Youble - My New Gym (Back on the Fitness Track)

I have blogged about my struggles with weight loss before, and have noticed one big obstacle with my job and weight-loss.

I'm never home.  My gym membership rarely gets used.  (not to mention hours on the road, burning zero calories while driving)

And have you seen hotel 'fitness centers?'  One treadmill, a bike or two, and a scale.  That's it.

I need a personal trainer.  I need motivation.   I need classes.  And I need them to travel with me.

Meet youble.  The gym in the cloud.  I am starting my membership at youble, and I have to say...

...I feel the burn.

I was picked to receive a complimentary membership in return for a review, but I would have paid for this service whether or not I was chosen.  I had no idea this existed, and now that I do, I have no problem spreading the word.

Youble is designed to work from your computer or your TV.  The hotels I frequent have "plug and play" TV's which allow me to use their television as a 42" computer monitor.  The fitness classes are in a high resolution, so it looks like you're watching a fitness video.

However, unlike a fitness video, the classes update. You're not doing the same motions over and over.  The trainers (yes, real live trainers) mix it up for you to keep your mind and body fresh!

I just completed my first class.  I did my first Core Burn class and I'm sore.  Way sore.  But I couldn't be happier.  Unlike the gym, you're not surrounded by people, so you can rest as needed without feeling embarrassed.  If you need to take a breather but don't want to miss any of the class, you can pause the video.   You can't pause real life, but you can pause youble.

Trainer Jesse Thomas kicked my ass in core burn class...

Another big benefit?  The trainers have a wide variety of exercises.  As they're doing reps, they tell you how to properly do them, where you should be feeling the burn, how to breathe, etc.

It's a personal trainer.  On demand.  24/7.  And if you get sick of them?  Pause.

I can't tell you how often I have wanted to tell a personal trainer "shut up for 5 minutes and give me time to breathe, mmmkay?"

There is a wide variety of classes to choose from, and the 'Help Me Choose' option will help you find a class that meets your needs.  Is time an issue?   Only want an intermediate level?  Don't have any equipment?  There are courses that work around YOU.

So once again I am embarking on a fitness journey, but thanks to being able to get a good workout on the road, I think I may actually succeed.

As of April 1, I am in 42" pants.  I weigh 240lbs.  I have an 18" neck and a 50" chest.

My goal?

Shrink my waistline six inches, drop 40lb, and be able to run a 5k without, well, dying.  No time limit, no pressure. Just a goal.

I have some work to do:

Knees and toes, knees and toes....

And youble is going to help.

If you're in the same predicament I am, give them a look.  They have a 14 day trial membership, and monthly charges are only $7.99/mo if you use my discount code:  MOPI2012  


That's as cheap as netflix, and will get you more active. Best of all? When you want to quit, quit. It's not like a typical gym, where they make it impossible for you to leave. A few clicks and your membership is cancelled. Done. Without a contract. HOW COOL IS THAT???

So here I go again.  I'll report back in a few weeks and let you know how I'm doing.  If you want, come join me!!

Screw this. Game on. Challenge Accepted.

I'm done.  I'm fed up.

This has been something that has bothered me for years, and now I'm finally going to stop half-assing and do something about it.

I'm losing the weight.

This job rules in a lot of ways, but living on the road means more fast food than I like, and more time on my ass in a car.

I'm not burning calories, and I'm ingesting way more than usual.  I have gained about 12lb since starting this job.

So now I say to you, and to the world:  Fuck naw.  I'm done.  I'm going to find a way to eat healthier, exercise on the road, and get to my ideal weight.

Starting today.  Which is tough, because it's breakfast time and I'm hungry.

Minimal fast food.  Staying in hotel rooms with fridges and microwaves, so I can at least buy food at a grocery store and 'cook' it.  Ordering from the 'healthy' menu when I hit drive-thrus.

And most importantly (and hardest of all...) no more soda or rockstars.  It's water only for me.

Now the trick is to find a way to exercise in hotel rooms.  Some have fitness centers, but not all.  Pushups, crunches and yoga will be easy to do in my room.  Maybe I'll take a morning jog before I start my day.  Maybe I'll invest in water weights that travel easy.

All I know is I'm SICK AND FUCKING TIRED of being larger than I'd like.  The first step is to stop growing.  The next step is shrinkage.

I'm putting this out there for the world to see.  Maybe this will keep me on track.  By late January, when I turn 31, I will reach my goal weight of 200lb.   Because I'm in a Billings hotel, it's hard to say what I'm at now.  Probably between 235 and 250, so I have a decent way to go.

But I'm going to do it, dammit.  Fuck this.  Fuck being fat.

It's on.

...But I'm a Fit Fat (Don't Laugh Too Hard)

So I have dabbled at gyms before, but always took somewhat of a half-assed approach to it. 

30 minutes of cardio (on the easy-peasy bikes) followed by ok-but-not-great time playing with weights on machines.

I have lost a little weight this way, but nothing I could call ideal.  I still had a poochy belly, and more of a 2^nd chin than a neck.

Not me.  But close enough.

So when I moved up to Idaho, I decided to join a good gym, and fix this.  New state, new outlook on life, new health and fitness goals.

I finally picked a local gym I liked, and signed up.  When you sign up, you get two free sessions with a trainer.

WOO!  I can finally learn a good regimen, dieting tips, and maybe make some REAL progress!

Session 1 was a meet & greet.  He felt out what I was looking to accomplish, and saw that I had a pretty good attitude.  We were talking while on the bikes, so I’m holding a conversation while pedaling at 100rpm… 

Hard to do.

We decided the best workout for me is light on weights, heavy on reps.  Keep the heart pumping at 143 beats per minute or higher, so I’m working muscles while burning fat.  I want to focus on muscles I’ve been neglecting (core, chest, back, etc) so we get started.

And that’s about all I remember…

We did 6 different types of crunches, in succession, so my abs and back could get a firm workout.  We switched from routine to routine, to keep the heart pumping.

Dude beat me up.

Next, off to the biceps.  Do 7 of this, 7 of that, and then 7 of these.

“Good job!  Now let’s work on --  dude, you ok?  You look pale…”

“Fmeh?”

“Maybe you should sit down…”

“…fmeh.”

I’ve done workouts in short spurts before, but always alone.  If I felt like I needed to take 5, I would.  In fact, I probably took more 5’s than I spent working out.

Not with this guy.  I wanted to keep up.  I pushed myself to the point of almost blacking out, and paid the price.

This was me (pretty much):

But you know what?  I learned a lot before I slipped into my mini-coma.

And I came back the next day, to work on the lower body…

Hoping for session #2 soon.  Trying to keep my cardio up in the meantime, so I’m a little less out of shape when the beat-down commences.  When that’s done, I’ll most-likely sign up for a plan where I can meet with a trainer twice a month.

Currently at 236.  Goal by July 4: 200 even.  That’s 3lb a week. 

I can do this.  It's more to get into shape and be healthier, but weight loss is always a good thing.

Are there any fitness freaks out there?  If so, shoot me a few links in the form of a comment.  Tips & tricks are always appreciated.