Pavithra and Ram
Ram and I can still vividly recall our preliminary assessment session in July 2016 at the Quad with Coach Bharathi. We were asked to fill in our registration forms with some basic details about ourselves and one specific question where we were asked for the reason for us joining the Quad. We had our own distinct reasons to join and our own expectations out of it.
Shekhar Subramaniam, a good friend of our’s was Ram’s inspiration to join The Quad and I just tagged along, at Ram’s insistence. The journey from there on was no less exciting for both of us, in many ways than one.
As for me, I was initially reluctant to sign up for The Quad primarily being apprehensive of my own levels of consistency and commitment, considering the staggered attempts at any fitness discipline in the past, be it aerobics/ gym/ yoga, nothing that lasted beyond the 3 months/ 6 months mark. Secondly, the whole idea of a boot camp as much as it excited me also had me a little skeptical as to whether I was up for something very strenuous, as it may turn out to be. Nevertheless I decided to give it a shot as it was only 3 months of 3 days a week, that I was signing up for, anyways!
Ram on the other hand, walked into The Quad, with a more open mind and conviction. Not being a sports enthusiast since childhood, he had not actively pursued any high impact sport/ fitness routine, beyond a stint in swimming and the periodically regular bouts of yoga practice. At a time when mental stress was getting the better of him and he had to make some difficult choices, he chose The Quad to help him take charge of his mind and body.
Today as we look back, what a transformation it has been, for us, this last one year! Although we walked in with different mind-sets and expectations, our one year at The Quad has immensely changed our perception of fitness, our lifestyle choices and in a subtle way the people that we were, back then.
Our journey this past one year taught us among other things that fitness is not just weighing lesser but being able to lift more(weights). That strength lies not just in your ability to lift more but in the physical and mental grit to try harder and push beyond your comfort zone. That fitness is not a one time goal or a number but a lifestyle by itself.
Thanks to the carefully structured schedule of strength, skill and endurance training, that put every nerve and muscle in us to test, yet made us go back, week after week, cheerfully, asking for more. Personally, the every one hour session at The Quad, was a meditative experience, as the training pattern by itself required a lot of concentration, breath control and focus and left no room for monotony/ mindless movements.
The periodic fat loss/ strong and lean challenge conducted for The Quad members hugely impacted our dietary patterns and rammed into our system a whole new way to eat the food that we love in healthy proportions.
The next striking feature is the professionalism and commitment of every one of the Coaches, which is down right infectious. The Coaches take genuine interest in understanding each of the trainees’ strengths and weaknesses and customising the training to suit the individual needs so as to ensure we train safe and to the best of our abilities. Such personalised attention, honest feed back and incredible patience of the Coaches in fixing your form and encouraging you to take that next step beyond your comfort zone, evokes immense trust and thats what drives us to show up regularly and put in our best.
The Quad gave us the rare opportunity of training among a group of 20 odd trainees, with varied fitness levels, working together, cheering for each other, inspiring each other, yet blinkered to deliver to one’s own best and at one’s own pace. At the end of each session, as we nod/smile at our co trainees, while barely managing to catch our breath, what a sense of accomplishment, there is! Truly, unparalleled!
Cant believe its been a year now at The Quad and we are immensely thankful to them for making fitness enjoyable and an indispensable part of our lives.
We know we have a long way to go in our fitness journey and we know not a fitness community but The Quad, to make it a fun ride, all the way!
