Fitfunda…Fitness..Simplified

It has been the LONGEST time since I last published a post.

Rather not delve into the reasons

What we CAN delve into though, is a small discussion into the gymming scene in Delhi/NCR (Since I am not aware of how things stand in other cities, and am banking on the readers of this post to plug in the gaps within the ‘comments’ section )

Its been a few years since I started working out. Have used half a dozen and checked out another dozen across two cities, Bombay and Delhi/NCR.

Here are a few of them:

The Open Air Gym I never went to.

Living next to Shivaji Park (in Dadar West) in Bombay has its benefits.

The Shivaji Park Open Gymnasium (SPOG) is not one of them.

Empty during the day time, the place has its fair share of patrons in the evening. These men (as a rule) with their sweaty bodies and lustrous body hair could not be faulted upon for lack of enthusiasm.

Hygiene?

Well, if it didn’t apply to the food they tossed up near Dadar Station in the evening, it had no reason to be applied here!

A couple of my hosteler batchmates did make the right economic sense when they enrolled in, but I guess their olfactory sense won over the former

The first expensive gym I went to.

Looking at buff third years, a couple of us freshers (six months old, but still freshers) decided to join in a ‘proper’ gym. Not far, just a 25 minute walking distance. A one and a half storied gym (the upper floor had a ceiling low enough only to allow ‘lying down’ exercises), quarter the size of my house back home had more metal than Optimus Prime stacked along the walls.

We paid for three months.

The first three days were spent gawking at the H U G E guys grunting and shouting at the machines.

The next three days were spent mustering courage to ask the trainer for guidance (who looked like he wanted to rag us more than our own seniors).

One day of a nice arm workout and four boiled eggs post workout (on a tea stall outside), three days were spent in nursing the pain and stiff ness caused by starting with too much, too soon.

Never saw the place again.

Heard someone tried for a refund and ended up paying for another three months. He never saw the place again either.

Joggers Park.

Two years post the last attempt at working out, I had the esteemed pleasure of having three first year students live in the room across. My books were well arranged, bed was always made and the cupboards were always spic. It was during one of these housekeeping sessions where one of the boys told me that he came from a sports school. He also suggested that I start jogging for fitness.

He veiled a stinging attack on my physical appearance within suggestions of how ‘fabulous’ i’d look with a ripped physique. Touched, I gave in, and rubbishing Shivaji Park, I settled in for a classier Jogger’s Park at Carter Road. Mornings were preferred since they allowed lesser embarrassment.

Also, hung over women will check out anything moving to keep themselves from snoring off. I had the happy misconception that I was the unique subject of their admiration. Nevertheless, I owe the place my real initiation into fitness.

The Institutional Gym.

The college decides to open a gym. The equipment is bare minimum. The more initiated train the lesser initiated. The lone lady trainer is hit on by multiple boys.

Its a magical world, and while we are in it, we build some muscle

The 300 bucks per month gym.

Moving to Delhi and living in a lesser locality, there is a dearth in quality and not quantity of fitness facilities. I did not work out for one year for the reason.

However, I did check out the 300 bucks per month gym.

Its a four walled version of the ‘Open Air Gym’ (described above). Hence the ventilation suffers at the hands of insulation.

Insight: never stand next to someone doing a shoulder press at one of these places, cuz if you throw up, you very well will end up cleaning the mess yourself!

The privately run gym at govt. sports facilities.

Thank God for the Siri Fort Sports Complex gym! Its closed for the CWG refurbishment. If you live in the vicinity, theres no better place to initiate yourself into a fitness lifestyle. Was managed by Powerhouse India, the equipment was pretty sturdy, the trainers were attentive enough if they saw you coming to the gym regularly and the man managing the place, Mr. Chander Prakash was awesome with his interpersonal skills.

Highly recommended if the place comes back. Only pitfall though is that the treadmills had a waiting list and you could use them max for 15 minutes at a stretch, which I think defeats the purpose of a treadmill/crosstrainer.

The rip-off basement gyms in expensive localities.

Run by random people looking at making a quick buck, these gyms are exorbitantly priced, have crappy equipment and crappier trainers. The place will always be clean, playing retro disco hits on a second hand worn out music system and will be replete with plastic/indoor potted plants placed strategically along the corners.

Must avoid. Especially if thay have a woman sitting on the front desk

Expensive Gyms in Expensive localities.

Well branded, strategically placed, well equipped, choc a bloc full of runners, spotters, valets and all the necessary man power without which our Dilli ka baba-log cannot survive.

You will see flashy cars with booming music systems outside with men in A&F and women in Juicy couture (mostly fake, bought from Thailand). Ideal places to socialize, catch up on gossip and maybe a hot date. Orientation towards fitness is optional.

High end gyms in five star hotels.

Meant for the uber rich and the uber addressed. Well equipped in all regards. Highly recommended if you can afford them.

A definite plus would be designer work out gear and/or a greek god/goddess body.

Although, it doesn’t even matter if you work out cuz you always will have botox, liposuction, silicon and cosmetologists at your beck and call.

International health club chains.

These arrive in a market when they see enough business potential, and they have arrived in our metros trickling in every month. These are large format gyms with facilities to the boot and a corporate structure. There is a proper sales department, front house department, facilities management team, support teams and off course fitness teams.

The equipment is top notch and is usually maintained well. These are reasonably priced for the earning mid-manager level.

Cons? Well, There will hardly be anyone there to help if you are about to get crushed under the bench press rod, since all the trainers will be busy selling/taking personal training sessions. Also, the sales teams will wear your ringtone off while selling memberships but NO ONE will even BOTHER to check once you’ve paid up, irrespective of whether you are coming to the gym or not.

That was my two cents on the ‘gym’ situation in Delhi/NCR. Is it different in your city/country? Would LOVE some feedback here!

Love,
Aaditya