Paul took time out of his hectic schedule to speak to us about Muay Thai and the Event that Fighting Fit has fighters participating in.

FF: Paul, Thanks for taking the time out to have a quick chat, How’s training going for you at the moment?
PD: Training is going well, just keeping busy doing 2 sessions a day, easy pace until a fight is signed.

FF: You recently spent some time at Tiger Muay Thai, what’s the training like there?
PD: It was awesome, can’t wait to go back, lovely place.

FF: Tiger Muay Thai, What are the facilities like, and where did you stay?
PD: Great, I stayed in a bungalow in Phuket, just 2mins from the gym. 8 Boxing rings, 30 coaches, MMA Cage, gym…its awesome.

FF: A few of us are looking to go over to Thailand to train at Sasiprapa this year and next, any recommendations?
PD: I have never been, but I bet its cheap, and quality for what your buying.

FF: So, with you now fighting out of Spirit Dojo and not with Team Rough House, will MMA still be a big focus for you, or contracts permitting would you like to compete in Muay Thai?
PD: I will be focusing on both, with the Ultimate Gladiators show also, we are going to be doing BIG things.

FF: How is the Gym progressing? we still understand that its in a secret location whilst being put together?
PD: Yeah it coming slowly, we have ALOT to do, but we know where we are heading with it.

FF: Who, in the Thai world do you look up to and admire?
PD: Buakaw is my favourite fighter, and Kem Sitsongpenog

FF: So, June 16th, you’re putting on a show in Nottingham, tell us more about it?
PD: Its gonna be fantastic, Ultimate Gladiators 3. Great night of Muay Thai action.

FF: We have a couple of first timers on your show, what can they expect?
PD: A well run event, Sanctioned by the ISKA, a good fun night, and a excellent way for novice fighters to gain experience.

FF: Are you putting on anymore shows this year?
PD: Yes there will be one more show this year.

FF: For beginners to Muay Thai, what sort of advice could give towards, training, interclubs and competing?
PD: Train hard, train smart and try to compete as much as possible, experience is golden.

FF: Would you actively encourage kids to also take part in the sport, either to train and compete?
PD: Yes, I think its great for goal setting, discipline, confidence and fitness.

FF: And for the ladies?
PD: Yes I have a girl fighting on the show, Tania Lockhart, she trains with me at the Spirit Dojo, she is very good.

FF: Finally, as I know your busy, when the gym is done can we as Nak Rop Muay Thai come and have a look about
PD: You’re more than welcome to guys.

Thanks for your time Paul, we would welcome you to Nak Rop Muay Thai at anytime. I will give that left hook of yours a run for its money! haha!

You can catch up with what Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley is up to via his website http://www.semtex.tv and facebook page here: Semtex on Facebook

In short, nothing is wrong with that approach – that is if you are happy with giving little thought to your training and simply going through the motions. It’s an easy position to fall into, to assume you know exactly what you’re doing and to assume that you’re making progress simply by the very nature of the fact that you have been training. However, how many times in the past week or the past month, have you had a specific purpose towards your training sessions; how many times have you consciously stopped to think about what you are trying to achieve in those sessions; and how many times have you actively taken the time to prepare not just physically but also mentally? I challenge you to consider the notion that all training sessions need PURPOSE.

P is for Plan

Taking time to plan exactly what you want to get out of your training session could be one of the most valuable uses of your time. What specifically do you want to achieve? You might consider this initially from a longer term perspective (e.g. delivering your best performance at your next fight) to give you your overall purpose, which is important to keep in mind. However, on a short term basis, the focus needs to remain on each individual training session (which is ultimately helping achieve your longer terms aims). Prior to each session ask yourself two simple questions:

1. What am I trying to achieve?

2. What is my measure of success? (i.e. how will you know if you have achieved what you are wanting to achieve?)

U & R are for Utilise Resources

We all have a number of different resources that can help us to achieve our targets. These can range from the specific support team around us e.g. technical coaches, training partners, strength and conditioning coach, psychologist etc. to a wider support network which includes family and friends. Resources are not just people however and can also include getting your sleep right, eating the right food, ensuring you are taking on enough fluids, training equipment and so on.

A great question I often like to ask my clients is: “what resources do you currently have that, if used to their full potential, could help enhance your performance?” And I ask you the same question right now.

To help you with this get a piece of paper and some post-it notes (just a small amount of writing required I promise). On each post it note write down the resources you have at your disposal (e.g. different people names; training equipment you use etc.) and as you’re doing so begin to think about how each resource helps you and if you’re using it to its full potential. Once you have done this, get your main piece of paper, and write your name, or put a photo of you in the middle, then stick your post it notes around this – place the resources which you utilise most effectively closest to you, and the ones you use least furthest away.

Take a few moments to reflect on this – think about how you could make more use of the ones furthest away and what benefits this might bring. The beauty of using post-it notes is that, as time progresses, you can shift them around when you feel you are making greater use of certain ones.

The key to this is that prior to each training session ensure you have a clear understanding of which resources you are going to make the most of, since you won’t need all of them all the time, but unless you know what they are in the first place, you’ll find you don’t make use of what is available to you.

P is for Prepare

I have no doubts that all of you reading this will take time to warm up physically during a training session, but how many could say the same for warming up mentally? It is just as important to ensure your mind is in the right gear too. One way of doing this, as already mentioned, is ensuring you have clarity over your targets for the session, but additionally another great way is through the use of visualisation / imagery.

Our brain does not know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. When you are imagining something, all the neutral pathways are still being stimulated, just to a lesser degree. Therefore visualisation is helping to prime your body so that when you come to do it for real it is easier and the outcome you have imagined is more likely to occur. I encourage you to use visualisation prior to each training session – the best way is to incorporate this into what you are currently doing e.g. as you are getting changed into your training kit imagine yourself doing the training session you have planned.

O is for Optimal (arousal)

Getting your levels of arousal right for each training session is vital so that you can get the most out of yourself, and you don’t find your performance suffering because the levels are too low or high (underperformance can occur if we have too little or too much arousal).

The first step in this is actually knowing where you want your arousal levels to be and ensuring you adopt the appropriate levels of intensity. For example, if you are having a sparring session, you are likely to want to have slightly higher levels of arousal than if you are trying to work on a particular new technique for example. However, it’s important to remember that everyone is different and how one person likes to be during a particular activity will not necessarily be the same for the next person, so it’s a matter of knowing what is appropriate for you.

Two simple tips to help – if you are trying to increase your levels of arousal, music can be a great way of doing this but be aware that our heart rate synchronises with the rhythm of the music so ensure you choose your tracks wisely….and if you are trying to calm yourself down, then deep breathing through your core (your central point of gravity behind the belly button) works very effectively at quickly reducing arousal. This is also where we get our sense of power, balance and control from, so taking time to ‘centre’ through this breathing exercise works well.

S is for Strengths

If I asked you right now to give me a list of your strengths, how many of you could give me an answer that rolls off the tongue? It might sound counter intuitive, but I often find athletes struggle to answer this question – not necessarily because they aren’t confident but because they spend so much time working on things they aren’t so good at and want to improve that they pay little attention to the things they are good at.

When it comes to performing under pressure, the only things you can rely on are your strengths; therefore it is absolutely vital that you have a clear understanding of what these are. Don’t get me wrong it is also important that you work on areas you want to improve so that they can become strengths, but during this don’t forget your current strengths – train these too so that they become super strengths. As a simple rule of thumb, start each training session working on your strengths aimed at making them even stronger, progress onto areas that stretch you, and return at the end to your strengths again.

E is for Evaluation

Think back to the original questions of ‘what am I trying to achieve?’ and ‘what is my measure of success?’ Having taken the time to answer these, it is just as important to review your progress at the end by quite simply asking yourself ‘how did I do?’ and ‘how do I feel’?

Evaluation is great for storing things in memory for confidence (the elements of the training session that have gone well) and also for progressing forwards (the elements of the training sessions that you want to continue working on next time). This is a really important way to finish your training session and one that often gets forgotten about, but value it highly since regular evaluations will help keep you progressing and moving in the right direction.

So all in all the key message here is to make sure that every training session you do has purpose – take time to Plan what you want to get out of the session; ensure you Utilise your Resources and Prepare mentally through visualisation; consider how you can get into your Optimal arousal state; train with your Strengths in mind and always remember to Evaluate at the end.

1. SNACK, BUT SMARTLY

Grazing between meals used to be on the weight-loss hit list. But nutritionists now know that it’s better to satisfy a craving with healthy grub than ignore it and risk a junk-food binge later. The best picks are filling, protein-packed snacks, such as one stick of string cheese, a tablespoon of peanut butter on a piece of fruit, or a medium-size bowl of edamame.

2. TURN OFF THE TV

Dining while viewing can make you take in 40 percent more calories than usual, reports a new study. And texting, driving, or any other distracting activity during a meal can also result in your eating too much. Instead, make each meal something you put on a plate and sit down to, even if you’re eating solo.

3. STEP ON THE SCALE DAILY

If your regular weight increases several days in a row, it’s a red flag letting you know you need to cut back a little or beef up your workouts slightly.

4. SCULPT THREE TIMES A WEEK

Doing 5 minutes each of push-ups, lunges, and squats (in 30-second intervals) will help build and maintain muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, so you’ll torch more calories as you go about your day.

5. REACH FOR YOUR MOBILE

Next time your mind gets stuck on a certain food, call a friend and redirect your brain by asking how HIS/ her day’s going. Research shows that cravings only last about 5 minutes, so by the time you hang up, the urge to devour junk will have subsided.

6. EAT A BIG, BALANCED BREAKFAST

An a.m. meal made up mostly of carbs and protein with some fat keeps blood-sugar levels steady and hunger pangs away so you’re not susceptible to pigging out come lunch, studies show. Opt for something satisfying for your stomach and taste buds — like egg whites and turkey bacon with whole-wheat toast.

7. WATCH THE BOOZE

One innocent-looking margarita or cosmopolitan can rack up hundreds of calories that do nothing to quench your appetite. Treat yourself just on the weekends and cut back somewhere else or stick to a glass of wine, light beer, or vodka and soda — three drinks that each have about 100 calories per serving.

8. HAVE FRUIT TWICE A DAY

Fruit has no fat and is mostly water, so it’ll fill you up while leaving less room on your plate (and in your stomach) for high-cal fare. Don’t freak about fruit’s carb count — we’re talking the good kind of carbohydrates that contain lots of healthy fiber.

9. STAY ASLEEP LONGER

Getting to bed just 30 minutes earlier and waking up 30 minutes later than you normally do can help you make better food choices, researchers report. Also, when you’re well-rested, you’re less prone to snacking out of fatigue or stress.

10. VISUALIZE YOURSELF THIN

When you feel your willpower breaking, conjure up a mental picture of yourself when you looked and felt slim. The visual motivation keeps you focused on your goal weight and reminds you that it is attainable, since you’ve achieved it before.