I have really enjoyed working with the resistance bands this week. I used these a lot when I played sports and was in physical therapy for my shoulder in high school. The bands really make the exercises more challenging and I can also feel them more intensely. It is really interesting that by just adding a band to a lot of the exercises the results and effects of the exercises change. I felt that the exercises this week were very challenging and definitely toned me which is really good because I have not been able to get to the AFC very much this week since I have had a lot of work and papers due recently.

I felt a lot of the exercises that we did this week in my abs, shoulders, and back. We did crunches with the bands, laid back with upperback and legs in the air while holding the band, arm raises with the band under our knees, and walked with the band tied tightly around out ankles. I can't remember many of the other exercises but I really enjoyed using the resistance bands and now have some new ideas on how to use the one that I have in my apartment!

This week's classes were very physically challenging for me. The squats and lunges were expecially taxing on my body since I have not done that many of either since I played lacrosse in high school. Today is the first day that I am actually able to walk, sit, or move without a lot of soreness. My roommates got a lot of laughs out of watching try and move around the apartment and do simple things like sitting down. The part of this week's classes that I really enjoyed was getting to use the medicine balls. There was a huge difference between doing the exercises without the weights and then trying to do them with weights. It was definitely a challenge to try and keep using good form when I did the exercises with the ball. Even without the extra weight of the ball I felt like the exercises were very challenging and really made me work hard so I enjoyed doing them and it makes waking up for an 8:00 am class more worth it since I am actually able to be in an early class that won't put me back to sleep.

This week I overslept and missed Tuesday's class but on Thursday we did exercise stations in groups of 5. Each station focused on a specific part of the core. I really liked the stations because I felt like I was able to really focus on the specific area that the exercises were supposed to target. My shoulders feel expecially sore especially after I went to the AFC and worked out on my own and did some of the exercises that we have been doing in class as well as cardio.

• exercises with a ball including crunches on it
• should station- held shoes and did arm circles and raises
• planks- variety of different kinds
• abs- crunches with legs at 90 degrees, bicycle crunches, muffin tops,
• push ups

I think that all of the new exercises that I have been doing in class have really helped me to work out a part of the body which I probably ignore too much. I also have enjoyed the days we have class because I don't have to workout so long at the AFC at night since I already did part of my workout.

On Thursday we focused on working on our ab muscles. I can't remember all of the exercises we did but these are some of them

• sit ups
• push ups
• leg raises
• planks
• fish kicks
• leg circles while on back
• muffin tops

There are a lot more exercises that I am forgetting but since class I am definitely sore and feeling the results of all the ab work.

Today in class we worked a lot on our shoulders. I never really thought of this body part as part of the core but I now realize that it is. The following is a list of all the exercises that we did today that I remember.

• superman - every different kind which included alternating arms/legs and sides as well
• push ups
• crunches
• an exercise involving the crab walk
• holding arms straight out and lifting up and down with light weights
• holding arms forward and lifting up and down with light weights
• regular plank
• plank rocking forward
• push up with a kick out
• holding arms out with weights and doing circles and then making circles the other way
• doing a plank while doing circles with one leg and then making circles the other way

These are the exercises I remember and I can already feel my shoulders getting sore which is good because I have definitely been neglecting this body part.

After all my classes I went to the AFC and did 45 minutes cardio on an eliptical and the did a couple thigh exercises as well as a few weight lifting exercises for my arms. I definitely think that I had a complete workout today.

After going to two core training classes this week I can officially say that I have never done this much work on my core. I have really enjoyed both classes because I am learning new exercises which I hope to use later on my own when the class is over. My roommates have all been asking me to show them what exercises we do so they have also been getting a good core workout for the past week. Unfortunately all this core work has made me pretty sore but I think that that is a good sign and shows that the exercises are working and I am doing them correctly. Because of this soreness I have decided that when I workout at the AFC I will skip the ab workout that I normally do so that I don't overwork myself.

I think that having this physical education class will really help me to become healthier and learn more about exercise. Starting my Tuesdays and Thursdays with core training makes me want to go workout later and do some cardio, even after four classes. I am hoping this continues through the semester so that I continue to exercise and be healthier. I also am trying to eat better, which is very challenging for me, so that I can get and see the benefits of all the exercise I will be doing this semester. Hopefully, all of this will help me have a healthy and happy 4th year and I will be able to use what I learn in this class well into my future!