gym

25.7.2000

I'm joining a gym. I didn't ever get around to joining the university one, and now I've moved right close (about a minute or so walk) to another I've decided to go for it.

It's pretty cheap (I think, about 14 UKP for the introduction course of 3 hours and then 1.60 to 2.00 UKP per session, which is as long as you like) and it's not a proper city gym. It's in a pretty quiet area and it's run by the council AFAIK.

Non-the-less, it's a gym. With people who are strong and have been going for ages. Plus I look really, really wierd in shorts. I bought some though, last week. I wasn't sure which sort to go for so they are pretty normal shorts just from a sports shop. I avoided any with Adidas or other sporty-names on.

I got photos taken Saturday for the ID card, that came out pretty well. I had to pay a 4 quid book fine on Saturday at the Uni library ! It's 50p a day :-(

So I'm all set. Tomorrow I'll go give them the form and my photo, and see when they can fit me in for the starter lessons.

28.7.2000

I've been to two of the three introduction things so far. Free Weights on Thursday with a guy called David. A stifled a giggle when David stressed that it would take a while to build a body like his; he is pretty old and while undoubted strong---he's right, it would take me about 45 years.

Although it was interesting finding out about my muscle groups and the many different ways to swing a weight to use them, Wednesday (the day before) was much more interesting. I was taken by a girl called Rachel. I say girl; I've no idea how old she was. I'm really bad at guessing. Maybe 27ish. Maybe 25. No, older than 25. 27 is good. Then again, she was petite with a joyfully playful attitute so maybe 22 is more reasonable.

We went through the cardiovascular machines first, having a go on stepping, rowing, walking, running and biking. On to weight machines with various names. Oh, I'm 52KG. I had to find out to program the jogging machine; Rachel was not too impressed I was lighter than her.

Then we came up to the weird one. You kind of push down a bar with your foot, and hold it down while you swivel two pads-on-bars out so you can move past them into the seat. You sit (still with foot on the bar!) and swivel the bars back so the pads are facing your chest (or quite blatantly about to squash her breasts) and release the foot-bar. That clamps you into the seat. The first woman to try it out was probably quite pleased to discover that the pads will rotate from an offset pivot so that you can move them slightly above any majorly squashable parts of ones anatomy.

Then the person using the machine to work out beds forward against the pads, and back. And forwards, and back. And forwards, and back.

Apparently it's only the wierdest thing I've ever sat in because I'm still pretty young.

When we'd finished up and had a look at the timetable to arrange the next non-free weights session I ended up with her again, because apparently the guy next tuesday is `scary and huge' so I'm much better off with her on wednesday. Suits me. I'm sharing her though, unless I drop by and ask her if I can come an hour later. Tempting.