Getting fit through UTAR Fitness Workshop

UFW participants and facilitators

Over 35 students and staff gained first-hand fitness knowledge from the inaugural UTAR Fitness Workshop (UFW) held at UTAR Kampar Campus on 28 October 2018.

Organised by the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) Kampar Campus’s Sports and Recreation Unit, the fitness workshop not only aimed to raise UTARians’ awareness on the importance of fitness knowledge, but also encouraged them to be more proactively involved in fitness and to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“We also wanted to have more students to have the fundamental knowledge when beginning their fitness journey,” added UFW Organising Chairperson Steven Ngan Mun Fong, also DSA Kampar Sports and Recreation Unit’s Fitness Coach.

The full day workshop kickstarted with a light breakfast and health drink session aimed to educate the participants on the importance of having healthy breakfast to start off the day and also to avoid having an empty stomach prior to working out.

The participants were then taught about effective exercises to lose weight and build stamina as well as dos and don’ts in several popular workout postures from Marketing student Woo Wai Him. A fitness enthusiast, Woo also demonstrated some correct workout postures which boost workout efficiency and avoid potential muscle injuries. He also explained to the participants the importance of observing a diet meal plan and also learning about one’s own body type in order to understand the appropriate kinds of workout programmes or routines.

Woo enlightening the participants on the correct ways of working out

A group training was also held whereby the participants had the chance to carry out the exercises under the supervision of Steven Ngan and other facilitators focusing on different muscle groups such as the abdominal muscles by Master of Philosophy student Iddrisu Mohammed Awaal, shoulders by Finance student Tang Wei Hean, back muscles by Finance student Ong Pheng Wah, legs by Food Science student Cheah Wan Yi, triceps by Economics student Yap Yong Yi, and biceps by Financial Economics student Tan Huan Yuan.

Steven Ngan guiding a participant in doing the bench press workout

Iddrisu monitoring the participants’ leg raises exercises 

A group of participants learning the correct way of carrying barbell

Female participants learning the correct method of lifting dumbbell 

Tan teaching a participant how to train the bicep correctly using a dumbbell

A participant using the pulley machine under the supervision of Woo

Ong explaining to female participants the right way of using dumbbells

A female participant lifting up dumbbells

Tang (left) demonstrating the proper way to train the shoulder muscle

“As much as it is important to not workout with an empty stomach, it is also crucial to have a complete and nutritious post workout meal. To educate the participants better in such matter and to show them the examples of a proper post workout meal which can also include protein shake, especially to those who wish to increase muscle mass, the organising committee has also prepared post workout meals for them,” explained Ngan.

The inaugural UFW ended with a Q&A and feedback session.