Tuesday, December 30, 2008

UNO NUTRITION.COM














Just a quick announcement about UNO NUTRITION.
Finally.....UNO NUTRITION has gotten it's website up and running.
Please visit www.unonutrition.com and checkout what's in it.We have also merged PROBUFFEDBODIES FORUM to it so now it's a one stop site. Any support from you readers in spreading the word on UNO NUTRITION out there would be greatly appreciated too.

Well , go check the site out now! Till i write somemore crap...Merry Christmas and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone out there!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Christoph "HOUDINI" Kaiser - R.I.P.



Deepest condolances to Faridah and the Kaiser family.

I really do not know where to start...as it is truly a shocking and sad moment for many of us.We have lost one of our brothers,a gentle giant with a smile on his face always.

I'm pretty sure he knows we all loved him very much.
He will live on in our memories and when the time comes we will be reunited.We will ride together again!

Headhunters family now and forever brother.If you're partying in heaven , make sure to save a spot for us buddy...we will be reunited one day!










































Thursday, September 11, 2008

GARY STRYDOM - IFBB PRO BODYBUILDER.

You may be wondering who Gary Strydom is right?
Well , he is an IFBB professional bodybuilder and has competed in numerous pro shows over the last 2 decades.He has competed in the epitome of bodybuilding competition , Mr.Olympia and placed 5th!!!

The guy is a legend in the bodybuilding world , and i had the honour of actually meeting him here in KL in August at the Hard Rock KL.What a rush it was to have had the opportunity to hang out with one of my idols right here in KL!!! He told me that he will be back this way soon...so more hangin' out , a few workouts with the champ and who knows..a possible business venture too.

Gary is also one of the very few humble pro bodybuilders i've ever met too! Not forgetting how intelligent he is..this guy is business minded.Brawns and brains!!! He owns Crazeewear , those baggy pants you usually see bodybuilders and other athletes wear in magazines , StrydomWear which is his latest sports apparel range and has his own range of supplements to boot.That's not all...he's into the real estate business too.Now how many bodybuilders that you know that are this business minded?

Hats off to this champ who , is 50 years old by the way and still looking awesome.Below is a list of some of his achievements throughout his career as a pro bodybuilder :-

Bodybuilding Titles
1984 USA Champion 1st
1986 NPC Champion 1st
1986 Night of Champions 1st
1988 Mr. Olympia 5th
1989 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic 3rd
1989 Australian Grand Prix 1st
1989 French Grand Prix 1st
1989 Swedish Grand Prix 1st
1989 Spanish Grand Prix 1st
1991 WBF Champion 1st
1992 WBF Champion 1st
2006 Denver Pro-Am 7th

Gary mentioned to me that he will be making a return to competitive bodybuilding next year , 2009.Looking at him that time , i truly believe he will place well!

Well , wishing him all the best in his future endeavours .... wouldn't mind following his footsteps , career wise if i may say so hehehhehee!!!

Below are some of the pics taken with him and from his website.ENJOY!!!







































































































Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Muscling into the movies

Not bad la considering that i've not been competing or anything that would put me in the limelight...still got "saham" la so to speak hahahahaa!!!
Anyways , have a read and a laugh at my expense..no problem!!! ;)

Article was from NST 5th Aug 2008.
Muscling into the movies















Q & A with TERRY GALLYOT.

KUALA LUMPUR: Following the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, Malacca-born champion bodybuilder Terry Gallyot has embarked on a movie career of his own.

After two decades of training and competing in the sport, he has moved on to movies and started a business in nutritional supplements produced locally.

In 2006, Gallyot was approached by rocker actor Awie who asked him to play a role in his movie, Iskandar. Gallyot also starred in Sumolah with Afdlin Shauki.

The 39-year-old Eurasian was declared as Mr Asia in 1999 by the International Federation of Body Building.

He also walked away with the title of "Most Improved Bodybuilder" at the event.

The jovial 130kg behemoth has won 32 titles in the sport since he started competing in 1987 at state level and progressed to the international arena.

"Bodybuilding is a lifestyle. It is the focus of mental will and physical ability to reach one's potential," said Gallyot when asked what the last 21 years of training meant to him.

The five-time Mr Malaysia said: "My quest was to reach my potential in terms of fitness and physical strength and to realise this, I chose bodybuilding."

Apart from muscling into the acting scene, Gallyot is focusing on his own training centre known as The Ultimate Gym in Wangsa Maju.

"My joy now is to train others to be fit and reach their goals whether it be weight reduction, bodybuilding or other wellness programmes."

Q: How did you get started in bodybuilding?

A: I remember that when I was three years old, my father took the family to the zoo. I stood on the barriers of the lion cage and posed like a bodybuilder.
Since then, muscular physique has intrigued me and I started training with weights at home. I started training seriously after completing my SPM in 1987 and joining a gym in Kuala Lumpur.

Some years later, at the launch of another gym, I was approached by bodybuilding official Datuk Paul Chua who urged me to compete.

Although I was not training for competition then, my joy came from seeing my body being transformed into what I visualised in terms of getting big.
I started reading many books on bodybuilding and nutrition and coupled with my idol Arnold Schwarzenegger's videos on bodybuilding, I learnt many techniques to improve.
I coached myself as I believe that no one knows his own body better than anybody else.Because of my movie roles and business commitment, I have put off competing for a while.

Q: You have embarked on an acting career, how did you get involved?

A: It all started when Awie approached me in 2003 to act with him in his movie Iskandar. I have done many commercials, telemovies and sitcoms.
I had also acted with Afdlin Shauki in Sumolah which was my biggest role to date.There were acting offers for me but due to my business commitments, I had to turn them down.

Q: Tell us about your childhood and your family?

A: I was born in Bandar Hilir, Malacca. I studied at quite a number of primary and secondary schools as my father was working as a heavy machinery technician with Pernas Constrcution, and was transferred many times across the country.
I completed my SPM at Setapak High School and went on to do my A-Level at a local college in the city. I have a younger brother and a younger sister.

Q: What titles have you won?

A: My greatest achievement was winning the Mr Asia title in 1999 and being listed in the top 15 in the Mr Universe competition in 2000 in the heavyweight category. Since 1987, I won a total of 30 titles from state to national and international levels.

Q: What is your training regime like?

A: I train six days and rest one day every week. In bodybuilding, it is 70 per cent nutrition and 30 per cent training, so eating right is very important to me. Bodybuilding is a lifestyle.

Q: Bodybuilding has been tainted by claims of steroids. What is your view of drugs in sports?

A: The use of drugs is prevalent in many sports. In a survey by Time magazine, bodybuilding was not among the top 10 sports for drugs abuse. I feel that one has to be responsible for one's actions as there are adverse health risks, let alone being banned from the sport.

Q: What motivates you?

A: Personal satisfaction. Since young, I have a picture in my mind of what I wanted to look like and I worked hard to achieve it. Being a competitive bodybuilder was a bonus, I guess.

Q: When did you start Ultimate Gym and what are its facilities?

A: I opened the gym 18 years ago. It provides aerobic and anaerobic exercises, and has weight machines to free weights. It was difficult in the beginning as people's awareness of fitness was low then.

Q: What are your future plans?

A: I want to open a bigger gym. I have also gone into promoting nutritional supplements which carry the Malaysian brand.

Q: What is your diet like, and what is your favourite food?

A: For any bodybuilder, diet plays a crucial part. I normally have five meals daily which consists of the five main food groups. Diet is more controlled during a competition period.

Q: What is your message to youths who want to go into bodybuilding?

A: Always focus on getting an education first. Bodybuilding is more a lifestyle towards training and nutrition. Those interested must learn the techniques of the exercises and nutrition. Nowadays there are ample sources of knowledge from books and the Internet.My advice would be to keep to basic training methods as they have been proven to work over time.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

UNO NUTRITION - Malaysian Pride.












About a year ago , a friend of mine who was in the business of manufacturing supplements here in Malaysia and I got together to discuss the possibility of manufacturing a more premium range of sports supplements that could and would rival that of those that are imported from abroad.
This is how UNO NUTRITION came about.Today , at an infant stage still , UNO NUTRITION have come out with several hot selling items with more products in the pipeline.

In compliance with the government requirements UNO has all the necessary certification required to operate both national and internationally.Already aquired the ISO 22000 cert plus the Halal certs to ensure the Muslims that these products are safe to use.

As you read this , all necessary steps to print catalogues and websites are being carried out.Many bodybuilding and sporting events organised by their respective bodies have been sponsored by Uno since late 2007.Many athletes were surprised at how well these products helped them reach their goals.

You will be reading more about Uno in the near future.But for now , let me leave you with some description of these products.















Vitarlean
Description
Tri-Factor Weight Mangement System consists of three factors:-

• Thermogenic Factor - One of the ways to promote the loss of body fat is increasing the energy expenditure as well as fat oxidation. Thermogenic Factor consists of guarana seed extracts, green tea ectracts and vitamin B6.

• Fat Mobilizing Factor - for Fat Transportation. Fat Mobilizing Factor consists of garcinia cambogia, L-carnitine, taurine and lecithin.

• Building Factor - Protein slow the absorption of glucose into bloodstream and lead to the suppression of hunger through lowering the insulin level and favor the fat burning process. Whey protein contains bioactive ingredients that help to simulate the release of appetite-suppressing hormones to provide greater satiety than casein.















Amino 5000 Chewable
Description

• Has superior amino acid profile - provide high amount of BCAA as fuel source
• High glutamine peptides level for anabolic enviroment
• Contains higher levels of valuble whey protein fractions like glycomacropeptides, proteose peptone and lactoferrin.
• High PDCAA scoress, BV and PER value
• Has a significant source of biologically available calcium and low sodium
• Stimulate the immune system .
















Carblocker
Description
• Consist of an amazing, non-simulant, all-natural nutritional ingredient (Phase 2 ®) that is derived from the white kidney bean.

• Carblocker works by utilizing Phase 2® which is formulated to “neutralize” the digestive enzyme, alpha amylase, allowing some dietary starch to pass through the body undigested, like fiber and thus temporarily reduce the caloric impact of starch rich foods.

• First nutritional ingredient that has been clinically & scientifically proven to neutralize starch, found in your favarite foods such as potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, corn and crackers.

• May assist in weight control when used in conjuction with a sensible diet and exercise program. Besides, it may reduce the enzymatic digestion of dietary starches.
















Muscle Matrix ( NO2 )
Description

Added with Nitro-X Factor

• A formula to increase Nitric Oxide in the body.

• consists of active ingredients like Creatine Monohydrate, L- Arginine, L-Omithine and L-Glutamine.

Nitric Oxide controls the curculation of blood, and transmits messages between nerve cells.

• increases blood flow to deliver more nutrients to muscles, thus helping muscles become larger when subjected to stress.















Muscle Velocity ( MV2 )
Description
• Sports drink for muscle glycogen restoration and recovery.

• Three different glycemic sources of corbohydrates for immediately energy and easy digestion during long and intense workouts. Contains mineral Ca+, Na+, K+, Mg+ and Cl-

• Ensure proper hydration - low osmolality of the Active One and ideal 8% carbohydrate solution provides superior fluid absorption.

• Reduces fatigue during exercise.

• Provides 80mg of vitamin C - provides a quick and stimulating electrolyte replacement in a matter of minutes, helps with the connective tissues faster, anti-oxidant that protects the body from free radical damge.

• Whey protein and the natural occurring amino acid is use to re-energize muscles during and after exercise.

• Added with Velocity Factor - Quicker glycogen replenishment - rapid stomach emptying = quick energy with Vitargo.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

A MOMENT FOR LAUGHTER.

Just taking this opportunity to share with you some really funny clips of Jeff Dunham , a stand-up comic and ventriloquist from the States.Take a break from the daily stress we go through and enjoy a few moments of laughter.Afterall , laughter is the best medicine hehehheee!!!



Monday, July 07, 2008

MR GIM RAKYAT & OTHERS - UPDATE.

Some of you may already know that I've been involved in organising and promoting the "Mr Gim Rakyat" in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports (KBS) since 2006.Our first show was organised back in 2006 where we were given very short notice to create an event.3 1/2 weeks in total! So obviously the turnout both from participants and spectators were very low.We had some 42 participants with about 300 spectators only that year BUT we did our level best to put on a great event despite such short comings.

People started talking about this show , of how good it was etc etc. and were already looking forward to 2007's event.Of course 2007's event would be even bigger and better simply because we had the blueprint of the previous show and knew what areas we needed to improve on.

All in all we received a whopping 115 participants with about 3000 plus spectators.The show was a blast!!! Everyone from the ministry to the participants and spectators were very happy.Of course , most of them were already asking "Whats's cookin' for 2008?" Hehehehe!!!

A lot of discussion were made for 2008's event.We proposed to KBS to go by zones followed by the nationals as the grand finale.They agreed that we should go that route too.

Then came the elections and the minsters got reshuffled,the economy went down the drain after the fuel hike etc etc and the next thing we knew , THERE WAS NOT GONNA BE A SHOW THIS YEAR because the government is on a budget campaign and allocations were gonna get cut for many things , this event being one of it.I mean , they will spend a lot of money on other sports that do not even produce champions in SEA let alone the Worlds BUT here is bodybuilding that has produced champions at almost every meet out there and we do not get the kind of support other sports get.

Feeling pretty frustrated , I decided to call up the sports coordinator in KBS to discuss this matter over.I proposed that they drop the zone events and focus solely on the Nationals since they are on a budget BUT the show must go on nontheless!!! The momentum we worked so hard for to achieve should not be broken! A lot of people were prepping for this upcoming event , something they have all been looking forward to so being the sports ministry , they should at least try and keep this one event going. By totally cancelling this show would leave a very bitter taste in the participant's mouths.Many will lose interest in the sport as there is very little support.Something I believe the ministry should NOT neglect and overlook.After all , isn't this ministry set up to oversee that all sports get some attention and support?!

Anyway , the sports coordinator too agrees that the show should go on and he will prepare some paper work or proposal to be sent up to the minister to get some budget approved.I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the allocation to get approved so that the show can go on.Hopefully the news will be a positive one and announced after the 8th of July.

I would certainly hate to see this event that we created just die off like this.Such a waste then as I certainly can foresee this event being a huge hit in the years to come....an event where perhaps we will end up finding new champions to represent Malaysia in International meets.

Well , i guess we will just have to sit back and wait and see what the current sports minister decides.Keep those fingers and toes crossed folks hahahahaa!!!!
Till my next update...PEACE!!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

FUEL PRICE INCREASE DEBATE.

I received this article (posted below) via email today.I'm not sure who did the research or statistics but it looks pretty amusing.I for one am not someone who is heavily inclined towards topics related to politics but have taken an interest as of late due to all the sudden changes that has occured in my beautiful Malaysia.

Please take note that what you are about to read is NOT from me.I am merely posting it because , accurate or not , I find it rather amusing and would want to share it with others.
YOU DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSION!

WHAT IS NEVER MENTIONED IN Mainstream Media like NST/TheStar/Utusan/BH are these facts.... Malaysian PerCapita Income USD 5000 VS Singaporean PerCapita Income USD 25000.

Further The Star made a comparison of prices in Thailand , Singapore and Indonesia . For Thailand it is quoted at RM3.90/liter, however are they aware that in Thailand new cars are cheaper than Malaysia by RM10,000? They pay only one life time for their driving license? No renewal fee after that? Also that goes for road tax as well? And do TheStar also aware that you can drive all the way from Hadtyai to Bangkok on a six lane highway without paying any Tolls ??!!

Whereas here in Malaysia you have to pay yearly renewal for road tax , driving license and TOLLS, TOLLS, TOLLS!!! For Singapore how can you quote RM 5.20 ? Please quote in Singapore Dollars because they are earning in Sing Dollars. You might as well say Europeans are paying RM10/liter. RM5.20/liter = Sing $ 2.20/liter, still cheaper than Malaysia in view of fact that Singapore is not a crude oil exporter. Are you saying that you fill up petrol in Singapore by paying Ringgit?

In economy, dollar to dollar must be compared as apple to apple. Not comparing like durian in M'sia is much cheaper than durian in Japan !! Of course-lah, Japan is not durian producer!!! Comparing Malaysian durian with Thailand durian make more sense!!For Indonesia we might say is cheaper there at RM2.07/liter but compare that to their level of income!

Now, let us compare the price with OIL PRODUCING countries:
UAE – RM1.19/litre
Eygpt – RM1.03/litre
Bahrain – RM0.87/litre
Qatar – RM0.68/litre
Kuwait – RM0.67/litre
Saudi Arabia – RM0.38/litre
Iran – RM0.35/litre
Nigeria – RM0.32/litre
Turkmenistan – RM0.25/litre
Venezuela – RM0.16/litre
MALAYSIA – RM2.70/litre RM 2.70!!!

Individual perspective: As of last month a Toyota Vios would 'cause a damage' of about RM 89,000.In the international market, a Toyota Vios is about USD 19,000USD 19,000 = RM 62,700 (using the indicative rates of USD 1 = RM 3.30)That makes Malaysian Vios owners pay an extra RM 26,300. This RM 26,300 should be cost of operations, profit and tax because the transportation costs have been factored in to the USD 19,000.

RM 26,300/ RM625 petrol rebate per year translates to a Vios being used for 42.08 years. I do understand that the RM 625 is a rebate given by the government, but it also means that one has to use the Vios for 42.08 years just to make back the amount paid in taxes for the usage of a foreign car. Would anyone use any kind of car for that long? Now with these numbers in front of us, does the subsidy sound like a subsidy or does it sound like a penalty? This just seems to be a heavy increment in our daily cost of living as we are not only charged with high car taxes but also with a drastic increase in fuel price. With all the numbers listed out, I urge all Malaysians to join me in analyzing the situation further.

Car taxation is government profit, fuel sales is Petronas' (GLC) profit which also translates into government profit. The government may ridicule us Malaysians by saying look at the world market and fuel price world wide. Please, we are Malaysians, we fought of the British, had a international port in the early centuries (Malacca), home to a racially mixed nation and WE ARE NOT STUPID!!!

We know the international rates are above the USD 130/barrel. We understand the fact that the fuel prices are increasing worldwide and we also know that major scientist are still contradicting on why this phenomenon is happening. Some blame Bush and his plunders around the world and some blame climate change and there are others which say petroleum 'wells' are getting scarce. Again we go back to numbers to be more straight fwd 1 barrel = 159 liters x RM2.70/liter = RM 429 or USD 134

On 1 hand, we are paying the full cost of 1 barrel of crude oil with RM2.70 per liter but on the other hand the crude oil only produces 46% of fuel. Msia sells crude oil per barrel at USD130 buys back Fuel per barrel at USD134. And not forgetting, every barrel of fuel is produced with 2 barrels of crude oil. 1 barrel crude oil = produce 46% fuel (or half of crude oil), therefore2 barrel crude oil = approximately 1 barrel fuel

In other words, each time we sell 2 barrels of crude oil, equivalently we will buy back 1 barrel of fuel. Financially,Malaysia sell 2 barrel crude oil @ USD 130/barrel = USD 260 = RM 858then, Malaysia will buy back fuel @ USD 134/barrel = RM 442/barrel.

Thus, Malaysia earn net extra USD 126 = RM 416 for each 2 barrel of crude sold/exported vs imported 1 barrel of fuel !!!(USD 260-134 = USD 126 = RM416) So where this extra USD 126/barrel income is channeled to by Malaysian Govt?????????

Another analysis: 1 barrel crude oil = 159 liters. 46-47% of a barrel of crude oil = fuel that we use in our vehicles. 46% of 159 = 73.14 liters.@ RM 2.70/liter x 73.14 liter = RM197.48 of fuel per barrel of crude oil. This is only 46% of the barrel, mind you. Using RM 3.30 = USD 1, we get that a barrel of crude oil produces USD 59.84 worth of petrol fuel (46% of 1barrel).

USD 59.84 of USD 130/barrel turns out to be 46% of a barrel as well. Another 54% = bitumen, kerosene, and natural gases and so many more. And this makes a balance of USD 70.16 that has not been accounted for. So this is where I got curious. Where is the subsidy if we are paying 46% of the price of a barrel of crude oil when the production of petrol/barrel of crude oil is still only 46%?

In actual fact, we still pay for this as they are charged in the forms of fuel surcharge by airlines and road taxes for the building of road (because they use the tar/bitumen) and many more excuse charging us but let us just leave all that out of our calculations. As far as I know, only the politicians who live in Putra jaya and come for their Parliament meetings in Kuala Lumpur (approximately 60+ km) are the ones to gain as they claim their fuel and toll charges from the money of the RAKYAT's TAX. It is so disappointing to see this happen time and time again to the Malaysian public, where they are deceived by the propaganda held by the politicians and the controls they have over the press.

Which stupid idiot economist equates rebates for rich or poor with the cc of the vehicles? An average office clerk may own a second hand 1300cc proton Iswara costing $7,000 (rebate = $625) while the Datuk's children can own a fleet of 10 new cars of BMW, Audi and Volvo all less than 2000cc costing $2 millions and get a total rebate of $625 x 10 = $6,250! Wow what kind of economists we are keeping in Malaysia ...wonder which phD certificate that they bought from.

Misleading concept of Subsidy: The word "subsidy" has been brandished by the BN government as if it has so generously helped the rakyat and in doing so incurred losses. This simple example will help to explain the fallacy.

Example: Ahmad is a fisherman. He sells a fish to you at $10 which is below the market value of $15. Let's assume that he caught the fish from the abundance of the sea at little or no cost. Ahmad claims that since the market value of the fish is $15 and he sold you the fish for $10, he had subsidised you $5 and therefore made a loss of $5.

Question : Did Ahmad actually make a profit of $10 or loss of $5 which he claimed is the subsidy?

Answer: Ahmad makes a profit of $10 which is the difference of the selling price ($10) minus the cost price ($0 since the fish was caught from the abundance of the sea). There is no subsidy as claimed by Ahmad.

The BN government claims that it is a subsidy because the oil is kept and treated as somebody else's property (you know who). By right, the oil belongs to all citizens of the country and the government is a trustee for the citizens. So as in the above simple example, the BN government cannot claim that it has subsidised the citizen!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

PROBUFFEDBODIES - MALAYSIA'S PREMIERE FITNESS AND BODYBUILDING FORUM.

Not too long ago , a couple of friends and I got together and started talking about fitness and bodybuilding related topics and we realised that there are a lot of forums out there touching these topics HOWEVER , there were so few forums locally and that many people do not know of it's existence.

So , a buddy of mine actually told me that i can start a forum anytime for FREE!!! Of course you'd have some limitations to the whole program BUT SO WHAT?!

The important thing is that we have our own forum where people can come and get information on fitness and bodybuilding related topics to buying supplements or gym equipments , or where to hire a personal trainer to which gyms provide good services or even highlights on events,when and where etc.

Next thing you know , PROBUFFEDBODIES was born!Although we are fairly new but there are lots of good topics and posts related to just about anything you need to know about exercising ,diet and nutrition plus MORE!!!

PROBUFFEDBODIES is predominantly in English , but because I believe that there are many who would wish to interact but are too shy due to their poor command of English , I have actually started threads in the forum in Bahasa Malaysia.

Hopefully OUR forum will one day be a leading cyber sanctuary for many Malaysians , who share the same interest , seeking answers.

Well folks...apa tunggu lagi , jom join forum kami ni!

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

THEY MUST BE DESPERATE!!!

You may be wondering who the desperate ones are , right?
Well , we will get to that very soon.Today i want to share with you an incident that took place this afternoon at my centre.Actually it is the same type of incident that took place several months back at my centre too.Actually not only at my centre but also several other centres around the Ulu Klang vicinity.

Here's what went down.A couple of sales personnel working for a door to door sales company walked into my gym and tried to sell or give me and my gym members a package offer to train at CALIFORNIA FITNESS CENTRE(CF). Yup , the same ones that are operating all over town now on such large scale.

Here was this short and chubby girl accompanied by skinny goofy looking boy trying to convince ME to go to CF????? I mean c'mon la...if you wanna impress me then send someone like one of the IFBB pro's and not something looking like those two clowns!

I'm not sure if CF knows that these sales personnel are actually approaching other gyms to do their sales work or not BUT it sure as hell pisses me off at what's happening!I bet they do tho!
Of course i gave the sales guys a good piece of my mind and told them to get the f*%k outta my gym!
It turns out that these sales team also did the same thing to several other gyms around this area.I found this out when i called the other gym operators to ask if they too experienced the same thing.Their answer was YES! From CALIFORNIA FITNESS, AND FITNESS FIRST too. They too gave the sales guys a piece of their mind.

So,now that these big players are going to such extent to reel in customers , can we do the same?Can we walk into any of their outlets and try to pull customers over to our gyms? To think that such mega chains would stoop so low and behave in a very unprofessional and unethical manner could only mean that they are probably facing a major crisis.

I mean c'mon...i do my fair share of marketing too but i definitely don't stoop this low by trying to pull clients from other gyms around here...and mind you ,within a 5km radius, I have 8....YES! 8 GYMS and we never have any problems.In fact we compliment each other even though we are all separate owners.

Take a look back in time for a second.We used to have the big boys operating such as Clark Hatch , Fitness International and The Sweat Club.Where are they today? OK maybe Clark Hatch is still around but they have downsized tremendously over the years.Fitness International and Sweat Club sold out.Then the new era of fitness centres dawned...the days of Fitness First , California Fitness followed by all the other big boys flooding our market.

Why am i telling you all this? Well , looking back at how the market trend flows , eventually they will all cave in! That's right! They will eventually go bust or downscale.AND it's waiting to happen...sooner than expected too.Just look at how desperate they are, their mode of marketing just to stay competitive.Are they afraid of the smaller gym operators? I would like to think so! Coz' WE HAVE BEEN AROUND way before they made their presence felt and WE PLAN ON STAYING on , even after they have all vanished.Yes , it may be about making a buck or two when you run a business , but us smaller gym operators run it because of PASSION! YES,PASSION, the love for this industry and helping people achieve their goals and dreams.

So , with the support we get from everyone , I'm certain we will be here for a long,long time to come.Besides , we don't charge axtras for coaching and consultations and do not have contracts etc to bind you down against your free will heheheheee! Support your local gyms!! YOU gain , WE gain..either way WE ALL WIN!

PEACE OUT!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

GOOD NEWS FOR DOG LOVERS.

Good news for dog lovers
(The Star, 22 Mar 2006)

GOOD news for dog lovers who live in condominiums and flats: you may be able to keep canines in your homes soon.

Nanyang Siang Pau reported that the Housing and Local Government Ministry had finalised its draft of bylaws on dog ownership, and once this was approved the residents of high-rise buildings would be allowed to own dogs.


However, the dog owners will have to obtain written approval from the local authorities.
The ministry had also agreed to set up a veterinary department responsible for overseeing the licensing of dogs and maintaining a record of the dogs, the daily added.


It also quoted Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Owners president Dr Jon S. Satyamoorthy as saying that dog owners would have to take their pets to the department for health checks, and could apply for licences once the department had given its clearance.
He hoped the draft would be approved and enforced within two months.

Friday, May 23, 2008

SAVE A SOUL!!!




























Just a quick post folks.
For those who know me personally, will know i'm a huge animal lover and it truly saddens me to see these poor animals being either abused or abandoned.

What's worse is that these wonderful creations of god that are left abandoned by humans will eventually face a horrible ending.Some are poisoned , run over , shot or put down with a lethal injection.

I urge whoever that reads my blog to have a heart and spare a bit of your time to help spread the word out about the misfortunes of these lovely creatures.A lil' support from all of you will go a long way.You may never know when someone out there may just adopt one of these pets and actually spare a life or two.

Currently this site http://www.rescue2rehome.blogspot.com , an indipendant volunteer/pet-rehomer is helping to re-home some of these pets , similar to what our SPCA is doing.Please have a look at this site to see what other pets are being sheltered at the moment.All or rather , ANY support given will be greatly appreciated , both by the volunteer and these pets.

REMEMBER! Each one of you can make a difference!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

ULTIMATE GYM - THE YIN & YANG OF IT!

Yes folks i know i have not updated my blog in a while and i do apologise for it.I've been through quite a bumpy ride lately which in turn made me feel a lil' burnt out in just about everything....including blogging.To make it simple , i'll just put it down in point form coz' i'm still not really in the mood to write a long story lah.

This is what went down;-
1) My dad got diagnosed for diabetes and hypertension which meant changes around the house.Visits to the doctors etc.He's stabalised now. *phew*

2) My dog that i had given to my friend to look after...ran away! It's been almost 1 1/2 months now. We tried looking for him but no luck.Been feeling really down coz' i do not know what his fate is...dead or alive?!

3) Tore my right bicep a bit while moving in another treadmill for the gym.Still hurts when i try to workout.Will have to lay off training for a while to let it fully heal otherwise it may rip further.

4) Hurt my lower back...AGAIN! ...... from undressing to take a bath!!! Freakin Hell!!!Can you imagine that??!! All the heavy training and i'm fine BUT taking off my pants to shower and i get injured!!!Still hurting eventhough it's been almost 1 month.No sudden moves now or it's gonna tweak again. Looks like the end of my competitive bodybuilding career..or whatever's left of it.

So as you can see, these chain of events have left me drained and upset.BUT.....life goes on right?!
Basically i tried channelling all these bad energy/mood into something more positive ie. my gym/business.And what do you know?! It worked out great!

All i did was re-arrange the quiptments around the gym to bump up everyone's mood ,brought in another treadmill (yup...the same one that had caused my bicep to tear) , interacted even more with my members and the next thing i know , i was swamped with more work coz' i had gotten so many new members....business seemed to have picked up quite considerably compared to prior months.
Anyway,just to show you guys what ULTIMATE GYM looks like on the inside after the re-arrangements....my home away from home ....and for many others too!
















Wednesday, February 20, 2008

AND MORE HEADACHES FOLLOW!

In my last post , I mentioned what mishaps happened to my family and me.We were told by the cops that we will be contacted after Chinese New Year for the rest of the witnesses to go over to give their statement.Well , so far no one has been contacted regarding this matter.Really , at this point of time we have no clue as to whether this case is/have been dropped OR as with most Malaysian scene , is simply being attended to VERY , VERY slowly by the respective authorities.

I guess we will just have to wait and see BUT in the mean time , life for us doesn't stop there.We will of course carry on about our daily lives as we have done so long before this stupid incident ever took place.

You know , some old folks have a saying that when bad luck hits you , it hits you in 3's! Co-incidently or maybe there's truth to the old saying , right after my dad had to deal with so much rubbish , he was then diagnosed for having hypertension and diabetes.Pretty hard for a man who has been pretty healthy all these years despite not exercising , taking care of his food and smoking.It's old age i guess but he was still pretty upset to get this news after going to the doctors.As you read this , all of us at home have made it a point to eat and live healtheir.It is going to be pretty hard for my dad to change his old ways but it's something he has got to deal with if he is to get healtheir.I guess up to this point , he has made some improvements on his health WITH some pressure from the rest of the family.Afterall it is for his AND our own good.

So , can you see the pattern forming now? Bad luck comes in 3's? First the freaking police case , then his health issues and now the 3rd piece is......our pet dog. Someone from our block made a complaint to DBKL council not too long ago about us rearing a dog.So as you could imagine , we were visited by the council who then told my dad that someone had lodged a complaint about our dog barking and making too much noise...which is a load of crap of course , and were given 1 weeks notice from the council to find the dog another home OR we will be given a fine and likely have the dog taken away too!

Total bullcrap!!! For four years we have had this dog , from a few weeks old to a four year old handsome fella , no one complained! Then comes this family below us recently , and suddenly the dog is accused of making too much noise.It's just quite simple , they just don't like the fact that they are within close proximity of A DOG, and to them would mean breaking some laws of their belief.

Imagine , my dad who had reared this dog from a puppy till now then having to depart with it on such a short notice!? This dog was his only companion at home when everyone was out at work.Having to part with it , is like having to give away a family member ...JUST COZ' SOME IDIOT doesn't like the idea of a dog in the block.My dad and the rest of us are pretty crushed at the moment.Such unnecessary heartache!




















In desparation I had to put the word out to all my friends who reared dogs.Thankfully one of my gym member , a big dog lover offered to foster my dog.It will take some time for him and my dog to get used to each other.Imagine the trauma of suddenly being taken away from familiar faces only to be put in a home full of stranger.




















It has been several days now and my dog is seemingly adjusting to it's new home.Although still a bit traumatised , he seems to be taking on to the new owner rather well.I just hope he adjusts quickly and have a new and happy life with his new owner without having to worry about what will happen to him.

That my readers , just goes to show what sort of people serrounds us daily.Some are truly gems while others..... in my books , do not deserve to be on this beautiful planet we call EARTH!

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

AND THEY WONDER WHY......

It's been some time since i've updated my blog.I've just been very distracted with a lot of things going on around here like future plans for my business , my family , their health and my love life etc.A lot have been happening in my life recently but i won't go into detail on that part.

What i would really like to share with you lot is a lil' true story that took place not too long ago.Something that really got blown out of proportion by..well...some guys not of Chinese,Malay, Punjabi or foreign descent.

Not too long back , my kid brother and his close friend were on their respective scooters on their way out of a housing estate somewhere near Gombak to meet with another friend.They then heard tyres screeching ahead of them on this lil' windy road and then here is this Proton Wira coming from the opposite direction.Fearing for their safety , my brother and his friend kept to the edge of the road YET this Proton Wira driver smashed into both the boys.

My brother got hit from the side , had the rear rim of his bike and engine totally smashed while his friend was hit head on and was hurled onto the car before being bounced off onto the road.His whole front end was badly damaged.Both boys suffered cuts and bruises namely their knees.My brother at the moment can't bend his right knee while his big toe has lost all sensation.The other kid had his left knee banged up and it swelled to the size of a tennis ball.The doctor told him that he has some torn muscles above the knee.

What made matters worse was , the guy that knocked these two kids just fled.Luckily someone who happens to live in that area came along and gave these kids some assistance.This guy also pointed out which house the assailant lives in and commented that , that kid is known in the area for driving fast and reckless.

Now this all happened at about 2 am , so the kids had to get hold of their friend to come help pick up the bikes...or whatever was left of it and drive them to the police station to lodge a police report.At sun rise , both my brother and my dad and the other kid and his family and a couple of boys that had helped the kids with their bikes went over to meet with the kid with the Proton Wira but the boys dad came out instead.The father who was either acting like he didn't know what was going on or maybe was genuinely unaware of the whole incident came out and spoke to both the kids parents.

It was a simple meeting to just ask if the father could help at least pay for the damages of both the bikes and perhaps some money to help pay for the kids medical bill.At first he tells everyone that his son is at work , then he goes on to say his son is on the way back then he says his son is in Johor.Which is the truth then?I guess he was either trying to defend his kid or was plain dumb!Next thing he calls a friend of his son and this other kid comes along and helped explain things again to the father about his son's situation and that it was a serious offence if he did not go to the police station to make a report too.A hit and run case can be pretty serious if one runs away!

The best is yet to come.The kid's dad then walks into the house , quietly makes a call to the police station making a complaint about his son's "visitors" and next thing you know it , two cops come along asking everyone to disperse.Ok , the parents of the injured kids left peacefully.

The next day , the kid that had knocked both my brother and his friend sends an sms to my brother asking where can they meet up to discuss about the payment and if possible , to reduce the amount asking.So my brother , who was pretty shaken up from the incident the night before suggested that they all meet up at the police station , a neutral ground to discuss further.Not anywhere else as we were afraid that the assailants may plot something against us lot...so safety first right?

Now , my brother arrives to the police station along with the other kid and his family.Next thing everyone knows , the father of that kid points to my dad and said "he's the one" repeatedly so the cops came and apprehended my dad.Everyone was in shock and unaware of what was going on.It turns out that the night before their meeting at the police station , the father of that kid had gone to the police station to lodge a police report against my father claiming that my dad had threatened to kill him and burn his house down! WHAT A FUCKEN MORON!!! Imagine that? He had the audacity to make such a report just cause he didn't want to pay for the damages incurred.I mean what kind of an idiot would make a threat and then say "ok let's meet up at a police station to settle things" and the amount asked by the two kids side and which was quoted by the mechanic was RM2,500 only....NOT RM250,000 .So if my dad was to seriously threaten for money he wouldn't ask for a mere RM2,500 or meet at the police station right?

Before everyone knew it , my dad was detained in a cell , his indentity card witheld and my kid brother was getting all traumatised and called me for help.Luckily my lawyer friend was around and had accompanied me to the station.Upon arriving at the station , we were informed that they had already transfered my dad to the IPD police station in Selayang and was being held there.So my lawyer and me drove over to Selayang and waited for the sargeant in charge , made a statement and thankfully , my dad was released on bail that same evening.

The sargeant told us that if it comes to it , then my dad will have to stand trial at a megistrate's court.Of course i was totally furious at this time.Imagine having to go through all the hassle of going to court , paying legal fees etc.Our lawyer said not to worry because it was pretty obvious that the other party had made a serious blunder .Well the lawyer said he knows what to do to prosecute the other side later on if it boils down to having to go to court.

At the end of the day , i can see why so many people have issues with these kind of people.While it is unfair to say that all of them are dishonest etc , a vast majority of them certainly gives the general public this impression.As for my dad , i feel sorry for him.My mother, his wife, was taken away from us when i was only 9 , that's 30 years ago , by a drunk guy who rode his scooter pretty fast inbetween the market place where people park their bicycles and scooters and knocked my mom down , snapping her wind pipe.The list goes on , all of which involved the sort of person like in this current case and had caused a lot of problems and grief for my dad and family and.......and now this!!!

Is this a genetic defect or an inbred behaviour? Who knows! All i can say is...they have certainly left a seriously bitter taste in our mouths....and it's still happening.When will it all stop?!

All I can say is , God, give us the strength to tolarate and endure all the problems we face from these people without ever snapping and doing something seriously harsh in return.