Types of Gym Guys

But there is much, much more.

11. Brandissimos. These are guys who sport the newest Nike dunks, the latest Clima Cools, and the flashiest New Balance. You can see them roaming around the gym yet lifting so little.

But of course who would want to ruin their new apparel with sweat, right?

12. Buddy-buddy System. The guys who cannot even step near the gym without their gym buddies. They rely on their workout partner in order for them to get motivated. According to Men's Health, having a buddy contract with someone is very useful and can have a long-lasting impact on healthy lifestyle.

But using a gym buddy to make an excuse not to workout because the other is unavailable is just plain pathetic.

13. Janitors. Guys who return the weights just because others are lazy to return them anymore. Me as a perfect example.

14. Unli Guys. Lift. Text. Lift. Text. Lift. Text. Drink water. Text. Text. Text. Lift. Home.

15. Tiger Prawns. These are the guys with bodies of steel and abs popping from their midsection. They are the epitome of great physique - lean and all. They look great from every angle...from neck down, that is.

Paper bag please!

16. Mad Dashers. Lift, lift, lift. Scattered gym equipment. Home.

Note: They barely stay there for an hour. 30 minutes max.

17. Wolves. Guys who like to huff and puff in the gym, feeling oh-so-cool and suave, humbugs in other words. You will either love them or hate them.

18. Towel Boys. These are specific guys who specifically leave their specific towels on specific equipment therefore specifically making you ask them permission every time to use that specific equipment and specifically irritating some people. Specifically me.

19. The Gym Almanacs. Know-it-all guys who most of the time finds a subject to criticize with their form, breathing, lifting techniques, etc. You name it, they got it. They know it all, supposedly...

20. And finally, the Hunger Gays. You know who they are. They are everywhere whether it is a small-time gym or those gym that you see in malls. Guys hungry for, well, guys. Only gym guys, nonetheless.

You see him staring at you through the mirror while he's pumping his biceps.

Will it be a no or a go?




Part 2

Black Widower

Woe are the boys who get tangled in your web.

Whilst Awake

My childhood memories littered all over the floor. Photographs of me scattered: smiling, winking, dancing, standing up to walk. The room was a mess. I was trying to find something, rather, myself.

Growing up shielded and protected made me what I am. Afraid.

Afraid of so many things, of so many situations. Afraid to lose, to regret, to be rejected, to not be recognized, to be alone.

And I have known and accepted that fact.

Sometimes when I'm all alone, my mind wanders through questions I ask myself over and over. Like a broken recorder. I know the answers yet refuse to acknowledge them.

I am afraid, too, of commitments. And that is why I think my relationships don't last. I always tell people I don't count my past anymore. Flashbacks can be telling to recall.

But why?

Weakness of the heart, the will. The push needed. I lack that.

Yes, yes I really do.

Drama in relationships, I mostly quit after that. I don't like dramas. I don't like to cry anymore. Tears of blood had been shed. Soul withers.

And finally, I picked the childhood photographs on the floor, kept them sealed and looked at myself in the mirror...

"Will I ever get stronger?" I asked the person in front of the mirror.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths." - William Shakespeare

Pump-up Songs

Here's a list of the songs I typically listen to when I exercise.

10) Just One Last Time by David Guetta - this luscious techno music is pure adrenaline rush. I see to it that I get to play it in my ipod or even in my sports headset. When you get to the chorus, you just want to make a sprint and feel the tension of the music.

"Even though it hurts I can't slow down
Walls are closing in and I hit the ground
Whispers of tomorrow echo in my mind
Just one last time."

9) Finally Found You by Enrique Iglesias - I have a craving for pop music ever since the Spice Girls came out and this is no exception. Enrique has proven himself worthy of being listened to not just in the airwaves but also in clubs, especially his songs with remixes. Although some of his songs imply affairs. Oh well.

8) Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia - the song that made me download their whole album. Don't You Worry Child has been an absolute favorite of mine ever since I was able to know the title.

"See heaven's got a place for you."

7) Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall by Swedish House Mafia - now you guys might know that Coldplay is actually the one who brought to life this song but the SHM's version sounds more for clubs, and predominantly, more to my liking. Great song. I don't get much of its meaning but I tried so hard just to know this song that I don't care what it means!

6) Wake Me Up by Avicii - I love this song because of its beat and, well, I can relate to its lyrics. Like I told you before some techno or trance or house songs may have blurred meanings but this one is one of those exceptions.

"So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself, and I
Didn't know I was lost."

5) Boomerang by Akon - this song is so good I can't stop listening to it. Heard it from a gym mate and had trouble finding it in torrent. Search engines gone whack, I guess. But finally when I was able to download it, I listened to it every freaking day. Swear.

4) The Spark by Afrojack - first time I watched this song in MTV I knew I had to get it. Very feel good music. Danceable too. Afrojack, as I recall has a song in Dance Dance Revolution. I am just not sure if it's the same artist.

3) If I Lose Myself by Tiesto and One Republic - one of the newest songs I am currently hooked up with. Actually I just realized how good this song is when I was running in BGC. Knowing Tiesto, his songs are mostly non-lyrical. Good to know he is changing his music a bit and collaborating with different artists.

2) Patron Tequila by Paradiso Girls - of course I would include this! This is the sh*t. Awesome beat and lyrics.

"Who wanna get drunk?"

1) Teenage Dream by Katy Perry - now I know most of you have moved on from this song as this is so 2010 but let me tell you that this remains to be my favorite. There is just something so magical about those lyrics. I don't know but who cares!

There you have it, my top 10 tracks. The tracks I have listened to over and over again and there's no sign of me stopping from listening to them.

What's yours?

I would love to know your suggestions so I can update my playlist too.

Before and After

Circa June 2013

Circa November 2013

New Year Thoughts

"The world is monotonous, men learn nothing, and, with every generation, they fall into the same errors and nightmares, events are not repeated but they resemble one another...novelties end, surprises, revelations." - Giovanni Papini, Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco