Pumped up kicks with Shape Magazine...

It's quite embarrassing actually to admit this but my workout routine is pretty much limited to reading every single issues of Shape magazine (sad but true =P) So when I knew I was selected to be a part of Shape - Skechers Indoor Workshop earlier this month, I'm over the moon =) Of course I have no idea what's waiting for me at that time, LOL The event took place at True Fitness Gym @ Kenanga International Building, Jalan Sultan Ismail.

While waiting for everyone to arrive, me and the other early birds were asked to change into the cute t-shirt and shoes provided by Skechers and ushered into the gym's open studio. I can tell that this is not the typical workout session that I used to see... The equipments in the studio clearly indicates that we're about to get rough that day, hee~

The workshop kickstart with the opening speech from the Shape's editor herself, Ms Merina Hew. She talks a little about the magazine, motivated us to have a healthier lifestyle and congratulated us for taking the plunge to change... She's very tall by the  way, more than 6 feet I guess but very down to earth indeed =)

Soon after that, True Fitness's trainer, Ms Wyn Cy took the center stage and begin the body pump session. We started off with the warm up first for about 5 minutes before she guided us through various positions. We can choose the plates weight according to our strength and preference. I chose the 1kg plate on each sides because that's the lightest plates available and I don't feel the need to hurt myself unnecessarily =D

The one hour session consists of 3 different sets, from easier to harder steps, with the aid of other exercise equipments besides the barbells and free plates such as the board and yoga mat. The routine may look easy but can be very painful if it wasn't done correctly. Since I placed myself at the front row, I get better view of Wyn Cy movement and I'm happy that I managed to follow her lead right through the end.

Through the body pump session, major muscle groups are worked via series of compound and isolation based exercises such as squats, presses and dead lifts. The focus is towards the muscle endurance using several repetitions. I'm having a hard time doing some of the steps especially movement that involve triceps and biceps probably due to my weak arm, sigh~ The abdominal part is my favorite by the way, it's the easiest one and work like a charm, wink2

One of the great thing that day, none of us quit or attempt to do so which is huge to me... Wyn Cy successfully get us on the right track by motivating us with her wit and humour through out the session, hehe =P I'm having a blast and I'm pretty sure the other girls feel the same way too. Everyone were in a cheery mood, we didn't even break a sweat even when the routine get harder!!!

Okay, who am I kidding? Of course we're making some noises when the thing gets rough, but all in a good manner and happy atmosphere =) I'm sure nobody dare to cross Wyn Cy though, she's not someone you wanna mess with, hihi =P The effect from the session is very immediate, I can feel my body sore all over and I can barely lift a finger after that!!! According to Wyn Cy, it's pretty normal since we're all new to the body pump regime. It'll take some time to get the hang of it before your body can adjust to the routine.

After the intense training, we were served with tasty cereals and energy bars from Kellogs. I instantly fall for the Special K energy bar which is not only a healthier choice (90 calories per bar), but taste amazingly good too... It comes in various flavors from Strawberry Cheesecake, Blueberry, Honey Nuts, Chocolate Cranberries to Vanilla ❤_❤ I even stock myself with this munchies in my office and my car, highly recommended!!!

While having our late breakfast, we're gathered back to the last program of the day, a very laid back talk from Mr Raj Subramaniam, a master trainer certified by FISAF. The topic of the day was "Top 10 common mistakes women make in the gym", a very close to home subject to most of us women, hee~ He really fascinated us with his knowledge and understanding of women, you'll be surprised to learn that he knew more about sports bra than most women do, LOL

I do take some note to share with you girls. Among the common mistakes that women made when it comes to gym are :-

- Signing up & going to the gym without a plan
- Not strength training
- Overdoing the cardio /aerobics
- Lack intensity
- Lack of variety
- Focusing on the wrong exercises 
- Focusing on losing body weight instead of body fat
- Using inappropriate wear / gear
- Taking advice from the wrong people
- Post workout treats

I'm guilty for like half of the mistakes here but afraid not, it's never too late to work on that... He gave us a few tips and tricks to get over it and warned us again and again about the post workout treats, I'll definitely keep that in mind Mr. Raj =)

Of course, we're not going home empty handed that day... All of us get to bring back the very trendy Skechers's GoTrain sneakers worth more than RM250, weeee~ This beauty come with 2 difference shoe laces color (pink & white), roomier forefoot that allow toes to spread comfortably, 360 degree responsive flexibility and a special feature that helps inhibit and prevent slippage or in another word you can use it sockless!!!

Before I'm signing off, I would love to express my gratitude to Skechers Malaysia for their generosity, me & my feet really2 appreciate the gesture ❤_❤ And a special thanks to Shape magazine  for keep on organizing awesome events for their loyal readers like yours truly =) I can't wait to see what they have in mind next, wink2

p.s : pics credit to Shape Malaysia's FB page