DAY 13

DAY 13 

PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS AND ... FROG LEAPS?

Over the weekend, fitness legend Jack LaLanne passed away at age 96. Some have called Jack the "founder of fitness", as he was one of the pioneers of physical fitness as we know it today.  Why is this important to you, you ask? Well, because it is important to Nick Kapande, owner of Nick's Pro Fitness, and to celebrate Jack's life, Nick decided to honor his passing with an extensive set of sit-ups and push-ups for the Conditioning Class!

The endless series of varying types of push-ups and sit-ups seemed to last forever!  And with each push of my arms, and contraction of my stomach, my muscles were getting weaker and weaker to the point of exhaustion.  After the fun of push-ups and sit-ups concluded, and arms having melted, it was time for another fun and grueling exercise: frog leaps! This is an exercise where you squat down - butt low and even with your bent knees and arms stretched out in front of you.  With all of the power in your legs, you BURST up and out with your legs while throwing your arms behind you to gain some momentum!  Looks just like a frog jumping, only it hurts a lot more.  You can REALLY feel the burn in your thighs.  Nick decided we should do those for a while.  A rather LONG while!

Needless to say, my morning experience trying to get ready for work was one of an awkward dance that would probably look like I had my arms tied to my sides - just above the elbows - with an invisible rope.  There was nothing left in my shoulders and upper arms.  And my head is located WAY above my shoulders, and a bit out of comfortable reach for my sore arms this morning.  In the shower, as I tried valiantly to shampoo my hair, I found that simple maneuver rather difficult.  At one point, I thought of squeezing the shampoo onto the wall of the shower and just rubbing my head against it.  Same thought crossed my mind for soaping up my back. 

As for combing my hair and using gel in it?  Let's just say that today is a "hat day" for me at the office! It's a good look.  A suit and a hat.  Perhaps I will start a new fashion trend.  Or, maybe not. As I near the middle of Week 3, the soreness I feel never seems to go away.  It just moves around my body, from one muscle group to the next, each day offering up new challenges to completing mundane, everyday tasks.  Like getting ready for work!  However, the results are beginning to show.  I have lost over 6lbs and my clothes are feeling more loose fitting.  And I have moved down a notch in my belts, which is a great feeling.  So far, I am pleased with the results.  No washboard stomach yet, but I'm getting closer!  Pretty soon, I'll walk into the sweatbox (gym) and Nick will call me "The Situation!"  Scratch that.  I don't think Nick has ever seen "The Jersey Shore", let alone owns a tv.  He will simply say: "keep going!"

Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine

To reach me by email:  jeff.bowers@denverlifemagazine.com