Arnel Banawa Confessions - Q&A Time

Let me start off by saying that I am not the type of person who enjoys being in the SPOTLIGHT. I'm sure that a lot of you know me from some of the obstacle course racing videos that I create for my OCRTUBE media project, and you will see that most of my videos are FOCUSED on other people, and not myself =).

It brings me joy to be able to document the journey, struggles, and triumphs of the people around me, and that's one of the reasons why I am very passionate about what I do as a Beachbody Coach, I just love helping people, and making it about them.

So WHY a Q&A about me?

I've turned down a few interviews only because again, I just do not feel comfortable being in the spotlight, I actually run from it, not because I'm afraid, but mostly because I take my life and my family VERY seriously, I enjoy my private life, as I'm sure that most of you do as well.

My #FitFam =) 

I've learned a lot as a Beachbody Coach, in terms of leading my team and challengers to success, and it's been a rollercoaster, but these are the things that have made me SPARTAN strong. I stay out of the limelight so that I can focus on the people who matter most to me, like my family and my coach team. These people have dedicated A LOT of their blood, sweat, and tears with me, and they truly deserve my full attention, so I reserve that EXCLUSIVELY for them. =)

I've created a few social media channels for other people to learn more about me, and what I do because I know the importance of building relationships. If I'm not relatable, then why would people want me to coach them right?

A lot of people ask me what I do for a living, and they are always shocked to find out that I am a full-time Beachbody Coach! I mean, I literally run an internet fitness company from my smartphone and/or my macbook, and that's how I am able to travel and film a lot of the obstacle races that you see on my YOUTUBE channel. Again, I don't say this to brag because it was pretty damn TOUGH to get where I am, and I am just now scratching the surface and getting started. People think SUCCESS just comes easy sometimes especially if they're only looking from the outside in, BUT I struggled a lot for years! I've hit rock bottom, slept in my car for months on end, and used to live off of RAMEN NOODLES (that's a good week), so I know about struggle. I know what HARD is. It's not fun, and all I knew was that I didn't want to live that crappy life anymore, so I quit making excuses. I focused on being an honorable father to my daughter, and everything started coming into place.

My daughter and I

My social media channels are focused on sharing my journey with people (good and bad) and to hopefully make an impact around the world. It's NOT to show off, or make anyone think that I am better than they are (because I'm not), I definitely have a lot of weaknesses, and I am by no means PERFECT, no way!

I am just like most of you who just wants to be happy, provide for my family, travel around the world, and leave a legacy.

So back to the Q&A, I've had a number of questions lately about what I do, and who I am, so instead of spending all day messaging and sharing on my social networks, I felt that it would make sense to post a blog on some of the common questions that I've been receiving, so here goes! =) I'm just going to cover a few questions now, and will post another blog later.

ARE YOU SINGLE?
Yes, I am single. It's not that I don't believe in marriage or relationships, it's because it's not a priority for me. I've met a ton of people who are unhappy, and they always say this, "If I could just find someone to be with me, then I would be happy". That BS!! Make yourself happy, and the person you meet someday will just enhance your life. I don't ever go out looking for relationships, it's not natural. Things will happen when it's meant to happen, so my piece of advice is to relax and enjoy your life! Learn to be happy with who you are first, and you'll be surprised how amazing your life will be.

HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO TRAVEL ALL THE TIME?
Well, I don't really travel all the time, but I have a online business that allows me to be location-independent. As long as I have internet, I can work from anywhere around the world. And FYI, this didn't happen overnight (so don't think for a minute that this opportunity just fell into my lap), I went through many failed businesses since 2002, and finally found something that gave me the opportunity to become digitally nomadic. Not everyone can travel like I do or would like to travel like I do, but I'm not like everyone, and you shouldn't be either.

Bagan, Myanmar

Beachbody Coach Travel

WHAT WORKOUTS DO YOU DO AND RECOMMEND?
I've been doing Beachbody Specific Workouts since 2010. My first program that I completed was P90X which helped me hit some PR's (1:36 half marathon, 19:30 5K) and I even hit some podium wins in OCR being in the top 10% precent. I think that I've completed most of the advanced Beachbody programs (primarily the ones that are strength and athletic-based specific), and I continue to do the workouts, mostly creating hybrid programs to help me stay in peak physical condition for adventure traveling and filming races in some of the most toughest terrains around the world. They've worked for me all these years, and the company Beachbody continues to be innovative with the latest movements in exercise science. I recommend that people do whatever they feel is good for them. It's not about what I do, it's about what your goals are. If you ask me to help you, I can only give you advice based on what I've learned with my experiences with my workouts, as well as learning from some of the best OCR and endurance athletes in the world.

WHY DON'T YOU RACE COMPETITIVELY ANYMORE?
Almost 3 years ago I endured my first injury while obstacle racing. I popped my knee out going down a mountain in Killington, VT. Since then, my knee has never been the same. I also unfortunately inherited the infamous Gout from my family line, which has gotten a lot worse with age, especially with some of my more extreme workouts, including long distance running. I was feeling sorry for myself for the longest time because of the athletic goals that I set for myself, the ones that I could not achieve because of my condition. But I have come to a realization that I cannot control everything, so it's best to make due with what I have, and make the best of my life and appreciate the fact that I am alive and healthy.

I still workout, I still run, I still live an active lifestyle, and instead of training for a race, I am simply training just to be active and happy. These days I am more focused on my nutrition, coaching people, and growing my cause-related media project.

Filming the Nuclear Race UK - 2016 

OCRTUBE.com

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So to wrap things up, I'd like to say that I've had a wonderful 45 years of learning the in's and out's of life, and I look forward to continuing my journey because the day that I stop learning is the day I stop living, and I'm definitely not done yet! 

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Day 5, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Special Ops Resistance

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Week 5 of my 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge is almost done, and all I have to say is that, Tony Horton is not slowing it down for us! My father and I did Special Ops Resistance today and the toughest part for me was the "track star pull ups". Just the basic pull up from a dead hang is tough enough, and then you add a knee-up crossover, and the difficulty factor percentage just raised at least another 50%. I have yet to be able to complete the track star pull-up reps without stopping.

It may take a few more rounds of this before I can even think about doing them with added weight from a weight vest. But that's what I love about these Beachbody Workouts, the intensity level is up to you. There are modifications for people who need them, and there are alternatives for people who require a little more intensity to achieve peak performance, I would say that I am somewhere in between =).

From Night Life to Fit Life - My Story

Another thing that I would like to point out about the 22 Minute Hard Corps workouts is that there are a lot of reps. If you would like to gain more strength with the workouts, you could even do less reps with more weight. Here's and example: Instead of using the Beachbody PT Sandbag which is only 20lbs (which is plenty especially with the amount of reps required), you could do half of the required reps, and use a heavier sandbag like a WRECK BAG. It's really all about being creative with your workouts and knowing that the sky's the limit with the workouts. If you would like my advice on creating a more intense workout using Beachbody Fitness, please feel free to message me, I'd love to help out! =)

So without further ado, here's my daily accountability video!

Day 5, Week 5 - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Special Ops Resistance

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Day 4, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Cardio 3 + Core 2

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I don't know about you, but doing LATE NIGHT WORKOUTS are really tough for me, at least it is for me these days!

Today's workout was Cardio 3 + Core 2 and my Dad and I are moving right along with our 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge. I can't believe that we are about to close out WEEK 5! =)

Join My 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge - Get the DISCOUNTED Challenge Pack here!

So let me tell you how I've been feeling lately:

- My legs are so much stronger. I feel that they are as strong as when I used to run obstacle racing events competitively. I noticed this when I was climbing the mountain in Asheville during the Spartan Super Race that I was filming last weekend.

- The definition that I lost when I was in Europe for two months is coming back. I can see it in my legs, and upper body. I am gaining my lean muscle again =)

- I am still struggling with the core exercises, but that has always been my weakness. I do see my abs carving out, and I'm excited to see more of them by the end of the challenge.

- My nutrition has been good, and it's getting better as the weeks pass by. I've been really taking it easy on my carb and sugar intake. I'll be getting more strict about it in the coming weeks.

- I only use water in my Shakeology, and just recently cut my love for peanut butter, at least for now =) My typical shakeology recipe has been Chocolate Shakeology, Water, and a whole banana. Sometimes I will replace the banana with half of an avocado.

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So that's my updates! I'm feeling good and my Dad is doing great. I feel that my Dad's greatest struggle is getting his form right with the movements as well as the modified exercises. I have to stop the workout sometimes to make sure that he is doing the exercises correctly to ensure that he doesn't injure himself, and that he is getting the most out of it with, even with modifications. My Dad does modifications probably about 30% of the time. He's 71, and is really tough. He can handle a lot, but I have to make sure that he tones it down sometimes, and remind him that he needs to listen to his body, and not his ego, I know that we all go through this. My Dad just does not quit, he's always been a hard worker all of his life, so he treats his workouts the same way. I mean, he works out harder than a lot of the 20-30 something's that I see, it's pretty inspiring!

Anyways, here's our accountability video =)

Day 4, Week Five, 22 Minute Hard Corps | Cardio 3 + Core 2

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Simple quotes like this are daily GREAT REMINDERS, let's do this! 

Day 3, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Resistance 3

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Ok, let me just tell you that it's been a HELLUVA challenge to post a video everyday during my 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge! I know that you're saying, "then why do you do it then?" so let me tell you why =)

There are a number of reasons, but I'll give you my TOP 3 reasons why I committed to posting a workout video everyday during my 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge.

1.  To keep myself accountable to my workouts, and commitments as a Beachbody Coach, especially as a leader to my coach team.

2.  To provide ongoing content to my blog so that I can share my journey with others who may be inspired to start a journey themselves.

3.  I want success not just for me, but for my team. In order to be successful at anything, it takes consistency and doing HARD THINGS. Posting a video and a blog post everyday on top of my daily activities is pretty tough, especially when I am traveling all the time. It's about doing things even though others don't understand what you do. It's about doing things when no one is around watching you. I do this for me, my family, and others who have struggled with their health, fitness, and finances their whole life. I want to be someone who can give others HOPE, because that's what this lifestyle has done for me.

Ever wonder why some people NEVER win their own race? It's because they are too 
concerned with other people's success. Focus on winning in your life, and guess what?

YOU WILL WIN! 

So now you know =) As I am currently writing this post, I just got off of a 2+ hour long online coach call that ended way past 10pm, and it was jam-packed with a lot of information from some of the most successful coaches on our team. I was beat tired after 2 hours, but I knew that sacrificing a little bit more time would yield me more success for my family's future. And then....my commitment to posting a video and blog daily, that's what I'm doing now (almost midnight now) =)

So here you go, here is my daily accountability video =) Hope you had a fantastic day!

Day 3, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Resistance 3

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Day 2, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Special Ops Cardio + Core 2

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THOSE BURPEE ROLLS with a sandbag, wows!!

It's Day 2, Week Five of my 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge, and both of the workouts today were totally new to my Dad and I. The WOD was Special Ops Cardio and Core 2. We were a little confused in the beginning, so we had to stop a few times to make sure that our form was correct, but we eventually got it done!

Check out the 3 Week Yoga Retreat on Beachbody on Demand

One little piece of advice: whether you are working out with a personal trainer, or doing workouts on your own, I encourage you to make sure that you are doing the movements correctly. Proper movements are so important because it can improve your results much quicker, and it can prevent a lot of injuries. Also, in the beginning, don't worry so much about speed. Get the movements down first, and then once you feel comfortable, you can go for speed. Just remember, quality over quantity =)

Here is today's accountability video!

Day 2, Week Five - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Special Ops Cardio + Core 2

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Need some FITNESS MOTIVATION? Feel free to connect with me here, I'd love to help you out, all fitness levels welcome =)

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

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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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Day 5, Week 4 - 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge | Special Ops Resistance

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Woke up MEGA EARLY to get my workout done before my road trip to Asheville, NC to film a Spartan Race. Felt good to get it done early! I also went to the Rise of the Sufferfest OCR Documentary Screening, what a great film! A must see if you are an OCR ENTHUSIAST!

Scott Keneally - ROSF Screening, Asheville, NC

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FYI, this is a LATE POST (from last Friday), just playing catch up after filming the Asheville Spartan Super this past weekend, should be all caught up by tomorrow =) 

Here's my accountability video though! =) Thanks so much for following my journey! 

Day 5, Week Four - 22 Minute Hard Corps | Special Ops Resistance

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Need some FITNESS MOTIVATION? I'd love to help, message me here! Looking forward to meeting you soon! =)