Fitness Journey with Elite Technique

Ok yall- eating and gaining weight was super easy and fun. Getting back in shape is hard as all heck.

I recently began my fitness journey with the trainers at Elite Technique in Beltsville, MD and I want to start chronicling it here on the blog. When I re-branded, I wanted this site to be all about every aspect of my life with a style focus. So this part of my life I call: TORTURE!

No but really, its actually not real torture but it is a mental and physical challenge for me. As a former athlete, I am used to my body moving and behaving a certain way. With 40 extra lbs on my frame, this body is not behaving or moving in anyway that I am accustom to or even happy with. Sports are life and I refuse to give up on them solely because I am pushing towards the 40s. (age range)

Today was my second appointment with Elite Technique and I was really excited. I woke up at 6:30am, put on my gym clothes, stretched the heck out of my calves and drank a bottle of water. My google home is the perfect little device to help me make sure that I stretch each calf for 45 seconds. Basically- I was READY to get my fitness on.

Side note: The reason I focus heavily on my calves is because after seeing my podiatrist for my foot problems, it was determined that my calves are abnormally tight and the tightness causes me to walk funny and run funny. Because I knew I would be on the treadmill, I needed to be limber and loose so I could complete the workout.

Jermaine came with me so he could record and photograph parts of the workout and in less than 20 minutes we were at the Elite Technique headquarters.

Let’s go back for a second. The day before I ate a salad for lunch and a loaded salad for dinner. Then went to Cirque du Soleil Luzia and ate a small pretzel and 3 bites of cotton candy. Basically, I had no fuel in my system from my lack of eating and I saw how it negatively affected my workout.

The first thing I do when I arrive is hop on the scale. Mind you I weighed myself at home in the nude and the reading was 196lbs and at the gym I was at 198.6. I guess my tennis shoes and clothing added that 2.6 lbs. My goal is to get back in the 160 range but I will be more than happy at 170. While the scale is not the motivating factor, I still want to see that number drop.

My fitness journey goal revolves around these 3 things:

1. Building muscle and toning up (I want Angela Basset Arms)
2. Losing the visceral and subcutaneous fat around my middle
3. Getting to the point where I can run on the treadmill for longer than 10 minutes without dying

It’s not much but these 3 things would make me a happy happy lady!

And I know my trainer, Khalil at Elite Technique can get me there. He is firm yet has a very reassuring tone that makes me WANT to work harder. I think that is why today I had a breakdown after my workout. Today was NOT my best day at all.

Running on the treadmill was easy today. I complained a little but I did not feel like I could not make it. The treadmill work out consists of a 10 minute warm-up of 1 minute at 3 speed and then 45 seconds at 5 speed. I did it almost with ease today.

Then I head over to the HIIT area where Khalil has the torturous but body changing moves ready. Today I started with the leg press. That machine and I are long time friends and I was ready to master it. I mean I don’t have these trunk legs for nothing! Well… Khalil switched it up on me big time. He had me put my heels in a place where the whole exercise was targeting my glutes.

Let me tell yall.

My ass was burning. I felt muscles I did not know I had.

Then we moved on to various other exercises that worked the front, sides, and backs of my thighs while incorporating cardio. By the time we go to squat jumps (which I love), I was spent. My jumps were barely an inch off the ground.

We then moved on to back exercises and I felt even more like death. I came face to face with a VERY UGLY realization.

I am truly out of shape.

Workout ended with core work and then I went home.

I went home and cried. Literally cried. Not because of physical pain but emotional and mental pain. I really let myself go. The athlete in me is gone. I have to bring her back slowly. But for now all those memories of being the number 1 sprinter on my team or being succesful with sports are just that…MEMORIES. It is not my present. I need to embrace the present and stop living in the past.

I’m thankful for Khalil from Elite Technique for being patient with me and reminding me that it’s a process and won’t happen overnight.

But it sure feels like my clothes stopped fitting overnight.

View Old fitness videos of me here : JJP FITNESS

p.s. my absolute favorite workout leggings are made by Old Navy. They hold their shape and stay up!