The Evening Standard
August 2003
Health & Fitness
A fortnight ago, I was a 17stone fatty, gloomily
pondering my future as yet another thirty something male sliding
towards middle aged obesity, heart failure and viagra assisted
nookie.
I had used conventional gyms before – I’d visit them
for a month or so, then leave, disillusioned. In exchange for
a joining fee and several monthly subscriptions, I received a
2-hour induction by poorly trained staff. I never heard a word
about nutrition. In a soulless environment like that, reasons
to keep going soon died out.
Karmaa a trendy new gym in the heart of Camden stepped
into breach. The gym already has a starry clientele,
its instructors have trained Caprice, but it was far from intimidating
(another big drawback of many London health clubs).
It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions: I feel depressed
by the pain and exhaustion, hatred for the instructors and deep
pride at the end of each session, knowing I’ve broken another
pain barrier. Raf & Garth have managed to do what no other
gyms done so far – make me come back. A good fitness instructor
can also see how much you have got left in the tank, and then
make you burn it.
The results are excellent, but there’s still a long
way to go. The sadists at Karmaa have assured me that things will
only get tougher. |
