Tangled Up in Lycra

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge:
The best place?

(Photo: Ning.com)

So many places, locally or otherwise, that I consider the best place, and more than likely it’s somewhere cozy and relaxing. If it’s nice weather outside, more than likely it’s somewhere hiking.

But every single day, and increasingly as of late, the coolest place that crosses my mind, the one that perks me up and motivates me, is the Bikram yoga studio here in San Antonio.

For the ones who don’t know, this is the description from Wikipedia:

Bikram’s Yoga, also known as hot yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue including 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Classes last approximately 90 minutes.

I first learned about Bikram yoga about 9 years ago, right after my son was born. Prior to this, I’d been heavily into activities like mountain biking, soccer and boxing. However, I encountered many back issues post-partum, battered and sore and stitched up. Having a boy with a head the size of a satellite dish will do that to you.

Yoga sounded gentle enough to work through most physical issues and also intense enough to give you results. But to be honest, I’d never tried it. And to be even more honest, I was still pretty skeptical. Maybe it’s my personality or maybe it was the brainwashing of the military, but I craved grueling physical activities. Debilitating runs. Aggressive sports like boxing. Calisthenics that left me crippled. A glutton for punishment. Major psychological issues.

When I heard about Bikram, I decided to take on the challenge. I had to see for myself if the hype was overinflated, or if I would die a slow death in Lycra.

Yes, it kicked my ass. Unless you’re one of the few who drink enough water everyday, there’s never really a way to get ready for that first session. Accepting the fact that you will feel nauseous, dizzy, drunk or like you’re stuck in quick sand is good to know ahead of time. Fortunately, the instructors are phenomenally supportive and understanding. The classmates are encouraging — though everyone is really focused on not dying too.

And that is the cool part. Regardless of experience level, everyone is getting a collective ass kicking. It’s not a personal torture; it’s a gradual group triumph.

I think that’s what makes Bikram yoga such a fond place for me. The feeling of accomplishment at the end is too good for words. Sure, during the whole session I’ll curse life, long for a Sonic smoothie, contemplate how to kill the person who invited me. But seeing how far I can push myself is a complete thrill.

Definitely makes up for the fact that my sweat-drenched towel weighs more than me at the end of 90 minutes.

Admittedly, I’ve been an erratic follower over the last 9 years. I haven’t gone to a session in a few months and that may be why it’s on my mind so much. My body craves that adrenaline rush, that sadistic wallop. I need a fix.

Or maybe it’s craving that somatic return to constant hydration and cleansing of impurities. To pushing myself to the edge. Not all addictions are bad…

[Via http://crfranke.wordpress.com]

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DENNIS WOLF 05

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DENNIS WOLF 04

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Proof Gamers Pwn the Average Joe

So it’s not really proof and it’s kind of old news but let me sum it up for everybody.  So what would you think if I told you that Online gamers are actually in better shape than the rest of the population?  You might say something like, ” Eroc that sounds crazy!  That doesn’t fit the stereotype at all! “.  Well a survey done in 2008 has something quite different to say.  Basically the researchers of the study quizzed gamers that were playing EverQuest II (Nerver heard of it probably wouldn’t like it anyway…) about their health and got some interesting results.  The results showed that the online gamers on average were in better shape than the average American.  This could be because the average online is older (about 30 I think) and has more disposable income.  Whatever the reason however this is far from proof and this was just a small study only looking at one game.  More studies would have to be done before this considered common knowledge.  I’ll keep watching the interweb for more info.

For the whole story please check out this….. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19926746.400-online-gamers-are-fit–physically-if-not-mentally.html?feedId=health_rss20

[Via http://transmitterdown.wordpress.com]

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Exercise in HCMC

I’ve attended several gyms/saunas/spas in HCMC, in search of a decent exercise experience at a reasonable price. From the Park-Hyatt, which was possibly the most posh experience, to the Worker’s Center on Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, where the equipment was rusting and there was no air-con, I’ve hit the entire gamut and, I think, found something that works pretty well for me.

California Wow, a gym that in Thailand is cheap, runs about $150 a month here. The other hotel/high-rise gyms also run above a $100 US. Far too much for my current meager salary and often lacking in equipment or activities. So I go for other alternatives. Lan Anh is too noisy and, as mentioned, most of the smaller and older local gyms have outdated and dilapidated equipment. Thus, I go to Phòng Tập Fitness Phạm Văn Mách on Huyền Trân Công Chúa between NTMK and Nguyễn Du.

Located on the back side of the Worker’s complex it occupies a portion of the ground floor in a three story building with colonial aspirations. Itself a small fitness complex, various vendors offer sporting equipment, yoga training, coffee, and a gym. But in one of my weekend wanders I stopped in this gym to find it has air-con, is priced reasonably at VND300,00 a month (approximately USD$17), and only crowded during peak times. Unfortunately, I go during peak times, but you can’t have everything at that price.

After a month of working out I met the owner, Phạm Văn Mách, a man about half my height but so ripped that he could probably snap me like a twig. Only later did my buddy from Uzbekistan point out that half the pictures on the wall were of Mách. Mách has been a competitive body builder for eleven years winning all kinds of amateur awards and recently moving into professional competition. He is currently the top light-flyweight lifter in the WBPF-whatever that stands for-and is definitely an impressive specimen. I won’t link to his name but Google search him and you’ll get an idea. He’s a nice guy and he’s frequently at the gym.

Now, that said, I wouldn’t use his gym for aerobic workouts. (I stepped on a treadmill and it killed the electricity for five other machines. The bikes, for the most part, don’t have variable resistance, and the elliptical machines are designed for people with short legs.) He’s got a great selection of weight machines and free weights and for anaerobic workouts, I think probably the best show in HCMC. And he’s ordered new treadmills so that may change in the near future. For aerobic workouts, I find myself running in the park and swimming on the weekends.

Swimming pools are surprisingly abundant in HCMC. Unfortunately, the public pools all close at 18.00 hours, and often during lunchtime as well. So if you want to go for a swim after work you’ve got to pony up the bucks for a private pool. Too expensive for my taste. Instead I go for a jog most days that I actually get a workout. But even then, don’t try to do this on the street. Not only will you end up walking at a snail’s pace because of traffic, but if you actually do get to run you’ll twist your ankle in some unseen pothole or badly installed tile. And don’t do this during the day. It’s too hot to choose to run while the sun is in the sky.

I run in circles in the park after dark. It’s cooled off by then and the surface is reasonably flat. The central park area between Phạm ngũ Lão and Lê Lai has a 500 meter circuit. After a few times around you’ll figure out where the tree roots and cracks are and can avoid them easily. Yes, it means running in a circle, and yes, if you’re white, everyone will stare and comment as you go past. But if you need a workout, and if you’re in HCMC, this is the way to do it. Cheap, simple, and oh so repetitive. Otherwise, you’re paying thousands of dollars a year for a service you may or may not use.

[Via http://thesiegeperilous.wordpress.com]

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