Anatomy of an exerciser
As gyms spring up around the country, and fitness and slimness take on national appeal, Yasmine El-Rashidi hangs out at a bunch of work-out centres to analyse the dynamics
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Most gym-goers require two elements for satisfaction: lots of mirrors and a bit of pain
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A gym is a peculiar place. Within its many- mirrored walls, a group of complex creatures diligently pound away on rotating belts, climb furiously up escalator-type steps, or pedal frantically on stationary bikes. All, of course, pouring out energy to get to nowhere. They thrive on the physical sensation of pain and exhaustion, reaching a euphoric high from the mood-affecting chemicals -- endorphins and serotonin -- released by the brain through exercise. They are diligent, they are committed, and it appears to most other members that those cardio kings and queens are always there.
"You walk in and you know that you'll find certain people on particular machines," laughs Shirley Johnston. "No matter what time I come in, I know that they'll be there."
Those Cardio-Masochists (CM), however, are just one of the many personality types one finds at your average local gym. There are others, of course.
"Watching people in the gym is very interesting," says Eman Bishara, a gym-goer who has frequented many of Cairo's bigger and smaller gyms. "You can spend a lot of time just watching people work out, and make up stories about their lives. You feel like some people are trying to torture themselves when they work out while others are really having fun."
That takes us to type two: the Cardio- Morning-Gossipers (CMG). In another country, these women (mostly housewives) would probably be doing some sort of community work, meeting for strolls around a mall or for coffee. In Cairo, however, the gym seems a more appealing option. Rather than gathering to vent over coffee and calorie-laden croissants, the venting, instead, takes place on the machines. You see them begin to troop in just after 9am, assume their chosen places on one of several rows of cardiovascular machines, and the chatter begins. Some spend up to two hours on a single machine, although the tendency is to rotate between a few. They eventually break a sweat, although it usually takes quite some time given that they tend to slow down at moments when the gossip becomes particularly engaging. Most mornings the CMG's step off their machines for some resistance training. They also leap at the opportunity to attend any classes targeting fat- burning, or an Abs, thighs, and butt (ATB) toning class. En masse, of course.
The CMGs have their early-bird counterparts. Fitness-wise they are no competition, nor do they take up much space in terms of noise. But when it comes to machines, they can be a bit of a hassle.
"They just sit there for ages," moans a German housewife and mother who confesses quite readily that the gym is her social life. "They don't really know what they're doing," she continues, the moan turning into a chuckle. "I don't understand why some of these women come."
They are not only women. It is important to clarify that men most certainly are a part of that category of exercisers. We will call them the TNT's (This n' That's) -- they do a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. This n' That's usually sport trendy gym-gear, they wear sunglasses -- which they frequently do not remove -- and they carry their curiously overstuffed gym bags with them from machine to machine. TNT's can also spend significant amounts of time in the gym each morning. Upon further analysis, one observes that much of that time is taken up by R&R (Rest and Recovery). R&R takes place not just between each set on a resistance machine, but sometimes also between each repetition. Long strolls seem to take place between each machine and the next, with occasional five- minute bouts of slow-motion cardio.
"I know those!" laughs Johnston. "They have no idea what they're doing, and I don't think they're very interested either. For them I guess it's a matter of saying that they go to the gym. Doesn't matter what they do there."
Johnston is a CC.
The Cool Converts (CC), share a few traits with the TNT's. They are loners, usually just chatting briefly with a member or two, and they too have very cool gym gear -- except that it is usually Nike or Adidas rather than Gucci or Prada. CC's are "into" the gym. They like how it makes them feel, they obtain an added kick from how it makes them look, and they are willing to work hard. They are not, however, quite ready to push themselves to solo extremes, and more often than not have a personal trainer to help prod them to the brink of pain.
"Six months ago it was a 'alka soda' (rough beating) to go to the gym," laughs Nadia Zarkani, a CC herself. "Then I got a personal trainer, and the experience converted me." She pauses, contemplates her new-found friend, and continues. "Once you understand what the gym is all about, it's not so much a physical thing as it is a mental thing. Once you start working out regularly, you feel better about yourself regardless of size or shape."
She has a theory.
"Sometimes if you're not happy with yourself, you go shopping and spend stupidly on anything to make you feel better," she continues. "It doesn't always make you feel better though. The gym is different. Sometimes it takes you five minutes, others 10, and on a really bad day, it may take you 20," she elaborates, "But I guarantee that you'll come out feeling better -- how long it takes depends on how bad your mood is."
After the CC's come a large group of men and women. Mainly evening-exercisers, these people work hard, play hard, and make up the core membership of most gyms. The women do cardio to excess and are committed to lifting weights, and the men (it seems) punish themselves pumping iron (sound effects galore), and top it off with what they consider cardio (casual walking by female standards). These people -- the Hard Core (HC's) -- know each other well, are on a very friendly basis with all the staff, do some gossiping, and consider the gym "their own". They like to be greeted warmly, and by everyone, when they make their grand entrance each day. These types are often regulars at the "in" night-spots too (part of the persona).
All of the above types will most certainly be spotted at the beach this summer, when one of Egypt's biggest international gym franchises "Goes to Sahil" (the North Coast).
Then there are the Odd Bod(ie)s (OB). Some of them chat on their mobiles for their 45- minute treadmill strolls; others come in for 20 minutes, frowning, torture themselves intensely in what sounds and looks like agony, then vanish; some hop on a bike and pedal slowly through a chapter or two of a book; others do a total 10 minutes of exercise and socialise (while standing still) for the rest; and then there are the ones who spend much of their time in front of one of the many mirrors, repeating the same exercise over and over and over, as they stare at themselves in seeming awe.
As fitness and well-being becomes more of a national priority, and the blossoming of gyms takes place around the country, more and more people are finding themselves sucked into the exercise experience. While integration into the gym culture initially reveals a person's pre-disposed tendencies towards one or two gym personality types, observation and analysis has proven that a person can move from one group to another with time, effort and commitment.
