Guinea Pig Monday

Every other Monday, in my small group classes that I teach in my home, is called "Guinea Pig Monday"... or just "GPM" for short.  Why?  I'll get to that in a couple of minutes.  :o)

I teach 8-week sessions at a time, and every 2 weeks (on a Sunday), I sit down and create a new routine for us to do for class.  This involves usually 9 or 10 songs (we use praise and worship music) ranging from upbeat music that we do cardio and other quick-moving exercises; to moderate tempo songs that include exercises with dumbbells, lower body exercises, etc.; and then on to slower music for our cool down... which, OF COURSE, is our favorite part of class!!!

Anyway, back to "Guinea Pig Monday".  What I DON'T do on Sundays when creating a new routine is actually stand up and go through the movements to practice the choreography.  I like to wait until Monday morning and be just as surprised as my Sister Chicks whether it works out or not! haha!  There's usually at least one song that we discover that needs a little fine tuning with the timing or movements to make it run more smoothly.  And for those awkward moments when that happens, it's like we are test rats in a laboratory... hence, "Guinea Pig Monday."  And, by Tuesday's class, all is well!

In case you're wondering why I change up the routine every 2 weeks, it is very important to keep your body guessing about what is coming next.  If it gets used to the same routine over and over again with no change, it will adapt and eventually you will no longer see any progress.  And if you're anything like me, it'll get VERY boring and monotonous!  So it's important to change up your routine often to continue to see progress.

For example, if you are used to walking 2 miles on a treadmill at 3 miles per hour, and you've been doing this same thing for quite some time, you'll probably be able to think back to when you first got started and remember how challenging it might have been for you.   But now, after a week or more of doing your 2 miles at 3 mph, it's gotten pretty easy, hasn't it?  So, it's time to kick it up a notch... either by increasing your distance or increasing your speed... and before you know it, you'll be running a marathon!  Hey, it can happen... my hubby is the perfect example of that!  :o)   -- And so it is with any exercise program... whether you increase the weight of your dumbbells, increase how many squats you're doing, or by exercising for a longer period of time, you'll need to keep challenging yourself more and more as you get more fit.

If it's getting easy, it's time to promote yourself to higher challenges!  And as you change up your routine to the next level, you might run into a glitch or two -- maybe you chose too much weight on the dumbbells, or maybe running on the treadmill at 37 mph wasn't such a good idea  :o) ... that's ok.  Just smile and chalk it up as a "Guinea Pig Monday" kind of day.

Smiles and blessings, Tonya  :o)


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