Quick Fixes for the Season

We all know this season is real exciting and fun time. It also brings its own set of challenges to maintain your healthy lifestyle. Here are a few pointers to keep you on track with your health and fitness lifestyle.

Nutrition

1) Drink at least 3 liters of water a day.

2) Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.

3) Green tea and Warm water are the tow best things you can drink in this season.

4) Try and practice undereating whenever you can. e.g If you know you are going to be eating a big caloric and sugar dense meal at a particular time cut back on eating on the hours prior to that.

5)  Before you start a meal always go for a big helping of salad or soups.

Workouts

1) Be mindful of your posture

2) To stay active, walking is one of the best options you have.

3) Bodyweight Circuits, sprints, straddles and shadowboxing are the best toning and conditioning methods you have available to you if all you have are 10 minutes a day.

4) Keep workouts short.

5) Remember the best workout is one you will do

These points will keep you on track. Print them out if you have to. If you forget them do not panic or feel guilty- just pick up from where you left off.

Enjoy the holidays!!

You definitely know people in your family and friend circle who can benefit from these points. Go ahead and share it with them. You just might be the reason they find a change in their lifestyle forever. 

Time to Rest Ye Merry Ladies and Gentlemen

Well its that time of the year again when everybody is winding down. The year end holidays are coming in fast. Compliments of the season are in progress. In all the excitement of the holidays lets not forget that it is a well deserved break and it is an especially important time for rest and recovery.

Most people have already planned what to do and the mental break itself is the biggest thing that enhances recovery. In all the enjoyment there are practical things you can do.


1) Have yourself a merry time! - Well this comes with the season! Enjoy yourself thoroughly. Catch up with family and friends. Laugh. Do things together. Unwind!

2) Silent night - This is a good time to get some well needed hours of sleep. Let your body recover and get the stress out. You will be surprised at what just a few days of good sleep for 6-8 hours can do.

3) More than roasted chestnuts!- We can't deny this season comes with a lot of goodies and parties. In all that, eat sensibly. Order your eating right. If you know for sure there is a specific time window you will be eating a lot balance it off with undereating, juicing or fasting. Make sure whenever you can you are eating more quality and nutrient dense food. This will also keep your energy level high and you will not have energy crashes. It also keeps unnecessary fat off so you will not have to run into the new year with wild training plans.

4) Walking in a winter wonderland - Go for walks. If at all you want to stay active this is one of the best ways to do it. Go walking. Enjoy a nice walk even if it is for 10 minutes in a day. In most cases the winter season has set in. The cool air will give you a neural recharge and freshen your mind.

Rest is vital for your health and there is no better time than this season to do it. You will enter the new year feeling fresh and healthy if you plan your rest and recovery right. Go ahead and enjoy the season.

Please feel free to share this post with your family and friends so they can have a healthy, fun filled season!!

Learning the Ropes

One of the most easiest and versatile pieces of fitness equipment I have started to use recently is the Rope. I had underestimated its use till recently when one of my clients came up with an injury (had nothing to do with my training session!!). I then started digging up other reviews on what I could do to get her on her fitness goals again and then this rope showed up.

Initially ropes dont look like they can do much for you. Dont let the looks fool you! It can be a mean tool for conditioning, cardio vascular development and stripping fat.

I like them because there it is easy to setup and can be carried easily from one place to another. They offer a surprising number of variations that can get you a really good training or workout. In the last two weeks I found out just how effective ropes can be for strength training as well. To say that I didn't do too well on it is an understatement. Ropes can be used for suspension training, climbs and as already discussed conditioning. Below are a few videos of Mike Fitch from Global Bodyweight training showing how Rope training can be used in your training

Breathe again!

Hi all,

I have been delving into basic corrective exercises. It surprises me that we have lost our ability to breathe correctly and that leads to a lot of problems. I have been training myself to breathe accurately again and it has got me feeling so much more better and stronger. Here are three videos

The first one is by Mike Robertson. If you don't know who Mike Robertson he is a well respected strength coach and is prominent in the circle. He is also known as the 'corrective exercise' coach!

The other two are by Tony Gentilcore. Once again, Tony is a strength and conditioning coach and works at Cressey Performance. Eric Cressey himself is a well known and well reputed strength coach and Tony is on his team. Tony is definitely one individual you want to listen to when you are looking for strength and corrective exercise patterns.

Watch the videos, practice the patterns and learn to breathe healthy again.

10 Ways to Beat Stress

'I need to de-stress.'

'Gideon, what can I do to de-stress?'

'I'm getting tired these days, it must be all the stress.'

I have been hearing a lot of these kind of statements or questions related to stress and destress recently. So I decided to (finally!) put a post down and give insights on things that actually helped me tackle stress head on.

All of us know that stress is not good. Some of the important things that you should know about stress are:

• It is one of the leading causes of death across the world today.
• It is a time, relationship and health robber.
• It keeps you fat.

There are a lot of other negative things it does but these three pretty much cover all of it.

So how do we beat stress? In todays world there are problems and challenges at every corner but there are things you can do to beat stress.

1) STOP WORRYING!!  Jesus Christ said that about 2000+ years ago. If someone like Jesus said this he knows what he is talking about. This might be easier said than done but it is vital to get your thoughts in order. Some of the things people worry about most of the time don't even happen. Think about the solution to the problem and not the problem. 

2) Sleep! - Do not neglect your sleep. I have written a seperate post on this earlier. Click here.

3) Time Out: - You need to take some time out on a daily basis. 10 or 15 minutes a day should be good enough. Just quieten yourself down and relax. Don't think about work or anything else. Just relax. This would be a good time to also focus on your breathing which brings me to my next point.

4) Breathe: - If ever there was one quick technique I relied on this was it. In the middle of things just stop and take in deep breaths. Anywhere in between 5 and 10 breaths should be good.

5) Ease off on the eating: - Stop eating so frequently. The digestive system is a system that requires huge amounts of energy to work. I strongly suggest slowing down from food for a while. You can do just vegetables or vegetable juices during the day and eat normally again at night. Another practice you can take up is intermittent fasting also known as IF.

What you eat is also important. As much as possible stop eating sugar and processed foods. These also put an enormous strain on your digestive system causing a lot of stress. Watch what you eat and reduce the frequency. Take a break from eating.

6) Unplug:- It is amazing what time without electronic gadgets do for you. For a while switch off your phone, internet and stay away from your computer. I used to take 24 hours out from all of the gadgets around me. It was sooooooo refreshing. I have written an experience of mine here. There are also hidden dangers of technology which causes massive stress. Unplugging once a while will help.

7) Exercise:- Exercise helps a lot at destressing. You can have an exercise schedule in 10 or 15 minutes. There are studies again and again that show that exercise reduces stress. Get an exercise routine.

8) Sunlight:- Get out into the sun. The Vitamin D assimilation and the light does alot for you.

9) Walking: Walking is a great way to get your blood circulating and destressing. It loosens you up and keeps you active and your mind fresh. Here is more on walking.

10) Talk to someone: If you have something on your mind or something is wearing you down talk it out. Sometimes you just need to go to someone you can trust and tell them, 'I just need you to listen to me!' Then talk it out. See how much lighter you feel.

There are more techniques to this but these are the most common ones and that you can implement quickly. Start implementing these and start to reduce your stress today.

If this post has helped you please share it with someone. Drop in comments, ask questions and if you need help with destress techniques you can contact me here.

Another lesson learnt from another client - Discipline and Honesty

The other day a client of mine asked me after a session, 'Do you also train?' Now, while that might seem like 'DUH', it got me thinking. Sometimes clients questions can take us off guard and also keep us in check. It has been quite a busy month for me and my training frequency has reduced but I made time to train at least twice a week for 15 minutes. I was so glad I managed to do that.

Imagine if I had to tell the client, 'No, actually I have not been training recently because I was really busy?' Instead of building them up I would have given the message that its ok to avoid training if there was a 'so and so' reason. 

'Oh c'mon, you didn't need to tell them.' That might be true. That also means it would have backfired on my character. No one would have known except me but in all honesty that would have weakened my resolve and authority as a trainer to ask them to do something or make a suggestion. These clients look up to us for maintaining their health but I also believe as personal trainers there is an element which goes deeper. It is setting an example and standard.

Stay honest and true to yourself. You will be able to handle 'curve balls' that suddenly get thrown at you from your client. As a trainer your own personal disciplines are necessary to be an authority and make an impact while training. Also, when you do that you come from a position of authority to be able to tell your clients what to do.

Discipline and honesty helps you through any aspect of life. As trainers I think this is especially true and important as we also set the example of being role models. It also helps to practice what you preach. If you need to stay on track find someone you can trust and stay accountable to so you can keep sharp. My wife keeps me accountable with something as little as a posture deviation. It gets irritating sometimes but I know its for my good and getting me sharper and stronger in character and skill to do what I have to do.

Practice living being true to what you stand for. Might be a bit difficult at the beginning but if you are consistent it will become a part of your life.

If this post has encouraged you send it out to someone else who you think needs it. If you need any help with Lifestyle Coaching or fitness, send me a message.

Having fun, Monkeying around, Breaking Barriers and Celebrating Achievements

Training sessions should be fun. That is something I learnt from Matt Marshall or at least got it reinforced in my mind from him. Thats exactly what I did today. I was waiting for a client to show up and I decided to have some fun on the kids playground - just monkey around on the monkey bars!!

Well I know it doesn't sound too modest but I was impressed with my speed and body movement. I just ran, jumped and swung around and hung around and also found out where all I had made improvements. Movements I thought still had a long way to go just flowed nicely and......for lack of a better word happened. It was sad that there was no video and no cameras but I did feel like I made my entry into the world of bar athletes.

Here is what went down:

3 single arm Pull ups:) from a 2 second single arm hold previously.

Front levers  

Reverse pull ups 

Upside down Pull ups 

Isometric holds on parallel bars for 15 seconds

I am thankful to God for this and to all the people who kept encouraging me to push past my limits with bodyweight training I want to thank you as well. I am going to take some time out today and celebrate!!

Medical Pros meet the Fitness Pros

There is a huge gap that I have noticed with health and fitness. There are a lot more healthcare professionals and doctors who are not taking advantage of the fitness industry. Some doctors also still refuse exercise programs to certain patients citing that their cases are too chronic. Yet there are numerous cases which show proper nutrition and exercise have actually got people back on their feet and in good health in spite of being bed ridden. Doctors might suggest physiotherapy but the problem with most medical physiotherapy today is it only goes to a certain level and stops and then the client just keeps on and on with a physio program that does nothing much for them after the initial first few sessions.

Its strange to me because the body has this one principle - If it is moving and kept active in the right way it will get stronger and medical professionals know that. If you are a medical prrofessional reading this are are genuinely concerned about your patients please consider looking for a professional fitness professional and working with them in designing your patients recovery plan.

So here are my suggestions as a fitness professional to medical professionals.

1) Look for partnerships: If doctors and professional fitness trainers partner together there is the best of experience coming in together. The doctors experience and knowledge coming in along with the trainers knowledge of exercise and or nutrition will definitely help the patient recover faster. If need be come in with a nutritionist and physio. The point to note here is primarily 'THE HEALTH AND LIFE OF THE PATIENT.
If you are not willing to do that for your patient why on earth are you a medical pro and spent those many years in medical school? After all a patient who is getting healthier is less of a burden for you.

2) Find out exactly what teaming up with fitness professionals can do for you:- Nearly all of the time, if you find a professional trainer your results as a doctor or medical professional can be enhanced. You will have an exchange of ideas and experience which could help you in other cases. You also will have a great team to work with if the trainer knows a really good nutritionist.

From a business perspective you can build your network and have a win win situation gaining more clients.

3) Which areas can you help the patient in? If you are unsure about exercise patterns for rehab of a patient, thats when you need a fitness professional to step in. A good fitness professional will work along with you in devising an appropriate exercise plan. If there are restrictions that you advise there will be ways to maintain those restrictions but also have an effective program.

From a pre-hab point of view you can always suggest patients to be more preventive and get into a fitness program or lose bodyfat weight safely telling them the advantages of staying fit and healthy and losing bodyfat weight.

In all its a win-win-win situation. The patient knows they are in the best care possible and chances of recovery are greater. You are exchanging ideas and learning and increasing your network and networth. The trainer increases thier network and networth while adding value to the patients life.

If you are looking for a professional fitness trainer to help or to partner with to help your clients with rehab or preventive lifestyle you can contact  me here.

6 training tips I learnt.

Over my years as a fitness professional, I have come to realise one thing.....there is no 'one size fits all' in the fitness field. The principles and the laws are the same but every person can't be trained the same way. There are just too many different goals, preferences, personality types, body types, etc.

I have also come to realise that peoples preferences change.

For eg. If we are training children and watch them as they grow we notice a progression. When they are much younger, they like running around, doing the animal walks and crawls, hanging off things, jumping. As they start to grow the variety of what they do starts to get more focused. They start to head off into sports most of the time. By the time they are reaching high school and college they are looking at training into athletics or already establishing hobbies. At that point they would focus more on skills needed for the sport rather than animal crawls and hanging off trees. If they are bar athletes thats fine and they might still continue hanging off things but otherwise some things are being dropped off and certain skills are being focused on for their interests are just what they want to do.

Not only are their activities changing, their eating habits are changing. Their lifestyle is changing.

The same way it is with every individual who comes up to a trainer or a fitness expert. These are also things the fitness trainer must realise. Just because the trainer wanted 6 pack abs and did 2500 crunches per day (though that is not the way to get them), doesn't mean that all the peole who come to him/her should do that.

Here are a few rules according to me that a trainer/coach should keep in mind while training.

1) Every person is different and unique - This is the primary information you have to keep in mind. Only then can you coach effectively. If you have 20 people and all 20 people are doing exactly the same thing or rather being forced to do the same thing without understanding what they need at that time and moment  you are not a PERSONAL trainer.

DO NOT DO THIS!!

2)Stick to basics. - Coming back to basics is always a good bet. You can repeat it as many times as you want with different rep/ set schemes, training system patterns, etc. on exercises. With nutrition, things don't have to be complicated. Just follow basics.

3) Variety - Once the appropriate system has been found, just add a little bit of variety every now and then. This gives a break from the regular training pattern and forces the body to adapt. e.g. - Squats - Back squats, front squats, sumo squats, hack squats, pistol squats, etc.....

4) Motivate - Learn how to motivate your clients. Find out what makes them tick. A motivational strong point for one might not be the same for another. For example - One client might just need a reminder of their goal and deadline but another would need the trainer to actually go out there and help them finish off a set with them encouraging them.

5) Cue them: Give them points on how to correct their movement. Eg: If someone if lifting a weight, you can tell them, 'Lift as fast as possible, hold for a second at the top of the contraction and lower slowly.'

6) Remember people change: What might have worked in the first month in terms of motivation might not work in the thrird month. Most of the time as people get stronger and show positive results there is a change in their attitude and psycology.

These 6 points will definitely help you relate to your clients better. It also builds the platform to where the client and you are understanding each other better where the client looks up to you as the professional and you understand the ways to help the client reach their goals.

Why I respect Aerobics and Zumba

I personally am not too interested in aerobics or zumba. I really don't do trainings with them. However, time to time I do workouts with them just to check where I stand with speed, co-ordination and mobility and also to keep the basic skills sharp when training clients for warmups or cardio.

 I know there are more 'macho' ways to check this but I remember when I first did aerobics in my ISSA training. I was struggling to keep up. I was so proud of the fact that I could lift weights and knew the techniques and theory really well and here I was struggling to move, struggling to keep up with the tempo, struggling to breathe - I was humbled by the so called 'Ladies Exercises'. It is pretty ironic when you see a bunch of guys who throw weights around come in with a swagger and then 7 minutes later blunder and stumble all over themselves!

From a trainer and student point of view I came back with a new respect for aerobics and zumba. It does challenge the cardio vascular capacity and puts into light personal co-ordination and balance. For me, I was stiff and struggling.

Today, I still would not use them in my own training sessions. However, I would not come back saying that they are a waste of time. I think they have their own place in conditioning. I also think where it gets annoying to me is when the big box 'fitness centers' use them as latest fad workouts and the in thing to get people without any absolute consideration to see their members get their health and fitness levels better.

I am of the opinion that aerobics and zumba with serious weight training sessions will produce great results for fat loss, muscle building and overall general health and fitness. Oh yeah and if you are someone who loves too dance you are going to have a lot of fun!! My only advice is please find a good trainer in aerobics or zumba and make sure they also throw in and advise strength training sessions.

If you are looking for a good Personal Trainer and Zumba Instructor in Bangalore, India please click on the link below.

http://kavyashankar.zumba.com/

Laser Tag - My Experience

A few weeks ago we were at the Cubbon Park. I was caught in a crossfire of distinct warning alarms that people around me were being hit and so was I from time to time. My partner and me were trying to flank around a base of our opponents. We were using the trees and foliage as cover. I could see my team mates from the other end creating flanking from the other end. 'Gideon, cover me!' I stepped out with a burst of fire and my partner ran across to the other tree getting closer to the base. Then it was my turn. I glanced around cautiously, stepped behind the big banyan tree, braced myself, took a deep breath, turned up my shield and then..............RAN!!. A couple of shots were fired. I made it behind the next tree. There were others who were doing a search and eliminate...and then we converged in a triangular formation. We charged firing away......we had taken the base!!

No I wasn't in a war zone. I was playing laser tag.

What is laser tag?

It is a non-contact individual or team sport where players use hand held devices (which we call guns or taggers) and score points by tagging other players or opposing team members.

Laser tag is really fun and a great strategy and team game. I have been busting a lot of stress and its one of the things that make me feel like a child again! At the same time it has also been quite a soul searching activity because in the middle of all the fun and games it was showing me that I still do get frustrated and irritated over things and at times I was just short of losing my temper! Talk about an activity that tests a person spirit , soul and body!! Its a great team and relationship builder as well. It is also great to learn strategy.

There are different kinds of taggers. My personal favourite is the Phoenix LTX Blaster

Lazer tag is better than paintball because you dont get that stinging 'THWAP!!!'' when you get hit. Some of the welts caused by the paint can leave a mark for days. The taggers have sensors which tell you when you are in the line of fire so you can move out quickly, or if you are getting hit, the sound, light or both let you know. The game can be played indoors or outdoors. I have found outdoors to be more fun.  It is a good way to stay healthy because I was always sprinting short bursts, having to think on my feet, squatting, crouching, steadying my breathing, climbing things. It is moderately intense and its great to play on a day of active rest.

If you have played laser tag before or have anything to say about laser tag please feel free to leave comments. You can also log on to the site

www.skirmish.in

Walking

Walking is and has always been one of the best movements for mankind. All through the history of mankind it has always been used as a mode of transport. Today however, walking has evolved into an olympic sport. I'm not going to cover what it takes to get into the Olympics for the walking but I am going to give to mention the benefits I found with walking in my own experience.

1) Cardio Vascular Strength - A walk of a good distance and pace can be an excellent cardio vascular strengthening exercise. It can have your respiratory system working and you will be a bit breathless which makes for excellent cardio strength.

2) Mental Toughness - If selected for the right distance, walking even at a normal pace can be quite challenging and requires mental toughness to stay that walking path. This is especially true in todays day and age when we have our own vehicles or travel by subway or even break a walk and catch a ride in a cab.When there is an option and we can stay the walking course we are becoming stronger and tougher.

3) Fat Loss - I remember on walking regularly and doing about 4 sessions of walking a day for at least 10 minutes each, after about a week I found my belly reduced and a definition starting to show throughout my body especially on my abs. Needless to say I was fired up and motivated after that!

4) Recovery - After a strength training session usually a good easy walk gets the job done for recovery. Why? It gets a full body blood circulation going. The walking helps in loosening and relaxing muscles because of mobility and circulation.

4) Self assessment- When I walk I usually find weak spots or places where my posture needs to be corrected. There would be a slight discomfort in certain areas which help me realise that I need those areas of my poture corrected. If I find an tight area  it means a session on the foam roller or getting a massage. It also gives a very real picture of the cardio vascular state of health.

5) Breaks - Sitting for long periods of time lock up the body and cause stiffness and muscular imbalances. Walking even for a few minutes in between work sessions can help.

Walking is one of the simplest ways of exercise to keep fit. The best results come with resistance training sessions. Walking when combined with a right diet and resistance training program works on the body really well. It also helps for relief from 12 hour seated postures and staring at a computer screen.

Start incorporating walks in your lifestyle or training schedule. You will not regret it!

You can also incorporate this tip into your walking plan.

Top 13 Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer

The reason you need a professional health and fitness trainer is to keep you healthy and fit. That does seem obvious but most people don't get it. You go to a mechanic to have your car or bike taken care of. You go to a restaurant to get a good meal. So why would you try and manage it on your own with something as important as your health and fitness if you don't know what to do?

Here are 13 of the most common reasons people hire a Personal Trainer

• Lose Fat
• Muscle Gain
• Strength Gain
• Weight Management
• Improve Health
• Exercise Adherence
• Improve Lifestyle
• Improve Diet
• Improve Self Image
• Psycological Needs
• Cardio Vascular Health
• Social Needs
• Motivation

If you need help with any of these areas please feel free to contact me

So you want to be a superhero??

Wanted to know what trainings patterns the superheroes go through? Check this out

 

      Special thanks to: E. Rasquinha for this info

If you need help training to get like your super hero you are free to contact me for training sessions

Athletes who train with Bodyweight

                                                                             

These are some of the great athletes who have inspired me to pursue bodyweight training. Each of them have their own styles of training with bodyweights but one thing is for sure...............they all found out how to make bodyweights work to their advantage. Read this article by Zach even -esh

   Herschel Walker

                                                                                      

Mohammed Ali

BRUCE LEE

MIKE FITCH

HANNIBAL

ZUZANA

Mind Muscle Connection: Concentration when training

To get the most out of your training you have to be focused and get a mind muscle connection. It is just not about lifting weights or how many reps you can crank out. To build quality muscle you have to make sure the right muscles are contracting or working.

This also helps keep your form in check and as a result prevent injury, gain strength and grow some muscle. It is not as easy as it sounds though. When I first started off, my dad (who is my coach) always used to tell me 'Concentrate, work the muscle.'

This is my one main technique that  I rely on if I need to gain strength or size quickly. I slow things down, concentrate, check my form and lift or execute. Its not about slowing down the tempo but more about 'getting into the muscle.' This is especially true of body weight training.

I remember at one time my bicep development had just plateaued. I was lifting 40kgs-50kgs at that time on bicep curls. I could not figure it out. Everything other body part that I was increasing weight on had me growing on strength and size but my biceps had just stalled. So I stripped of weight down to 10- 15 kgs and I started to lift the weight again.................slowly! I just concentrated on feeling the muscle contract and my form. In about two weeks my biceps were fired up and lifting heavier but more importantly....accurately.

The mind muscle connection is also important as you start to lift heavier weight or progress in body weight training. The muscle mechanics and memory get set and that leaves you free to concentrate on some big pulls or lifts. Imagine lifting a 200kg weight and the muscles were trained wrong. Or if you were using a body weight bridge or pushup level you are learning? What are the chances that would be wasted hard work? Or of an injury waiting to happen?

If you are looking to enhance your results go ahead and literally rethink and refocus over your training patterns. It will unlock a whole new world to you.

The power of 1%

Did you know it takes about just 1% of your day to enhance your energy, burn fat, increase muscle and improve mobility and flexibility?

If you are really hard up on time you can have a really good training session in 15 minutes. The key is form and intensity. Technique should be acccurate and not going slack. Intensity should be high so you maximise results.

Especially Employees or busy executive professionals can employ this technique. Although you can choose tools of trade, bodyweight exercises in my opinion rule the 1% training sessions because you are quickly hitting multiple muscle groups and all facets of fitness in a short period of time. 

Never underestimate the power of 1%. Invest in the one pc of your day and change your life.

Corporate World - You know you need this!

While most corporates have embraced the idea of fitness being part of the work culture, to precious few are actually doing it right. There are some companies who are getting their fitness focus bang on and thats great! Thank you for making the effort and investment to get it right.

Others look like as if they have just just thrown some 'fitness room' in which they call a 'gym,' most of the time to satisfy their own conscience. Its very strange because most of the time the gym hardly has anyone in it!

I have usually noticed most people in corporate gyms usually just go on the treadmill or cycle and thats about it. for companies that are screaming about 'Cost- Cutting' I would wonder why they spend thousands for that kind of work when they could have just let the employees have time to go for a run around the office building or rented a bunch of cycles. It would have saved them at least a few hundred thousands rather than an entire space being 'unproductive.'  That to me is amusing since they expect their employees to be productive and overperform at every minute and hour. 

Lets get this straight. The people are what keeps your company up. If your people are healthy and strong they will not fall sick. That means less absenteeism. Less absenteeism means more productivity. Fitness is vital to your employees health and that does not mean sticking a gym which is not being used somewhere in the premises and running some marathon competition once every six months.

Real fitness for the corporate is when the most relevant issues that need to be addressed for all your employees are addressed and sending out ways that can practically help them. That also includes getting the right fitness program for them, the right nutrition, the right exercise, the right education on fitness that pertains to them and more importantly how to keep the right frame of mind and destress. Effective programs can be done in 30 minutes. Studies have shown just 15 to 30 minutes of exercise boost productivity.

When was the last time you actually got professional help to address those issues and FOLLOW-UP with the employees? Or did you drag them for another so called seminar in which none of them were interested to go for and expect them to meet EOD targets? 

Fitness is important to your business. You can't afford absenteeism. You can't afford bad backs You can't afford hurting necks and shoulders. You can't afford not being able to keep your staff mentally happy. They are your staff! They are people. treat them like people and not like cattle. 

Please remember this. If you take care of your staff, they will take care of your business and your clients. You have got to empower them to do what they have to do. 

Corporate World you know you need this!! Get working on it! So how are you going to do it? Get a good fitness company to handle the fitness for you or at least a fitness trainer/coach. Don't scrimp on the money here. You will end up making and saving a lot more. If you want a fancy gym thats great. If you don't want one, thats great too. Just get a decent basic one but have a good fitness company or trainer who will take care of your company's fitness issues or at least you on how to get it done. 

Exercise as Therapy

Today I did my first consultation at the Urban diagnostics center. I had to counsel a senior citizen on nutrition for diabetes. This lady had come with her daughter and grandson all the way from Kerala. It was fun especially with the people calling me 'doctor' and then watch their faces change when i told them Im not a doctor! I am happy though that I got to bridge a huge a gap between the medical field and personal trainer.

It would be good to remember the benefits of exercise as a therapy.

1) Exercise improves your health

2) Makes you feel better.

3) Increases energy

4) Affects your appettite so that you can eat healthy

5) Improves your Physiology

6) Improves your posture

7) Burns out fat

8) Promotes muscle gain

9) Improves your immunity system

10) Prevents lifestyle related diseases or even helps reverse them.

This is just a small lift but can go a long way. Remember staying consistent with your training will work.          

If you are interested in a consultation or trainng sesson please do not hesistate to contact me.

Danger!!! Simple work ahead for results!

I am so amazed at how the simplest of things gives the best results. Training to get results you want does not have to be complicated. It just needs to be the simplest stuff that works. However the simple stuff, to get the quality results is usually not easy! It is hard, consistent work!

This is one of the problems I see in the training world out there. Things have become so complicated and everyone wants the latest workout plan or program at every other session. However there is no consistency in that. As soon as most people see someone looking a lot better or performing better they want to try the latest complicated plan to get there overnight. However they are forgetting, that this person would have probably spent a lot of ground work and months preparing for that level of proficiency or even for how good their shape is.

Get this:



Follow the simple plans. Stay consistent. get results. In training terms that boils down:

• Proven Exercises and diet
• 4-6 weeks on the same program with the exception of progressive resistance
• Results

You will make more progress quicker than you ever imagined!

If you are looking for a simple, challenging program to follow click here!

Did you like this post? If you did please share it or feel free to drop a comment.

What is your excuse??????

Fitness Trainers - Do we know what we are?

I have been thinking a lot about this question. As fitness trainers, do we know what we are and what service we bring?

It seems there is a big disconnect for us most of the time. People just think we are the guys down at the gym or we just teach a bunch of exercises as a time pass and its not really a profession.

To all fitness professionals, I just want to remind you that our job is not to make people look pretty only! It is to see to their health. Exercise is medicine.

I agree losing fat is a very much a point that serves everyone in regards to looking better and in terms of health. However, we are not only the 'gym' people. In my opinion we are the early line of defense against lifestyle related issues and a lot more other things including, posture, joint mobility, flexibility, cardio vascular strength, breathing, stress management. With that on the cards, can you imagine the number of lives we would be turning around?

The truth is sometimes the medical profession can't find and diagnose the problems that we can. How do I know this? As a trainer I have come across people in my career where for years they have been suffering with a 'medical condition' and in as little as two weeks people have got relief.............permanantly!! (You can check out some of the testimonials in my Real Stories page)

The medical profession also needs a lot of help with professional rehab. I remember someone telling me, 'There is no greater satisfaction and relief for a doctor to know their patient is doing well.'  (Again I know this as I was handling a case where I was actually with a trainee when we had the doctors appointment. We could actually see and sense the relief of the doctor to know there were no issues with her patient. I helped out the client and de-stressed the doctor!!!!)

People getting in shape for weddings is a big thing. How about preparing the young mothers-to-be for the actual strength and energy they need for pregnancy and the time of pregnancy?

The corporate world in their desk jobs, and the CEO's and businessmen needing the right exercise programs and nutritional guidance to fit their on the go lifestyle. Sometimes they need more rest than exercise.

I could go on and on with examples, but it is all going to happen with fitness trainers knowing what they can do, who they are in this industry and then spearheading the paradigm shift. It is only then you can commit to your clients whole heartedly and understand that it is not a luxury for a few people, but a life changing experience and lives that we are committed to changing.

Please feel free to share your thoughts. If you know anyone who can benefit from this article please share it

12 reasons I have a blog

Today, I was just thinking about why I have a blog

I have a blog because

1) I have got things to say about a topic I am passionate about.

2) I believe my talent can help someone somewhere in the world.

3) It would be selfish of me if I had the knowledge that someone NEEDS right NOW and it wasn't accessible to them.

4) A blog is a journal that helps me track my thoughts, express my heart, keep me accountable.

5) Gives me an online presence to the world

6) Opens an opportunity for others across the globe to connect with me through the comments block.

7) As I share my knowledge I learn about myself, my craft. It sharpens my edge. 

8) It teaches me more and more about social networking, blogging and the the potential of the internet.

9) My data is safer here than in social networking sites.

10) My blog is my office. 

11) My blog gives me a potential to earn money.

12) It gives me capacity to think freely.

Top 5 Weight loss Strategies

Losing weight sounds simple but it can get confusing if you don’t know where to start. This is the top 5 most important things you can do to lose weight and keep it off.

1. Eat Less – This one sounds obvious but it can’t be stressed enough. The only way to lose weight is burn more calories than you consume. One easy way of doing this is eating less. As a matter of fact the only way any of the popular diets cause weight loss is because you end up eating less while you follow them. It doesn’t matter if the diet is low carb, high protein or low fat. As long as you are eating less calories than your basal requirement you will lose weight. The easiest and most effective calorie reducing system I have come across is Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon.
2. Do High Intensity Exercise – High intensity whole body circuit training will ensure that you are burning lots of calories and working all the muscles in your body. This works better than traditional ‘cardio’ workouts for 2 reasons. First high intensity circuits burn more calories than ‘cardio’ can. Two, they build and tone muscle which keeps your metabolism up.
3. Get A Weight Loss Team – Social Support is the most important factor to realizing your weight loss goals. Get as many of your close friends and family on your side as possible. The more people that are pulling for your success the better. Make sure you always have at least two or three people to call that will help keep you on track when you feel like skipping a workout or cheating on your nutrition plan.
4. Eat more Fruits And Vegetables – This seems a bit simple but its one of the most effective things you can do to lose weight. Fruits and veggies take up lots of space in your stomach and fill you up without adding too many calories. They will also take the place of some high sugar and high fat foods you may have eaten instead.
5. Set Short Term Goals – Short term goal setting is often overlooked and is a powerful tool to realizing your eventual long term weight loss goal. Set multiple and attainable short term goals, and the shorter the better. At the start set goals for each day, morning evening and night. Set short term goals for finishing each one of your workouts, as well as for eating your fruits and vegetables. Set them each day, and mark it down each time you achieve one. As you build up your list of goals you have accomplished you will build up confidence and momentum towards your overall long term weight loss goal. Keep the list somewhere safe and keep marking down each goal as you achieve it. After a few weeks you should have a nice looking list of accomplishments to be proud of. Remember, every little bit counts.

Put these 5 strategies into effect and you will be well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals in record time.

One Important Skill I Learnt

Being into the fitness line and the kind of eating habits that I had to make, there was one skill I had to learn and learn quickly and I don't regret it at all. In fact its so important I would think everyone gets at least a 101 knowledge of it.

That one skill is - COOKING.

The reasons.

1) If you are hungry, you can quickly cook something up. eg. A scrambled egg recipe takes you less than 5 minutes to do.

2) If you are married, it will take pressure off your spouse. I know that when me and my wife are in the kitchen it cuts down the cooking time. That also means more quality time with my wife. Also, if she gets delayed or has a tough day, I can just handle the kitchen scene easily. Of course that is also a huge stress of her mind which is again what we fitness professionals should be looking to do!

3) Healthier and tastier Choices- You know exactly what you are putting into your meals and just what  suits your taste.

4) Accountability - You cook, your style, your ingredients. If you put in unhealthy choices you have no one to blame but yourself.

Honestly cooking is not difficult to learn. get the basics straight and you will find yourself moving around with ease. When in doubt, ask.

How I learnt cooking? Basic knowledge, common sense and normal physical sense (Watching, smelling and tasting.)

I just knew what the nutrient groups were and based on that I started to mix and match. I saw the general way people move around cooking, then started to put things together and relied on smell and taste to get me through.

Its not as difficult as it looks. As a matter of fact some of the recipes I featured on this blog were recipes I did the first time.

Go ahead, pick up on your culinary skills. You might also just be the next masterchef!

Nutrient or Caloric dense- Which one?

Walking through the clutter of nutrition information can really get mind boggling. However nutrition does not have to be complicated. By now you should probably know the KISS principle has a great value in life - Keep it Simple Stupid!

In todays post we will be looking at nutrient dense foods vs caloric dense foods.

A nutrient is a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and life.

A calorie is a unit of heat energy. 

Lets go back to Nutrition 101. What are the nutrient groups?

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals 
• Water

You have to remember this: 

1) Your body needs nutrients rather than calories to maintain itself.

2) Each food group has its own value of nutrients and calories in different percentages.

In concentrating on how much nutrient your food has rather than calories (which in any case you will be getting) your hunger will be satisfied quicker and in a much more wholesome way. If you are eating more nutrient rich food, it will satisfy your hunger faster and you will not eat more than you should. This is because quality nutrients are more wholesome. It will also keep you full longer avoiding the need for snacking. Have you ever realised how difficult it is to eat a good helping of salad, rather than 2 bags of potato chips that just suddenly seem to vanish from your hand?

A calorie in itself is not bad and your body needs calories especially if you have to gain weight and burn energy to carry on bodily functions. However not all calorie sources are necessarily healthy. There are empty calorie foods. Those are absolutely devoid of any nutrients. As a matter of fact they might have more anti-nutrients. These are foods like processed foods, refined foods, candies, sweets......

Nutrient dense foods are not as appealing to the taste as most calorie dense foods of today. Most foods that are labelled caloric dense in today's world are basically junk. Why? Most of the density comes from empty calories. 

The best sources of nutrient rich foods are vegetables and fruits. This is not to say that meats and dairy are not nutrients but what is important is the quality of meats and dairy. They are the richest source of proteins and fats and protein and fat again is a vital nutrient. 

What is the number one group of foods that doctors and dieticians recommend to people trying to lose weight? Veges and fruits. They are rich in vitamins and minerals but are really low in calories. How ever this is only one part of the puzzle. If we keep living on only vegetables and fruits which are mainly carbohydrates, where are we going to get protein and fat from? Remember all the nutrients are necessary.

Each food carries its own caloric value and nutrient value. That can also mean while a food is highly caloric its nutrient value can be absolutely 0. This in essence is empty calorie food. 

Now the question is how do you choose between nutrient and caloric dense foods?

Honestly if you do it right you don't have to. You can get the best of both worlds.

What is the right way? Choose and order your food quality wisely. The more quality, fresh foods you eat, the greater the nutrient density. Stay away from any processed and refined foods.

For those of you just starting off and wanting to keep it really simple you absolutely cannot go wrong with fresh Vegetables and Fruits. Start off here, get your diet and nutrition in order as you start to find out what you should and should not be eating.

To your health.

I am sure this post helped you out. If you know anyone else who will find this useful please share this with them. Go ahead and leave your comments or feel free to ask questions.

How I beat a Pinched Nerve and a Back Pain

(This post is not to be taken as a backache cure. Please get professional help before following this plan from either a professional fitness trainer or doctor)

Yes, I have been there before like everyone else. The dreaded back pain. In this post I am going to share what my experience was and what I did to work around it. At the time this happened I knew far less than I know now about rehab. I will be covering that in future posts so stay following this blog. For now here is my story so bear with me......)

I had been lifting heavy and training hard. I was happy with the fact that my strength and lift numbers were going up. I was really working on the back squat for quite a while. Then I started to notice a tightness in my lower back radiating down to my lower legs. At first I just addressed it as a muscle soreness. After a few days the pain was starting to get really bad. I could not stand up or walk without wincing. To make matters worse I could feel this horrible pinching pain which shot through my body. I had to stop squats. My training sessions were getting bogged down as even in the gym my back would be stiff and hurt. Massages and stretches on the lower back gave temporary relief.

The thoughts started flooding in...

'Is this a slip disk?'

'Did I tear a muscle on my lower back?'

'Is  this lifelong?'

At 24 years old this is not exactly good news. So I waited it out. I just stopped heavy lifting. That was like really hard for me because I enjoyed lifting heavy.

One day, I believe God gave me the answer. I had this thought sticking in my head and could not shake it out....'Muscle Imbalance.' Mind you at this point, I had no certifications, rehab training, postural corrections, the best medical doctors to refer in the sports world. I didn't even know that google would give me tonnes of info on this topic. I just had this one strong impression - muscle imbalance.

I went back to the drawing board and I didn't know it then but I was drawing out my own Exercise Rehab therapy plan.

It sounded crazy when I was done. I do remember I had prayed and looked for wisdom to get it done - after all I didn't want to end up a paralytic! The answer was another choice of exercise - the all time clincher, the most feared, the most respected and yet the most loved- the deadlift! I know it sounded crazy but the logic I went on was if my back is hurting it is weak and my hamstrings feel tight so stretch them.

I started on the plan. With this plan I did not do squats at all. I started with an empty olympic bar. In two days I was feeling much better. I threw stretches in. Pain was starting to subside and I was able to move easily. At the end of two weeks i was absolutely pain free and deadlifting 160 kgs! At the end of the month I was pulling 200kgs!

It was quite an achievement and learning experience for me. Another battle won.

I firmly believe that muscle imbalances are the cause of lots of aches, pains and problems that can be easily solved. I have also come to believe exercise and nutrition is therapy and medicine by itself. Please see a certified fitness trainer to help you in regard to muscle imbalances and get a doctors opinion as well.

If you have any questions or are looking for a certified fitness trainer, please do not hesitate to contact me or feel free to leave comments below.

Back to training

After a week, it feels great to get back into training. I went in for a 25 minute bodyweight training session. Although I wasn't too happy with the intensity, I was happy that I made a comeback after one week.

One thing I did have going for me was the undereating phase of my nutrition in the previous week. I managed to stick to that religiously. Then I ended the week with about a 8 Km walk. It was a breath of fresh air to get out into the sunshine, take a walk ALONE, clear my head and also push a mental toughness build up. I had to go on that walk because my bike was out at the service station and I had to go pick it up before a certain time. So I used the walk as a training session as well. There were times on that walk I wanted to just get a lift from someone but I challenged myself to finish it. I made it on time, got my bike and came back home. It felt good. I had won something deeper. It was not spectacular but I know I got somewhere with it.

Some of you might have a question about why the 'fitness pro' didn't train for a whole week. Well, I'm a human being, not a machine. 

Here is what went down in my previous week.

1) At times I was just plain lazy. I had the opportunity to crank out at least 30 push ups but I did not do it.

2) Life goes on: With my 4 week old daughter at home, I'm getting used to new demands and schedules.

Things do happen but embrace it and move on. I had to accept the fact that I was lazy at times.I also had to accept the fact that schedules were demanding. I could have solved the issue of one of them by just getting off my rear end but did not. What is important is that I made a comeback. To those of you struggling to get back on track with anything I can say this - start as quickly as possible. It does not matter how long it takes to get back to full flow but start and stay consistent.

All the best.

Motivation for Nutrition

3 physical things that have helped me become mentally stronger

Mental toughness. Strong willed, Call it what you want but at some point you are going to need it.

These are three physical things that helped me get mentally tough.

1) Training: Training myself as a strength athlete required a huge level of mental strength. It is not easy to go back again and again and challenge the body to new levels everyday. Training with weights- whether body weight or free weight is really demanding most of the time. I remember finishing some really hard days at work and then pushing myself to the gym. To make matters worse it was leg day!! There were days when someone would really try me at work, I would come out and it would be pouring rain. I would ride back on my bike and then haul myself to the gym. 

Sometimes growing stronger mentally came right in the middle of training. Should I lift another set? Should I squat another set or let it go this time only? I pushed through, did the other set. I might not have had the physical results to show for it but mentally I grew stronger.

Training through injury is another face. When you are really excited about training and get injured it is really demotivating. I remember I trained AROUND (not through) injuries with a splint on my hand, walking on a crutch. etc. Training hard builds you mentally.

For a great mental toughness program I strongly recommend this mental toughness training plan from Zach Even-Esh.

2) Intermittent Fasting (IF): I have covered IF previously in another post. I have learnt that fasting helps you learn a lot about yourself and builds up mental strength quickly. I strongly recommend giving it a try (please consult with a physician before starting on it). I had to learn what my body was craving for and what it needed. To follow more on IF i suggest you strongly get this book

Click Here!

3) Cold Water showers: Why would I do something like that? There are plenty of reasons

• Boosts nervous system
• gets you alert
• Enhances recovery
• gets you mentally tough

No one is going to know if you stand under that shower with ice cold water once you make the decision. Im not saying get drenched in cold water but at least start with 30 seconds as cold as you can bear and work your way up to two minutes. Army trainings take place in rain or swimming pools, sports teams train in pools or rain, warriors of the old days used to train in rain. It makes them the tough champions and warriors they need to be.

Real Life Story: A few months ago I was helping some friends shift things and I had to make it back for a meeting. Shifting is never easy:) Running up and down stairs, lifting and moving heavy stuff. It so happened we got delayed with the shifting. I remember skipping lunch effortlessly and just getting into the wash room for a cold shower. I was ready in 7 minutes with a full half hour left to make for the meeting. I showed up absolutely fresh and with accelerated energy levels! It felt great. It is a story where in one day, these three keys I talked about right here all came together to help me out. 

I suggest you give it a go. If you need help regarding how to implement these please leave a comment or shoot your questions in the comment box. Here is to you becoming mentally stronger....