Muhammad Ali...Recipe for Life

Interview with David Frost (1974)

• David Frost: What would you like people to think about you when you've gone?
  Muhammad Ali: I'd like for them to say:
  He took a few cups of love.
  He took one tablespoon of patience,
  One teaspoon of generosity,
  One pint of kindness.
  He took one quart of laughter,
  One pinch of concern.
  And then, he mixed willingness with happiness.
  He added lots of faith,
  And he stirred it up well.
  Then he spread it over a span of a lifetime,
  And he served it to each and every deserving person he met.

Bulletproof coffee

Single source coffee beans.
MCT oil, will swap with high quality organic coconut oil.
Unsalted, grass feed butter.
= bulletproof coffee (Google it)

Turkish Get Up for Prehab and Injury Prevetion

As part of my new outlook on combat sports I now take longevity seriously. Part of this approach is prehab. Injury prevention will keep me on the mat longer.

From the research I've done. Biggest cause of sports injuries being an imbalance in muscles.

Solution: Keep my left side and right side balanced. Along with posterior and anterior. That's front and back for those who haven't flunked sports science.

My exercise of choice. The Turkish Getup. I wasn't to clued up on executing this great exercise. So I got hold of Zahid. A great personal trainer who also provides one to one Thai Boxing training.

So we spent an hour drilling the Turkish Getup.Dam what a great chain of movements. I can see why it's so popular.

Anyway, Zahid being a good teacher I think it got it now. Now to figure out how to fit it into my life.

If you'd like to hire Zahid. He's based in East London, you can contact him on zahpt(at)hotmail.co.uk

Note: Zahid spends allot of time in Thailand so he may not get back to you right away. But when he is in East London, I'm sure he'd be interested in providing one on one fitness or Thai Boxing coaching

Zahid in action (March 2011)

Archery - Coaching Requests

Just want to give a big thank you to all who sent words of encouragement to me after watching me talk about archery on RTV.

Had a few requests for information on the archery training available at the RYTHM Community Centre (E13).

I'm really happy to find so many people are interested in getting involved in archery along with exposing their children to such an awesome activity.

Please contact RYTHM Community Centre directly on Contactus@rythmcentre.org.uk

Alternatively contact Newham Archers (they're having some email trouble so phone is better) or simply turn up on a Saturday to Langdon School (E6) around 13:00 and speak to one of the coaches there.

Just to clarify, I do not coach archery currently. I was requested to come and provide a taster session and answer some questions at RYTHM. As their archery coach was out of the country at the time. And as I support the great work at RYTHM I agreed.

Apologies if if the interview was misleading.

Strength Training 12 week project

After spending some time off the mat. I've decided I would like to get a tad bit stronger. I wanted to do this while keeping my lean mass pretty close to what it is (not get heavier). So as a 12 week project I'm trying the Effortless Super Human protocol as outlined in The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris


So simply put 3 x 1 hour sessions in the week of the following workout (all in 45- 60min)

Step 1: Dynamic Stretching
7 Reps both directions of Over Unders (both directions)

Step 2: Push Ups
Build up to 2 Sets x 12 Reps (3 secs Tempo)
5 Mins rest between each set

Step 3: Dead lift 
1st Set 95% of 1 Rep Max (2-3) reps
Immediately followed by 12-18 inch Ply-Box Jumps (5-7 reps)

5 Min Rest (rest starts after ply-box jumps)

2nd Set 85% of 1 Rep Max (5 reps)

Immediately followed by 12-18 inch Ply-Box Jumps (5-7 reps)

5 Min Rest (rest starts after ply-box jumps)

Adding 2.5 kg each session

Step 4: Torture Twists
Building up to 3 to 5 Sets of 3-5 reps (3 second hold on each side)
30 second rest in between sets

Step 5: Static Stretching

DONE - combat sports training may be followed after this workout, but I will not perform the work out after BJJ training.

I've knocked up a spreadsheet to keep track of what I'm doing. Click here for spreadsheet

Currently enjoying archery

There is something very relaxing and and the same time a means of centering my body and mind when I have my bow at full draw, both eyes on the target about 20 yards away. Then my draw hand releases and the arrow glides through the air ending with a thud in the target.

I often catch myself day dreaming about it when at work. I must admit. I'm smitten and will be encouraging more people to partake at Newham Archery Club

Two steps forward, one step back

Had a rough week with a cold and allot going on with family and work. The diet slipped and the scales have evidenced the price I paid.

How to make up lost ground. Ice packs on my traps or shall I try Intermittent Fasting? I'll keep you posted.

Week 2 on PAGG stack

Went on a road trip to Blackburn on the weekend and strayed from the slow carb diet. So no real fat loss this week. I may try intermittent fasting after my supply of PAGG stack runs out.

Intermittent fasting works by only eating all meals (same calorie intake in a 4 to 8 hour window).

First Week on PAGG Stack

So I've been on the slow carb diet for 5 weeks now. Along with using the PAGG stack for the last week. And while the fat loss is slow and steady. I'm not sure if the PAGG stack is really doing much. But I've only used it for one week.

Effects include:

• feeling quite warm after meals
• more regular and loose bowel movements

I've read in reviews it takes some people a whole week before the PAGG stack really getting going. So I shall continue with it until I finish the 1 months supply.

Note: I'm using ZestLife's PAGG stack. Which is the only one I found with veggie friendly capsules (as I avoid gelatin capsules, due to Halal only dietary requirements)

PAGG Stack is basicly the following (taken from Zest Life Webpage)

Directions for Use: Follow this schedule 6 days a week with one day off each week.


AGG-Nutritional Information per daily intake (6 capsules per day): 2 caps before food

Decaffeinated Green Tea Extract 20:1 2167mg (Providing EGCG 975mg -Whole Herb Equivalent 43,333mg)
Alpha Lipoic Acid 900mg
Aged Garlic Extract 100:1 6mg (Whole Root Equivalent 600mg)
Biotin (Vitamin B7) 150g

PAGG (Bedtime Dose)Nutritional Information per daily intake (1 capsule):

Alpha Lipoic Acid 300mg
Policosanol 23mg
Aged Garlic Extract 100:1 (Whole Root Equivalent 200mg)
Biotin (Vitamin B7) 50g 

An awesome gift - recurve bow

A while ago me and my bro started taking lessons in archery from a fellow grappler. We both stopped, as we have so much going on right now.
Tonight I was blessed with a awesome gift by my archery coach. A Grozer Turkish Recurve bow.

As soon as I finish paying off a debt. I will be punching some superslam arrows and a target to drill quick notching, drawing and release with a thumb draw technique.

I have no idea what poundage it is. Hope it's around 30 pounds, as I'm a weakling.

Week 6 into loosing body fat

Stuck, so I've started the PAGG Stack. I'll cover more on this later.

Letter of Resignation

Dear Mr Husain,

As required by my contract of awesomeness, I hereby give you one class notice of my intention to leave my position as your BJJ Nemesis.

I have decided that it is time to move on and I have accepted a position elsewhere. This was not an easy decision and took a lot of consideration. However, I am confident that my new role will help me to move towards some of the goals I have for my BJJ career.

Please be assured that I will do all I can to assist in the smooth transfer of my responsibilities before leaving.

I wish both you every good fortune and I would like to thank you for having me as part of your team.

Yours sincerely,

badshah.net

Slow Carb Diet Weigh In

Here is an update on the decreasing the body fat percentage.
Down to 25.8% this morning. While t's decreasing, it's not dropping off as fast as planned.

The next tweak is ice packs on the back of my traps for 30min per day OR the PAGG stack.

Note: My cheat day is on Saturdays and I weigh in on Mondays

Cheat day on slow carb diet

6 days I strictly follow the rules to the diet plan. 1 day a week I can really go for it. And here is a list for you

Saturday 2nd Feb

12:30
Multivitamin
3egg omlette
Coffee, with suger
Grapefruit juice 1 glass
Twix chocolate cake bar
Palestine dates (5 huge)

Iced green tea with psyllium husk (1 tbl sp) (500ml) sipped this through the day.

17:00
Milky coffee with suger
Galaxy cake bar
Various biscuits

19:00
Apple, banana
Twix ice cream bar

22:00
Pizza (2 slices) wedges, milky coffee

01:00
Orange, 2 passion fruit, 5 dates, magnum ice cream

Slow Carb Diet Food Log

0800 Breakfast
Multivitamin & glucosamine with a gulp of flaxseed oil (while pinching my nose) with a chaser of a tall glass of water.

2 organic eggs (scrambled) fresh coriander for seasoning
Half a can of red kidney beans (washed well) big hand full of spinach (from frozen) cooked in microwave and seasoned with vinegar
Little bit of smoked salmon (finishing the pack off)
Double espresso with a spoon of cream

10:30
Barley grass powder, psyllium husk, green tea extract powder, pinch of Rhodia Rosa (sp) all mixed in ice water (500ml)

I've been having this very regularly for a few years at about this time every work day

13:00 Lunch
Big mixed salad with red kidney beans. Olive oil, cider vinegar and whole mustard dressing
Big cup of Yerba Matte

I use the same Yerba leaves to rebrew about 4 cups over the next 4 hours

20:30
1/4 roast chicken with mix beans. Tall glass of soda water

Small handful of almonds.

Slow Carb Diet

Been a while since I updated people on my fat loss adventures. Last week I had decided to step up the fat loss regime. I moved on from the 30g protein breakfast. Which didn't drop any body fat for me. I was however eating my usual naughty snacks and treats during the rest of the day.

So as of Tuesday 22nd Jan 2013 I have been on the Slow Carb Diet. In summary it as follows.

1 No White carbohydrates (or anything that can be white)

2 Eat the same few meals over and over again

3 Don't drink any calories

4.No fruit

5.One day per week off (eat what ever you want)
For more info on the Slow Carb Diet, I'd recommend 'The 4 Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss'

Saturday was my cheat day and I went for it. I've logged my progress so far. I've not really lost anything significant in my first week on the Slow Carb Diet but I shall give it another week and see how it goes.

Day 13 & 14 on 30g Protein for breakfast

Day 13 I heated up a smoked kipper in a pan with some butter and then cooked some samphire. These were gifted to me from HGS and its the best kipper I've ever tasted. Sweeter then others, maybe Waitrose is worth the extra money. Thanks Steve

Day 14 eggs, mushrooms, French beans & smoked salmon.

So what do I weigh after my experiment. EXACTLY the same. In weight and body fat percentage.

Lessons learned: adding more protein and quality fats doesn't increase my body fat.

Next hypothesis to test. Removing simple / fast carbohydrate e.g. flour, rice and potatoes, fruit and sugars will result in decrease in body fat.

I will try this for two weeks.

Days 10, 11 and 12 on 30g Protein Breakfasts

Day 10 - x2 scrabbled eggs with smoked salmon. Should have gone with 3 eggs
Day 11 - unflavoured protein shake (was running late)
Day 12 - 3 soft boiled eggs.

This far in, I truly feel I could maintain this lifestyle change after the 14 experiment. I'll measure up on the 14th day and see If I've lost any body fat.

The next experiment will be a 6 week challenge with HGS to see who can lose the most body fat. I will be using the slow carb diet as promoted by Tim Ferris in the 4 hour body.

Monday we take body fat readings. Me and Half Guard Steve that is. Think he will probably having a wager at work and rope another person in.

If you're up for the challenge, join us. 6 week only. Who can decrease body fat percentage the most.

Day 5,6,7 & 9 on 30g Protein Breakfast

Friday and Sunday was the usual fry ups. Saturday I just couldn't face a big breakfast so downed a protein shake.
Today I tried somthing different. Kippers, 30g of protein in a boil in the bag £1 portion.

I even had a half way measure. Still 77kg and 27% body fat.

Will re measure in 5 days time.

Note: When done cooking your kippers, light some incense in the kitchen.

Day 4 on 30g Protein for Breakfast

Breakfast:
2 sausages, 2 eggs, mushrooms and French beans

Motivation:
We stumble along life untill somthing profound happens. And it's inside us, a thought process. At this point we decide that the continuing behaviour must change.

For me it was my wife waking me to a piece of plastic with two lines through it. I decided I must lead in life by example and not via a dictatorship.

To keep motivated I got in some Y fronts and did the mobot pose and my wife took the snaps.

The one which really shocked me was the rear veiw. I still can't believe how much I've packed on in the upper thigh region.

I've pinned this pic on the bedroom mirror.

I also forgot to mention my body fat percentage. 27% this is not good.

When the pain is big enough, we will change.