Irslan Ali

Silence.

Last Saturday, I ran a 5k broken up into 300 meter intervals on the 4th of July.

One of the habits I’ve gotten into is training without any caffeine, music or outside stimuli.

Initially, it was really hard because I felt like I needed caffeine or music to get me through my workouts and I realized that not only were they crutches, they were hindrances to me improving my performance.

Once I went dark and killed the noise, I found myself becoming more observant and learning through my training sessions; improving ever so slightly at every turn that’s led to compounded results in a relatively short period of time.

Case in point, I ran my first sub 18 minute 5k a few weeks back as a result of learning how to quiet my inner critic.

The one that says it’s too hot out, there’s an extreme heat wave warning and that you’re going to pass out before you finish your workout.

I’ve learned that this voice is much louder when I have caffeine in my system whereas when I’m able to quiet the mind by omitting caffeine (and music), I’m able to be fully present in the moment and I gotta tell you, it’s pure bliss.

This state of mind has been coined as flow state and it’s actually the antithesis or the exact opposite of self-sabotage.

I’m able to fully express the truest authentic version of myself without any masks and it’s been one of the most freeing experiences that I have even noticed translate into every other aspect of my life such as in my interactions with others.

So I want to encourage you to give it a go; no caffeine, no music, no outside stimuli at all.

Only you and the work at hand.

And when you do this, you may discover what I did and what the Sufi Poet Rumi discovered centuries ago, which is that:

“When you are silent, it speaks.”

- Rumi

HYROX Update: 8 weeks out

Track Sesh

13:41s warm up at zone 2 (3,000m = 1.86 miles) + dynamic drills

400m = .25 miles x 4 60s rest

3:20 - 3:30 km pace = 5:22 - 5:38 per mile (18.5kph avg pace = 11.5 mph)

Covered each of the 400km in 1:15-1:20 minutes

4 km = 2.49 miles

3:30 - 3:40 km pace = 5:38 - 5:54 per mile
(17.5 kph avg pace = 10.9 mph)

Covered the 4,000 meters = 2.49 miles in 13:20 minutes

400m = .25 miles x 4 60s rest

3:15 - 3:20 km pace = 5:14 - 5:22 per mile
(19.5 avg kph pace = 12.1 mph)

Last set I sent it and ran at 20-21 kph the whole time (12.4 - 13 mph)

Covered each of the 400km in 1:10 - 1:15 minutes

5 min cool down jog

Total workout time including warm up and cool down was 55 minutes flat

Total distance covered 12 km = 7.46 miles in total

Getting faster and faster 💨

Courtesy of

Oh you know just an almost half marathon first thing in the morning before 7:15 AM at meagerly zone 2 pace of 7:43 a mile 🤣

I actually used to HATE running as a South Asian I felt like our bodies weren’t meant to do that no like seriously…

Even though I’ve been working professionally in the fitness industry helping South Asian clients achieve body recompositions where they lose fat and build muscle, I never considered running to be a healthy form of cardio…

If you think about it logically too, when did our ancestors every just distance run?

They would only walk and sprint when needed to catch a prey or escape a predator right?

Not so, turns out some our ancestors were so savage that they would distance run to catch up to an animal until the animal died of exhaustion…

As I began training as a hybrid athlete for HYROX, I got into running and the first time I ran 60 mins straight, I called an ambulance after the fact because I thought I was going to die one day I wish I I was kidding about that…

Crazy to hear that coming from a guy who’s sub 10% body fat with six pack abs year round but it’s true…

I realized the reason I hated running is because I would always be doing it wrong…

I never knew about heart rate zones and how to build my aerobic endurance…

I thought you just had to run more, which is part of it but not the whole truth…

As I got into zone 2 running, I finally experience runner’s high for the first time!!

And now, it’s pure bliss to run in zone 2 and I’ve gotten so fast by running slow which is the most paradoxical thing in the world that last Tuesday I ran a sub-18 minute 5k!

That’s a 5:47 mile pace for 3.3 miles straight!

I’m coming for that HYROX in Washington DC on September 3rd!

HYROX Week 3/12 Update

80 mins of pure flow state consciousness 😌✨

- Irslan “THE LION” Ali

From Skinny-Fat To Six-Pack…

Your wedding kurta that fit just two years ago felt tight as you were trying it on for one of your friend’s wedding…

Despite hitting the gym and doing your best to eat healthy, you were stuck in a yo-yo cycle of being skinny fat that left you feeling uncomfortable and frustrated…

The medium size you always wore no longer fit around your waist and even the designer clothes you saw your favorite artist, Diljit Dosanjh, wear weren’t made for your skinny fat body type…

Having tried in person trainers, orange theory fitness classes and detoxes in the past, nothing stuck and you felt like you had to sacrifice everything to see results…

Then you came across my ad that spoke to you as a South Indian emphasizing how six pack abs were made in the kitchen…

In 16 weeks, you slashed your body fat percentage from a 21.7% down to a lean 14.6%…

Your weight dropped from 178 lbs to a strong 153 lbs and your waist size shrunk from a 34 to a comfortable 31…

Not only did you achieve a body recomposition but you’re radiating confidence, are stronger, more energetic and can walk into any store knowing that a medium off the rack will fit perfectly…

You even navigated buying a new house, starting a new role within your company, eating out and traveling all while maintaining your incredible results proving that with the right system, you don’t have to give up your social life and culture…

Congratulations on all of the progress you’ve made so far, Karan and I’m excited to continue building muscle as we shift into the next phase of our work together!

If you’re ready to learn the same SAS System that helped Karan lock in and achieve these results in time for Summer, DM me “SAS” and I’ll reach out to see if I can help!

P.S.

You’re next, Niki! :)

From Skinny-Fat To Six-Pack…

Your wedding kurta that fit just two years ago felt tight as you were trying it on for one of your friend’s wedding…

Despite hitting the gym and doing your best to eat healthy, you were stuck in a yo-yo cycle of being skinny fat that left you feeling uncomfortable and frustrated…

The medium size you always wore no longer fit around your waist and even the designer clothes you

Winning isn’t loud…

I just saw take 1st place in the HYROX Pro Elite Men’s World Championships in Stockholm…

He wasn’t the loudest, hot off the start or even leading the race at any point up until the last 15 seconds…

When he crossed the finished line, he was as surprised as everybody else — he didn’t even expect to win…

What he did do tho was run his own race and perform to the best of his ability…

His performance is the quintessential state of “flow” I was talking about in an earlier post…

At the end, he didn’t brag, he just shared a message…

Somebody told him, now that he’s a father, he had to choose between HYROX and becoming a world champion and being a dad…

He rejected that belief and proved to everyone that those two things are NOT mutually exclusive — you can be both a world champion and kickass dad to your three year old…

In my own life, I’ve seen how every time I’ve been loud and exalted myself if you will, I’ve been abased and humbled…

Moving forward, I’m embracing the silence and quiet — the quiet mornings, early nights, that effort without noise from the outside that it takes to let go and allow whatever is inside of me to express itself fully and without interference…

Because that’s where winning truly takes place; in the dark where no one sees it until the nth hour when it’s all on the line…

Congratulations to Dylan Scott and what an incredible example to set as a human being for what’s possible when you stick to your guns…

Washington DC HYROX Update Week 2/12