run, I did 20 minutes of it. I felt good by the time I left the gym. Powerful. Not just in body, but also in mind. My brain had finally conquered my lazy body and both benefited.

Nike knows what it's talking about. Sometimes you have to shut out the noise of the outside world, not accept any excuses, set willpower against laziness and just do it.