Wednesday, August 8, 2012

My Journey So Far

I've been a regular at the gym since early 2008.  Mostly because I was bored at home and the fact that I can memorize the TV programmes alarmed the f**k  out of me.  I wasn't actually surprised I got so into it (the gym, not the TV).  But 'getting so into it' doesn't mean I'm getting it right.

I did a lot of stupid things, and wasted a lot of my time going nowhere.  I only started flirting with free weights late 2009 and that was only using dumbbells.  My flirtation with the barbell only began in June 2010.  2 years after I started exercising regularly.

If I could kick myself in the ass I would for taking such a long time to actually start doing things properly.  But better late than never they say.


I think I did pretty okay for someone who started so late.  Pic on the left was taken early 2009 after 1 year of hitting the gym regularly.  I weighed about 47kg - 48kg at that point.  Pic on the right was taken earlier this year (2012) and I weighed about 50kg - 51kg.

After 3 years I only made a gain of 3kg, give or take.  But those 3kg look pretty damn good if I say so myself.  And it does seem that 50kg is my new normal weight.

I have hit 50kg before but the weight didn't last long and I reverted to my then normal weight of 48kg.  I start feeling sluggish even when my weight only increased to 49kg.

The heaviest I have hit was 53kg.  Which I achieved this year.  But similar to before, I didn't feel good at 53kg.  Sure I looked bigger, and I have certainly put on muscle but I felt bloated.  I've trimmed down to 50kg and it feels like the ideal weight for me for now.

Let's just hope I never hit 47kg ever again.

6 comments:

works2357 said...

Aizan, awesome before/after pic -- kick-ass progress!

I'm trying to get into lifting but haven't had much luck finding gyms with a squat rack. The commercial gyms are a bit of a joke (Celebrity Fitness at 1U has been the worst). Any recommendations?

Oh and are you on Fitocracy, by any chance?

Aizan Suhaira said...

Thanks Su-Lyn, I really appreciate that. And welcome to my humble little blog :)

If I remember correctly, the new Jatomi gym at Tropicana City Mall has one. And I know True Fitness at Sunway Giza has one also.

But frankly I would prefer Jatomi as the gym is really kick ass. Go check them out first.

Love that you are into lifting. Please do share your experiences. I am not in Fitocracy though.

works2357 said...

Thanks for the suggestions!

And it was so refreshing to find a blog by a woman lifter here in Malaysia!

I've got hold of Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength and have a basic home gym set-up, so I'm starting out with squats and deadlifts. No squat rack though, so just Zercher squats for now. Going light until I perfect my form.

As for Fitocracy, from one nerd to another, I think you'll love it :) It's a really fun, supportive fitness community where you log workouts, get points and level up. Geek heaven. And woman lifters are no anomaly there. If the curiosity bites, look me up at spoonbebold (http://ftcy.me/wtJk6D).

Aizan Suhaira said...

Lol! Yeah, women lifters aren't really a common sighting here. But they are definitely out there, and most are so much stronger than me to be honest.

Good to know there is actually another geek out there. What is even rarer than a female lifter is a geek female lifter! We are an endangered kind. They should put us into the protected species list.

Will keep in mind on the Fitocracy bit. If memory serves me correctly there's another reader who recommended it to me as well. Will definitely add you in should I decide to join.

works2357 said...

Hey Aizan,

Quick update - took you up on the Jatomi suggestion, and you're right on the money. That place is amazing! 6 squat racks, and more Oly barbells than you can count!

The trainers are really accessible too, so I've been getting regular form checks on my squats and deadlifts. Seriously couldn't be happier :D

I settled on the one at the Weld since it's close to my office. If you ever want to get a taster workout here, let me know and I'll get you in on one of my guest passes.

Aizan Suhaira said...

That is fab news! I knew you'd love it. And yeah, who knows? I might consider taking up on your offer one of these days. Jatomi is definitely a breath of fresh air when it comes to commercial gyms.