Working Out

There are many school of thoughts on working out at the gym.

Most people do it to stay fit and healthy. And of course, there's also a large number who do it to lose weight.

I think I fall somewhere in between. I go to the gym so that I can stay fit and healthy and at the same time, attempt to lose a significant amount of weight.

I'm not that fat actually but I guess my figure could be categorised as large - XXL. Big and tough, that's how I prefer to see it. Although my family and friends beg to differ.

I joined the gym - Twin Towers Fitness Centre to be exact, in December last year. Meaning its been almost 8 months now.

So, the million dollar question is - have I actually lost weight?

Not really.

But that's not the point. The point is, I feel good. I may have yet to lose the desired amount of weight, but I did gain a considerable amount of muscle. Biceps, triceps, latissimus dorsi, deltoids and trapezius (on the shoulders). Which is really cool when I stand in front of the mirror after the refreshing shower in the locker room.

The only thing which is preventing me to look like Rambo is of course my tummy. I really need to work on my abs in order to get that much desired six-pack. Yeah, yeah, dream on dream away, with all the carbo I'm consuming on a daily basis.

Anyway, toning my body is only one part of my workout regime. The other one is cardio. I usually start with cardio first - either on the treadmill, elliptical trainer, bicycle or lateral thigh trainer (commonly known as the stepper). I normally spend 45 minutes to an hour just on cardio workouts. And then only I move on to the weights for toning.

I think I have progressed well in the cardio department. I can run further now and faster too. I can easily clock 5 km in 30 minutes with a speed of 9.0 and burn close to 500 calories on the treadmill. Even better on the elliptical, where I can burn 700 to 800 calories, moving at Level 13. Not bad for a big guy eh?

I usually feel rewarded when I jog at the KLCC Park, alone or with friends. The KLCC Park has a dedicated synthetic jogging track, 1200 metres for one lap. Nowadays, I can run 5 laps (6km) non-stop and leave others who are half my size panting for air. How about that? Not to brag but just to share with you how rewarding it is to actually make an effort to be fit.

So which do you prefer - being slim but not fit or being big but fit?

Go figure.