Winter TV Fitness Plan

One of my horoscopes this month said ‘travelling overseas is a no-no this month…there are things you can do to keep busy at home’ and another (yes I read them all) said ‘if you make a fitness promise to yourself, you’ll keep it’.  So I made a promise to get my flat stomach and thighs back in time for the spring because at the moment my abs is covered in fat. 

Saving for next year’s unplanned travels and waiting for so many of my favourite shows to return (so glad Walking Dead is back) I have no excuses not to get off the sofa, I’m broke and exercising at home is free.  The summer can be a terrible time for me and probably other lonely TV Addicts, there is nothing to watch apart from re-runs (Do TV channels think everyone is going out every night during the summer? Firstly some of us are Billy No Mates and secondly it’s the UK it rains!).  However the winter can be worse, yes there is a lot of amazing programmes to watch but this usually results in chocolate and crisps and maybe an ice cream if I’m feeling really bored and greedy.

So where do I start with this winter workout plan?  Every time I switch to the Fitness Channel it’s always adverts (remember I’m broke).  Weight loss reality shows are boring and I think excess skin should come with a ‘scenes of a stressing nature’ warning at the start of the show. Health magazines often state no eating after 8pm which is difficult when I’m watching the Hannibal box set or Walking Dead.  I did start my fitness regime with a few hours of sports this weekend…the ATP Tennis World Finals on Sky Sports and now I have BT Sport and ESPN this means I can now watch Ligue 1, for the quality of football not Frenchmen in shorts. 

No seriously I have started (honest) with the no eating after 8pm, step ups while watching 30mins sitcoms, squats when I’m waiting for the kettle to boil and a few yoga stretches and sit ups while watching the box. Some mornings before work I’m roll out of bed and try and convince myself going to the gym is a good thing. I go to the cheapest gym in Birmingham and use the bike and cross trainer and when I flagging and ready to give up on comes the Smash soundtrack or maybe my Sky Go/News app to take my mind off the pain for another 10-15 minutes.   Not sure its helping but my mood is clearer for a dull day in the office of rude and demanding emails and sitting down exercises. 

No pain no gain!

Glee v Smash: Battle Of The Singers

Glee series 5 is on then off again (tres annoying) and Smash has come to an end for good.  I wish it was visa versa and Smash could continue for a few more seasons.

I’m officially over the Glee thing. The first few soundtracks were great, and the first season was fresh and original as Fame was before downloaded music but the sickly sweet taste of American all singing school kids isn’t my bag.  My Movie Mate doesn’t have Sky TV and if I didn’t have to record it for her I would have gave up after series 2. Let’s face it no series based in an American school will ever be as good as ‘Saved by the Bell’ and they didn’t even sing.

With Smash, there are big similarities, all singing Americans chasing their dreams of stardom. The adverts for the first season looked like Glee for adults which made me think twice about watching it. However there wasn’t anything else to watch on that particular night so I gave it ago and loved it, probably because I realized I too am an adult with dreams (luckily for the world my ambitions does not involve singing) not a teenage misfit.  It’s not cheesy, it’s classy and there isn’t many covers mostly originals and the soundtrack is excellent especially ‘Let Me Be Your Star’.

In Series 2, it seems American Idol rejects Katharine McPhee and Jennifer ‘blink and your miss her’ Hudson have more success in their careers than the actual winners of the British X factors. I can’t imagine Miss Hudson imprisoned in the Big Brother house or the Australian jungle or Miss McPhee saying ‘you want fries with that’.  Its more unlikely to be one of our British wannabes Pop Stars due to the fact these American singers actually do have the X Factor. 

So who would win the battle of the vocal chords? The girl next door chasing her dream of performing on Broadway, two great singers and Karen Cartwright doesn’t have much of an ego unlike Rachel Berry. So Rachel would kill for a part while Karen would concede defeat. Ivy Lynn might put up a good fight but my money would still be on Rachel. 

The leader of the packs Derek Wills is more Sue than Schu; maybe if Will Schuester and Tom Levitt teamed up together, the nice guys might not come last and bring down the Dirty Derek.

Then there is the final fight – the heavyweight round, not in size but in attitude and not with punches but with sharp tongues and excellent pull downs. Maybe Eileen would win on points knocking Sue down with her cold stare.

So as the curtain falls on Smash, Karen and Co you will be missed and hopefully not long before Glee goes too…or my friend gets satellite TV installed.