About this Site

A Man Reborn was started on July 25th, 2007 as a place to chronicle every step of the experience on my own personal self-improvement journey. My goals are simple - to make permanent and positive changes in my life that will lead to health, happiness and success.

Now that I’ve come this far, I want to expand the site and make it more useful for others who have the same goals in mind. I am not an expert in any of the fields I’m writing about here and don’t claim to be. I have done a lot of reading along the way and learned through my own experiences. All I want to do is share that with others in the hopes that it might help them in some small way.

I hope you enjoy the site! Cheers - Salar

Recent Entries

July 2nd, 2008 Workout - Muay Thai

My leg felt pretty good today so I went to Muay Thai class. Hamstring/groin felt a little stiff, but after some stretching and a warm up they were back to normal.

Today was a really fun class with lots of sparring. Started off going back and forth with just rear and lead leg kicks and practicing attacking and defending. Then we did back and forth jab attack/defense, then more sparring with the jab in addition to leg kicks. Finally we did more attack/defense but with lead hooks added then more sparring including all kicks.

A few times I went up against guys that were quick / tricky. Against one guy I ate more than a few push kicks to the chest - need to come in at an angle. I’m starting to feel more comfortable and relaxed but I still have trouble defending against combos. It will come with time and practice. Once my tattoo is healed I’m going to be getting in for as much sparring class as I can so that should help out a lot.

Got home after class and was in my room and took a funny step - I rolled by ankle a bit and stumbled and cracked my forehead on the corner of the open door. It left a nice clean half inch cut right between my eyebrows. It’s not too big but looks a little deep. The position it’s in is pretty much pushing it closed so it should be fine - will see how it is tomorrow.

June 30th, 2008 Workout - Heavy Bag / Misc

I tried to take it easy today as my hamstring had been hurting the last few days. It felt a lot better today but not 100%, but then I noticed that my groin muscle on that same leg felt really tight and a bit painful too. Not sure what’s going on with my leg, but it doesn’t feel too serious at least.

Today I did a bunch of rounds on the heavy bag - 12 rounds of 2 minutes each with 1 minute of rest in between. I started off simple and gradually got more complicated. I tried to work my defense and really mix up my combos with more combos using the same hand sequentially. I also paid attention to my footwork and technique.

I did some stretching and did a couple of slow-light rounds of low kicks on the bag just to see how my legs felt - I didn’t really notice any pain during those rounds so I’m sure I’ll be fine by tomorrow, but I didn’t want to push it too much - just wanted to keep it active.

Since I couldn’t get my tattoo this ink, I’m going to try to make it in a few times this week, as long as my leg is feeling good.

Of all the things I do, I hurt my leg at the carnival of all places.

I somehow hurt my leg this weekend. My right hamstring towards the inside of the back of the knee has been feeling pretty uncomfortable. I started noticing it Saturday and yesterday it was bad enough that it made me limp around. I’m not sure how I did it exactly, but I think it happened sometime Friday night at the carnival… I blame the shoddy rides ;) or maybe when I tried to spin upside down in the funhouse spinny.

It’s feeling a lot better today which is a good thing, but I’m going to take it easy on it and let it heal completely. I ended up not getting my tattoo done on Saturday so I’m able to train this week at least. I’ll do some heavy bag work tonight. I find that I keeping falling back to the same punching combinations so I’m going to look up different combination ideas and try those out. I picked up a book on speed training as well so I’m going to start doing some of the drills from the book to get my punching speed up.

Thursday June 26th, 2008 Workout - Muay Thai

I’ve been busy so here is a late entry. I went in early on Thursday to the 5:00 Muay Thai class. I like this one as it is generally a much smaller class size and the workouts tend to be harder. I was planning on going to both Muay Thai and Konditioning, but after a tough hour of class in really humid weather I was totally beat.

We did a running warm up and then went into some drills like they do in Thailand. We started off with one partner in gloves and the other with Thai pads and lined up against the far wall. The partner with pads would hold the pads for a Thai kick and would constantly be stepping back. The other partner would then have to throw Thai kicks continuously while chasing the other partner down. The idea was to simulate what it’s like to attack a moving opponent and it also worked our conditioning a lot as well as we did long rounds going back and forth multiple times. We did this for right Thai Kicks, left Thai Kicks and then alternating right and left.

After that we did another drill with a kicking shield and a focus mitt. This was another tough conditioning drill - started off doing 15 seconds of really quick jab/crosses - all speed - on the focus mitt and then 15 seconds of right Thai kicks to the leg as hard as we could. After those two we immediately repeated for 30 seconds, then 45 seconds, 30 seconds and back down to 15 without any breaks in between. I could barely hold my arms up by the end of it.

We then did a few rounds on the heavy bag and that was it. By the end I was too tired to try Konditioning class. I bought a new recovery drink to try between classes that has both carbs and protein in a 4:1 ratio, but I forgot it at home and water just wasn’t cutting it - I was out of energy.

After my break I’m going to really start working on getting in 2 hours of training at a time. I need the extra work for my conditioning level.

June 23rd, 2008 Workout - Muay Thai

It feels a little weird to not have the day counter from the 9 week challenge here. It gave me something to count towards. I guess it works the same as goal-setting almost. I’m working on my plan for what I want to work towards next, so I’ll have new goals up soon.

Today’s workout was destined to be tough - I went to a concert last night and didn’t get home until late. So I didn’t get much sleep and I was also sore as well. On top of that, I didn’t eat as much as I should have during the day, so by the time class came around, I was running pretty low on energy. I need to sleep and eat well consistently.

Today’s class was focused a lot on defending against attacks. We started off by lining up against the wall with a partner. One partner would then jab and move backwards and the other other would block/dodge/counter the jab. We did that a couple of times then moved on to jab/cross combos. Once that was done we did more drills that were more freestyle, with one that was particularly hard.

For this one, we started off with partners again - one would lean over and hang their arms down and get spun around 10 times. They would then stand up and defend against incoming attacks. This one was tough - for the first 10-15 seconds I got tagged a lot and would lose focus. When I was able to focus / watch my opponent I did pretty good with blocking. I definitely lose my composure very quickly after being hit. I also have trouble watching for visual cues to the next attack. I know that both of these will only improve through time, so I’m going to get to as many sparring classes as possible to work on them.

Unfortunately, it’s going to be at least a couple of weeks before I can really get started with sparring. I won’t be around on Wednesday and then on Saturday I’m getting some tattoo work - so I’ll be taking it easy for a couple of weeks while it heals. I’ll go crazy if I don’t get some exercise in during that time though, so I’ll have to think of something.

Day 61/63 - 9 Week Challenge Results

Got back from the weigh in and testing! I’m really happy with the progress I made and am even more determined to keep at it now.

Here’s my final numbers:

Starting Stats: April 23rd, 2008
Weight: 237.8
Pull Ups: 0 (half)
Broad Jump: 60 inches
Box Squats: 11 on each leg
Push Ups: 24

Ending Stats: June 22nd, 2008
Weight: 218 - was 213 friday morning, but salty chinese food killed me friday night :D
Pull Ups: 4
Broad Jump: 77 inches
Box Squats: not tested
Push Ups: 36

I’m really happy and excited right now… I came a long way I think and if I can do this in 9 weeks, I know I can make similar improvements in the future. I know I could have weighed in lower, but I know where I’m really at and that’s all that matters. I can’t wait to see how everyone else does!

Now that it’s done, I’m taking a day to indulge in the one meal I was craving the most the entire 9 weeks - a big rib eye and a twice-baked potato. ;) I’ll work it off tonight in the mosh pit anyway!

Day 61/63 - End of the 9 Week Challenge

In an hour I’m going to go weigh in and test for the end of the Kombat Arts 9 week challenge. Today I went through all my journal entries over the last 9 weeks to review what worked for me and what didn’t. I can say without a doubt that the last 9 weeks has been the most productive, educational and motivating period for me over the entire last year. I am focused on what I want to achieve and I know what I have to do to get there. At the same time I see that I need to stay open-minded and never be set in my ways.

Here’s some rambling points that stuck out for me:

  • independence/others - while ultimately it comes down to what I do individually, having many other people in my life to learn from, support me and motivate me is what allows me to push forward - I wouldn’t still be going on my own without all the help I’ve received from everyone in my life… family, friends, teachers
  • rest - my best workouts and progress came when I was getting full night’s sleep
  • nutrition - I believe that nutrition is more important than exercise as it ultimately controls the energy we can put into activities and the result we get out of them
  • motivation - having clear goals and checking in with those goals over and over kept me on track
  • patience - long lasting results take time and there is no shortcut
  • progress - the only way to get stronger and faster is to push ourselves that little bit past where we went during the last workout
  • time - is valuable and shouldn’t be wasted - every second, minute and hour should have a purpose - there’s a difference between saying you’re going to relax for an hour and just wasting an hour of time doing nothing
  • tracking/logging - tracking my diet and workouts has really helped me a lot - it keeps me on track and lets me adjust my approach in a much shorter time frame than I would be able to without it
  • work - there is no substitute for just plain putting in the time and energy

I think that’s enough rambling for now. It’s been a great 9 weeks and it’s just the start of so much more. For the first time in my life I actually feel athletic and in decent shape. I saw some friends I hadn’t seen in a little while last night and they complimented me and said I looked ‘buff’, which was really weird for me as I’ve been a fat-kid for 29 years.

So what’s next… I’m going to continue training even harder. From the beginning of my training I always had competition in the back of my mind and the more I came to class, the more I fell in love with the art. I’ve really developed a strong passion for Muay Thai and I am going to push myself to improve my skill. I talked to my Kru the other day about competing and he was happy that I had that ambition and is going to put me in fighter’s class to train for a fight in the future. I know the road to that goal is very long and will be hard, but it’s something I want and something I am going to do.

I finally decided on my reward for hitting my yearly goal - going next Saturday to get more work done on my black-work sleeve. So I’ll be taking a semi-break for 2 weeks after that to let it heal. I’m going to take that time to do a lot of reading and prepare myself mentally for the challenges ahead. Then once that’s done I’m going to train hard. My endurance and conditioning really need a lot of work so I’m going to focus on that a lot.

As for now, I’m going to go relax a bit and then drive over for the weigh in and testing. Tonight I’m going to see a band play who’s music and lyrics have inspired me to not only start this whole thing a year ago but have also pushed me through every day. If I believed in fate, I’d think there was some significance to them playing on the last day of the challenge, but I don’t, so instead it’s a nice reward.

I’ve posted this before - but I still listen to this song every morning as part of my morning ritual and it still gives me an adrenaline rush when the drums kick in. The lyrics are very special to me and always make me want to push myself harder.

Hatebreed - This is Now

Another memory and I’m asking myself
why cant I let the past be the past.
Once and for all take a hold of the future
And not let it control what I aspire to have.
I see where my decisions have brought me
Whats done is done and its time to start again
Can’t let it tear me in two or waste me away
I gotta believe
Cause this is now
How can I change tomorrow if I can’t change today.
This is now
If I control myself I control my destiny.

What I’ve seen and what I’ve been through has made me who I am
There was a time in my life where I had no desire to carry on
I couldn’t see a place for me or a will to survive
I never thought to rely on myself or the beliefs that I have denied

But this is now
How can I can change tomorrow if I can’t change today
This is now
If I control myself I control my destiny

If I control myself I control my tomorrow
I got to change today
Cause this is now

How can I change tomorrow if I can’t change today.
I must control myself if I’m to control my destiny.

Cause this is now.

Cause this is now
How can I change tomorrow if I can’t change today.
This is now
If I control myself I control my destiny

Day 60/63 - June 21st, 2008 Workout - Weights / Running / Muay Thai

Tomorrow is the weigh in and testing for the 9 week challenge. That makes today the last workout day. I went to the Mental Toughness seminar today, so I wasn’t able to go to the usual 2 hour Muay Thai class. Instead, I did a combination of weights/running/Muay Thai.

When the seminar went out, I went into the weight room at Kombat Arts and did a quick back/bicep workout - doing lat pulldowns, pull ups, one arm rows, seated curls and hammer curls. After that, I got home, woke up the dog and went out on a 2.2k run around my neighbourhood, followed by a few sprints. After that, I did a few 2 minute rounds on the heavy bag, following this progression: jabs, add crosses, add hooks, add clinch, add kicks, all.

Tonight I’m headed downtown for a friend’s birthday party. Going to be a bit of a pooper as I won’t have more than one drink, won’t order any junk food and won’t be out late. They will understand though - my friends have been very supportive and are awesome for that.

Review: Mental Toughness Seminar at Kombat Arts

Today I went to a Mental Toughness Seminar hosted at Kombat Arts. I am going to compete in the future and being ready mentally is just as important as being ready physically. The idea of mental toughness also applies to everything we do in life as well.

The workshop was taught by Rob Schinke, a sports psychologist who has worked with a number of professional and amateur athletes at the highest levels of competition.

My interpretation of the seminar was that the main point is this - “Self awareness is mental toughness”. This works out in a few ways:

  • be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses to know what to focus on
  • be aware of the things you do that cause you to have good and bad training days - then evaluate these items so you know what to repeat and what to avoid
  • be aware that your posture and the way you carry yourself controls the way you feel and the way others feel about you, which in turn becomes your reality

Rob also talked a lot about the importance of keeping a training log. The way he discussed it was to have it in a very point form manner to really show the nuts and bolts of what was done during a day. The idea is to make it easier to review at the end of the month to see what has been working and what hasn’t. I’ve been keeping this journal updated pretty faithfully, but one thing I haven’t been doing a lot is going back and reviewing it. I am going to review more often in the future to see what has been working for me and what hasn’t.

Another point that was stressed is the importance of being positive. Rob explained to us how even a minor negative thought can lead into a downward spiral as the negativity perpetuates more negativity and self-doubt. This is something I strongly believe in and try to apply in my day-to-day life.

On the topic of goal-setting, we were given an exercise: write out 3-4 specific goals in the past tense as if you have already achieved them. The goals should be written on index cards and put up in places where you will see them multiple times a day. The idea is that by seeing the goals constantly, we are thinking about them a lot more often which leads to taking action to achieve them.

After the seminar and a quick weight workout, I went over to Staples and picked up a pack of the most garishly-bright neon index cards I could find and wrote out these goals:

  • I am 180 pounds and in excellent physical shape
  • I am skilled enough and have a high enough conditioning level to fight competitively
  • I am confident and assertive
  • I am taking my career to the next level and improving my skill set

I’m going to put them up on my bedroom/office door, nightstand, bathroom door, home office desk, work desk and fridge, plus wherever else I can think of.

There was a lot more to the seminar, but I’d be writing here forever if I went through all of it. I learned a lot of new ideas and reinforced some existing ones. The seminar was definitely worth it and I’m glad I decided to check it out!

Day 59/63 - June 20th, 2008 Weigh In

It’s been about 3 weeks since I last posted a weigh in and the 9 week challenge is coming to an end. Here are the latest numbers:

As of June 20th, 2008:
Weight: 213.0 pounds (-65.2 since starting to work out / -77 since starting to eat better)
Bodyfat %: 25.3 (-10.6%)
Hydration %: 51.3 (+7.3%)

I hit my goal of wanting to get down to 215 by the end of the challenge! I was hovering around 215-216 for the last few days, but after that first sparring class, I dropped to 213 - all sweat? I’ve been drinking water non-stop since then and haven’t gained any back, so hopefully not.

For the other 9 week challenge stats, I’ve improved in all of them:

Pull Ups: Can do 2 1/2-3 on my bar at home from a dead hang - my bar has foam grips though which I think makes it easier to hold on to

Push Ups: From a fresh-start, can do 35-40 max - seems to take a long time for the muscles to ‘recharge’ after though… not sure how to improve that

Box Squats: I haven’t measured this since the start, but I’ve lost 25 pounds and done thousands of squats and hundreds of jumping squats since then… so I’m thinking this will go up

Broad Jump: Again haven’t measured, but I’m lighter and stronger - it’ll be interesting to see how much further I can jump now

I think the final weigh-in is this weekend. I can’t wait to see my final measured numbers. This spring I’d been stuck hovering back and forth between 225 and 235, but the last 9 weeks have really kick-started things in the right direction again.