I’ll share one tidbit I learned from Sherwood: You can do the plank or you can really DO the plank. Try keeping your feet fully flexed. Squeeze squeeze, squeeze and remind yourself to squeeze your glute muscles the entire time. Keep the tummy tight (navel to spine) and make sure your elbows are directly below your shoulders. Now try and hold that for 2 minutes. It makes a world of difference when you’re actually doing the move correctly.

I have to admit, I did have a moment where I wondered if I had taken the wrong class. Yes, I signed up for this particular class, my name was on the list and everything, but I learned that there was also a test prep class in Chicago that same day. In the short term, I feel like a test prep class may have been beneficial. After all, I’m anxious about the upcoming multiple choice I have to face. In the long term however, I know that this workshop will be invaluable. There’s a ginormous difference between reading about an exercise in a textbook while practicing it in your bedroom and having an instructor guide you through the moves with all the proper cues that they don’t teach. Not only that, but I’m sure this workshop will help on the test as well. Actually performing the moves, performing the overhead squat assessment, and reviewing the progressive stages of training can’t hurt my test score.

I’m so glad I purchased the workshop with my NASM package. I’m glad we got a good workout in at the studio too. Since Thursday was a rest day, Friday and Sunday were spent travelling, and the treadmill at the hotel was out of order, I needed a little sweatiness to make me feel like myself again.

The workshop got out just a tad early, and Hubster hadn’t left the hotel yet, so I took that opportunity to run over to the two-story Target store a block away. Sure, we have Target stores in my town, but not ginormous two-story ones. I was going to buy a foam roller due to my renewed faith in them (after foam rolling in class, my achy hips stopped aching), but I passed them up for two new workout DVD’s and three new shirts. Those are my Chicago souvenirs, ok? Ha! I’ll ask for the foam roller for my birthday;)

With my new Target purchases, I was also able to sneak in some Tracy Anderson workouts in the hotel room. When I got home on Sunday, I also busted through a new Jillian Michaels workout I bought at Target. That way, I only took two rest days instead of four in a row (heaven forbid!). I’ll have to post some video reviews of those soon.