Shahd Alhamdan
THERE is definitely a relationship between weight and the status of a person — the more weight, the less opportunity for landing a good job. “More weight means more isolation. More weight means less interaction in school,” says fitness expert Badr Al-Shibani.
Al-Shibani has written a book, titled “Fil Adhl” (In the Muscles), is which he provides tips, advice and stories about sport, health and fitness, while also shattering relevant urban legends.
“The book is a summary of my experience over the past 15 years in the fitness industry, including how I started being fit and going to gyms. It also details my experience in holding the Olympic torch in London 2012, and some incidents in my life and the lives of some people I met. It is a very light book but contains a lot of messages for society,” he said.
Al-Shibani advises budding fitness enthusiasts to take small steps. He explained that alterations in lifestyle will make a change but after a while the person will not get the same result and sometimes he or she will return to as they were before. Taking small steps, he said, would be useful in changing one’s self and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Speaking about the urban legend that people should finish their food so it does not run after them, he said people’s attitude to yarns like this is changing. He added that it is untrue that if girls hold weight then they will develop muscles like men.
“Men and women have different physiology and anatomies. Women will need weight training to help them in their activities to carry things. More muscles means less fat, and muscles give ladies the shape that they want. I recommend women undergo weight training three times a week. Lightweights are not heavy like the ones men use. However, they will affect women positively,” he added.
He said muscles never become fat and what affects the body is not stopping exercise but the decrease in burning calories and at the same time taking in specific amounts of food. “When you stop sports, what happens is that the burning in the body stops. If the person continues to consume the same amount of food then he will once again gain weight,” he said.
“Muscles have memories. So, if you work out and then stop and return again, then the muscles will cope and remember,” he said, adding that some groups of people in the Kingdom have started to live healthy lifestyles.
“People have started running, more gyms are open and young people are trying to live healthy lifestyles,” he added.
Al-Shibani is of the view that people should start to play sports at an early age. However, the minimum age to join a gym in the Kingdom is 18. “We should differentiate between professional sports and entertainment sport, having a nice shape and muscles and self-satisfaction. Most people who take drugs and undergo plastic surgery are simply out for entertainment,” he added.
He is of the view that there is nothing called good sports and that people should do what they like and never get bored with sports. He, however, advises women to always walk.
Al-Shibani said the price of female gyms is higher than those that cater to men because of the limited number of female-friendly gyms.
