Smashing it in Phuket

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Smashing it!

Back in Phuket once again and ready for a fitness kick! I’ve been to Chalong, Phuket a number of times and it’s a great way to train and get fit. This time I stayed for longer, getting stuck in and making a change!

Some things had changed since my last visit - a few more tattoo parlours, and some more healthy eating restaurants along the street. The classics are still there - Reggae Bar and Tony's! It's a street with everything you need and maybe some of what you don't need but want ie reggae bar!







Laying by the pool between workouts was pretty awesome for a few days! Then there was a four day rain storm which was fun! I had a frog take home in my shorts that were on the line & decided to come into my room!





I did some training at Tiger Muay Thai initially after joining the beach boot camp session (see below) and making some friends there. I did some Muay Thai training and bodyfit training before heading across to Unit27 for some different training sessions including Death Row and Punisher! Stepped up my game & felt the results!



Sand makes everything harder!







Every Thursday at Tiger Muay Thai, the daily Bodyfit class goes on an adventure to the beach. Everyone piles onto a bus at 7.20 in the morning to drive about 20 minutes to the stunning Naiharn beach. A long, white sandy beach with a large hotel at one end and holidaymakers strolling along in their bikinis, ankle deep in the sea. As they peacefully take a morning stroll, a bus load of fitness freaks arrive and start running! Always quite amusing or intriguing for the holiday makers, we turn their paradise into our gym!







I say fitness freaks, but the best thing about the fitness classes is that they really are for everyone and anyone. All shapes and sizes and nationalities, just with one common activity bringing them all together! Sometimes the warm up is a run down the beach and back, which always attracts attention. Running in the sand is so much harder! Always best to stick to the hard sand and get the feet a bit wet!

I’ve done beach bodyfit many times here in Phuket, and on my current trip, I’ve been twice. We really get stuck in, with bear crawls and burpees in the sand, piggy backs and push ups! The resistance from the sand creates and additional challenge, and a quick thirty minute workout can really hit the spot!





The best part…….of course, at the end of the workout we all run into the ocean and relax! This is probably the main reason we keep coming back! What a feeling! Sweat and sand all over your body, and running into a glorious ocean!







Here in Phuket, I have been lapping up the tough love and no bullshit workouts! The classes I love the most are the "on and off" classes. What does that mean?

Basically, you have a set working period eg. 30 seconds, and then a set resting period eg. 20 seconds, hence the on and the off. Not only it is proven to gain results – you’ve probably heard of HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training) but it is also psychologically so much easier to cope with!

Personally – if you tell me I am about to do kettle bell swings, I might have a small amount of fear as to whether it is for 30, 40, 90 or 200 seconds! With no idea, it is very hard to plan your efforts and to see the end goal. Most of us like to know what is going to happen, so it helps in the case of exercise when you know when it’s going to end! If you tell me I am doing kettle bell swings for 30 seconds – I’ll give it my all for 30 seconds as I know there is a break on the way!

It’s just as important to set a timer for your rest too!! Otherwise you’ll notice these getting longer and longer!





Training at Unit 27 in Chalong, I’ve done some really great HIIT classes. For example, one of the classes was; three rounds – 1) 20 sec on, 20 sec off 2)30 sec on, 20 sec off 3)40 sec on, 30 sec off. There were about 12 stations, so all in all it was a very challenging workout!

Today I did a workout in a team of three focused on power. With some really explosive moves, one of the three of us was working and two were resting. We did short sets, such as 8 reps, and did three rounds on each station. My favourite part was flipping a GIANT tyre that was the “guys” tyre! haha!

Bring on more training tomorrow! (and a long rest for my legs overnight!!)





After four weeks of healthy eating and training hard, sometimes twice a day - I noticed a big change in my body and had made some life long friends along the way! Sharing these intense experiences together and pushing each other to new limits really does bring people closer. We ate together, trained together, and relaxed together - so it's no wonder I went off on my adventures and kept coming back! The trainers are excellent and the community on the street is like no other.

Give it a try - wherever you are at in your fitness/health/exercise/life journey!

JHG

https://www.unit-27.com/

http://www.tigermuaythai.com/

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