No, this post has got nothing to do with politics and the upcoming general elections (yes, don't think we've forgotten about it, hehe), but more on my own personal physical transformation, since it's been a while since I last shared any real updates.
Anyway, at the beginning of March, I made the switch from Celebrity Fitness in One Utama to Fitness First Platinum at The Curve. I must say that it took a while for me to adjust to the environment, as I've been using the same facilities and seeing the same faces at CF for the whole of 2012. It's still more or less the same distance from the office though, and I'm keeping to my routine of working out during lunch hour.
And the great thing too is that if I'm too busy and can't make it to FF, I'll make it up by just hitting the gym at the condo. Although I would be confined to just dumbbells and a couple of machines.
So, what else has changed for me? Well, last year was about fat-loss mostly and some muscle-building. That was how I managed to trim down to 78kgs from 93kgs, my weight in mid-2011. I stuck to mostly the same workouts, but in all honesty, did not really push myself too hard.
Still, by early this year, I've shrunk to size M, and a 32 waist. It's quite incredible really when I look at my old clothes. Besar gila siot!
It also means that I've been revamping my wardrobe. Yup, transforming oneself costs money. In my case, I had to buy new pants, shirts, T-shirts, belts etc. The suits I bought in the UK that I used to wear on MHI can no longer be worn. In fact, I passed some of my still-good blazers to the wardrobe department for them to use. Hehe.
Back to my workouts, I have decided to complete the transformation by going heavier and pushing myself past my limits. If last year, I would stop after a few reps, now I basically push to failure while lifting heavier. And yes, I'm seeing good results.
My weak spot is still my abs, as I'm still just too lazy to go beyond the obligatory planks and crunches. Arghhh!
As far as supplements are concerned, I consume whey protein, but that too on a somewhat irregular basis, which is a bit of a waste, really.
What about running then? Well, it was always my routine to alternate my days between running and the gym, and I have in fact clocked solid mileage these first three months, but I'm afraid I will be cutting down on it starting this month.
For more muscle growth, I need to do less low-impact cardio exercises and stick to the high-intensity stuff. I would probably run twice a week with a lot of sprint work thrown in, but I have to give up my long-distance dreams.
Ironically, my biggest challenge now is my food intake. Not that I can't leave behind the typically oily Malaysian fare, but having discovered I'm actually lactose-intolerant sometime last year, I have had problems staying away from dairy. Susah ok?! What happens if I do? I get really bloated and massively gassy. It's not a pretty picture at all, I tell ya.
That apart, it's been a great journey of transformation and I hope to have that much-coveted cover model body by the end of next year. So, as the cliche goes, do watch this space! :)
