Melbourne’s weather is well known for its unpredictability. Today’s weather was extremely hot and dry. It reached to a temperature of about 38.8 deg celsius at close to 4pm. I took some washing out to dry and (I am talking about a large piece of cotton throw which is dripping wet!) it dried up in less than 2 hours. All my washing today has dried in one day too, even if they were indoors in my garage. I took some photos of my eucalytus tree in my backyard today. Here’s the photo..

The flowers bloom once in a year and only in summer. Isn’t the colour beautiful? It is kind of like a rich scarlet coral reddish sort of colour. However beauty like this doesn’t last forever so I made myself take this photo even though my feet was burning from the hot deck.  Next year this tree might not be around anymore as we are remodelling our garden into a japanese garden.. which makes me a lil sad. This tree has given me lots of leaves to dye my silk and wool fabrics this year. And it is sooo beautiful to look at in summer.

Talking about movies, I couldn’t resist the temptation to go out and watch Avatar 3D at the IMAX screen in melbourne last night. It is the third largest IMAX screen in the world (I think the largest is in Sydney). It was awesome! I thought the special effects were tremendously realistic and Pandora & the NAvi tribe just looks so colourful. A gorgeous movie to watch in 3D. I highly reccomend!8)

Lastly I managed to sneak out in the heat today at 5pm and I did a bodypump class at the fitness first in Chadstone. They had a temp instructor on and she really reminds me of Baby spice..and she had a strong english accent. I didn’t mind her being so straight faced most of the class , but what I really couldn’t stand was when she tried singing to the songs in the class. A few times, she really sang out of tune and that gave me goosebumps. And she also forgot to give us the right instructions quite a few times and that is when she actually smiled in class. So not a very enjoyable class but I do feel like I will be aching tomorrow. Tomorrow Im heading to the gym again..but not doing any classes , just jogging and some crosstraining.. I am really looking forward to catching up with my friend Christine on Christmas Eve.. we are going to go to Chadstone shopping centre after midnight to check out the 24 hr shopping! should be fun!

Happy holidays to all my blog readers!

This week I thought that I would enhance your understanding of exercises and what exactly it can do for you. I decided to explore the three main types of exercises; Cardio, weight training, and core. Although diet is somewhat more important than exercise, (Fitness experts believe it’s at about a 70:30 ratio), exercise does come in to play when one wants to improve their cardiovascular fitness, toning, muscle mass or just want to burn off that naughty chocolate bar.

Firstly, I will break down exactly what “fitness” really is, and what athletes pay attention to when maintaining their amazing bodies.

Remember: They key to fitness and amazing physique is variation! Sticking to one kind of exercise can often hinder your progress or create an injury

Cardiovascular fitness

For more information on what cardio is, refer to my previous blog.

If you want to lose weight, you should aim to do 4 or more days a week involving 30+ minute sessions.

Cardiovascular fitness carries a wide range of benefits which create both short and long term benefits, including:

- Strengthening respiratory muscles (lungs)

- Strengthening your heart, improving its efficiency and lowering resting heart rate

- Improves circulation

- Reduces blood pressure

- Improves mental health

- Stimulates muscle growth

- Burns fat if done for over 20 minutes

Cardio gym classes

Bodyattack HIGH IMPACT

This class is an aerobic workout designed to build up strength and stamina. The high energy, interval training class lasts for one hour and will leave you gasping for air!

Great for a cardiovascular workout, endurance strength, fat burning

How many calories does this class burn?

Anywhere from 600 – 900 calories, depending on your weight, age, sex and effort put in

Bodycombat HIGH IMPACT

This class is an energetic, fast paced class, which is inspired by martial arts.

Great for a cardiovascular workout, muscle strength, posture, fat burning

How many calories does this class burn?

500 – 600 calories

Spin/RPM class NO IMPACT

Often lasting between 45 minutes – an hour, Spin is an aerobic exercise on a stationary bike. You’re in complete control of the classes intensity as you can adjust the resistance on your bike at any time.

Spin is a great low impact exercise, which is recommended for those with injuries.

Benefits include cardiovascular fitness, leg, butt, thigh, hip toning

How many calories does this class burn?

400 – 800 calories

Body Step HIGH IMPACT

Body Step is a choreographed program which aims to improve fitness and wellbeing. The class is set to music and involves aerobics on a step.

Benefits include cardiovascular activity, toning for butt and thighs, fat burner

How many calories does this class burn?

400 – 700 calories

Boxing LOW IMPACT

This combat sport comes in many forms, such as kick boxing and thump boxing. All boxing classes offered at gyms combine intervals of boxing with plyometric and ab workouts.

Benefits include cardiovascular activity, increased co-ordination, fat burning, muscle tone (especially in your arms!)

How many calories does this class burn?

400 – 700 calories

What other exercises enable for me to get a cardiovascular workout?

- Stair Climbing, Biking, Jogging, Swimming, Jumping rope.

Muscle/Weight training

Weight training is enables for your body to develop strength

This training is used to develop and strength the size of your skeletal muscles. Weight training involves a variety of weights and equipment to target specific areas of your body.

Weight training carries many benefits, including

- muscle toning

- raises metabolic rate

- strengthens bones

- increases endurance

- makes you strong

NOTE: You must have at least 24 hours between weight training sessions, as your muscles need to recover. That burning sensation in your muscles are the fibers tearing, so training on torn muscles will make it worse rather than stronger!

Gym glasses offered for weight training includes:

Bodypump NON-IMPACT

This class is a weight-based fitness program, which is debated to be the quickest way to get in shape. The 55 minute long program involves a set of tracks, each targeting individual muscle groups.

The benefits include muscle toning and conditioning, increased metabolism, fat burning

What other exercises enable for me to get a muscular workout?

Weight reps, weight machines

Core strength

Core strength and stability is often overlooked by people. Although a perfectly toned stomach may seem like the ideal, these muscles are only superficial, and thus require inner core/back strength to prevent poor posture. All these exercises are injury friendly.

Yoga LOW IMPACT

This peaceful exercise involves physical poses and postures, uniting mind, body and spirit.

Increases flexibility, massages muscles, lubricates joints, tendons

Pilates LOW IMPACT

A class designed to develop control over muscles. The class focuses on core muscles which helps keep your body balanced, and aids with awareness of breath and spinal allingment.

Benefits include core strength, tones muscles, stability, strength, postural correction

The most important thing to remember about exercise is that you must stretch afterwards! Stretching prevents injury and improves flexibility.

If you have any further questions about which exercise is right for you, e-mail me at Nixish16@gmail.com

Next week: What are you really eating?

Ref:

Mills, L. (2009). Les Mills classes. Available: www.lesmills.com. Last accessed 22 Dec 2009.

Most of the triathletes from Fitness First Triathlon Team are in off-season mode.  But the fun does not stop when racing season does!  Our ever devious team committee concocted a kooky sportsfest consisting of futsal, dodgeball, and volleyball, and called it the “Battle Of the Natural Athletes.”

Red team won (ahem), followed by Blue, Green and Yellow Teams.  Maiqui dazzled us with his athletic prowess and took MVP honors…I on the other hand did a lot of spirited cheering, haha.

Thanks to RG Morales for the awesome photos!

I’m always on the look-out for ideas that I can replicate in my work promoting sport and leisure in Swansea through our Active Swansea brand.

I recently stumbled on this great guerilla campaign by Fitness First in the Netherlands. It’s simplicity is brilliant, exposing any hang-ups the waiting passenger may have over their weight. Ultimately making them re-evaluate their lifestyle and consider joining a Fitness First gym.

What do you think?

Fresh tomatoes
Are such good fruits.
They make me happy.
With lettuce crunchy,
I feel
Sad you squish them
Cooked.

Now I kinda miss my Greek personal trainer from QV Fitness First. I was a very bad student but how often do you get to discuss intellectual topics with a personal trainer?

I learned my foods elsewhere, but he was an insightful person in his observations of stuff as well.

I never quite understood why Singapore is “multicultural” after I went to Melbourne. I just suppose we scream a lot louder. And of course, it keeps things from exploding – there’s only 10 sq km of sea to walk the plank in.

A lovely guerrilla marketing idea by Amsterdam based agency, N=5

Yesterday I tried a new class at fitness first, it was called bodypump, and it includes weights. It was actually quite a good class. Gonna go again next week. Unless my muscles are still sore. Because I can really feel it in my arms and tighs today.

I went for a normal session, with some running on the treadmill and such on monday, it was quite good too.
I enjoy being at the gym, it’s somewhere everyone is different, but you only mind yourself.
and you get to be around people, which is a nice change from sitting alone in your room, or alone in a self study room at the library.
And it is such a good feeling leaving there, knowing that you’ve spent that hour well.
Wanted to go in today too, but my muscles are a bit sore, so I am going to go for a walk around the neighbourhood I think. But Maggie said she wanted to go to the kickboxing class with me tomorrow, so I’ll get to do that again.
It’s a shame he uses the same routine every single week, but it is effective and the instructor have started to correct me once in a while.
Other plans for today is as always uniwork. Need to work on my part for the grouppresentation.
I do love my group though, Pieter, Sally and Laura are funny and lovely.
We have always have a laugh when we meet up.
I guess exercising and uniwork is what my life is all about this week, and if I get my way it’s what it’ll be all about till mid-december.
wow this was a boring blog entry, but I don’t really have much else to tell..

p.s. oooh. You me at six are touring again next year, well wanna go!

By: Abbas Akbar

THREE people were treated in hospital after a chemical spillage at a local gym in Bournemouth.

Emergency rescue services were called to Fitness First in Queens Park this morning after a chemical spillage in a back room that exposed members and staff to Chlorine Gas and Sulphur Dioxide.

Emergency Services at Bournemouth Gym after the Chemical Spillage, Photograph taken by Abbas Akbar

Paramedics dealt with five people on the scene while three people were sent to hospital for precautionary checks. The paramedics told us that the people treated suffered minor symptoms such as headaches, hazy vision.

The centre has now been handed back to Fitness First as emergency rescue teams have completed their search and safely secured the building. Members of the gym were shocked to see their centre cordoned off however the fire service said it is up to Fitness First when they decide to open the centre.

Back at work for day 3 of 15.  Each day seems to be longer than the last one.  The only good thing about today is that Andrew has signed us up at Fitness First, so at least I can look forward to going to the gym. They have a promo right now where there is no joining fee, but in very small print there is still a $70 admin fee, what a joke! Gyms are the worst for trying to squeeze every last dollar from you.  Andrew is able to use his negotiation skills to get a cheaper bi-weekly fee for us at least.

Fitness First

After work I head to the gym to check it out the facilities.  The Fitness First on Market Street overlooks the Pyrmont Bridge and has an entire glass front.  Lots of classes and good equipment as well.  And since it’s the only chain of gyms in Sydney it’s an easy choice.  After hardly exercising for the last two months and living on chips and Tim Tam’s it’s time to get back into shape!

Tour Of Matabungkay Team Time Trial – Batangas, Oct 24 2009

There are some races which are fun, some which are painful, some which are tough and lonely, and then there is the Team Time Trial.  Which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE.  Maybe because I love time trialing per se. Or because I love when we all look so professional and slick in our matching cycling kits. And then there are my female teammates. Who Absolutely, Positively, ROCK. I just love being part of this relatively new all girls cycling team and am really proud of what we have done in so little time. We were the first women’s team to cross the line!

Special thanks to Doray for putting it all together the past few weeks, my work as captain was much easier on race day (all I had to do was keep shouting at them, and trust me after coaching for years this comes quite naturally to me by now).  Thanks to Rizzo Tangan, Bea Locsin, Tonichi Balaguer, and Mimi Lucas. Love you girls!

P.S. Fitness First Cycling Ladies Team is actually a combination of Fitness First, Polo Tri, and Sabak Tri ladies

P.P.S. Thanks Anthony Balaguer for letting me use your wonderful photos!!!

 ……………………………………………………………………………………………

ADIDAS King Of The Road- Taguig and Makati, Oct 25 2009

Today was a great 21k training race, one that I did not expect to have the day after riding hard with my teammates in the Tour of Matabungkay… I was just glad to make it to the race venue before 5am. I drove home late from the race in Batangas the night before to make sure my sponsor would be happy! Sleep I need! I saw Lea Caringal organizing all of her Adidas athletes and after her trusty photog Nesty took some snapshots we hurried to the start line.  Soon enough we were surrounded by uber bright yellow singlets and then it was quite easy to stay alert. When the gun went off something inside me woke up as well and even though I had agreed to just run with Joey and Paolo (oops sorry guys) I mindlessly dashed madly with the crowd… something that surprised even myself as I am always scolding my students not to do this exact thing! Hahaha….

Anyhow it turned out to be a good race, I was happily dancing to the music at the aid stations and thanked the cheerleaders for holding up encouraging placards for the runners.  I also kept cheering for all the students I ran into. The food and drink were plentiful, which is always important.  I was running in 5th place for most of the race and was actually content to stay there til I noticed at the last turnaround that the two girls in front of me were not doing so well. I decided then that I could still afford to pick up my pace a little bit and that was enough to get me into 3rd place. Cool!  After the awarding I looked into my goodie bag and found out that I got a Globe Tattoo– way cool! 

That afternoon after a well-deserved nap I coached the SuperTriKids for their Bike and Run session.  What a great weekend!

Thanks Patricia and Paolo for the pics!!!

Well it’s been about 10 days now and I have been slow to blog about this race. I was kind of wishy-washy in joining it because:

1. The organization was also slow to update us on the status of the race. I was already on the plane and brief thoughts of “what if I wasn’t properly registered cause my name isn’t even on the site?” popped into my head. 

2. My heart was not into it because of the recent devastation in the Philippines brought about by Typhoon Ondoy.

3. My training had really been only good enough for a sprint, not a half  ironman (my friend Paolo even pointed out to me when I told him this– “heck, more like a mini-sprint!” as he knew of my crazy schedule).

4. My fellow Ironfools Pia and Joey cancelled, for understandable reasons. Our kababayans needed help.

Oh well, you get the picture.  Naturally it is not recommended to go into a race with this mindset, and I highly discourage it, but there I was.  My only bright spot was that Patrice was going to be there, and I thought to myself well that’s more than enough reason to make the trip! 

It turned out to be the right decision.  It was a beautiful place, a wonderful hotel, and a well-organized race.  Being the budget airline kind of gal that I am, I flew in at the God-forsaken hour of 3am, and was lucky enough to be woken up by the hotel cleaning staff just before I missed the free buffet breakfast.  It was a yummy spread of Asian food that I loved, and I started to feel good about coming. I went down to register, saw Emma Bishop of  TBB among others and we had a nice chat.  Later in the afternoon, Monica and LC from our National Team also arrived, followed by Peter the next day.  So all in all we were four Filipinos. Although lean and mean, I knew we could still REPRESENT!

I can honestly say that I had fun during the swim, bike, and run portions… even though it was sometimes lonely–but that is long distance racing for you!  Being part of the last wave on the swim was not very ideal for me as I had to go through a lot of the men’s previous waves… but I didn’t really mind, I felt like I should be taking it easy anyway.  The bike course is beautiful, very nice roads but we had some confusion about the loops, which we gladly sorted out.  As for the run, I liked the idea that we were running on the main road of the CBD but there was nobody, no cars, etc.  Putrajaya is a new city the Malaysians created to relocate all their government buildings, and since it was a weekend, they obviously had no work.  Very Cool. 

 I thought my time was really slow (okay, it was really slow) but then everyone seemed to be a bit slower that normal too because for some reason it was not a very fast course.  But it didn’t matter, I am always happy to race.  Happier still was the fact that somehow, I finished first in my category (I suspect it was because of my expert nutrition from Hammer, as I really do not know where else to credit it to). My effort earned me another Clearwater 70.3 World Championships slot, and so I took it, just in case.

My equestrian friends from Malaysia, Nazroff and Qabil, dropped by to see me as they were in the area for a show jumping event.  Was glad to see old buddies!

So there it is…another race in Malaysia, another good memory.  I like our neighboring country’s triathlon events.  I am sure I will be back for a few more next year!

September 26, 2009 – The worst flood in more than 40 years hit the country after only a few hours of rain. One report in the internet even claims this was the worst flood that happened in the course of philippine typhoon history.

A lot of news has gone around and even bloggers around the country were ready to share their stories. Social networking sites had a fair share of its usefulness in keeping communications open even after one major telcomms provider (Globe Telecoms) failed its subscribers.

I was spared from the onslaught only because I chose to render overtime work for the company I work with. It was about 7am in the morning and the sun still hasn’t showed its peace in the dark skies. Working in a night shift operating company, most employees who live in the affected areas of Pasig, Marikina and Quezon City were betrayed by the comfort of their own offices. Little did everyone now that what seem to be another regular day would be a day that will forever change how they perceived the safety of their dwelling place.

I have worked in my company for more than 4  years now and I have not heard of any major floods affecting the areas. The areas were near a major river and known to also be pathways of dam releases but never were they so affected to put a dent into the psyche of the dwellers.

Though I was not caught in the flood, I felt more disturbed and worried on how my team and my friends were doing at the time. One of my senior staff members, sent me an mms message at around 10am saying, “Just in case you will be looking for me” the mms had a picture of him and his car already half flooded. I replied to him asking how he was doing and after just a few minutes he said his car was already under the flood.

By then, I knew I had to get in touch with the others. I was able to reach those using smart but not globe. It’s disappointing how something so important would fail at a time like this. Some had their houses already half-filled while others were already staying on the second floor of their houses.

Back in the office, the rest of the management team and myself started preparing backup contingency plans to continue our operations. We also started discussing emergency support plans for those that will be needing immediate assistance or rescue. I literally spent more than 30 hours awake and trying to account for my employees as the transition from risk to safety was taken cared of thru the help their relatives and local officials.

Had I gone home that day I would be trapped on the 6th floor of the condomium where I am renting. The flood was almost one-storey high and I would certainly suffer because I did not have enough provision for food and water. The flood in my area receeded only as soon as I was able to go home on sunday afternoon
The impact is so devastating only because this happened in a metro city – a center of business. Philippines normally experience floods and other attacks of nature in rural provinces, but never in a high business center. Human lives, pets and even cars were not spared from being taken by the flood. Passing thru the affected areas now give a display of lined up furniture and cars which are now left to just being trash.

What I appreciate most with the company I am with is that they were the first to reach out and help those that were affected. Our executives even flew in to visit each of the affected houses and let the employees feel the warmth of their support. Give and Match programs, free rations/provisions for food, clothing, matresses and cleaning materials were given out. Emergency 0% loans were granted to the affected employees and even the 13th month pay was given earlier to ease out the financial need to rebuild what has been lost by the flood. Our executives even decided to give out $500 each to the affected employees which I feel is going beyond the responsibility they have. Up to this point, our company is still continuously providing assistance to the affected employees by providing shelter and rations on a regular basis. A lot of other help (cleaning aide etc) are also being worked on at this point.


My personal gym trainer in fitness first, who lost all his belongings and had to start from zero, didn’t get even a dime of help from Fitness First. Such a shame for such a big company who charge high membership rates. One could only think that even something can be done by them.

[Update: today when I visited fitness first, the PTs were filling up forms and hopefully this time it was for them to get some sort of assistance from the company]

photos taken from:

http://tnl.trendmicro.com.ph/ondoy/

This was an “impromptu half ironman” race, if I may call it that.  We decided to join this two weeks before the event, and we were quite lucky to make it.  But sometimes the best moments are those which go unplanned.  It was quite a productive race (I guess that would mean: 1. Good Results 2. Great Company 3. Yummy food afterwards!!!), with the Ironfools all present and with Che, Nadine, Patrice and Peter joining our happy party too.

Special Thanks have to go to Daniel Sng and Irene Tan of Singapore for lending me a rear 650c wheel when mine decided to conk out.  You guys are lifesavers

Here is Pia’s blog about it: http://mydailyrace.com/myblog/?p=490

http://mydailyrace.com/myblog/?p=490

Yes you read the heading right! I am going to get into shape.
We ran into the other norwegian girls here in Wolves yesterday and together we went to fitness first, and all of us being very determined, we joined the gym, got a great discount and everything.
So now it is time to get fit, helped by fitness first.!
They have their own women’s room even!
and they have classes. I am definitely doing spinning! I love spinning, even if it’s well hard.
A bit nervous for the first few classes though, think i might be a bit out of shape but it’ll get better I hope..
Will try and go at least twice a week, preferably more.

Sorry for the lack of blogging, I very rarely stay online for long enough to update, so tonight I got to borrow the cable for a little while. You see me and Renate are sharing one. And since I can get on ocasionally and she rarely, she has it most of the time, and I just bear with the annoying disconnecting.

hopefully, fingers crossed, our sky internet will be up soon.

Wir haben einmal mehr unseren Bestand an Fitnessstudios aktualisiert. Jetzt findest Du noch mehr Fitnessstudios aus ganz Deutschland bei uns.  Solltest Du in einem der Städte wohnen, schaue doch einfach mal bei uns vorbei und finde das optimale Fitnessstudio für Dich. Nicht zögern, AUSPROBIEREN!

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Hast Du Dich für ein bestimmtes Fitnessstudio entschieden, kannst Du bei ausgewählten Fitnessstudios ein kostenloses Probetraining vereinbaren. Damit steht Deinen Fitness Erfolgen nichts mehr im Wege.

Viel Erfolg!

Gehe JETZT auf www.fitnessstudiofinder.de und finde das optimale Studio in Deiner Nähe!

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www.fitnessstudiofinder.de – finde das optimale Studio in Deiner Nähe!

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I have 2 gym offers at Fitness First for you.  The offer you choose will depend on how fit you want to get.

First Offer:
The first is a FREEBIE – a 7 Day Guess Pass to use by 31/10/09.  Once your pass is validated, it will need to be used within 7 consecutive days.
Fill out this online form here.

Second Offer:
The second offer is for a longer period of time – a 6 week, no commitment, membership.  Here’s what you’ll get with this membership:
♦ Unlimited class access
♦ Three 45 minute personal training sessions
♦ Freebie – a starter pack which includes a backpack, hat and drink bottle.
♦ Training manual

This offer also expires 31st October and you will have to start your membership by 30th November. I’m guessing they’ll want you to join up, but it does say “no commitment”, so it’s entirely up to you.  Apply online here.