My personal trainer, Phil, has left my gym – oh no, I thought. After the grief subsided (minutes later), I remembered that I used to be an enthusiast for gym-free training and when I lived in the country I sorted out my own fitness regime. How come, I thought, you’ve abandoned all that stuff especially as you still practice your kungfu patterns? I often talk to myself like this – I think it’s known as self-motivation. I also bought myself a new (and accurate) weighing machine and decided that if today is Monday it could just be the beginning of a new training regime. This was my after-breakfast weight – actually my true current weight is 75.7 kilograms and I’m not happy with it. For years I have been 72 kilograms and I plan to return there sometime soon.
I have decided (I think) to return to my old regime where I train on my own, monitor my fitness with the help of those bathroom scales. I will also dig out my old enemy the tape measure and start recording, on a once a month basis, my basic measurements: neck, chest, waist, hips, thighs, calves and biceps. I will also use my heart rate monitor to guide me through building up my endurance. Equpped with these basic aids, I plan to start doing some of the exercises recommended by the inspirational Ross Enamait whose book, The Underground Guide To Warrior Fitness, once showed me how to get fit without any special equipment other than stuff you find around the house and garden. Using his method I got very fit, fit enough to join a kungfu club and to find out just how far we can all challenge our bodies.
I hope this isn’t a false start or just a burst of enthusiasm based on this sunny Spring morning.
Ross Enamait devised and used these exercises from his days as a professional boxer and they worked for me too in the days before my brain haemorrhage when I practised kungfu and got fit enough to recover from that major illness to the surprize of all my doctors. So here goes! The new regime begins today.
If you are interested in finding out more about Ross Enamait and his training methods, here’s a link to his blog:
And here’s a, OK, slightly cheesey but inspiring video of the man himself at work:
Who knows – you might even get inspired yourself. I hope so. Wish me luck!