Thursday 23 August 2007

Masochism

I can barely walk this morning – noooo not for THAT reason. Honestly, minds out of the gutter you dirty buggers!! Ha I wish. No, nothing so fun, I went to a body sculpting class last night. It was the first time I’d been to the gym in about a month. I’m usually a fairly regular gym goer, but work has been so busy lately that I’ve been in the office until 9 or 10pm every day. Instead of working out I’ve been developing a very close personal bond with the office vending machine. It’s not pretty.

Last night I got the opportunity to leave a little earlier and decided it was high time to get off my lazy arse and get myself to New York Sports Club pronto. I left the office at 6.45pm for the 7pm class at the nearby gym and felt like I was sneaking out of work early. Sigh. I remember the days when I used to leave on the dot of 5.30pm. I miss those days. I’m not by any means a live to work person. My work idol is my previous boss, Kimberly, who when asked about her “5year plan” for her career told her manager that her goal was to work a 4day week. Ha ha. And now she does. She’s got her priorities straight that one. I’d love nothing more than to work 9-5pm everyday, take an hour off for lunch and never work a weekend, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen any time soon, since we’re understaffed and in the midst of a hiring freeze and my conscience won’t let me skip out without making sure everything is done. Sometimes I hate myself for being such a goody two shoes.

Anyway back to the exercise…I’d never been to this particular instructor’s class before, but I knew he must be good from the long line of people waiting to get in. When the preceding class ended there was a near stampede for the door with everyone jostling to get a spot. I squeezed myself in to an available space at the back of the studio and waited for the class to begin.

It was different from the usual body conditioning classes I’ve been to in that we didn’t exercise specific muscle groups in isolation, but rather multiple parts all at once - very efficient - so instead of just doing squats to tone our tushes, we’d squat and then come up and do a shoulder press with alternating leg extensions, or plié squats with bicep curls and heel raises to tone our inner thighs, bums, biceps and calf muscles. There were also no breaks in between, so each exercise flowed into the next. It was hard. The instructor had some sort of name for the type of exercise we did, but I was too busy making up names for him to remember what he called it.

It was exhausting and after 4 or 5 sets of doing combination moves I sneaked a look at the clock. Big mistake, I was dismayed to see it was only 7.20pm. A mere 20minutes of the class had gone by and I was already fit to drop with another 40minutes to go. The girl behind me walked out about half way through, but I stuck it out. Today I’m paying the price. However I ache in a virtuous way, so I think I’ll go back for more punishment next week. I swear my arse is perkier this morning. If I keep taking his class my bum will be so firm I’ll be able to bounce tennis balls off it, should that be my want ;-)


16 comments:

Bill, almost a dad said...

The gym is one of the worst inventions ever. I used to go 5 times a week, did yoga, could bench press twice my body weight and run three miles without breaking a sweat. That was until I had an injury and haven't been in seven months. Now I judge my fitness level based on the number of coins I can hold in the folds of my stomach and whether or not I need an inhaler to make it to the top of a flight of stairs.

Heather said...

the name of that particular exercise is 'killyouhurtyou'.

just so you know.

in other news, you've just made me feel completely guilty for eating these pringles. i'd throw them away, but my hotel mini bar charged me $15 for them, so i feel obligated to finish them.

thanks for putting me in that bind.

Amel said...

He he he he...I can imagine how you feel. Though your body's sore all over, yet you feel great, too. Endorphins pumpinnnnn'!!!

YEEEESSS!!! Let's be masochists!!!

And I did LOL when reading of your plan to bounce a ball on your arse he he he...

alcoment said...

God, you're brave. I once belonged to a gym. As I liked being able to say that I was a gym member, I didn't cancel my membership for months. It turned out to be the most expensive 5 swims of my life!

I agree with wishful that the class would have been called 'killyouhurtyou', there doesn't seem to be any other way to describe it.

Agnes Mildew said...

Why? Why oh why? Don't they sell books in NYC?

Much nicer to read a book, honestly!

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Ha ha!! I actually quite like going to the gym....yeah yeah I know I am mental. Amel's with me on this one at least ;-)

Bill - chasing after a toddler is bound to get you shipshape in no time. Thanks for stopping by.

Heather - anytime you need a good dose of guilt just stop by - I went to Catholic school I'm good at guilt :-) Btw those pringles...what were they...a dollar a chip??

Alcoment, nice to see you again. Btw how is the burlesque class going? Can you tassle 'em yet.

Agnes, always a pleasure.

I'm off to do more exercising now - salsa dancing!!! I haven't been to class in a month. Wish me luck ;-) F

Anonymous said...

Shit, you got me with the title of your post but then...?

Sorry...I'm sure you might have perused my blog? Yes, it's in there.

Good luck with the work outs and exercise. I'm such a lazy sod. And if you're into your title, then good luck with that too *wink*

HA!

PA

Agnes Mildew said...

I know why you're going to salsa...you are buying in to the widespread rumour that you can meet blokes there.

You will, of that I am sure. And they'll be all the ones off the internet dating sites. Almost every date I have had goes to Salsa classes...Try tap dancing instead!

Lisa Wines said...

I went into avoidance mode at your first mention of squats. I wish someone had given me the exercise gene. You go right ahead though. Be tight with a perky (first I wrote porky) ass, see if I care.

Anonymous said...

Know where you're coming from on the gym front, F. Speaking as a health nut I try to go 5 times a week and get p***ed off if I can't make it for whatever reason. I know it's REALLY sad. The gym can be addictive - but then at least you don't feel guilty for pigging out afterwards :)

Amel said...

WOOOOOHHOOOOO, Salsa, eh? NIIICCEEE!!! ;-D I bet you had lots of fun there! ;-D

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Salsa is great fun kids, I've been taking lessons for a couple of years now, but as for meeting blokes, well...check out my very first post "At least Michael Douglas has his own teeth" from February to see exactly what type of man I attract in salsa class. After reading that you'll be convinced that I really DO go for the dancing ;-)

Mr and Mrs Knutzen said...

The last time I worked out hard, I fell stepping off a bus. My quads hurt so bad and they were so stiff that they gave out...got a scar on my forehead to remind me of the gym...I think Sex is my only workout at this time...and dancing at the clubs!

jOolian said...

i can't wait for the bum-bouncing-tennis-balls !!! agh haaaa...
yoo rRr funnee ! ~julian

fishwithoutbicycle said...

206 - Sex is your only exercise? I should be so lucky ;-)

Joolian - thanks for stopping by, happy you enjoyed the post :-)

alcoment said...

F - haven't started the burlesque yet, I'm still at the dancing in the kitchen stage, but slowly improving! I may buy some tassels anyway, just for the sheer hell of it.