Competition: My Fear of Not Making It

I have a fear. A fear that I won't make it through Crossfit Open 2012. I have been training rigorously as some know, but am I getting closer to where I need to be? Unfortunately, I don't think so. I have been training for competition for exactly 10 weeks, and there are about 9 more weeks left.


You'd think there is enough time. Wrong. There is not. 


If I were to tell you I have not made any gains in the past 10 weeks, I would be a liar. If anything, I have made some awesome personal gains; some of which include my 90kgs deadlift, 65kgs back squat, 40kgs squat clean, 30kgs snatch, 1RM Weight-pull ups @ 10kgs, my wallballs are better, my box jumps are improving...I am improving, but am I improving enough to make it? 


You see, crossfit is unlike any other competition. There are no weight classes; which is what makes it exciting but also very nerve-wrecking for a 50kgs, 5'2 small girl like me. Most crossfit women who I have seen compete are beasts and majority - not all - but majority weigh in their 60s with experience in Crossfit or other sports.


Yes, I was weight-training before, but not this way. Not even close.


However, when it comes to doing body-weighted movements, my light weight helps; with push ups, pullups....etc, but what worries me is that there will be a big weight thrown in the Open which will immediately disqualify me; especially anything overhead.


Although my overhead position improved SO much in the past 10 weeks; before I was not able to hold more than 5kgs and squat it down without dropping the bar. Yet, I recently did an overhead squat with 25kgs, and HERE is a video similar to what I did with 1kg less.


I have been going for physiotherapy for the past 10 weeks and doing extensive 30-45 minutes mobility exercises everyday (aside from my actual training). The goal of the physiotherapy is to make sure I get mobility, better range of motion, prevent injuries and work on existing injuries.


Yet, I wonder...is it enough? Am I doing enough to make it? Am I doing everything I should be doing to get through?


Another major concern of mine is....DOUBLE-UNDERS! Before Crossfit, I never skipped in my life, let alone do a double-under (which basically when you jump once and the rope goes under your feet twice.) I have been going at it for at least TWO months. I get it occasionally - out of the blue - and then it disappears for a long time. And to be honest, I am not sure how to get them. EVERYONE exhausted their double-under cues to me, I watched numerous videos...and it's just not happening. Will that be what stops me from making it through the open to go through Asia Regionals? 


I have quite a lot of these doubts. A lot of people tell me that I have passion and my passion will get me through. I don't think passion without hard work is enough. I have the passion, I am working hard, and spending a lot of money on my training and physio. Yet, I still wonder...is it enough?


I really for once in my life want to do something daring. I never did anything so. I want to make it to the regionals, even if it's just for ONE workout. I know I am not strong enough to make top 10 or go to the Games. Not because *I am not strong as me*, but I am not strong compared to the other women who have years of experience under their belt, while me...I have only been technically doing crossfit for 4-5 months.



It may seem that I am "making excuses", and maybe I am, but my excuses are realistic concerns, too....yet I am still training , working hard, and making gains. So my goal is to keep focusing on getting ME better. Getting ME stronger. Getting me to perfect some skills. Yet sometimes, my body doesn't respond the way I want it to.


I have these fears. And a lot more. They came up sometimes. It's normal and I need to let it out, because if I don't I will be cheating myself and only drive myself crazy with self-doubt.


Yet I am still trying and going to give it a shot - because I never know if I don't try and I don't want to regret not giving it all I've got. But at the same time, I want to be realistic and not disappoint myself if I don't make it or disappoint those who supported me, either.


Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999Fitness

My Experience: UAE Fitness Challenge

For the first time, this weekend I got a taste of what competing publicly feels like, despite being part of smaller competitions taking place in the "box" I train at, it wasn't the same. The difference this time... I competed against people I never met, in a strange place, and outdoors under a scorching sun - while being the only person fully covered.

Before I go into details of the competition...I have to admit, last week I had a major breakdown regarding my training for competing in Crossfit 2012. Having told the world my plans, it came with the consequence with the pressure of expectation, and not necessairly of those by others, but of myself and my progress.  After much reflecting, crying (a tank of it!), and talking to some people...I realized I have always had one goal - keep getting stronger - with or with no competition in mind.

So on a Thursday afternoon, I randomly decided - with no plan, no training for this particular competition - what the hey! Let's go compete for fun! Not only I had fun, I surprised myself with my result!

On Friday morning the 2nd UAE Fitness Challenge which is organised by Men's Fitness and Shape ME Magazine took place in the Le Royal Meridien, from 9am-1pm. The competition had three categories: Individual Men, Individual Women, and Teams.

The competition was a 12 Minutes AMRAP (aka - As Many Rounds As Possible) of:

• 10 Polymetric Box Jumps (m = 24inch, w = 20inch)
• 15 Hand Release Push Ups
• 20 Kettlebell swings (m = 16kgs, w = 8kgs)
• 100m Run

Photoshoot by Shape ME

I guess the moment it hit me that I was competing was after they demonstrated the movements, they called my name in Heat 1 (basically a certain number of people competing in a group). They shouted my name..."Amna Al Haddad", and a whole bunch of the peeps I knew there were rooting for me and I felt an adrenaline rush!

Two minutes later, the competition began. As I finished my first round, I breezed through it...but it started gettng harder in round two...having competed outdoors for the first time fully covered was a bit of a challenge on its own. I never did any extrenous activity outdoors before, so I started feeling extremely dehydrated, and running is one of my weaknesses alongside box jumps ( although some said I beasted the hell out of those! Still work in progress in getting my rhythm & soft landing). I kept my mind focused on the simple fact, this is only 12 minutes (although from hell) it's just 12 minutes. Give it all I've got!

As the countdown began, I have completed 4 rounds + 10 box jumps + 15 push ups + 17 kb swings. Today they announced the scores...and I ranked 13th out of 20 contenstants in the Individual category (both men and women). I am very very pleased with my result...because the TOP Athletes (PT's, winners of big titles, and regular competitors) were in their 6th or 7th round and I was in my 5th. This means I am catching up with the best...so watch out boys and girls!


The top three women were:

1. Candice Howe (My awesome coach who is very humble! @CandiceHowe)
2. Inger Larsen (The queen of double-unders who trains with us @CrossFitLSDubai)
3. Lisa Doe

 
 The top three men were:

1. Justin Ahrens
2. Phill Robson
3. Paul Hymers (@fitnessindubai)

The top three teams were:

1. CrossFit LifeSpark - Coach Ben & the boys!
2. Core Direction
3. Glory Girls (Super Duper awesome strong women! @GLORYGIRLFIT)

CrossFit LifeSpark Team: From left to right, Lee, Luke
Coach Ben, Coach Candice, me, and Chris.

All in all it was an amazing experience to be part of the UAE Fitness Challenge. But no one can deny that Crossfit LifeSpark two coaches, regular crossfitter men and women really stole the show. We walked in quiet, but walked out loud.


Next Fitness Challenge here I come,...but wait, which direction to run again? 

 For more, click HERE to see the workouts, WOMEN athletes, MEN athletes, and TEAMS.
Yours Truly,
GymFreak @ 999fitness

My Inspiration: Kulsoom Abdullah - Hijabi Weightlifter

For most people, any bump on the road will either slow you down or make you want to stop side-aways. While for others, they will fight for what they believe in and what they have passion for. One such person is Kulsoom Abdullah, an American-Pakistani weightlifter, who I have heard about few months ago.

Kulsoom has got the media attention when she wanted to be fully covered and compete in the 2011 US National Weightlifting Tournament that took place in July, she was told she could not because of the way she dresses. However, that did not stop her. In fact, she recently flew to Paris to compete at 2011 World Weightlifting Championship in the 48KG, C class division, the first and only Pakistani female to do so.

In an e-mail interview with me, she said: "I do not have an ultimate goal.  It was the same when I started.  I just did it, and kept going with it. I did not even have goals of competing, but that just happened along the way, as did everything else till now. It has also been unexpected."

Kulsoom has inspired me in a way I don't think anyone else can. She has pushed through boundaries, went out of her way and got special clothes designed for her and still held on to her Hijab...just to do what she loves to do: lifting weights.

"I did not have a role model in hijab for weightlifting...but I have admired the accomplishments of other females in sports. The dedication it takes and the skills you gain was something I wanted to get."  

Her fitness journey started close to her graduation from grad school; Kulsoom used to practise Taekwondo until she learned about Olympic Lifts in 2007. She then started her Olympic Weightlifting training alongside doing Crossfit.

"I loved to lift, and I would attend separate class sessions on weightlifting in addition to doing Crossfit workouts. Finally, at the beginning of 2010, my coach convinced me to go to an open local weightlifting competition in March." 

She then continued into competing at events so she can qualifies. Despite her hard-work, I asked her if she faced any challenges training in a scarf.

"With each activity, there is adjustment and experimentation.  I remember a few times when I did have done some overhead lifts, Snatch or Jerk, the barbell made the scarf fly up and over my face.  I still finished the lift, but I then adjusted my head scarf accordingly," she said, a situation I have faced myself!

Unlike majority of those training, she would train fully-covered, head to toe, and often times people would ask her how she feels about it. 

"A lot of people wonder if I get "hot" because of the extra layers of clothing but I am used to it, I tell them," adding she has been wearing the scarf since she was 14 years old.

Many people can really learn about "fighting for what you believe in" through her story, and inspired me she did.

"I hope it will help encourage other women to try a sport and compete. Definitely, if I knew and was exposed to this when I was younger, I would have started back when I was a child."

Her message to women out there? "There is no reason to consider this sport taboo or masculine, it's far from the truth," she said.

To know more about Kulsoom: 

Click HERE to visit her Facebook Page.
Click HERE to visit her Website.
Click HERE to visit her Twitter Account.

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

Review: Olympic Weightlifting in Dubai Clinic

The Olympic Lifts generally are often not given the credit they deserve and often neglected in majority of training programs. In fact, for the past 4 years that I was lifting weights, I not once thought about doing a Clean and Jerk or the Snatch. But then again these two lifts are two of the most complicated lifts and not anyone can just teach them and you don't learn them overnight or even months for some as they are very technique-based.


However, today I visited my first "clinic", a three-hour course run by Olympic WeightLifting in Dubai headed by Coach Derrick Branford & Coach Ikaika Paakaula, in coordination with Evolve UAE. Both coaches have been Olympic Lifting for 10-15 years each. Although having traind with Derrick earlier and with Ikaika recently, I have learnt greatly about Olympic lifts more so today.

Quick Tip: Both lifts require weights being lifted from the ground to an overhead position.

Before getting into the lifts, we started with a general warm-up - which is important to prevent injuries and warmed up the muscles that will be used in the lifts. After that we spent the first hour learning how to "snatch." To practise the lifts, we used PVC pipes and used light weights as the main goal was to learn the technique and not how much we can lift. We worked through the different progressions on getting the lift. The snatch uses a wide-grip and starts from a Deadlift position.

Derrick in action after the second pull

Tips for the Snatch were:

- Always keep the bar close to your body.
- As you pull the bar from the ground until you reach your knees, your upper body stays in the same position and only your leg moves.
-As you reach over your knees, your shoulders would come forward
- Drag the bar up your body and just before you go for the pull, the bar slightly moves away from the body
- Then you use your hips to generate a pop that will drive the bar upwards (not forward or you will miss the lift!)
- Then you go under the bar to catch it overhead with locked out arms
- Then down into an overhead squat.
- You finish by standing with the weight lifted overhead.

Ikaika in an Overhead Squat position

ps: The Snatch is considered a much more complicated lift than the Clean and Jerk.


The Snatch is actually on of my personal weaknesses and just yesterday after two months of hard work I was able to get my half bodyweight Power Snatch:

After we were done with the Snatch, we moved on to the Clean&Jerk which priniciple is pretty much the same. The first part of the Clean is similar to the Snatch in terms of the first pull, which is from the deadlift position up until the pop from the hips, where the second pull takes place. However, the clean and jerk has a narrow-stance and you have to move under the bar and catch the weight on your shoulders first and then drive down into a front squat.

During the class, we learned the push press and the split jerk - which is a movement in which you use your legs to generate power to push the weight overhead. 

Tips on the Clean and Jerk:

- Stay patient with the bar until you reach your second pull.
-Keep your back upright and straight while doing a front squat (don't lean forward)
- Derrick said during the class that the amount of weight lifted overhead in a push press has nothing to do with upper body strength, it's all legs.
- To recover from the split jerk movement, always bring the front foot forward (otherwise you will lose balance), and slowly recover in small movements both legs.

Here is a video of me doing a 40kgs Power Clean. FYI - The 40kgs lift was not pretty lift (i.e. I didn't get under the bar to catch it): 

To wrap up the course, both Derrick and Ikaika demonstrated The Snatch, Clean&Jerk, and Back Squat which you can view HERE in their facebook page. They were MAD! Lifting up to 150kgs.

In a quick chat with Derrick, he said that he spent more than a year just lifting with a broomstick before he actually lifted with weights. The movements are complicated and take time to learn. As he said "It's like riding a bicycle." Once your central nervous system gets used to it - your body never forgets it. So it's best to learn these lifts with good habits from the beginning, as opposed to bad habits which will eventually lead to injury.

Derricks advice to me was simple = stronger legs makes a huge difference. Champions never went a day without squatting. So SHUT UP AND GET YOUR ASS TO GRASS!

I recommend anyone serious about getting stronger, fitter, serious about weightlifting - and improving their oly lifts technique to take part in the next clinic which will be announced in Olympic Weightlifting Dubai Facebook page...and the cool thing? You also get a....

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999fitness


 

One Month Reflection: Mentality, Training, and Diet

It's been exactly one month since I started my training for the Open Crossfit competition which will take place in exactly 3 months. I thought it would be good to write a post to assess my weaknesses and strengths that I have come across in the past month.

The post will be broken down into: mentality, training ups & downs, and finally my diet.

1. Mentality: 

A large part of training is really mental. Not physical. One of the things I always struggled with is believing in myself and ability, and most of all my strength. There were points where I used to get angry and feel disappointed with not getting the lift I wanted, the weight, or the time, or rounds I thought I could get. In fact, there were times where I literally just wanted to give up. But in the past month I learned that without my failures, I will not grow as a person or as an athlete.

I learned to accept there will be heavy gravity days, there will be days where I don't get what I want, but I also learned through my failures is that I actually wanted to get it even more. So that meant I need to work harder and think smarter. Instead of freaking out about the weight I will be picking, or the workout I have to do, I need to think about my goals, about what I want to achieve - and do my best to achieve it, even if it meant failing again and again. 

And to be honest? I got greedy a bit with my lifts and reality hit me when I struggled TWICE to life 85kgs, when I did lift it once 3 times in a row....EASY!

Lesson? Don't get greedy. There will be really good days. Keep working hard. You will see results.

2. Training up & downs: 

I recently found out that my body is literally "all over the place." In other words, I have a leg that is slightly longer than the other, one hip has more range of motion (ROM), I don't have full ROM of my shoulders - and it has been a big stumbling block in my training, by the way. Anything overhead SUCKS! Putting it all together is affecting my spine and my "natural" posture...to put the situation in simple words.

Due to the reasons above, a lot of what I need to achieve, I have not been able to - and need physiotherapy for it (still do, but financial situation is not allowing me to do it as often as I need to). Hopefully it will get sorted out soon!

Anyway..., I have been working on my mobility for at least two months now, and slowly I am learning to deal with these "situations." And honestly? Sometimes they freak me out. I wonder if I will ever be able to get my issues resolved to make the best of my strength so I can make it to the crossfit regionals. I often wonder... Will I ever be able to get 40kgs overhead? Will I ever be able to overhead squat more than 20kgs? Will I be able to do a handstand in the right position? Let alone handstand pushups! Will I be able to squat more weight?

I have these fears, but I am not letting them stop me from training or pushing against odds. For all it's worth, let me list down my training "ups" & "need to work on..."


Last month ups...

• Deadlifting 85kgs x 3
• Shoulder press position improved significantly
• Got wall handstands & one free handstand
• Squat form improved GREATLY within 7 months
• Improved kipping
• Split jerk @ 35kgs 
• 1RM Squat @ 65kgs
• Push Press @ 32.5kgsx5 
• Capacity and endurance improved
• ...mostly? Mentality by the end of month one. Patience has set in and determination.

Need to work on....

• Improving mentality every single session
• Gymnastic skills: handstands, ring dips...to name a few
• Up on the list is DOUBLE UNDERS! They are a MUST in competition, and I ain't got them
• Improve my Olympic lifts: Clean&Jerk and The Snatch (technique and weight)
• Other skills: Knee to Elbows, Kettlebell swings with big weights 
• Need unbroken box jumps
• Hollow rocks
• Running (I am a fast sprinter, but not a good runner!) 
• Increase amount of weight lifted overhead. 

I failed a lot last month, and there is no need to mention every single failure with the world. But one thing is for sure, I have a lot of work to do, and I say BRING IT ON...with the blood and sweat, and tears...of course!

3. Diet

People often ask me what I eat and what eating lifestyle I follow. Well, I follow my own guidelines. Yes, there are eating lifestlyes that are the most "ideal", and work for the majority. But not for me. I had a number of people either advising me on what to eat or how I should eat. I only realized by doing so I only became obsessed with food, and every single bite I had made me  feel guilty if I "strayed" from what I should be eating.

Four years ago, I actually had a major binging problem - not the point I had to go to someone to "fix it" or "fix me", but I knew I was going through a path of self-destruction. I started dieting, counting calories, not eating certain foods...and then going CRAZY on weekends, nachos, burgers, 3 scoops of ice cream. YOU NAME IT!

Finding myself in that old mentality - again, mentality - I realized you know what? It's not that I don't care what the experts told me is best for me to get the best results, but I know if I did exactly what they told me to do through sudden changes in my eating lifestyle, I am only setting up myself for failure. I was doing perfectly fine on my own as I know the consequences of the food I am eating, I know what reaction I will get from certain foods and whatnot. I understand how to control my weight, how to gain and how to lose.

So in the past two years I have been following my own diet and despite eating the way I did, I still made muscle mass gains, strength gains, I lost 15% of bodyfat in 2 years ON MY OWN in a healthy way - mentally and physically. So I decided I will continue doing what I am doing, and SLOWLY change some eating habits when I see fit according to the advice given to me.

My diet consists of the following food items: 

• Lean meats (chicken, steak, turkey...and now introduced salmon)
• Eggs
• Lots of veggies (mixed greens, carrots, broccoli...etc,)
• Wholewheat rice or white rice occassionally
• A bit of dairy (a cup of milk every other day and an ounce of cheese in my salad) 
• Healthy fats: nuts, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil...
• Sauces: balsamic or lemon olive oil.
• Ice cream (specifc flavors!) or chocolate (I only eat lindt milk chocolate actually!) on specific days post-workout (Disclaimer: it works for me - it may not work for you, so don't try it!)
• I should eat fruits, I don't as much as I should. One fruit a day would be enough for me.

The above is just a quick run through of the kind of foods I eat. Most of my calories come from protein sources and healthy fats, and some from carbs. Also, I often stay away from junk food: i.e. fried foods and pastries. I eat whole foods 80% of the time, so the results I see are from my diet and not just training Just how I turned my eating lifestyle around in 2 years, I will turn it around even more with time. Baby steps!

Like I say...achieving a healthy lifestyle is a process, and it's not a procedure. Keep that in mind everytime you slip off the wagon - it will still be there for you to hop up on. If you choose to.

Yours truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

I once feared squatting...

Something that many do not know about me is my fear of squatting. Given I am a person who lift weights, and believe in compound movements, squatting is a no brainer.

You thought wrong.

Since I started training in 2007 up until April 2011, I never A) properly back squatted, B) ditched squatting for more than a year.

Why? The idea of having weight on my back and going deep enough scared me. I never had someone to spot me, didn't trust anyone to do it, and most of all feared being stuck in the bottom position with no idea how to bail out.

I occasionally, well less often than not, "attempted to squat", by doing half squats. I told myself doing those would workout my quads... who cared about my hamstrings and glut muscles, my deadlift will take care of that!

Wrong, again. Realizing I was not going to get away with half squatting. I decided you know what? The hell with squatting, it was not for me, I HATED it.

But in April 2011, things changed. One day I walked into something called a "box"  (i.e. http://crossfitlifesparkdubai.com/), where all I saw was barbells, plates...and a number of squat racks. The first thing my current coach, Candice Howe, asked me to do back then was... show her my squat. I did. It was any coaches' nightmare! I did not know how to SQUAT!...and by that time my half squats where at 50kgs.

50kgs, my a$$!

Since that day, she and I have worked hard to "re-program" my squats. We started with body weighted squats (trust me, they ain't easy still!), box squats, with 10kgs, 15kgs...etc, until we reached a bodyweight squat with 50kgs with depth just a couple of months ago.

However, this past weekend, all the hard work paid off....

Seven months later since April this year.... I still fear squatting, but I still squatted 65kgs. So now I will leave you to enjoy watching the video.

 

See how I got stuck coming up? Instead of calling for help...I fought to get it. That's progress. 

Yours truly,

Gym Freak @999fitness

Training for competition...is set!

Being involved in the fitness community, outside the comfort of a normal gym, I realized a lot of things. One of those things is that our fitness industry needs more Emirati women athletes and those involved sports (whatever the sport is!).

I also realized, not only that is needed - but I can do something about it. I started my fitness lifestyle in 2007 and had many ups and downs until it was November 2009. One day I woke up and I said, enough is
enough - and I took charge of my life, how I feel, what I eat, when I eat, how I think, and I react to things (okay, this still needs some work!). In a month, I would have completed two years leading a healthy lifestyle.

What I realized...this is not enough, and I want more and I can be more than an average gym-goer to get my dose of an exercise fix. Now I realize I want to be an athlete, be part of competitions, and make a name not just for myself, but for my country - which unfortunately has high obesity and diabetes rates.

Just about a month ago, I decided it's about time - and that I will train to compete. On Saturday the 14th, I started a new training regime. One that will hopefully get me ready to compete in Reebok Crossfit Games 2012 which is just 4 months away...but in the end of the day it's how much effort I am putting in, in each session.

To simplify the competition details, they are three stages:

Stage 1: The Open (Feb 22- March 25): Worldwide competition that takes place locally with one workout per week for five weeks (we don't know what the workouts will be). Scores and videos will be uploaded online to see who qualifies. The top 60 men, women, and teams’ with the highest scores from each region will be selected to compete in stage two. Last year, over 26,000 athletes competed!

Stage 2: Regional (April 27-May 27): Athletes from the same region will compete against one another to find out who is the fittest in their region.

Stage 3: Reebok Games in California (July 13-15): The fittest athletes from different regions will not only compete at this stage, but they will be tested on whether that can handle the unknown. The winners will earn the title of being the “Fittest man or woman on earth."

Since I will be competing against the unknown, literally, my goal is to get myself strong enough to reach the regional stage at LEAST, and I can only do that through putting my body through intense exercise, healthy eating habits, enough sleep, be stress-free, and a lot of rehabilitation.

Therefore, I will be updating my blog with my progress weekly with my training program for the week and my progress. Each Friday night I will be posting my weekly training and progress.

There is no reason I can't do this. I am going to smash it!

Yours truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

Video: charity workout raised 22,000AED

On Saturday, the 24th of September a group of awesome people - athletes, youth, adults, all came together to complete a tough workout that took a lot from their bodies. The reason why we all came to put ourself through THIS workout, is simple - raise money for a charity school in Ajman (Al Manar Eman Charity School). This school is home for many abandoned and orphan children.

So how much was raised? Dhs22,000 ($6,027)! My PREVIOUS POST has all the details of what will be done with the money. You can still donate if you want to, just get in touch with Candice.

What was the workout? It was split into two categories (RxD - done internationally) and scaled (depend on the person ability).

Note: m=men, w=women.

3 rounds and one minute at each station.

RxD FGG

Lift Heavy or Die Trying!

Wall ball: m-9kg, w-6kg to 10ft target
SDHP: m-35kg BB, w-25kg BB
Box jump: 20″
Push Press: m-35kg, w-25kg
Row: calories
Rest: 1 minute

Scaled FGG

Wall ball: m-6kg, w-4kg to 9ft target
SDHP: m-16kg KB, w-12kg KB
Box jump: 16″
Push Press: m-15kg, w-10kg
Row: calories
Rest: 1minute

Check HERE for the top three in each category. I was, well, placed fourth in the scaled version, with a total of 210 reps. Anything above 300reps & you're a beast!

So I will now leave you with this 2min video I created.....Oh and if you can't stand metal music, turn the volume down ;).

Thanks to everyone who came and supported us, those who took pictures, and mainly the organizers Candice & Ben for making the event happen!

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

Charity workout to raise funds for orphans

On Saturday, the 24th of september, CrossFit LifeSpark Dubai are hosting an event where athletes will be completing a workout which aims to raise funds for a charity school in the UAE.

The Fight Gone Good workout will be carried out in aid to Al Manar Eman Charity School in Ajman, which is a home for many orphans and abandoned children. It receives no support from the government, and relies on donation from the public. Meaning, YOU!

People can come in to support the athletes by sponsoring them or being part of the event themselves. All money collected will used to buy equipment for the school.

Crossfitters, all around the world, on yearly basis gather up to support local charities. Such move also helps raises awareness among the community about those less fortunate. But the twist is....

It's also a scored workout - which makes it just as much as a challenge. I like challenges and being a new crossfitter, I am participating in the event and show support toward the community by competing to raise awareness and raise funds through sponsorship. Please contact me if you're interested in sponsoring me (and I will fill you with the details!)

So what's the workout? It will be scaled for newcomers, but rather RxD (as prescribed) for those who are able to handle it. So anyone can join in, gym-newbies or athletes.

3 Rounds of 1 minute at each station:
Wall Ball
Sumo-deadlift High Pull
Box jumps
Push press
Row (for calories)
REST
Score is total reps completed in the 17 minutes. Check VIDEO to see the workout!


note: A sponsor could say: "I will give you 1AED (or anyXamount) for each repetition, if the person finished a total of 500 reps in the whole 3 rounds", they will donate 500AED OR a sponsor could say "I will give you XAED to be part of the competition."

Quick wrap up:

Date:Saturday, September 24, 2011
Time: 12-3pm
Where: Star International School, Dubai, Click here for the map.
If you:
want to compete: Dh50 minimum
want to donate/sponsor: as you wish.
For more information & filling the sponsorship form visit CrossFit Lifespark Dubai HERE and about the event in more details HERE.

EDIT (20/9/2011): CrossFit Lifespark Dubai announced that those who sponsor the athletes at the Fight Gone Good, 15 people will have a chance to earn a spot in their "On Ramp" program (check HERE for details).

Also the money raised will be used to buy the following:
- 10 new AC’s
- 10 Projectors
- 30 new windows
- Basketball/sports equipment


Active Regards,
Yours truly,
GymFreak @999fitness.

Olympic Lifting in Dubai

There are many gyms in the UAE, some high-end, some not so expensive, some extremely commercial - but there are some gyms, which are rather few - that really focus on just quality training.

For the past three weeks, I have spent my Friday's going to a camp, Olympic Weight Lifting in Dubai, coached by Derrick Branford, an oly lifter himself. Personally, I really enjoyed the camp and have learnt a lot regarding the mechanics of the movement - as most of the time we focused on practicing with just the barbell. Warning: ehm ehm, expect a lot of bruises though, man enough?

Being new to doing regular Olympic weightlifting, literally about 6 weeks old, how much I can lift is not yet a major concern in particular, but rather get the movement. It doesn't hurt getting personal bests (PBs) every week though ;).

The nature of the sport requires a lot patience, timing, speed, power - and I would say, a bit of instinct, as well. We mainly focused on the Clean exercise and the different ways to progress to it, as well as the snatch, clean & jerk, and overhead squat.

I am the kind of person who would learn a lot from watching than being told how to do something, and what I like is how Derrick's coaching focuses on "animated" movements, if I may say - which I find helps me get the feel of how the bar should travel up your shins with patience, and then reach the upper thigh before exploding the hips for the pull, then the drop with the front squat (click on link above to see the movement.) Sometimes, it looks too easy and too fast, but once you're there and trying it - it's a whole new level.

There are honestly a lot of training centers in the UAE, and personal trainers - but I always appreciate working around people who are passionate at what they do - believe in it - and believe others can do it, too.

I may not, honestly, know much about the Olympics in the sense of history, competitors, how to get there - but I know I enjoy Olympic weightlifting, and after competing in crossfit next year, I will seriously consider the sport and pursue it to the fullest.

For those interested, Olympic Weight lifting camps will resume in November, I believe.

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

p.s. This is my personal view and is not influenced by any factors.

Competing in my first crossfit event

I have been training for almost two years, but I got tired of just going to the gym for a typical gym workout, and not be able to use the physical strength I know I was developing. Waking up on a Saturday morning, my knees were hurting me as I injured it more than 3 months ago and it had a deep bruise. For some reason it resurfaced, but I still decided to compete at an event hosted by CrossFit LifeSpark Dubai.

In Crossfit, there is something called a WOD, which translates to Workout of the Day. On Saturday, the WOD was titled 31 Heros , and anyone could have been part of it. There is a story behind the WOD name so please click on the link above to know more.

Basically the workout required teamwork and it was 31 minutes long (very long for crossfit standards, but yesterday was a special case.) The team of two needed to finish as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of the following:

8 thursters (me and my partner did 15kgs)
50 pull ups (I can physically do only 10 at one go MAXIMUM, so I had to rest before going onto the other reps, which got me looking like THIS! And yes, you are not supposed to look pretty while training ;).
11 box jumps (I did 24inches)

Photo credit: Tanya Gannon

While one person is the doing the above and going through each exercise, the other person is walking/running with 12kgs (females) 24kg (males) on their shoulders for a distance of 400m

So say I have finished 11 thursters, and 15 pull ups, when my partner would come in and finish the rest (35 pull ups and box jumps and I pick up the rest again after I have done the 400m walk. Going through the 3 exercises, with all reps, that's one round. My partner and I have finished 3 rounds + 5 box jumps.

Being part of the community and engaging in this competition was one of the most amazing and exciting things I have done regarding my fitness. It really makes me want to push harder and pursue a career in fitness and become an athlete. I met a lot of inspiring people, and everyone was rooting for everyone to keep pushing hard.

Hopefully, I will be part of another event on September the 24th, for this cause.

Yours truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

Strength gains in Ramadan

This Ramadan has definitely been a journey for me. Unlike last year, I did not have to deal with so many things. All I had to do was fast, pray, and exercise.

While this year, I have a full-time job in the media industry - and it goes without saying - a 24/7 kind of job, whether I like it or not. Due to the time constraints, I did not make the time to plan my eating habits, however I did plan my exercise - up to an extent.

During the third week of my training, I actually almost had a melt down, because of exhaustion, feeling not up to par as I did last year, and did not see myself adding plates to the barbell. It crushed me.

I worked very hard for the past two years to get where I am today. People tend to overlook that aspect about who I am. God knows how many times I fell off the wagon, but I had to get up again. I freakin' love weight lifting. I just do.

So after a push from my trainer, Candice Howe, who might I say is the fittest woman in Asia as per Crossfit standards, I finally started upping my game again.

I know I am physically strong, but sometimes my mind fails me. Hence that day I just felt I couldn't go through the workout, I actually gave up. However, giving up in training is not who I am so I walked into the gym with a new mindset. Since then, I have seen a strange jump in strength gains - and not by the amount of muscle of fat I have lost or gained - but by the capacity my body is able to go through.

Although Ramadan, is not over, I can proudly say that in Ramadan I have achieved the following:

- My first 6 reps pull ups (something I couldn't do before!)
- My first 52.5kgs x 3reps with squats. I never shared this before - I actually have a fear of squatting! So imagine me squatting my own body weight on my back?
- I also have lost some body fat and have leaned out a bit, despite my eating habits are the most. I am still consuming whole-foods for the most part, aside from gaimat!

And what saddens me is to read about people "overeating" in Ramadan, or spending hours watching the TV, while they could've exercised in that hour. Some say to me that my tweets makes them crazy, as they have gained X amount of weight in Ramadan, and have eaten X amount of food. Well, if you wanted to be healthy, you'll do something about it. It is what it is.

And I chose to stay as healthy as possible in Ramadan, keep training hard, because I want to reach somewhere, whatever that place is, I know I want to compete as an athlete one way or another. Maybe not this year, or next year - but I am hungry for it, and I plan to get a bite.

Yours truly,
Gym freak @999fitness

"Emotional Salad" By Amna Al Haddad at TedxAjman 2011

Dear Readers,

I hope you enjoy the video - just fyi: that is me speaking!

Yours truly,
GymFreak @ 999fitness.

Exercising during Ramadan: Weightlifting and Cardio

Within two weeks, a special month is approaching. Ramadan is the 9th month on the Islamic calendar and it's where Muslims all over the world fast from dawn to dusk. Most people in Ramadan feel that there is lack of time to exercise, so they decide to ditch training all together - either because of the lack of time or proper planning.



This post will include the following:

• Possible weight lifting times, with pros and cons. 
• Possible cardio times, with pros and cons.
• What I did last year (training-wise) & worked well for me.

p.s. Before applying any of the below, consult a physician or a nutritionist. I am neither. This is based on knowledge gained through previous research & personal experience.  

Ramadan & Weightlifting: 

Generally, the body uses carbohydrates as a main source of fuel, secondly fat, and thirdly, muscle. While fasting, your body mainly uses fat as a source of energy, and if you did not have enough or proper nutrition, it will use muscle. In other words, lack of proper nutrition may cause a loss in muscle while fasting. More on nutrition in Ramadan next week.

Studies suggest two main options for weightlifting in ramadan.

1) two hours BEFORE breaking the fast:

Pros: The idea behind training before breaking your fast, is simple. You can eat right after training (iftar), and can have multiple meals for recovery.

cons: Training on a fasted state means training with low blood sugar, meaning you may feel dizzy and some may get nauseated. Also, your body will lack the energy to go through, say a heavy weight-training session, and use your muscle for energy, instead of carbs or fats, causing muscle breakdown and increase in corsitol hormone (aka "stress hormone".)

My conclusion: I personally don't see the benefit of weightlifting while fasting, as you don't have the energy to go through a moderate-intense workout. Unless your plan is to lift light weights, and personally prefer it; knowing you will not get dizzy or injure yourself & understand how to eat properly to maintain your muscle mass.

2) two hours AFTER breaking your fast:

Pros: Training after iftar (2-3 hours later) would mean your body has the right amount of energy/calories to go through a grilling workout and you'd be hydrated enough through the workout. Lets not forget lack of hydration could lead to dizziness.

cons: The cons, muscle-gain or loss-wise, are slim to none; so no cons there! The issue is mainly finding the "right time" to fit in a good workout session during Ramadan. Training during Ramadan should be short and avoid useless "exercises"; such of those bicep curls or leg extensions.

My conclusion: I mainly prefer working out a few hours after I have eaten Iftar, because I have the right amount of food in my system to go through a good weight training session and I am not afraid of losing muscle mass. Also, it's best to stick to compound lifts, instead of isolation exercises. It is also possible to GAIN muscle in Ramadan as per some studies, but it's not something I know well in terms of details to share as of yet.

Do read my PREVIOUS POST to understand why I value muscle perseverance.

Ramadan and Cardio:

When it comes to Ramadan and Cardio, it's very simple. It really depends on your goal.

Do you want to lose fat but don't care much for muscles? Then the best time to train is before breaking your fast, although training in a fasted state DOES burn fat because lack of glycogen, so your body uses fat for energy. However, it also uses muscles for energy, hence losing muscle mass. Again, remember, muscle mass is an active tissue and requires more calories, and the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your burn = less body fat.

My conclusion: It's doable if A) you can handle low-impact cardio, B) not get dizzy due to lack of hydration, C) don't care much for muscle loss.

Do you want to preserve muscle mass, and gain little or no fat? Limit cardio session to 2x/week, keep them short but intense, anytime between Iftar - before Sahoor, will just do. Your cardio session should not be longer than 45 minutes. I prefer 20-30 minutes.

My conclusion: It's the safer choice to do intense cardio after having broken your fast, and between the hours it's permissible you eat. If you wish to do cardio while fasting, make sure to stop immediately if you felt a spell of dizziness.


What I did last Ramadan:

Last Ramadan, after doing a lot of research, although still learning, I found that FOR ME training two hours after I have broken my fast worked very well for me. Not only I had energy during my workouts, I saw strength gains and I recall this was the month I added 5kgs (55kgs that time) into my DEADLIFT (sorry, it's the lift of my life!)

Last year I had a 4-split training program; which means 4 days of weightlifting broken into A) legs, B) Back/Biceps, C) Chest/Triceps, D) Shoulders. Frankly, it was waste of time as a routine, however I did gain strength, lifted heavier and started doing half chinups all during Ramadan.

As for cardio, I did a 20-30 minute boxing routine twice a week. I firstly did gain a bit of fat the first week as my body was adjusting to the new routine, but soon after that I was able to maintain my weight and muscle to fat ratio.

This year I plan to do the same in terms of time to workout and almost similar workout routines. That would be three days weightlifting (sticking to big lifts; i.e. deadlift, squats, pull ups, chin ups, bentover rows, chest press, and a few other olympic lifts). Also will be doing an MMA class twice a week as I do now, but at night. My training routines will not be more than 45-minutes, except MMA, which would be one hour. In addition I will have one light-day (i.e. either brisk walking or yoga), and finally one full day of rest, most probably Friday or Thursday.

I very much realize the importance of Ramadan to our souls and us understanding there are many unfortunate people out there who lack food and water that we have an abundance of. It is also the month of forgiveness. However, I think it's also important to keep taking care of your health nonetheless, and have the chance of knowing how to do so, should you choose to keep training in Ramadan. As a fanatic, I cannot stop. So, if you plan right, you can still carry on your religious duties as well as have a balance between your life and religion. Hence, I wrote this last year: Prayer can make you stronger - literally. 

In other others, it's all about trial and error and learning what works for your and your body!

Also, please keep in mind the above cannot be achieved without a proper nutrition plan in Ramadan. This will be for next week's post. 


Yours truly,
GymFreak @999Fitness

Please leave your comments below or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Some of Weight Lifting Myths vs Facts

When it comes to weightlifting, there are a lot of myths out there that discourage, not only women but some men from weight training. However, weight training has a lot of benefits and thus far, I have seen nothing but great results personally – your average jane who trains heavy.

So let’s debunk some of these myths, shall we?  

Myth: If you stop weight training muscles will convert to fat.

Muscles and Fat can never turn into each other, why? They are two different kinds of tissues. Muscle is denser than fat, and will actually make you look slimmer.  Here’s a picture of how 5lbs (2.5kgs) of muscle look vs. fat. In simpler terms, muscle takes less space than fat and it’s like comparing sand with water.

However, not training for certain period of time could cause the muscle to shrink back to its normal state pre-training, if A) there was lack of exercise for a long time, B) lack of proper nutrition and protein. However, due to muscle memory, regaining muscle is easier. 

Myth: Ab cruches are the best exercises to lose fat from the stomach.  

That's a big no no. Abs are just another muscle group in your body. What you often want to get rid of is the fat layer in top of it. You can do 200 crunches in a day, and you will still see no results. Why? Stomach fat is all about diet, diet, diet - and no I don't mean go low-carb and starve yourself. You may have a really strong core below that layer of fat, but if you don't eat whole foods, lots of veggies, lean protein and fruits, but opt for sugary drinks, fried foods - you won't see your abs. In general to get that body you want it's 70% diet, 20% exercise, 10% sleep. Yup. Also there is no such thing as "spot reduction." Your body is a machine, you can't exclude one part of it and expect it to work to its full potential.

Myth: Weight training makes you gain weight so you look bigger. 

Yes, weight training does makes you gain weight, but at the same time it reduces your overall body fat percentage and not by a miracle where it converts from fat to muscle. Muscles are an active tissue in the body and require energy (calories) to keep functioning. Gaining muscle raises your metabolic rate by 15% and for every pound of muscle (0.5kgs), you burn an extra 35-50 calorie a day, while fat burns 5 calories for every pound. In simpler terms, muscles help burn fat 24/7.

Personally, I have been weight training for almost 2 years now, and have done cardio only once a week (45-minutes only). I weigh exactly the same as I did last year, being 52kgs, but the difference is that I lost almost 8kgs of fat and gained 5kgs of muscle in return, with a drop of 13% of body fat (last I checked few months ago.) In other words, I weigh the exact same, but look completely different.

Myth: Weight training makes you stiff and lose flexibility.

The opposite is true. If you train and use the full range of motion (ROM) of an exercise it will help you maintain and adjust your flexibility. However, if you don't use the ROM of exercise properly, it will indeed affect your flexibility. Plus, sedentary lifestyle affects your flexibility and makes you stiff, affecting your exercise. Make sure you stretch everyday!

I am a living example of bad-not-flexible-shoulders. While doing the Press exercise, also known as the military press (for shoulders), I used to lean back and push the weight up, which caused the front side of my shoulders (delt) to be overtrained compared to my back delts (which look quite horrible!) Now I am slowly fixing the issue with my trainer, as pushing 20kgs above my head is quite horrible only because of the lack of flexibility. That's why form is more important in weight training than actual weight lifted. 

 *rubs hands together* my favorite Myth....

Myth: Weight training will make women bulky.

Women just cannot turn bulky because of the level of testosterone in their bodies. As it's known, one of the functions of the testosterone hormone is to build muscles, and both men and women have it. But here's the catch, a man typically has about 300 -1,200 ng/d of testosterone while a female around 30 - 95 ng/dL. So unless you take steroids is when you'll look like this: 

What you see above is all supplements, steroids, and unnatural way of building muscle...and it ain't pretty. I suggest people spend sometime to look how natural weight lifters look like. (trying to avoid any offensive photos!) To make it simpler, it takes a lot of hard work for a woman to gain muscle mass. Even in general, maintaining your muscle is hard work, requires proper eating habits, weight training, and it's not something that will grow out of air.

I surely don't look like the woman above, nor will I ever, if I keep eating properly, train hard, rest, and not take such supplements that make any person look....unnatural. 

Also, another thing I have to mention is that there are different schools of weight training, bodybuilders, powerlifters, olympic lifters, weight lifters...etc, and all have different kind of physiques, training routines and diet regimes.

I am not sure where I fit just yet, a little of all.

There are a lot more myths regarding weight training (especially for women). Hence do let me know what else you have heard, unsure of, and want to know more about. I will answer your questions.

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999Fitess