Accomplishment

In some of my previous blogs, I’ve briefly mentioned how mindblowingly awesome my gym can be, but it deserves to be given a bit more attention, which I’ve decided to do here. The gym Ariz and I go to in Victoria Park is called Aqualife. It’s mainly a swimming hall, but it comes with a tiny gym on the ground floor, in which I do my workouts. There are several things that make it an excellent gym, but my absolute favourite aspect of this place is the quality of its staff. They’re a small crew, perhaps ten or fifteen, and when you go on set days like we do, these people actually take the time to make conversation with you. There’s Mish and Deb, the two old-school ex-bodybuilders with butts like Brazilian models (they’re both over 50). Then a younger crew, of whom we talk mostly to the wonderful man who’s lost his name tag and works Sundays (with a kick ass playlist) and Ebony. Just the fact that I know who these people are (and, more importantly, that they know who I am), makes this gym the best one I’ve ever attended. 

Now, I did say my favourite quality of Aqualife is the staff. Which is kind of a lie. I think the best aspect of our gym are the every-six-weeks appraisals. Free of charge. So every other month, you get weighed in, measured in every which direction, and given a completely personalised workout program. And I had my first one since July three days ago.

I must admit, I was quite nervous going in to the gym on Thursday. In all fairness, since my first appraisal, I’ve had a whole semester of university, which has included severe amounts of unhealthy eating, bronchitis, and trips to both Bali and Thailand. Even if I hadn’t lost a gram or a millimetre, I’d still be pleasantly surprised. Thing was though, I had. The weight, to me, is irrelevant, but even there I’d lost a kilo. My proudest moment, however, was when Ebony did my measurements. In the nearly six months since my last appraisal, I have lost one centimetre both around my biceps and waist, one percent body fat and five centimetres around my hips. My blood pressure has increased to perfection, and my resting pulse is even lower than before. I couldn’t believe that I have actually become a healthier person, just like I wanted. 

On Friday, Ariz and I returned to the gym, and I went through my brand new workout program for the first time. It was heavy, but indescribably satisfying; I have reached a goal I’ve been straining towards for years: I am strong, healthy, and physically well-balanced, and the pride I feel is more immense than I possibly could have imagined. Things can only get better from here.