Down on Energy...

I ached.
I mean, my body ached. Or to be more precise, it feels like it's having a hard time staying in one piece.
I wasn't my usual self during Body Step and Body Pump. I was half-hearted and I had to "coerce" my body to jump higher and lift higher. It was as if there was a vacumn in my body and all the energy had been sucked out. I was even contemplating to cut short my gym session. But then, why am I still on the stepper?
Just tired.... Darn tired....Felt like I was coming down with something....
Or was I? Or just an excuse to skip gym?
Or was it the after effects from 2 nights before? A late night at Vintry followed by what was only 5 hours sleep which in turn made me cancelled my morning gym session and that was how I ended up going to the gym in the afternoon and joined Body Attack, Body Step plus a good 50 minutes worth of cardio-machine hours with nary a break in between? Gosh..., that's like at least 130 minutes of pure cardio work! And the fact that I have not had a break from gym for the past week or so (no, this is not the norm).

Maybe that's why...My body's way of telling me, enough is enough. Otherwise, I might just end up like the picture below

*Touch wood!

How to Make the Gym Less Boring

Nick-naming - not a good habit, I know but it's fun and harmless as long as the person you secretly nick-named (and other gym-goers) are not aware of it.

What am I talking about? People at my gym. They are regulars at the gym that you see almost every week but do not know personally. Sometimes, an occassional nod or smile to acknowledge each other's presence (if he/she is not pretending that you are transparent). Then again, there are also some colourful characters among the regulars that kinda spice up the ambience at the gym. And I give these people nick-names (secretly).

Let me introduce you to two of them. There's this "Mr. Sexy Butt" a middle-age (upper age range) man that is always on the cross-trainer on my way to the ladies changing room and makes me mumble "oh my dear God, what could he be thinking" to myself each time I passed him. He loves to wear tight-fitting black top but what he loves even more is to wear tight-fighting black shorts so short that they barely covered his rather erm, "well-endowed buns". Sometimes they are so short that they ride up his "cheeks" and makes me gag whenever I see him (at which point the song "I am Too Sexy" will start playing in my head). One can be forgiven for thinking that this uncle is exercising in his underwear. That's "Mr. Sexy Butt" with his rather un-sexy habit.

Then there is a "Ms. Gym Freak" (aka Ms. Superhuman). Not kind I know, but that's what comes to mind whenever I see her. She's this superhuman machine that always seems as if she's going to work the stepper machine to death; think being in a sprinting race on the stepper (if she doesn't flood the gym with her sweat first). I always feel awed by the intensity of her workout whenever I see her. Petite with a rather "Lam Ah Chan" hairdo, very thin and bony (literally) body - she's quite a sight to behold. Nary to say, I don't think there's an ounce of fat on her so she's all"muscly" flesh covering bones or bones covering muscles or whatever... In short, she just comes across being truly scary to me. Maybe I should change her nick-name to Scary Girl instead.

Another one is "Ms. Showgirl", one very hot (but I suspect, not-so-young) babe. Each time I see her in the gym, she'll be in her super tight mid-riff baring tank top and tights (granted, she has quite a good bod), her long hair (rebonded of course) freely flowing and amazingly, with full make-up on. And not just any basic make-up, I am talking the "full monty" that reminds me of what one wears when one is preparing to go on-stage for a show (e.g., glittery eye make-up, black kohl, heavy mascara with what looks like sequins on false lashes). That's why I nick-named her "Ms. Showgirl".

Ok, I think I better stop now before you start thinking I am somekind of heartless 'b%&^*' (which I can assure you, I am not). But this nick-naming game sometimes help to create some fun at the gym and makes it less boring whenever one feels bored.

Hmmm...., now I wonder what others nick-named me at the gym....Maybe "Ms. @&*, The Terrible"? (hehe)

Shiok Saturday's Marathon

Had another mini GX-class marathon on Saturday, last weekend. This time, I brought 2 friends as guests to The Curve. I used to "drop-by" The Curve on weekends occassionally. After all, it's nice to lounge around the mall after gym for some food and shopping. But then, traffic and parking over the festive holidays became unbearable and I just scrapped the habit altogether.

Anyway, we were there for RPM, BP and then BA. They looked like they enjoyed themselves although for awhile, they were slightly disoriented when the overly-enthusiastic members rushed into the studio for the popular BP class (but hey, isn't that part of this gym culture? *wink*) Kudos to them for finishing the classes though (2 classes for Ann and 2.75 for Danny - hehe).

But darn, why is the air-cond at the main studio so darn cold? Don't remember it being this cold before. And don't get me started on the water pressure in the showers. I was lucky I came out from the shower without blistering my skin from the cold/hot/bloody hot combination in the shower due to inconsistent water pressure.

Proceeded to Rojak Rojak for a cuppa after gym before heading home for family dinner. My SIL makes a mean popiah and boils a superbly good bird nest tonic. ;-)

Be Careful of What You Wished For, It Might Just Come True...

I have been lamenting of the cardio machines at WC forever, particularly the stepper (which is also the only machine that I use since I just do not like the rest). They have been around since the club first opened its doors. Over the years and heavy usage (and probably mis-use too) by members (DISCLAIMER: I am totally innocent with the latter) and the fact that there are only 6 miserable steppers in WC, they became "creaky" and "cranky". Sometimes, they can be embarassingly noisy. Not only that, they are also "literally" real steppers. Step on one and you will feel yourself being "lowered step-by-step" as opposed to one smooth motion, all the way down. Other times, the machine just had a mind of its own when it refused to co-operate with the control panel. *sigh* I lost count of the number of times I complained this to the management and was promised that there will be replacements soon in return (yeah, right..., dream on...)

So imagine my surprise when I literally smelled new machines when I entered the gym at WC last week and further delight when I discovered that there are spanking new cardio machines (i.e., treadmills and steppers) in the gym. The treadmills are similar to the ones at newer branches such as Summit, MA and etc (yes, WC was that "backward") but the steppers are something else. They are of a newer breed never seen before in other branches. With an impressive control panel and build, it looked very "canggih" indeed!

Since I am a fan of steppers, I wasted no time in trying them out. That's when I regretted what I wished for.
Complaint #1: The control panel is just too complicated. I prefer the older version where you could either choose your exercise by the quickstart, manual or pre-set tracks option. This newer ones have just too many mind-baffling buttons and options. And no, I am not a technical idiot.
Complaint #2: The build of the machine. The newer machines are of bigger and more solid build. For the "vertically-challenged" me (yes, it pains me to admit this), I find it uncomfortable to exercise properly on the stepper. The upper hand rest is slightly too high for me to hold on comfortably whereas the lower hand rest is also slightly too wide for me. Purists would say that the best way to utilize the machines is not to use the hand-rest at all, but come on, is one really expected to do that throughout a 40-60 minute workout session on the stepper? Probably yeah, if you turn down the intensity to "tortoise-pace". I am a competitive person when I am on the stepper, the higher the intensity, the better....

So, gone are my old qualms but in its place, is my new rant. Sigh, I am not an easy person to please, I know, but only when it comes to this matter (seriously!). I guess I just have to adapt to the new machines (hopefully, my limbs would somehow magically grow longer - haha). In the meantime, I can't help but to prefer going to other clubs since they have "nicer" and "older" steppers. I wonder what the management would say if I approach them to complain about the new machines and demand for the older ones back??? *duck and hide*

Oh, the irony of life sometimes....

G(X) New Release Review (BP61, BA56, BS67, RPM34)

Way overdue since this is the 2nd week (or is it the 3rd already) into the newly-launched tracks for G(X) classes. Here are my 2 cents on these new releases:

BodyPump 61
Despite being told that this launch is rather tough (probably just a scare tactic from the instructors), I don't really agree, at least not for all. I like the warm-up track, "Love Changes Everything", nice song although the new combi/repetitions (instead of the standard 4/6/8 could be a bit confusing. Squats track, not tough. It has been pre-warned that there are lots of singles and bottom halves but the bottom halves are just merely 2's and 4's. As for chest track, no push-ups (yay) but the "slow's" (4 repetitions) are tougher than I thought, particularly during the last round. As usual, 8 bottom-halves are rather taxing as well. Still, I managed to increase another 2kg during the last round (after the break). The song is pretty cool too (I'm Not Dead by Pink). Quite hillarious when I overheard some gung-ho's who find the track easy saying "I am not dead, just sleeping" (haha). Back track, 1 of my weakest track. No surprises here although the recently-introduced method of wide-hand-grip and pulling the bar towards the chest especially during the 7-rows are rather taxing. End that with 6 lifts at the end, I could really work out a sweat (particularly when I increased another 2kg for the last 6 lifts). Triceps are not tough but not so easy either thanks to the kick-backs (the singles and upper-half-pulses) but that's the climax. By the time you work with the bar, it's almost like cool-down already. Biceps: short track. Some people commented not liking the song (Original Fire) but strangely, it grew on me. Not very tough. Lots of bottom-halves. Control and good form are the key words here. I've seen a couple of guys loading up for this track (probably were foretold that it's gonna be easy) only to sway/swing their body a lot or to stop frequently during the track. What's the point? Showing off or working hard? Lunges: Step board is back again. Need I say more? Tip: If you find it difficult to balance yourself on the step board, I find that placing the mat over the board and standing on the mat helps. Shoulders: For once, it does not begin with push-ups but you get them at the end. No need to use the bar too. Deceptively easy. Yes, those "mac rise" could be quite a killer. However, those push-ups at the end are unexpectedly easy. Still, shoulders are rather sore after this workout. Abs: Not much comment
Overall: Ok. The new changes found in this release are pretty alright.
Current Weights (for BP61): SQ=32kg, CH=15-17kg, BK=17-19kg, TR=12kg, BI=10kg, LU=22kg (down from 24kg), SH= 2.5kg plates x 2 or 7lbs dumbell x2

BodyAttack 56
I still haven't decided whether I like this release or not. Compared to the previous release, I daresay that this is easier. Not much to say about track 1 and 2. Track 3 has lots of jumping jacks after the "superman" move. Track 4 (1st peak) mimics a volleyball court. I like the beginning of the song. Quite glad that it does not have any power lunges (not my favourite because it's very easy to get injury in power lunges due to the high impact it places on joints). The new "pendulum" move in track 6 is quite fun. Again, quite easy compared to the previous release. Not much to say about track 7, not my favourite. The last 2 power tracks can be pretty challenging. I remember track 8 not having real breaks in between intervals, and as for track 9, well let's just say the last bit with the high knee-ups will surely bring your heart rate to your desired maximum target heart rate zone.
Overall: Not as challenging as the previous release. But with the "right" instructor, all BA classes could be very challenging.

BodyStep 67
Music not bad for this release. I like track 4 and 6 for this release. Something different but yet work you out alright... Particularly track 6, when you thought you are done, there comes another "box step" repetition followed by series of single knee. Tiring! Other than that, track 8 (speed track) feels more like a "party" track with te "cha-chas". Track 9 (power track) is not very inspiring. The upper body conditioning track is rather cute (song: Oh Yeah). If you find this release too easy for you, I suggest adding in a jump whenever you can (and whenever the instructor allows it) and upping the step board level throughout.

RPM34
I have to admit I don't quite like the songs in this track but the new (and not-so-new) twists added to this release are welcomed (such as the 2 hills in track 2 and the standing climb in track 6 - speed track). I like the song "Pretty Vegas" in track 5 though (did this before in one of the previous release of Body Attack); and the opening (warm-up) track "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" is quite cute too. Other than this, there is no other extremes found in this release. The most challenging being Track 5 (interval) followed by Track 7 (mountain) but these are not that difficult than say, Track 5 (Scream) from Release 32 or Track 7 from Release 30 (Going Insane), or "The Night Train" from Release 26 and another one by Ricky Martin (can't remember song title). Track 4 and 6 are ok if not a little dull, but can't be compared to my favaourites such as Bend and Break (Track 4) and Rise Again (Track 6) from release 32. Hmmm..., seems like I quite like release 32.

There you have it, my rather long review on the current new release.

Post-Marathon

Did I manage to do it? Yes, I did. Managed to attend all 3 classes (BodyAttack+BodyPump+BodyStep). Not a big deal actually, Body Attack was a shorter class of 45 minutes (where Track 8-Interval Training and Abs are excluded) so it felt more like a warm-up class for me. Continuing with my experiment with the TIMEX HRM, heart rate averaged at about 65-70% with a peak at about 85-89% towards the end of the last power track. The mediocre HR is also probably due to the fact that it was the 1st class of the evening so the studio was reasonably cold (I hate it when that gave me goosebumps). But darn, I kind of "mis-stepped" a little, causing a little sprain to the "bridge" of my left foot (the area between the arch and ball). That happened before and it could be quite a pain in the neck in the sense that it could be persistent and be a hassle when doing high-impact exercises (e.g., BodyAttack and BodyStep).

Next was BodyPump. Nothing extraordinary to mention. Average HR zone was in the 70-80% region (probably some were in the 60-70% region), highest was during the Back track, probably because I increased my weights during the last 6 lifts. Upper body felt a bit tired at the end of the track, particularly the shoulder.

Last, was BodyStep. By now, body was a little fatigued due the fact that muscles were already worked out during BodyPump. And true enough, the little "sprain" that occurred during the earlier BodyAttack class started to bother me a little but it remained hardly noticeable until the "gallopping" in the "Speed" track. Today's HR was not as high as the other day, although mostly was still in the 70-80% region with the max at about 169-172 bpm. But what I can conclude is not to underestimate BodyStep. It is easily on-par with "powerhouse" programs such as BodyAttack and RPM especially if you take on the challenge of increasing the step board to the highest level*.

Marathon today?

Thinking of doing a marathon* today. Need to burn off some excess energy (fats). My plan is to do a BodyAttack/BodyPump/BodyAttack combo-class back-to-back today. Body feels fine (no aches or sprains) today so should be ok. Whether I can make it in time for the classes or not is another question. We shall see....

*My definition of marathon: Min. 3 back-to-back classes (2 cardio + 1 strenthening) of BodyAttack, Body Step, RPM(or Challenge) and BodyPump combo. Not to be done on a daily basis though....

Surprise! Surprise!

Hard-core RPMers and BodyAttackers will say that BodyStep does not have enough "oomph" (losely translated - easy). I would even daresay some kinda sneered at this class. I used to think so too (to a certain extent aka in certain tracks) once I figured out the routines (rather repetitive even with new track launches).

Recently I have been playing around with my Timex Ironman Triathlon HRM watch (ok, not mine but my brother's). I want to see my actual heart rate zone during the different classes that I participated in. Anyway, I measured my heart rate zone during Body Step class the other day. Was surprised to see that on average (even during the lower impact tracks), my HR zone stayed in the 70-80% zone with spikes in 85-90% in certain tracks (such as Track 4 and 6 in BODYSTEP® 67). And this is similar to a regular RPM class. So who said BodyStep is easy???

Oh, I should probably mention that I normally increase the step board to level 3 throughout the BodyStep class.

What I Like...

So that you know, I am not just a "makan kaki" (foodie) but also a "gym kaki". Which works fine for my as a way of balancing my waistline (although it does not always work in the way that I wanted it to). My favourite gym programs are mainly LesMills classes or otherwise known as GX classes. And top of my list includes BodyPump, RPM. BodyAttack and BodyStep. Used to be a regular of BodyCombat and PowerYoga classes but had since stopped going (not so much time to go to all these classes lar...). Not a fan of BodyJam and BodyBalance though. As for cardio machines, I like the stepper but dislike everything else. Oh well, if there is no stepper, I might be persuaded to use the threadmill (really boring to me) or the "butt-buster" wave machine.