My Window to the World: Things Happen For A Reason...

As I grow older, I start to look back at my life and make sense of what I have done, missed...

I often refer to myself as a happy and contempt person, as I realized that to be unhappy and moaning all the time does not change anything!

I now have reached 43 yo and a quarter...man! I see more grey hair...

A good time to stop and reflect on my physical state, my fitness and any Wisdom I may have acquired...

My physical state could be summed up like, what does not ache today?

Nevertheless, this reminds me a post I saw years back on Social Media from the brand "Old ManStrenght".

It was a picture of an Old Man in his 50/60s, the man looked, Young, in shape and fearless and with scars on his face. The post stated, " I Am Old For A Reason"!.

The translation of the quote could be, "I made it this far because, I am Strong, a fighter a True Warrior!

Returning to my Physical state, I feel like that Old Man, no matter what aches in my body, I find a way to Train.

I love lifting weight, doing Kettlebell and Exercising in general.

Truth being told, I LOVE EXERCISING, SO NO MATTER WHAT I DO, AS LONG AS I EXERCISE, I DO MYSELF GOOD...I KEEP ON FIGHTING, I GROW STRONGER AND LIVE THROUGH THE PRINCIPLES I BELIEVE IN.

My Fitness Level is NOT THE SAME...

This is hard to admit but it is true! I can't do today what I used to do consistently 3 years ago when I was 40. Should I cry about it or move forward and make the best of it.

I decided to move forward! Years back, I used to train 3-4 times/day at a very high intensity.

Last week Thursday I had my first SERIOUS CONDITIONING SESSION in MONTHS, 5 days later I AM STILL FEELING IT!

As I am writing, I am smiling about the situation, Why? Simply because this is my New REALITY. I have to face it and make it work. I am not the one I used to...

Now I Have ONE AWESOME DAY IN TERMS OF FITNESS AND MANY (many) REGULAR ONES.

I believe in Being proactive and makes things work, so I look for the bright side and enjoy the fact that I can STILL EXERCISE!

Wisdom...

I believe wisdom encompasses everything else, to make a point, I will take an everyday life example that has a repercussion on my fitness level.

A month a go, my sons left the lights of the car on (I didn't realize) and I found myself with a flat battery. I was obviously not happy, I get my neighbor to jump start the car to be able to get to the gym. The same day I ordered some jump start cables.

A week later, I was in France with my wife and boys in the car ready to hit the road back to Norwich... and as you can imagine the car didn't start...BUT I had the cable in the boot so found someone working in the hotel where we stayed and 5 minutes later we were on the road...

Finally this Saturday, the car didn't start and I had to WALK to the gym and then get the car fixed in the afternoon (£240 BILL)...

Where did the Wisdom kick in? Every time something "Negative" Happened, I was "proactive" and a final bill of £240 IS NOTHING IN COMPARISON TO BE STUCK IN FRANCE WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY IN THE CAR AND HAVING TO ARRANGE ALL SORTS TO GET BACK TO NORWICH.

This Last episode convinced me to use my road bike 5 times a week to commute from the gym to my place and even to walk once a week.

I do it for several reasons, one is I want to BE ACTIVE, if I can't Run, I will WALK. If I can't train 2-3 times a day I want to be on my Bike, I want TO BE ACTIVE!

I do it for my conscience, as a personal trainer, as someone who want to contribute to our kids future in terms of pollution. Driving twice less is SOMETHING I CAN DO, IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD AND SAVE ME MONEY!

What is the Take?

Things happen to us everyday, how we decide to handle the situations will make us happier, positive person or TOXIC MOANERS...

GOOD AND BAD THINGS HAPPEN EVERYDAY, WE CANNOT CONTROL YESTERDAY BUT WE CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON TODAY...

"Live The Dream (Your Life), Don't Dream Your Life..."

5 years separate the 2 pics, in 2011 as a Fresh White Belt I became BJJ European Champ and 5 years later as brown Belt, The Old Man with a dodgy Back won Bronze...the only difference between pics is my Age. The PASSION AND DESIRE ARE INTACT!

My Window To The World: The benefits of Holiday...

Hi guys, this is that time of the year that we go on holiday to recharge our batteries, relax, Blah, blah, blah...

Thanks to God, I am a blessed man, I have anything I need I life, I am healthy, I have a great family and friends and I love what I do.

The issue with loving your job is that you don't seem to be working, so you keep on going, on and on. Yep I enjoy being at 24/7 Gym in Norwich so much that I hadn't have a real break since Xmas! 

You know what, my body and mind were screaming for a holiday, so I was really happy to have one. 

Holiday and Fitness, how to maximise your Holiday? 

Families and Habits:

I normally go on Holiday to visit my Family or closed friends, I also revisit my relationship with my own little family (my wife and my boys).

On holiday I like yo strengthen my bonds with my brothers and sisters, to catch up and spend quality time with them. I am really pleased to see how my boys are getting closer to my family and how much they enjoyed being in France. 

A holiday break also alows me to catch up with my own family, to be there in the morning and have breakfast, lunch, dinner with my wife and kids. These simple things rarely happen when I am in Norwich because of my work and personal commitments, so it is good to enjoy the "Noisy" family full on. 

My habits change on holiday and it is good for few days, as it makes me think about what I normally do.

We are animals of routine, so to do things differently for a short period of time make us appreciate if we need changes of not!

The take: 

Strengthen Or create these bonds with your love ones.

Question your habits, assess them and eventually create new ones.

Food & Fat: 

The food part is the best of Holiday! My mother food is simply the BEST, there is nothing like the food of your childhood. On top of that I don't eat African food at all while in the UK so to eat mum's food is just TOO MUCH.

I finished Ramadan a week before my holiday, I was at my leanest in 5 years and I knew that I was going to my mother...I knew my waist line was going to take a blow! AND IT DID...my 6 packs turned into a 2Pac!

Nevertheless, the best thing you can do on holiday is to EAT! don't count calories enjoy yourself and eat, try stuffs. 

On a physical, physiological level, we cannot be at our leanest the whole year long! To slip off the road isn't bad. REMEMBER, WHAT WE ARE or THE WAY WE LOOK DEPENDS ON WHAT WE CONSTANTLY DO, NOT WHAT WE DO FOR A WEEK OR TWO!

From a fitness perspective, as mentioned above we need BREAKS, we sometimes feel sluggish, tired, over trained when we workout. We rarely feel heavy and UNFIT! This is a weird "disgusting" feeling, so not cool that if we feel that way, we actually experience a boost of energy that allows us to train really hard to get back to where we belong.

Finally from a mental point of view, it is necessary to LET GO. I drank orange juice, Ice tea and COCA COLA...and I FEEL AWESOME. I don't normally drink sweet or fizzy drinks at all but on holiday I say to myself, WHY NOT!

We had a breakfast buffet in the morning, with pancakes, Nutella, cereals...I NEVERT HAD ANY OF THESE, instead, I had yoghurt, cheese, walnuts, almonds... 

I don't normally have breakfast, so to have something to eat was already a big step. Nevertheless, you can eat but still make the right choices! 

The take: 

Dont count calories on holiday, eat what you like till you are not hungry anymore. 

Eat and drink your "forbidden" , it may be pancake with Nutella for you, a COCA COLA FOR ME. Whatever it is!

Just Enjoy the food while hungry, While  hungry... When full, stop! Tomorrow is another day.

Resting on Holiday

It is the main reason why we go on holiday...to rest. The question is do we rest on holiday?

With a almost 5yo and 3yo boys, resting is an issue. We were tired on holiday and now we are recovering from the holiday. At home, my wife and myself share our time with the boys, in other words, we are with them 4-6 hours then we don't see them for the same amount of time. 

On holiday, we are 24h with them...they get up later than usual but still wake up early... 

Resting on holiday 2

We manage to rest, I can sleep 6-8 hours during most nights on holiday for 4-6 hours in Norwich. 

I normall don't train at all on holiday and even moan when we go to the zoo or the park or the shop...I am just at my LAZIEST!

I avoid fbk, Instagram...anything related to work, I stwitch off my brain and just enjoy thinking about the next meal, cartoon or meeting with my brothers...simple stuffs really. 

"RICH IS NOT ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU HAVE...BUT HOW LITTLE YOU NEED"  

The take: 

Sleeping is a luxury when I am working, it is a DUTY when I am away. 

The focus is on the families, to spend time with my closest ones, no time on social media or work related communications. Just Relax!

Finally, the law of the MINIMUM EFFORT IS RESPECTED TO ITS FULLEST. I just move the strict MINIMUM.

CONCLUSION: 

I tried to share with you my holiday, but I mainly tried to highlight why to live your Holiday its fullest is important.

We are as I previously said "Animals of Routine", and the holidays get us out of that routine. A routine can be good or bad, it depends. If bad, a holiday can help perceive that we need some changes. If good, a holiday acts as a RESET button. 

As an example we train our hardest to look good to go on holiday, we are motivated but also tired of everything in general. Once on holiday, we leave everything behind and enjoy. When we are back, we are RESETED AND READY TO GO. 

IN ALL HONESTY, I NEEDED AND DESERVED A BREAK. NEVERTHELESS, I AM SO HAPPY TO BE BACK AND DO WHAT I LIKE, SURROUNDED BY THE PEOPLE I ENJOY BEING WITH...TILL MY NEXT HOLIDAY! 

My loved Ones...and the centre of all, My Boys...

My Window To The World: The Best Things In Life are FREE

It has been a while without sharing my thoughts...but with all the crazy stuff happening lately, I thought something "positive" has to be said...

The world is currently a mess, I suppose it has always been like that but we were not paying attention or simply the information, the news, were biased or not relayed properly...

Months ago some atrocities occurred in London, Alepo, Gazza...last week terrible things occurred in South Africa, Manchester...

The truth is everyday something "bad" occurred in some parts of the world. When I say BAD, I am talking about something caused by humans, not natural catastrophes, which could be derived by human misused of the natural resources... 

Today I was with my two sons in the park, they were having fun and I was enjoying every bits of the moment. 

I was enjoying the weather, the area where I live, which is quiet, clean, green, the people around us... 

I said to myself, THIS IS PERFECT...at that point, I remembered that Carly and Leon got married last week, that Flori came back from Manchester safe and sound, that I am enjoying Ramadan, my Muslim community, the guys I work with in the gym, my clients, the gym members who take part to my classes and those I see on a daily basis, my friend, my family. 

At the same time that we grieve and are angry many good things happen around us!

IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THESE GOOD THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTROL EVERY TIME WE GET OFF BED, like making sure to go the gym and attend one of my kettlebell or spin class...

To Smile because we can, to train harder because we can, to support each other and bring some good vibes wherever we go.

I like to say and I mean it, that I feel blessed as I have everything I need to be happy, I am healthy, so are my closed friends and relatives, I do the job I love and I surrendered myself with amazing people.

TO BE HAPPY OR NO IS A CHOICE I MAKE! 

DESPITE ALL THE BAD THINGS GOING ON AROUND US, ALL THESE THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE. 

LIFE CAN BE AND MUST BE ENJOYED, THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE

Alpha Males... 

Thursday 19th January departure day: Norwich to Lisbon

I was up at 4.05am, kissed my wife and my sons (the boys were asleep). After the last preps, a morning prayer, I was out the door walking to the bus station.

It was freezing, I finally got there after 20 minutes of a chilly walk. I buried myself in the last seats of the coach, read for a hour and then returned to dreamland till my arrival at Stansted.

9am, The competition pressure is rising, I saw people with BJJ bags... Still in London but already thinking about Friday fights...

The plane is late and I am stuck in a SMALL SEAT where I can hardly move..

I am uncomfortable on my seat, nevertheless I managed to read and back to dreamland. The flight is cool not too bumpy and the view is astonishing.

I finally land at Lisbon airport, I wait for my brother who is flying from France. 10-15 minutes later, he is in front of me.

We get on a cab direction to the hotel.

MY BACK IS RUINED...3 hours in a coach plus another 3 on the plane...A PROPER TORTURE!

After checking in, I FaceTime my wife, they were having lunch, the boys are NOISY AS ALWAYS, but their voices sound to me like sweet whispers. THEY FINALLY SAY "DADDY WE MISS AND LOVE YOU".

At that stage I am about yo cry, I miss them so much. I also realise how supportive my wife is...

With my brother we spend the rest of the day going to the competition venue to check on Fordy, one of my training partner who was fighting.

After that we are back to the hotel then out for dinner at "Bom Jardim", a Portuguese restaurant famous for its chicken.

In regard to food, I have been restricted as I have to make the weight. I AM STILL ON DIET!

As the day went by, my back relaxed and felt REALLY GOOD AT TIMES.

It all sounds like DREAMLAND, but there is no good stories without some TWISTS...

The Twist is that I am coming up with some COLD... My throat is a bit sore, nose itchy... The high temperature hasn't settled yet!

I AM NOW ON VITAMIN C AND FRUITS DIET, I ATE MORE THAN 8 ORANGES AND COUNTING...

A last FaceTime session with my family, then I will watch some cartoons and DREAMLAND...

WHEN I GET UP IT WILL BE COMPETITION DAY!

Christopher, a fellow teammate who competed at the BJJ Euro for the First time. 

BJJ European Championship 2017

The preparation  

My last days in Norwich before the competition...

It is this time of the year where I remember all these important people in my life.

For the second year in a row, I am off to Lisbon for the BJJ European Championship, which is officially the biggest BJJ competition in the world.

Last year was stressful, I went there as a fresh Brown Belt with more doubts than certainties.

This year is an awkward one, on one hand I feel very confident with my technique and skills. On the other hand my lower back has and is still a source of concern.

Let me get you through the training camp and my sensations prior to the competition.

From the 21st of November to the 21st of December, I launched the Train For Life Pre XMas Challenge...the best idea Ever!

Having to pay attention to what I eat made the Xmas break at my boys' grandparents really easy. I didn't binge on food, I ate well but never felt blotted, as a result I came back 1-1.5kg heavier compared to the 3-4kg I put on last year.

3-4 days after my return to Norwich, I was back to my weight which is 1.5-2kg over my competition weight. In other words I had 2 weeks and a half to lose 2kg, which was great news.

The diet looked after, my only focus was on training BJJ and the strength and conditioning.

A good story always comes with twists...here they are!!

My BJJ and conditioning preparation were both altered due to singular and persistent lower back problem.

In regard to BJJ, it limited me so much that I could not turn on my right side or move explosively. In regard to lifting weight, I found myself squatting and deadlifting 20-30kg less than what I was used to due to the discomfort and pain.

Honestly, at that stage I was just saying to myself. "Daddy you go out there as planned and you do what you can".

This was the plan, not the best but it was the situation that I had/have to face. I have been and many other people I know have been through similar situations where we have to compete without feeling great. As a matter of fact my best friend Aziz won the BJJ European Championship with what turned to be an hernia...

I HAVE NO EXCUSES, JUST HAVE  TO GO THERE, MAN UP AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Twists!! As I mentioned it earlier a good story comes with twists... I kept on sleeping, eating well, praying and training.

On Wednesday 11th, I decided to see Josh Crosley a sport massage therapist that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I had a first massage which was painful, but freed me a bit. This aloud me to get back to my training regimen, without a rest day for 10 days.

On Monday 16th, I had my second massage. Prior to the massage I told Josh about my sensations, where it hurt, how limited I was...

He took it on board and got to work... The massage was not as painful as the first BUT THE RESULTS WERE AMAZING.

The same night, I went at the academy to spar and found myself moving almost as if I was not injured at all.

To double check, I returned to the academy on Tuesday morning to spar with Russell and Simon two teammates purple belt . The result was the same I felt great.

I recovered 30-40% mobility and consequently my confidence experienced a boost. I no longer go to compete and do my best, I go to compete to claim the position of the BEST.

Wednesday 18th was "The Test", this morning, I had my last sparing session, the hardest of all with Luke my training partner. To spar with Luke is hard for various reasons. He is really good and on top of that he knows me really well as we train a lot together.

The session was really tough and I pushed as hard as I do when I compete. I needed to see what my back could take.

I felt stiff sometimes and my lower back locked itself afterwards, but the general sensations are positive. I felt sharp.

The same evening, I had my last massage with Josh at 7.45pm, it ached as always but felt looser and definitely more relaxed.

Now I Finnish packing spend time with my wife and on Thursday at 5.25am I will be on coach to Stansted, then a plane to Lisbon...

BELIEVE AND ACHIEVE

"Big" Russell and Simon. Massive thanks to the boys who came especially to spar with me as preparation for the competition. I am so grateful. 

The Train For Life Pre XMas Challenge Winners Are...

The Train For Life Pre XMas Challenge Winners came to an end and left us with some very positive stuffs.

To start with, the challenge which took place from the 21st of November to the 21st of December was a success! 

In fact the challenge reminded us the importance of having goals to achieve, in order to be driven, to stay focused, interested.

The winners have been assessed on two main areas, physical changes, positive attitude and drive.

Therefore , we have three winners instead of one, as I want people to know that if they put the work and show a positive attitude, it is NOTICED AND VALUED.

WINNER 1 is Lilly: 

Lilly has been training with us for almost a year now and as she learnt about the challenge, she didn't hesitate and did it. During that month she doubled her effort and participated in more spin class. 

She showed a positive attitude and worked harder. It is important for me to let everybody know that she made me proud and inspired me. 

Winner 2 is Rachel: 

After suffering a bad injury and being inactive for months, Rachel came back STRONGER THAN EVER. 

Years back she told me that she wanted to beat me in which ever fitness activity we were doing...I LAUGHED AND TOLD HER... KEEP ON DREAMING. 

Today, I have to admit that she IS REAL COMPETITION FOR ME. This annoys me, but also pleases me a lot as she will motivate, and help me to improve.

Winner 3 is Kirsten: 

She is an important person in the group, she has been with us for over a year and has always showed an incredible work ethic. Very driven, strong, hard worker and open to critics. She puts the work and listen, so she keeps on improving. 

Most of the time, it is hard to get the fitness and the physique at the same time, unless you know what to do, what you want and are ready to pay the PRICE. 

Kirsten managed to get close to her ideal physique, she lost approximately 2 stones in 1-2 months and look amazing. I obviously congratulated her as she managed to stick to a training routine as well as to change her nutritional habits. All her efforts paid off!

I repeat, I congratulated her and tell her how proud I am. 

Nevertheless, I also warned her as her training regime seems to have no end as well as her weight loss. 

GUYS THE MESSAGE I WANT TO SHARE HERE IS MODERATION IS THE KEY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOALS TO REACH, IT IS NECESSARY TO PUT THE WORK TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS BUT THEN YOU NEED TO ASSESS THE SITUATION AND RECOGNISE WHEN "TOO MUCH IS TOO MUCH".

Rachel and I are example of people who didn't recognise or wanted to accept our limitations. It led Rachel to a long term injury and myself to be stuck in bed for days. 

Nothing is beyond health, not strength, not a wonderful physique  ... Nothing. Do what you like and enjoy your fitness journey as much as you can  BUT LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, LISTEN TO THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND ABOUT FITNESS, LISTEN TO THOSE WHO LEAD BY EXAMPLE, LISTEN TO THOSE WHO WILL NOT ALWAYS TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR BUT WILL ALWAYS TELL YOU THE TRUTH.

"The Fitness Journey is an Ultra Marathon NOT A SPRINT SO DONT BURN OUT TOO SOON..."

Top left Kirsten, bottom left Lilly and right Rachel, our Pre Xmas Challenge Winners. 

#TheTrainForLifeWayOfLife

May 21-23rd

"Family first, then Obligation and Passion..." 

Saturday 21st, I got up at 6am went to Train and then delivered 3 pt sessions and a spin class.

11am, I jumped back in the car, back home to eat sort myself out, throw the bags in the boot, put kids and wife in the car and off we went for a 4 hour journey to visit the kids "Grand parents" .

My children grand Parents are really important in our lives and my boys love them, so to spend hours on the motorway is nothing compare to the time spent with them. 

Sunday 22nd 7am, awoken by the boys! time to get ready for breakfast and then it is kids time.  

10.30-2pm, we went to a soft play then to the beach. The kids just didn't stop running, jumping, running, rolling in the sand, screaming... 

I just hope they are exhausted, thinking about the journey home. ..

4pm, I had a nap, as I was exhausted and I had to be fresh to drive back home. 

6.12pm, we bid farewell to the Grand Parents and jumped in the car. The kids were already in Pyjamas... 

10.10pm, we were back home! 

10.20pm, the kids were snoring their head off... 

Monday 6.30a, I leave a silent house and head to get on with my working day. The day starts with an intense body weight class, followed by 4 pt sessions and a spin class.

I feel awesome as I managed to spend quality time with the family and now I am doing what I like the most, to train and develop people... 

My Window To The World

Simply happy... And Why not? 

On the 21st of November we started with the Pre Xmas Body Challenge and I mainly see positive in it.

To start with, the majority of the classes especially the Monday, Thursday 6.45-7.30am and Tuesday 5.15pm are fuller. 

The people are working harder, as an example on Monday Tim and Paul had 60kg on their bars (first time ever in 3 years they lift so much) this morning in the kettlebell class everybody did the overhead lunge, Paul manged it with the 32kg kettlebell!

The challenge is doing what it is supposed to do...make people talk, keep us interested, motivated, ALIVE.

Do we stop eating or living because of the Challenge? Hell no, we eat better, we pay attention to what we do, how much and hard we train. This is what we do, the rest, I leave you to think about it AS IT doesn't INTEREST ME. 

I am about moving forward, leading by example, giving the right advice and reminding everyone who wants to listen that life is about an unfair 80/20% balance. If you are good 80% of the time, you will be happy and will have these enjoying and well deserved 20% of "I DO WHAT I WANT" moments.

On Tuesday, we had a night out with the Boyz and I had a "Stiffy" Toffee Pudding AND I ENJOYED IT.

EVERYTHING IS ABOUT BALANCE, TRAIN HARD, SLEEP HARDER AND EAT,  "REFUEL" your HARDEST. LIVE LIFE AT ITS FULLEST 

THIS IS THE THE TRAIN FOR LIFE WAY! 

Saturday BAKED APPLE CRUMBLE WITH DOUBLE CREAM...night out with the boys and the famous Stiffy Toffee Pudding. ENJOYING LIFE!!!

Train For Life "PRE XMAS BODY" Challenge.

Guys Xmas is on its way, we love the thought of it as we dread it...for the majority of us Xmas means a change of figure, we lose a bit of the body we worked so hard to get.

I have a deal for you, as of the 21st of November to the 21st of December we will train REALLY HARD, to get the best possible body before Xmas.

A month of "drastic" training and dieting to lose as much, fat, centimetres, gain as much muscles as we can.

Some will yell...Why??

1. Knowing that we put on weight during Xmas it makes sense to lose weight before.

2. If you achieve great results, you will pay more attention over Xmas and won't come back as a WHALE... A BABY WHALE MABY.

3. The winner will GET THE NEW TRAIN FOR LIFE TSHIRT, IN THE COLOUR OF HER/HIS CHOICE.

REQUIREMENTS TO TAKE PART:

1: Attend a minimum of 2 Train For Life classes per week, the early morning 6.45-7.30am Monday and Thursday classes are highly recommended or to Personal train with me at least once a week (James, gurvinder, Carl, Sarah... You have no excuses)

2: Send a picture of you by the 21st of November and another one of the 21st December.

On receiving the pics, The winner will be announced before Xmas.

Any queries, get in touch.

"Together We Are Stronger"

This is how "Daddy Xmas" looks before XMas...after... You all know

My Window to the World:

Each and everyday we get up with the opportunity to get better, to change people opinions and even lives!

In my last post, I showed a facet of my personality that depending on the way you look at it can be perceived as negative...

I will put us back in the context and then clarify. " I complained about a referee decision which cost me a fight, I basically lost a fight because the referee was bias, partial...

Now some may think, that I am myself BIAS, PARTIAL and it would be a fair point!

So I want to clarify the following points.

1. I LOVE TO WIN BUT, I WOULD RATHER LOSE THAN TO CHEAT.

2. I NEED TO EXPRESS MY OPINION. I CANNOT DISAGREE WITH SOMETHING AND KEEP IT TO MYSELF.

3. FINALLY, I WAS MORE ANGRY WITH MYSELF THAN WITH ANYONE ELSE. I AM THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SITUATION TO DEVELOP. IF I HAD DONE MORE, I WOULD HAVE WON, THAT SIMPLE. SO I GOT WHAT I DESERVED!

What is the Take!

I Hate to Lose, I am Honest and Bias and I am an "Excellent Learner".

I AM AN EXCELLENT LEARNER, this statement is a summary of my Life and what Train For Life is about.

I was not born the strongest, the fastest, the Best...everything I achieved in life, social, or Fitness has been through dealing with adversity and ACCEPTING THAT LIFE IS UNFAIR!

YES LIFE IS UNFAIR, SO WHAT CAN WE DO? DO NOTHING, COMPLAIN OR MAKE IT HAPPEN!

As I have a big MOUTH, I COMPLAIN first, I ASSESS AND GO BACK TO WORK HARDER.

Since the 6th of November 2016 (date of the competition) I increased the focus and the intensity of my training, I have as an example Front squatted 100kg for  2 reps for the first time in 2-3 years (my max is 120kg).

LIFE HAS BEATEN ME SO MANY TIMES AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IT WILL BEAT ME AGAIN... I MOAN SOMETIMES (I am human too), BUT I LISTEN (Paul, Luke, Fordy, Steve), TAKE ON BOARD, ACCEPT MY RESPONSIBILITIES AND GO BACK TO WORK AND EVENTUALLY "PROVE THEM WRONG"

Rise to the Challenge...And Smash IT!! 

My Window To the World

 "Win or Learn..."

Today I lost a Gold and Won a Silver, truth been told I was going to win a medal as we were meant to be 3 people fighting and one did not turn up...

Nevertheless I ended up P... OFF, I had a chat with the judges at the end of the fight as I didn't understand and agree with the referee decision.

As most of you know, I am a competitor, I love to compete, I love to win and I often do, I hate to lose but I am ok with it when it is fair and square! (Check the picture below with my opponent, I am all smile as he did what we do, we fight withe respect and try to win)

Today was one of this fight when you are told that you 've lost, you rewind the film of the fight and Don't see when or why you did lose...

My opponent and some guys I don't even know who watched the fight were as surprised as I was by the final result.

Bottom line is I can't do anything, the final result is the final result and it said I 've LOST... I feel bad about it as it feels like losing a fight in the office not on the mat...

As I wrote at the beginning of the post "WIN OR LEARN"...Luke, Fordy and myself competed today and it didn't go well for any of us.

On the way back in the car, we commented on each and everyone fights. What did we do well, wrong...it was refreshing and really CONSTRUCTIVE, as it gives an idea, a direction towards where we can focus our future efforts.

We know what we have to work in order to keep on going, to keep on improving.

Despite the frustrations, the disappointment of today we are still enjoying the Journey.

As always massive thanks to the Train For Life community, Icon BJJ training partners, Johnny and Andy and of course to my wife Susannah for her love and support and my boys Milo and Noah for the motivation and inspiration.

Tomorrow another day, We have 2 months to get better, next stop Lisbon, the BJJ European Championship...

Enemies on the mat and possible friends anywhere else, this is what clean competition does, to bring the BEST OUT OF PEOPLE. 

My window to the world

The last 2 weeks have been really good, at a personal level and for TrainForLife in general.

My 4yo boy son Milo started to walk my in my footstep and started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). This is big for me as I am starting to pay back. As a child I started "club" sport at the age of 12yo. Why so late? I am of a family of 7 children and my parents did not have the means and the time to send us to practice sports. I also believe that they did not know how important it is.

Fortunately, I know how important sport is and all the benefits it brings, such as discipline, coordination, mental strength, self confidence, team spirit...

I can see my son developing into a better, stronger more mature Milo and this fill me up with joy and a sense of achievement.

The TrainForLife community is growing and the people who adopt our work ethic are joining in numbers.

I proud myself in providing demanding classes, call them, tabata, HIIT, Kettlebell or Spin. Lately I saw the numbers of people joining the classes increase.

The best examples,  are HIIT and Spin.

In the case of the HIIT, Rebekah and Lauren when they first joined, mentioned how hard it was and anyway anybody could see that they were not having the time of their lives...three weeks later, they are still coming and some progress can be appreciated.

The spin classes are just awesome, the Monday and Wednesday 12.30pm class have stabilized with an average of 5-7 participants while the other classes have seen a major increases in the number of participants.

Tuesday 6-6.45pm class averages 15-20 people, what I like about that class is that more of 90-95% are female members and are new to my classes.

Nevertheless they embrace the idea of working hard, pushing themselves and here they are day in and out.

Friday 6.45-7.30am spin is just what any instructor dreams of, yesterday the class was filled up with 17 people, some of them were present Tuesday evening.

If you get up early to train, you mean business and the result can only be awesome.

On the same line are the weekend classes with an average of 8-12 pax on Saturdays and Sundays.

At a personal level, I am grateful to my family and friends, the TrainForLife community, and to Icon BJJ Norwich, Luke P, Steve C and ZeMarcello.

My family, meaning my wife Susannah and my sons Milo and Noah. They give me the support and the challenges necessary for me to grow as man, father, husband and competitor.

My parents, brothers and sisters also remind me where I am from and that I have to bear my name "Kabuiku" with pride, "Walk the Talk" and Lead By Example.

The TrainForLife community is my group of pals, between my family, work and training, I have little time and need to socialize. The guys I train or train with have become  true friends, Gurvinder, James, Carl, Paul, Tim, Neil, Kirsten, Tracey, Sarah, Rachel, Emma , Greg... and have an important impact on my life.

Finally Icon BJJ norwich: these guys are my BJJ training partners. You only get better I believe when you are surrounded by the right people. Fortunately, I am. All the guys I train with help me to improve, but obviously some more than the others, such as Tom J, Michael P, Michael D and Fordy.

A special mention to Luke P, my training partner, Steve Cowan my coach (owner of Icon BJJ Norwich) and ZeMarcello my Sensei (former BJJ World champion, founder of icon BJJ).

These 3 guys  play a massive role in my development and improvements. Luke and I train 4 times a week from 5-6.30am, since we started doing it, I am at another level.

Steve C is the attentive coach who understands your needs and provide you with the support you need in order to grow.

Finally, ZeMarcello is the "Reference", the World Champ, the ALPHA MALE in an environment of Alpha Males.

Thanks to Luke and Steve, I managed in a year time to be submitted "JUST" Once while sparring 6 minutes with ZeMarcello instead of 5-7  times a year ago.

ZeMarcello congratulated me and told me to keep on with the good work... These words filled me up with Pride and made me realize how lucky I am to have YOU guys.

THANKS TO YOU GUYS I IMPROVE IN EVERY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF MY LIFE!

The extended Family

TrainForLife guide to Muscle recovery

Lately some of the guys at the gym came to me complaining about muscle soreness, the truth is most of them have been off training for a while and consequently ached the days following their session (up to a week).

The guide below will help anybody no matter the level of fitness or activity to recover faster and better. 

Before we start, what are Muscle damage and Muscle recovery?

The muscle damage: 

After an intense workout, (6.45-7.30am Tabat, HIIT or Kettlebell classes) our muscle fibres suffer a trauma. Our energy stores are depleted and dome waste product is produced (lactic acid).

We generally experience an intense soreness and a temporary drop off in strength that can last between 24-72h post workout.

The muscle recovery: 

It is influenced by 4 factors, which are the muscle and tissue repair, the reduction and removal of waste product, the restoration of energy stores and nutrients and finally the recuperation of the brain to muscle connection.

The strategy to implement to speed up muscle recovery will be mainly based on nutrition and therapeutic actions.

1. Restore your nutrients stores: magnesium, glutamine, vitamin D and fish oil aid for different reason the muscle recovery, especially after a strenuous workout.

2. Eat the following food: high quality protein, such as eggs, fish,  and organic meats, Cruciferous vegetables, almonds, walnuts as well as dark chocolate and drink black coffee. In regard to the coffee, drink it before training and not after your last training session as it won't help you to unwind.

3. Supplements: I personally use glucosamine sulphate and I feel the positive results, I feel fresh for my second workout. I also use topical menthol rub gel (deep freeze), that relaxes me and reduces the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

Other supplements such as Curcumin A, BCAAs or Taurine will help the muscle recovery.  

Finally, simply stretch, use a foam roll, relax listening to music or get a massage.

Give it a try  and let us know!

These guys need to recover... 

My window to the world: Week of the 15th to 28th of August

 "Failure is not an option, it is a step forward" just don't abuse of it and listen to your body or to others...

Last week I was talking about Sunday 21st as being a perfect day and it felt like that. At a fitness level, I felt accomplished as I managed to push my body so hard and survived.On that morning, I swam, did a demanding conditioning session and finished with a spin class.I felt mentally good as I raised my game to the challenge but my body took a hit...On Monday, I was half of myself, as I got up I wished nobody would come to the 6.45-7.30am Tabata class as I was still really tired.It was funny as I knew that training would help me to recover and get rid off the stiffness, but I didn't want to train...
I did train and felt good about it...On Wednesday I was fully recovered, and the following day on Thursday I decided to go to swim after my 6.45-7.30am Kettlebell class and I felt terrible again...
On Friday morning 5.30-6.30am I trained BJJ and felt energy less, then did the spin class and felt weird, different, almost fainting...Carl my 7.30am client kept on asking me "are you all right?", at that stage I had to admit that something was wrong and I needed to stop and rest.
The irony was that during the spin class I forced one gym member to get out of the studio for 5 minutes as it seemed that He was struggling. Steve, the member in question came back to me at the end of the spin session and thanked me to stop him and ask him to go for some fresh air, as he was feeling really bad.
What is the take:Challenge yourself BUT RESPECT YOUR BODY, TRY TO RECOGNIZE THE WARNING SIGNS. We are NO machines, we can and should train Hard. We MUST REST CONSEQUENTLY!

It generally hurts meanwhile or right afterward, but the PRIDE and the sense of Achievement have NO EQUAL...

My window to the world: Week of the 15th to 22nd of August

"The perfect day"

Sunday the 21st was for me a perfect day...in my perfect days certain elements are included, like working or studying, training, spending time with my family and friends and praying.

Last Sunday all the important elements were present and made of the day something different, awesome, perfect.

I had a decent night on Saturday and was looking forward Sunday triple training session. The truth is that I was excited and anxious as I knew it would hurt...and it did!

From 7-7.50m, I was at the UEA swimming pool doing some drills and pool lengths, trying not to think too much about the 8.30-9.30am conditioning session.

8.30-9.30am, I arrived at the gym to find the crew, Tracey, Kirsten, Emma, Greg, Tim and Paul , MY ARMY.

I used to to say and repeat that the number is nothing compared to the quality of the cast and these guys are "quality" and fierce competitors.

We embarked ourselves in a 15 minutes free weight workout, followed by a 15' heavy Kettlebell routine and finally 10' body weight as we were running out of time.

It was "painfully enjoyable", and the hardest was to think about what was coming our way ...

10.30-11.30am spin class... The truth is that I wasn't on the bike for the whole hour as I had to tidy the weights and Kettlebells.

Nevertheless, the time I spent on the bike felt like an eternity.

10.35am on the spin studio floor swimming in my sweat, chatting with Paul and Tim about  how tough was the morning and the BBQ.

That exact moment was quality! We suffered together, we were now laughing, exhausted  proud and looking forward to share an afternoon meal surrounded by our families.

10.45am, I dragged myself to the shower, then jumped in the car to finally make it home. There I reunited with my wife Susannah, my sons Milo and Noah...half an hour later we were en route to the Train For Life Summer BBQ.

The BBQ went well thanks to James the owner of the Eagle, he supervised and made sure that everything was up and running before leaving us.

It was a wonderful day, the kids were running, laughing and playing with each other  while the adults were chatting, drinking and eating.

Simply put, it was THE PERFECT DAY!

Be part of a supportive community! 

My window to the world, Week of 8th to 14th of August

The Beauty, the Ugly, the Beasts and the Ugly Beast

What inspired me this week is our body language while we train, what we transmit, how we interact, and influence others.

The Beauty is that person who comes to the gym to train, attend a class or socialise. Normally that person is all "GEARD",  wearing the latest trainers, the trendiest pair of leggings or vest, make up on, cup on...READY FOR THE CAT WALK...

That person generally looks as good at the beginning of her/his workout as at the end of the mentioned workout.

That person didn't understand the meaning of "Look like A Beauty Lift Like a Beast"!

The Ugly is the most beautiful person you can meet on the gym floor, or in a class. It is that person who inspires you, that person who is so committed to her/his workout that She/he forgets about her/his physical appearance.

That person knows that how you look on the gym floor is secondary, what is important is how you are perceived. How your peers, training partners appreciate and respect you for your fitness and physical achievements.

The Beast is what we have inside, that monster that sleeps inside ourselves, who gets up from time to time or often when well trained in order to push us to our limits and beyond.

My best definition of the Beast is "WILL POWER". I meet and see on daily basis people with very strong WILL POWER and what has surprised me the most during these years is that you find totally  different people that possess a very STRONG WILL POWER.

You will have really extroverted, angry, aggressive people and on the other hand, calm, quiet, sweet, and even shy people.

I am, as a matter of fact extroverted, angry, aggressive in my approach to training and others like Tim are QUIET, Paul is COMPOSED, Rachel is a FIERCE competitor but shy,  Kirsten is sweet and driven, Aaron is as Angry As Neil...both are examples of work ethic.

In my numerous spin classes I am generally amazed by the women who join the class for the first time and work so hard that it brings TEARS OF JOY IN MY EYES, Nicola from Newcastle is one of this person that I find highly INSPIRING.

She is somebody who shines by putting such effort and showing full commitment... Someone who sets free her BEAST TO GO BEYOND HER LIMITS!

The Ugly Beast is a state, a state we want to reach each and every time we start a workout. I train almost twice on a daily basis, six times a week and no matter how long I train, I need to release my BEAST, I need to get to the Ugly Beast Mode.

It is hard to be motivated all the time, this is why it is important to surround yourself by people who inspire you and help to give the best of you.

No matter how many people, JUST QUALITY PEOPLE. As a matter of fact, yesterday spin at 9.30am, we were a handful of people but we gave such a fight, worked so hard that it was satisfying to be part of it, to end up sweaty, broken , tired BUT SO ALIVE AND PROUD.

I USED TO REPEAT THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE WE GO AS "WE ARE THE PARTY".

The right thing to do when you train is to give your all, the training ground is a very democratic place. In fact people, are judged for what they can achieve while training, nobody think about which car they drive, what job they do...

You are assessed, appreciated, respected for what you can do AND THE UGLIER YOU LOOK AS YOU DO IT, THE BETTER!

Breathing HARD

Trying to Breathe... 

My window to the world: Week of 1st-7th of August

My week started on Tuesday, we came back on Monday night from a family trip to Eastbourne to visit  the boys grandparents.

I looked forward and dreaded these mini family breaks!

On one hand I like to move away from Norwich and have a break of my routine. On the other hand, my sons are generally super exited when we are away, so they are in their BEAST MODE... Super active, never tired, not receptive... Hard work!

Ah yes Tuesday! A good Kettlebell class with a good group. All the assistants were working hard, the atmosphere was great.

Right after the Kettlebell class, it was time for spin and there were new faces, so anything could happen.

Some days you win some others you lose, Tuesday was a winning day. I leave you to interpret. There were two new girls, 2 friends and after 2 tracks, one has left the spin class while the other looked like a VETERAN.

I looked at the first one leaving the studio without saying a word and smiling, the truth being told is that she hasn't done much (effort) before her departure.

In regard to the second one, I stopped the music after the second track to publicly CONGRATULATE HER.

It was the first time I saw her in the spin studio and I praised her for her display, she was simply "Awesome" working as hard as she could. It was simply INSPIRING.

What is the take?

If you train seriously, you will struggle and suffer. You can embrace the pain and be proud of your achievements or waste your time...

Wednesday 6.45-7.30am HIIT was a one on one session with Paul. I often say: "the party is where we are,  We are the party".

Paul and I had a wonderful face of, we worked as hard as we could. We pushed each other to our limits and beyond. Paul was about to win a workout...but I didn't let this happened...

Paul told me something interesting. He said that he does not enjoy the HIIT session as much as the Tabata, Kettlebell or spin, but He acknowledges the benefits of it, so makes a point on taking part every time he can.

What is the take?

We don't always like what we do, so why do we do it? An example, I don't fancy doing Good Mornings, but it turns out that because of them I squat more and better!

Thursday 6.45-7.30am Kettlebell was just amazing. It was a very hard session, Really hard one and I had some new comers in particular a girl who just SMACHED IT. She worked as hard as anybody in the studio, but on top of that she showed an awesome positive attitude and disposition to work hard.

I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED AND THAT MADE MY DAY.

What is the take?

I never tire myself of repeating the same things over and over. What is important is not your current level of Fitness, what really matters is HOW HARD YOU WORK.

I GET INSPIRED ON DAILY BASIS BY PEOPLE WHO WORK HARD, NO MATTER HOW FIT THEY ARE.

REMEMBER WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE JOURNEY

To finish the week. Let talk about the weekend: on Saturday I planned an awesome weight session, BUT I decided to stay in bed with my wife (both sleeping) and then play with my boys who were up around 6.30am...

On Sunday I made it to the U.E.A swimming pool and went through 45 minutes of swimming drills. The U.E.A swimmers on Sunday early morning are over 50-60 years old. I am most of the time one of the youngest, so I really feel humbled and grateful to be surrounded by such an inspiring cast.

In the shower some of the old guys were having a chat and one of them in his 70ies praised my physique. My reply was: "YOU ARE THE ONE TO BE PRAISED, I SIMPLY HOPE TO BE AS ACTIVE AS YOU ARE WHEN I TURN YOUR AGE..."

What is the take?

REST AND FAMILY MATTER!

Show RESPECT TO THE ELDERLY AND PRAISE ANYBODY WHO DESERVES SINCERE PRAISES.

This is the Train For Life Way of Life!

Only way to learn... 

My window to the world:

I had a nice chat this Friday morning with Paul after the spin class. I told him that he is one of those inspiring people I have around, from whom, I would like to learn more about...life and...

As we chatted he revealed me something interesting, he said that he was missing my weekly post on Facebook, where I was writing about the Train For Life classes and how people and myself were getting on.

I was puzzled, as the main reason why I went quiet is that I like to say "relevant" things and try to engage people with "interesting" subjects and lately I was focused on learning new stuffs related to fitness and nutrition.

Writing posts became secondary...

But, I was remembered that to praise people, and to lead by example is important!

Thanks to Paul's input, I will on weekly basis write about our community, sharing stories, trainings sessions, impressions and thoughts...

Read more on: www.trainforlifeuk.com

The Train For Life community has several objectives, one of them is to connect like minded people.

On Wednesday the 13th of July, 8 of us, Paul, Hajj Amal, Gurvinder, Neil, James, Daniel, Luke (gym members, clients and all members of the Train For Life Community) and Myself met up for a dinner and a catch up.

It was one of the best event of the year, I have never been a fan of going out to drink as I don't drink, but I always thought that spending time with fellow training partners was something to be done.

We had a memorable time, not everyone of us knew each other but people blended with no effort. After the evening I spoke to the guys and we all thought that it was a successful evening and had to be repeated.

What is the take?

You will get along with people who share a "common" passion with you.

We guys are bond by fitness, but we all like to EAT AND RELAX, what a better way to get to know people than around a table eating chicken!

Believe it or not 6/8 has a whole chicken for dinner!

By the way on the 21st of August, the Train For Life community is invited to a BBQ, families and friends are welcome! 

Sharing, driving, inspiring ...is our MISSION! 

#TheTrainForLifeFoodList/TheUggly12

This list is inspired by the many authors I read, fitness and nutritional gurus such as Poliquin Charles, Venuto Paul, Rooney Martin or Michael Matthews, as well as the information collected in the many diets I explored. I read a quote that clarified everything," if you want to be lean or burn fat Learn from those who do it best, "the natural body builders" ; here I am humbling myself putting aside my own prejudice  and learning from the masters of nutrition.

I want to share my knowledge with you guys, so read and apply. If at least you stay away from the baddies and focus on the good ones, you will be in the right direction.

The 12 worst fat storing foods

Chips and other deep fried foods

Ice cream and milk shakes

Doughnuts and pastries

Sweets and confections

Sugar sweetened soft drinks

Sugar sweetened juice drinks, energy drinks, and dessert coffees

Margarine

Crisps and fried tortilla chips

Bacon, sausages and processed meats

Hot dogs and fast food burgers

Pizza with thick crusts and fatty meat toppings

Sugary breakfast cereals

Everybody knows I am personal Trainer, so wherever I go, they feed me "good" food. Jokes aside, it is BAD food choice, nevertheless, life is about moderation or good planning!