To The Gym

I love the idea of going to the gym.

Please note - I love the idea. The act, not so much. Of course, I love the results too - both short-term (the rush of endorphins right after you've finished working out, the feeling of having released all pent-up & negative energy, the satisfaction you get from a good rigorous workout) & long-term (the weighing machine becoming friendlier, dropping a size or two, dropping inches, a toned body). But the entire process of dragging myself to gym after work, changing into gym clothes and starting the work out is something I don't look forward to. Of course, once I start I'm in it completely.

I'm thinking of exploring Power Yoga & Kick Boxing but they'll have to be alongside gymming. I've paid for a year, afterall.

My favorite part of gymming is weight-training. That's something I really enjoy because I love a toned look. I don't like cardio - for the simple reason that I DON'T LIKE RUNNING LIKE A DOG AND GETTING NOWHERE! That's what you do on the treadmill. You run like a dog, and even after half an hour you're at the same spot! It's so pointless. If I'm running like my life depended on it, I'd at least like to GET SOMEWHERE. Maybe to an ice-cream parlor or a cake shop or a place I can get piping hot chocolate. Du-uh!!

I like the cross-trainer more. Atleast there's no illusion that I'm going somewhere! Plus, I tend to burn more calories on the cross-trainer than on the treadmill, and that definitely is more encouraging. Out with the treadmill, I say!

And Gym Parties

My gym is having a party. But first we have to take this fitness-endurance test where they will check how long you can run at a stretch, how much weight you can lift (on different machines) - basically checking strength, stamina & endurance levels. Which is OK. The more difficult thing is getting out of the party.

Now, I go to a branded gym. One of the two major branded gyms in India I would say. Accordingly, the crowd that comes there comprises mainly of two kinds of people - the swish wannabe-Calcutta-Times-Page-3 set & the rich fat aunties from business families who come there to socialize with other rich fat aunties, do timepass & go back home and eat puris/pakoras deep fried in ghee - neither of whom I identify with.

So I have no friends at the gym, and therefore going to the party (that too on a Saturday night when I could be doing more fun stuff with friends) does not make sense to me. We can even get other friends to come. The entry fee is Rs 500 per person, and if you get friends along, they get 3 days of workout free at the gym. Like it really makes a difference to people! Would you want to go to a party organized by your friend's gym (!!) paying 500 bucs just so you can get 3 days of free workout? I think not.

Now, b/c of the revenue that is being generated from the entry fee, every trainer has a target in terms of the number of people they must convince to attend from amongst their clients. My trainer has been chewing my brains to pay up for the past 1 week. Till now I was being non-committal but today I decided I'd had enough & I told him I was not going to come b/c I did not want to! He seemed upset but he'll just have to deal with it. You can't force people to attend parties they don't want to attend!