Think Your Way To
Fitness 7 Secrets And 14 Scientific Strategies You Must Know
Ken Koh
Published By : Ken Koh Email : sengkiangkoh@yahoo.com ISBN 978-981-08-9447-4 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form, by print, electronic, mechanical, or any other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Quantity discounts are available for bulk purchases of this book for reselling, educational purposes, corporate or sponsorship. Kindly email sengkiangkoh@yahoo.com. Condition of Sale: This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Disclaimer: The information in this book is intended to help readers make informed decisions about their fitness and health. It should not serve as a replacement for professional medical, dietary, or fitness advice. People should always consult a fitness and healthcare professional about their own needs. The author and publishers specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of application of any information contained in this book.
Praises For Ken Koh And Tao Of Fitness "We are good at being insane. At 'doing things the same way time & again and expecting different results' – Albert Einstein. ‘This is the insanity of habit, that insidious tendency which keeps the tiger in his cage when the door is open’ – J. Robbins. Well, here Ken points to a possible way beyond the insanity & our self-fabricated cage. A way which speaks from the emerging paradigm of 'InsideOut'...to learning to focus our energies on creatively & playfully operating our Consciousness to deliver our deep visions. An Integrative Fitness. And Ken delivers this practical wisdom in his inimitable refreshing, easy-toabsorb way, spiced with the humorous & inspiring journeys of Him & various other Fitness-Seekers. Enjoy!" Rowan Gillies, UK Leadership Coach & Consultant, ex-Regional Director of Standard Chartered Bank “Ken Koh has made the steps in “Think Your Way to Fitness” so easy to follow. Empowering guidelines that help your mind and body to achieve the results you desire. Very inspirational and motivational. Thanks Ken!” Wendy Seah Creative Director Alluring Secrets www.thewenz.com “Ken Koh has the ability to change your mind’s perspectives to strive for fitness with effective techniques. His personal life story will assist you to ‘Think Your Way to Fitness”! Let him be your 'tour guide' to attaining fitness success!” Reine See Siew Leng Student
“Ken Koh has found a success formula! He did not just read about it, he applied it. Knowing the facts does not change anything, it is in the APPLICATION of these facts that RESULTS are guaranteed. Ken Koh is a walking testimony! He has read the facts, applied them, reaped the benefits and now he is passing it on. Go for it!” Nikki Tay (M.Ed: Birmingham) Special Educational Therapist Steady Steps: Learning, Empowerment, Achievement, LIFE "Ken has made one of the greatest and most inspirational books for fitness and he has indeed a brilliant mind when it comes to fitness. He motivated me to learn mixed martial arts and in only four months I went from 106kg to 85kg, and before I knew Ken I was nothing but a big fat boy who always got bullied. But losing weight is not the main thing in fitness. It is the self-discipline that helps. So let Ken's book "Think Your Way To Fitness" help you to guide your way to a happy, healthy and successful fitness." Brice Tan Student “This book certainly has the potential to unlock the power within us. It is not only applicable to health and mind, but a wide range of other problems can also be resolved when applying the principles in this book. Hope this book can bring about a more happy, healthy and graceful world.” Jeffrey Supply Chain Executive Tenaris Global Services Far East Pte Ltd
"This book makes you realise what people usually forget in their life, which is "BALANCE". We are too focused on the outer world but neglect that it is the inner world that really created the results. We are focusing too much on the problem and get too ‘comfortable’ with our looks, and it distracts us from what we really want. ‘Think Your Way to Fitness’ really brings me back to what I really need to focus on for fitness results. Ken Koh is simply amazing. " Ajeng Student Universitas Pelita Harapan (Indonesia) "Ken is indeed a brilliant writer and his book sparkles with wit and whimsy. ‘Think Your Way to Fitness’ is indeed an ambitious, sprawling and disciplined journey through the fundamentals to the success of our own world; delivered with exemplary clarity, energy and enthusiasm." Choo Kuan He Undergraduate National University Of Singapore 'Think Your Way to Fitness' has made me realise that it's not solely the hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups and hours of running on the treadmill that matters. To achieve longterm fitness, workout and dieting must be coupled with the disciplining of the mind. Ken has discussed the importance of paradigm shift in order to achieve positive and consistent results in fitness. Indeed, what you think and say is what you get." Rachel Ong Legal Executive
“Ken Koh has taken a very unique and often understated approach in helping people become fitter -- the psychology of fitness or exercise. This, I believe, is a very important and crucial component of fitness that needs to be addressed in order to be successful in the longer term. ‘Think Your Way to Fitness’ can be your source of inspiration and motivation to move you forward towards your ultimate fitness goals!” Edgar K. Tham Reg. Psychologist (S'pore), Cert. NLP Master Practitioner (USA), Cert. Sports Counselor (USA) Founder/Director, Sportpsych Consulting Visiting Consultant Psychologist, SportsMed Central, Gleneagles Hospital & Singapore Sports School Singapore's pioneer Sport Psychologist & High Performance Coach to numerous national sport teams ‘Ken looks at fitness in depth, beyond one's physical fitness and appearance. Real fitness can only be achieved when there is alignment between physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing (or fitness). "Think Your Way To Fitness" is a book that provides practical guidelines to help us to gain fitness from a whole system perspective. It is inspirational and motivational!’ Lucia Yip HR Manager Sun Microsystem (Hong Kong)
In Loving Memory Of‌ My late grandmother. It was through your love and strength that I learned how great and wonderful a person can be. I hope this book would have made you proud. Missing you dearly in my heart.
Dedicated To‌ My father, Mr Koh Eng Seng and my mother, Mdm Choo Siew Eng. Your unconditional love is what makes all the wonderful things in my life possible. I strive to be my best because of you.
Acknowledgements The journey of writing was an uphill climb filled with many challenges and setbacks. If not for the support of my family and friends, I may have given up and this book would have never materialised. I want to acknowledge and thank all these important people, who have offered me the much-needed help and guidance. To my dearest wife, Rachel Ong and my soon to be born baby girl, this book is completed with love and thoughts for both of you. Special thanks to Dick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt) for allowing me the honour of featuring them in my book and to Terry Fox and Lance Armstrong for, on their own, having genuinely inspired the whole world. And of course, to the one special man who had made one of the greatest contributions to the fitness world, Bruce Lee. Their stories are the foundation that this book is built upon and have been my most wonderful source of inspiration. I would also want to give special thanks to my instructors Darren De Silva, Bruce Loh and my friend, Marcus Tan, for agreeing to our interviews and the inclusion of their stories in this book. Whose stories have formed a key part of this book and I am grateful for your kind support in helping me complete this book. I offer my deepest appreciation to Dr Ernest Wong who helped laid the principles behind my book and to Mr Richard Tan and Veronica for their unwavering
support. It is through them that I got to experience the powerful lessons from the many international success coaches such as Jim Rohn, T Harv Eker, Anthony Robbins and Jack Canfield. I strongly want to acknowledge and thank Pak Tung Desem Waringin, Ibu Yani and Ibu Eva for their help and encouragement. It was also with the blessing and mentoring from Mr Ismail Gafoor, CEO of P&N Holdings, Mr Joseph Lee and Mr Alan Lim, Directors of P&N Holdings, which made the long-awaited publishing of this book possible. My deepest appreciation to Lim Yong Hock, Nizam and the many friends from P&N Holdings and Life Mastery Academy who have so kindly welcomed me into the family. My gratitude to Mr Goh, Ms Teo and Mrs Seah, from Maha Bodhi Primary School, who have influenced me to believe in and pursue my dream to become a trainer. Special thanks to Mr Mah from Tanjong Katong Secondary School, whose unique way of teaching pulled me back on track from my wayward ways. Very importantly, to my two best friends, Tom and Raistlin. It was because of you that my life changed so much for the better. You two are simply god sent. Wherever you are, my prayers are with you. I also want to specially acknowledge my brothers and sister, Koh Seng Geok, Koh Mil Lan and Koh Seng San, for their guidance and patience through the years. And I want to thank my Sisters-In-Law and Brother-In-Law, Tan Bee Keng, Sim Wing Yew and Kris
Kuah. The family is filled with love because of you. Thank you for your nurturing and kindness. Words can never express what I feel towards the two most important people in my life, my Dad and Mom. Thank you so much. I am grateful to you for allowing me the space to grow in my own strange and unique ways. I was never the most obedient of sons and was always getting into trouble. Thank you for everything. Most importantly, I want to thank God for all the grace that I have received in my life and for the inspiration behind this book.
Contents Acknowledgments
Foreword Preface “Who are you and why should I read your book?” 1 First Things First, What’s Fitness? 9 PART ONE The Missing Piece - Fitness Paradigm 19 What Is A Fitness Paradigm 31 PART TWO Secrets Of The Fitness Masters Fitness Files 62 PART THREE “So What’s Next?” 155 PART FOUR Simplest System For A Fitter You 163 Bibliography 199
Foreword by Mr Ismail Gafoor ’Think your way to fitness’ is a book that one must read for fitness success. From my humble experience, physical fitness has always been a huge and important part of my early years. As a young boy, I helped my father as a newspaper boy, delivering newspaper early in the morning, running up and down housing blocks, 365 days every year. Every bundle of newspaper back then were like my “dumbbells” and “weights”. Imagine I had to carry them while running so that I can complete my designated rounds. Then come for my national service with the Army. Because of my “training” as a Newspaper boy, I was able to become one of the fittest soldiers in my company. It was never a problem. As a matter of fact, Army was fun for me. When your fitness is good and you are strong, you will not feel the pressure of taking up greater challenges and your body and mind is able to overcome any obstacles. Because of my fitness level, I have had a very wonderful 13 years in the Armed Forces as a Combat Guards Officer. However, on the day I left the army, my fitness problems also began. I started my business and almost instantaneously, I “suddenly” couldn’t find time to maintain my fitness. The minute I moved to normal office activities, I had lesser time. And as the paper work on my desk increased, so did my weight.
Sadly, while it took me years to build up and maintain my fitness, it took me only a couple of months to lose it. It was very, very fast. I realized that my biggest challenge was simply myself. Every year, I would get so busy with my business, neglect my fitness and feel depressed every time I look into the mirror. Then I would feel a surge of motivation and a sudden “conviction” that I must and will change. But for some unknown reasons, I kept postponing my decision to regain back my fitness. It was like a vicious cycle. I just couldn’t find the time nor recover my discipline which I once so easily had. Fortunately for me, my business did pick up and I was able to afford to attend Anthony Robbin’s training program in Hawaii. It was a turning point in my life and I finally rediscover the inner motivation in me to maintain my fitness. And so, begins my journey to regaining my fitness. It was very tough and I must confess that there were times where I just felt like giving up, especially when the training by Anthony Robbin was so many years ago and my work is becoming more hectic. Which is why, I strongly recommend Ken’s book to anyone who finds it hard to keep fit or wants to keep being fit. For me, Ken’s book, “Think Your Way To Fitness – 7 Secrets and 14 Scientific Strategies You Must Know” is able to rekindle the motivation which I had gained from Anthony Robbin’s program and helped to reinforce the most important aspect that contribute to my fitness success…my mind.
My dear friends, you do not need to spend thousands of dollars flying overseas to attend training programs. Ken’s book will be with you always. Through understanding the 7 secrets he uncovered, reading the real life stories, applying the 14 scientific strategies that are proven and his simple to follow exercise regime, you have a fitness treasure in your hand. And at any time you are in doubt or finding your determination wavering, you can revisit this book for the much needed push. I know I will because Ken’s book has impressed upon me the true importance of fitness in my life. With that, I am sure you will get what you need from Ken’s book and I wish you all the best in your fitness pursuit. God Bless!
Ismail Gafoor CEO PropNex, Best Selling Author
Preface The purpose of this book is to help you to finally uncover and understand the secrets to getting results in your strive for a fit and healthy body. These secrets lie not in what you do physically, but rather, what goes on in your mind. It is not what you are doing that affects your fitness result, rather, it is what you hold in your mind and your beliefs that determine the results you get. By going through this entire book, you will discover why some people are able to get the fitness results they want so easily, while others have to struggle so hard and yet gain nothing in the end. You will also discover methods that will help you manage your STATE consistently to get your desired results, EVERYTIME. For the context of this book, I will use losing weight as the main example. BUT, I want to make it clear that fitness means different things for different people. For example: For a person who is overweight, fitness would mean to be able to shed some extra kilos, gain some lean muscle, have a strong cardio vascular system while knowing how to manage and have a balanced diet. Whereas for a person who is underweight, fitness would of course mean to gain some much needed kilos, have the necessary muscular strength and go about daily activities without challenges or health problems.
And for people who are bulimic or anorexic, fitness would be a much-needed ACCEPTANCE of SELF, leading to them wanting to have a balanced and healthy lifestyle. As for people who are already fit or sports people, the result would mean to be able to excel and break through their fitness limit, to break records. Whatever your fitness needs, this is the book for you. And unlike all other fitness books, I must declare that just 5% of this book will teach you how to exercise effectively and get a fitter body. Don’t be surprised; this 5% is more than enough to get you great results. Most importantly, you are going to get great results from all future fitness regimes or exercises. That’s because the other 95% (which is missing in all other fitness books) will guide you on the most important factor for fitness success. The one factor that truly matters…Your Mind. “So many people along the way, whatever it is you want to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there will be no limits.” Michael Phelps No Limits: The Will To Succeed
Think Your Way To Fitness – 1
“Who Are You And Why Should I Read Your Book?” Good question indeed. “Who is this person to tell me about fitness and about physical wellbeing?” Well, to start off, I am not fully trained or certified to become a fitness instructor of any sort. Neither do I hit the gym every day. All I have is a certificate that proves I have been introduced to the basics of fitness. But there are three factors that should allow me to share my knowledge of fitness with you. Firstly, I am a fat-turned-fit person. Today I can proudly say that I can do 50 push-ups, 15 inverted crunches, 10–15 chin-ups and complete a 5 km jog comfortably. You would also find me training in Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jujitsu, up to four sessions a week. I wasn't always this way. Then Now
Next, I have the privilege to train and coach over 50,000 trainees (from Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia) to take consistent and effective
2 – Who Are You And Why Should I Read Your Book? actions to achieve their academic, professional, social, personal and fitness goals. The methodologies that I use in the training are incorporated into this book. And lastly, my trainees used the same methods and have achieved their desired results. These were the same group of people who have had difficulties in keeping fit but have since achieved great results after knowing and applying the knowledge in this book. BUT with all that being said, I would like to start by saying, “Don’t believe a single thing I say in this book!” Why? Well, all that is written is just what I experienced, and used and it has worked for my students and me, but it may or may not work for you. So what I would like to suggest to you is simply to apply the ideas that are found in this book and if they work for you, keep using them. But if they don’t, you are welcome to throw it into the trash bin. Now, here’s more about myself. The period when I was between the ages of 8–16 years old was a part of my life that I sometimes love to hate. It was simply because of my body size (HUGE size). During that time, I was constantly teased, all because I was fatter than my classmates and friends. I was given many nicknames like FATTY, PIGGY, CAREBEAR (possibly the nicest nicknames I have received), PORKY and THE BIG ROUND ONE by some from my relatives.
Think Your Way To Fitness – 3 There was even a time when I had a piece of paper with the words “kick me” pasted on my back. I was badly bullied. Imagine being in my shoes. Would you be happy? Well, I sure wasn’t. Back then, almost every day of my life was very miserable. Now, please don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t that I didn’t try to do anything to lose weight. I did attempt the commonly known methods, some of which you may have tried yourself. I skipped meals, did some exercises (which, at times, made me feel as if I was going to have a heart attack and die), joined a uniform group, and played some sports. And while I did lose some weight, the weight I lost kept coming back … and sometimes, with reinforcement. I just couldn’t get fit then. Nothing worked for me! After each “setback”, I got more depressed, which resulted in my eating more. (Food made me feel better back then.) And so I gained even more weight. And with each “return of the Stubborn Fat”, I would resort to other methods to lose weight, only to have it return again... See the vicious cycle? You may even have gone through the same experience as me. No matter how hard you tried, what you did, how many kilometres you ran/cycled, how many times you visited the gym, you just couldn't lose those extra pounds nor look/feel the way you wanted. It’s even more frustrating when you look around you and see people who seem to get into shape so easily and effortlessly, while still enjoying their meals. It’s just so unfair! I used to feel the same way.
4 – Who Are You And Why Should I Read Your Book? But then, a change came about in me one day. Looking back, this change happened because of two key reasons. Firstly, having reached my teenage years, I had this huge crush on this girl from a neighbouring school. Now, when I say huge, I mean HUGE! Everyday, I would wait for her at the bus stop on the way to and from school. I would try my best to sit opposite or behind her so that I could look at her. I even knew where she lived. I recall a time when I was sitting opposite her and while I was looking at her, she suddenly turned to look at me! At that instant, I literally felt a bolt race through my body. And so, I did what all courageous boys would do … I looked away and tried my very best to stop my body shaking. But I guess I didn’t do too well then. By the end of the whole bus journey, my school uniform was wet with my cold sweat. That was how big my crush was on her. There were times where I would daydream and imagine the two of us being together. So, next to me would be this beautiful, slim and slender girl. But what I saw in my head was not a pleasant sight. If you want to know what I saw, just try imagining a beautiful girl standing next to two huge fish balls stacked together. With this image in mind, I realised that if I were to even stand a chance of getting to know this girl, I had better start to look “decent” and not look like a “fishball” to her. So, a decision was made then to change. I told myself, I must! (Just in case you are
Think Your Way To Fitness – 5 curious, I didn’t even speak to her in the end. I was never confident enough back then. And by the time I did finally gain the confidence to talk to her, we had “lost contact” and were already in different schools.) The second motivation to change came about when I got to know two close friends, Tom and Raistlin, who shared the same interest as I do. We all agreed to get into martial arts and train in free-style sparring. And so I began my training with them. It was possibly one of the best times of my life. During that period, I was really happy with what I was doing and, very importantly, about myself. My two friends were very supportive of me. Because of the above reasons, there was a change, a shift in my mind. I suddenly found the inner motivation to change the way I looked. And most importantly, instead of focusing on how I looked, I became focused only on how I wanted to look, on how my build would be, on how my muscles would develop, how far I could run, how fast I could kick and punch, etc. In my mind, instead of looking at my problematic state, I focused on what I wanted to become! There was a clear picture that was imprinted in my mind. There was no longer an image of my being fat in my mind. My fitness paradigm had changed. (I will touch on this more later.) From that point onwards, my results came faster and most importantly, my results stayed! And I was finally moving closer and closer to my fitness dream. I
6 – Who Are You And Why Should I Read Your Book? was ecstatic about it. But while I was enjoying my new-found success, I also started to ponder as to what actually happened to me, what was it exactly that allowed me to achieve my results this time round. Why did my results stick? So, I began my research. I read up on NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP), Personality, Psychology and how the brain works. A great breakthrough for my research came when I joined Dr Ernest Wong (founder and master trainer of the highly effective Super-Teen Holiday Camp), who is the authority and pioneer in this specialized field. At this time, I received the much-needed coaching to finally gather the information and gain the clarity. Everything that I learned and uncovered during my research is here in this book. And to reinforce what you are about to receive in this book, I have included interview articles on three excellent models for fitness to tap into the “secrets” of their minds. They are my martial arts teachers, Darren De Silva (Gym Master of FightG), Bruce Loh (National San Shou Champion 2007), and my friend, Marcus Tan (World Kuo Shu Champion 2007). In addition, I have included research write-ups on five very important people who, in their own unique ways, embody all the secrets that create lifelong fitness success. True fitness inspirations to the world, they are Bruce Lee, Terry Fox, Lance Armstrong, and Dick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt).
Think Your Way To Fitness – 7 What is it that they have which you want to have, so as to achieve your fitness goals? The answers are found in this book. And I want you to have these answers. If you have always been troubled by the way that you looked, I know how you feel. I have been through that pain, and I do not want you to continue like this. You deserve to look great and feel great! It is your BIRTH RIGHT! So in this book, I am going to share with you very powerful methodologies and fourteen scientifically proven strategies that have helped my students and me to get results in fitness. I also recommend that you use the same methodologies found in this book to help yourself achieve similar results in your finances, relationships with your loved ones, career and studies. While I can’t guarantee it will work a hundred percent, I am sure that it will produce some results for you. Remember, this book is about you and you only. And if what you find in this book inspires and guides you to achieve your results, don’t thank me. I am contented to know that it worked for you. Instead, I want you to thank yourself and reward yourself…by achieving more results! Get and stay fit for life! Just one more thing, for certain exercises in this book, I have prepared some resources to assist you. Please email me at sengkiangkoh@yahoo.com and I will personally send them to you. They are my gifts to accelerate your success. So now, if you are excited to finally get your desired fitness results, read on.