Sweating with Old Tapes

Yesterday, I finished what I started on Saturday, The Firm Total Body, Abs, Hips and Thigh Sculpting (1996), because it just makes me feel better to complete a tape I had to abandon. My husband worked out with me, with Boomer clapping and cheering us on, and Stefan saying, "augh..augh..." in his exersaucer. It was great to be a family again.

Then, I worked out with weights, and toward the end I bench pressed 50 pounds, to failure, with my husband helping me a bit when I was on the last few reps. Boomer and I held his feet and ankles and yelled encouragement while he did lots of situps. We were in there for a good 45 minutes, and were wiped by the end.

Today, I did The Firm Cross Trainers, Cardio Sculpt, 1997

I was groaning by the end and muttering, "Oh, my God." I thought of quitting, several times, but I told myself I'd just get through this segment, then the next, and somehow, I made it to the stretch, and did that, too. The only part where I deviated from the cueing was when, instead of floor jogging with weights, Boomer wanted me to jump on the mini-trampoline with him :)

Oh, and tell me this: why, oh, why, does no one ever suffer on those tapes? Why does no one turn red, pant, strain, or sweat? They make those videos with cyborgs, I tell you. They seem as shower-fresh at the end of the workout as they were when they first walked into the exercise room.

As for me, I'm a real woman.
After the stretch, I was kneeling on my mat, slumped over, cheek on my step box, just panting and wondering how on earth something that is so uncomfortable can be so good for you.

Thank goodness for hot showers, with my post-workout-only reward, my 4711 Shower Gel, brought from Germany.