Meet Ronnie

This is my new best friend (a.k.a. personal trainer) Ronnie. The same Ronnie who spent the past 6 weeks wrecking my husband every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Justin hit the gym hard when the girls and I left (the same thing he does any time we are away), the results are pretty amazing. I'd like to thank Ronnie for insisting on core strength and pointing out to my husband that he's like Batman the animated series- with a big upper body and chicken legs. The hint of the Beowulf ass (the animated beowulf cartoon) that my husband promised me upon my return is enough to make me go down and meet Ronnie for myself. If not to offer him my sincere gratitude for creating an ass on my husband where there previously was none, then to start my own fitness training experience.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I haven't worked out regularly since I got pregnant with Adelaide over three years ago. I've made lots of excuses; 1) I was pregnant and too tired 2) I was nursing two out of the last three years and therefore burning more calories than any work out I could have done. 3) I had two babies who don't sleep well so I'm tired. or 4) I'm not going to live in the Philippines forever so I won't always have a Yaya to watch the kids or a gym and personal trainer in my apartment building so why start now if I won't be able to keep it up?

Excuses one, two, and three are sort of reasonable but number 4 is just plain ridiculous so I dusted off my workout clothes (some of the elastic bands of my yoga pants have literally rotted in the last three years), donned a pair of athletic "type" shoes, grabbed my Nalgene and road the elevator downstairs to meet Ronnie on Monday morning.

Ronnie was one of the fitness trainers on Biggest Loser Asia so he's really good at what he does (case in point: the hint of Beowulf ass on Justin). I was sure to tell him it's been three years since I've worked out but he must have taken a look at the shoulder and bicep definition that lugging around Arabella has done to my arms and pinned me as being semi-capable. Wrong sucker. He put be through a grueling circuit (sure felt it even if it was the weak lady routine) of weight lifting and exercises and I was about to faint after 15 minutes. We had to stop early and call it a day because I was seeing stars. I told him I'd be the next day. He told me to eat something before I came.
I was there the next day (with a good meal eaten), thank you very much. I met Ronnie at the gym and he did all the things I thought he would have done the day before like weigh me, take measurements, ask my medical history and goals for my fitness training. I'm 55 kilos and according to his little chart (Asian chart for sure) I should be 51 kilos so I have three pounds to loose he tells me. I told him that I'd turn those three pounds of fat into muscle and call it even. I was pretty proud of myself today. We worked out for an entire hour. The circuit was slower today and he made me take lots of water breaks but I also did 15 minutes of cardio on the stair master. Woo Hoo!

I'm extremely sore...all over so I'm sure I won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning. I feel good though. This is really the first thing I've done for myself in a long time. Ronnie has me scheduled to do my circuit workout MTThF with cardio on Wednesday. Phew!

I think Ronnie and I are going to have a love-hate relationship.