🎈(#11) Collab Edition: Khan (GEED UP BAND)

Read Time: 4 Minutes

Message from the author:

This issue is a milestone for me and for MAKER. I have always had a plan to collaborate with individuals that I am inspired by, and I feel will inspire others.

Khan is one of those individuals.

I know Khan personally and the thing that inspires me the most about him is his mindset and discipline.

I have been around a lot of fitness people, but how Khan approaches this lifestyle whilst balancing work, running GEED UP and spending time with family is truly amazing.

If you are a looking for some fitspo and maybe struggling to find your balance, too busy to look after your personal health or haven’t made peace with discomfort…

You will enjoy this issue.

Hi MAKER fam,

My name is Khan.

I am a husband and a father to three beautiful girls.

Monday to Friday I work fulltime as an account manager for a labour hire company.

I am also the leader of renowned act called GEED UP BAND, that perform multiple times per week in Brisbane and Australia wide.

When Jae hit me up, I was honored and excited to share my story and experience with you all, as I have seen both the ups and the downs through my health and fitness journey.

Through this issue you will get a glimpse into how I started and also some key lessons that I have learned along the way.

It was time for change

It all started by having daily conversations with myself.

I knew I needed to change.

Two years ago, I was overweight and walking around at 118kg.

During this period of time, it was affecting my on-stage performance, my training and my general energy levels in my day-to-day life.

In the beginning… I remember challenging myself with mini goals and saying, “how about you do one more hour of fasting?”

Then that lead to “How about one more day?”

And then it was “How about one more week?”

This same thought process and conversation happened with other habits I was aiming to build like my training and my diet.

I found that focusing on daily mini goals was better than focusing on trying loose a certain amount of weight.

By focusing on small wins and consistency… two years on, I am now walking around at 88kg - 30kgs from when I first started and maintaining this in a sustainable way.

I can honestly say that I feel good, and my energy levels are high.

Power of routine

When I first started out… routine was the key.

Training the same way and at the same time.

Working the same hours.

Sleeping at the same time.

Eating at the same time and eating the same foods.

As boring as this sounds, habits and consistency are the fundamental keys to changing lifestyle.

There is no “secret sauce”, Just doing the boring things consistently over time is the “secret”.

A day in the life

My routine at the start of my journey was as follows:

• Wake up and straight into 30 minutes of high-intensity training.

  I focused on sticking with fundamental exercises and made sure it was at a weight where I would not risk injury.

• Work between 7am to 4pm.

  On the drive home I would break my fast with the same foods every day. Almonds. nuts, seeds and yogurt.

• When I arrived home.

  This is when I would eat my largest meal of the day consisting of high protein, low carb foods. A typical meal for me would either be chicken & salad or salmon & broccoli.

• Eating my last meal by 10pm.

  Kept it super simple… rice cakes with almond butter, honey and banana.

• From 10pm to 4pm (the next day).

  This would be my fasting window again. This means my fasting ratio was 18:6 (18 hours of fasting & a 6 hour eating window)

• During my fast I would only drink fluid; water, some teas, sparkling water and black coffee.

Two years on and I maintain it with the same principles. I do give myself some flexibility within my routine to suit my current lifestyle.

Six tips from me

1. Build routine. Find a routine that works for you and lock in a solid weekly regimen consisting of training, fasting, work, family, leisure & entertainment.

2. No excuses. Eliminate them at all costs. If you can’t get to the gym - try walking, running or body weight training. If you are too tired - try pre-workout, coffee and get your clothes ready the night before. Find ways to eliminate the things that may stop you from going.

3. Fight temptation. Remove the temptation (particularly while fasting). If you think you may struggle with will power - avoid sitting with people when they are eating. Remove the sweets or whatever your vice is around you. Keep yourself distracted and busy with tasks (see how time flies).

4. Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate training. Find exercises that you enjoy but are still challenging enough to help you make progress. A simple tip - start off by picking two exercises per day - make it consistent and build from there.

5. Plan ahead. If you are going out with family, know when and where so you can plan accordingly. Perhaps push your fast out a little bit longer leading up to the dinner to put yourself in a calorie deficit before you indulge.

6. Pain is your friend. Learn to increase your pain threshold. Life is full of pain and the sooner you learn to accept that the better you will be. Work can be painful, being tired can be painful, training your muscles can be painful and even fasting can be painful. Pain is everywhere and we must learn to embrace it and learnt to love it.

Final words

A final note from me before we finish…

I remember a few years back to when I had suffered a serious pectoral injury, and I was told that I would not be able to train any of my upper body for at least six to eight weeks.

I remember not being sure if or when my pec would ever heal.

The one thing I do remember though…

I remember telling myself that by the end of the six to eight weeks my quads will be thick as.

In every negative situation, there is an equal opportunity for something positive.

Khan.

Follow Khan & Geed Up Band here:

IG: Khan & GEED UP BAND

Wow…

As mentioned, this collab with Khan was a highlight for me.

To my brother…

Continue to be a beast my man! Just know that your story will help inspire others.

To our MAKER community…

I am hoping you gained some gems from this one, just as much as I did.

I will be looking to collab with more individuals in the near future that I feel align to our mission and our values.

Watch this space.

Until next week fam!

JC