The Evening Standard

Health & Fitness

A fortnight ago, I was a 17stone fatty, gloomily pondering my future as yet another thirty something male sliding towards middle aged obesity, heart failure and viagra assisted nookie.

I had used conventional gyms before – I’d visit them for a month or so, then leave, disillusioned. In exchange for a joining fee and several monthly subscriptions, I received a 2-hour induction by poorly trained staff. I never heard a word about nutrition. In a soulless environment like that, reasons to keep going soon died out.

Karmaa a trendy new gym in the heart of Camden stepped into breach. The gym already has a starry clientele, its instructors have trained Caprice, but it was far from intimidating (another big drawback of many London health clubs).

It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions: I feel depressed by the pain and exhaustion, hatred for the instructors and deep pride at the end of each session, knowing I’ve broken another pain barrier. Raf & Garth have managed to do what no other gyms done so far – make me come back. A good fitness instructor can also see how much you have got left in the tank, and then make you burn it.

The results are excellent, but there’s still a long way to go. The sadists at Karmaa have assured me that things will only get tougher.

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