I ran out of...

...BSN True Mass. Damn! How did that happen? I finished my workout today and went to my tiny kitchen to prepare a shake and when I opened my tub, it was almost empty. There was barely a scoop of powder left. Sh*t!

I'm very lucky that Fitnutritions still has a few tubs of True Mass left. For RM200, it is a good deal considering that other places like Egonutritions and GNC are selling it at more than RM270 a tub. That's a whole lot of difference, ladies and gentlemen.

My first tub of True Mass lasted me all of 2.5 months which i guess is okay. I took them sparingly, though. When I say sparingly, it means 3 scoops of powder after each workout. And I workout on average about 3 times a week.

I just hope I still have the funds to buy a tub of True Mass by the time Ramadhan arrives. I plan to take it during sahur.

Yup, a barbell is on its way

I shall be adding a barbell with 5kg plates to my arsenal of home-gym equipment very soon. The damage? RM160. But I reasoned that it's only slightly more than a month's worth of gym membership.

Admittedly, 5kg plates are on the light side especially for deadlifts. Even after supplementing it with the weights from my pair of dumbbells, it would still be too light for me to do deadlifts. Alas, money doesn't grow on trees. If it does, we'll have a serious case of inflation on our hands. But that's a different story.

Anyway, back to the barbells. I was thinking how am I gonna do squats without a spotter because I obviously can't lift 20kilos off the floor and put it on my back. I'm not strong enough for that yet. And if I am strong enough for that, it means that the weights are too light for me so it's pointless anyway.

Adeline mentioned about getting a squat stand or a squat rack. Sigh... more money is required. I've seen some DIY stands and racks on the internet. They look sturdy enough. But I can't saw off a piece of wood cleanly even if my life depends on it. And why would I wanna saw off stuff anyway? I'd ruin my manicured nails (yes, that's the girly girl in me talking).

So, anyone wanna make a squat stand for me? Or sell them their used stuff at a steep discount? Anyone? No?

Cili padi

Yeah, the advanced strength training course I went to was great. Left me with a good feeling and I felt that maybe, MAYBE one fine day I might just drop everything and become a trainer myself. But that's just a dream. It's a great dream, definitely do-able. But still it is just a dream.

Anyway, I was thinking... maybe I should get a strength coach since I'm obviously into this lifting stuff. Okay, perhaps not a strength coach but a personal trainer who knows what he's talking about when it comes to weights.

I've already accepted the fact I can't get any bigger. But I know I can get stronger. There are quite a few people who are actually impressed I could do pushups (yes, you may roll your eyes now). I wonder if their jaws would drop if they see me do some clean and press (no, I can't do this yet unfortunately).

So. Any trainers out there wanna take up the challenge of training me? Mwahahahhahaha....

The.. uhh... aftermath

I had my reservations prior to attending the advanced strength training course. Not about the quality of the course but more about the quality of me as an attendee. It is after all an advanced class. It didn't help matters when most of the participants are from the fitness industry, some are ACE certified while others are in the midst of taking the ACE personal training course.

My inferiority complex set in. I didn't want to disappoint DM by not being able to follow what is being taught. But little by little my self-doubt disappeared as I discovered that I actually understand what Jerrican was talking about. Plus I could do most of the workouts. Yeah, my body is aching all over now but I do feel satisfied knowing that I am actually pretty strong for someone so tiny.

About being tiny - after the attending the course, I've accepted the fact that I can't grow bigger. It's just not sustainable. So I'm now gonna concentrate on getting stronger and later on, possibly faster. And I still can't believe how lucky I am that I get to attend that course for free, courtesy of DailyMuscle. It is one of the biggest highlights for 2010 most definitely.

Thank you very very very very much DM! I really appreciate it!

Home Gym Addition: Barbell

Me thinks it's high time that I start working out using a barbell instead of using dumbbells and bodyweight only. Attending the Foundation Series at Pushmore has given me a bit of confidence in training with the barbell.

The cost is of course, a hindrance. Barbells don't come cheap. And plates are expensive too. But I was thinking of buying a barbell only and fix the weights from my adjustable dumbbells to the barbell. If I'm not mistaken the diameter for the dumbbell and barbell is the same.

Isn't it?

Squats!!!

This gal is strong!!

Squats, I think is the best total-body workout. It works your lower body, core, and upper body. Squats are versatile. You can do bodyweight squats, single-leg squats, dumbbell squats, barbell squats, kettlebell squats. You name it, there's a squat for every occasion.

Today's workout was pretty simple. I finished it in 30 minutes:

1a) TRX inverted row (12 reps x 3 sets)
1b) TRX Pushups (12 reps x 3 sets)
2) TRX Bicep Curls (12 reps x 3 sets)
3) Squats (10kg each arm - 10 reps x 3 sets)

Workouts 1 & 2 were pretty challenging, but I was still pretty relaxed and didn't even sweat much. And now I know why the workout was designed that way. Because the squats are pretty brutal. Didn't sweat eh? Take that! And that! Hah! You ain't so tough now, are ya?

Well, if Squats could talk, that's what it would say to me.



The video above describes the squats that I did during my workout.

The weighting game

Maybe I'm just paranoid. Or it's purely psychological. But I think my body doesn't allow me to breach a weight of above 47kg. Whenever I reach 48kg and my clothes feel tight (but in all the right places) I start falling sick. Fever, flu, sore throat. The whole motley crew.

At first I thought it's just me not taking care of myself better. But it does surprise me that I keep falling sick whenever I hit the 48kg mark. Is that my body's defence mechanism of sorts? Of not allowing me to gain weight?

Maybe I should just settle for 47kg. I'm 47kg now (in case you haven't guessed). But a good 47kg. I'm stronger. I look good. I have decent muscle tone although I'd kill to have a body like Jillian Michaels. I can do full pushups when some so called men could only manage half pushups.

So I shouldn't gripe, should I?

Of sweet nothings...

It was a day that would forever live in infamy. Like the Devil who promised sweet nothings in exchange for your soul. One peaceful morning I walked into the office pantry and what do I see? A drinks machine. You know, the kind that spews out coffee, tea, milo and what not all at a press of a button.

Egad! There it is, the beginning of the end. There will be many office mates who will be high on sugar, fat and cholestrol after this. Higher than normal. Previously, there was a bit of labour required when you wanna make drinks at the office.

Open the cupboard, take out the jar of tea/coffee. Then take out the jar of sugar. And perhaps then look for the creamer. Add boiling water. Stir. Drink is prepared. Now, it's just press and spew. Press and spew.

With shame that I confess that I too fell for the Devil's charm. But now that I've realized how badly that I've treated myself, I returned to the ever faithful green tea that sat quietly in the drawer, waiting for me to come to my senses.

And came to my senses I did. I am sorry Green Tea. I will never leave you again.

I won! I won!

Confession: I have not won a contest in ages. Heck, I can't remember the last time I won one. Maybe not ever. Sad, huh?

BUT! My luck has changed for the better and it is my utmost pleasure to announce that I have won a contest organized by DM. Woohoooo!! Feels good, no doubt about that. Read here to know what the contest was all about.

The prize? A 2-day Advanced Muscle & Strength Development course to be conducted by Mr. Jerrican Tan, CSCS. The man is one of the most prominent figures in the Malaysian fitness industry. So yeah, this is gonna be fab.

Looking forward to attend the course. I am so excited! And special thanks to DM for selecting me as the winner. I'm definitely not gonna waste such a fantastic opportunity.

How DailyMuscle.com has impacted my life

"There must be more to life than this," I often lamented. Good job, decent pay, and spare time for myself is more than some people could ask for. But somehow I still felt empty. I envy the teachers, the doctors, the volunteers. At least they're contributing to the betterment of society.

Me? I'm just someone who works in the corporate world where the sole objective is to make money. Social responsibility takes a backseat. I wanted to do something that would give me that fulfillment and satisfaction. But what? What could I possibly do?

One day, I was browsing the internet looking for some information about health and fitness. I was a gym junkie by this time. But my knowledge was pretty much limited and I wanted to know more. And then I stumbled across this little gem of a blog called DailyMuscle.com.

So what? You may wonder. There are so many fitness blogs out there. But what sets DailyMuscle apart is the personal story behind the blog. You can tell that the writer genuinely wants to help out people and guide them to a healthier lifestyle. The blog, and the person behind it ignited my interest in all things health and fitness.

Happily, my enthusiasm has rubbed off on some of my friends. They're leading a healthier lifestyle now. And they sometimes ask me for advice and guidance. I tell them what I know, and what I don't know I ask those more knowledgable. Somehow, my life feels more meaningful now. I've found my own way of helping people out. It may not be much, but it is a start. I may not have set on this 'path' if not for the exposure and encouragement I get from the writer and readers of DailyMuscle.

And that is how, ladies and gentlemen, DailyMuscle.com has impacted my life.

Stuff for Home Gym

Okay fine. I still haven't bought my bench yet. Not because I'm short on cash. I just can't bear to part with my cash is all. Due to my Scrooge-like tendencies I scoured the internet for cheap alternatives for a dip station. Through my web exploration, I discovered this gem of a clip. Gives quite a few ideas on how to make stuff on the cheap. Those with some decent DIY skills should be able to construct these stuff quite easily.

Me? My dip station is currently a pair of chairs. Which is sufficient. Enough said.




And I discovered that Fitness Concept sells 'powerbells' which are basically adjustable kettlebells. I was pretty excited about it. Until I saw the price. Have an extra RM500 to spare? The powerbell is yours for the taking. It carries a maximum weight of 20lbs, by the way.