Getting Started

coaching

on forward progress

anything works for 6 weeks. Even most silly, nonsensical things. The jolt to your system is crazy. If you are going from eating a giant candy bar 3 times a day to once a day, we are talking 14 giant candy bars lesser a week.

coaching

cleaning out your pantry

The next time you feel that commitment towards that goal, or you feel annoyed with yourself for not taking it seriously enough - seize that moment of resolve. Get rid of all the junk food. Yes, literally! Give it away or throw it away.

coaching

framing the problem

A great way to work on something is to define the problem. Without framing the problem or question with clarity, what are we even answering.

coaching

Am I doing this right?

We all have doubts. We all have questions. The simplest way to figure it out is by following that piece of advice, and exploring the limits of our skill daily, even if it is for just 5-10 minutes a day.

coaching

hangry

I used to get rather irritable and angry when I was feeling hungry. Sometimes, I would realise it was because I was hungry. Many times, I would not know why I was feeling that way and just end up lashing out or behaving like a jerk.

coaching

how long will it take you to get fit?

how long did it take you to get unfit

coaching

turn the AC all the way down

Sometimes, we have the wrong mental models about how things work, and they affect us. The AC thermostat is an example of where a flawed mental model does not affect us.

ArvTraining

on shoulder packing

The complexity is because we have two shoulders, and I don't mean left and right. There are two different joints.

coaching

learn the kettlebell swing; step 2/4

Step 2 of the kettlebell swing - the BGBS and the sumo deadlift.

coaching

a base strength standard

If I could tell myself to be at a certain level while starting off CrossFit, here's what I would set. I think being able to do these means you are reasonably along with the fundamentals, and can do whatever you fancy on top of this.

coaching

a saucer of milk

After trying to ignore the cat for a few minutes, the guru instructs one of his students to keep a saucer of milk outside, for the cat. The cat, its hunger sated, moves along to doing its thing. Peace reigns, and the guru is allowed to continue his teaching.

coaching

the camel's hump

The human body's ability to store fat is a similar evolutionary marvel. We lived in times when calories and food was scarce. So, when we could store extra body fat, it was a boon. Each kilo of body fat is close to 8000 calories of energy. That's ample energy to fuel a lot more than one marathon!

coaching

ups and downs

At SFCF, one of my coaches Angel tried something. Instead of traditional metcons, he had a 6-week squat progression based on the 5/3/1 system. That was my first experience with progressive resistance training

coaching

the where

where are we currently? where do we want to be? but where should we really be aiming for?

coaching

how much

How much time do you have to put into this? How much effort are you willing to put into it? How much money are you willing to spend?

Getting Started

barefoot running

we went and got our gait analysed. The people at the store would make us walk and run, and then tell us our type, and we'd go check out shoes of that type. Did your ankle roll inwards or outwards, and what did your knee do - okay go look at these types of shoes.

soreness

what is exercise-induced soreness

pain versus soreness

coaching

walk 3 days a week

Do what you can do. Build a habit. Start small. Yes, it is that simple.

coaching

Starting Trouble

Some of you might have had a better foundation growing up, for fitness and nutrition. Maybe you went to karate for a decade, and maybe you just liked vegetables, you weirdo. Some of you might have had a worser one. Maybe you didn't enjoy sports much and you ate a lot of chips.

diet

Making breakfast for the first time

I went to grad school for Interaction Design at Indiana University, Bloomington. First-time I was living away from my home, and having to figure a bunch of things out that

ArvTraining

Second Nature

Strength was not a quality that anyone, even my closest friends and family, would've associated with me until I was almost 30. I was a weakling growing up.

strength training

Simple to Complex

Think about how we learned to talk. We learned to make sounds. We learned the A-B-C. We learned words. We heard a lot of people say stuff. We made sentences. We made a lot of mistakes. And we learned to talk, eventually. It goes

crossfit

Are you guys warmed up?

Back in late 2008 or early 2009, I joined San Francisco CrossFit (after I thoroughly embarrassed myself at the other CrossFit). The first 3 sessions were about getting beginners introduced

crossfit

the story of my first-ever CrossFit class

When we start off, most of us suck. Fact. Or at least, I did. But you flounder and suck it up and keep going. Let me tell you one of my stories and you'll get a better idea.