Spartan Race Malaysia

Ravi, Me, and Bernie

This was my second time in Malaysia.

The first time I was here was two years ago when I filmed the Viper Challenge in Cyberjaya, and the first-ever Spartan Ultra Beast in Asia which was at Johor (JB). The one thing that I really remember was the scorching heat!!! Now I've filmed and been to some of the most hottest places on the planet, but for some reason....every time I come to Malaysia, I feel like I'm literally inside of a volcano, it's just one of the most crucial environments for me to film. Coming to a conclusion on why I feel this way, I believe it is because the lack of trees around the country. Yes, there are trees, but I just don't see a lot of them. And maybe these obstacle racing companies just prefer to build courses at places where trees are not prevalent. I mean, I am currently based in the Philippines, and it really does get very hot and humid here, but there are trees. Not that they help a lot, but at least they are there.

Watch the FIRST Spartan Ultra Beast in Asia

Anyways, trust me....I am not complaining because it was an epic event, a umbrella hat may come in useful for the next time I am here =).

Also, the food was pretty good that I can remember, but this time around I had some friends who had family there, and they took me to some amazing places, so my experience with the local cuisine was much more memorable this time. I'm currently looking for a really good Indian/Malaysian restaurant in Manila Philippines now, so if any of you reading this know of a place like this, please let me know! =)

So here's the Spartan Race Malaysia Video Recap that I did for my OCRTUBE.com media project. It was a blast, and looking forward to more upcoming video projects all throughout Asia this year!

Spartan Race Malaysia - Semenyih Eco Venture Park

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To learn more about my OCRTUBE media project, click here!

Now that I am back in Manila, I can continue my 3 Week Yoga Program that I started with my fiancé.  Just one week of Yoga made me feel super good when I was on the obstacle course in Malaysia. I have two more weeks to go, and then we will begin another workout program together. If you are not incorporating yoga into your OCR training, you are fooling yourself. The founder of Spartan Race (Joe Desena) is a big believer in this practice. Give it a go, I'm sure it will help you with your results! 

If any of you would like to workout with us online, feel free to message me, the more the merrier! =) 

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Alabama Spartan Race Super - 2016

Watch Race Recap Video Below

That MUD tho!!! I filmed this 10+ mile lengthy and "tar-muddy" course which was held in Saraland, Alabama a few weeks ago, and I have to be honest, I am not a fan of mud, but that is one of the reasons why I love Spartan Race, they are all about getting you uncomfortable.

Learn more about the OCRTUBE Media Project

(How I film races around the world to benefit charity - How you can support this project)

Although I only filmed this event and did not race (like I have for almost 3 years now), I do run the course along with everyone else, this helps me focus on what the athletes are really going through and what they have to deal with (as well as still getting in a great workout). I feel that this is the only way to capture an event on video. Please enjoy my race recap video, and I hope to see you at the next one!

Alabama Spartan Race Super - Saraland 2016

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Related Posts:
5 Reasons Why Obstacle Racing Athletes Should Consider Beachbody Coaching

Day 7, Week Six - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Cardio 2 + Core 2

Watch Video Below

My Dad and I are finally finished with WEEK 6!

For this workout, we decided to do it on Sunday since I was filming a Spartan Race around the Nashville area. So even though it was a rest day, I didn't technically take a rest day since I clocked in at running almost 9 miles chasing athletes with my Gopros =)

Today's workout was Cardio 2 and Core 2. This was considered my POST SPARTAN RACE WORKOUT. I try to stay active the day after filming races so that my body stays familiar with movement instead of staying stagnant. It keeps me sharper and stronger.

Check out my Nashville Spartan Sprint 2016 video

I do not try to workout hard or anything, instead I mostly modify and sometimes just do stretch and mobility. After doing the 9 miles, my gout started flaring up again on top of a little soreness, so I decided to really take it easy, and just modify about 50-60% of the time. Here are the modifications that I did:

For the most part, I took away anything that was considered high-impact, and just did the alternative.

- Since my right foot is where my gout is flaring, I did single leg burpees on my left leg.

- I didn't squat as low on some reps since my quads were still burning from yesterday.

- For the switch kicks, I just did leg lifts to ensure that I didn't put anymore pressure on my right foot.

- I didn't really modify the mountain climbers, I just didn't do all the reps. With mountain climbers, there isn't too much pressure on your feet since you are in a plank push up position.

- I didn't go as high on the "high-knees" I went a bit slower and took pressure off my right foot.

These were just some of the modifications that I did to keep it safe. I still managed to get in a great workout as always. We did the Core 2 Workout right after, which is not shown in the video.

Here's our workout accountability video!

Day 7, Week Six - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Cardio 1

Take the 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge - Start today! 

If you would like to watch the video that I created from the Nashville Spartan Race Sprint, you can view it below =)

Nashville Spartan Race Sprint - Fort Campbell, TN 2016

Watch more Obstacle Racing Videos here

Are you ready to start a fitness journey? I can help, all fitness levels and goals welcome, feel free to message me here =)

With 1st Place Female Finisher - Laura Messner

OCRTUBE Media Project

Day 1, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Resistance 2

Watch Video Below

WEEK 5 is finally here!!

Today's workout was Resistance 2, and it seems like my Dad and I have improved a lot since the first time that we did this workout. Definitely feel stronger, and although I didn't go as hard as I normally do, because I am still recovering from filming a 10+ mile brutal Spartan Race, I still felt pretty dang good.

David Magida and I - Asheville Spartan Super 2016

One thing that I wanted to mention is that when I was filming the Spartan Race in Asheville, NC this past weekend, my legs felt so strong climbing up the mountains, I was surprised how long I could go without stopping. Now going up is a lot differnet than going down the mountains, and my knees aren't the strongest because of a prior knee injury a couple years back, I also forgot my knee compression that I normally wear during the mountain races, so my knees began to pop again, so I had to go slow to ensure that I do not re-injure myself, which I did anyways...slightly =). It comes with the territory and something that I just have to be careful with as I film in some of the most remote and treacherous places on planet earth. I should be better prepared knowing that it's always a surprise at an obstacle race, you never know what the course will be like until you're out there.

a little Spartan Race reminder, don't complain about how TOUGH a race is,

just embrace the suck, and be prepared for anything. 

I took it pretty slow for this workout, but like I mentioned before, I still felt strong and only modified about 20% of the time. At any rate, it's just another day in paradise =)

Day 1, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Resistance 2

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Wanna watch the video that I created from the Asheville Spartan Super - 2016? 

Asheville Spartan Super - 5 Minute OCRTUBE Recap Video 

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Are you ready to start a fitness journey? I'd like to help, feel free to message me here! Looking forward to hearing from you =)

Tampa Special Ops Spartan Sprint - 2015

Tampa Spartan Sprint - 2015

It's been awhile since I've filmed and competed in an Obstacle Course Race. I think the last time was in Toronto, Canada for a Spartan Race Sprint and Super in mid 2014 before I took off for a 4 month backpacking trip to Southeast Asia.

Being back in the OCR (obstacle course racing) scene was nice, it was like I wasn't even gone. Everyone welcomed me back, my OCR family and friends, as well as my Beachbody Coach Team who are absolutely addicted to the sport...like me! =)

Filming the Tampa Spartan Sprint with my GoPro

I did not compete during the Tampa Spartan Special Ops Sprint. I was there to support my team, and film the entire race for my OCRTUBE.com project which focuses on helping the sport of OCR grow worldwide. I started the project to showcase my fast-growing collection of obstacle course racing videos, but have recently opened an online portal for anyone to add their own videos, blogs, photos, and OCR focused businesses to the network. Again, the objective is to create a completely FREE obstacle course racing community to help the sport grow on a global scale. I plan to begin traveling outside of the USA and Canada to specifically film OCR's. Some places already on my list are Norway, Australia, Korea, and the UK.

If you would like to help me, as well as other athletes grow the sport of OCR, and you have not joined OCRTUBE.com, it's simple, you can join here! It's still a growing project, but I am very excited about it!

The Multi Bar Obstacle

The Course Map

Anyways, here is the video from the Tampa Special Ops Spartan Sprint in Tampa, Fl. And if you are looking for a free place to workout, please feel free to check out my 813 Fit Club in downtown Tampa. If I'm not there, just jot my name down when you sign in, and they'll let me know that you stopped by =).

Tampa Spartan Sprint - 2015 - Full Race Video

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Spartan Race Training with Body Beast

Spartan Race Training with Body Beast

I remember when the Body Beast Workout Program was first launched, I was very hesitant on doing the program because it was geared more towards people who were interested in Body Building and Physique Modeling. But the more I looked into the program, it was a lot more than that. It was a program that catered to weight loss, toning up, gaining lean muscle, and even gaining strength for Spartan Races. Not specific to Spartan Race, it is perfect training for any Obstacle Course Racing event which requires a lot of strength to conquer the obstacles. There are different workout schedules to follow depending on your goals, but if you are training for a Spartan Race, then you may have to change it up a little to make sure that you are using the program for not just strength, but also for athletic performance.

I'm not gonna lie, but since I've been doing Body Beast, I rank it up there as one of my favorite workouts along with P90X and Insanity Asylum Workouts, I'm totally addicted to it! What guy do you know doesn't like lifting weights? And that's the thing, it's easy to want to lift more weight with Body Beast, but if you are focused on becoming a faster OCR (obstacle course racing) athlete, then building too much mass with Body Beast will hinder your speed and ruin your PR times. So you now ask "why would I want to do Body Beast then?"

Here are some benefits to using Body Beast for Obstacle Course Race Training:

- Helps you gain strength
- Easy to follow workouts, just add some cardio conditioning (examples below)
- Workouts can be done at home or gym
- Totally customizable depending on your goals

So let's talk about each of these benefits.

Helps You Gain Strength
I think that this is the main benefit for using Body Beast for a Spartan Race or OCR. But just like any lifting program, the question is, how much is too much? Just to keep it simple, if your goal is not to become a Body Builder, then it's really not necessary to lift really heavy. The next question is, how much is too heavy? Well this all depends on you. With Body Beast, a lot of the workouts have anywhere from 3 to 5 complexes, each complex can have a set number of reps per exercise from 8-15 reps including super sets. If you cannot finish all of your reps, then you are probably lifting more than you should. I mean you should always push yourself to add more weight, but remember, we're just building strength and lean muscle, not MASS. Of course the more you continue doing Body Beast, you will soon see that your strength gains go through the roof, just be careful not to build too much mass or else it will again slow your running pace down when you are at a Spartan Race.

Easy To Follow Workouts
That's what I like about Body Beast, because just like the Daily Spartan and Crossfit WOD's, you know exactly what you need to do because it tells you what to do. The only thing about Body Beast is that it is all about lifting (most of the time), and hardly focuses on Cardio Conditioning. So what do you do? You add it in between the Body Beast sets. Here's are some examples:

Ex. 1
During Body Beast Total Body (which is a Full Body Workout) there a 4 circuit sets. The first set includes: Pull ups, Push ups, Squats, and Crunches (2 rounds). What I do is after I complete the circuit of 2 rounds, I will pick up a sand bag and run up some stairs, or if I don't have stairs, then I will just run around the block for 100-400 meters. Other things that you could do in between sets are (depending on the workout):
- Burpees
- Jump Squats
- Running without Sandbag
- Bucket Carry
- Jump Rope
- Insanity or Insanity Asylum Exercises

Ex. 2
During a Body Beast Back/Bis Workout, this workout consists of about 8 sets, each set includes 1-3 exercises with 3 to 4 rounds of lifting reps (from 8-15 reps). After each set, you could add some cardio conditioning such as running, high knees, box jumps etc. Just be careful not to work the same muscle groups every day. If you can only workout 3X per week, then I would do Full Body Workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, then maybe do some running, core focused, and even yoga in between those days. If you need help with this, message me and I would be happy to assist =).

Get the Body Beast Workout Sheets here!

From Home or Gym
I workout at both home and the gym, but I also love doing work outdoors! Body Beast is perfect because you can workout at home, then go outside to do your added cardio conditioning and athletic-based exercises to cater to your Spartan Race goals. The gym works the same way especially if you are using an outdoor gym, or gym with outdoor access.  My gym has an athletic training area, so I will go back and forth from the weight training area to the green training area.

 Just another Spartan Race Success Story using Body Beast

Body Beast helped me build my legs for those elevated hikes carrying sand bags. It also helped with the atlas carry, Hercules hoist to where I can lift heavier weight with less effort. ~Jeremy

Totally Customizable
Although Body Beast has their own workout schedules, and it's highly recommend that you follow it according to your goals, it can still be customizable. For Spartan Racers and OCR Athletes, the workouts should be more customized to your athletic goals, and cardio conditioning and athletic-based exercises should be added in between sets to get the full benefit of Body Beast for Obstacle Course Racing. If you are not skilled with creating your own workouts, then I can assist you with showing you how Body Beast can benefit your OCR strength and running game. Make me your FREE Coach now, click here!

So I hope this helps you understand some benefits of using the Body Beast Workout Program for Spartan Race and other Obstacle Course Racing events. As always, listen to your body, use proper form, and have fun!

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