I’ve been getting a lot of search engine hits for “Body Jam 42”, which is the latest release to be launched across Fitness First gyms in the Philippines. While I’ve been doing parts of this release during my demos, it’s always been just a couple of tracks or a short block (and on the instructor’s side). I finally got to attend a full class when Fitness First Ortigas launched on Monday evening. I arrived early that night to get a place in the front row, and I came to party!

• Warmup
  Boogie 2Nite (Seamus Haji Big Love Edit) – Booty Luv: This track does a great job of bringing in that party atmosphere so crucial to any Jam class, since it is the “ultimate dance party workout.” Super simple combos too, so anyone can get it.
• Isolations
  Tambourine (Clean Version) – Eve: The hip-hop feel to the track helps make isolating core muscle groups fun instead of a chore. Excellent choice of song as well because it makes me wanna dance!
• “Cha-Cha-Cha” Latin
  Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing – John Legend / Let’s Get Loud – Jennifer Lopez: A little challenge in the latin track’s rhythms makes this one enjoyable. Sexy too!
• Contemporary Rock
  Do It Again – Mega NuRave Styles and DJ ‘Little’ Rippa / One And Only – Timbaland ft. Fall Out Boy
  Funky new feel, chest pops, and a huge cardio blast — this track had me rocking. The stomp at the beginning seems to drag on for too long though.
• Recovery
  Umbrella (Clean Version) – Rihanna ft. Jay-Z
  Nice way for the heart rate to come down slowly. Obviously this is one very popular song, but this mix of choreography and music makes this my favorite Body Jam recovery track so far.
• Jam de Podium
  Sexual Healing (Freemasons Mix) – Alibi vs. Rockefeller / Get Down (Original Club Version) – Groove Armada / Get Up (Before The Night Is Over Tribalectric Mix) – Global Deejays ft. Technotronic / Rain Down Love (Phunkk Mobb Remix) – Freemasons ft. Siedah Garrett
  I love that this track doesn’t have too much traveling from side to side going on, so even in a crowded dance studio everyone gets a chance to break out. The Bounce move is so much fun and the playfulness in this cardio block’s choreography really elevates the mood and hypes everyone up. I don’t like how this block ends, though. I’d rather have a big finish because the energy is just through the roof.
• Groove Down
  Beautiful Liar – Beyonce ft. Shakira
  Sensual, sexy feel to this track and I love it! One of the best groove downs in my opinion, still incorporating dance while helping you stretch out those worked muscles.

I can’t wait to do this release again at the classes I attend. It provides a great contrast to the latest Body Balance release, number 38, which is all about stillness and focus. I helped launch BB38 in Fitness First branches in Manila and North EDSA, and will be launching at ABS-CBN, Fort, and Eastwood over the next few days. It’s a tremendous rush for me to break out and dance after all that controlled movement in my Body Balance classes. Ü

For more information about these group exercise programs, check out LesMills.com and Fitness First Clubs PH. For track listings, visit TotallyLesMills.com.

Tags: Body Jam, Fitness First Philippines, Les Mills

Last Sunday I was at TriNoma Mall doing a demonstration of group exercise programs from Fitness First. I shadowed the warm-up to BodyJam 42, presented the standing strength of BodyBalance 38, and shadowed the Oldskool block from BodyJam 41. We were performing in front of the membership recruitment booth on the ground floor, and it wouldn’t have been anything out of the ordinary if our impromptu audience hadn’t started whipping out their camera phones, still cameras, and videocams (!!!) and started visually recording what we were doing.

I found myself feeding off the attention and actually loving it. It’s a huge contrast from last year. I think I’ve really grown in that aspect. Here’s the evidence.

• June, after starting to attend dance classes: If there’s one thing I don’t want to do in a dance class, it’s to draw attention to myself. When that happens, thoughts start coming into my head, like “Am I trying too hard? Do I look like I’m from the Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) video?”
• July, thinking that I was destined for a life behind-the-scenes: I’m just going to come out and say this: I have terrible stage fright. There’s just something about the way all those eyeballs are focused on me when I’m up on stage that turns me into a deer in headlights — frozen still as a statue as the 10-wheeler of shame bears down on me.
• August, after attending BodyJam classes for three months: I was really surprised and flattered when she gave me this piece of advice (this is not a direct quote). “Everyone was watching you… You only looked up whenever I called your name. You know the last time, when I said you were dancing in your own little world… You have to look up! The audience can’t see you project.”
• September, after auditioning for the Nike Rockstar Bollywood competition: After the cool-down, one of the judges announced the three members who would represent Ortigas. The first number she called was mine! I felt like I’d won Miss Universe (and I probably had the same mock-surprise facial expression, haha).
• October, after competing at the Nike Rockstar event: And then we went out on stage. To my surprise we did better than I expected, and I was glad we didn’t prove to be embarrassments to our branch. After all, we were chosen as the team because we were supposedly the best they had to offer.
• February, after auditioning for BodyBalance instructor training: Admittedly I’m a gym rat but I’m more of the sweat-my-way-to-fitness kind, which is why I was totally surprised when Mother Fhe (so called because she’s the “mother hen” of most group exercise instructors at Fitness First Philippines) told me to audition for BodyBalance.
• March, after participating in another Nike Rockstar competition: It was a nice way to spend a few days living a different routine from home-work-home. I’ll end this entry with a video of our performance of which I’m very, very proud.
• March, after BodyBalance instructor training: I’m sitting here typing this smiling inside with a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. You might ask why, since it’s so early in the morning. Well, for the first time, I team-taught a BodyBalance class this morning at Fitness First ABS-CBN… I really do enjoy this and I hope I excel at this new endeavor. I may be an instructor of a group exercise program that’s supposed to leave you calm and centered, but I am definitely buzzed about it!
• July, after my first trip with Living Asia Channel: I’d never been on a working trip before, so everything was new to me: being on cam not for a family video but for a real show, traveling insane distances in bumpy circumstances just to get a shot of a required location, sleeping in a different place every night and at some point not having a shower to come home to… But it was so much fun!

The Noelle of last year would never have thought she’d be doing what I’m doing now: being in front of people, hosting or presenting or performing or anything of that sort. Sure, she may have dreamed of being in front of cameras but she wouldn’t have thought she’d have the guts to do anything there aside from quivering and shaking and making a fool of herself.

I have no idea where this boldness will take me, but I’m sure God has a great plan for my life which didn’t involve the timidity I used to suffer from. Right now, I’m just happy to say goodbye to my deer-in-headlights look. Ü

Tags: Performing, Overcoming Stage Fright

No, I am not getting married. At least not yet, anyway. I have a wedding to attend on Saturday and I have just realized I haven’t bought the wedding present. But I’ve got an even more pressing issue.

I have nothing to wear!

The invitation (which I got only today) asks that we guests refrain from wearing black and denim. Dress code is formal. Serves me right for choosing the little black dress over a neutral-colored anything. On the whole I really don’t have a problem with the way I dress, except for formal occasions. Now I’ll have to rummage in my closet, but I have a sinking feeling I’ll need to buy something specifically for this occasion.

Any ideas? Cheap ones, preferably. I don’t want to overshadow the bride (LOL!), especially since I’m just the groom’s guest. Ü

Tags: Fashion, Weddings

Last week I had five days of glorious DSL Internet access. Then all that came crashing to a halt when we lost access five days in a row as well. Thanks, PLDT!

I’ve had quite a week and will try to write about it in detail tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the long weekend! Ü

Well, it’s that time of the month again. Surfing the crimson wave. Aunt Flow’s in town. Putting aside all other euphemisms for menstruation, women’s troubles are just that: trouble. If it weren’t such a big deal, I don’t think we’d see so many commercials on TV hyping sanitary napkins with anti-leak channels and extra absorbency for those days when the flow just goes whack. For some women it’s an even bigger deal: the world comes to a grinding halt when the monthly visitor arrives at the manger bringing cramps, bloating, and fatigue.

Sometimes I wonder, what is all this suffering for? I mean, aside from giving women an excuse to snap at other people or be mean or reclusive (not that I do this, of course *wink*). Surely all that piping down there exists for a reason? Otherwise there is absolutely no reason for the uterine lining to build up and break down month after month after month…

And then I’m reminded of the miracle of childbearing. A woman’s body practically goes out of whack to adjust the needs of the unborn child growing in her womb. Hormone levels go through the roof, metabolism goes into overdrive… a lot of things happen so that the child may live. When that child is welcomed into the world by the arms of a loving mother and father, what a blessed life it promises to be. Ü

So here’s to my friends Brian and Menchu; in about six months’ time they will welcome a boy or girl into their growing family, to be a sibling to their daughter Ien. Mazel Tov!

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Psalm 127:3 NKJV)

Tags: Biological Clock, Women

You’d think that by now I’d be used to living in a tropical country where rain falls half the year. Drizzles and downpours, I’ve been in them all — in the past few weeks more often than I’d like. It’s pretty sucky to get soaked to the bone walking from one place to another in a shower, only for the rain to stop the second you step into a building’s doorway.

Sure, I know Metro Manila and Central Luzon needs all the rain it can get for water supply and power generation. It would be blasphemous of me not to appreciate the cloud seeding efforts which I assume are the cause of the regular afternoon rain showers.

I just wish the rain would fall somewhere other than the city. I mean, all that water falling on cement just drains away into rivers and ocean (most of our sewers in this city lead there). That, or the sewers get backed up and the water fails to drain away at all, leading to flash floods.

Just today Ade, Peter, and I were at Coffee Bean in Ortigas for a late lunch, swapping stories about rain and flooding in Manila. The conversation starter was the torrential downpour falling right outside that prevented Peter from going back to his office for two hours.

But far be it from me to sing “Rain, rain, go away.” It’s only for a few months more, right?

Tags: Metro Manila, Rain

My title might lead you to believe I’ve landed on the cover of some magazine. I intended it to be a bit misleading. Ü I have been teaching a lot of BodyBalance classes, covering for the regular instructors who for one reason or another couldn’t teach them. In local parlance I’m called a “reliever.”

Last week was the first time I experienced the lifestyle of a full-time freelance group exercise instructor: dashing from gym to gym, doing more than one class in a day, and spending dead time in between classes eating or searching for something to do. (Of course, since I’m juggling three freelance jobs now — I have a mosaic career, so some people call it — none of that dead time is really spent idle. I’m usually on my laptop writing drafts for Living Asia or encoding updates for the Genesis websites.) Most of the BodyBalance and yoga instructors with regular classes were away being trained for yoga certification, and there are only a few of us who can cover classes during the off hours of the day, i.e., any time between 9am to 6pm. So a lot of their classes fell into my lap. Imagine just last week I did two classes on Monday, two on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, two on Thursday, and three on Friday. Then, today I had two classes thirty minutes apart in two different gyms. Whew!

I can say, it is a tough life relying just on classes to make ends meet. In my case, I’m blessed that I have parents who are supporting me as I try to explore all the avenues opening to me (both in group exercise and in mass media). Doing BodyBalance classes isn’t just about the paycheck to me, since to pay back training I taught 32 classes for free. But if I can get paid to sweat and do something I love, why not?

I do envy those people who teach two or more programs (especially those who can teach freestyle classes) because they have some variety. Right now I can’t wait to start mixing between BodyBalance releases, probably for the reasons that the Standing Strengths and Core Abs tracks for release 37 take a lot out of me.

Great news, though: In less than two weeks, I’m getting a regular class of my own. Yep, that’s right; after four months of paying back the cost of my Les Mills training by covering other instructors’ classes, I now have four classes a month guaranteed. Wednesdays 7:30am at Fitness First Libis (Eastwood). Booyah!

Tags: BodyBalance, Fitness First Philippines, Group Exercise, Les Mills

I had a very interesting day today.

08:35am Just finished a ripper of a BodyJam class by Gelli. She’s agonizing over some choreo blips, but I had a great workout and that’s what’s important, right?

09:00am Got out of the shower and realized I brought the wrong bra. This isn’t mine, it’s Mama’s! I know because it’s too small for me. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wear the Nike top I brought. At least it has a built-in bra.

09:01am Why is the elastic of the built-in bra separating from the top? Oh. Am I having a bad day now?

09:03am I forgot to bring a belt for my pants. Can’t wear them now unless I want to moon everyone on the MRT. I have to wear my yoga pants. *sigh* I was planning to save them for the class I’m team-teaching with James later at The Fort, too.

09:30am Walking to the MRT station. Wait a minute, is it drizzling?

09:31am It’s drizzling. I’ll have to open my umbrella. Drat.

09:45am At least I’m on the MRT now, where it’s dry. I’ll make it to Ayala Station just in time for the malls to open so I can buy a bra and some tank tops. And a belt.

10:15am Time to get myself to The Fort. I can take the bus from Ayala Station.

10:19am No bus in sight. The class is at 11am! Maybe I should hoof it.

10:55am Drenched in sweat. Walked from Ayala Station all the way here to The Fort. Made it here just in time! James is about to start the class.

12:45pm Have told James about my morning. He says it’s Friday the 13th. Hah. I don’t really believe in that sort of thing. Funny morning anyway.

01:00pm Having lunch with James and Doni at Som’s near Rockwell. It’s a Thai canteen with some tables and umbrellas outdoors. Dining al fresco because it’s too warm inside.

01:30pm Mmm! Really good food. But why is the sky so dark?

01:43pm Drizzling. But we’re fine under this umbrella.

01:44pm We’re no longer fine. Somebody get us out of here!

02:18pm Rain has stopped and we’re driving to James’s house. Am feeling really bummed, but we look out the window and I see a store named “PRAISE GOD”. I feel a little shamed because I haven’t done that. I should count my blessings. At least I’m with people I enjoy being with.

03:18pm Have just received a text message asking me to cover a BodyBalance class tonight. This is definitely good news.

07:30pm Will be starting class. Doni is excited he’s attending a full class of mine for the first time. Hoping for no choreo blips.

08:36pm Am staying on for the last BodyJam class tonight. Dancing gives me endorphins!

10:00pm The parents have picked me up. Am getting a Big Mac and fries — yum! It’s been a long day but in the end think I had a great day. And it’s given me something to write about. Ü Praise God!

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name.” — Hebrews 13:15

Tags: Friday the 13th