Source: My UM
Have you ever looked at someone with big shirt-splitting biceps and thought to yourself, ‘God! I wish I could look like that!’ ? Well, now you can say goodbye to your envy. With a well-equipped gym on campus, there is no reason why you can’t.
The gym on the third floor of the Sports Complex always bustles with activity. According to statistics from the Office of Sports Affairs, the number of visits to the gym in 2015 exceeded 44,000.
Lei Hou Pang, a third-year student from the Department of Finance and Business Economics, is very honest about his motivation for frequenting the gym. ‘I want to look fit to attract the attention of the girl I like, and now that I’m more fit, I feel more confident around girls,’ he says. Lei started going to the gym six months ago, and now he goes three to four times a week. Most of his bodybuilding knowledge comes from the internet. He suggests that UM should open a bodybuilding course as part of the general education curriculum to help amateurs like him become more professional.
Lao Ka Heng, a third-year student from the same department, started using the gym in his freshman year. Usually he goes to the gym five days a week. He likes the gym because there are different kinds of equipment to exercise different parts of the body. His only gripe about the gym is that some students don’t seem to know how to use the equipment properly. ‘Sometimes they even forget to replace the equipment after use, which could cause damage to the equipment,’ he says.
Lao Fu In is a UM alumnus and the current coach of the UM Men’s Basketball Team, with more than 10 years of bodybuilding experience. He visits the gym three times a week. ‘The gym opens to UM members every day and it’s free of charge,’ he says. ‘There is also a parking lot nearby, so it’s very convenient.’
For beginners, Lao offers the following bodybuilding tips:
- Use the mirrors in the gym to check your form during your workout.
- Pay attention to your breathing. Remember to exhale on exertion.
- Keep your lower back straight (except for the abdominal muscles).
- Be careful not to overextend your arms or legs (as this could cause injuries).
- Push yourself to your limits to reap the maximum benefits of your workout.
- Adjust the intensity and duration of your workout according to your strength and fitness levels.
If you find the above tips helpful but a little bit too vague, you are going to love what we are offering next. Click the links below and let Sou Wa Chak, a member of the UM Men’s Basketball Team, show you, step by step, how to exercise different parts of your body like a pro.
