I found Bodypump!!

I never thought it possible, but I managed to find a gym that has Bodypump classes in Manila (and it’s within walking distance of our place!) A little background on Bodypump… it’s a fabulous weight routine where you do 10 tracks in one hour, each of which is coreographed to music. Each track focuses on a different muscle – abs, chest, gluts, bicep, tricep, shoulder, etc.

In order to go to Bodypump, I first had to join a gym. As usual, this was a bit of a process. I went over at 7 AM on Wednesday to check out the gym. I got the usual tour and an overview of the rates, etc. What I wasn’t expecting was that Filipino salespeople are a bit more aggressive than I’m used to. I was planning to wait until next week to join, but my salesperson called me at 6:30 AM on both Thursday and Friday to inquire if I was coming in that day. I decided that I did not want to be woken up at 6:30 again on Saturday and finally turned in my application on Friday.

SIDE NOTE: Apparently this pestering thing is a very common Filipino characteristic. Saying that you’ll do something doesn’t actually mean you will. For example, if a Filipino says they’re coming to your dinner party, you’re supposed to follow-up the day of to remind them/confirm that they really meant it. This is all in an effort to “save face” and avoid saying no. It’s better to say yes and then just not show apparently… I am not a fan of this cultural aspect yet.

And so now I’m a proud holder of a gym membership! I did my first BodyPump class this morning with 30 Filipinos. Where are all the other foreigners?? I swear I read that there was a large Expat community here. How come I don’t seem to be coming across any of them?? Alas, I’m getting used to being the one that stands out. Good thing I enjoy attention! I suppose if I was really trying to blend in then I wouldn’t have walked in late, taken a place at the front of the room and promptly started belting out the lyrics…. I still have quite a bit of work to do around the blending thing! All I can say is that it felt SOOO good to pick up this old favorite of mine. Be sure and look for my toned muscles in upcoming swimsuit photos!