arteo's back to the gym..........

It's terrible, this inertia of blogging. Once you've lost the momentum, it's difficult to resume writing, very much like the dynamics of exercise or the discipline of going to the gym.

Talking about going to the gym, I have been (trying to be faithful in) attending one that does not need a membership fee of RM1600 a year like what I had last year. In fact, I have the liberty to pay per visit. And it's only RM4 a trip to the adonis-land, though the smell could be very unsuggestive of anything adonic at all. The gym I am talking about - Likas Sports Stadium Community Gym. And how I miss the shiny glistening non-rusty, near wholly digital, state-of-the-art muscle building contraptions they have in the gym at Shangri-La Tg Aru Resort.

Now, the gym can be a very intimidating place to be in. Don't even start about how a lardbag like me would feel among the Misters Sabah (champions, runner-ups, and apperentices), those people make me feel like a pig visiting buffalo land. Okay enough about that. Self-consciousness apart, there are few other put-offs that can derail me from my strong-willed intention to keep a discipline on going to the gym and make myself buff. There are some common etiquette regarding the accepted behaviors to be observed in the gym, and here are some that I rate as top five.

ARTEo's TOP 5 GYM ETIQUETTE

1. Bring a towel. Or an old t-shirt. It is irritating, not to mention disgusting, to have to wipe off the excrements of the butch that was there before you. It's only good manners to wipe the instruments after every use, especially if you're wearing stringy singlets to show off your hard-earned cleavages. (Plus: cleavages can be a very good thing on women, but on guys - a tad weird)
2. Shut up. First - the screamers - those who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, or the weight of 12 plates on the shoulder press machine. We know you're strong, we can see you hog that machine for the whole night. We need not an audible reminder of the fact that you're still there since one and half hour ago. Secondly, the chatters - some just love to make small talks, and often initiates them when we are in mid-set concentrating on our reps.
3. Return apparatus to normal position after use. Or don't leave your towels / bottles / personal belongings hanging around machines after you're done with it. We just don't know if you're done and we don't want to break rule number 2.
4. Kids stay out. We appreciate the fact that you're ably feccund and higly reproductive but the gym is not the place to show-off your procreating capabilities. Off-springs in the category of young teenagers, primary school children, toddlers and babies all have their places in the world, but the gym is not one of them. Keep them guarded at the parks, playgrounds or McD PlayCorners.
5. Mind your social manners. Often we meet old friends or colleagues at the gym and its only natural to shake-hands. In doing so, take off your damp gym-gloves. And don't decline hand-shake saying you have a dirty glove on when the other chap already extends his hand. That's just plain rude. And smile. We know how painful it gets when you push yourself to the limit, but there's no need to be vivid with facial expression. What a woos!
   

Of course there other rules concerning gym etiquette but observing the above 5 will make every gym session a healthier exercise for the mind, body and spirit.