Most tourists bring along their huge cameras, flashy hawaiian shirts, and collect tacky souvenirs. Most tourists travellers spent most of their money on buying clothes (like I did) and jewelery.
I hunted for French bodybuilding magazines and shops. French magazines because I wanted a fun way to practice and improve my French. Even though I am not a heavy supplement user, I wanted to see what was in use in France. Well, Paris.
The magazines were hard to find but I did manage 3. I was hoping for something like Men’s Health but only found Muscle and Fitness (I don’t like that magazine very much) but it did come with a free sample of protein powder (avec caramel chunks. Another reason why I don’t read that magazine).
The first magazine I bought was Le monde du muscle et du fitness. It looks to be like a grassroots publication geared towards competitive bodybuilding (which I am not really interested in).
Same for the other magazine I found, Body Fitness (bodyfitness-es.com— looks like they have an English and Spanish site, too). But this magazine had more info about various lifting and nutrition tips balanced with competitive bodybuilding.
I found a few supplement shops nutrition stores and only recognized a few protein brands. Lots of nitric oxide and the protein bars were half the size of what I find here in Toronto. Same amount of protein though.
The only way I was able to keep up with my workout during my week in Paris was push ups in my hotel room. I wanted to go jogging every morning but I was recovering from bronchitis and didn’t bring my running gear. I did notice the Paris firefighters jogging in groups in the Jardin des Tuileries in front of the Louvre. As they jogged up a hill, they carried a partner! Now THAT’S strength! Does anyone know if this is common in firefighters’ exercise regimes all over the world?
My push up routine was 30 reps, 1 minute rest, 15 reps, 1 minute rest, 5 reps. The next day I’dd add 2 reps to each. I know, nothing Earth shattering or firefighter-like, but it was all I could do in a small, small hotel room (avec squeaky floor) after a day of hardcore sight seeing.
[tags]Paris, bodybuilding[/tags]