Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Gymming over the years

After fretting over a topic for the last few days - I am going to write about my "Gymming" experiences over the years. My earliest fascination with the gym began way long back in 1990. I clearly recall, my brother and I eagerly enrolled into a gym at Mafatlal's - club at Chowpatty, Bombay (yes it was Bombay then - still is to me).


The gym was nothing fancy. It had basic equipments. In those early days when we went swimming - I would always take peek into the gym. I would be in awe of all those people who had bulging biceps. The initial fascination was purely with biceps. If you ever want to test if this fascination still exists, just ask anyone, "Show me your muscles?". What do you get. The guy would simply roll up his sleeves and flex his biceps. There you go, I've proved it that the fascination with bulging biceps still exists.


So back to our initial days at the gym. First day. My brother and I eagerly go to this "Sir". He guides us with the initial stretches. My eyes were fixated on the dumbbells lying around in one corner of the gym. However we were beginners and were prohibited from going anywhere near the dumbbells or the machines. So we had to make do with the desi pushups ("dun" as they refer to it in real "dehati" style). Finally before we left - some fancy sticks were handed to us that we were supposed to use for stretching. I did my turn. My brother did it next. He was so exhausted that he puked before we left the gym. I think that was the last time that, that gym "Sir" ever saw my brother. I probably attended that gym for a couple of months before i decided it was not my cup of tea.

My next tryst with the gym was at the Vispy Kapadia' gym. Must have done that for quite a while. Something interesting to note - there was huge hall next to the gym where they trained students for Karate. So every now and again one would peep in to see whats happening there. After a few months of gymming i decide to test my strength - I saw a female Karate trainer - who was kicking the students in their stomach and nothing happened to them. I decided to get my stomach muscles tested. I stood in line. My turn. Deep breath taken. Stomach held in. She enquired light or medium. The male hormones in me said, "Medium". 1. 2. 3. Pooooooooffffff. I must have gone flying at least 2 metres and landed on the floor with a big thud. That day i learnt a big lesson - "Never - I repeat NEVER listen to the rush of the Male hormones".


Finally in 2000 I moved to Nasik - From the NIWEC club gym initially i moved over to the TAJ fitness center. I simply loved the facilities there. Even though the gym was small - barely enough equipment, the shower area, steam and the jacuzzi covered up for it all. If we would spend 1 hr at the gym - we would probably spend as much time at the Steam, Jacuzzi and the shower put together. The weekly games of Throw ball in the swimming pool was the cherry on the cake. The only hitch - I never developed the physique I always wanted and it was a bit too far off from home.


Next stop THE ZONE. This was a nice place. Closer to home. One could get out of bed and be there in 5 minutes. This was where i met a lot of interesting people. I met (name changed) Chitra. She was bloody good at running. She would be on the treadmill for almost an hour running at the speed of bout 10 or so. Wow. The weights she lifted gave me a complex (initially only - thank god for that). Then we had a Mr. Hector Troy (name changed again). The weights in the gym weren't enough. He would make people climb over the Leg press or on him at times while doing his favourite donkey calves. He would never fall short of variations - all he needed were some weights, a rope, a bench, a wooden raised platform - with all of these he would come up with some of the weirdest exercises. I was there for about 3 years and then began to learn and read more about body building / fitness.


Finally at 5 fitness is where I learnt about what makes the body. It was hard to give up the fascination with biceps. From 4-5 types of exercises, I have learnt to make do with only 2 for it. Even the eternal favourite Bench press had to make way for the decline dumbbell press. The women reading must be saying - what on earth is he talking about. There are something better left not understood.


Finally let me give you people some advice - based on my experience over the years -


1) Never target weight loss - Always talk about fat loss.
2) Only cardio or treadmill will never help you lose fat - it will only help in weight loss not fat loss. You will tend to lose muscle (thereby reducing body weight) first. The fat remains there.
3) Never workout without a pre work out meal.
4) If you don't follow a proper diet (maybe not the right word) (read as "proper food pattern") - no matter what you do at the gym - its all a waste (I learnt this very very late)
5) EAT 5 (yes you read correctly - 5) meals in a day.
6) A woman should not do weights as she will develop over sized muscles - is the biggest myth.
7) Concentrate on your rest and sleep - that will build muscles - the gym workout only breaks it down.
8) Fruit diets / Atkins diet / GM diets / Blood type based diets are all bull.


I'm targeting a six pack by end of 2010. Whats your target?

13 comments:

Annoymously said...

Hey. You seem to be living up to your nick by racing ahead to make up for lost time.

Still chuckling over your karate trainer story..

I know you won't believe me at this particular moment but am a bit of a fitness freak myself - though I've never wanted biceps :). I've always believed in aerobic sessions to keep myself in shape and to build stamina - esp during work days. I had this fantastic trainer at Talwalkar's. She made it so much fun. I'd even make it to the gym post work days 8 or 9ish sometimes if I'd missed early mornings.

Too much of moving around got me out of my last gym membership and unfortunately, have gone all soft now. Of late it has petered down to just walking. Yoga is next on my checklist, am probably the last person on the planet to get around to it.

Your checklist is factually correct... meanwhile I just succumbed to a Lindt dark orange. I tried sticking to one square a day. I really did try.

Anonymous said...

Hello !.
You re, I guess , perhaps curious to know how one can collect a huge starting capital .
There is no need to invest much at first. You may start to get income with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you thought of all the time
The firm incorporates an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

Its head office is in Panama with structures around the world.
Do you want to become an affluent person?
That`s your chance That`s what you really need!

I`m happy and lucky, I began to take up income with the help of this company,
and I invite you to do the same. It`s all about how to choose a proper partner utilizes your funds in a right way - that`s the AimTrust!.
I make 2G daily, and my first deposit was 1 grand only!
It`s easy to join , just click this link http://datisokuki.freehostyou.com/jycaqy.html
and lucky you`re! Let`s take our chance together to feel the smell of real money

Anonymous said...

Hello!
You may probably be very interested to know how one can manage to receive high yields on investments.
There is no need to invest much at first.
You may commense to get income with a sum that usually is spent
for daily food, that's 20-100 dollars.
I have been participating in one project for several years,
and I'll be glad to share my secrets at my blog.

Please visit my pages and send me private message to get the info.

P.S. I earn 1000-2000 per day now.

http://theinvestblog.com [url=http://theinvestblog.com]Online Investment Blog[/url]

Anonymous said...

Good day, sun shines!
There have were times of hardship when I felt unhappy missing knowledge about opportunities of getting high yields on investments. I was a dump and downright stupid person.
I have never imagined that there weren't any need in big initial investment.
Nowadays, I'm happy and lucky , I started take up real income.
It gets down to select a correct partner who utilizes your money in a right way - that is incorporate it in real business, parts and divides the profit with me.

You can ask, if there are such firms? I have to answer the truth, YES, there are. Please get to know about one of them:
http://theblogmoney.com

Anonymous said...

Good day, sun shines!
There have were times of troubles when I felt unhappy missing knowledge about opportunities of getting high yields on investments. I was a dump and downright stupid person.
I have never thought that there weren't any need in large initial investment.
Nowadays, I feel good, I begin take up real money.
It's all about how to choose a proper partner who utilizes your funds in a right way - that is incorporate it in real business, parts and divides the profit with me.

You can get interested, if there are such firms? I'm obliged to answer the truth, YES, there are. Please get to know about one of them:
http://theinvestblog.com [url=http://theinvestblog.com]Online Investment Blog[/url]

Anonymous said...

Glad to greet you, ladies and gentlemen!

For sure you didn’t here about me yet,
friends call me James F. Collins.
Generally I’m a venturesome gambler. for a long time I’m keen on online-casino and poker.
Not long time ago I started my own blog, where I describe my virtual adventures.
Probably, it will be interesting for you to find out about my progress.
Please visit my blog. http://allbestcasino.com I’ll be interested on your opinion..

Anonymous said...

radiocarbon dating dvd http://loveepicentre.com/ dating a royal kmg

Anonymous said...

free ebook on microeconomic theory http://audiobookscollection.co.uk/Are-You-Agit-A-Treatise-on-Everyday-Agitation/p223695/ ebook reader for nokia 5320 [url=http://audiobookscollection.co.uk/es/Wild-Orchids/p203026/]illegal sites for ebook downloads[/url] police state ebook

Anonymous said...

wine farm mapping software http://buyoem.co.uk/es/product-31554/Slices-1-0-MAC tax configuration software [url=http://buyoem.co.uk/fr/product-37386/DVD-Lab-Pro-2-5]world wide web publishing software[/url] accd driver software
[url=http://buyoem.co.uk/es/]Software Store[/url] best computer virus software
[url=http://buyoem.co.uk/it/product-37186/ZC-Dream-Photo-Editor-2008-2-7][img]http://buyoem.co.uk/image/8.gif[/img][/url]

Anonymous said...

dvd to psp copy software http://buysoftwareonline.co.uk/product-19022/Flux-Mac windows software [url=http://buysoftwareonline.co.uk/it/product-36430/Benthic-Software-PLEdit-6-0]blackberry software manager[/url] adobe software packages with student discount
[url=http://buysoftwareonline.co.uk/product-35358/3herosoft-DVD-to-iPhone-Converter-3-5-MacOSX]3herosoft DVD to iPhone Converter 3.5 MacOSX - Cheap Legal OEM Software, Software Sale, Download OEM[/url] dvd to mac software
[url=http://buysoftwareonline.co.uk/product-37090/BurnAware-Professional-Portable-3-3-Multilingual][img]http://buyoem.co.uk/image/4.gif[/img][/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/glucotrol-xl.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/4.jpg[/img][/url]
pharmacy weight loss cialis silagra cumwithuscom http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/activ8--energy-booster-.htm andrew ceresia albany pharmacy [url=http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/propranolol.htm]wal mart mail order pharmacy[/url]
cvs pharmacy program http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/kamagra.htm careers pharmacy [url=http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/uroxatral.htm]uroxatral[/url]
surgical pharmacy eighth avenue manhattan penn south http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/casodex.htm pharmacy foundations [url=http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/cipro.htm]future of pharmacy profession[/url]
pharmacy resumes http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/speman.htm bi lo pharmacy generic drug list [url=http://redbrickstore.co.uk/products/zyvox.htm]zyvox[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/sustiva.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/9.jpg[/img][/url]
pharmacy ce during november http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/famvir.htm information on the company cvs pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/starlix.htm]brookshires pharmacy lisa glorioso[/url]
email with misspelled subject and pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/catalogue/d.htm federal pharmacy law [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/fml-forte.htm]fml forte[/url]
pharmacy bernville rd http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/viagra-jelly.htm pharmacy serving the personnel of the un in geneva [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/precose.htm]codeine canada pharmacy online[/url]
american journal of health system pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/augmentin.htm find a good pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/cystone.htm]cystone[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/zovirax.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/5.jpg[/img][/url]
custom care pharmacy greensboro http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/categories/stop-smoking.htm purdue university pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/revia.htm]target pharmacy jobs[/url]
volel pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/azulfidine.htm national pharmacy organization [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/cialis-professional.htm]cialis professional[/url]
springkok pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/indinavir.htm where do i find merchandise on pharmacy techncian [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/erectalis.htm]evanston hospital pharmacy[/url]
buy valium offshore pharmacys http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/brand-amoxil.htm pharmacy technicians in ohio [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/rogaine-2-.htm]rogaine 2 [/url]