Aimee Heckel’s Blog
Daily Camera’s Aimee Heckel Puts GET IT BACK to the Test
June, 2009
Aimee Heckel is a writer for a popular newspaper where she travels the wide scope of fitness offerings in a city known for being one of the fittest places to live in the world (especially for women) and reports the best and worst of her adventures. So when she asked me if she could take a closer look into what the GET IT BACK system was all about, I simply told her, “Don’t take my word for it. Come and experience it for yourself, and then share your story of what happened along your path.” Aimee considers herself to fall “somewhere in the middle” on the fitness enthusiast scale, and there’s no one more capable of giving you an honest report from a day-to-day perspective.
If you are contemplating trying out my 4-week fitness system GET IT BACK for yourself, take a look at her blog entries so you can ride along with her during the journey.
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GET IT BACK: 5-Day Prep
Posted by heckela in Thursday, May 7th 2009 under JOURNAL
I am starting a new fitness system called “Get it Back,” designed by Boulder fitness expert Glenn Hattem. It is a four-week program that he says will turn the participant into their own personal trainer.
This seems especially relevant in our yucky economy. Who can afford to pay a personal trainer for an extended period of time?
For me, I want to try this because I am now officially “healed” after my abdominal surgery that I had earlier this year. Unfortunately, the surgery had me completely sedentary for two months, and I gained about 10 pounds, and I lost a lot of strength. Next week is my 30th birthday, and it will not be the decline of my health. I have decided my 30th birthday will be the beginning of the fittest decade of my life. I mean, 30 is so the new 20. (Actually, in Boulder, 50 is the new 20.)
So I will be journaling here as I attempt Hattem’s program. At the end, I’ll write a workout of the week review of it for the paper. If it sucks or doesn’t work, I’ll tell you so you don’t have to find out for yourself. If it rocks, I’ll let you know. So far, it seems like it will be the latter.
I met with Hattem yesterday outside of Chipotle (his suggestion – which I found curious; do PTs eat that sodium gutwad?). We looked through his book and kicked off our plan. I will follow the book, he will check up on me (hold my hand) and we’ll meet once a week for him to kick my butt.
First impressions: Cautiously optimistic. He does not promise a quick-fix, which is good or I would blow him off instantly. Does not seem like a scam, although the book is expensive: $135, on sale. Still, cheaper than four weeks with a PT, so I’ll give it a shot.
In Hattem’s words: It’s more than just a book for $135. It’s sold as an entire system, with weekly progress reports and access to me as your personal coach. You can ask any questions you need, or get advice with areas that you are stuck from a true fitness expert.
Web site for more info: www.getitbacksystem.com
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GET IT BACK: Days 1 & 2
Posted by heckela in Thursday, May 7th 2009 under JOURNAL
Things from the book that jumped out at me:
* Your body will be made of entirely different cells one year from now. By nourishing your body with better nutritional choices and by building stronger cells through efficient daily exercise, you can ultimately build a biologically younger body.
*Ninety percent of the results you will or will not see are a direct result of the food you put into your mouth. (This will be an interesting battle to win for gal on a serious budget. Can you eat healthily for less than $100 a week?)
* Diets haven’t worked in the past and never will.
* There is a direct correlation between the emergence of calorie-reducing diets and how we, as a population, have been getting fatter.
* Protein bars are really just glorified candy bars.
* Shift your attention from instant gratification to progress.
*Shorter, less frequent and higher-intensity cardio workouts are the ticket to greater fat loss.
* You can work muscles two days in a row.
The most awkward part of these first two self-eval days was having to look at myself naked in the mirror and say what areas I like and dislike. I see how that gives you direction and makes you be honest about your body, but it also felt a little mean. I have never stared at my body and been like Hmm, what is my worst feature? Maybe it’s because my area was my abs, and they used to be my favorite body part. After my surgery, with five cuts across my stomach, my abs don’t look the same. It might have been the scars I was looking at, and no amount of crunches will make those disappear.
The most difficult part of these first two days was going through my kitchen and throwing away a few “temptation items” that are not healthy. I don’t keep a lot of temptation items around, so what I have, I reallllly love. The two cartons of ice cream wasn’t bad because they both had freezer burn. But the two Tootsie Rolls – it was near torture. I almost said a eulogy when I tossed them. Tootsie Rolls are my favorite candy, maybe my favorite food.
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GET IT BACK: Day 3
Posted by heckela in Friday, May 8th 2009 under JOURNAL
Glenn will not let me slack. He e-mailed me today to see how I was doing on my assessments. That was part of day 3: writing your affirmations. In other words, why do you want to be fit? What are your goals? These are interesting questions that I have never really asked myself.
The book asked questions that helped me pin down my motives, and I think at the core of my reason to stay fit is because I want to continue doing the things that I love. I like to ride my motorcycle, hike, travel, camp, dance and always try new things. All of my favorite hobbies demand some degree of physical fitness.I have been trying to get my boyfriend to do this “Get it Back” journey with me. He is very big (6-foot-7) and naturally very strong. He has never had to work out in a gym before, but he recently decided he wants to get healthier and be more intentional about his fitness. I think a program like this would be especially helpful for him, giving him direction on which muscles to work and why. We did the first two days together, but last night he fell asleep too early to do day three with me.
Last night’s assignment involved writing “affirmations.” I responded happily to this because my dad used to make me do affirmations when I was a kid. He typed them out really nicely and framed them and hung them above my bed. They were “Aimee” statements. Because I was like 8, they were things like “Aimee is a good horseback rider. Aimee is a good student.”
The affirmations I wrote last night are:
-I am in the best health and shape of my life.
-I have beautiful abs.
-I am tiny but tough.
Ha. The abs one is the big hurdle. After my surgery, I have scars that I am still not used to.
I will try to get JD to write his assessments tonight or tomorrow. (I sound like his “Glenn. To give and to receive.) Tomorrow I need to do an assessment of my physical fitness. That is day four.
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Posted by heckela in Monday, May 11th 2009 under JOURNAL
My weekend was very busy. If I didn’t know Glenn was going to check in with me today, I probably would not have exercised at all. But I did finish the five-day prep and go shopping for healthy breakfast food last night. And I am more energized for it today, making me more efficient and somehow actually saving me time. I have heard that some of the truths about life come in the veil of a contradiction. Less is more. And in this case, it seems like when I was at my busiest with no time for working out, I created more time by working out. Hmm.
The assessments were actually fun, but then again, I was a diligent student. I like measuring things. I found out that my left leg is stronger than my right, which shocked me. My upper body was stronger than I expected, whereas my cardio totally bombed. I think in four weeks, I will do these assessments again and track my progress.
My favorite part about the prep was writing goals. I like to write things down – go figure. I even made my poor boyfriend go through the goal-writing process with me. Right now, his goals hang on the bathroom mirror and mine are on the fridge.
I made banana smoothies for breakfast with protein powder, and they were surprisingly good. I like how Glenn is only having me worry about breakfast this week. Next week, I worry about lunch. Then dinner. What a relief. That prevents me from feeling overstimulated. Small goals. I can eat healthy breakfasts for one week. Success. The goals were the same. He had me write long-term goals (one to five years), intermediate goals (three to six months) and short-term goals (four weeks). Right now, I am focusing on the short-term goals. But it does help to know in the back of my head where I am going.
Here are my goals:
Long-term:
1. Run short races again, such as the BolderBoulder.
2. Hike Long’s Peak again.
3. Be a member of a dance troupe, for fun.
Intermediate:
1. See abdominal definition.
2. Lose 10 pounds. (The 10 pounds I gained after my surgery. I don’t want to disappear.)
3. Strengthen my triceps. (That comes with being 30. Hello, bat wings?)
Short-term:
1. Be ready and fit for Africa June 5.
2. Lose 5 pounds.
3. Learn to cook more healthy options.
So overall, so far I am doing well. I like the structure and direction, and honestly, I am glad I don’t have to meet with a personal trainer constantly because I am very busy. This process is so far making me feel more in control about my health, and beyond. My house is cleaner than it’s been in months. I’m doing well at work and feeling motivated and efficient. Could be a coincidence, but I don’t think it is.
Glenn e-mailed me today and asked what I needed from him. He said “I got your back 200 percent.” Wow. That feels so good to hear. And it makes me not want to disappoint him.
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Week 1: First 1-on-1 Session
Posted by heckela in Friday, May 15th 2009 under JOURNAL
1. I am not the biggest fan of running. In fact, a great deal of my fitness history has been spent trying desperately to somehow figure out how to find even mild enjoyment in running.
2. I am short. Picture a wiener dog on a treadmill, with its tiny little legs sprinting in a blur, but the treadmill is only moving like 1.2 mph.
Glenn doesn’t have much interest in my excuses, not even the wiener dog metaphor. He pushed me to run harder on the treadmill than I ever have,” even pre-surgery. The session was intervals, where we kept climbing speed, until I literally burst into tears. Tears.
I was so embarrassed, but that did not stop the tears. Glenn was totally chill about it. He even said that is normal. Maybe he was just trying to make me feel better, but I’ll take it.
He said something very interesting that will stick with me for life. “You know that your brain holds memories, right?” (Me, nodding, panting, crying, begging him to slow the speed down.) “So do your muscles.” As I continued running (and even cursing at Glenn a few times; I think I need to buy him a dozen roses and an apology card), it became clear to me that, whereas my body had pretty much healed after my surgery, my brain has not yet. It was holding on to these false ideas that I am still injured and weak, which is holding me back physically. The cool thing about confronting false ideas about your identity (i.e. your ego) is that as soon as you see them, they lose all power. They just melt away. You don’t even have to TRY to get rid of them. Consciousness, presence and awareness prevail; the ego cannot co-exist with awareness of it.
That is a lot of stuff to have hit you while on the treadmill.
Who says fitness is purely physical?
I can already feel myself changing, from the inside out, which means the change is a real, lasting change. I want to thank Glenn for encouraging me and pushing me through my tears and for pushing me just one more mile per hour. Because you know what? I did it. And I can do it again. I can do more.
I would have never pushed myself this hard on my own at first, but now every time I run, I know my capabilities, and I will try to match what I did on Tuesday. It’s like he just held the mirror up to my face and forced me to look in it. Now I know what I look like, and my perspective of my self image has shifted, which will shift my actions.
There is something to say about having a fitness expert on your back.
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Posted by heckela in Friday, May 15th 2009 under JOURNAL
I had to exercise late last night, at like 9:30 p.m. But I did get it in. Phew.
I’ve heard people say their iPod seems divinely inspired sometimes. Well, last night, my iPod played the perfect five songs for my life at this moment, and then ran out of power. Things like that make you feel like you’ve got someone by your side, even if it IS just the technology god.
In part because of my great music mix, and also because I had a lot of stress pent up, my workout last night was great. It was strength training, and I incorporated a lot of the balancing moves that Glenn taught me on Tuesday. Balancing on a Fit ball while doing arm raises just makes it more fun and challenging. Plus, it keeps my brain busy thinking about how to balance and I don’t feel the burn as bad!
On the topic of tunes, Restoration Fitness just posted a great blog about good workout music: www.restorationfitness.blogspot.com.
The best hip-hop running songs:
http://running.about.com/od/musicforrunning/tp/hiphopsongs.htm
Make your own Sports iMix:
http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?locale=en_us&l=imixesWeek one summary
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Posted by heckela in Tuesday, May 19th 2009 under JOURNAL
So I finished the first week of Glenn’s Get it Back System. I started out full force, but as the stresses of the week built up, I didn’t finish as hard as I wanted to. The good thing is, I have three more weeks to make it work.
I did work out five times this week, although not exactly how Glenn laid out in the book, and I didn’t do as much cardio as I wanted. I took Wednesday off, for my birthday, although I did stay active that day; I went to the zoo and probably walked three miles. Ha.
Instead of doing cardio on Thursday, I did resistance. And on Friday, I had to do another workout of the week, Ninja Fit, which was mostly resistance. Saturday, I played a little bit of softball, but while drinking beer, so that negated that. And on Sunday, I had to do another workout of the week, Watsu, which was sort of like yoga, massage and stretching in the water. It was low impact, but I woke up Monday surprisingly sore.
I know this varied from Glenn’s plan for the week, and I am worried how it will catch up to me today, when we are meeting one-on-one. Especially the cardio. The thing is, I can dance for like 10 hours straight. But running even 25 minutes is excruciating for me. He promised today would be fun, so I won’t go into it too stressed out. Although I’m not going to lie, I am a little worried.
My weakness this week was in the nutrition, which I had not been paying as close attention to as I should have. Alcohol, especially. Granted, it was my birthday, and I had a big party on Saturday. I will not be drinking that much this week, or maybe not again for another year.
My traditional food weakness has always been sweets. Candy candy candy. I am rocking that, I’m proud to say. There are so many times throughout the work day that I want to get candy; we have a free candy bowl just 20 feet from my desk and it’s full of all my favorites, like Tootsie Rolls and Butterfingers. I think I might be addicted to the sugar boosts throughout the day. It is taking a lot of effort for me to not eat candy when I get tired at work. Or even socially, or just habitually. I did not think it would be this hard. I just went over to Bookends to get a Mary Jane (it’s supposed to be good for you and has no sugar) just in case I feel too tempted.
There is an interesting part in Glenn’s book talking extensively about sugar and all of the effects it has on your body. I might need to read it again.
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Week 2: Day 2
Posted by heckela in Tuesday, May 19th 2009 under JOURNAL
I did not work out last night, because I got home too late. Workaholism doesn’t go well with health, as it turns out.
Because I had to work so late, I asked my boyfriend to go grocery shopping. I had made a list, like Glenn advised. I told him to just take the list to the store and pick everything up. He said it took him like two hours because he didn’t know what agave was (an ingredient in these energy bars that Glenn told me I should make). He said he asked the people in produce, but they didn’t know. Then he asked the people in the bakery. Maybe it’s a bread? Then he went to the checkout, but no one knew.
I think we need to do our grocery shopping in Boulder from now on.
“When it rains, it pours. And then things come out greener.”
Glenn Hattem, fitness expert
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Hanging ab crunch. I trained with Glenn again yesterday. I did 15 of these, and then 15 right-middle-left. I woke up in the middle of the night with sore abs.
Glenn said if I do these exercises every day for a few weeks, I will see a dramatic improvement in my abs. I believe him.
