7 Things I’ve Learned About Myself After Working Out with Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping in Fort Collins

Sitting in a studio 8-9 hours per day like I do makes for a very sedentary lifestyle - one that can really drag your body downhill if you don't do anything about it.

I'm one of those people who always thought I was in decent shape because 1) I used to be in pretty good shape and 2) I had access to your typical gym with weights and other workout equipment but never actually showed up (but I had the membership!). Typing this and reading it out loud makes me giggle - obviously I was not doing anything to take care of my body when it comes to fitness. Needless to say, I was out of shape!

When I first began working out at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping in Fort Collins, it was very apparent to me just how out of shape I was. Sure, the workouts were new to me - I'd never tried kickboxing before. However, I know my body would have been aching for over a week and I'd have to use my inhaler regardless of what workout I was doing. After my first - and super fun - kickboxing workout, I knew this was something that I not only wanted to continue, but needed to continue, because it was very obvious just how out of shape I had let my body become.

My whole life I've used my asthma as an excuse to not get into running - especially when it came to running the mile in gym class growing up.

I was hospitalized twice for my asthma - once when I was 2 years old, another when I was 5.  So my parents, some teachers, and I all knew that asthma would limit what I could and could not do.

At Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping in Fort Collins, students in their 10 week session test their fitness in various ways in the beginning, including how quickly we can walk/jog/run one mile. When I was first told I had to run a mile, I was petrified. I could feel my 8-year-old self panicking because "running the mile" has always meant "I'm having an asthma attack and need to go to the nurse's office to use my inhaler." I also remembered how emotionally painful it was when my junior high school gym teacher made fun of me (and a couple other kids in my gym class) for not being able to run a mile (due to asthma and/or similar physical limitations).

Knowing (and fearing) I could potentially have an asthma attack, I armed myself with an inhaler and set off on my first mile, which I completed by walking and jogging (mostly walking).

I walked my first mile in 15 minutes and 8 seconds - not bad considering I could only walk the mile in 18+ minutes when I was a kid.

During 5 week testing, I jogged/walked (mostly jogged!) a mile in just over 10 minutes! I could feel my endurance had built up from the cardio kickboxing workouts at Farrell's, and my new time was a significant improvement from where I was only weeks before. Immediately afterward I felt this AWESOME adrenaline rush - I had just conquered my fear of running the mile. It felt absolutely amazing!

Looking back, my fear of running was illogical and flat-out ridiculous. I had been allowing the comments my junior high school gym teacher made 10 years ago to rule my life (which I nor anyone should ever do), and I hadn't placed enough trust in my own body to be able to carry me all that way, even after successfully getting through strenuous workouts.

Nearing the end of my 10 week program, I can proudly say I rarely need to use my inhaler before and/or during workouts at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping!

It's easy to want to join diet and fitness programs that promise us we'll lose a certain amount of weight or inches in a short time frame because, really, don't we all want success overnight?

But here's the problem: anything given to us on a silver platter is more than likely too good to be true.

All that weight lost overnight is going to be gained back as soon as we're off the program - throwing away our hopes and dreams while draining our bank accounts, bringing us back to square one.

I've always found that the harder I work for something, the more I appreciate it and hold onto it for dear life.

That's exactly how I feel working out at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping in Fort Collins - the workouts can be grueling, sometimes I don't feel like rolling out of bed, and there are days where I get frustrated that my results aren't being produced overnight. However, the slimmer body I see in the mirror today versus the body I saw in the mirror before working out at Farrell's tells me that this program is working, and I feel incredibly proud of how far I've come and how far I know this program will take me.

I think one major reason I never showed up to my "typical" gym elsewhere in Fort Collins is because I didn't have any support from trainers or friends. When you walk into one of those typical gyms, you're left on your own to figure out what to do - usually I'd just go straight to the elliptical because I had zero guidance from a trainer to teach me which weight machines to use, which cardio routines to follow, etc. If I wanted that guidance from a trainer, I'd have to shell out $100+ per half hour (seriously - who has that much money for a trainer?).

With Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping, that guidance and support is included and available to you in every class.

Not only is there an instructor leading the class, but you're also provided with a coach to teach you proper technique and offer support in terms of nutrition and motivation.

Set class times are also what helps me stick to the program.

I wake up each morning to attend the 5:15 a.m. session at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping in Fort Collins. I know, I know - that's ridiculously early! But that particular time allows me to get my workouts in and done for the day, plus I know exactly when I need to show up.

Planning ahead and knowing where I need to be at what time has always helped me in other areas of my life - fitness is no different.

I attribute a lot of my struggle to lose weight for the last 4 years to setting the unrealistic goal of "losing weight."

There's so much more to fitness than losing weight. In fact, probably what you're really seeking is to lose fat.

Instead of telling ourselves "I want to lose 20lbs," we should really be saying, "I want to lose 20+ inches" or "I want my body fat percentage to drop from 30% to 20% (or less)."

Sometimes weight loss can be misleading - we may still be pudgy, but have lost muscle tone. That's not good. In the long term, you need to maintain muscle tone if you want to lose fat (and be healthy), and sometimes that means gaining muscle (which weighs much more than fat). Thus, you can still fit into much smaller pants while not losing much weight.

I've completely made over my nutrition since beginning my fitness journey with Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping in Fort Collins. It certainly hasn't been easy, but eating well has definitely been key to getting in shape.

I never truly realized just how sluggish my diet was making me feel until I began working out at Farrell's. Even now, if I eat anything that isn't "clean" the night before a workout, I feel a noticeable change in my alertness and motivation to work out. Eating a clean, balanced, and healthy diet allows me to get the most out of every workout.

Your coach at Farrell's will help you put together a nutrition plan that will allow you to reach your fitness goals and get the most out of every workout, and you'll never be left in the dark. Guidance and support with both fitness and nutrition is there for you every step of the way through YOUR fitness journey!

Other students at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping have told me that what they love about the kickboxing aspect of the program is that it allows them to channel their "inner Rhonda Rousey."

See, here's the thing - you don't have to be Rhonda Rousey to take up kickboxing!

Believe me, if I can learn how to kickbox, have fun doing it, and get a great workout out of it, YOU can do it, too!