Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur Triathlon Contestants

Who's Up For The Challenge!







Men's Beginner/Intermediate Ages 18 - 49

1. Picart David
2. Mohd Arib Amarudin Md. Yusuf
3. Simkempyoup
4. Muhammad Aiman B. Rosli
5. Mazlan Mohamed
6. Ardana Sidr
7. Greg Ward
8. Muhammad Aizat B. Amdan
9. Owen Parker
10. Salehuddin Bin Omar
11. Ibraham David
12. Hamal Abdul Razak
13. Nicholas Brown
14. Joshua Anthony
15. Othman Mohd Yusop
16. Ali Asgari
17. Shahin Jenabi
18. Samsar moktar
19. Jerry Piotrowicz (Sr. walk-over)

Women's Beginner/Intermediate Ages 18 - 49

1. Martin Gwende'lle
2. Hazarina Bt. Meor Hassan
3. Norazlina Bt. Md Roza
4. Fathimath Thoufeega
5. Amanda Arokianathan
6. Cecilia Grace Pakiam
7. Sharon Sinha
8. Najidah Bt. Che Amat
9. Karen Elizabeth

Men's Advanced Ages 18 - 49:

1. Sheikh Bokhari

Women's Advanced Ages 18 - 49: Vacant

1. Sheri Tibbles

Men's Senior Beginner/Intermediate Ages 50+

1. Raymond Aryuloose
2. Ismail Bin Mat. Saleh

Women's Senior Beginner/Intermediate Ages 50+: Vacant

GGKL Inter Club Staff Triathlon: Not competing against members or guests

Men

1. Malcolm
2. Brett
3. Tom
4. Shah
5. Hafiz
6. Ridwan
7. Izwan
8. Steven

Women

1. Qhal
2. Dina
3. Amutha
4. Soya
5. Erin
6. Sadiah

Note: Please leave a comment if there is a misprint in the spelling of your name.

Training Tips & Tricks:

Rowing Calculator - Setting your pace is an important part of achieving your goals and doing your very best. To calculate the pace you need to row in order to cover a specific distance in a specific amount of time just left click (rowing calculator).

Single Leg Squats Training - Advanced: Change your center of gravity. Make balancing during a single-leg squat even harder by using your arms: Stand with your right foot slightly off the floor (don't move it behind you) and your right arm straight above you. Bend both knees to lower your body, then bend forward and reach for your left foot with your right hand. Return to the starting position, finish a set, and repeat on the other side.

To prepare for the advanced level exercise described above try performing a single leg chair squat first, then progress to the more difficult version. Just right click (single leg chair squat) for instructions on how to perform this exercise correctly.

Three Moves To Improve Performance On The Dips Challenge - Just right click the statement to the left to uncover the secret.

Malcolm, a Gold's Gym personal trainer, suggests saving your weakest event for last, thereby giving you the maximum amount of time to train and improve your performance. Take advantage of the fact that each contestant has over 3 weeks to complete the required exercises.

Brett, Gold's Gym Sr. Fitness Consultant, suggests swinging both arms from high to low while standing from the seated position during the single leg squat to gather momentum to propel your body forward and up.

Triathlon: Rowing, Single Leg Squat, Dips

Ground Floor, City Square Shopping Centre, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Tel:03 - 2164 8303/9303, Contact Person: Brett M. Crosby - Sr. Fitness Consultant brett@goldsgymkl.com, website: http://www.goldsgymkl.com/

Contest Begins: 15 April thru 4 May

2008

Win Great Prizes!

Now your sweat is worth the price of gold. We invite all members and guest to take part in our triathlon for the fun and exciting chance to compete and have fun. There is absolutely no entry costs for Gold's Gym members. Guest contestants are required to pay and entry fee of RM80 which enables them to full use of the facility during the dated period of the contest. Upon completion of the contest guest contestants may apply their entry fee towards joining Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur as a privileged member ( some restrictions apply).

To Enter:

Obtain a copy of the Wavier/Registration Form from the above address, completely fill-in all the necessary information and pay any applicable fees. On request a form may be faxed to individuals, however entries requiring a fee will not be valid until payment is received. No entries will be accepted after 14 April.

Events:

1. Rowing (best time over distance) - using Concept II Rower


2. Single Leg Squat/Stand & Sit (maximum repetitions in 1 minute) - using Cybex flat bench


3. Dips (maximum repetitions in 1 minute) - using Nautilus Assisted Dip/Chin-up

When: Contestants must complete all three events between 7 April, 2008 and 30 April, 2008 to qualify for prize rewards. There is no obligation to complete the events in any particular order or on any particular day. Each task must be performed in the matter prescribed by the rules and procedures of this contest and be witnessed by a Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur fitness trainer. Failure to adhere to the rules will disqualify a contestant.

Cost:
Existing members of Gold’s Gym at the start of the contest may enter the competition free of charge.

Non-members of Gold’s Gym at the start of the contest may enter the competition for a fee of RM80. This will entitle such persons to full use of the facility during the dated time period coinciding with the contest. After such time a non-member contestant who has successfully completed all three events may choose to become a member of Gold’s Gym and enjoy full privileges at the present rate of membership. However their entry fee into the contest will be credited toward their joining fees.

Categories: Junior Division Men/Women 18 yrs to 49 yrs, Open Senior Division Men/Women

Beginner/Intermediate (men/women) - This category is for persons who have a basic knowledge of fitness, and achieved a level of fitness that allows them to workout at a minimum of 70% of their maximum heart rate. Such persons should have no muscle skeletal, neurological or muscular dysfunctions that would put their health at severe risk while performing any of the outlined tasks of the contest.

Advanced (men/women) - This category is for persons who have worked out consistently for 1 year or more and achieved a level of fitness that allows them to workout at a minimum of 80% to 85% of their maximum heart rate. Such persons should have no muscle skeletal, neurological or muscular dysfunctions that would put their health at severe risk while performing any of the outlined tasks of the contest.

Note: Contestants in the “Open Senior Division Men/Women” will follow the contest rules pertaining to the beginner/intermediate level.

Prizes/Rewards:
Each contestant who successfully completes all three tasks will receive 2 free 30-minute personal training sessions worth RM90 & a certificate of completion.

The contestants with the best time or number of repetitions recorded in a particular event from each category will receive a silver commemorative Gold’s Gym replica weight-lifting plate key chain.

The contestants with the best over-all combined performance comprising all three events from the beginner/intermediate category will be awarded the grand prize of 3 one-hour personal training sessions and a Gold’s Gym Jacket (total worth of RM345). The contestants with the best over-all combined performance comprising all three events from the advance category will be awarded the grand prize of 5 one-hour personal training sessions, a Gold’s Gym jacket, and a Gold’s Gym backpack (total worth RM550).

Rules:
Rowing
Beginner/intermediate contestants shall row a total distance of 2500 meters at a set resistance of 5 striving for best time.
Advanced contestants shall row a total distance of 5000 meters at a set resistance of 10 striving for best time.

Single Leg Squat/stand & sit
Beginner/intermediate contestants are given one minute to complete as many repetitions as possible with a specific prescribed form (body weight only).
Advanced male contestants are given one minute while holding a 25 pound (11.36 Kg) plate with both hands to complete as many repetitions as possible with a specific prescribed form.
Advanced female contestants are given one minute while holding a 10 pound (4.55 Kg) plate with both hands to complete as many repetitions as possible with a specific prescribed form.

Dips
Beginner/intermediate contestants are given one minute to complete as many repetitions as possible at a counter resistance that is 50% of their body weight for men and 60% of their body weight for women with a specific prescribed form.
Advanced contestants are given one minute to complete as many repetitions as possible at a counter resistance that is 30% of their body weight for men and 40% of their body weight for women with a specific prescribed form.

Form:
Rowing - all contestants must have both feet strapped on to the foot rest and keep both hands on the rowing handles at all times during the official time trial. If a contestant has to dismount the rower for any reason he or she is disqualified.

Single leg stand & sit - all contestants may use either their right or left leg to stand from a seated position using that decided leg only. The leg not in use may not assist in the balancing of a contestant in such a way that any portion of that leg below the knee touches the bench, the floor or the supporting and working leg. Nor may a contestants hands touch any portion of the bench, the floor or any portion of the body below the waist. Advanced contestants are required to hold a 25lb plate with handle grips with both hands for this portion of the contest. Other than a contestant’s hands, no other portion of the body is allowed to make contact with the held plate.

Dips - all contestant must begin the exercise with both arms in full extension, then lower their body in such a way that the elbow joint decreases to at least a 90° angle. The witnessing trainer will provide a fist marker to indicate that a contestant has lowered their body to the required level. Then the contestant must extend both arms to return to the starting position of the exercise to be counted as one complete repetition.

In Case A Of A Tie:
Ties will be decided by having those contestants from their prospective category participate in a face-off. Each contestant will be given one minute to complete as many push-ups as possible with a prescribed form to declare the winner.
If a tie remains in effect after the completion of the face-off those participants will be declared co-winners and accept equal rewards.

Waiver:
All contestants are required to read, sign and date a release of liability form outlining the potential risks associated with vigorous forms of exercise at the time of registration. Any persons who do not comply shall be excluded from the competition.

Please review the section labeled “categories” that defines beginner/intermediate and advance to best decide what category is most appropriate for your level of fitness.


No Sour Grapes Syndrome:
No record of performance is official unless a fitness trainer representing Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur witnesses the act and verifies it with their signature.

Witnessing trainers reserve the right to validate or void any contestant’s official performance in accordance to the rules of the contest. The trainer’s judgment is final!
Absolutely no “do-overs” once the official recording of the exercise begins.

Frequently asked questions:

1. Q: When do I perform my event(s)? A: Contestants have the entire period from 15 April to 4 May, 2008 to perform all events.
2. Q: Is there a particular order the events should be performed? A: No, there is no particular order contestants must perform the events.
3. Q: Can I invite my friends and family to participate in the contest? A: All persons are invited to join the contest, however non-members of GGKL must submit a RM80 fee with their wavier/registration form.
   Q: How do I get a trainer to witness my event? A: Contestants can get a trainer to witness their event by scheduling an appointment through GGKL's front desk or by speaking directly to a fitness trainer. Although it is preferable to schedule an appointment for witnessing an event, any available trainer on duty may witness an event on-the-spot.
4. Q: Are any tips or suggestions for practicing for the events? A: Yes, right click on each individual task (rowing, single leg squat/stand & sit, dips) listed above under events to bring up an instructional video highlighted each exercise.
5. Q: Can I change categories/divisions after the contest begins? A: No, you must decide what category is appropriate for your fitness level at the time of registration.
6. How do I contact a contest representative? A: All inquires may be addressed to Brett M. Crosby - GGKL Sr. Fitness Consultant brett@goldsgymkl.com
7. Q: When are prizes awarded? A: Prizes are awarded after the completion of the contest. Individuals will be contacted to receive their prizes.
8. Q: How do I check my progress in the contest? A: All contestant's rankings and progress will be posted on this blog a long with any necessary updates.
9. Q: Do I need to be an athlete to participate? A: No, a variety of people with many different fitness levels will be entering the contest. The primary concerns are to be safe, have fun. the true competition is in performing your individual best.
10. Q: If I fatigue and can't do anymore repetitions before 1 minute is complete while performing the single leg squat and dips will I be disqualified? A: No, each contestant has up to 1 minute to perform as many repetitions of each task as possible. If a contestant fatigues before their time is up, the trainer will count the number repetitions completed before the contestant was exhausted.
11. Q: Can the personal trainer I'm working with witness my tasks? A: No, the witnessing trainer must be one who has not engaged in personal training services with you.
12. Q: What if a contestant is unable to complete all three tasks due to physical limitations, may they still enter the contest? A: Yes, all registered contestants may compete in all or parts of the contest. The main objectives are to have fun and be safe. No contestant will be excluded from participating due to limitations. Simply, choose the events that meet your level of fitness.

Good Luck!

Take Action

Well, 2008 is here and numerous persons will make promises to themselves to better their lives in some shape, form, or fashion. Undoubtedly, the majority of these promises will be vastly unkept. Approximately 80% of all New Year's resolutions are never realized. Among these unfulfilled goals is improving health & fitness. It is the same revolving promise that has taken a backseat to busy work schedules, and hectic family lives for weeks, months and years. Many a determined soul will head to their local gym this January with lofty goals for changing their bodies. But if good intent was enough to get everyone into great physical condition, than approximately 33% of the adult population and 15% of children over the age of six in the U.S. would not be labelled clinically obese. In addition, recent studies suggest that 2/3 of the population may be considered overweight. Not only can obesity lead to well documented chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; it is a condition often accompanied by emotional and social distress.

As they say, "only the strong survive" and long before 2008 ends, a large portion of the gym population will have dropped off. Bless their hearts for giving it the college try. Maybe it will be of some consolation to know the gym ownership will be thanking them for their monthly donations.

Now, those who manage to persist past the blooming of the Cherry Blossoms will not necessarily be better off. Time in the gym does not always equate to time well spent. The casual gym-user who quits an exercise at the threat of a bead of sweat starting to form is clearly deluding himself or herself into believing that they are actually taking an active role towards their health. Yeah, something is better than nothing, but not by much.

If you are serious about making a commitment to your health, than the first step you need to take is getting your mind right. Getting your mind right means prioritizing yourself. Stop using the excuse that you don't have time to exercise, because of your commitments to work and family. If your health starts to severely fail, you won't be able to direct much attention to either one of those important entities. Taking time to take care of yourself doesn't make you a bad husband/wife, parent, or employee; it makes you a better person emotionally, physically, and mentally. Life is full of important tasks to keep all of us busy around the clock, playing and laughing should be among them. Rest assure no one ever looks back at the end of their life and says, "I should have worked more."

So here is a plan of action for making good on both old and new promises:

Step 1 - Vision
Successful people know what they want out of life. They constantly seek and engage in activities that give passion, purpose, and meaning to their lives. People who are certain about what they want to accomplish are six times more likely to succeed in making positive significant life changes, than those who are not. Thus emphasizing the importance of clarifying one's goals. Conversely, those that are ambivalent and conflicted about their goals are more likely to:
1. Experience depression & anxiety;2. Be less happy & satisfied with their lives;3. Experience more physical illnesses, & doctor's visits;4. Be indecisive, uncertain & rebellious;5. Spend more time thinking about their goals; and6. Spend less time taking action toward their goals.To uncover the true motivation of a goal, you must answer the question "why?" Keep asking yourself "why" until you have identified a specific reason(s) to act. Then you can establish appropriate goals for modifying your behavior.

Step 2 - Strategy
Throughout the years I have witnessed countless gym members wandering aimlessly through the gym, clueless. They sporadically go from one piece of exercise equipment to the next with no rhyme or rhythm to what they are doing. Consequently, these are the same gym members that have been working out for years, but look the same as they did the first day they walked through the door.

Lofty visions without a compelling strategy to accomplish specific goals can lead to self-pity, hopelessness, and inconsistency. Successful people are flexible thinkers who engage in both higher level visionary thinking, as well as lower level strategic thinking. These people tend to accomplish more than those who think at either level alone. Properly setting your personal goals channels effort in the right direction, thereby boosting motivation while enhancing performance. After setting well refined challenging goals people tend to think longer, harder, and more creatively about how to accomplish them. Believe it or not, there are innovative methods to manage family, work, and other time restraining obstacles and allow time for exercise. Where there is a "will" there is a way.

Goals should be: specific, measurable, aggressive, relevant, time-bound, and approachable.Many published studies have documented that specific, challenging goals result in better performance than easy goals, no goals, or simply trying to do your best.
Measuring progress allows you to analysis whether the strategy you are employing is significantly moving you toward achieving a specific goal. This in turn encourages steady progress by minimizing the tendency to measure success in all-or-none terms. It is important to have short-term goals leading up to long-term goals, so that you stay motivated and persistent.

Be aggressive, setting aggressive goals tends to accomplish more than setting modest goals. Setting goals at the upper end of your ability will elicit much more effort, than setting goals that are easily achieved; making success that much sweeter.
Goals should be relevant in that they outline specific actions consistent with your vision or ideal. People strive toward goals with greater enthusiasm, consistency, and confidence, when doing so brings them personal satisfaction. This leads to enhanced performance, perseverance, creativity, and self-esteem.

Achieving a goal is also heightened by setting a specific time-frame in which the various parts of a plan are to be executed and completed, both long-term and short-term. Otherwise, achieving long term success may seem too arduous a task to tackle. This can produce feelings of "why bother, I'll never be able to do that."

Finally, goals should be approachable in that they focus on desired ends to move toward, rather than negative states to avoid. Being disciplined should not be about what you are losing, but what you are gaining.

Step - 3 Belief
You have to believe in yourself and the decisions you make for your life. Pulling from my martial arts experience, I'll share with you this ancient quote. "Destiny is decisions within the space of 7 breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break right through to the other side." However you define belief, it is one of the most powerful products for change and success. If you believe you will be successful, you will be more likely to:
1. Work harder, achieve more and perform better in many different areas such as academics, sports, career, relationships and keeping New Year's resolutions.
2. Be happy, while effectively tackling problems of depression, anxiety, burnout, alcoholism, smoking, and obesity.
3. Set more goals, and set them more effectively.
4. Persist vigorously in the face of adversity and obstacles, while viewing setbacks as a source of motivation.
5. Attribute failures to changeable causes (i.e. poor strategies) rather than unchangeable causes (i.e. not being smart enough).
6. React better to difficult circumstances, including poor grades, career setbacks, stressful life style, paralyzing accidents, and chronic illnesses.
7. Use more effective coping mechanisms, such as humor, regular exercise, and preventive care.

Step 4 - Persistence
Successful people view setbacks as a temporary state that lets them know there is yet a better course of action to be taken. As I have mentioned before, "if you get knocked down 9 times, than be ready to get up 10 times." It has been reported that people who successfully maintain their New Year's resolutions for a period of 2 years admitted on average 14 slips. But they used those lapsed moments to strengthen their commitment. Occasionally someone will be shocked to see me eating food that is clearly far away from the healthy base of the Food Pyramid. So I remind them that I am a trainer, not a saint. It is human to make mistakes and occasionally give into your vices, so don't beat yourself up over slipping from time to time. Good practice over a period of time will help make it easier to cope with moments of weakness, and incidental slips will occur less frequently.

Reward yourself for success. This can be a powerful tool for aiding in weight loss, smoking cessation, battling depression, boosting self-esteem, and adhering to medical regimes. This can be as simple as treating yourself to a smoothie for not missing any scheduled workouts during the week.

Create a supportive network of friends and family to aid you in your efforts to do well, and help you bounce back quickly when you have setbacks. Successful people readily solicit the support of friends, family, and same interest groups. Consequently, they achieve more, live longer, and derive greater personal satisfaction from life, than those who isolate themselves.
You should expect success, but when setbacks due occur have a coping strategy in place to deal with them. Simply talking to a sympathetic friend that is aware of your struggle can help you get over the hump.

Step 5 - Learning

You should self-monitor yourself, by recording aspects of your behavior and measure the progress towards your goal. It is crucial to know if the strategies you are implementing are causing significant change. If the answer is no, then course correction is needed. Thus, self-monitoring provides valuable feedback on whether a strategy is taking you toward your vision, and lets you know when corrections are needed when they are not.

If you are tired of unfulfilled promises piling up around you, know that it is generally not the result of being lazy, weak, having a lack of will-power, or a fear of success. Rather, it is the result of using flawed strategies to achieve success. Those who achieve more use the best processes for change. These individuals identify more techniques for change, and use those techniques longer, more frequently, more consistently, and more thoughtfully.

So let 2008 be the year that you stop making promises and make a plan instead!

The Best Certifying Organizations For Personal Training/Group Exercise, by Brett M. Crosby - Sr. Fitness Consultant

To be taken seriously and warrant the title of “Fitness Professional” one must possess knowledge of exercise theory and have the skill to apply that understanding to improve human movement and health. Thus personal trainers and group exercise instructors are essentially experts at teaching people how to move at what frequency, what speed, what intensity (heart rate), what direction, what range and to what extent.

I am frequently asked by aspiring personal trainers/exercise instructors what qualifying certifications are available and which of those I would recommend. The list of available certifications is numerous, but those worth having are few. This indifference is because all certifications are not accredited, which means the effectiveness of the program, study materials and methodology used have not been objectively tested and assessed for worthiness by a reputable independent third party such as the NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) as mandated by IRHSA (International Racquet, Health & Sportsclub Association) the leading authority on commercial fitness and health. It is important that the qualifications you pursue and obtain are respected and meaningful to both the fitness industry and to potential clients.

Keeping the prior sentence in mind, my top personal picks for the best certifying organizations:

· http://www.acefitness.org/ - ACE (American Council On Exercise)

· http://www.nasm.org/ - NASM (National Academy Of Sports Medicine)

· http://www.nsca-lift.org/ - NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)

· http://www.afaa.com/ - AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America)

· http://www.acsm.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page - ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)

· http://www.cooperinst.org/index.cfm - CI (The Cooper Institute)

· http://www.ndeita.com/ - NETA (National Exercise Trainers Association)

· http://www.nfpt.com/ - NFPT (National Federation of Professional Trainers)

Becoming certified through one of these organizations is a good start to beginning a successful career in fitness, but it is not the end all. Not obtaining substantial accredited certification certainly under-qualifies you to be a personal trainer/exercise instructor, but by the same token it doesn't over-qualify you either. Obtaining certification just means you have demonstrated to a certifying board that you possess the minimal competency to be a personal trainer/group exercise instructor based on the current standards and practices of the fitness & health industry. "Current" is the operative word here. Exercise prescription is based on scientific knowledge which is constantly evolving. To progress beyond average, you must routinely pursue knowledge and expand your experiences. Certification is just the first step in route to becoming a capable fitness professional able to positively impact the lives of the people you meet.

Remember: Pro doesn't mean someone is good at what they do; it just means they get paid to do it. What is a title worth without the goods to back it?

If you reside in Southeast Asia, and you are interested in becoming an ACE certified personal trainer and/or looking for opportunities to increase your fitness I.Q., Fit offers courses and activities to help you achieve your goals.

Lat Pulldown

Ask any trainer working in any fitness club around the world, and they will tell you that the lat pulldown exercise is the most abused exercise. To correct this gross trend, I will try to shed some light on the do's and don't of performing this movement.

Exercise: Lat Pulldown

Primary Muscle Mover: Latissimus Dorsi
Isolated Function
· Concentrically accelerates shoulder extension, adduction and internal rotation
· Bilaterally creates spinal rotation

Spotlight

· When the lat pulldown excise is performed correctly, it is a very safe and effective way to develop the strength and muscularity of the Latissumus Dorsi, the v-shaped muscles of the back. However, it is most advisable not to perform lat pulldowns behind the head – pulldowns should stay in front of the face. There is an inherent risk of shoulder injury as a result of performing behind the head lat pulldowns for prolonged periods

· Other potential risks occuring during the return phase of the exercise (eccentric movement) include muscle tear injuries or overstretching of the muscles, tendons and ligaments caused by excessive momentum and lack of control.

· Lastly, many practitioners of this exercise excessively internally rotate their shoulders (slap down on the bar) at the bottom phase (concentric movement) of the exercise. Once again this can cause possible shoulder injuries.

How To Perform This Exercise Correctly

1. Grab the bar overhead, placing your hands slightly beyond your shoulder’s width.

2. Then sit at the machine with the lap pads firmly keeping you in place. Pull the bar down being sure to keep your elbows pointing downward throughout the entire movement of the exercise.

3. Squeeze your shoulder blades, push your chest out and pause at the bottom portion of the execise.

4. Then with control, slowly return the bar to the upward position while making sure not to overextend the shoulders at the very top of the movement.

Trash Talk 101

We all like to toot our own horns from time to time, but none do it with more infatuation than sports fanatics and athletes. They routinely shoot off at the mouth, boasting about their athletic prowess or that of their favorite athlete or team. Brash barrages of words are used like battering rams to smash the egos and self worth of opposing fans and foes. It's the art of rude commentary, commonly known as "trash talk."

One of the greatest "stone cold poets" of all time was boxing legend Muhammad Ali. He made a career out of unleashing verbal assaults of humility and intimidation. Before the famous "Rumble In The Jungle" with then heavyweight champion George Foreman, one of his numerous quotes included "when I get to Africa we're gonna get it on, because we don't get a long; I'm gonna eat 'em up!" Even more scorching was the comment he made of Joe Frazier heading into "The Thriller In Manila", when he proclaimed that Frazier was too ugly to be champion. Some might have thought that was true, but it was just plain rude to say so. Incidentally, Ali won both of those fights, which leads me to my next point. If you talk the talk; you better walk the walk. Muhammad Ali did both; rare exception. The list of athletes whose mouths far exceed their abilities is a lot longer.

Trash talkers may not be Shakespeareans, but many are quick with the wit. I always though "Float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee" was a clever descriptor. Others have a skillful knack for poking fun of the most obscure and mundane details of their rivals, and turning them into a hilarious 15-minute monologue while barely stopping to take a breath. Some use their stage time to announce ominous preludes of pain and destruction, or to erect verbal monuments in their honor . The less witty attack you with references about your mother, father, sister, wife, etc. This type of approach is the lowest form of trash talking, because it's the most ill-reasoned and ignorant of all the tactics.

But barring grossly degrading comments about race, religion or sex, much of the off-colored humor surrounding sports is just slapstick ball busting. You might even call it good PR. Polite angelic football players don't make for good viewing or reading, and they damn sure don't sell tickets at the gate. Civilization has only progressed half as much as it thinks. We enjoy ESPN (The Entertainment Sports Network) highlights of arrogant loud-talking coaches, players and fans at each other's throat padding their overinflated egos. It's good entertainment. But more importantly it raises the anticipation of seeing gladiators collide, which is always good for the bottom-line (mo' $, mo' $$, mo' $$$).

Any time two or more people (mainly men) are on opposing sides words start to fly with the intent to defame and defile. Hell, even a seemingly harmless game of checkers can turn into an ugly discussion. What makes most of these jabbering matches all the more funny is that half the time these word-slingers have no real knowledge of the sport they're yapping about. But you have to admire the passionate conviction they put into trying to give their baseless thoughts a shred of credibility.

The reason for all this self-glorification is simple; it's the fear of failure and disappointment. The egos of fans and athletes live and die thousands of times with every fleeing second of a contest, and every opportunity realized or squandered. Whole countries have been known to go into mourning when one of their national favorites loses. But when the dice roll their way, trash talkers want everyone to know that they are bad to the bone. However, there is a fine line between pride and arrogance. Like spitting into the wind, cocky words come back at you when you find yourself on the end of a ass whopping after you swore otherwise. Then who's laughing ?
Now I am not much of a trash talker. I believe good performance speaks for itself and shows confidence without having to be coaxed. The old folks say "if you don't talk, people can only wonder about how smart or dumb you are, but when you speak everyone knows for sure."

Warning: for the vocally self-absorbed, be careful that your mouth doesn't write a check that your behind can't cash.

20 Trash Talk Phrases (that weren't too raunchy to print):

1. I box like heaven, that's why you look like hell.
2. There's gonna be two hits; me hitting you, and you hitting the ground.
3. When this is over, I have the name and number of a good doctor you can see tomorrow.
4. That's what you get for talking hard, but not being hard.
5. When I'm done there will be nothing left of you except a shadow.
6. I don't see anthing between me and you, except space and opportunity.
7. I'm going to eat you up, and spit out the pieces I don't like.
8. The surgeon is in; time to slice and dice.
9. The only way you will wear me out is to stitch your name on my pants.
10. Get your grandmother to play, maybe she'll be better competition.
11. After a hard fowl: Come through the middle and you pay the the price. No free rides.
12. After stopping a shot: Get that crap out of here.
13. Say good-night, the Sandman is here.
14. Stick to losing; you're good at it.
15. I'm giving out lollipops and butt whoppings, and right now I am all out of lollipops.
16. I could tell you that you played well, but than I would be lying.
17. Don't try to defend me, unless you want to get burned.
18. I'm going to spank you like your daddy.
19. Stop trying to catch me, before you have a heart attack.
20. I'm going to have to get medical attention for my fists, if I keep hitting you like this.

2007/10/12

Klang Valley Streets: Good as gold
By : Karina Foo

POWER ON: Weight machines at the gym.

Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur is a no-frills, no-nonsense kind of gym, offering the usual fitness programmes with regular monitoring from instructors. But it also advocates the use of non-weight equipment and therein lies its edge. KARINA FOO drops by.

EMANATING from a quiet corner of Plaza Ampang shopping centre is an energetic vibrance.

It’s the sound of music pulsating from the entrance of Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur (GGKL).

Even from the main road, you’ll see a giant signboard of the gym looming over the peeled and sun-damaged paint of the shopping centre.

If it’s not the sleepy hollow outlets visitors are going for, it’s probably the GGKL for some serious workout sessions.

Incidentally, the reception isn’t lined with posters of air-brushed model endorsements. Nor are there stupendous ornaments or banners advertising some club “offers”.

Instead, what the gym has is a semi-circle table, a few couches, three workout studios, two weight rooms, a very spacious second level dedicated to cardio on machines and two indoor rock climbing walls. It’s obviously a no-frills, no nonsense kind of gym.

How about that for an unpretentious health centre?

The music played is a mix of modern top 70s and R&B with beats that make you want to sweat. Thankfully, there’s no awful falsetto techno vocals!

GGKL boasts 1,160 square metres of facilities. The main exercise studio is for group exercise classes (including freestyle) and those under the Les Mills programme (including the popular Body Combat, Body Pump and Body Jam).

There’s also a Switching circuit and a martial arts studio (with various types of punching bags).

Even on a weekday afternoon during Ramadan, the weight training floor was a hive of activity.

Comprising mainly men who were pumping iron, one could feel the saturation of testosterone in the air.

“Actually, the mornings and evenings are filled with a fair share of both sexes,” explains GGKL CEO Tom Curtis.

The gym is part of Gold’s Gym back in 1965 which was originally Muscle Beach in Venice Beach, California.

When it was moved indoors, it was named Gold’s Gym and aptly known as “The Gym of the Stars”, training sportsmen and celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Kobe Bryant, The Rock, Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns, Michael Jordan, Jean Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster.

It has become the world’s largest co-ed fitness company with over 3,000,000 members worldwide.

Even with one Gold’s Gym outlet in Malaysia, it is continuing the legacy.

As Tom explains: “We ensure that members get good and reliable monitoring in terms of safety and education. They are evaluated and then assisted in a specific programme with constant guidance from our fitness instructors.

“There are a few personal training options, either with an instructor certified from the American Council on Exercise and National Academy of Sports Medicine or with trained local instructors,” he said.

Yes, but several gyms already do that so what’s new?

The answer comes in the form of a really tall athletic guy who walks into the room and introduces himself as Brett Crosby from Washington D.C., United States.

A certified amateur boxing champion, he is now the gym’s senior fitness consultant. He resembles martial arts champion and Taebo founder Billy Blanks.

“I’m here to show Malaysians how simple fitness really is with functional training,” he said, whipping out some tools that look like something children play with in elementary school.

“This equipment is part of our functional training system. They include speed ladders, bands, fitness ball, TRX (suspension training straps) and half fitness ball. Basically, these are all you need.”

Crosby starts to do lateral runs over the grids of a four-metre-long speed ladder that is laid across the floor. He then proceeded to elevated push-ups with the band which is attached to the multi-purpose pull-up machine.

“I’m trying to show that you don’t have to spend all your weight-training time with weights. You can use these to condition your muscles in ways you never even thought of,” he said.

Yes, one can do so many things with the ladder — train one’s coordination, speed and stamina by running in different directions, skipping and jumping.

One’s reflexes will also improve with these exercises.

“These tools are lightweight and foldable so you can carry them in your gym bag,” he added.

Apparently, this training method is used by American Navy Seals and in hard-core sports like American football.

“Hopefully, people will realise that there are other options to getting fit,” he added.

How does GGKL cope with the immense competition?

Curtis believes that as long as the gym stays true to its mission statement, it will survive.

“New gyms are becoming like 24-hour kiosks and are taking the opportunity to open up in the most convenient and accessible places.

“But we’ve been here even before all that started. We retain members and don’t believe in a high turnover. I believe that’s what keeps us going.”