#PushThePace ...

"You Can Take The Dog Out Of The Fight But You Can Never Take The Fight Out Of The Dog."

-Mahaakshay Chakraborty.

We all fight. Yes we do. I know so many people right now who are just fighting to stay alive. My prayers are with them. And even if you put on the television, all you see is death and tragedy. God knows what hell they are going through. If I had the power I would had helped all of them. But today I can't. But I know, maybe one day in the future I will have the power to change the world. So until that day comes, I have made a solemn promise to myself that I will make myself worthy of that power. And do you know how that will happen? It will happen through training. Through hours and hours in the gym and the octagon ring. It will happen by eating only chicken and eggs and fish while you see others eating pizzas and pastries. It will happen by dedicating myself towards a goal. By focusing on one particular target and devoting my every breath towards it. It will happen by eating, sleeping and drinking only one constant dream. The dream not to be better than others but to be the best version of myself. For years, I have been into fitness but trust me, there have been a billion times when I have reached plateaus and those moments have only brought me down. But now, finally, after nearly 14 years I have cracked the code. I found the secret. I know now what I need to do to reach my target. And that is #PushThePace. What is #PushThePace you ask? Well, my dear readers, get ready to find out ... :-)

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'

-Muhammad Ali

As you know, I am huge fan of Wwe. And like the millions and millions of The Rock fans, I was thrilled to see him return to the Wwe. But what thrilled me more was his all new Physique. He looked like a Titan! And on the 1000th episode of Raw The Rock came to the ring in his new t-shirt. And in that shirt it was written, "Push The Pace Soldier". Back then, I just liked the tshirt. I thought it would be good as a collectible. But since I have started training with my new Trainer Rajendra 'Raj' Dhole, I can't stop myself from using those words in my day to day life as well! Whether I tweet or talk to people or write a Whatsapp status, #PushThePace is mentioned everywhere! And the reason that is happening is because for the very 1st time in my life, I am breaking my own records! I am picking up more than 100kgs in the weight room! I am running 10kms in 70mins! I am dieting in the most strictest form ever! So I guess I am now worthy of the hashtag and quote line, #PushThePace 'cause there is one thing I have realised and what my coach told me on day one, is that 'The Human Body Is Capable Of Remarkable Things. All We Have To Do Is Be Prepared To Push It To It's Max.' And now, thanks to my coach's gruelling and Punishing Workout Routines, I am challenging my limits. I am Pushing The Pace! :-)

Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach.

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

This isn't a pompous blog. This isn't me showing off. One ting I have learnt being in this cut-throat industry is that no one is invincible and there is always somebody out there who wants to beat you. So by publishing my pics and writing how much better I am becoming I am not saying that I am better than all of you! No! No way! Never! Our industry has actors with 6 to 8 packs today and half the world is covered with men and women who have dedicated their lives to fitness and I know I am just an ant compared to them. No, this blog isn't a port folio to impress industry folks either. This blog is to motivate all those people who think they can't do it, or who presume by themselves that they don't have what it takes to become better. Trust me, I was the fat kid in school! I couldn't run even one whole lap of the school's jogging track! I was the goalie in football and the guy who stayed near the hoop in basketball cause I was tall. But I wasn't a 'Ladies Man'. I wasn't the kid you would take to prom. But here I am, living proof that anything is possible. And do you know why anything is possible for me today? Because I believe in myself and I have sworn on my soul that come what may, I will reach my goal. Not for movie deals or the chicks or to show people down but for my own fitness satisfaction. For my own pleasure and happiness when I see myself in the mirror and see my body transform into this beautiful thing. I am living proof that, 'You Can Go The Distance.' All you have to do is #PushThePace ... :-)

"Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body."

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

Today, on the net, you will find all that you need to make the perfect body. There are the right ways and the wrong ways. There are trainers who are giving free advice. There are institutes who are willing to help you transform your body for good. The list is endless. But my readers, until YOU and only YOU to decide to change for the good none of those dieticians, trainers and institutes can do jack for you! "To See The Change On The Outside, You Must First Change From Within." You must decide with all of your heart and soul that you will do whatever it takes to reach your goal. My coach told me that the 1st thing that will change will be my life style and as he predicted, it came true. Today, my life revolves only around my training schedules. There are so many people I can't meet even if I want too. So many movies I have missed in the theatres, plays that have come and gone by and friends who are just plain disappointed. But as they say, "Nothing Good In Life Comes Easy." And to be honest it doesn't matter to me whether people understand that or not. My sleep is more important than meeting a friend for dinner. My cardio is more important than watching the latest release in the theatres. My training is more important than to go to some stupid party and pretend to like people that I don't even know. Yes, this life style is a game changer and it isn't an easy road. It takes hard work, determination and hell-of-a-lot of discipline to reach where you wanna go. Every day you are testing your limits. Every day you are pushing yourself through the pain. Every day you are breaking the norms of reality and creating your own. Remember, with every rep, you are one step closer to your goal. With every run, you are running towards the new you. With each drop of sweat, God is noticing you more 'cause, "History Wasn't Made By The Lazies. It Was Made By Men And Women Worked Their Asses Off!" 

"What we face may look insurmountable. But I learned something from all those years of training and competing. I learned something from all those sets and reps when I didn't think I could lift another ounce of weight. What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know."

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

I know I have a long way to go. In fact, to be honest, I have only just begun! There is no stopping the Will once it is set. So my dear readers, believe in yourselves. I know some of you maybe thinking that I can do this because I have the best at my disposal. Yes, I won't disagree with you. I have the best Trainer in the business with me today. I go to the best gym in Mumbai. {48 Fitness} I have meals and supplements taken care of for me. And I have immense support from my family. But my readers, I face the demons of reality too. There are days when fear creeps in and wins. It shows its ugly face and laughs and I succumb. And as my coach knows, I am an emotional eater! So I eat when I am depressed! What I am trying to tell you is that I am not Super Man and neither I am some Machine. I am just a man who is trying to outwit the devil, every single day and trust me, the devil comes in all shapes and sizes! But I #PushThePace and I run on that treadmill! I scream when I pick up those weights and I curse out loud so that the whole world can hear me roar! I scream in pain and agony but I never quit! I make time and I fight. We all are fighters and we all have our battles. Before I used to fight to put others down, now I fight just to make myself better. So my dear readers, when in doubt just look within and remember to always #PushThePace. :-)

"The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit."

-Morihei Ueshiba

This Is Me, Mahaakshay Chakraborty And This Is Me Pushing The Pace And Reaching For The Impossible.

With All My Might,

Your No.1 Fan,

Mahaakshay Chakraborty.

Safe Havens ...

"We All, At Some Point Of Our Lives, Want To Run Away From Our Realities. The Question Is Where Do We Escape Too? A Place Of Prosperity Or A Place Of Destruction."

- Mahaakshay Chakraborty.

As I sit right here, in front of my iMac. I realise that time waits for none. And this is how reality is. Every morning I wake up in this reality. A reality which offers me the simple pleasures of life and also the demons of it's brutal truth. A reality which I tell myself that will one day change for the better. I try to fight the voices in my head. I try to keep them at bay. Sometimes they win. Sometimes I do. At times I sleep like a baby and at times I can't sleep for days because of the fear that catches up with me. I keep on asking myself the same questions over and over again. I would love to share those questions with all of you too. But I am not ready. For a part of me, it will be a show of weakness and for the other side of me, it will be sheer defeat. I fight. Damn it, I fight. Even right now, I am fighting. I want to survive. I want to win. But Life is cruel sometimes. It teases you. It gives you hope and then takes it away. When I have asked friends why this happens, they say, "All happens for the good and in time you will get what you deserve." But they don't understand what I am going through. All those thoughts of fear, insecurity and doubt creep in eventually. They make me weak and they make me question my morals. So what does a man do when all doors are closed for him? What does he do when the world turns it's back on him? When no one understands him? He either gives in or finds ways to become better. This 'Become Better' method has been embedded in me since I guess, the dawn of time and maybe that is why I found a solution. Well, a temporary solution. I found my escape routes. I found My Safe Havens ...

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.

-Marcus Aurelius

What are safe havens? They are places where we can go and feel secured. For me, they are more than that. My safe havens are my escapes from my reality. They make me feel happy and whenever I am there I forget all the worries of the world and I am lost in their magical powers and not even an inch of me wants to come back from there because there, I am not judged. I am not condemned. I am not hated. There, I am all by myself and my mind is in sync with my body and my body is in sync with my soul. My safe havens offer me peace. Offer me a sense of relish. At my safe havens, I know I only evolve. I only grow and there I only get better. Where are these safe havens you ask? Ha ha! Don't get your imaginations soaring now! They aren't like the floating city in Bioshock Infinite, neither they are the the state of trance you feel when you meditate. My Safe Havens are My Activities. Yes! My Activities, my hobbies, the things I do to keep my mind busy. Things which require my mind and body to always be attuned. Come on now, don't give me that "Huh?" expression. This blog is for My Safe Havens and in the following paragraphs, I am going to explain to you how my hobbies have now become my Safe havens ...

Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice.

-Ayn Rand

Haven No.1: 

My Training. Yes. Whether it was Mma till a month ago or the 'Balls-To-Your-Mouth' routine with My new awesome coach Raj, My Training has always been my greatest stress reliever and the best part of training is that it takes up nearly half my day and whenever I step into 48 fitness gym or start running in the treadmill or see the disco lights in the spinning room, I know I am going to have one hell of a time because during training, I am only progressing. When I feel the sweat flowing down my forehead, when my muscles are pumped with blood, I know I am at my haven. And the sounds of dumbbells dropping and others screaming in agony when they life heavy metal, those sounds and things make me feel at peace. So yes, My Training is My Haven No.1. :-)

Haven No.2:

My Video games. As I have mentioned before I am a big gamer and I love everything about video games. And in one recent study, scientists have said that video games help reduce stress and help people relax. That is exactly what happens to me whenever I catch the Ps3 remote. I know that the following 60mins is gonna be filled with excitement, thrills and an adrenaline rush! And sometimes, when I am completely hooked on to the game, I even loose track of time! And since the dawn of time, there have been many things that I haven't dealt with and I know a part of me is always angry because of that. But video games really help to calm the beast within me. And as I mentioned in a few blogs earlier, there is something darkly good to kill and burn your enemies when you are playing video games. So yes, My Video games are My Safe Haven No.2. :-)

Haven No.3:

My Books. Since january, I have got this crazy thirst to read books. Not fiction but rather Non-fiction. Whether it was No Easy Day, Total Recall, Dream After Dreams or Dongri To Dubai which I just finished a few days back, non-fictions have caught me by the hook and I don't wanna let go. Fictions always made me imagine stuff but these great Non-Fictions make me relive all these moments and incidents which I read. It is like I am there and all of this is unfolding in front of me! And I make it a point to carry my 'Currently-Reading' book wherever I go and since Mumbai is filled with traffic everywhere, reading a good book after my voice practice during the jams is a great way to reach a place of complete concentration and also a place where my mind can't be disturbed. So yes, Books are My Safe Haven No.3. :-)

You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.

-J. Donald Walters

There are many more safe havens that I have in my life. Whether it is watching Movies, playing with my pets and even blogging, they all contribute to make me feel good and give me hope when I bounce back to reality. For the record, I am not broken. Well, not yet. I still have a lot of fight left in me and until I can, I will fight. I still have many dreams that I wish that come true. And the dreams that top that list is me living my life the way I want too. Me travelling the world and me finally fulfilling my destiny. I know that one day I will see all these beautiful dreams turn into reality and then I will only cry in happiness. But until those dreams come true and I am where I want to be and until my reality bitch slaps me every 5mins I know I have my safe havens to go too. I am proud of my safe havens because I am not ashamed to admit that even I need some running away. Even if that running away is an hour of training or a few stages in a video game or some chapters in a book. So before I go I only ask this one question. Do You Have Your Safe Havens?

It is vain for the coward to flee; death follows close behind; it is only by defying it that the brave escape.

-Voltaire

This is Me, Mahaakshay Chakraborty And These Are My Safe Havens.

With All My Might,

Your No.1 Fan,

Mahaakshay Chakraborty.