First day of training

The next day started off like any other. Molly got up and ready for work; Paul made some breakfast for them. She went off to work and he went into his home office to respond to e-mails and knock out some code.

All too quickly, his 2:45p alarm went off and he realized he had the call with Bill coming up soon. Saving his work, he dashed in to change to some workout clothes, grab some water, and walk back to his office to work out only to hear his Skype ringing all the way from down the hall.

“Well, at least I know he’s set,” Paul mumbled to himself.

Gently setting his bottle down next to his laptop, he clicked the answer button and up popped Bill’s live feed.

“Hey, Bill! Thanks so much for helping with this.” On closer inspection, Paul could see the angry ferrow on Bill’s face.

“Look, man. Its already 5 after. If you’re not going to be interested in this, then I’m not going to do this. I can’t be wasting time on everything and some of us have schedules we have to stick to for our clients.”

“Ya, look, just some work stuff came up. I really do appreciate your help and definitely want this to work; I’ll make sure to get there next time.”

“Fine. Let's at least start with some stretches. Go over to your workspace and let's start with some lunges.”

“Oh, now? Um, k, hold on.” Paul got up, spun his laptop around, and stood on the other side of the desk. Started with his left foot, he stepped forward putting his leg back. Then proceeded to switch and do things with the other leg.

This went on for a couple of minutes before Bill finally spoke up, “stop, stop, stop. I can barely see your legs and this crappy camera of yours with those black shorts make it impossible to see your lower form. Plus, your upper body is hunched over; you need to keep better posture and keep your back straight.”

“K, thanks. Kind of like this,” Paul attempted to keep his back up but still wasn’t pulling his shoulders back enough.

“No, you’re not getting it. Here, put your arms behind your back and try to grab your left elbow with your right hand and your right elbow with your left.”

Reaching back, Paul could only get about halfway up his forearms as he heard his aging shoulders pop as he pulled to his limits.

“K. That's a good start,” Bill encouraged, “we’ll keep working on it. Make sure you’re doing that while you're doing your lunges. Now do some side stretches to help pull your core.”

Paul turned to face his laptop while he started to doing stretches to the side. “I appreciate this, but I really need to get this tummy fat taken care of; when are we going to get past this stretchy stuff?”

Bill let out an exasperated sigh, “this is all the sort of things you should be doing before any exercise to ensure your muscles are warmed up and minimize energy. We’ll get to the physical pushing, but need to get things done. You want to do this right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then trust me, follow the pattern I give you, push yourself, and you just might get down in time.”

Paul knew he needed to get this right. “k”

After a few more stretches, Bill continued on to next “k, since you don’t have machines there, we’re going to have to do classic crunches. Reposition the camera so I can see you on kneeling on the ground.”

“k. Just a sec.” Paul proceeded to re-arrange things before sitting on the ground. “There, does that work?”

“*sigh* I said kneel not sit. We need to more stretches and you can’t do it with your legs crossed like that.”

“Oh. Alright" Paul shifted around to sit on his knees.

“K, let me see how much range we have at the moment. With your back straight, see how far you can spread your knees.”

“K” Paul proceed to spread his knees as far as he could giving them a little push and then looked back at the laptop camera. “Alright now what”

“I said *back straight*. You’re still stretching. Form is really important you're wasting our time and likely to hurt yourself. Look try to grab your elbows behind your back again like we did earlier”

“Like this.” Paul said trying to grabbing his forearms behind himself.

“That’s better, but again, keep your back straight, shoulders back, but look down at your knees.”

Paul attempted to match the instructions.

“Good. Good job. This a start position but we’ll keep working on it,” Bill encouraged and Paul was actually feeling a little satisfied. “Since I don’t have any way to measure your range remotely, do you have some masking tape?”

“Umm. Ya, let me go find some.” Paul struggled up to go find some.

Returning he showed the tape before kneeling back before the camera.

“Very good. That will work.”

“Work for what?”

“Patience padawan,” Bill chuckled. “You won’t have much room this way so reposition yourself to face to the right, and tear off two pieces of tape about 2 inches long and put an end on each knee.”

Paul turned to the side and put the tapes down on his knees, slumping over, “now what?”

“We’re getting things set up still. If you do this right, future sessions will go faster, but we have to get this setup. Get in your starting position: grab your elbows, eyes on your knees, spread your knees as far as you can.”

Paul took a breath and assumed the position. “Alright”

“Now, without moving your knees and keeping your back as straight as you can, reach down and put the tape in front of each knee perpendicular to your limb”

Trying to keep his back straight, Paul put each piece of tape on the floor as instructed. “K.”

“This camera sucks but it looks right,” Bill responded. “Alright, now get a marker or large pen”

With a huff, Paul stood up, “k” and went to retrieve a sharpie.

As he walked back in frame, Bill could just see his hands holding the marker, “that should do. Assume your start position holding the marker, making sure to keep your back straight and focus on lining your knees up with the tape.”

Paul slowly got back down, straightening his back and then looking back and forth between his knees and lining back up with the tape. “k”

“Alright, keep focusing on your knees making sure they’re lined up with the tape and back straight, slowly swing your arms down, out, and up in a big circle bringing them together holding the pen above your head.”

Focusing, Paul moved his arms around and keeping the knees on the tape was harder than he expected.

“Don’t forget to breathe, bud,” Bill instructed. “Breathing is important in any exercise”

“k”

“Alright, now still focusing on your knees and your hands together with the pen in your hand stretch as high as you can”

Paul did was in structed struggling to breathe steady.

“Doing good, now, while focusing on keeping your knees on the tape, slowly rotate forward at your hips as far as you can keep your arms extended straight in line with your back.”

Paul slowly moved forward and could feel himself hit a limit with several inches between his chest and his knees. “k”

“Is that as far as you can go? It's hard to tell with this cheap as thing. Try pushing further.”

Feeling his abs stressing he reached but couldn’t hold it much longer, “I’m as far as I can.”

“That’s a beginning then. Slowly bring your hands straight down stretching your arms as far as you can, placing the marker down on the ground. The slowly roll the marker forward with your fingers until you can just barely touch it.”

Paul did as he could barely reaching the marker and squeaked out, “k”.

“Good, now *slowly* roll your back to being straight up, and get back in your start position grabbing your elbows.”

Once Paul was back in the first position and focusing on his knees, Bill continued, “K, now get another 2-inch piece of tape and put it directly where the marker is.”

Paul had apparently kicked the roll when he went to get the marker so he had to get back up and retrieved the tape.

Seeing him walk back, Bill watched him the put the tape down and drop it on the desk. “Good. Now grab the tape and get back in your start position.”

Kneeling back down Paul held onto the tape, “K”

“No! Back straight and make sure those knees stay lined up.”

Paul quickly straightened up with the roll of tape behind, “alright, alright.”

“Tear off another piece and keeping your back as straight as you can, put it behind where your toes are.”

Paul awkwardly worked behind him, but managed to put it down. “k. Now what?”

“Alright, this will now help keep track of your flexibility. As we get your more fit and limber, you will be able to compare against these, so keep them there until the party.”

“Cool, but it's been 45 minutes. Going to do actual do any reps?”

“Alright, eager student. Get back in your start position.”

“k,” Paul assumed the first position.

“Now, focusing on keeping your knees lined up, extend your arms behind you and lean back until you can put your palms flat on the ground.”

Stretching back, Paul got into position. “k”

“Now, stretch your pelvis forward as far as you can and then bring your bottom back to your heels.”

Paul whipped his head sideways and looked at the screen to see if he could figure out if Bill was just teasing him or serious, “What?”

“You heard me! Get that butt up and bring it back down!! 10 reps, NOW! And focus on keeping your knees lined up!! Do it!”

Paul was a little shook but whipped his back around and proceeded.

“Alright, and 10. Now slowly role your hips back over your feet, once your butt is on the ground, lean all the way back with your back flat on the floor, keep your knees bent, but soles of your feet flat on the ground, hands interlocked behind your head.”

Paul got into position, “k”

“No do 10 crunches by slowly leaning forward.”

Unfortunately for Paul, he had neglected his core a lot and barely got to 9 before whimpering to end and panting.

“Well, that is something in great need of improvement. Do you have any hand weights?”

Panting “um, ya, back in the garage” Paul got up, grabbed those, and return.

Bill saw him return, “good, back to start position”

Paul assumed the position clinking the hands behind him with his eyes down on his knees.

“Now, roll back to the balls of your feet and try to stand up.”

Paul struggled and slowly stood up with his weighted hands behind his back.

“Keep your back straight and go down as far as you can and stand back up straight”

Paul did it and Bill took him through 9 more reps.

“Alright, I need to go get ready for another client, so we need to finish up. Go ahead and get back in your start position.”

Paul slowly kneels back down and focusing on getting back in position feeling warn out from a few simple things and really hard to focus.

“Back straight. Alright, are you happy with this.”

Still focusing on getting his knees in place. “Yes, thank you.”

“Good. Do your stretching again as cool down, will see you again tomorrow at 3, wear some lighter colored shorts so I see your definition better on this crappy camera.” *disconnect*

Paul was frustrated that he was insulting his technology and grumbled to himself, but figured he better stretch out before his muscles tightened up before collapsing back on the floor.