I’ve been going to Sweat! since late June (21st to be precise) and people have been asking me about it. If you're interested you can check out their facebook page. The first introductory session for newbies is free so make a date and I could go down with you if you want!
I've waited till now to blog because I wanted to go through enough to gain something from it and see some results before sharing here. Anyway, the place is situated at Cantonment, relatively far from my work place and also far from home, but I keep going back because Sweat! has made working out fun for me and I enjoy the experience.
Working with the trainer and boss, Wai Yee, is great! She's professional, knowledgeable and passionate. The motivation she provides is also priceless. A large part of my improvement in fitness is due to her cheering me on when I thought I was done! The best part about going through the session is knowing that you’re going to get something intense but you can give it your all and you won’t get injured. She'll make sure that you'll be doing it right. For those who have injuries or unable to do the exercises, she can tweak it! So no worries about that.
I remember trying a kettlebell exercise at home and injured my back, causing it to be wonky for awhile. After a couple of sessions back at Sweat! doing the exercises properly, strengthening the smaller muscles around the area that hurt, stretching out the pain, now I’m as good as new.
There’s more than one type of session, the most common being circuit training. With minimal rest after each station, you’re pushed to keep your heart rate up. At the end of it all you feel like you've done a crazy cardio session but at the same time, your muscles are aching like you've lifted an elephant. Amazing. Exercising to the music and hearing the *beep beep beep* signalling the end of each set before counting down the rest time to the start of the next, it’s a cycle that keeps you on your toes and out of breath!
No two sessions are ever the same. That’s the cool part. I’m never bored. I’m always challenged. Every time I step through the door, I don’t know how hard I have to push or what we're going to do. But I know I've to give it my best to make the best of the one hour! There's a lot of co-ordination and balancing work for each station. It’s tough but also fun. It’s FUNctional training, not strength for strength’s sake, or for bulking up. It's what I want for myself and what I believe in. It's what makes me committed.
And that leads me to the next thing, which is learning something new. When faced with something different really refreshing to see what your body can do! I learn to do new variations of exercises, like the push-up, I learn the limits of my endurance, I learn how to move my body in different ways, I learn new stretching techniques, I learn how to have good form, I learn how to balance, I learn to “enjoy the pain”. That keeps me going back for more, the opportunity to train and to learn.
Learning with "classmates" boosts my motivation as well. When the exercises are announced, you can always expect to see someone who, like you, has his eyes wide in shock! I like the feeling of working out in a group – there’s a lot of motivation, people to follow, and the feeling that you’re all in it together. Seeing people who are able to handle it makes you able to handle it. And that’s how I manage to push myself. It’s one big family there, full of familiar faces and it’s nice knowing that you’re not alone.
After going to Sweat! I'm more knowledgeable about how my body works. My approach to fitness has changed. I challenge myself. I've never worked out so hard, even during army. I take it really seriously but it's also a lot of fun.
I feel fitter. Maybe I'll see some improvement in my scores when I take my IPPT next Saturday. I do feel like I'm ready to climb a mountain or something though!
I look fitter. For that, you'll just have to take my word for it!
