The VersaClimber: one's worst enemy.

I enjoy exercising. It's a great stress relief, and just makes me feel better altogether. Plus, I really really love to eat, and I sometimes feel that it's OK to justify my eating by working out. Right? :)

Anyway, ever since I completed the half marathon in April, I've found myself in somewhat of an "exercise rut," if you will. I've been in such a routine of doing what I want to do at the gym or running how far I want to run, at whatever pace I choose. Plus, when I work out at the gym, I've never really been properly trained with weights, and was really wanting a little help in that area. Basically, I just needed someone to PUSH me, work me HARD, and make me HURT. Odd, sounding, I know, but if I want to tone my arms and attempt to lose a little around my middle, how do I expect to see results if I don't know the proper exercises I'm supposed to be doing?

So, I got a personal trainer. I bought 5 sessions with him, which I think will be the perfect amount of time for him to teach me what I need to be doing in order to truly see results. After completing those sessions, I feel that I'll be able to continue on my own.

Today will be my 3rd meeting with him. So far so good. He's showing me the correct weights I need to be doing, and he's really been pushing my cardio. I'll run on the treadmill at my comfortable running pace (which is moderate jog, really), and he'll stand next to me and increase my pace. It's really good for me to have someone there telling me to run faster or pedal harder. I obviously enjoy jogging, and I also like to bike for a change sometimes. But there's a certain machine in that gym I've never attempted to try.

The VersaClimber.

Now, by the looks of this equipment, one might think that it's just like a stair master. WRONG. This is by far the hardest, most challenging cardio machine I've ever used. He warned me before hand telling me that it was "the best machine in the entire gym," that it was going to be "hard" for me, and that it was going to work nearly every muscle in my body. I'll be honest though; I think I've gotten a little cocky since completing the half marathon. I guess I think that just because I ran 13.1 miles without stopping (at my pace, remember), I can do it ALL. HA! So before stepping on to this monster known as the "VersaClimber," I expressed to him that I wasn't at all concerned about my ability to conquer it. He told me to try it for about a minute and a half. I kinda wanted to laugh in his face and say, "a minute and a half?? I'll do it for 30 minutes if you want!" So, I stepped up onto this beast and got started.

Wow.

I can't really describe the way this machine works or even how it really made me feel, but let me just tell you--by the time I made it to my "goal" of a minute and a half, I.THOUGHT.I.WAS.GOING.TO.DIE. I got off of it, looked it him with a look of complete shock and just said "holy cow." He smiled and just said, "I told you so!" Yesterday when I went back he forced me to go 30 more seconds, and again I thought I was about to pass out and die. And guess what? This afternoon when I meet with him again, he's making me go 30 more seconds. I'm already scared.

It just absolutely blew my mind! He made me feel better when he convinced me that it was normal for me to only do it for such a short period of time because it's working so many muscles at once. Still. I want to be able to do it for as long as I can. I'm hoping to reach 5 minutes SOON. We'll see!

So, I challenge you. If you're looking for something to kick you in the rear and give you the workout of your life, try the VersaClimber. And if you're able to do it longer than about 2 minutes on your first try, I do not want to hear about it. ;)