must there be pain to gain?

Ever notice how some of the exercise machines sounds like torture devices? Chess press. Abdominal. Even treadmill can sounds devious, especially if you didn’t know what one was and someone came up to you like, “You’re going on the treadmill for an hour! Arrrrgh!” Not all the machines’ names sound like torture devices. However, they do look like torture devices. And that’s how I and I’m sure others may approach machines not knowing what it’s used for muchless how to use it. That’s why once I find a machine I can manage, I scope out others using these mysterious machines and learn by observation. “Oohhh, you’re supposed to lean forward on the padded bar. I was trying to sit on it.” This also saves you from looking like an idiot while wondering why you aren’t ever feeling any kind of workout when your’e done. And you know when you did it right, because the muscles involved feel like they will burst in red flames or die like the pictures on the machine showing you which muscles will be worked, colored in the same red hue that you feel in your body.

And if you didn’t feel it then, you’ll feel it later. Either the next time you stand up or reach acorss the table, or when you get up in the morning… if you get up. Yeah, that’s when you’ll feel it. That’s when I decided to make a pathway with my body as I dragged myself around my room until I really needed to get something that required height, meaning the use of my legs. Those stationary bikes are no joke. Espeically if you do 5 miles just for the fun of it. I felt like I wasn’t working at all. But then it hurt when I walked down some stairs. For a few days.

Before I wrap it up… The Abdominal is what I’m suffering from now. I only did about 10 crunches. I think I had 30 lbs. But I feel it. Ever time I sit up I have the look of being chomped on by a big dog. It doesn’t really matter where it’s chomping on me, I’d have the same expression. A mix of pain and fear, but mostly pain. Fortunately, it’s just the pain I have and feel, and once I’m upright, I’m okay.

But this is what I want! This makes me feel like I’ve accomplsihed an effective workout! No pain, no gain, right? A month or so of this, and my big flab ab will slowly morph into a washboard, right? This is what it takes? July will be the month of soreness. I can’t wait...