#MyFitJourney: Week 3 And I’m Definitely Stronger And More Flexible

Week 3

In case you missed week one and two, let me recap. In a bid to get fitter in the new year I’ve teamed up with Pilates instructor Annie Kirwan to do four Reformer Pilates classes a week over a six week period.

Week three was a success. As I said, I ate horrifically badly last week so I needed to pull my socks up. Annie gave me the slightest of tellings off so I knew I had to start taking things seriously again. Not that I wasn’t taking things seriously, I think I just counteracted my hard work in the studio with some takeaways and chocolate on the couch. Oops!

I also got some gorgeous new gear from BoohooFIT and I really believe that when you’re kitted out nicely, going to the gym or classes is that little bit easier. Silly, I know.

That said, this week the classes were much more difficult. On Monday I did a Hollywood workout class in Sandymount, which focuses on your upper body and core. There were about eight of us in the class and the atmosphere was amazing. It’s not in any way competitive, and it’s really encouraging when you’re in the studio with a group of people all working as hard as you are.

In terms of my physique, I’m definitely noticing changes, most notably in the definition in my arms. As I mentioned in week one, my arms were an area I wanted to work on, so it feels good to know that we’re making progress. My flexibility has also improved and I feel a good bit stronger. We’ve been doing a lot of work on my splits which I still find difficult but I am feeling more stretchy as the days go by.

Success aside though, I had one big problem: booze.

One of the questions that I always ask when interviewing fitness bloggers/fanatics is, “do you drink alcohol?” For the most part, they tell me that they don’t drink at all, or that they do, but only on special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. This is problematic for me. Not that I’m a heavy drinker, but I do enjoy having drinks most evenings of the weekend. It really does set you back ten-fold though, and I’ve noticed that more than ever since I took up this Pilates challenge.

I went out for drinks on Saturday and despite having an early enough night, I still drank a hefty amount of gin and tonics. I woke up on Sunday and the only thing I could think about, all day long, was food. And copious amounts of it too. If you’re serious about getting into shape or getting fit, I think you have to accept that alcohol really needs to take a back seat for the duration.

As for next week, I’m looking forward to my classes but I have a trip to London this weekend so I’m nervous that it might set me back. I’ve agreed with Annie that we’ll do five classes this week instead of four so hopefully that sets me up nicely and I can behave myself while I’m away.

Annie says

“Genevieve worked really hard this week. Her flexibility is making huge leaps, her back bends are nearly there. We’ve been doing lots of work on her splits and they have been coming on fantastically. I can notice such a difference in her upper body strength, she was powering through one handed planks. It just shows what a few weeks of hard work can do. You see it in Gen’s posture and how she moves that what she’s learning in class is coming into her everyday movement. She’s not just getting stronger but is moving better, feeling better and definitely looking very well!”

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