Team Building with Laser tag - 1

Laser tag is a great team builder. After playing more than 30 sessions I am drawing from my experience in the game. Laser tag can mimic team work of a family, a military unit, a corporate department, sports team, etc. After all, teams are found in nearly every field and department today.

As I write this blog I would like my readers to know that I am a son in a family, a family man, worked for 6+ years in the corporate in analyst to managerial capacities and played club level basketball and done some coaching for basketball teams as well.

1) Different Gameplays

Laser Tag has a variety of gameplays. In each gameplay, since the goal is different the team has to work together to achieve the goal. It brings realistic scenes as at some point in the game you run out of 'ammunition' at crunch situations or the team might be faced with that same scenario, 

2) Different Venues

Each venue brings its own challenges for the teams. We have played out in the woods, in the parks, in apartment blocks, enclaves, inside houses, confined spaces with minimal lights and heavy sounds. The teams have got to decide on communication methods, best course of 'attack' or 'defense' etc.

3) Different Times per session

Ever had those days at work when the team suddenly has to finish something in a short period of time? Or the work assigned has a longer time period and you are pacing yourself without having to drop productivity of yourself or the teams? Well laser tag games can be of different time lengths depending on game play or availability of time to just 'sneak' in a game!!

4) Realising who are the best people within my group for me to work with

In my case even within the team, I usually work even better with just one or two other people. This is not to say I ignore the rest of my team. Its just that when these team members and I come together we can keep our entire team strong and achieve the gameplay goal more efficiently.

5) Realising my strengths and weaknesses.

One thing I learnt really quickly in laser tag, is I am not all I thought I was. In my first few games I thought I would be taking my team to victory and when the results came out I was hit the maximum number of times without landing a single shot!! Delusions of myself broke quickly. However, I also started realising where my strengths were. I was better off listening to a leader and following instructions than giving them. Learning my strengths and weaknesses helped me push my strengths up to help the team and go back and work on my weaknesses. While I had some of my ego busted during some of the games I was also grateful to lend my strengths to benefit the team.

6) Realising others strengths and weaknesses.

Taking up from the last point, I realised strengths and weaknesses of others. So where I was weak I would have to depend on the others who were strong and where I was strong I went forward and covered the others. I did realise there is no place for ego or pride if the team is to win together. 

7) Teaches us where to take risks.

There are some times when the team needs to take risks. It isn't nice but sometimes its the only way to go forward and possibly win.

These are just a few points that I realised are important for team building. In part two I will be talking about a few more points that I had realised progressively as I kept playing the game.

If you find these points useful for team building I strongly suggest that you go ahead and call for a laser tag game whether at home or the office. Contact www.skirmish.in ASAP.

5 Things to Stay Healthy in the Season

During this season one thing is certain There is a lot less work and more food everywhere. Its those tasty, delicious, mouth-watering, meals and even more delicacies and goodies. There are few things you can do to keep things in check:

1) Get your mindset right, keep your conscience light.

In this season you will no doubt enjoy food and lots of it. You could have late nights, sleep in, not have time in the early morning to exercise and all that is OK!. It happens, it's life. Please don't go on a guilt trip and also remember this period is not going to last.

2) Enjoy your food Responsibly.

I did mention go ahead and eat, but wherever possible try to watch your eating habits. Eat only as much as you need too - don't eat on feeling or out of gluttony.

3) Do some form of exercise or activity at least for 7-10 minutes everyday. 

Since there is less work, chances are you have a little more time and energy to exercise.

4) Do not ignore your rest. 

This season can come with a lot of events and visits which might actually make you tired. Remember to catch up on your rest and sleep well. There is a reason as to why they call this the Holiday Season and wish each other 'Happy Holidays.' Read this blog post I did a few years back to get more ideas.

5) Stay Focused. Stay consistent

Discipline never takes a day off. Yes there are occasional slip ups but you have to stay focused and consistent. Its your health and life that you are working towards. Stay focused and stay consistent.

If you know anyone who will benefit from this post please don't hesitate to share it.

Guilt Free - Strength and Fitness

Recently, I have been having to deal with an issue most of my clients have admitted to me. It' isn't the first time I have heard it and I am writing this blog post out of concern for anyone else who is struggling with this issue. Even some of my best trainees open this up. If they miss a training session or go slack on their diet they feel guilty!

Now to me, feeling guilty about missing a training session of messing up on the diet once or for a few days is a sign of trouble showing up. I don't ever want any of my clients or those I advise feeling guilty over missing a session or cheating on thier meals. To be feeling guilty will stop and make you think you are just doing things without reults coming. While I don't advocate being lazy and just giving excuses and the ' I'm like this only' excuse which is also terrible for your overall health, fitness and strength goals, being guilty also doesn't do any good.

Buried guilt is a sneaky thing which will come back to hit you hard when you least expect it. It builds patterns into your mentality keeping you weak. As a result you will not be able to go forward. Yes your body might push harder the next time but its more damaging in the long run. Guilt turns toxic inside of you and it drains your strength. Here are just some of the effects of guilt:

• Cortisol levels go up increasing stress.
• Headaches and Backaches
• Cardiovascular disease
• Gastrointestinal disorder
• Steady decline of the immune system
• Contributes significantly to depression and anxiety.

As you can see from the above list non of this is helping in your effort to stay healthy, fit , strong and living a long life. If brought in to the exercise and diet parts of your life, you are just going to go on with a mindset hoping to have results and you you will just be 'spinning your wheels' without going anywhere. Many times that mindset can be hidden and you don't even realise it. Soon its taking its toll on you, then results get further and further and finally you drop out of living a healthy lifestyle or continuing that journey. 

If you miss a training session or a few training sessions or your diet hasn't been clean for a while - whether you were being slack or things just happened that got too much in the way there are a few things you can do:

• Face reality - As long as you are living and breathing there is hope. Acknowledge to yourself you missed up that schedule and get back on track quickly! Forgive yourself and get up. There is more strength in standing up and getting on to the path again especially after you trip up. Don't wallow in the guilt and self pity.
• Get a coach and stay accountable - Find a good coach or trainer. They can help mentor you and give you the support that you need.
• Find a social support group - If you are already training in a group, these could be the right people to give you the support you need, especially if they are all networked to the same coach who mentors you all.
• You can learn 'pre-emptive strikes' or 'counter- attacks' to help you stay on your plan.

There are two examples that I can give to which I saw this work and work well. The first is my own experience and my second transformation. 

The second comes from a client of mine who was seeing me for nutritional coaching. She came to me in September of this year.  From September to October she was struggling to start effectively on the plan and no results whatsoever. To make matters worse nearly all her initial conversations and texts conveyed the message that she was stressed out and she would tell me at times she felt guilty. I told her that she first needed to stop feeling guilty and stressed out. At the beginning of November we met up and she was a different person. She had started to lose weight, her skin was clearer, her voice was calmer and she had more confidence about her. The gamechanger - she worked hard but threw out the extra baggage of being stressed and the guilt of not being able to stick to her plan. She has lost about 5kgs from October end till now.

Don't let guilt hold you down. Life does happen. Things do get tough. However, there is no reason to carry around mental toxic waste like guilt with you especially when things are not going your way. It will just do more harm than than good. Get over it, stand up and keep going. Practice Guilt free strength and fitness.

Eat First, Supplement Later - II

In the last post, we had looked at the importance of eating correctly and building a good nutrition base with whole foods first and then going into supplementation. Eating them first should be a priority unless you want to be made of this:

Now lets get into supplements. Supplements are just that - supplements! They are your insurance policy in your nutrition and diet so that any deficiencies are covered. Not all supplements are equal. Which supplements and how much depends on the lifestyle of the person. Of course there are other factors, like environment, health, etc that determine which supplements, what kind and how much.

Almost always the food we are eating, even if they are whole foods, are deficient in the adequate amount of required nutrients to our bodies - especially with multi vitamins and minerals. This is because of environmental causes, pesticides, insecticides, genetically modified foods, the way food is grown today, etc. Some things  like some amino acids (building blocks of  protein) Vitamin D3 just cant be made by the body. These have to be supplemented. The most common form of supplements is a multi vitamin-mineral.

Supplementation is not necessarily medicine and in most cases if you look closely most of the medicines prescribed by doctors are mostly chemically synthesized versions of amino acids, fatty acids or vitamins and minerals. This is not to say they are not good. They have their place as their is a time and place for that. If supplements dont fall under the medical prescription, the other kind of supplementation will definitely help you to avoid doctors visits.

There are two groups of people now. Some want supplements and some will have nothing to do with them. In these are further extremes. From the ones who support supplements the extremists will forego normal food and ask for 'the millionth gram/ of XYZ in x quantity so that it will support their hypothalmus to produce enough hormones too...... ' you get my drift. The other side just flat out refuses healthy supplements, and they have poor nutrition and dietary understanding and habits.

Supplements picked up from a nutraceutical base rather than a pharmaceutical base are much more purer and effective.

For the average person, at any given point in todays world, we are deficient in some level of adequate macro or micronutrients. Most issues with skin, hair, fat loss, weight gain are as a result of inadequate nutrients. The answer is supplementation after you have eaten first.

There are common forms of supplements for macronutrients as well. Common forms include protein, fish oil, fiber. It is important to know what supplements you are taking. A common mistake is when someone decides to suddenly go all 'health and fitness' they want the latest tub of protein powder and omega 3 fish oil. That in itself is not wrong but here are the two biggest mistakes I have seen.

1) They usually want to supplement without eating an adequate amount of whole foods first

2) They usually go with a heavily marketed protein powder which has nothing but chemicals.

Educate yourself on what supplements you want to take. Check the quality and do your research.

As far as protein supplements are concerned they need to be checked. For vegetarians I definitely recommend a protein supplement as plants dnt have all the necessary protein nutrients required.

Here are some supplements that work for nearly anyone and everyone. Before you delve into these please remember these are my suggestions and not to be taken as medical advice or replace it. Check with a doctor who is sensible and who you trust first.

1) Vitamin C
2) Vitamin D3
3) Vitamin E
4) Vitamin B especially B12
5) Omega 3 - fish oil

Supplements will help you and in light of todays lifestyle, environments, and food production methods, its turning more into a necessity for every day. If you have been given supplements to take or suggested to take  you must know in detail why you are taking them. Remember, however its always eat first, supplement later!!

Eat first, Supplement Later - I

'Could you suggest a protein powder for me?'

This is a question that came from a client who was on a Nutrition Coaching program with me after two months of starting off. Prior to that she had asked me about supplements and I told her to stay away from them for a while - at least until she got her diet dialed in and her nutrition on track.

Unfortunately, its a question that comes from far too many people who's basic nutrition is not correct. On the other hand we have a bunch of people who think supplements are a waste of time or not necessary. I'll be dealing with how to use supplementation in another post. For a quick primer on supplementation read it here

The first thing you need to know about your nutrition is remember the 6 components of food. In case you have forgotten what they are:

1) Proteins
2) Fats
3) Carbohydrates
4) Vitamins
5) Minerals
6) Water

Protein - Protein is necessary to build structure and enhance growth of the body.

Fat -  Although a structure builder, fat is also a good energy provider. However fats play a very very important role in hormones functioning properly. The correct fats are not harmful. As a matter of fact along with good protein fats can give you healthy glowing skin, hair and nails.

Carbohydrates -  Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy and is important to transport protein across the body as well.

Vitamins and Minerals - Vegetables and fruits (in that order) provide your micronutrients. Vegetables are one of the most powerful food groups you can have. Eat as much of them as you can throughout the day. Fruits having a higher sugar content can be eaten more sparingly.

Water - Water intake is absolutely necessary to keep the body hydrated and healthy It helps also in keeping the body systems cool rather than producing excessive heat. Water makes up approximately 70% of the body.

The first three are referred to as macronutrients. These are responsible for building structures of the body and providing energy. Vitamins and minerals are known as micronutrients. They are responsible for efficient working of certain processes and activities in the body. These are taken in much smaller quantities than the others but are absolutely vital for being healthy.

Getting the right foods that provide these nutrients and in required proper proportions for yourself will ensure your main nutritional bases are covered. So if you are not first covering the right quantities of the main groups don't even start on supplementation. If regular eating is not done first supplementation has no use or can even have some terrible consequences. Build a healthy relationship with food. Do not abuse it. You have to let food work for you and not let it control you. In all this remember its important to enjoy your food.

Eat well, eat responsibly and you will find your health and strength changing for the better. After the basics have been set we can move into supplementation which will be written about in a following post.

4 Points for a Unfriendly Fitness Schedule

After all these years of training, I have realised there are training principles we have to abide by which must be followed to bring successful results to my clients.

Sometimes life does get in the way and we cant have a perfect schedule of training and diet. So here are things I have found that have worked with me and my clients.

1) Mini Training sessions:- If the 30 minutes or one hour program does not suit you then find a training pattern that does. I found that 'mini' trainings throughout the day work well. What does this mean? Do shorter, stimulating exercises throughout the day. This undoubtedly will lead to more work meaning more muscles to work and more energy expenditure.

2) Diet Strategies: I usually am not one to go with a 'eat this, dont eat this' approach. However what I do suggest and strongly advocate is finding the right diet strategy. Sometimes we have to re-evaluate our diets to suit our lifestyle. For example, if a client has a job where they are more actively involved, they would need more energy. If there are clients who have a more mentally activity and less physical movement, I definitely wouldnt recommend eating excessive calorie dense foods.

3) Exercise Selection: If we are with mini training sessions, the right exercises are vital. It does not make sense to say 'Walk for 5 minutes up and down the corridor' when you have 20 kgs to lose in a hurry. That might get a blood circulation going but its not going to be enough to crank up enough energy to challenge the body and muscle of any kind. We need exercises that

• Will challenge your entire body in about 10 - 15 reps.
• Thats doable in about 5-7 minutes.
• Thats safe movement and will limit fatigue.

4) Use events of the day: Find things in your daily routine and use those to your advantage. Taking a common example of walking - it is often suggested that if you can walk somewhere walk. Like take the stairs instead of the elevator. However if its for a distance, think about keeping a smaller backpack with you that you can load up with some heavier weight. If you strap that on and walk you now have an additional weight and your simple walk suddenly became more intense.

Of course these points are so simple we don't really think it will help until we actually do them. So here is my recommendation - Start. After this deal with the details as they present themselves.

This is based on High Frequency Training but also taking into consideration the lifestyle of a client. If the client is working heavily at a desk job, works nights and also has family commitments, I know they are going to struggle sticking to a 30 minute training plan.

I have practiced this myself and found they work. I have also tried them on my clients and they have been having good results. These points can crash nearly any reason that you have for not being able to have an exercise plan and a diet strategy going for you. 

PIlates - My take!!

I finally got my certification in Teachers training for Pilates to which I am really happy about and thankful about.

Pilates has quite a mixed response in the fitness industry. One group swears by its benefits while the other shoots it down. If there is one thing I have learnt in my life its go back to the source, where things began or by the person who created it. 

So what is my take away about Pilates since I have always been involved with lifting weights and strength training?

An important point to remember is Joseph Pilates himself referred to this practice as 'Controlology' which had been practiced for years before Pilates as a training system ever came up.

1) Pilates is not a sissy fad - In the fitness industry people want the latest fad to shed weight quick and look good. Unfortunately Pilates is just made and marketed that way like most other things in the fitness world. It was around for quite a while.

2) Pilates is good for strengthening you from the inside out - Pilates helps you reach to activate vital core muscles that you probably didn't even know you had. Yet its these muscles that are the powerhouse of the musculoskeletal system.

3) Mind Muscle connection - Pilates requires a lot of mind muscle connection with also being able to hear instruction at the same time. You are working vital muscles which you cant see but are very important for your musculoskeletal system.

4) Pilates is a form of strength training- There is a lot of isometric contraction in Pilates. Isometric contractions are known and researched to cause upto 50% more strength in the body. As a matter of fact some of the strongest and best physiques came out of isometric training. 2 names that immediately comes up are 'The Mighty Atom' and Charles Atlas.

5) Pilates is probably one of the best programs for Rehab - Please read that again carefully. I didnt say it was the best. I said it was probably one of the best. How do I know this? I heard about it. Joe Pilates was a sickly child with quite a few illnesses at 4 years old. 10 years later at 14  he was modelling for anatomy charts. After three days of 8-10 hours of training as a healthy and fit trainer I was feeling much better around my joints and certain muscle groups and 12 hours from finishing that trainng session I put a client of mine on Pilates immediately. This client was in for rehab and training with me for four months and her comment was

Wow. My movement is so much better and there is less pain!!'

That session was a session of strength training and 30 minutes only!

Oh and of course Joe Pilates rehabbed an entire section of WWII soldiers using his principles.

6) Pilates CAN be a stand alone but might not necessarily be the complete training that you need - Pilates might cover only one part of your fitness needs. Joseph Pilates himself was involved with a host of other training methodologies.

7) Since Pilates is essentially principles it can blend in and be applied to a lot more other disciplines essentially.

Pilates was quite an interesting learning for me. I definitely recommend at least 4 sessions to learn the principles. The principles are definitely something I will incorporate in all trainings of mine and that I teach.

Got any questions? Comments? I would like to hear your views.

  

Intangible but Powerful Fitness Goal keys

After a year and a half of struggling with maintaining my fitness levels and weight I have learnt a lot more as I continued to train clients.

I am just fresh out of my 2nd transformation and the results this time have been much more rapid than my previous one. I wanted to share with all of you some overlooked keys but most important keys to weight loss, losing fat and building muscle and strength.

1) Mindset and focus: You have probably heard it time and time again - set a goal when you want weight loss.
This locks in your focus. The goal set can also be to gain muscle and strength. However an important factor to look for when you are setting a goal is to be realistic and set a timeline.

2) Be honest: Take a long hard look at yourself and be honest. Tell the truth to yourself. 'I am fat and it's not healthy. I need to lose weight.'  It takes guts to stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself that. Many times we are scared to admit it aloud. Stop running. Embrace it. Locate yourself and only then can you move forward.

3) Responsible:- Responsibility is important. To lose weight you need a simple but effective plan. You have to find one which you know you can stick with for that particular period of time in both nutrition, exercise and rest. You already know you can't lose weight eating whatever you want or when 'cheat day' is every 48 hours. If it's your diet, take some time to find out what is an effective plan that you can stay consistent with till you lose weight. Don't just keep putting in everything into your mouth. If it's exercise, don't just jump into P90, Insanity, Zumba or the latest in thing -  find the one that's right for you. If you need to, get a trainer to design a program for you.

'Eat responsibly, Train Responsibly and Rest Responsibly'

4) Consistency - Once you find an appropriate plan of action to lose weight start it and stay consistent and committed to it. It is not in the 3 days of doing it but in the full journey. In my case in the 2nd transformation, my weight showed no changes in the first two weeks. However in the 3rd week it showed a weight loss of 4kgs! (no thats not a typo). By the time I entered the beginning of the 5th week I was down by 7kgs!  However, if  I had given up within the first two weeks I would have not seen anything except a fatter version of me or at the worst the same old fat version of me.

5) Stay calm: It's important to remember not to stress out on a weight loss plan (or anytime for that matter). Excessive stress will result in cortisol being released and make you gain weight. When I was in transformation I got more rest, went and had more fun, enjoyed more quiet time and introspection than the previous months. I not only got to know myself better but reached my goal in record time. 

    Don't stress out over the fact that you have to lose weight either. Yes you acknowledge it and embrace the fact that you need to lose weight but things will start getting better when you relax. This really happened with a client of mine over the last 3 months. She could not lose weight in 2 months and was always stressing out over it. So I had to keep telling her to relax. Then about a month ago she told me she lost 3kgs. Nothing changed in her diet pattern. Her exercise regime was far from effective  since she was just starting strength training, but she just took things calmly and she lost weigh almost immediately. (you can read my article on de-stress here.)

These are keys that will help you in your weight loss journey. These are hardly talked about or emphasized but they are just as important as nutrition, exercise and rest when it comes to losing weight. 

Transformation 2015

Looking at myself in past months, I realised I had put on a lot of weight and I needed to drop fat off my body fast. (Yes even we trainers and fitness enthusiasts are human and we don’t always get it right). I had done a body transformation once before. I needed another - quickly

The Status

Wt: 82 kgs. Waist size 34

Apart from these photos and stats, the problem was much worse.

• I could not focus on a plan or a program to help me in diet or nutrition
• The diet plans I was designing for me was not working well.
• My mental toughness was much lower than before.
• I was not able to stay consistent
• My pullups were at 0.

It wasn’t a body transformation only that I needed it was a fitness lifestyle transformation

My ‘WHY am I doing this?’

I did this because I could not be irresponsible to My God, myself, my family. I was heading for serious trouble and I knew it. I also missed the ability to live strong and healthy, eat responsibly and enjoy my food. The thought of not being able to do things with my family and play with my daughter was just too painful. Also the truth that I looked an absolute mess was horrible.

Setting the Goal

I had been toying with this idea for 4 months. I set my body transformation goal for December 15th, 2015. That is almost always  when the season’s goodies start coming in. I had thought of two dates before this but never made it. Now I was in the last week of October and that’s when I aimed hard for December.

The Transformation Plan

This main plan was The Aggressive Fat Loss Bible

The strength training program was Beginners Bodyweight Bodybuilding.

The plan was a unique one which promised results in a month. I am usually skeptical of such quick transformation plans, however it was from the trainer that helped me breakthrough before and I trust his work.

Action

I started with my body and fitness transformation on 26/10/2015. Though simple, it wasn’t always easy. I was heading straight into winter so some days were really really cold accompanied by extremely heavy rains. Work was erratic. I didn’t always have what I needed to maintain my nutrition. As for staying with training, I did not always feel like doing it. I was sometimes too tired. Also with a toddler at home, the timings and plans didn’t go as planned. What I had planned to finish before 5p.m, sometimes started only at 8:30 p.m.

Oh yes, this time I kept my mouth shut about the transformation. Only my wife knew about it.

Results

One month later I checked my stats again. Here are my results.

WT: 75 kgs. Waist Size 32

However I had more than a body transformation.

• I was stronger, healthier, faster.
• The shape I was looking for had finally started to breakthrough.
• I got my mental toughness edge back.
• I now could stay consistent and discipline and I knew it - I picked a program and followed it.
• I learnt a lot about my body, bodyweight training, mentality and coaching cues.

My transformation wasn’t easy. However, it was doable. My previous transformation took 9 months. This took only one. It led to a new body composition, strength, skill, knowledge and wisdom. The experience of achieving something like this is amazing. Do a fitness body transformation -  it will transform your life.

If you need help with a lifestyle transformation please don't hesitate to contact me.