Checked In With The BWI

I still don't own a smartwatch or a Garmin tracker. I don't bother to weigh myself either. The husband upgraded his weighing machine to a Hume that also tracks body composition and body-fat percentage. I don't use it. LOL 

What I do use once in a while, is the Evolt 360 body scan at the gym. It's pretty old technology and it hasn't improved much in terms of body fat readings. The readings are heavily influenced by hydration levels, caffeine, food intake and menstrual cycles. In short, it’s not terribly accurate. I'm not concerned though. I'm not paying for it; I’m not an athlete — I don't need it churn out such precise readings. 

The Evolt app kept my last scan in May 2024 and compared it with this recent one taken this week in July 2026. Ahahahah. I obviously ignored it for all of 2025. I already do DEXA scans every three years (since I turned 40) to check on bone density. For that, I need to fast overnight, and I have to stop any calcium supplements for at least 36 hours prior. 

Read through the analysis in detail. I didn't lose any muscle mass between 2024 and now. In fact, there's a 1.5% gain. Yay! I'm not into taking protein. I prefer to eat them, although I’m not eating enough to the recommended ratios. I don't mind taking EAAs and creatine, but not on a daily basis either. 

Anyway, for my age, the Evolt360 scan said that my BWI is 8.7. My total body fat percentage stands at 21%. These are optimal even within their indicated ranges. Sure. I feel fine. I'm not going to have that body fat percentage go down to 19%. I don't feel like training that hard. Hahaha. I don't race, and I'm not that competitive. I still have a healthy relationship with food and I never have issues with my body.

Save for those few years I dropped off the fitness radar and went up to 60kg, over-ate and over-drank, I'm back in shape now. That's not from appearance alone. I know it from what I can lift and squat while doin functional movements at home. The glutes and knees have grown stronger. Because of the sports I did as a child and as a teenager, I've always used body weight to build and maintain muscles. I still do. However, I've embraced weights as part of the exercise regime. I'm lifting the heaviest that I've lifted in my life. 

I'll just continue what I'm doing. Retain muscles and maintain bone density. It's simply about keeping fit, limber and strong enough to do all that I want to do.

In My Non-Hyrox Era

Pilates and Gyrotonic stretch and rotate all the kinks out of me, and to keep the fascia nimble. I work out fairly religiously at the gym not because I love weights or strength training. I do it because I don't have a choice — aging muscles — keeping fit. Also, it has become an outlet for stress (and anger) management. 

I'm having some fun training with friends at their gyms for their Hyrox race prep. It's not a recent thing. I've been training with them since early 2025. They're the mad people who would fly to Seoul, Hong Kong and Paris to race. I wouldn't mind tagging along as a spectator, but my traveling inclinations are curtailed by a floof. 

This training usually means doing a lot of squats and running. I can do barbell squats on my own. Wall balls are so painful when it's the last station and you're literally dying. If you have no strength in those quads, hamstrings and glutes, you will cry.

Then you need a ton of upper body strength and a solid core. Somehow, you'll have to figure out how to build strength to push a sled of 102kg, which will feel easier than pulling a sled of 78kg. Of course I'm not doing Pro weights lah. Walao. 

I have to do all the stations that I hate, especially running. It's ridiculous to push me to run so far. Ugh. I'm made to run 8km and I detest that. My max is 5km. That's my comfortable distance. I'm not racing, so I refuse to run 10km. Ha! On normal days, I don't even like running outdoors, but these people do. Grrrrrr. Thankfully, we run at the stadium (nice track) or around the Kallang Riverside, MBS and Esplanade area, both of which are acceptable to me. I refuse to run elsewhere. NEVER ON A TRAIL. Running is utterly unenjoyable.  

You can analyze the best positions and form for each station. You delve all you want into how to improve strength, stamina and timings. But Hyrox is first and foremost, an endurance and a running race. If you can't run 10km comfortably without collapsing at the end, don't do Hyrox as an individual. I know people said don't bother about timings, just train and just aim to finish injury-free. Ehhh, people do bother about timings. So you can talk to all the enthusiasts to figure it out.

I have done the simulations, and I'm pretty impressed with my timings for the 45-49 age group. LOL However, I'm not joining a race at all. I won't because I'm not interested in joining any sort of competitions this way. It's not me lah. I don't have the bandwidth to do it. I can't commit to Doubles or Relay because if Choya needs me, I tend to drop everything for her, including any potential races. 

No matter. This is my non-Hyrox era. 

Walking Two Dogs

I'm thick in the middle of back-to-back conferences. This would be a heavy and taxing weekend. But it's all work, I'll deal. I don't mind having Ryo over during this period. At this point, he's like my second dog. He's been raised and trained in home etiquette that I approve of. He toilets outdoors and holds his bladder fine (yes we still pee them 4x a day). He doesn't bite cables or stuff or rip my things. He doesn't seem to have separation anxiety or be affected by thunderstorms. 

Managing his fears of the outdoors and such, especially interactions with other dogs aren't the concerns now. I know how to manage him, and he has been doing good. As long as he is fine with Choya at home, and follows her lead, I welcome him. Ryo's pawrents are awesome people — kind and considerate. I never minded having Ryo over for a longer period. He can always go home to his nanny, but he likes company too. 

The husband is on dog duty this weekend mainly because I'm flooded at work. But I can still easily walk them and such. Having a dog is honestly a two-person job. What more two dogs. 

I'll still walk Ryo and Choya together. Although during bedtime pees, they're split because Ryo pees so much faster than Choya. He just wants to pee and go home — 10 seconds, we be done. Choya knows it's the bedtime pee, and still she likes to meander. Zzzzz

Walking 17.5kg Ryo and 7.5kg Choya is quite adorbs. It's a bit of leash technique too. Every owner will eventually figure out how to sort that out with their dogs. They often want to go in different directions. Choya is a terrible walker. It's much easier to pull and coax Ryo to follow her.

This is why I need to work out. I must be able to walk the dogs without being pulled off of my feet, or having my wrist and fingers jerked into a strain or a sprain. Each time, these floofs will remind me that I do need to maintain a level of fitness to keep them clean, happy and exercised. 

At the gym, I always work in sled push and pulls of minimally 80kg. That is a very manageable weight for me. I can do 120kg, but I slack off often and don't overload. I just need to remember how pulling and pushing ~90kg feels like. 100kg is comfortable. 

Walking the two of them that morning was eye-rolling. Morning walks are dicey. Sometimes, they would both poop. Sometimes not. Often, one would poop and the other one wouldn't. Imagine the juggling I have to do to hold on to their leashes, get out poop bags, wipe their butts, and pick their poop without forgetting where they left the turd piles. And maybe watching out for passing floofs because Ryo is NOT friendly.

Ryo would often bolt if he hears strange noises or something scares him. I can't drop his leash. And I need to keep a constant hold on his leash instead of being shocked into dropping it or unable to hang out if he lunges and I'm not ready. It's not just arm strength. It requires almost all my core strength to hold the leashes in order not to move Choya's while she's pooping, and the 17.5-kg clown tugs at his.

Choya getting a poop in. 

A BodyPump Class After Months

It has been months since I went for a Les Mills BodyPump class. The gym opts for the 45-minute class, and it's great for people like me. It's entirely up to you how hard you want to push, but the high reps mean that you can get injured if you aren't careful with form and control. 

Truth be told, I'm terrified of this class. It's crazy. It's both strength and cardio. And I'm usually tired mid-way through. It's not a class I want to do if I didn't have a full-night's sleep. 

I bravely popped into one that day. We could choose our spots. Mine is usually at the side, near the door. It's a psychological thing for me. Hahahaha. My PT coach walked by, stuck his head in and grinned. He pointed at me and told the class instructor, 'Keep an eye on this one!' Whaaaaat. Oeh oehh oehhhh! Tsk!

 I'm lazy, and I find changing weights a hassle. So I prefer to go with 5-kg a side on the 2.7kg bar, and use 2.5-kg as free weights. I can pile on weight if I want to. To my surprise, after not doing a class for months,  this is now a breeze. I don't know if I've grown stronger or my stamina has gotten better from running with the Hyrox-bound friends, but this class is almost no-sweat for me now with these weights.

I realized that for back squats, even at this pace at high reps, the 13-kg-total bar is too light. Oops. LOL. I should have made it a 20-kg-total. But I wasn't bothered to add on weight in the middle of sets. Forget it. I’d simply squat deeper then, and went all the way down and all the way up. When we had a break before moving on to the front and arms, I added 2.5-kg to push the bar to a total of 18kg. That was a respectable weight for clean-presses and power-presses.

I did the entire sets of push-ups and tricep push-ups in full knees up. I didn't take the option of going down on my knees. I'm excellent at not using weights if I don't want to. No shame. I already threw away the bar for lunges, so I should work a tad harder in other sets. 

Worked Out Really Fine in 2025

This wraps up a year of working out with intention, and lifting heavier with a coach. I also learnt the relationship between my food, weight and weights/muscles. I simply lower my intake of carbs and raise protein according to what my body tells me. 

I have totally decreased alcohol intake. That's a surprise! I don't need to go off of it. I like my alcohol. I don't feel that it's necessary to be a teetotaler. But with age, I'm a lot more mindful of the health risks and the sugar imbibed. I don't have an alcoholic disorder, and contrary to what I always say, I'm not exactly an alcoholic. When I had a cold, and I went alcohol-free for two weeks, that was not an issue.

I'm pleased with the muscle gains. I stepped onto the diagnostic scanner in the gym to check out the muscle mass. The last time I did was like in 12 months ago. I haven't grown heavier. I still toggle between 53-55kg, depending on whether I'm bloating for the month. The muscle mass, however, has increased. I do feel stronger. Functional movements are smoother, and steady. 

Over the Black Friday sales, I finally bought grips! I finally am lifting heavy enough to need them. Bought them from Frog Grips. It's based in Australia; they ship international of course; shipping to Singapore didn't take more than 10 days. They're quite cute. Hehehe. I didn't buy green lah. I hate that color. Neither did I want pink. Settled for good old black and boring. 

My word. Grips make such a huge difference. It's almost as if my fingers don't slip anymore, and suddenly gained extra grip strength! It made a difference to muscle-ups and slow pull-ups. It especially made an impact on my deadlifts. WOAH. My coach grinned and said perhaps I could consider a weight belt next. LOL NO.

I still don't own a Garmin or a tracker. Hahaha. I'm not bothered about it lah. How I feel is more important than what the statistics tell me. All I need to do is to build my strength and have muscles wrap my bones, preventing osteopenia and easing daily functional movements without getting that much weaker as I age.

The Gym at Home Is Rather Useful

The gym in the estate has finally been refurbished. The gym closed for a short week to get renovated, and re-opened. They even rolled a pineapple into it for fun. Heh. When many residents use the gym and don’t abuse it, that gym is worth the cost.

I like it! Loads of improvements made. Brighter lighting was done, more mirrors installed. A full rack of dumbbells and kettlebells. Brand new machines. A squat rack! Cables! Pull-up bars. Shock-absorbent flooring. I am pleased.

I’m not about to give up my fancy gym membership at Virgin Active. But a home gym that is actually outfitted with proper equipment and machines is useful. It's great for random days when I just want to do pull-ups and quick squats. 

The other day I went by the home gym to do some weights. I went to the squat rack to set up, and in between, did shoulder shrugs and negative pull-ups. A woman came in to look around, and commented “Where are the machines and things for women? Looks like all for men.” I amost died. Since when is a gym gendered? I didn’t know they make ‘machines for women’. Like what types?! 

The woman was blocking my way at the squat rack. She was clearly not going to use it. I asked her to move, and loaded up 40-kg as a warm-up for my back squats. Her eyes bulged and she promptly shut up. And yes, she moved very far out of the way and primly watched me use what is presumably a man's machine to rack the weights on the barbell and do my back squats. 

7.5kg a side. Very conservative. Bahahaha.

Keeping My Strength Up

I didn't think I'd keep with the strength training with the instructor (or PT, as most would call it) at the gym. But I did. There's no competition, except with myself to build strength and be consistent with the weekly training. 

I've gotten my strength to a point in which I could comfortably (back) squat 60-kg, bench-press a half-decent 35-kg, deadlift 60-kg sumo and RDL. This is functional training. I could mop the floor on my knees and hands in peace, I could squat to sort out the dog and all. Ha!

At this age, it's no longer just about cardio. I need to keep my muscles. The stamina for cardio-things surprisingly comes easier when I get stronger too. I've shaved off my running time for 5km, unintentionally. This is my usual distance and I'm not keen to run any farther. In that same line, I'm not keen on doing any sort of group running or even join a Hyrox race. I'm not that hardworking. 

What is annoying is my clothes. They're fitting differently. I'm still the same size, but walaoeh, the butt and the armpits can't quite fit. Say a UK8/US4 sleeveless dress — everywhere fits but I had to bring it to the tailor to alter the armholes — they were too tight. Hahahaha. My chest has somehow grown. Not boob size. But the pec muscles and lats have become solid. LOL The measuring tape tells me that my waist and hips are still the same circumference, but the glutes have grown. SO. I can't fit my current size for bottoms, but a size up is too big. AIYOH.

An Advanced Reformer Class

Finally the gym offers an 'Advanced Reformer' class that would be on a permanent schedule, well till people complain or till the instructor leaves. I also said 'finally' because the Reformer program at the gym has been unsynchronized, messy and a tad incoherent, right from I dunno... 2018. They have achieved some sort of management consensus when it comes to program offerings and calibre of instructors. But to me, it's still patchy.

This instructor who leads the Advanced class is a trained Pilates instructor, rather than simply a gym-trained Reformer instructor. Yes, they have those, and those instructors aren't qualified to teach Pilates anywhere in town. Now, this instructor. Pilates-trained instructors often cue better. I like her classes. Her voice is extremely squeaky though.

The first Advanced class was scheduled for the time slot after my PT. I blinked. Okaaaay. I can do it. PT is mostly weights and strength-training. I had 35 minutes of rest and hydration before going in to Reformer class, which usually is a stroll in the park for me since the gym's offerings are never that intense. Even in an Advanced class, I didn't think it would be that bad.

I was right. It was a great stretch. It was by no means easy. The instructor kinda threw quite alot at us. Mostly. 

We warmed up lying down on the carriage with single-leg bridges and bicycles and such. Then deep lunges to flamingo, standing side splits, squats, pulses and push-out holds on the carriage. And even a tendon stretch. planks to pike, and ended with Snake and Semi-Circle.

I kinda giggled at the program. I didn't think this class would include tendon stretch. But the program did. A tendon stretch on a Reformer isn't easy at all (it's harder on a Chair) for even Advanced practitioners. If these 'Advanced practitioners' only come to the gym's Reformer classes or another studio's group classes, and have never done a private or duo class at a proper Pilates studio, then you're not practicing at Advanced level yet. The risk of injuries is high. 

To do a perfect form of a tendon stretch without falling or straining your arms or hips, it requires some focused instruction from a dedicated instructor one-to-one. You need that for technique. And if you have not built some upper body strength, you can't do it. Or you end up doing it with knees bent, which completely defeats the purpose of a tendon stretch.

That is applicable to all other movements. I have seen some getting a back strain in class while doing spinal roll-ups. Or pretty much coming down too fast or too flat from a jackhammer. Or a simple plank to pike with the carriage in-and-out.

Are You Team Tight-on-Tight or Tight-on-Baggy?

Grinned when I scanned through the fun headlines. Oh, are we at this now? Apparently we are!!! We do all own sportswear. The fashion has evolved through the years. Leggings used to come in flare bottoms. That was hilarious. I always found that design flaggingly cumbersome while running. 

Now, with renewed emphasis on fitness and all sorts of gyms coming up and with more than IronMan and duathlons, we also have Spartan Races, CrossFit, and the still-hot format of Hyrox, gym wear has never been soooo popular. And it's not just shorts and tees. People could live in it all day. Many live in sportswear exclusively on weekends. At least I do. And many dog owners I know do too. It's practical and comfortable for our crazy humid weather in Singapore.

Are you team tight-on-tight or tight-on-baggy?

We're at this, 'Millennials and Gen Z Are Fighting Again. This Time About Gym Clothes.' by Madison Malone Kircher, published in The New York Times on March 17, 2025. I couldn't stop laughing because I had to pause even while reading this short article, to get onto IG and TikTok to actually check it out. 

And here I thought we were done at gym socks! Apparently not. It now extends to everything one wears at the gym. 

The infamous “war” between millennials and Gen Z has found a new battleground in recent weeks, with a fight brewing on TikTok over workout clothes.

There are two camps: People who like wearing tight-on-tight outfits to the gym — think leggings and a well-fitting tank top — and people who prefer baggier ensembles. According to some users on TikTok, these preferences fall along generational lines, with millennial women favoring the tighter outfits.

My gym offers tees and shorts, and socks on loan to gym-goers. Many people take it up so that they don't have to deal with stinky and wet clothing fermenting all day in the office before they get home to launder them. I don't bother wearing the gym's stuff because I'm more comfortable in my own clothes. 

I can wear just a sports bra and leggings at the gym. But I prefer wearing a tank or crop over it. Sleeveless. Sleeves are warm and cumbersome for me. Baggy or tight — I only care about whether they flap too much or get in my way during a workout. A workout at the gym ain't a dance competition. I can't wear a baggy top that flips into my face if I'm doing inversions at Pilates right? I live in activewear because of the dog and the crazy Singapore humidity. 

I wear leggings or pants most of the time because I'm not into wearing skirts or even shorts. Running gives me that 'runner's itch' in my thighs, so that's ameliorated by wearing tights even in this heat. I've grown used to it. Sometimes I get that itch on my arms, stomach and neck too. It's exercise-induced urticaria, a response by my allergic mast cells. Zzzzz 

Are you Team Crew Socks or Team Ankle Socks? 

I'm all ankle socks because I'm not bothered to get out to buy new socks. Socks that end higher on the calves give me a rash. I need certain types of toe socks for the gym for my bunions and such, so I don't bother wearing thick crew socks or anything. Dohhhh. 

So I'm not into tight-on-tight. Neither am I into tight-on-baggy. I LIKE SLIM-FIT, CAN? 

Seriously. FFS. Just wear what you want and what makes you comfortable. 

Mildly Strained The PCL

Kinda strained the right knee. At the back. The back tendons were a tad painful. There was a light pop and a tendon or ligament went around the world (knee) and snapped back. WALAOEH. That rolling sensation hurt! I wasn't even doing anything. I was in a gym class, but not moving. I was done with a set and was going to sit down from a kneeling position. 

The last few times I had that over the years, were when I was squatting to water plants or mopping the floor on my knees and an odd bent angle caused the roll. That would either be the ITB (iliotibial band) or popliteus tendon to the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament).  

ChatGPT's fairly thorough explanation and a deep understanding of my body and weak points allowed me to pinpoint the strain. It's really due to weak glutes and weaker (or tight) hip abductors that caused excessive knee valgus (knees caving in), which will lead to that rolling sensation and pain. 

This sort of 'pain' goes away in two hours, and in two days, with the correct stretches, I'm back to 100%. It's a minor mechanical issue and not a significant injury. I've never gone so deep reading about VOP! Valgus Overload Prevention. I'm trying to prevent repetitive valgus stress so that the I don't actually get a full injury. Valgus stress on the medial side leads to MCL (medial collateral ligament) injuries. An ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury would be even worse.

After that rolling pain, I iced that knee. I didn't have to hobble. While I don't have much issues with regular and functional movement be in kneeling or squatting or going down stairs, I noticed that in the day after the injury, I can't deep squat comfortably. The strained muscles and tendons in the back of the right knee twinged a little in a deep squat. So I know it's not 100% and I shouldn't push it. Luckily Pilates and Gyrotonic sorted me out. The final spirals and rotation at Gyrotonic resulted in a magical 'click' in the right knee and the last little bit of spasm cleared. Whewwwww.

I know I need to strengthen the posterior chain — glutes, hamstrings and especially my hips. Otherwise I would really have to hustle to the orthopaedic clinic. Thanks to strength training, I am very much stronger now, but in ratio, the hamstrings and glutes are still weak! OMG. And both my knees having a habit rotating inwards or outwards too much. Ugh. 

Strained the Elbow

Strained my medial epicondyle and its attached flexor tendons, also known as a golfer’s elbow. That tiny bump on the inside of your elbow. Although mine isn’t chronic, yet. This strain isn't caused one movement or one gym class. It’s caused by repetitive stress over three days of gym classes. Obviously my muscles aren’t strong enough to withstand what I made them do, and in the slightest off form, they protested. 

I know what the culprit is. Accck. All those tricep push-ups. I'm not strong enough to do 150 of them in a day, what more for three days in a row.

Naaah, this isn’t something I need a doctor’s consult on. I could stop by the osteopath clinic, but I didn't feel like it. It didn't seem that bad. I was quite certain I can stretch it out at pilates, gyrotonic and with targeted arm and shoulder rotations at home. 

I’ll never rush the healing. I’ll wait for any injury/strain to subside and feel 100% before resuming the usual intensity and pace. I could rest it for two days, but I couldn't have it frozen. So I took it easy on the exercise regime for the rest of the week and the next.

As the week went by, pull-ups didn't seem like an issue. Chest presses and overhead presses are. The slight twinge told me that the tendons are 100%. Then I tested it out gingerly at gym class yesterday. This class is fast, and that speed can cause injuries if I'm not careful or if I forget to use my entire core to help. Cleared 32 clean and presses on a 20-kg barbell. It oddly felt stronger, even. Alrighty, I'm back in business. 

Still, I skipped certain movements if it requires my elbow to be bent at angle carrying a weight for a prolonged few minutes. I certainly don't bother with holding any weights. No shame in that. If a goblet squat follows immediately after RDLs with dumbbells, then I'm ditching the 'goblet' and just doing the squat. I 'compensate' by going heavy on RDLs with two 15-kg dumbbells. A 30-kg deadlift isn't an issue at all.

Working Out 5 Days a Week

Not traveling means that I have no excuses to slack off at the gym. I don't over-eat during the festive season, so my abs are still here! Ha. Before the night thunderstorms return, I'd better get my exercise schedule in order and optimize that gym membership.

I work out five days a week. That's not an issue at all. I would do six days, but I need to rest aching muscles. I'll say it again, if your muscles don't ache once in two weeks or so, then you're not loading heavy enough or doing new moves and work the deeper muscles or target the obliques that we rarely use in daily movements. 

I don't need two hours in the gym on weights or machines. I only need 45 minutes to an hour each time. I'm not fond of doing back-to-back classes. Working out for two hours is crazy when I'm not in a profession that requires an insane amount of bulking up or flexibility. 

I still eat carbs, but I don't over-do it anymore. I've eased off on my alcohol even more. That sugar really fattens up the abs. NO GOOD. I really can't drink much and still hit the gym the next day at full strength. A mild hangover interferes with how heavy I can lift. I don't like that feeling of not being 90% when I'm not down with a flu bug or something. I do have vertigo that interferes with the exercise regime now and then. I can only try to keep it at bay, and this seems to mean less alcohol.

I've started this five-day schedule (again) in September 2024. This is how I prefer to pace out the different exercises that my body likes. I've managed to keep to it for months. I'm striving to keep to it this year too.

• Monday - personal training with Coach. That means weights and loads of weights. Heavy.
• Tuesday - BodyPump or some form of easy weights and cardio to stretch out. Medium weights but loads of movement. OR a 2.5km quick swim. 
• Wednesday- GRID format class similar to many gyms' offerings. Depending on the week, it's either horrible cardio or weights.
• Thursday - Pilates 
• Friday - Gyrotonic

Okay 2025 Q1, let's do this.

Back at The Gym

I didn't actually slack off from pilates or the gym during the festive season. Since I'm in town, and if the instructors are working, then I'll turn up for classes. I only skipped a few days because the husband passed me his very vicious flu bug. Thankfully, mine wasn't that bad whereas he had full blown cough that almost turned into bronchitis and made two trips to the GP clinic to get the effective cough and flu meds.

I don't have an issue with food either. I have a very healthy relationship with food — I eat what I want to eat; I eat what my stomach can bear. (I count the macros for the floofs' diet more than I count mine.) Having IBS is the best deterrent to over-eating. I generally don't fancy festive food anyway. I also don't go to that many gatherings and I never over-eat to the point where I actually put on weight or become flabby in a matter of two weeks. My issue is always alcohol. The sugar. I need to drink less whenever I want sculpted abs and I want those abs to show. LOL. 

I'm not ambitious at these group classes at the gym. I carry the weights that I can do. And when I do them enough, I know when to go heavy, and when to go lighter. I'll never do kettlebell swings. Even though my form looks perfect, that's a slight rotation of the pelvis and the spine. The mild scoliosis is enough to induce the most debilitating back ache in my left lower back. So NOPE. No kettlebell swings ever.

In a Les Mills BodyPump class, I simply load up the bar (that's only 3kg) to 20kg, and use that weight all the way through. I don't bother adding on or decreasing the weights. The fast paced reps would kill me already. If I'm looking to squat or lift heavy, I do that on my own outside of this class. 

Pilates and Gyrotonic classes continue this year too! Sometimes I wonder if it's an overkill, but I know what I want out of both principles of movement. And they achieve different objectives alongside what I'm looking for in terms of body balance and mobility work. 

It's back to PT at the gym too. But PT is a thing that I dread. If I'm not feeling 90-100%, I don't bother seeing the coach that week. It'll just an utter waste. PT is still a good way for me to isolate weak points and work on them. I'm not very disciplined, so it's an incentive for me to be consistent with regular PT sessions. 

Still At It — Pilates & Gyrotonic

While I don't mind home studios, sometimes they're not fully outfitted. So I appreciate the facilities of a commercial Pilates or Gyrotonic studio. When schedules change, I had to seek a new studio and re-set how I approach doing pilates regularly and consistently. 

The gym's reformer classes are insufficient for my needs. I prefer the intimacy of the attention of an instructor since she could totally spot my weaknesses and correct them. That's enormously helpful to my spine. There's mild scoliosis since my teens that has always been held at bay. I intend to keep that going as I age.  

I'm even more conscious about keeping up with the fitness levels. Just that on some days, I'm a little wistful that I hit plateaus a lot more because I don't have ski trips or hikes to train for to break up the monotony of the 365 days. I could, of course, but I've made a conscious decision not to ditch the dog. I have no big push to make any plans for a solo trip next year. I'll fly out to somewhere if I feel too stifled. That's the privilege I don't take for granted. So I never whine about not being able to travel. Moot point. Anyway.

I have no interest to experience debilitating perimenopausal musculoskeletal aches and its associated symptoms.  I was early to class that day at the Pilates studio. Since the studio doesn't mind, I decided to warm up on the Gyrotonic bench. I hadn't done anything that morning before class, so the muscles were a tad cold. The spirals stretched out the spine and warmed up the obliques. 

Aching Everywhere!

That was one of the toughest gym classes I've done this year. The gym terms it 'GRID' but it's pretty similar to the offerings at all the BFTs, REVL, F45s, but maybe not as intense as Hyrox training classes.

In all the gym's 'GRID' classes, they change it up weekly with a different theme, including cardio, so it could be 'Short Sharp Sprints' and 'Cardio' or 'Strength Endurance' or 'Strength Power'. I don't really care which as long as it's not cardio every week. I'm not a fan of pure cardio workouts.

I dunno why people claim that they don't ache anymore. Okay, it's likely because they only do cardio and never load weights and increase resistance. With each 2.5kg increase or a deeper squat done, one WILL ache. Unless we're such fine athletes that these crazy workouts daily are the norm. 

This week was 'Full Body Strength', and OMG, it was BRUTAL. It was all weights, and the cardio portion was minimal. You know what, I'll work on all my arms, lats and obliques. The coach taking this class is also my PT coach. So he meant it when he said, 'Go heavy.'

'Dual DB RDLs + DB Goblet Squats of 45secs each, repeat for 8 minutes' were pure madness. I went for broke and did 17.5kg a-side, but ditched the weights for 'goblet' squat and simply did squats, then squat-holds because I was too tired to be bouncing up and down. Oddly my glutes were okay. Then... OH MY HAMSTRINGS!

I finished with 'Dual DB Floor Press + Tricep Push Up of 45secs each, 15secs rest, repeat for 8 minutes'. That was HORRIBLE. I decided to focus on the tricep push ups since that worked all the muscles I wanted. So I went super light for the floor press — just 7.5kg a-side. I almost took 2.5kg, but never mind. I used 5kg a-side last week for overhead presses, and coach gave me the side eye. 

FWWWAHHH. That was one class that made me downed a super chilled protein shake at the gym. I knew DOMS would be mega and I was keen to alleviate it. I didn't want an ice bath though. NO THANK YOU. NOT A FAN. I ached everywhere for two days after. Lats, obliques, hamstrings and especially triceps. My rear delts were fully worked. It's clear that I loaded them muscles fully. 

The Glutes Are Out!

So I have maintained my 53kg weight, but lowered body fat and increased muscle mass. The most obvious change is in the shape of my glutes. MY BUTT. My waistline is the same, give or take 1cm for days when I'm more bloated or whatever. But I fit the tailored pants and jeans differently now. 

I don't have many mirrors at home, and I don't bother with a walk-in wardrobe. I have a big mirror in the living room to create the illusion of light and space. I rarely look at my dressed self in a full-length mirror. However, there are mirrors everywhere at the gym. That day, while the gym's changing rooms were relatively empty at 10.30am, I took a glance in the mirror and blinked. Fwaaahh. When did those booty gains appear? 

Erm. Yay?

Have you seen those bubble butts at the gym? They do look very good in leggings and shorts. They're powerful too. But I'm not interested in getting a bubble butt. I won't be eating enough to get that muscle max on the gluteus maximus. I'm not keen on lifting super heavy. What for! I just want to make sure I build enough strength to lift functional things at home, carry groceries, carry the dog, and such.

When my glutes are strengthened, by extension, the hamstrings get stronger too. I keep them flexible so that everything holds together to wrap my knees. Otherwise my knees pop when I move in awkward positions while I mop the floors or vacuum, or even bending down to the dog's eye level. Absolutely practical. Functional, we call it. 

Thanks, Squats.

Lowered Fat Percentage & Increased Muscle Mass

I have a Lululemon shrug in Size 4, which fits snug. It's meant to shield me from AC, or it's meant to move with me at pilates or something. So the fit is fine; the length of the sleeves are perfect, sitting slightly beyond my wrists. However, when I dug it out after a year of forgetting about it and wore it last week, it was a bit TIGHT. Walao.

My shoulders and delts have bulked up. Wonderful Glutes have gotten a lot stronger and perkier, but thankfully not going the way of the bubble butt that many want because I don't want those. I am however, fitting my clothes differently. I'm filling them out a lot more. The waistline seems fine, but I have a lot more muscles now. Teehehehee.

Totally making use of the renewed gym membership. It works great with my current schedule, churning at an even pace along with my Gyrotonic class. I'll have to figure Pilates, but the gym's Reformer classes would do for the now. I need to take in more protein (via food; not through powder or supplements) to build muscles, and the bit of carbs wouldn't hurt. I'm not eating that much more though. Keep a calorie deficit is ideal. My weakness is carbs, so I need to be careful not to over-indulge. It's very hard to say no to pasta.

My clothes are fitting okay, although the bustline can be tight. I was seriously wondering whether I put on weight or I bulked up. The body composition analyzer told me that since March 2024, six months on, I've managed to decrease my fat percentage to 20%, and there's an increase in overall muscle mass too. 

Aiyahhh. I should have bought that shrug in Size 6. Except that the sleeves would be too long. Dohhh.

Said Lululemon shrug in Size 4 black.

Getting My Pull-Ups In

When I have two clowns kiddos coming out with me, it's sometimes tough to hit the gym for a class or a workout. By now, I could leave them at home alone, but I quite like their derpy grins and company.

I kinda knew that there's an exercise spot with decent equipment built by NParks at the park near me. But I never really looked at it till that day when I went to use it. It's not sheltered, and I really dislike working out in the sun, without AC. Now, I have to  meet my quota of dead hangs, shoulder shrugs and pull-ups. When I don't have a pull-up bar at home, I have to go in search of one.

Went to the park with the kiddos. They did their toileting and sniffing. At 11.15am, it was a cloudy day. Whewwww. (The rains came later in the afternoon.) I would still be perspiring like crazy from the humidity, but never mind. It wouldn't be a full HIIT thing. I wouldn't be dripping beads of sweat. 

There were three bars of different heights. One could always take TRX straps or pull-up rings to do fun things. I took the lower bar, in ratio to my height. I didn't have to really jump up. It was more of a hop up, then a dead hang. That's always the toughest point to pull up, much less do a muscle-up. I'm nowhere near a muscle-up yet. I train strict pull-ups, aiming for perfect form. No jumps, no kipping. Ugh. My teres muscles and lats are still weak. Grrrrr. 

The kiddos dutifully hung out with me, and didn't attempt to run away. This exercise spot isn't near any roads or cycling paths at all. So at least I don't have to worry about random hits. They seemed to like basking in the little bit of sun for the short 20 minutes we were there.

Strengthening Those Glutes & Quads

My pull-ups are stronger, and it's really about consistency now. Coach has added a variation to my pull-ups with the resistance band. I'm now not allowed to step off on a bench in between sets. Doing those pull-ups with a loop and dead hangs in between sets is a killer. But it has to be so. Eeeeeeeeps. 

I end every visit to the gym with 1-minute dead hangs and hanging leg raises. I begin every gym session (with or without the Coach) with pull-ups. So it can be the same '8 reps X 3 sets', but with a lighter resistance band, or the same dense one but no stepping off in between sets. No wonder they're called 'dead hangs'.

My muscles were so so so sore that I caved in to an acupressure massage to ease them. They've been aching for weeks now. The culprit is back squats. I didn't pull any muscles or strain anything. It's just been...... aching. Super sore. I think the muscles are just growing and growing. I swear that my pants and jeans fit a tad differently now. I'm still the same size, but the fit is... like my butt grew rounder. 🤨

Say, back squats. I started with a 20-kg bar. Then 25-kg. I'm not weak to begin with, but I'm not going to be mad and tell him how much I can squat without some practice. Now that the Coach knows he can seriously push me for squats, he upped it to 35-kg, and incrementally till today's 50kg. I'm screaming. My glutes are crying. I'm literally only 161cm in height. I weigh only 53kg. I can't drop that weight or I'll lose strength. To be honest, if there's one exercise at the gym one shouldn't skip, it's squats. 

I never realized how weak my quads and glutes are till I began doing these squats. Ugh. Inner thighs (adductors) are crazy weak. Hamstrings aren't too bad. Pilates have strengthened them but not to the point of bearing 50-kg squat plates. 

I'll never laugh at the Hack squat machine again. It's the only one machine that's helping me keep my pelvic movements in check and not randomly shift my weight while doing squats. Otherwise I'd incur bad injuries while lifting heavy, and I would never achieve the smooth strength to lift heavy. Ironically, the pelvic shifts don't happen till I try to lift heavier than 30kg. The Hack squat machine keeps my back pressed against the bench, makes me squat properly all the way down and all the way up. Once the glutes and quads are comfortable with the weight, then I go onto the squat rack to do it with much better form. 

Getting Them Pull-Ups Slowly

It's so hard to keep in fit physical condition in my forties, I concede. At 46 years old, I can't afford to slack off for more than 3 days on the diet. I would need to work doubly hard to retrieve all the gains I've made. I'm not training for any hikes, treks or ski trips. I'm just keeping fit. I'm not going to get rock-solid abs unless I cut alcohol and carbs completely. Naaaahhh. I'll just get some defined abs and no flab, and that's do-able.

I am getting stronger and faster. Training with the friends for their Spartan and Hyrox outings has been fun. I didn't bother participating in them — not inclined to. It's not about "pushing myself". Why would I?!!! Hahahah. One is the mud, and I don't like being scratched. I can almost deal with everything in the other race except for the 8km-total run. Madness. I do not run 8km. I do not want to get rhabdo. No thanks. 

I can do pull-ups, 6 of them. BUT. My engagement of muscles for pull-ups isn't ideal, so I need to re-work that to be stronger. My teres muscles, traps and lats are simply not there yet. I want to do 10 consecutive pull-ups effortlessly, making my way eventually to two strict muscle ups in the way I used to do it as a kid. I'm back to doing the basics, doing dead hangs and scapula shrugs. I have weaker grip strength in my left hand, so I need to work on those farmers' walk with heavier kettlebells too. 

I also really like doing assisted pull ups with a loop over the bar. That works much better for me than kneeling on the machine. I think my favorite equipment in the gym is the squat rack. I can work every muscle group on it, and the overhead bar is the right thickness for my hands.