July 4, 2009 • 10:38 pm 0
Brunch @ JinG, One Fullerton
• 11:07 am 0
PT Session 6: Lower Back and Abs
Was supposed to have my Session 6 on Tuesday, Session 7 on Thursday and Session 8 on Sat…but i only managed Session 6 on Thursday so far when my PT bailed me out on Tuesday when I already reached the gym, and took leave today.
Anyway, it was free-and-easy for me on Tuesday; spent 20 min on cardio, 2 sets each on lunges and dumbbells to work on my legs, 2 sets each on outer and inner thighs, 2 sets of 20 of weights to work ontriceps, biceps, 3 sets of 40 ab workouts , 1 set for back and 2 sets for chest. Uplifiting for spirit but could be challenging enough.
And i got my challenge on Thursday, following 15 min of cardio warm-up. Working on my lower back involved supernormal strength to pull and lift weights, especially towards the last set. M went very fast to build up my endurance, and in the last 15 minutes, I choked on my ab exercise. I had to do 3 sets of 10, with a dumbbell cupped over my legs (doing alternate) when I raised myself up. And mind you, one left and one right is considered ONE.
It was one helluva 60-ab workout.
Filed under: Fitness
June 29, 2009 • 10:10 pm 0
A walk down Haji Lane
Haji Lane is a quaint, richly-cultured space. Rustic charm fused with arab culture against the backdrop of modern influence. Trotted down the hustle and bustle of Ophir Road and all of a sudden, I was greeted by a sense of calm on a right turn into Haji Lane – so quiet that you can hear the leaves rustle on a Sunday afternoon.
Walking down Haji Lane -
And in Haji Lane itself, there are particularly two boutiques that are rated must-go by almost everybody who patronised/visited/explored the place – which they also happen to be my favourite haunts – Pluck and Soon Lee.
Besides these two shops, you might also love stores that carry reasonable-priced vintage dresses and quirky earrings like Rusty Buttons etc; a breath of fresh air from the glitzy or high-street fashion wear being mass produced and decked up in shopping malls.
If your taste buds are itching for something different, you may also want to dine at Turkish and Arabic cafes/restaurants with your choice of sitting in or going alfresco. Sheesha is one thing that you can explore, else just lay back and enjoy the rich food, companionship and night breeze. Lunch – try Bakery, a very casual and unpretentious cafe serving western food – followed by home-made ice-cream by Pluck!
Most of the shops are closed on Sunday, so visiting Haji Lane on Saturdays between 2pm – 6pm will be most ideal.
For more pictures on Haji Lane, visit my Facebook albums. More on Pluck and Soon Lee.
June 28, 2009 • 10:21 am 0
PT Session 4 & 5: Intensity to arms and thighs
PT sessions seem to be growing tougher – session 4 grilled my arms, and session 5, my thighs.
PT 4 – worked with dumbbells in addition to regular exercises, 3 set of 15 each per exercise
PT 5 – worked on my thighs – inner and outer – together with dumbbells too, and man, those 3 sets of 15 of lunges with dumbbells are tough.
Anyway, I also found out multiple, interesting ways to work on my abs. Halfway session 5, muscles near thigh got pulled and M had to come to my rescue. My friends said i’m sculpting towards a toner and smaller physique…which is very encouraging to me. The gradual change in my body is also prompting my diet to reduce carbohydrates; I am naturally finding myself consuming less of them.Well weight management aside, i enjoy PT sessions albeit gruelling is because I can sweat it out and push myself to the limits. Throw in regular weekend tennis, I am feeling more refreshed than ever these few weeks. Too bad the potato carelessly injured his shin and elbow and had to miss tennis yesterday.
Anyway, the weekend was rather simple but relaxing. I took time to pack some dresses aside for the impending flea market (will be packing my tops, bottoms, accessories and earrings soon after), trotted down haji lane with dear Jos (we vow to go back there and perhaps have some Pluck ice-cream with the rest of the girls) and bought some really cheap quirky dresses and earrings.
Thursday night @ Yu was good. I was introduced to an exercise consultant of a sports science lab, where they can basically calculate your fitness level, body type etc and advise your gymming or training sessions accordingly to maximize the burning of your fats. Ideally, acquiring the knowledge seeks you to restructure your training program so that you can burn 3 times as much fat as you usually do. 150 bucks per test, 3-4 months interval per test. I have requested Ee-lyn to block out a timeslot for me when I pick up my dress 3 weeks later. By the way, she has lost close to 5 kg the first month following her test 
Also, am very excited that the project baby is making progress – it’s bout time to shape it up to a viable piece of business plan. Thanks to Jos, we are seeing marked progress on the upstream side.
Admittedly, though i am not a super fan of MJ, I still feel tad affected about his departure. The first song that came to my mind was “heal the world”. I judge not him but his songs, and we have to give it him for trying to make the world, a better place. He will be remembered for this for life.
