Guest Testimonials: Hamad

Hamad

It is a pleasure for me to share my wonderful experience I recently experienced at Phuket Fit & MMA Training Camp.

I came to TMT weighing 138 Kg and within 10 weeks of professional training and supervision, I lost 19 Kg dropping my total weight to 119 Kg. What’s great about Phuket Fit firstly is the people of different cultural backgrounds from all over the world. Everybody at the camp is there for a reason either for losing weight, becoming professional fighters, preparing for a fight, body building, fitness and health.

Phuket Fit has a great team with energetic support and training programs. The main reason of me loving this camp is the spirit and the incredible energy which you can feel throughout and developing of a strong determination of reaching your goals.

I had my private Cross-training sessions with Kitty Teppo. From barely walking two laps around the camp my fitness increased to me running 5-6 laps around the camp in a few sessions. Kitty is incredible and does not carry the “I Can’t do this” attitude and she pushes you to your limits army style. I also did Muay Thai private sessions with Master Rattanchai Jadngooluem AKA “Nai” who also has been very inspirational throughout my tenure. The amount of passion and energy he carries are directly felt while training with him and he a dedicated teacher so that you can reach your goals.

During my stay, I also had the opportunity to work with Peter, AKA “The Thai Hulk”. He has been very supportive in strength, conditioning and body building activities of the training program. He has been responsible for increasing my strength and overall fitness.

As someone who thoroughly enjoyed my stay at TMT, I strongly recommend fellow trainees who would like to join for a variety of reasons such as weight loss, general fitness, and endurance build up, general training and so forth. TMT is a place for everyone who has an aspiration to push oneself beyond the limits in a healthy way.

It was really a great experience as a whole where I met people from different cultures, varying backgrounds and different age groups. After my experience, I no longer believe that one who seeks high quality training or elite standards needs to go all the way to the West. Phuket Fit Thailand was a fabulous experience. I assure each of you that you will enjoy as much as I did as this place treats everyone equally.

Whats That? Yoga Classes At Phuket Fit

Phuket Fit offers daily yoga classes Monday-Friday from 7:00AM-8:00AM. As an added bonus, evening yoga classes are available every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00PM to 7:00PM. A private sunset yoga class is also available on Friday evenings. Additional details and information on signing up for that special offering can be found in the TMT office. Students are not required to provide any equipment, but useful equipment to bring includes a yoga strap, a personal yoga mat, a bottle of water and a hand towel. Phuket Fit’s yoga instructor, Ocean Bloom, explains her classes and philosophy below.

What kind of yoga do you teach?

It’s a mix of styles. Its foundation is Ashtanga Yoga, so power flow.  Because we have such a variety of guests, from beginners who have never done yoga to some really experienced yogis, we have many options from basic postures to advanced. But it’s definitely a power flow class.

Yoga 2

How do classes begin?

Monday through Friday, our classes start at 7 A.M. I like to keep the space quiet in the morning. Create an opportunity for the guests to slow down, enjoy being at the camp while there isn’t screaming and punching. Chaos can be good for high energy, but it’s hard for the nervous system to be in that state of fight or flight all the time. It’s helpful to start the day off with yoga in a quiet peaceful space.

And once the class starts?

We begin in savasana, dead body pose, for a few minutes practicing some breathing exercises and short meditation periods. It’s the foundation for the beginning of the class. Then often I’ll ask what the guests need and how they’re feeling. If guests have particularly tight hips that day or stiff necks, then I’ll adjust the class to address it. Even though I come in with a plan and a sequence I’m going to teach, I’m open to changing the class. Many of the students are training anywhere from three to six hours a day and it’s important to take that into account.

Yoga 1

Where does class go from there?

We move from practicing breathing exercises (pranayama) to sun salutations that heat up the body and connect to the breath. Then we move into balancing poses, arm balances, deep hip openings, and other movements that challenge the body. These are all movements that need to be performed once the body is warm. Really, I have no expectations of the guests. I’m happy if people come and lay on the mats for half the class, just being able to slow down.  Some people never really take time to just relax and be still, so I’m happy to provide that space. I’ve had many guests write me and tell me this was the only hour in the day where their mind wasn’t going crazy.

What is the difference between the morning and evening classes?

It’s a different vibe doing yoga outside first thing in the morning. It’s a good way to start the day, to set an intention and goals for the day and to work out any stiffness to warm yourself up for what you’re about to do. The evening classes are inside Phuket Fit’s MMA room and it’s quite hot. I turn off the lights and the AC, so it’s a littler darker and you sweat a little more. It’s at the end of the day so it can be a really beautiful way to come down and relax yourself for a good sleep.

Morning Yoga

What about your private Friday sunset yoga class?

This class is about getting out into the elements. We refer to a lot of different elements when were practicing yoga, like sun salutations and moving like the flow of the ocean. I found a really beautiful place on the mountain up to Big Buddha where there’s a lookout point. We practice outside on the earth. You can see the sunset over the ocean. I really feel like it offers all of the elements there. Your feet are literally in the dirt and the sun really fills your soul.

Do you get a lot of students without a prior background in yoga?

I would say the classes are ninety percent beginners. It surprises and excites me every day when I ask how many new students have never done yoga before and three to sometimes five people put up their hand. It’s exciting because there’s a whole other connection to the body that these people can now experience. I think that’s what makes Phuket Fit such a unique and special place. It may seem like an intimidating place at first, but it’s an environment where almost everyone is a beginner in yoga. The goal is just to make yourself feel better in every way. Just showing up, that’s what takes courage. If you arrive in class and stick through it, then you’ve done the hardest part.

Sunset Yoga 2

Would you recommend yoga for someone trying to lose weight?

One hundred percent! You can’t train hardcore every day, but you can do yoga every day. Even if it’s an intense practice, you can make it gentle for yourself. It’s also highly beneficial for recovery, considering the amount of pressure you put on your body when you’re trying to lose weight. Most people want to see big results in a short period of time. If you’re going to be pushing your body that hard then you also need to take care of it. Slow the nervous system down and find ways to breathe, so you can sleep at night

Best tip for someone just starting yoga?

Breathe. Breathe! I would rather someone come to class, just lay on their mat, breathe and listen to what’s being said rather than to push and struggle through the movements. The breath is everything.

Yoga At Phuket Fit

What would you say to someone reluctant to try yoga?

I think often people say they don’t like yoga, because they try it one time and they don’t feel that they’re good at it. That’s not a good reason to never go back. If it’s a challenge, that should inspire you to get better at it. And it is something you can get better at each session. Learn how to breathe properly. Learn the significance of the cues, why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s not just to stretch your muscles, but also to make you a happier person both physically and emotionally.

Johan Prieduls A Life Changing Journey

Before coming to Phuket Fit Training Camp, I was into power lifting. I started power lifting at a young age of 15 and did it for 10 years. It made me gain a lot of weight due to the diet I had to follow. It is completely different from Bodyfit and Crossfitness, I was used to training in low repetitions.

I started gaining more weight and it lead to depression. I had a period of low self-esteem and was afraid to speak with new people, especially women. I was shy and didn’t like the way I looked or was. So I needed something to change my life for the better, a journey.

I started that journey one month before by training MMA in Sweden. I wanted to do something new and was bored with the life I was living. I started to like MMA, but I needed to see something new, do something new, change the way I was. If you don’t like your life you have to change it so I looked up Phuket Fit.

My goal was first to get healthy, lose weight, look good, and learn to fight. Started with Muay Thai training and the fat just poured off of me. I wanted to learn the standup fight so I can pursue MMA as a goal. As time went on, I started to look good so I began lifting weights and do a lot of CrossFit-style training. I accomplished one of my goals when I fought Muay Thai at one of the BBQ Beatdowns.

Now I just want to be healthy in the mind, healthy in the body.

I extended my trip two times since I was suppose to be here for just three months. I came here on the 16th of May, 2012 and planned to leave in August of 2012. I ended up leaving this December of 2012.

The people I’ve met here, they motivate me and gave me new perspective in life. They gave me inspiration, to see the beauty in people. I’ve met people from all over the world. Especially Orlando, Osyka, James, Wiktor and Keenan. They all helped me out and motivated me. Everybody here wanted to improve in something, improve in life, fighting, want to be a better person, so that inspired me. Everybody is hungry, everybody is nice.

Phuket Fit Training Camp Phuket, Thailand is a great place to get motivated and meet great people. Here I gained some friends for life.

I came here to fight but I ended up learning about life, happiness, and a new way of seeing things. Time flies-by here. In Thailand, there are lots of temptations and you need to be strong. I am very motivated in what I’m doing. When you have those lazy days you can go to the beach or to party or train more – what do you want to do?