Here’s What Happened After I Trained for 6 Weeks at Equinox
Well, it’s official: I’ve completed my six weeks of training with Equinox Tier-3+ trainer, Roy Chan, and damn, what a ride it was.
ICYMI, a lot went down. I started training with the intention to learn proper form and avoid injury only to suffer from another injury leaving me feeling discouraged and convinced I wasn’t going to achieve my goals of improving my rotary stability, doing five push-ups off the ground and lose 3mm off skinfolds (or one per cent body fat) as a result.
Phew.
After last week, I spent a lot of time being kind to my body. That meant less intense workouts (including Muay Thai), plenty of rest and consuming good nutrients. And guys, it helped. A lot. By my final week, my body was in pretty good shape and the inflammation in my right hip flexor had gone down significantly. This meant upping the ante on a previous routine Roy had given me so I wouldn’t plateau, but still being mindful of any signs of discomfort.
But before I break down the final workout, let’s talk about the most interesting part: the final results.
My heart rate was definitely up from my initial assessment, mainly because I was nervous for the fat test… you know, when Roy pinches my body fat in four areas, clamps it, then measures it. To be honest, I thought I had actually gotten bigger since starting my training sessions, since I wasn’t getting much cardio in due to me missing out on Muay Thai classes due to my hip flexor injury. But guys… somehow, after 14 total workouts (six of those with Roy), I REACHED ALL OF MY GOALS.
Behold, the results:
Skinfolds: Sum of four areas went down by 5.5 mm (the goal was 3mm!)
Body fat: Decreased 1.3 per cent (goal was one per cent)
Weight: Up o.4 kg (no weight goal was set in place)
Fat mass: Down 1.5 kg
Lean mass: Up 1.1 kg
Rotary stability: From 1:1 to 2:2 (2:2 was the goal)
Push-ups: Five full push-ups (also the goal)
I also ended up losing one centimetre in my waist and two centimetres in my hips.
So what did I learn from all of this?
First thing: having a trainer is really useful. I mean, it’s obviously a luxury that not everyone can afford (especially a Tier-3+ Equinox trainer), but having someone work with you to carve out a plan to reach your goals and teach you proper movement and form is worth it, especially if you, like me, are scared of injury. And honestly, I don’t know what I would have done had Roy not been there to adjust my training program after the hip flexor injury. Probably just given up fully and cried for a few more days than I actually did. With Roy’s guidance (and of course, with the help of my physio), I was able to still continue moving, while allowing the inflammation to settle.
Second: It’s so important to listen to your body. I tend to push myself because I like seeing results. Stepping back and really focusing on what was causing my body more pain and what was making it feel better was new for me, and it helped. I also appreciated that Roy was also mindful of my injury, and didn’t continue pushing me past my limits because that obviously would have made things worse. Often times, he would remind me to check in with my body to ensure we were on the right track, and that was imperative for my healing process.
Third: Injury does not equal failure. I mean, a part of me wondered how my results would have differed had I not gotten injured and was able to do more high-intensity stuff, but hey, that’s life. Sometimes you hit a few roadblocks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed. This training series (and these results) are proof.
And that, everyone, concludes my training diary. Thanks to Equinox, Roy and my physio, Jesse Awenus, and thanks to all of you for following along!
I’ll leave you with this: the final workout:
Corrective Strategy/Movement Prep
Front bridge—Go on all fours and lift knees off the ground for 20 seconds at a time. Repeat three times.
Back bridge—Lie on the ground with knees bent and arms at a 45 degree angle. Lift hips and hold for three seconds. Repeat eight times.
Resistance Training Set A (Repeat 3 Times)
Goblet squat—Squat 10 times using a 10 kg kettlebell.
Squat cable pull—Go into a semi squat while facing the cable machine. With the cable in one hand, pull back, while reaching the opposite arm forward (almost like the motion of shooting an arrow). Bring arm with cable back to the front, and the opposite arm goes back. Repeat 12 times.
Front bridge plus (arms)—Go onto all fours and lift knees off of the ground. Slowly lift one hand off of the ground at a time. Repeat 10 times.
Front bridge plus (legs)—Go onto all fours and lift knees off of the ground. Slowly extend one leg at a time. Repeat 10 times.
Resistance Training Set B (Repeat 3 Times)
Side travel with dumbbell—Start in a split squat position (right foot forward) and use back foot (in this case, left) to move laterally to your left and land in the opposite split squat position (left foot forward). Do this while holding a 15 lb dumbbell, bringing the dumbbell to side you are travelling to. Repeat 20 times.
Squat cable push—Go into a semi squat with your back to the cable machine. Holding the cable in one hand, push forward, bringing the opposite hand back. Gently bring the cable arm back and the opposite arm forward. Repeat 12 times.
Weighted glute bench bridge—Place your upper back against a bench with weights placed on your hips. Drive up through your heels and your upper back on the bench. Squeeze your glutes and press your hips up as high as possible, hold a second or two at the top and then lower back down to reset. Repeat 10 times.
Resistance Training Set C (Repeat 3 Times)
Push-ups—I did five full-push ups before dropping to my knees and doing five more.
Squat cable swing—Go into a semi squat position with your right side facing the cable machine. Holding the cable in both hands, bring your arms to the right side of your body, then pull to the left. Reset and repeat 12 times before doing the opposite side.
 as a result.
Phew.
After last week, I spent a lot of time being kind to my body. That meant less intense workouts (including Muay Thai), plenty of rest and consuming good nutrients. And guys, it helped. A lot. By my final week, my body was in pretty good shape and the inflammation in my right hip flexor had gone down significantly. This meant upping the ante on a previous routine Roy had given me so I wouldn't plateau, but still being mindful of any signs of discomfort.
But before I break down the final workout, let's talk about the most interesting part: the final results.
My heart rate was definitely up from my initial assessment, mainly because I was nervous for the fat test... you know, when Roy pinches my body fat in four areas, clamps it, then measures it. To be honest, I thought I had actually gotten bigger since starting my training sessions, since I wasn't getting much cardio in due to me missing out on Muay Thai classes due to my hip flexor injury. But guys... somehow, after 14 total workouts (six of those with Roy), I REACHED ALL OF MY GOALS.
Behold, the results:
Skinfolds: Sum of four areas went down by 5.5 mm (the goal was 3mm!)
Body fat: Decreased 1.3 per cent (goal was one per cent)
Weight: Up o.4 kg (no weight goal was set in place)
Fat mass: Down 1.5 kg
Lean mass: Up 1.1 kg
Rotary stability: From 1:1 to 2:2 (2:2 was the goal)
Push-ups: Five full push-ups (also the goal)
I also ended up losing one centimetre in my waist and two centimetres in my hips.
So what did I learn from all of this?
First thing: having a trainer is really useful. I mean, it's obviously a luxury that not everyone can afford (especially a Tier-3+ Equinox trainer), but having someone work with you to carve out a plan to reach your goals and teach you proper movement and form is worth it, especially if you, like me, are scared of injury. And honestly, I don't know what I would have done had Roy not been there to adjust my training program after the hip flexor injury. Probably just given up fully and cried for a few more days than I actually did. With Roy's guidance (and of course, with the help of my physio), I was able to still continue moving, while allowing the inflammation to settle.
Second: It's so important to listen to your body. I tend to push myself because I like seeing results. Stepping back and really focusing on what was causing my body more pain and what was making it feel better was new for me, and it helped. I also appreciated that Roy was also mindful of my injury, and didn't continue pushing me past my limits because that obviously would have made things worse. Often times, he would remind me to check in with my body to ensure we were on the right track, and that was imperative for my healing process.
Third: Injury does not equal failure. I mean, a part of me wondered how my results would have differed had I not gotten injured and was able to do more high-intensity stuff, but hey, that's life. Sometimes you hit a few roadblocks, but that doesn't mean you can't succeed. This training series (and these results) are proof.
And that, everyone, concludes my training diary. Thanks to Equinox, Roy and my physio, Jesse Awenus, and thanks to all of you for following along!
I'll leave you with this: the final workout:
Corrective Strategy/Movement Prep
Front bridge—Go on all fours and lift knees off the ground for 20 seconds at a time. Repeat three times.
Back bridge—Lie on the ground with knees bent and arms at a 45 degree angle. Lift hips and hold for three seconds. Repeat eight times.
Resistance Training Set A (Repeat 3 Times)
Goblet squat—Squat 10 times using a 10 kg kettlebell.
Squat cable pull—Go into a semi squat while facing the cable machine. With the cable in one hand, pull back, while reaching the opposite arm forward (almost like the motion of shooting an arrow). Bring arm with cable back to the front, and the opposite arm goes back. Repeat 12 times.
Front bridge plus (arms)—Go onto all fours and lift knees off of the ground. Slowly lift one hand off of the ground at a time. Repeat 10 times.
Front bridge plus (legs)—Go onto all fours and lift knees off of the ground. Slowly extend one leg at a time. Repeat 10 times.
Resistance Training Set B (Repeat 3 Times)
Side travel with dumbbell—Start in a split squat position (right foot forward) and use back foot (in this case, left) to move laterally to your left and land in the opposite split squat position (left foot forward). Do this while holding a 15 lb dumbbell, bringing the dumbbell to side you are travelling to. Repeat 20 times.
Squat cable push—Go into a semi squat with your back to the cable machine. Holding the cable in one hand, push forward, bringing the opposite hand back. Gently bring the cable arm back and the opposite arm forward. Repeat 12 times.
Weighted glute bench bridge—Place your upper back against a bench with weights placed on your hips. Drive up through your heels and your upper back on the bench. Squeeze your glutes and press your hips up as high as possible, hold a second or two at the top and then lower back down to reset. Repeat 10 times.
Resistance Training Set C (Repeat 3 Times)
Push-ups—I did five full-push ups before dropping to my knees and doing five more.
Squat cable swing—Go into a semi squat position with your right side facing the cable machine. Holding the cable in both hands, bring your arms to the right side of your body, then pull to the left. Reset and repeat 12 times before doing the opposite side.){kind=link}