One Big Happy Family
I think you know you've been going to a gym too long, when you kinda know everyone around you in a 2 person radius. FCI's class yesterday was one such class. It was one of those classes where everyone was there....Lionheart (who doesn't even usually do Combat...the fler had done TWO pump classes that day itself. Howwww does he do it!!!! Where does he get the energy!!!!! What is his secret? SHARE WITH US, OH MIGHTY LIONHEART!), Sunshine, Megs, Shanti Combat and Bernsy, Ah Girl, Certifiable Steve (FCI exhorted him with shouts of encouragement, "come on steve, you're gonna be an instructor soon"), Merv, and even that young boy Alvin, who has been missing for quite some time, and seems to be plumper from the absence.
I shan't even bother listing down the abuse that I got from FCI, but it was enough for Megs to proclaim that the day he doesnt pick on me, she's gonna buy a lottery. Warm up was that old old track, that reminds me of the Thursday lunchtime combat under Sop Fan. Final Countdown again, ....for some inexplicable reason, I keep yawning in classes. Not only FCI's, but almost all the classes in the MJH studio. Does that place lack oxygen?
Field of Dreams...one of my favourite track 3s. Reminds me of that golden era of Body Combat, when the place was flooded with all my favourite instructors... like exFCI... I have to say the Rock Me Amadeus is my favourite track 4, though obviously I have never quite attempted that evasive sidekick. At my age, I can't afford risking knee surgery for broken knee caps, etc. Didnt enjoy track 5 at all. Very forgettable. Track 6... something about I'm not your entertainment that one...very short track. Muay thai was the 64 knee one again. Loved the We Will Rock You conditioning. I'm sure Freddie would be pleased to know that so many sweaty bodies are writhing in unison to his music, and pumping up and down, and lifting all sorts of orifices.
My all time favourite cooldown... the Last Samurai and May It Be. It reminds me of Nikeboy. I recall him telling us, oh, this new cooldown will make you feel very special. One of those strokes of genius by the choreographers. How come no one does the crane and claw cooldown anymore huh? My 3 favourite cooldowns are probably Last Samurai, Breathe Easy, and Now We are Free.... oh, and Bohemian Rhapsody too.
After class, Lionheart disclosed some rather upsetting news. Apparently the powers that be are going to ban the use of old tracks, as the emphasis on technique(? is that what i heard) has changed. HOWWWWW CANNNNNNN???? WE LOVE OLD TRACKS. Anyway, I hope its just a rumour. Lionheart has declared his stance on the matter should such a thing take place. Sunshine, on the other hand, was bemoaning the exodus of ahem, macho pump instructors to other gyms. She say one ah, not I say.
posted by fatboybakes @ 10:44 AM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Crane-claw FCI did on Friday. I yawn all the time too.
Competition is apparently stiff out there. But i thought Fitness First, being the market leader in the fitness industry, with listing status in UK, etc, etc; would be paying top dollar to retain their experienced instructors whom they have trained and nurtured instead of letting them go to competitors.... you know, for example,like how IBM or Citibank, market leaders in their respective fields would pay their performing employees well so that they continue to err, perform in the company....
Well, it is apparently not the case in Fitness First....sigh....
It is left many silent, but loyal members unhappy and considering other gyms but our views do not count, right?!!!
sunshine: sometimes things are not what they appear to be....
nikeboy was around 2 saturdays ago and he taught manulife. :-)
anyways, which 64 knees muay thai is that eh? hmmm... and yeah that top gun soundtrack has brilliant kata too other than that hans zimmer/enya thing.
top gun is the crane claw one right?
shades, so what is the real reason then? i'm sure its usually a matter of economics.
Shades, I agree with FBB. I am sure $$$$ is a major, if not THE factor here. If not, give us the lowdown on it then. Let's face it, FF is one of the first global chain of fitness clubs (that is GX-geared) to operate in Malaysia. Most of the instructors, particularly the good ones, are trained at FF, by Tracy, Justin and the likes. We may not see a sudden exodus of senior GXIs from FF in one go (as claimed by MNLI when "quizzed" by Sunshine..."where got..one only does not mean a lot mah?") However, if you look back over the past 2 years, a lot of the good and senior GXIs have left FF. I dont want to go into names here. Okay, given that some of the ex-GXIs are the greatest divas in the world and they have reasons for leaving FF, but not all of them have issues? From what we gathered, economics is the main factor here. Its such a pity to see them go one by one bcoz these are the instructors that really makes the difference, not only to us members, but I think for tips/advice to the younger up and coming instructors too. I know the instructor who is leaving, and who Sunshine is lamenting about. I feel sad as well, because I really enjoys attending his pump class too. At the rate FF is going, you will all be facing a shortage of GXI, at least the experienced ones.
yep... top gun OST is the one that has crane-claw kata.. so like it..
Juz want to say, i really enjoyed the company on tuesday. It is so rare to have so many friends all gathered together. It really makes working out fun and pain-free. :p
hello all,
peter here from dubai again,
long time no see FBB and lionheart, how's things in kl..
regarding abt all the GXI's or senior instructor who leave FF and go to other clubs or going freelance is not because of the $$ matter. ask me la i'm with FF for long time and i'm the frist batch GXI's. as u know right lion,
the frist batch of GXI'S is still in FF until today.riyo, tony,jeremy and me.GXC's cindy,janis,suhaimi and lynn kong still with FF..
so it is not the $$ matter is just becuase of each person have thier goal and what they wan in life..
even i;m in dubai my heart still with FF kl.
We miss you! Peter the Great!
ah, peter the great has spaketh...
great to hear from you PTG.
yalar, you are probably right, money might not have been everything in some of these decisions made by instructors who've left. of course, its always sad when our favourites leave, and then we start wondering why. but by and large, there are still many great instructors in FF, so i guess until then............
Hey, PTG, great to hear from u. How's life in Dubai?
I hope what you said is correct about the FF $$$ issue. A closer perusal of your list will reveal that the first batch "remainders" in FF i.e. Riyo, Jeremy and gang, have actually all been offered better packages with FF...GXCs and GXMs (as compared to GXIs). Definitely the improved package comes with, hrrmm, better $$$$ and better perks. With better $$$ and prospect, of coz they are expected to remain loh, am I right, Sunshine? Even you lah PTG, being such a pioneer in the fitness industry when you signed up EXCLUSIVELY with FF, they paid you a higher rate per class. Of coz dat will be a reason (of coz not the only reason lah) for your continued support for FF. The other reason for your heart and soul to be in FF must be..erm erm, kita lah....hahahahaha. The main crux of the issue here is whether the GXIs who are good, are fairly remunerated or treated in FF. We are not talking about the GXCs and GXMs, which I think, is pretty clear cut. Definitely there will be other personal reasons and goals for a lot of GXIs to leave FF for their perceived greener pastures, but $$$ is definitely one of the main issues. Is FF paying the industry rate per class to the GXIs? Based from what I have heard, it is not, and dat accounts for a lot of the exodus from FF over the years. Whatever it is, we are very very happy that PTG is still with FF lah....
Lionheart, you could not have said it any better....of course it makes sense to be loyal if one is well rewarded monetary or otherwise.
There is definitely a 'brain drain' in our beloved FF.
Not just any instructor, those may come and go, it doesn't bother me. Les Mills programmes are now SO structured, many can become adequate instructors even without much experience in the fitness industry.
A loss of key instructors/personal trainers who have an indepth knowledge of how our bodies/ muscles respond to the stresses caused by the classes we do. Those who themselves workout, pump weights, know abt nutrition, breathing techniques, all the extras that a Les Mills training programme does not touch on, but knowledge that can only be acquired if one actually works out....; those people leaving,....i lament.
sunshine honey, you mean BRAWN DRAIN....
i will certainly miss mr cool though. whilst i am not close to him, and i dont think he even knows me or my name, i kinda got a soft spot coz he was more or less my first instructor, and i remember his hakka cool down in combat distinctly.
drat, bah, i never even got to try his rpm.
The drains are so funny la.
Mr Cool knows you. And he was my first balance instructor... my first les mills class, .....when i was enveloped in lots of fat and they were spilling out everywhere as i struggled to hold the poses.
But my first ever class was a pilates class i attended in John Hancock, and blur as i was it was an intermediate class. The oh so flexible and much revered intructress, Hani(i think that was her name),firmly said, this is an intermediate class looking directly at me. At that time, being the gym virgin i was, i didn't know that was a cue for me to leave. So i stayed and in no time the perpiration (fr all the core work) turned into cold sweat, when the class started to do head stands!
It was the first and last Hani class for me.
Talking about popping cherry in FF, my first GX class in FF was Arjiete's BodyStep in Manulife, and dat was also the first time I saw Jay and the fatter, roly poly version of FSI...hehehehehe. I was practically a GX-adversed person then, preferring to stick to my treadmill n X trainers. I remember grumbling like hell being pushed by my wife to go for the class. (I bet she regretted it now, judging by the way I have turned out...muahahahah). Still remembered Arjiete doing Chihuaha for speed track...I cudnt tahan it lah. And worse still, I was totally lost for Ms. Independent, while FSI and Jay was jumping up and down then. That was also the first time I was exposed to Arjiete's singing, particularly 4 Ms Independent. Still remembered my first exposure to the dreaded kangaroo move was with Jeremy, when he did Track 6 of BS 52...damn tuff lah. My first pump class was with Tony, and I was carrying 3.5kg for squats and 2.5kg for bicep. Even dat pun tak boleh tahan....hahahahahah. Then, I discovered SPK, and became a real regular at Flo/Young's pump and of coz PTG's legendary Sunday 45 min non stop BS....
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