Fitness First had a big show last night called The Main Event. Each club had handpicked 12 people to represent them in this event, where the teams faced off against each other in displays of synchronization, technique, energy, and team unity as they participated in BodyCombat, a martial arts-based non-contact cardio workout.

The extent of my participation in this was limited to the BodyJam production number and the cooldown, but even those were eventful in themselves.

I’m still trying to collect all the photos I can of the event because I have a lot of stories to tell. This is the first time I’ve ever been in anything this big as part of the production team, not as a participant. Interesting tidbit though: this event was held exactly one year to the day I competed in the Nike Rockstar Bollywood final. Ü

Tags: BodyCombat, Fitness First Philippines, Les Mills

Well, after more than a whole year procrastinating, I’ve gotten myself a personal domain. My friend JR, who so graciously hosted me on Scrufus.net, has set up a redirect so that the old subdomain (noelle.scrufus.net) and its pages will redirect to the new domain (noelledeguzman.com). But please do update your links if you can.

I am finally master of the universe my domain! Ü

I’ve been getting a lot of search engine hits for “Body Jam 42”, which is the latest release to be launched across Fitness First gyms in the Philippines. While I’ve been doing parts of this release during my demos, it’s always been just a couple of tracks or a short block (and on the instructor’s side). I finally got to attend a full class when Fitness First Ortigas launched on Monday evening. I arrived early that night to get a place in the front row, and I came to party!

• Warmup
  Boogie 2Nite (Seamus Haji Big Love Edit) – Booty Luv: This track does a great job of bringing in that party atmosphere so crucial to any Jam class, since it is the “ultimate dance party workout.” Super simple combos too, so anyone can get it.
• Isolations
  Tambourine (Clean Version) – Eve: The hip-hop feel to the track helps make isolating core muscle groups fun instead of a chore. Excellent choice of song as well because it makes me wanna dance!
• “Cha-Cha-Cha” Latin
  Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing – John Legend / Let’s Get Loud – Jennifer Lopez: A little challenge in the latin track’s rhythms makes this one enjoyable. Sexy too!
• Contemporary Rock
  Do It Again – Mega NuRave Styles and DJ ‘Little’ Rippa / One And Only – Timbaland ft. Fall Out Boy
  Funky new feel, chest pops, and a huge cardio blast — this track had me rocking. The stomp at the beginning seems to drag on for too long though.
• Recovery
  Umbrella (Clean Version) – Rihanna ft. Jay-Z
  Nice way for the heart rate to come down slowly. Obviously this is one very popular song, but this mix of choreography and music makes this my favorite Body Jam recovery track so far.
• Jam de Podium
  Sexual Healing (Freemasons Mix) – Alibi vs. Rockefeller / Get Down (Original Club Version) – Groove Armada / Get Up (Before The Night Is Over Tribalectric Mix) – Global Deejays ft. Technotronic / Rain Down Love (Phunkk Mobb Remix) – Freemasons ft. Siedah Garrett
  I love that this track doesn’t have too much traveling from side to side going on, so even in a crowded dance studio everyone gets a chance to break out. The Bounce move is so much fun and the playfulness in this cardio block’s choreography really elevates the mood and hypes everyone up. I don’t like how this block ends, though. I’d rather have a big finish because the energy is just through the roof.
• Groove Down
  Beautiful Liar – Beyonce ft. Shakira
  Sensual, sexy feel to this track and I love it! One of the best groove downs in my opinion, still incorporating dance while helping you stretch out those worked muscles.

I can’t wait to do this release again at the classes I attend. It provides a great contrast to the latest Body Balance release, number 38, which is all about stillness and focus. I helped launch BB38 in Fitness First branches in Manila and North EDSA, and will be launching at ABS-CBN, Fort, and Eastwood over the next few days. It’s a tremendous rush for me to break out and dance after all that controlled movement in my Body Balance classes. Ü

For more information about these group exercise programs, check out LesMills.com and Fitness First Clubs PH. For track listings, visit TotallyLesMills.com.

Tags: Body Jam, Fitness First Philippines, Les Mills

Last Sunday I was at TriNoma Mall doing a demonstration of group exercise programs from Fitness First. I shadowed the warm-up to BodyJam 42, presented the standing strength of BodyBalance 38, and shadowed the Oldskool block from BodyJam 41. We were performing in front of the membership recruitment booth on the ground floor, and it wouldn’t have been anything out of the ordinary if our impromptu audience hadn’t started whipping out their camera phones, still cameras, and videocams (!!!) and started visually recording what we were doing.

I found myself feeding off the attention and actually loving it. It’s a huge contrast from last year. I think I’ve really grown in that aspect. Here’s the evidence.

• June, after starting to attend dance classes: If there’s one thing I don’t want to do in a dance class, it’s to draw attention to myself. When that happens, thoughts start coming into my head, like “Am I trying too hard? Do I look like I’m from the Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) video?”
• July, thinking that I was destined for a life behind-the-scenes: I’m just going to come out and say this: I have terrible stage fright. There’s just something about the way all those eyeballs are focused on me when I’m up on stage that turns me into a deer in headlights — frozen still as a statue as the 10-wheeler of shame bears down on me.
• August, after attending BodyJam classes for three months: I was really surprised and flattered when she gave me this piece of advice (this is not a direct quote). “Everyone was watching you… You only looked up whenever I called your name. You know the last time, when I said you were dancing in your own little world… You have to look up! The audience can’t see you project.”
• September, after auditioning for the Nike Rockstar Bollywood competition: After the cool-down, one of the judges announced the three members who would represent Ortigas. The first number she called was mine! I felt like I’d won Miss Universe (and I probably had the same mock-surprise facial expression, haha).
• October, after competing at the Nike Rockstar event: And then we went out on stage. To my surprise we did better than I expected, and I was glad we didn’t prove to be embarrassments to our branch. After all, we were chosen as the team because we were supposedly the best they had to offer.
• February, after auditioning for BodyBalance instructor training: Admittedly I’m a gym rat but I’m more of the sweat-my-way-to-fitness kind, which is why I was totally surprised when Mother Fhe (so called because she’s the “mother hen” of most group exercise instructors at Fitness First Philippines) told me to audition for BodyBalance.
• March, after participating in another Nike Rockstar competition: It was a nice way to spend a few days living a different routine from home-work-home. I’ll end this entry with a video of our performance of which I’m very, very proud.
• March, after BodyBalance instructor training: I’m sitting here typing this smiling inside with a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. You might ask why, since it’s so early in the morning. Well, for the first time, I team-taught a BodyBalance class this morning at Fitness First ABS-CBN… I really do enjoy this and I hope I excel at this new endeavor. I may be an instructor of a group exercise program that’s supposed to leave you calm and centered, but I am definitely buzzed about it!
• July, after my first trip with Living Asia Channel: I’d never been on a working trip before, so everything was new to me: being on cam not for a family video but for a real show, traveling insane distances in bumpy circumstances just to get a shot of a required location, sleeping in a different place every night and at some point not having a shower to come home to… But it was so much fun!

The Noelle of last year would never have thought she’d be doing what I’m doing now: being in front of people, hosting or presenting or performing or anything of that sort. Sure, she may have dreamed of being in front of cameras but she wouldn’t have thought she’d have the guts to do anything there aside from quivering and shaking and making a fool of herself.

I have no idea where this boldness will take me, but I’m sure God has a great plan for my life which didn’t involve the timidity I used to suffer from. Right now, I’m just happy to say goodbye to my deer-in-headlights look. Ü

Tags: Performing, Overcoming Stage Fright

No, I am not getting married. At least not yet, anyway. I have a wedding to attend on Saturday and I have just realized I haven’t bought the wedding present. But I’ve got an even more pressing issue.

I have nothing to wear!

The invitation (which I got only today) asks that we guests refrain from wearing black and denim. Dress code is formal. Serves me right for choosing the little black dress over a neutral-colored anything. On the whole I really don’t have a problem with the way I dress, except for formal occasions. Now I’ll have to rummage in my closet, but I have a sinking feeling I’ll need to buy something specifically for this occasion.

Any ideas? Cheap ones, preferably. I don’t want to overshadow the bride (LOL!), especially since I’m just the groom’s guest. Ü

Tags: Fashion, Weddings

Last week I had five days of glorious DSL Internet access. Then all that came crashing to a halt when we lost access five days in a row as well. Thanks, PLDT!

I’ve had quite a week and will try to write about it in detail tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the long weekend! Ü

Well, it’s that time of the month again. Surfing the crimson wave. Aunt Flow’s in town. Putting aside all other euphemisms for menstruation, women’s troubles are just that: trouble. If it weren’t such a big deal, I don’t think we’d see so many commercials on TV hyping sanitary napkins with anti-leak channels and extra absorbency for those days when the flow just goes whack. For some women it’s an even bigger deal: the world comes to a grinding halt when the monthly visitor arrives at the manger bringing cramps, bloating, and fatigue.

Sometimes I wonder, what is all this suffering for? I mean, aside from giving women an excuse to snap at other people or be mean or reclusive (not that I do this, of course *wink*). Surely all that piping down there exists for a reason? Otherwise there is absolutely no reason for the uterine lining to build up and break down month after month after month…

And then I’m reminded of the miracle of childbearing. A woman’s body practically goes out of whack to adjust the needs of the unborn child growing in her womb. Hormone levels go through the roof, metabolism goes into overdrive… a lot of things happen so that the child may live. When that child is welcomed into the world by the arms of a loving mother and father, what a blessed life it promises to be. Ü

So here’s to my friends Brian and Menchu; in about six months’ time they will welcome a boy or girl into their growing family, to be a sibling to their daughter Ien. Mazel Tov!

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Psalm 127:3 NKJV)

Tags: Biological Clock, Women

You’d think that by now I’d be used to living in a tropical country where rain falls half the year. Drizzles and downpours, I’ve been in them all — in the past few weeks more often than I’d like. It’s pretty sucky to get soaked to the bone walking from one place to another in a shower, only for the rain to stop the second you step into a building’s doorway.

Sure, I know Metro Manila and Central Luzon needs all the rain it can get for water supply and power generation. It would be blasphemous of me not to appreciate the cloud seeding efforts which I assume are the cause of the regular afternoon rain showers.

I just wish the rain would fall somewhere other than the city. I mean, all that water falling on cement just drains away into rivers and ocean (most of our sewers in this city lead there). That, or the sewers get backed up and the water fails to drain away at all, leading to flash floods.

Just today Ade, Peter, and I were at Coffee Bean in Ortigas for a late lunch, swapping stories about rain and flooding in Manila. The conversation starter was the torrential downpour falling right outside that prevented Peter from going back to his office for two hours.

But far be it from me to sing “Rain, rain, go away.” It’s only for a few months more, right?

Tags: Metro Manila, Rain