Desperate Measures

Figuring Out FTX

Oncologist buddy, Dennis Doromal, and I bought the same groupon pass for ten sessions at this new gym in Salcedo Village, Makati so I invited him to check it out with me this afternoon, in spite of a heavy night of dancing and double vodkas on the rocks.  (Chelu, whom I gave a pass to for his birthday, was tired and sent his regrets.)

The Reception.  (All photos c/o Dennis Doromal.)

We met at the Salcedo Park and walked into FTX (Fitness Exchange) together.  We immediately liked the funky interiors.  It's a small gym and I can imagine it can get quite crowded during peak hours.  They have one room for their yoga and dance classes, and another room for boxing and martial arts.  The main area contains the equipment for their 15 "signature" circuit training workouts.

While we were excited about the place, my initial impression wasn't very good as the receptionist and the instructors didn't do a very good job of orienting us about the gym and its facilities.  Well, come to think of it, there was no orientation at CrossFit or Plana FORMA either.  Maybe I just expect the courtesies of the bigger gyms like Fitness First and Gold's Gym, where they take you on a quick tour and explain how things work.  I was at CrossFit for what? - six months? - and I still don't know if they provide locker keys.  (I never used a locker and always just left my stuff on a bench.)

But I guess what ticked me off with FTX was that the receptionist was inattentive.  First of all, she took care of the concerns of some foreigner who arrived after us before attending to us.  Then when we asked her about what we were supposed to do, she said that an instructor would take care of us.  ('See, I don't think we should have even asked.  That information should have been volunteered.)

We could plainly see that the two instructors were busy and were kept waiting until I called the receptionist's attention to it (I don't know what she was busy with but she always had her head down and didn't even notice that we were waiting), and it was only then that she called one of the instructors to attend to us and she took over addressing the concerns of someone inquiring about packages.

Later, when I informed her that the toilet was out of toilet paper, she told me, like I was stupid, that the paper was in that rolling thingamajig.  "Yes, I know that but it's still out of paper."  She went and checked first - I guess to make sure that I wasn't lying - before replacing the paper.  And, even then, she forgot the key to unlock the rolling thingamajig so it took her a while to get the job done.

The instructors, although friendly, didn't bother to ask for our names or introduce themselves and I thought they were a bit sloppy in their instruction.  Then again, they had to individually address the needs of everyone in the gym so I guess they were spread a little too thin and did the best that they could under the circumstances.

In the end, though, because we had a good workout and were on a post-workout high, I quickly forgot my initial impressions.

Until now, that is.

;-)

Our passes were for the circuit training and the two trainers tag-teamed in instructing us.

We started with a warm up that included mountain climbers, lunges and high kicks so we were already out of breath after those.

We were told that we would start with a program called "Lose Big Now", described on their website as "FTX’s total body workout that burns fat optimally and, at the same time, increases basal metabolic expenditure (BME).  Chest, abs, arms, back, and legs are shaken with occasional visits to the cardio zones."  More importantly, it was supposed to acquaint us with the different training "zones" around the gym and the various equipment that they featured.

So we used rings for chest presses, strange-looking blue "barbells" for deadlifts, a contraption similar to TRX for bicep curls and rows.  We did squats while hanging onto bars, squat cleans with sandbags, then got sent to the rowing machine for two minutes (- if I am not mistaken, I rowed 429 m.).  We also had to do burpees (- Damn!  I thought I was done with those!) into dumbbell overhead lifts and sit-ups on gym balls.

The instructor could tell that I wasn't a stranger to exercise so he assumed Dennis also knew what he was doing and would leave us to attend to other clients.  So I had to show Dennis how to do the kettlebell swing (- this being our first session, I only used the 12-kilo kettlebell; Dennis used a lighter bell) and I would have corrected his cleans (he was doing reverse curls) but he was already straining with the sandbags so I didn't bother.  Reverse curls are a good exercise anyway.

Although I'm not very strong, most of the time, I do have good form - at least, when I don't have to do too many reps or compete with others for time (in other words, when I am not doing CrossFit, har) - and I can transition from one exercise to the next without needing much rest.  When I was doing TRX, trainer, Reema Chanco, had to tell her students not to keep up with my pace after one of them ended up having to sit out the rest of the class after she felt dizzy and faint from trying to keep up with me.  I kept telling Dennis to take his time, and I was speeding things up anyway because I wanted to finish before him so I could help him out with his form but, well, he wasn't keeping count so he'd finish whenever I'd finish, even though sometimes he'd start when I was already halfway through a set.

We only did one set of each exercise.  We did either 12 or 20 reps, depending on the difficulty of the exercise.  Except for the kettlebell swings.  We did 40 of those.  The circuit was fun and I still had enough energy at the end to practice some one-arm kettlebell swings and box jumps.

Afterwards, one of the instructors stretched and massaged us with a medicine ball which is always a nice treat.    

Dennis, waiting for his turn to be stretched.

We felt great after the workout and would have gotten our whey protein shakes from FTX's little snack counter but we didn't know whom to approach (the receptionist, as usual, had her head down and the instructors were busy) so we walked to Greenbelt instead.  Dennis lives somewhere in the area and I had to do some shopping anyway.

I'm still not sure how the other FTX sessions will proceed but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

One down, nine more to go!

 ***

Some things to note:

• They are open from 6 AM to 10 PM, Mondays to Saturdays and from 8 AM to 8 PM on Sundays.
• Because the gym is small and they do not have too many instructors, I suggest going during non-peak hours.  Peak hours are from 5 to 8 PM on weekdays.
• There is only one toilet for both men and women, although there are separate shower stalls for both sexes.
• They provide drinking water, locker keys and small towels.  Well, the receptionist said that they provide small towels but she didn't give us any so I guess you have to ask for one.  There are bath towels for rent for P30.
• Wear comfy workout clothes and shoes.

FORMA Conclusion

So I did five Plana FORMA classes in one week.  (My last one was yesterday at 4:45 PM.)

For my light weights (for tricep kickbacks), I started with 2 lbs., then went up to three and ended with four.  There are also quite a few tricep dips throughout the workout so there's been a dull ache in my triceps the whole week.

For my heavy weights (for bicep curls and rows), I started conservatively with 4 lbs. since I didn't know how many reps were involved, then I moved up to five, six and, yesterday, I used the 8-lb. dumbbells which I probably should have started with as I finally have a bit of an ache in my biceps today.

No, I never got through the thigh workouts without ten billion resets.  Those thigh workouts are killers.  I have no doubt that if I could do them, I wouldn't be able to walk today.

(Photo c/o Plana FORMA's website.)

All in all, though, while there are variations to the routine, it's still a predictable routine.  Also, because it's fast paced, it can be a bit difficult to follow, especially when you can't see or understand the instructor.  (Because they talk so fast, sometimes the instructors get tongue-tied and their instructions can be unclear.)  I would put more mirrors on all sides of the room and remove the unused thick, blue mats from against the wall as they obstruct views.

While I enjoyed my sessions (the Plana FORMA staff are excellent and extremely accommodating), I don't know if this is something I'd like to do for an extended period of time.  I might buy the Physique 57 DVDs though for when I am in Siargao and will have a barre installed in my room.  Its sister, Plana FORMA, is a great indoor workout and I am glad to see it has quite an avid following.

Now onto the next workout...

Plana FORMA, Beginner's Class, 11 January 2012, 10:15 AM

Solving a Sudoku puzzle is a tricky thing.  Just when I think I've gotten it and can move up from the hard puzzles to the expert ones, maybe I'll be able to solve one or two expert puzzles and then I'll lose that Sudoku mindset and won't be able to solve another puzzle, even if I go back to the hard ones.  Strange.  Once you get into that Sudoku zone though...

Yup.  I was awake for 19.5 hours.

Sleep:  5 AM to 7 AM.  Bathroom break.  Then again from 7-ish to 8:30 AM.

I did stay in bed till nine o'clock and was tempted to call Plana FORMA to cancel my session but -  um... since I cheated massively on my diet last night (more on that later), I forced myself out of bed and made it to the 10:15 session with Van Manalo.

Plana FORMA's small movements really take some getting used to, especially after the big, explosive movements of CrossFit.  With CrossFit, I'd feel the muscle pain AFTER a workout.  With Plana FORMA, it's during the class and it can be quite excruciating and extremely difficult to work through.  But I'll have almost no residual muscle pain afterwards.

Shit.  Now I have to try to solve that Sudoku puzzle I just posted.

Plana FORMA, Beginner's Class, 9 January 2012, 11:00 AM

When Rosan and I were in Hong Kong last August, we bumped into Miggy at the Chili Peppers' concert.  She hadn't quite grasped the concept of CrossFit yet so, when I introduced them, Rosan asked, "Oh yeah, Plana FORMA, right?"  Miggy scoffed and I nearly choked on my beer.

(Internet file photo.)

Well, I did the Beginner's Class today and I know now that Plana FORMA is no scoffing matter.  It's different, that's for sure.  It's not CrossFit-macho but it certainly isn't a walk in the park for old ladies either.

It's definitely faster paced than barre3.  And if you have ADD, like me, it's easy to get lost in a whirl of lefts, rights, ups, downs, points and flexes.

The warm-up is an upper body workout, where you do bicep curls, tricep kickbacks and dumbbell rows.  They don't do as many reps as barre3 which is why they have a selection of heavier weights that you can pyramid up to eventually.

The rest of the workout is all lower body.  Legs, butt and thighs.  And if there's one thing they know how to do at Plana FORMA, it's how to make your thighs scream.  GAAAAAH!  I'm hoping that I'll be able to get through at least one session (out of five) without taking breaks during the leg exercises.

But, like barre3, the instructors encourage you to go at your own pace, to stop when you have to but to jump back in as soon as you can.  They also give you options to intensify the workout.  

There's some ab work too at the end, right before a quick cool down.  (After each muscle-specific workout, the targeted muscle is stretched so that there's no need for more stretching at the end.)

Again, a fun class.  I would definitely recommend it to those wanting to tone up.  Julie Alagde, credited with creating Plana FORMA, was my instructor today.  Now there's one fit woman.

Julie Alagde.  (Photo c/o Plana FORMA's website.)

Okay, I know this sounds shallow but don't you think that a crucial job requirement for fitness instructors is that they look fit?  It's kinda in the job title, no?  At Fitness First, the instructors were maybe doing five classes a day - Body Jam, Combat, Pump, you name it - yet most of them looked like they had been left too long in the kitchen.  Hardly motivating.  Seriously, if they can do all that, lift that heavy and yet still look like they ate the refrigerator, how is that supposed to inspire the likes of me?  What do you think I'm doing this for?  My health?!  Pfft!

(Another requirement that anyone would think would be listed on a fitness instructor's basic job description is the ability, not only to teach a certain skill, but to execute said skill with precision and accuracy.  Sounds like a no-brainer, no?  But it seems that not all qualified instructors are, in fact, qualified instructors.)

At Plana FORMA, the instructors not only look like fitness instructors, they also look like the dancers that they are, so you know that they definitely know their stuff.

I'm glad to report that Plana FORMA's second classroom (yes, they have two) has laminated wooden floors as opposed to the one that I was in yesterday that was carpeted.

I also got to try their showers and they were spic and span and well appointed.  It's refreshing to work out again in a place where you don't have to bring your own towel or pay to use one.

I was going to catch the Picasso exhibit (Suite Vollard) at the Met so I showered and changed at the studio but the cab driver told me that all roads leading to Manila were clogged due to the Feast of the Black Nazarene.  (8 million devotees??!!!).  I didn't want to mess with that so I went home instead.

Rest day tomorrow, I think.

And a massage tonight.  :-)

Plana FORMA, Intro to FORMA, 8 January 2012, 3:15 PM

Last November, Andy Cruz Martel invited me to the launch of her new collection of bags for Gabriel*Martel, a collaboration between her and one of her BFFs, Celine Gabriel.

 

Before the show, I had a chance to chat with Andy about their latest collection, Tocco Di Lusso  (Italian for "touch of luxury").  As a result, when the sponsors were giving away some products before the show, I knew enough about the collection to win one of the prizes.

A water bottle from Plana FORMA.  Gee, thanks.  Let me just add that to my one-thousand-and-one water bottle collection...  I almost left it and the card it came with on one of the couches that night.

A few days later, while cleaning out my bag, I found the card from Plana FORMA.  It's a good thing I plucked it up from that couch at the last minute because it turned out to be a gift certificate for five of their classes.  Yay!

I had heard about Plana FORMA before, knew absolutely zilch about it, but was intending to eventually check it out and, here it was, handed to me for free - on a card with a water bottle.  I love it how things work out sometimes.

Plana FORMA is an offshoot of Physique 57, a barre workout similar to barre3.  Three of FORMA's top dogs trained in the Physique 57 method in New York and rumor has it that they could not acquire the franchise for the Philippines and thus developed their own barre workout.

I only did the introductory class this afternoon (with Viella Galvez), which wasn't really much of an introductory class in the sense that it's more instructional, I think it's just an easier class - i.e. has less reps - than a regular class.  I'll have to do a regular class before I can make a fair comparison between Plana FORMA and barre3.  (I'm hoping to sign up for tomorrow's 11 AM class with Plana FORMA's main mover and shaker, Julie Alagde.)

In any case, it was a fun workout.  After CrossFit, it was a bit bizarre working out in front of a mirror with a peppy instructor.  Although it was an introductory class, I wouldn't say it was all that easy.  Especially the leg exercises.  I couldn't get through all of them without shaking, and I had to take a few rests because my thighs were on fire.

The studio is in a remote area of Fort Bonifacio (near Essensa) and is not easily accessible by cab, which is a major drawback for me.

(Photo c/o Plana FORMA's website.)

It's small but sleek and polished and all the equipment is new.  I'm not a fan of carpets at a place where people sweat (even though I myself didn't sweat much in this particular class) and, although they are plush and new now, I wonder what state they'll be in in a few years.

(Internet file photo.)

Plana FORMA provides locker keys and towels, bathroom slippers, toiletries and hairdryers.

P.S. - Plana FORMA must be lucky for me.  After the class, Viella told me that she had picked my name out of a box and I had won some Nivea products.  

***

Plana FORMA Checklist:

• Comfortable workout clothes
• Sticky socks
• Filled-up water bottle

Plana FORMA's sticky socks.  (Internet file photo.)