Brilliant bags

A GOOD gym really does make all the difference.

Here's what I did on my latest visit:
- 15 minutes cross trainer
- 15 minutes treadmill
- eight two-minute rounds on the bags
- 15 minutes on the rowing machine.

OK, not so much as I used to do, but a fat, out-of-shape bloke like me can be pretty pleased with such a start, especially after killing myself on the rower not 24 hours earlier.

The bags at the new gym are fantastic. They come in all shapes and sizes, but what is so great about them is their quality. All of them are made from tough leather and they are rock hard with it. With the acoustics in the gym (a converted industrial unit), they conspire to deliver an enormous "SMACK!" every time you hit one of them. It really is truly satisfying.

Less satisfying is my lack of puff. It takes about four bags to knacker me at the moment when, at my peak, I could manage 18. This does not bode well for sparring, where any savvy opponent would suss my lack of fitness and exploit it. To that end, I might leave it a week or so before I climb back through the ropes. Then again, trial by fire, in at the deep end, call it what you will, is usually instructive, and probably worth a go.