Debate: Alcohol and the aspiring fitness buff

I guess most of us regular lads and aspiring fitness buffs from the late teens all the way to the adults face this same common dilemma - alcohol. I mean we all know it kind of screws us over in terms of our fitness progression and gains, but at the same time it is a semi-essential part of socialising and when consumed responsibly can be abit of fun (for some of us at least). 

What prompted me to "pen" (well, not exactly pen per se but yeah) this post was a series of events over the past couple of months. 

My birthday last year was spent with a whole lot of hard liquor. It just so happened that my birthday coincided with the end of the exams. As such, my classmates decided to celebrate both occasions concurrently at a Thai Disco. For those of you not too familiar with Singapore, a Thai Disco is like a night club with sing and dance performances by resident artistes. Being the birthday boy at such venues is never a good thing for your liver, as you might have predicted the sequence of events following. Ended up downing way more alcohol than your average "social drinking" session. Felt like crap over the entire weekend thereafter.

After that session, I decided to go easy on the alcohol. Another event that really got me thinking was another session over at another Thai Disco. This time I tried to avoid the liquor and beer as much as possible without coming off as being rude socially. But as you guys might have guessed, trying to dodge drinks intentionally makes you kind of an "social-outcast" and particularly "unsporting" while also being a wet blanket. The night was plain awkward (for me at least), so I bolted as soon as I got the chance. I mean what was I suppose to do when the boys were playing drinking games with the ladies? 

The point I want to make is that I understand alcohol does has it's upsides and downsides but ultimately it lies within ourselves, how we choose to make use of it. It could be used responsibly to network with others and potentially get you a better job or clinch that multi-million dollar deal with a big client. At the very same time, it could waste the hell out of you, turning you into a puking machine with horrible social etiquette and judgement. That said, it is essential to pick and balance how you consume your alcohol without being the wet blanket of the party. If you're not prepared to drink during a huge party where you know the people around are big time drinkers, it'll probably be a good choice to stay away from that outing. If it's a night out with the homies just chilling and stuff, you could probably go ahead with it and not worry about getting wasted if the boys got your back.

I realised that it's our very own personal responsibility to weigh and prioritise such events in our life. We definitely do not want to neglect our best friends in order to achieve our fitness goals. I personally feel that there's more to life than hitting a 600 pound deadlift PR or running 2.4km under 9 minutes. However, all of us have our own views and perspectives. The point here is to make a informed and deliberate choice and not regretting it in the future.

PS: Drew up this impromptu entry quickly without drafting anything out. Might revisit this issue again in future entries. In the mean time, look out for more product review entries. Cheers!