Week 11 – Reid Wilkins takes on the YMCA Community Health Challenge

I received a text Monday night from Damien, who is my personal trainer at the Don Wheaton YMCA.

“Hey, Reid,” it read. “Unfortunately, I have to cancel this week. I’m pretty sick and have lost my voice.”

I was scheduled to workout with Damien Tuesday and Thursday. So now, I had two choices:

1) Yippee! Week off from working out!
2) Can I do this on my own?

Seeing that this was the 11th week of a 12 week commitment, it was pretty easy to choose option number two.

I’ve said numerous times that I was happy with all the new exercises I was learning from Damien, so here was a chance to see if I could remember enough of them to get through two workouts on my own.

On Tuesday, I did the weight-training circuit he’d taught me, which included the leg press, chest press, and assisted pull-ups. I wish I knew all the names for the exercises, but I also did the “one where I squat while holding a weight between my legs” and the “one where I pull and feel a pinch in my upper back.” All told, went pretty well!

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On Thursday, I did a circuit. Two-footed jumping the length of the room and back (exhausting). Throwing a 15-pound ball off a trampoline (harder than it looks). The plank (made it to 45 seconds this time!). The one-arm shoulder roll out (tires out the arms in a hurry). The “sit against a wall and roll-up a weight on a handlebar” (excruciating).

Also, I did squat with the added movement of tossing and catching an eight-pound ball. It’s another one of those that doesn’t look too difficult but tires me out in a hurry.

Overall, I didn’t work quite as hard as I would have with Damien, but I definitely felt tired after both workouts. So Damien, thank you! Your student has indeed learned!

Follow along each week until the end of March as Reid attempts the YMCA Community Health Challenge.