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.