It’s cool. It’s hip. It’s the latest happening thing in town. Yes, I’m talking about Zumba Fitness – a fusion of Latin and international music that forms the backbone of yet another new fitness system.

I’ve heard quite a bit about it from the media. And since it’s come to Singapore, I thought I might as well try it out for myself. And so I did this evening.

Check myself in for the Zumba Fitness class I did. And boy was it a dynamic and exciting 45min exercise session from the minute ‘go’. I’ve never had so much fun doing a class before. It was really beyond my wildest imagination.

Before I knew it, I was already swaying to the music and working out a big sweat. Yes, I knew I would perspire but I was astonished at the amount! I was literally wet after the first routine was over. Hmm…maybe this can be a good alternative to my runs.

I must admit I have two left feet. Dancing doesn’t come easy to me. Even for the flamingo dance which I had to do as part of the Mister Singapore 2007 pageant, I practised extra hard just to perfect my moves. But this time round, I just flowed with the music. There was no stress of needing to get every move right. What mattered more was to just have fun. Yes, fun was the name of the entire session.

With its hypnotic latin fast slow alternating beats, head bobbing music and ever-changing dance moves gleaned from kickboxing, aerobics, resistance training, plyometrics, ballet and waltz, I was treated to an international fistful of rhythm and rhyme.

I was shaking my bons bons this very moment with much fervour not unlike Ricky Martin….only to transit into a pseudo well-tuxedoed gentleman doing a waltz dance….only to transit yet again into a lean and mean Muay Thai boxer delivering his deadly kicks and punches…only to transit again to professional stage dancer showcasing his sleek dance moves. My body was like a stream flowing gently, forcefully, gracefully, sharply at different intervals.

It really didn’t matter if I couldn’t get everything perfect. Sometimes my hands and feet were not even coordinated. But gradually, once my body got into the mood of things, the fun more than made up for it!

Zumba Fitness…I’m hooked

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After reading all about the grunts and rants of some athletes, I finally came face to face, or should I say ear to ear to an on-site, real-time demonstration.

I was at the gym with my client in the early afternoon when my ears picked up an interesting melody from far ahead.

There were 3 guys – one in blue, one in white and one in black. The guy in blue was doing bent-over rows. The guy in white was doing standing overhead presses with the guy in black spotting him.

Then the melody got louder. A closer listening to the melody confirmed it was more than just a melodious tune. It was one that punctuated the air and made everyone else stop and listen to. Even my client became excited suddenly.

We turned our attention to the direction of the melody and became engrossed. It simply turned us on. No hard-ons please. It just turned us on.

Someone was moaning with pleasure while lifting weights in the gym. I thought we men only moan when we are in bed and having sex (regardless of whether it is the full package or not)…when we enter someone from behind…or when someone blows us off, or when we jerk off happily…??

But no, I guess I was wrong. My client told me it was the guy in white who was moaning away. I told him I doubted it. In fact, I thought it was the guy in blue.

We carried on with our workout session. Then the moaning started again. The same distinct moaning. The same pleasurable delight the guy was deriving from his punishing workout. It was the guy in blue alright. The other 2 guys were resting.

The guy in blue was moaning in broad daylight and his moans just became louder and louder. Had I have my phone with me, I would have recorded it. His moan was as loud as Monica Seles’ infamous grunt whenever she swung her tennis racket.

Real men do moan. My client said the guy in blue was moaning because it was a form of release for him. As we know, we release endorphins during strenuous exercise. A gym workout definitely is considered a strenuous exercise. It’s akin to pre ejaculation. Period.

I put forth my own theory. Moaning helped the guy in blue to have a sense of power and control over himself. This in turn would help him to persist in lifting the heavy weight and complete his entire set. Listening carefully confirmed this as the moans synchronised beautifully with each pulling-in motion.

Without doubt, there’s also a third reason why the guy in blue was moaning. He was attempting to attract the attention of all the others in the gym. With all your muscles pumped up and perspiration at a high, it’s hard to remain unaffected.

I teased my client and told him he should start moaning too. He said he would be super embarrassed to even consider that.

Alright. I guess we’ll all be content listening to the guy in blue with his never-endless moans…let the moans continue!

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I was happily working my lats at the gym using the pulley machine when a 10 pound free weight landed itself on my right foot. Ouch!

I knew who the culprit was. It was this thin scrawny guy showing off to this friend how to do a standing preacher curl with two 10 pound weights.

If you use a barbell, fine. But nobody in the right frame of mind would insert two free weights into the preacher curl bar without securing it with the grips and then stand up doing it when it’s meant to be done seated down. Dumb.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked. No sorry, nothing.

I didn’t even bother to answer. Why ask the obvious? You must be blind not to seen where the weight landed. You must be blind not to have caught the expression on my face.

Had I been vicious, I would have picked up the fallen weight, walked over and dropped it onto his right foot and then pose him the same question “did I hurt you?”

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The little secret is out! Yes, the little secret which only R and I know till yesterday. Today, it is no longer a secret as http://lionellim.com goes live!

It’s always been my dream to own my own domain name. After all, how much cooler than that get right? My own name, my own brand, my own me

I’ve been working very hard for the past weeks on my website, together with R, to get the site up and running. The sense of satisfaction is truely heartfelt. No words can adequately describe this feeling. It’s like seeing your first born child after months of labour. Happy is an understatement really

So, what does lionellim.com offer? A host of services ranging from fitness programmes and tips, nutrition products, and wellness treatments. In this age and time, how many of us do not want to look young, energetic and beautiful?

I call that unveiling the new, sexy and beautiful you. Yes, let me share with you what I know. You will be amazed by the transformation. It’s not just external transformation. I go for both internal and external transformation.

Shape up, eat well and perfect it today. We are responsible for our health. Remember, you owe it to yourself!! Spread the word around…

Lionellim.com – unveil the new, sexy and beautiful you!

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Ask any woman which is the most attractive part of a male body and she will almost always reply it’s a six pack abs. The six pack abs refer to your abdominal muscles showing up with clear definition in six individual portions. The abs is revered by many as a glamour muscle as it is an indication of a fit and healthy male. Women are naturally attracted to a man who exudes health and fitness as this is an indication that the man knows how to take care of his body. This also translates to mean he can take care of her and the family.

Having understood the desirability of the rippling six pack abs, it is no wonder why men of all ages are always seen doing crunches, leg raises and sit-ups fervently in the hope of attaining the coveted six pack abs. In fact, it’s a phenomenon seen at almost every gym!

Most people believe you have to do endless number of abs exercises in order for the abs to develop. But the first truth is (and this is something to rejoice) we already have abs! We don’t have to develop the abs. We just need to let the killer six pack abs show. And that’s the tricky part.

The second truth is most men will never get to see their abs in its ripped glory. Why you may ask? Let me now share with you some fitness tips.

You may not like me being too direct but I’m still going to speak the truth with compassion. So take a deep breath and here goes.

You can continue to do a million crunches followed by a million leg lifts a day. But as long as there is still a layer of fat covering your tummy area, you will never see the abs. It is like the clouds covering the sun. Only when the clouds disperse can you see the glorious sun. In the same manner, only when you lose that layer of fat on the surface can you see the abs in all its glory. Continuing to do crunches and leg lifts without first removing the layer of fat is akin to shooting yourself in the leg as your waistline will become thicker as you are unknowingly adding muscles underneath the fats! So instead of seeing a slimmer waistline and the six pack abs, you instead get a bigger waistline and thicker love handles.

Don’t be influenced by TV commercials or magazine advertisements, especially those that promote spot reduction. There is no such thing as spot reduction. Just remember - lose the fats and see your abs. It’s as simple as that! Don’t believe in those electronic gadgets that promise you a slimmer waist by simply attaching it to your waist for 15 minutes a day. They not only not work but burn a hole in your pocket. If they work, why do people still bother doing abs exercises? Just buy one and watch the fats melt away? If only it was as easy as that. Also, steer clear off the slimming pills. They may work initially but the effects cannot be sustained in the long term.

To effectively burn fat and see your abs, you must work on a combination of three areas. Include frequent cardiovascular exercises with a controlled mildly deficit calorie diet and weight training. Besides helping to build muscles, weight training helps you raise your metabolism in order to lose weight and burn fat naturally. Fat is burnt permanently when you lift weights as muscles consume more calories from your food and convert them to energy. In addition, lifting weights also result in a well toned body and aid in revealing your abs.

Want to see your six pack abs? It’s really simple. Just remember to embark on a mildly deficit calorie diet coupled with a weight training regime. Next, put on your running shoes and start running! I bet you in no time you’ll be thanking me for these tips and be sending me pictures of your six pack abs in its full glory as testimony. You know something? Once you got your six pack abs, you’ll never want to hide them away anymore. Life is great. It’s be even greater when you have something beautiful to show

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I don’t know if it was the right thing to do. After all, he was just another stranger. And here I was thinking, shouldn’t I be minding my own business? Something in me told me to just be a man and do the right thing (hey, how come this phrase sounds so familiar?) Research has shown that if you teach someone something, you retain up to 90% of what you have learned. Ok, I’ll do it. Here goes…

The next thing I knew, I was explaining to this guy who was sharing the cable machine with me the right way to work his triceps and biceps. He was doing it wrong from step one. And no matter how heavy he trained (yes, he was huffing and puffing away – can see it from his expression), his targeted muscles would still not grow. Worse, injuries could occur.

I don’t profess to be a qualified gym instructor. But at least I know the right way to train so that my muscles scream for mercy the next day. Sorry, I’m not a sado-masochistic guy but when the age old saying of ‘no pain, no gain’ still holds true. I came across this more interesting tagline – “pain is temporary, glory is permanent.”

Ok, I’m no aspiring Arnold wannabe. I’m into the Men’s Health magazine cover page model look. Think lean and fit.

It sure feels good teaching others and helping them achieve their aim. Sure hope the universe too helps me out by putting me on Men’s Health cover soon and getting a billionaire to mentor me so that I can learn the recipe to creating wealth. And then I can teach others, and by doing so, retain 90% of what I have learned

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Buying myself gifts makes me happy. Eating meals with my loved one makes me happy. Going on holidays make me happy. Shopping makes me happy. Besides these, what else makes me happy?

Post gym makes me happy. It’s a high feeling I get as I feel so fresh thereafter and my muscles all pumped up. Tiredness? That never kicks in.

The second reason why post gym makes me happy is coz when you exercise, your body produces endorphin. Endorphins are hormones that combats stress and makes you more relaxed. Some people call them happy hormones. They are actually the same hormones you produce when having sex.

I joke more. I laugh more. I smile more too

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I don’t know what’s wrong with the male colleagues in my department but they have of late been obsessed with comparing chest size.

We’ve heard of terms like “full breasted”, “__ cup”, “airplane runway” etc but these are all reserved for ladies.

Why the obsession with a big chest? Simply coz the chest is the most prominent part of a male body which one observes first. Imagine someone walking towards you. Besides his face, what else will you first see? His chest. Spot on.

Sorry…this ain’t me & my chest…:p

To any layman, it’s called the chest. But to a sportsman, it’s known as the pectoralis.

There are two pectoralis – major and minor. The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the upper front (anterior) of the chest wall. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male.

We also have the pectoralis minor. This is a thin, triangular muscle, situated at the upper part of the chest, beneath the pectoralis major.

The pectoralis is one of the primary muscles of the body and thus it is often the target for weight-lifting.

I’ve come to realise it’s not how heavy you bench but the quality of each movement. There’s no point doing a 55 pounds if you can’t even lift it. Better to do a 35 pounds and instead activate all the fibres beneath. The flat and decline movements will activate the sternal fibres while the incline movements will activate the clavicular fibres.

So, for the chest obsessed folks out there, go work your bench or barbell presses, flyes, cable machines and dips! And hopefully you’ll morph into a Rain one day. Psst…don’t say you’ve not been warned – Rain’s chest should be the benchmark coz it’s 39 inch. Gasp! Now then you know…so don’t need to compare with mine anymore…I’m not 39 inch.

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I am peeved. Really peeved by what happened earlier. Brought my colleague T to the gym as he wanted to try the trial.

This Malay guy at the recep got T to fill up the registration form. After T was done, then he asked “how young are you?”

“20″

Malay guy says T cannot enter the gym as he is underaged. T is 5 months away from his 21st birthday.

I told the malay guy that this is dumb. We came all the way to workout and T can’t. I mean it’s not going to cost him a leg, an arm or a nipple if he lets T in. And what’s more, if T is impressed by the facilities and wants to sign up as a regular member, will not malay guy get a sales commission? The answer was still a “no”. Why? Because of rules. Damn rules. He probably forgot that rules are not cast in iron. They are made by man.

T told malay guy that his female friend, aged 19, is a member. Malay guy sang another tune – “oh she probably brought a guardian along so ok.”

I volunteered to be T’s guardian but was turned down by malay guy. According to him, I don’t qualify to be a guardian. And why? Is it because I look young? Ridiculous! There’s no age limit to be a guardian. I’m not even trying to pass off as T’s father. Come on…! Still no, cannot enter.

T said never mind. But I know deep down within him, he’s disappointed. T is old enough to serve the nation and carry a gun…even be deployed to war should there be one…but sorry, he can’t enter a gym…hahahaha…Biggest joke I’ve heard.

Exercise is a good thing and it should be for all ages. I’ll bet my last cent that this gym has lost a potential client forever. And whose fault is it? Thanks to your rules…

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True Yoga called me earlier this week asking me to go down for a trial. No day is a good day so I decided on Fri. They asked me which class I wanted. I told them – maybe you choose one for me? They chose hot yoga. Yieaks!!

I’ve never tried hot yoga but from what I understand from the saleslady, the room is heated to about 38 degrees. Hot sia…Human body temperature is only 36.9 degrees! The intention is for you to get used to the surroundings and the more you perspire, it’s supposedly healthier…Alright, I’ll try.

I went to the main branch at Pacific Plaza. It’s a nice little place located on the 4th floor. Very inviting and zen like surroundings. Huge yoga rooms, cozy rest area, and with people walking around bare-footed with smiles on their faces.

I’ve heard that yoga teaches you to see things from different perspectives and it calms you. So it must be good. When doing yoga, the mind, body and spirit combines as one. Powerful sia…and you sleep better at night…Wow!

I was quickly inducted into the yoga room after an introductory tour of the place. Class’s going to start. Wish me luck!!

I stepped into the warm room with a towel and a water bottle (it’s especially important to hydrate when doing hot yoga coz you perspire twice as much).

I took a quick glance around. The girls outnumber the guys. There were only three brave guys who joined the class, me included. But unlike them, I chose to sit in front. Sit so far back can’t see how to do the moves mah…

Enter the yoga master. Very suave looking. Very slim. Very good reflexes. Just like a jedi master. Except this one doesn’t own a light sabre.

“The pain you experience is good pain. Stretch…stretch…don’t give up….”

I was wondering if I could ever see the light at the end of the tunnel. His counting down was like forever…hold for ten counts.

“Ten, nine, eight…..” Where’s the five, four, three, two, one? Come on, get to it quick.

But yoga master had other plans. He went, “ten, nine, eight…” then went to correct some postures, then remembered he had to continue counting. “Seven, six, five…” correct some more postures then went back to the stage. Just get on with it, quick!

Finally “three, two, v-one” with the ‘one’ rolled off his tongue always with a ‘v’ preceding it. ‘V-one’.

I revisited some of the poses I learnt in the past, but seemingly forgot – the cat pose (meow…plenty of Catwomen here…plus 3 Catmen), plank pose (it’s just a normal push-up stunt…hello), child pose, cobra pose…interesting…interesting…

Perspire I did…lots…and this was despite the fact that I wore a dri-fit singlet. Imagine some of them wearing T-shirts…OMG! Too RA to describe here…hahahaha…But the best part was stretching those muscles…and feeling the pain. Good pain.

As expected, the sales pitch started after the hot yoga.

“Why don’t you sign up? Then you can join the other yogis in their classes?”

Yogis? Not yogi as in yogi bear but yogi as in fellow yoga practitioner…Oic.

Let me think about it. After I get over the pain.

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