I had never thought about “where the hardest part of the exercise was” in relation to the tool being used. (I.e. with resistance bands the hardest part is at the point where the band is stretched the most and with free weights the hardest part is at the beginning/bottom) It makes so much sense now and will me be more strategic about where/when to include each in my training plan. Concern: I still (even after months of personal training sessions) get intimidated when I go the gym side on my own.

I’ve always been a fan of aerobic exercise. In the past, I was a runner and did all the old “aerobic” routines and videos. I am have been trying to do a mix of both aerobic and anaerobic recently and plan to continue this!

Getting philosophical here...The only "Resistance" that occurs is the required transition between where you are (physicality) and where you want to be. The hardest part about going to SF, or going for a run, or any exercise activity is stepping outside your front door to go do it. Working out when I was younger, I chose machine equipment more because of the comfort and ease of use, but I could never lift free-weights very successfully - I didn't have the stability muscles to do it. It didn't stop me from trying though, and eventually I got better. Knowing our physical limitations doesn't mean we stop trying to improve on them. Heck, I just hit a new bench press max the other day... A major reason I joined SF - I was thinking about mortality, and how I didn't want to continue taking my health in the direction it had been going. I had to identify my objectives, and work towards them, testing my limitations and focusing on strength again. I like the cables, I like the free weights, and yes, I still use the machines. I don't ever want to be physically inept for a simple task as I get older. I get that it will still eventually happen, but by continuing to do resistance training and keep my muscles active and strong, I'm making sure it doesn't happen for a very long time. Lift the weight, and when it gets easy, lift more weight. You'll live longer for it.

One leaves you breathless, the other requires no breath, lol... Aerobic exercise requires oxygen to produce the energy for the workout, increases the cardiovascular capacity, increases the heart rate, will help burn fat at low intensity (e.g.- walking), will burn more carbs at high-intensity, isn't ideal for building muscle, but is good for getting toned. Anaerobic exercise has more to do with working the specific muscles and not so much with pushing oxygen to those muscles in order to perform. Weight training is the primary example of this, where cardiovascular endurance isn't required. This helps with building muscle, burning fat, and increasing strength. For me personally, as much as I want to get bigger muscles, I also get a serotonin boost when I complete a 5 or 10k, a long bike ride, or a strenuous mountain hike, meaning I need a balance of the two. To attain this balance, I moderate my approach to my bootcamps, sometimes minimizing the effort for the cardio and increasing the weights for the strength components, and then I make an effort to spend some time strictly lifting as well with no cardio. Besides, if I do the workout correctly with the intention of losing fat and building muscle, while putting efforts for my cardiovascular wellness, I'll still be on the floor at the end of it catching my breath (haha!)

I need to: 1. Do it for the right reasons 2. Move my ass 3. Focus on getting strong! My goal for the next few weeks is to work on my BMR, specifically by embracing #2