Konika - giving her all - making a change

Konika have been on the No Excuse Project for a month. She started training with us because she was afraid of the health consequenses of a sedentary lifestyle. Espesially diabetes and heartproblems scare her and motivate her to start exercising, and she already joined weekly zumbaclasses. Still, she never got any real results and she could not seem to get interval running to be a regular routine. She contacted me through this blog wanting to join the project to have something push her to exercise regularly.

Konika has impressed me with her will to work really hard, push her self and follow the workouts religiously. I have had regular updates where she shares the experience of the workout. These updates are posted on our facebook-page. Small comments about her workout with her scores and the post-workout picture of the day. 

Working out looks good on you, Konika! 

She also sendt me videos of some of her workouts. That way I could reply and guide her in how to do the exercises right and help her make the most of her workouts. I was not allowed to share the videos with you, so I just have to tell you how suprised I was when I found out this woman is surely no beginner in strength! To my surprise I saw a woman doing perfect airsquats and pushing her self all the way up in a dynamic bridge. I had no idea she was so advanced! This made me wery proud and wanting to show you guys that there is SO MUCH you could do if you just practised the exercise daily or at least regularly. This woman has been doing airsquats about every day for a long time. Not many - ten or so - but it has the greatest benefits as she is stronger than most people! 

This month has been about making exercise a regular part of her life - like Linda Maria did last month. And Konika has been the perfect trainee. This stability has given results. Not on the scale - yet - but her strength is definetly better and her cardio is better as well. Comparing her scores for the "Champion Fit Test" says a lot about her progress this last month. Look at this:

The first test she was not able to finish. She had to abort the workout after the third round having nothing more to give. Even if the workout was only 12 minutes long to begin with. 

Her comments and scores for the first fit test were: 

I had quite some pain in legs (soreness - Alanna) from previous workout, so I could not follow up this one fully and did only 3 rounds instead of 4. I used some beginner forms for these exercises. Jump tuck was impossible for me :( so I did squats. I did kick up not with a jump but by pushing each leg up once, Peak jumps had rather short jumps also.


High Knees w.rope - 30, 32, 43
Mountain Climbers - 25, 24, 17
Kick Ups- 20, 23, 23
Dynamic Jack- 12, 24, 12
Peak Jumps- 20, 24, 25
Squat- 16, 15, 12

So proud of having this superwoman on the team!

Here are the last post she gave on our facebook page:

I completed the Fit test!! 
All four rounds, but I took a longer break between round 2 and three - to regain energy. I think sometimes -10 sec break is not enough, and after a little longer break I could do even more counts of the exercises. 


Check my scores: 
High Knees w.rope -60, 50, 60, 60 
Mountain Climbers -21, 20, 24, 26 
Kick Ups -18, 14, 19, 19 
Dynamic Jack -13, 13, 11, 13 
Peak Jumps - 13, 14, 21, 20 
Jump Tuck - 17, 14, 17, 20 


So If you see, I was losing it in second round, I drank a lot of water, and started up gain in around 4 min. I am glad I could do it all.


Just finishing the workout were a huge progression - even if she had to take a four minute break between the second and third round. Seems also she was dehydrated when she started the workout - as she after four minutes and a lot of water had more reps on every exercise the last two rounds! Check out her scores and notice that she is better at pushing from the start - it is amazing how she has improved in a month. And it is natural that this is compromizing the latter exercises. She has so much to be proud of. I am very proud of her. She has been fantastisk the whole way!

Alanna

_________________

So lets hear what her thought are after a month of training! I asked her some questions and here are her answers:

So how do you feel after a month of training?

I don't believe its been a month, and that I just missed the class only once. I didn't expect myself to be a regular exerciser, I think its only because I have a motivator and the exercise do not demand me to go the gym and spend one and half hour. I feel stronger - I can see the difference - when I did 180 squats and 30 push ups, never done those before. I am more energetic and my work life has improved (amazingly!!) I have got even better concentration when I am in office. Little sloppy at home though, so sometimes lazy to cook the 'Indian dinner' and take shortcuts. I still weigh myself - but not that often, maybe once on two days or so. When I talk to friends about this exercise - they say 'you won't lose weight with strength training, u need running or aerobics' and I say- 'you need to see the pictures of my trainer, and I trust her'. I know the scale is not moving, but I believe my hard work will pay off - may be little late but far better results. I too think If I was so regular on running - I would have definitely lost weight, but what has not happened in years how can that happen now, (meaning I know I won't be regular on running- and as soon as I stop, the fat will come back!). So I am happy with this slow but stronger and challenging way.

  

How is your everyday moving around?

Well, I don't move around so much, home to office and back. I do take stairs wherever required, but that is also not so much. I like to go for walk, but I blame it on the tight work schedule and norwegian winters for keeping me in. But I walk to the grocery shop etc. I noticed I can take long flight of stairs without break. - It feels positive. Zumba class has gone even better - I can do all the dancing without breaks - and don't loose any steps. I think I will try to add more walking in the routine - as the summer is approaching - it will be great outside.

How do you fit these workouts into you schedual, when do you usually work out - late/early? 

My mind works on deadline, I do the workouts on the same day, but in evenings - after coming for work. If I am very hungry I will eat something, and wait for an hour before workout, or else I do workout first and then go to make dinner, but after workout - I feel nauseating sometimes- and just don't eat - even if it is 11 in night. I have late dinners after workout. 

People generally don't understand - if they don't see a physical change - so till now no comments from friends and for the same reason I am not sharing it enough. I don't want people to laugh on me when they don't see the change. I will start sharing it when I can show them the difference. I send the videos to my sister and now I have a friend who will like to try them out with me, and she has moved in my building- and so I will have company in walking also. My boyfriend saw me doing push ups - and he said I have improved. (One night I was not sleepy and got up to see if I could do a full push up, and yes I did it - but still can't do so many of them.)

And last - how do you feel about this form of exercising? 

The workout is making me stronger - sometimes I discover new muscles and their use in the body :-)

Before the workout - I feel happy if the workout is an easy one.  If the workout seems tough I feel tortured, but I make myself realize that I am committed for it and it is for my own good. And I have to turn down the evening supper or early dinner for it. I don't have to motivate myself that much- its kinda become a habit now - and that is even great I think. I am still trying to sell out some furniture and get more space in my room - for more exercise and more dancing. Since some workout require space. The one I liked most was the dive bombers - it was fun on knees - couldn't do it on toes. And I like to do squats now and the one for abdomen (touching the toes) really had an effect afterwards.

I am ready for the April workout and the weekly changes in my daily life.

I am grateful to Alanna for all this.

Thanks

Cheers,

Konika