I woke up with an aching body, and my quads were still tender (as if a fork has been stuck there!). But I had to force myself up, and surprisingly, the pain reduced as soon I started moving around. Even so, I have to get a dose of Alaxan FR to make sure that I'll be able to manage the final day's training. As the day earlier, I spent the early morning replaying and replaying my track, adding in additional motivational cues. I had to devise a system so I won't forget mentioning all of my cues during my actual presentation.
The day started with a lecture, mainly focusing on the key element Connection. And then we promptly proceeded to our presentation, imbibing our own tracks with new things we learned from each lecture. This time, I got the choreography perfectly, with "great" control, timing and coaching. The rest of the group also showed marked improvement from their earlier performances. We got the chance to watch ourselves in recorded video and receive feedback as well. After which, we had additional drills to practice our timing and technique. It may seem simple to do the 2-2's, 1-3's and slow movements of BodyPump™ as compared to the choreography of the other programs, but the timing in the execution of these movements is essential and crucial. Similarly, correct execution of technique is necessary for effectivity of the exercise and most importantly safety. We then proceeded to the most exciting key element: Fitness Magic, and as introduction to this part, our instructors presented a powerful rendition of "Who Are You", which was a shoulders track. Obviously, they were good at this, and one couldn't help but feel in awe. Music, presence, connection, personality and attitude, and everything else creates this magic… which makes the workout simply FUN. And for our final presentation and final judgement, we had to make sure we incorporate a touch of this magic.
One couldn't describe the tense but warm ambience during our last presentation. Everyone was obviously exhausted and couldn't wait to get this done once and for all. The last presentation was obviously the best presentation for everyone. My final presentation was my best among the 4 assessment, and despite my fatiguing legs, I gave it my all, as everyone else. And unlike the earlier presentations, everyone was in all out support for each other – a sign that we were there not for our individual selves, but for the batch's success. We definitely wanted each one to pass the final test.
Each one of us were given individual feedback, and of course the final verdict – whether we pass (pass as trainee/shadow) or fail (resit). When it was my turn for feedback, I approached Rue who was all smiles at me… and she said… "Rev! You were great! You were very confident and natural!" and I was very relieved, and could not say anything but be thankful. She gave me some pointers on where I should improve on, basically in giving advanced cues and CRC's. It didn't dawn until a few moments after, but I gave a deep sigh of relief and satisfaction: "This is it, I can now rightly call myself a Les Mills instructor!" And I looked around, and the room was full of energy as almost all of us passed. We were in physical pain and exhaustion, but all these seemed to melt away upon realization of our batch's success.
Celebration!
We were lucky to have Judy and Rue join us for dinner and drinks. And it was definitely the culmination of a tough 3-day training (which in summary was approximately 7 masterclasses and 2 challenges squeezed almost impossibly into a 3 day period!). In the true sense of Filipino hospitality, we gave each of our lovely trainers with a memento from our country: a shirt bearing the stars and sun of our flag. And in return for the challenges we willingly accepted during the 3 days, we forced them to eat balut and sisig later that night. It was a rewarding Sunday night, and I came home thinking: it was great to have been part of this bonggang-bonggang batch… It's amazing what sort of images one can conjure upon hearing the name of our batch… Batch Body Pump 69!
Looking forward…
People ask… do I still have time for this, on top of my already many official and extra-curricular activities? Well, one always finds time for things they are passionate with. I go to the gym to work out anyway, almost daily… so why not make each visit to the gym memorable by being able to share your passions and influence other people? Plus, it's a sure and constant reminder that I have to remain fit and more.
After the training, the trainees still have to go through a mentorship program before we will be able to teach our own classes in the clubs. So, if you frequent Fitness First clubs, don't be surprised if you see us up on stage shadowing or team teaching with instructors. Pretty soon, we'll be leading our own BodyPump™ classes, working for international video certification or more! And I can't wait for those moments!
I've been a Fitness First member for more than 4 years already. And I remember first walking into the then newly opened Robinson's MetroEast club with dreams of shedding off excess weight (210 lbs! And it was causing me a lot of health problems). I constantly immersed myself among the treadmills and cable machines. I was very hesitant in joining the group exercises because I knew how challenged my body was when it comes to coordinated movements and quite frankly I was worried I could make a fool of myself. But soon after some time gathering enough guts, I joined the classes – I started with BodyPump™ first, and my body was a wreck after. Maybe, I loaded too much. Then I got interested with BodyCombat™ and I immediately fell in love with it, realizing how it could be a very good outlet for ones pent up aggressions. I tried BodyJam™, but that was an embarrassing realization that I did have two left feet. RPM™ was great, and I would leave these spinning classes as if I virtually came out from a swimming pool – I was dripping wet with sweat! BodyBalance™ was always a great finale to a stressful day with its stretches and relaxing music. BodyAttack™ was challenging but fun and energetic. Pretty soon, I was attending these group exercises like I was rabidly hungry for them, even heading to far clubs just to catch schedules. I started joining special extended events like BodyCombat™ and RPM™ Marathons and Challenges and met new friends along the way. I'm far from reaching my fitness goals and I admit, I've been like a yoyo with my weight, but I'm very grateful for these classes that I've managed to stay reasonably healthy.
But there comes a point when one have been doing these classes lovingly and for so long that you simply want to do more… I don't know if it's my innate desire to teach and share or uhhhm, vanity, but I really wanted to be a Les Mills group fitness instructor. Somehow, I thought it would be the culmination of the "fitness" aspect of my life. For those who are new to Body Pump, here's a quick introductory video about what it's all about:
BodyPump® is the original barbell class that strengthens the entire body. It's a 60-minute workout created and globally distributed by Les Mills International that challenges all the major muscle groups by using the best weight-room exercises like squats, presses, lifts and curls. It is set to great music and the choice of weight inspires participants to get the results fast. Here's the sizzler by program director, Glen Ostergaard talking about release 69:
Recently, there was an audition for new Body Pump instructors in Fitness First and though I wanted to wait for the BodyCombat auditions, I thought there's nothing to lose in trying this one out. Fortunately, I managed to pass the auditions (And boy was it tough! They chose the most difficult tracks! Actually, underneath my winning smile, I was cursing in pain!). We had to prepare for the module training in a few weeks by attending orientations and regular classes to practice our form and timing. Instructors and friends were all excited and supportive to all those who are joining the training. And in no time, it was April 17, the start of our 3 day ordeal!
First Day
I was so excited I couldn't get to sleep properly the night before our training. We were asked to arrive at Fitness First Megamall an hour before the schedule but I slept late, and had my alarm set at a wrong time. Fortunately, I was able to make it on time… and we started late anyway. The participants spent some time waiting in the lobby, chatting and sharing our excitement. Soon our trainers arrived… a tall pretty muscular Caucasian lady and an equally aggressive looking Asian woman (whom we thought was Filipina, but was actually Singaporean). We knew they were our trainers, because they exuded this unique authoritative but friendly and confident air that master fitness trainers have! Will they be kind to us? We will know soon…
As soon as everything's all set, we gathered at the Mind & Body Studio for our brief orientation and introductions. Our trainers were Judy King and She Rue, and there were 21 of us as eager participants. We were then given our program manuals and DVD/CD packs. After some necessary paperwork, we were then directed to the Main Studio for the BodyPump™ 69 Master Class. The release was pretty awesome, with a great selection of music (I particularly loved FOB's "I Don't Care" for the chest track, Pink's "So What" for the biceps track) and matching choreography. Doing it was manageable, but teaching it was another thing especially with the weights we were carrying.
We then had lectures introducing the 5 Key Elements in becoming an effective BodyPump™ instructor, focusing on the first 3, Choreography (100%!), Role Model Technique and Coaching Mastery. It was very interesting and engaging especially with the worksheets and group dynamic activities. We also had a run down on the basic techniques we have to remember for all the moves in the current release of BodyPump™. And then we were oriented regarding our presentation, where each one of us will be assigned with a specific track. I got the Squats track, which had an easy choreography but was challenging technique-wise. Good thing, we didn't have to present on the first day, so we will have the whole night to review the choreography and work on our scripts (initial, follow-up and motivational cues). And that's just what I did.
Second Day
I commuted to Megamall the next day, with my MP3 player set to a remix version of "Get This Party Started", the music of the squats/leg track, imagining the choreography and cues. The guy across me in the FX was beginning to look at me weirdly; perhaps I was unwarily shouting my cues already. I arrived at the club with everyone else in their own corners in the gym practicing their tracks. Everyone was obviously nervous.
We started the second day of training with a few lectures, continuing the key elements from the second day. And then judgment time! We now have to do our presentations. Our class was divided into two, with two trainees presenting the same track at the same time to their respective groups. Everyone did the warm-up track led by our trainers, and as soon as it was finished, the floor was mine (along with my fellow squatter, Bea, who was presenting for her own group). "Alright, how was your warm-up track? Everybody warmed up enough?" Haha, I was obviously using the DVD as reference. I then proceeded to my initial cues as I loaded my bars to around 20-25 kgs, (when challenged I will carry up to 30-35 kgs) and as soon as we signaled for the music, I was shouting "Chest out, elbows in… bring your butts down and out!" Aaaargh, it was tough talking and working out at the same time, plus you have to keep your smile up while doing it. The bottom halves were excruciating! The group was great as they were cheering you on as you coached them. As soon as the music ended, I wanted to fall down and nurse my legs, but I had to keep up leading the group to the stretches. I vacated my spot to give way to Edsel who will then be presenting his chest track. As I prepared for the chest track, I was breathing heavily and sweating profusely, but I had to go on, give support and stay attentive for my other group mates. It was like we did 1 and a half master classes per presentation because there were many of us trainees… so yes, we did squats, chests, back and triceps twice!
We had a quick break, after which we proceeded to a feedback session. This was the learning part of the presentation because we got to review a video playback of our presentation as we were provided valuable feedback by our trainers. My first presentation was "awesome!" (yippee!) but as expected, I had to improve my technique because as I got fatigued in my track, my posture and form diminished. I got my initial and follow-up cues right but had to focus on giving more valuable motivational cues. Whew! Thanks! The others had issues with choreography and cueing but generally everyone did great in our first assessment.
We thought we were about to split for lunch, when Judy and Rue told us to prepare for the BodyPump™ Challenge. This was it! The dreaded challenge our instructors were warning us about. We chose our partners who should be of almost the same size, and I ended up with Aldwin, the youngest (bunso) of our group. We were instructed to load up our bars to almost 50-75% of our normal class weight. And we had to undergo a grueling set of drills while carrying this load, including an unexpected 10 minute run as warm-up. Aldwin and I ended up carrying a maximum of 45-50 kgs! And we didn't go about the drills once, we had to do the whole set again, with even more load! By the end of the drills, the Mind & Body Studio was instantaneously converted into a steam room! We were literally fuming and exhausted! But at the end of it all, we were surprised at ourselves at how we could have accomplished such task. For some of us, it was the most physically draining task we ever did. But as our trainers said, this was our initiation as BodyPump™ instructors, and once we have accomplished this, our standard working load would seem a lot lighter! Somehow, it was true, because by our second assessment, not considering fatigue, our load did seem a lot lighter. And then, our deserved reward… Lunch! Time to deload our bars, reload our bellies. But still, we have to be alert, because we will have another round of presentations, our second assessment.
In the afternoon, we proceeded with another round of lectures, continuing from where we left in the morning. There were more dynamic activities which assured learning and at the same bonding of the trainees. And then after all these, we had to present again our tracks for our second assessment. My second presentation was not as good as the morning (actually, I liked my presentation earlier). Somehow, I missed my cues and I wasn't able to improve my form (perhaps due to fatigue… plus my legs were already screaming). And quite expectedly, that was what I received during feedback session. I felt proud for my team mates who did improve a lot from their first presentation, but everyone still had a lot of things to work on. Our trainers, since they "loved" us so much, decided that we stick to our assigned tracks for our presentation the next day. Deep inside, I was hoping that I get assigned another track, because although my mind was all prepared, my legs were desperately demanding for relief. But I thought, it was for everybody's benefit. The day was wrapped up and I met up with my family to treat them for dinner at Kenny Roger's… and boy, did I EAT!
I may be over reacting but I've been having dreams of running in a marathon and traversing obstacles nights before the 1st Philippine Men's Health Urbanathlon. I really couldn't hide my giddiness anymore, I had trouble sleeping the night before the awaited event. Perhaps, it's because the nervousness, the intimidation this physical challenge brings. But alas, I couldn't back out anymore, since I already pre-registered (I was able to get a discount, being a collector of Men's Health Magazine and as a member of Fitness First) and I practically announced that I would already participate in this in my previous blog (Another realization that you have to be careful what you say in your blogs!).
Preparation. I learned about the Urbanathlon a week after the last Body Combat Marathon, and since then I considered joining this. It helps when you have a major event to look forward to, as this keeps your motivation up in your workout. There was really no radical change in my usual workout (Body Combat and Body Balance classes) but additional treadmill time was added. At two weeks before the event, I've already been increasing the mileage from 5 kms to 7 kms. At 1 week, I was already working 10 kms non stop at 9.5 – 10 km/h. After each treadmill session would be approximately 20 mins of stair machine work (at effort level 5-7). This is all to simulate the approximate distance and the stair climbing challenge in the Urbanathlon. I failed to run on real concrete pavement due to lack of time, and I really wasn't able to prepare for the obstacles. I was confident that I would do well endurance-wise, but I was quite worried whether I can overcome the obstacles.
Night Before The Event. I prepared my MP3 player, loaded it up with my familiar Body Combat songs (yeah, Body Combat music. My body has already been conditioned to prime up when I listen to this music!). I prepared my bag with all my usual gym gear, since I plan to leave my things at Fitness First Fort. I slept in my running clothes (and guess what, I slept with my running shoes on!). Everything was already ready but as I said, I had trouble sleeping! To put me to sleep, I had to tune my TV to National Geographic. Luckily, it had something boring on.
The Day! November 18, 2007. Woke up on time (Race starts 7:30 AM). Washed. Picked up my bag and left on a taxi. I noticed that the tent was already brimming with people, all lining up for registration. I went to Fitness First to leave my bags at the locker but it wasn't open yet. Tsk! Now this is gonna be a problem, where am I supposed to leave my things!? I went to the registration area, learned that I no longer have to line up since I was already pre-registered. I inquired where I can leave my things, but they said they didn't have an area where people can leave their things unattended. Luckily, a kind organizer volunteered to have my things kept in her car (thanks, Marcie!). Whew! I went around the obstacle course and saw that carpenters were trying to reinforce some of them. The wall didn't look menacing at all. I was glad the wall was constructed with a beam in the middle (unlike in the New York videos which was all smooth on one face!). This way the beam could serve as a "step" to scale the wall. I looked for the hurdles and noticed that some participants were already practicing in them. Hmmm, I tried it once, and realized that this is doable. I looked for people I knew (I was alone, huhu, since my gym buddies backed out) and I saw familiar faces, from celebrities to friends. I noticed some of the fitness instructors from Fitness First MetroEast even joined.
The participants were gathered in the stage area where basic instructions, a brief warm-up and stretching session were given. After which, everybody was requested to gather behind the starting line. I think the organizers realized it would be difficult to force everybody (more than 700!) move back behind the starting line, so they started the race already. Everybody was running off. I was running in no time in my familiar pace, my MP3 player busting out my favorite tunes. As long as my music was playing, I didn't care if people were overtaking me, or I was overtaking them. My pace relied on my music. The roads in The Fort area was generally flat, with some areas with a maximum incline of 5 degrees. We had to work the course around The Fort twice since one round is only 5 km. Each round culminating in the obstacle course.
The Obstacles I. The 1st round of 5 km was relatively OK. I was already breathing hard but not yet tired. I promised myself that I will never stop running at any point of the race. I will never walk except at the obstacle areas. (Do you know why? The picture my professor took of me when I participated in the marathon in Luleå, Sweden haunted me. I was walking in pain! That picture did it for me. I never stopped running since then.) The first obstacles were the marine hurdles, which were OK. My technique was to jump simultaneously while lifting myself up, so I could prop my left foot on the beam. With the left foot, I could swing my right leg over and jump on to the ground. Next was the baby crawl, which I thought was poorly constructed. I think the net was too high so this let the people squat walk instead of baby crawl! But I guess this was a good thing. Otherwise, we would have been swimming in mud. Next was the parking lot. We had to climb over 4 Ford pickup trucks. After which were the balance beams. I actually lost balance at one point and fell. But I regained immediately. Then there were the 4 foot hurdles followed by a zigzagging drumroll area. There was no landmine area unfortunately. After the obstacle course, we headed to the race course again for the second round. The wall was reserved for the last lap.
The 2nd Lap. Another 5 kms, and somehow I was already feeling tired. The change of pace in the obstacle are rattled my running rhythm, but soon I regained it. This time, the distance between runners was more defined. I could notice some were already walking (I learned that some of them were quite disappointed that they still had to run another round!). But I knew I was doing OK for my standards, and I could still see the leaders far ahead. I was sure with my rhythm, but sometimes I would have to pick up my pace just to challenge myself. At this point, no one was overtaking me anymore. I was the one overtaking people. Not that I was running faster. It was because the runners in front of me were slowing down.
Sometime in the middle of the 2nd round, my MP3 player suddenly stopped. I looked at it frantically wondering what could be the problem. I knew I charged it full the night before. It wouldn't play. And since there was no music already, I could hear already my rhythmic heavy breathing (Yes, this is a reason why I play music when running. I don't like to hear my heavy breathing, because it reminds me that I'm tired!). I couldn't have my MP3 player to work so I had no choice. Last Song Syndrome. I had the last song playing in my mind, and it kept me until the obstacle course. Unfortunately, the water stations ran out of water! They gave out bottles of iced teas instead! This couldn't quench my thirst, but it gave the sugar boost I needed. I had to pick up used water bottles in the road and drink what's left there! Wala nang pakialam kung sino uminom nun, nauuhaw na ako eh! In the last turn of the road, I could see the leaders already in the obstacle course area. I realized the organizers removed the stair climbing challenge. Too bad, I was looking forward to it.
The Obstacles II. I knew I was tired because I was taking a longer time preparing for each hurdle, and I was already walking in between each obstacle area. I hated this change of pace. Soon I reached the wall. I noticed the guy in front of me refusing to climb the wall. I picked the middle part. I held on the rope, pulled myself up. Propped my feet against the wall. I climbed up the rope until I could place my feet on the beam. I slipped a little but managed to hold on. I pulled myself up and scaled the wall. In no time I was on the ground running towards the finishing line. I finished at a decent 1:02:49! I was breathing so hard, but deep inside I was glad. I surpassed my own expectations and was proud of completing the course without extreme difficulty.
Festival. I met with old grade school classmates (Hi Ferdie and Louie!) who were there to cheer on their girlfriends. It was a reunion of sorts. Funny how you meet people you lose contact with in such events. I toured all the booths which offered lots of freebies. I ate lunch and rested while we listened to Session Road during the festival. I was exhausted but happy. Luckily, the gym was only a block away where a warm relaxing shower was waiting.
Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of me in action. I took these pictures after I finished the race.
I am glad I joined the 1st Philippine Men's Health Urbanathlon, happier that I completed it better than I expected. I just hope the organizers make sure next time to include the missing segments (the stairclimb challenge and the landmines), and perhaps make the course longer instead of having to run it twice. Congratulations to the organizers of the event! We're sure to join the next one. Next in line among my list of physical challenges: the Concept2 2007 Holiday Rowing Challenge!
Perhaps the most awaited event by gym addicts such as me, "The Main Event II: The Grand Body Combat Marathon", organized by Fitness First was held last October 7, 2007 at the NBC Tent at the Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. The event was attended by team and individual representatives from each Fitness First club, donned in their combat attires and poised in their best forms. The teams faced off against each other in displays of synchronization, technique, energy, and team unity and it wouldn't be a surprise how huge the amount of effort, time and dedication that each team poured into this. Our team gave more than 100%, and coupled with the ordinary stresses of our daily work, most of us were down sick the following week.
Eliminations for Fitness First Metro East were held on August 30, 2007 and luckily I was able to make it to the final 12 finalists who will represent the club, considering that I didn't have enough preparation for the event (busy with critical work at school, I had to give up my gym sessions), so I was not exactly that fit. But I thought, I'm glad that I made it to the top 12, this gave me an incentive to keep up with my fitness goals, which I have been failing to achieve, and of course, to get to hang out with my fellow Body Combat addicts, and get first hand training from the instructors! We had more or less a month to prepare…
Training was intensive. And when I say intensive, I really mean INTENSIVE! Imagine 2-3 hours of non-stop Body Combat drills. We were only allowed to drink water every hourly break. We had to practice during the late hours, with the security guard of the club already asking us to leave the studio. We had to practice outside the club (In Ateneo actually), to train ourselves sans the comfortable air conditioning and accommodations of the gym. All part of the training. It's funny how you get used to working out long hours, that a standard 1-hour Body Combat class wouldn't cut it. You find yourself wanting for more pain and sweat!
Everyone poured in their skills and talents, and in one way or another every team member helped out in building our image. Of course, I helped out in creating the brand image for our team. Since our chosen colors were black and yellow, and our costumes were military-inspired, I had to create something to evoke aggressiveness. It should be recognizable, familiar yet unique in its own way. It should also match up with our chosen name, "Zodiac Avatars". It should look good as a tattoo (since we decided that we will all get henna, to my misfortune) and represent the mixed martial art nature of Body Combat. Drawing inspiration from Manny Pacquiao's own Nike logo, and of course the iconic Transformers logo, and of course, my familiarity with Chinese glyphs I came up with this final design:
The team is actually considering merchandising the logo for Fitness First Metro East members. Imagine that in black caps and muscle shirts. We already came out with pins and ID cards, but this was limited only within the team. And here's my Spiky Baby to go with it!
Richard and Liz came up with our tarpaulin design, inspired from a Heroes poster. Looks cool no? But we were laughing our heads off looking at how hilarious our poses and facial expressions were (Look for Judy Anne "nawawalang anak" look, the strict principal, "nakatawa kung galit", mischievous grins, "UP Oblation", Cynthia Luster, "Geisha", etc…). How I would love to add talking balloons…
October 7, 2007… Day of the event. Most of us were already sick (flu) which we think we got from our last late practice, but we still managed to get enough strength for the event. Lunch at PASTO, then headed to Fitness First Fort to warm-up and prepare. The atmosphere there was quite tense. We were already tense and excited, and everyone in the gym being in a competitive mood. It was daunting seeing the other teams in their costumes and make-up, getting ready for the event.. I know ultimately, and I hope, every participant was in this for the fun and joy of doing Body Combat. In no time, the tent was raging hot as the instructors led the group in two and a half-hours of workout (I think that was around 26 tracks, lost count!). The space was cramped, we have to adjust our blocking to the ever shrinking space (The team in front was pushing us back, and the team behind us were complaining already), and accidentally, you're bound to kick someone in front or behind you. It was exhilarating! Seeing the whole crowd punch and kick in unison to the upbeat music (Body Combat 33 is cool!).
Everyone was tired after the event, but miraculously, we still had energy to cheer ourselves on. We bagged the 3rd place in the Team Category and four of our open category participants were finalists! Congratulations to the other teams!
Now that the event is finished, and we (participants and instructors alike) are still recuperating (I actually suffered from a combination of flu, allergy and bronchitis), I can't help but think how much we gained from the event. Not only were we moved closer to our fitness goals, but most importantly, we found friends among each other. I miss the training already. Even if the team is no longer aspiring for an event, we are hoping that we still find time to train (and go out) together.
