Personal Training Day Seven: The medicine ball

OK, did the today's post title scare you yet?

After warming up today and proceeding to the front part of the gym where the lower body equipment is, my friends and I spot two medicine balls sitting beside the evil wooden box that has plagued us for the last three weeks. Oh yes, friends, we used a freaking medicine ball while stepping all over that darn box. Now, before you picture me hopping up and down on the box with some fifty pound medicine ball, I have to confess: I think it was like five pounds. But still. I'm not the most coordinated of people, so the fact that I haven't fallen off the box yet is pretty amazing (especially given that I fell off the StairMaster). When I saw the medicine ball and put two and two together, I thought for sure today would be that day. I am proud to report, though, I DID NOT FALL OFF! Yes, it was difficult, but I managed to keep my balance and not make a complete fool of myself. Talk about a relief!

In addition to knee ups on the box with the medicine ball, we did more evil walking lunges (have you noticed how all of the exercises that really make me work are evil?), but with weights this time. We even used the medicine ball a second time, for this odd twisting exercise depicted in the picture below.



We also used several of the lower body machines, one in particular that I have used before, and thought I was using correctly. Um, no. It's a machine where you place one knee on a little pad and use the other foot to raise a bar attached to some weights. I thought I was all cool, doing like fifty pounds, while lifting the bar with my toes (you know, the strong part of my feet). Apparently, you're supposed to use your heels, and apparently my heels are ridiculously pathetic. I don't even think I was doing 30 pounds of weight ultimately. Kind of disappointing.

Today was a serious sweatfest, and I'm already starting to feel sore, and I haven't even done much in the way of resting yet. I'm mildly scared to see how sore I'll be tomorrow. On the bright side, tomorrow is a mini-girls' night out for me with some good friends, so at least there's that to distract me from my aching muscles. That and the wonderful wagon wheels I'm making for the festivities...