Indian Genetics are great for Female Fitness and Bodybuilding

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Congratulations to Deepika Chaudhary, a k11 trained girl groomed by team bombshell for winning the novice category in her class and overall - in the bodybuilding and figure competition in Florida. Tht makes her the first Indian (living in India) to do so. Indian women have such amazing genetics that given the right training and confidence, they can literally rule the bikini and figure categories in bodybuilding. Nicole nagrani, Nicole moneer and many others are proof of te beauty of Indian genetics for women's bodybuilding. I hope more indian women are now aware and take advantage of this incredible gift we have. Aim high, Train right, Train heavy and be an inspiration. Make India Proud. (Y) 

 #bodybuilding #fitness #figure #women #body #beauty #win #k11 #teambombshell #india #florida

Casual Photoshoots - Photopainting

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Halfway between a photograph and a painting - a piece of photo painting work done purely with digital apps available on my phone. Model: Aakriti Srikanth

Casual Photoshoots

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A snap from my casual photoshoot with my gorgeous friend and the cutest fitness freak ever - Aakriti Srikanth. Casual Photoshoots

Libertina Lingerie

Brand: Libertina
Title: Makes Me Happy
Duration: 30sec
Agency: VMC
Production House: Kaizen BST Pictures
Producer: Bilawal Singh Thakar
Director: Pushkaraj S Shirke
DOP : Anuj Samtani
First AD: Ivy Mukherjee
Line Producer : Aushu
Costumes: Abhilasha Sharma
Post Production: Pixion
Ofline Editor: Rohan
Online : Sumant
Music : Rajiv Bhalla
Sound Engineer : Annu Poojari
Sound studio : Shank

 

"Simplicity and Sensuality is an art - and art speaks to all ages."
-Pushkaraj S Shirke

I'm glad I had the opportunity to direct this lingerie ad film for Libertina. The brief was to make a film that women of all ages can relate to and would not be offended by or have to switch the channel even if the family is in the room. It had to be communicative, it had to be real and It had to be sensual, not sleazy. So this is what we created.

Even the testimonial part was captured as natural and as real as possible - including the slight uneasiness of discussing the topic thorough expressions, gestures and body language of the speaker. We removed even the mention of the words 'lingerie', 'bra', 'underwear' from the script and focussed more on the emotion of the real-life problem faced by all women, rather than spoon feeding the words to the viewer.

Karina, the model wasn't briefed on the lingerie scenes at all. Instead, we just chatted for half and hour before the shoot, played around in front of the camera, flirted on and off the screen and captured some actual moments and reenacted them on camera as they were actually. We were practically laughing after each shot (sometimes even wondering if the camera was rolling at all). This is what actually makes it look so innocent and real and so sensual at the same time.

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

Need For Speed

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Monkeyrating: 8/10 

Turned out way more amazon than I had expected. The trailers looked cliche, but the movie rocked some balls! Amazing storyline. Keeps you gripped throughout. Music is good. Cars are great. And performances are brilliant. 

 I might go as far as saying tht this is the best car movie ever. #movie 

#review #nfs #cars #film #hollywood "

Why Don't You Get Married?

At 28, as an Indian boy, the social stereotype wants you to be 'settled'. Which in regular terms means married. When you are not, they want you to be. When you refuse, they wonder why. And then come the questions.

"how will i have grandkids if you don't marry?"
"do you want me to find you a nice girl?"
"why don't you marry one of your girl friends?"
"are you gay?"
"IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU?"

To answer all these questions is difficult without rolling into laughter first. but after a few rens of times, it starts getting repetitive and boring. Especially annoying when people start their own quests to you 'settled'.
So I'm writing down this article to pen down my thoughts on the subject, piece by piece.

1. Married does not mean Settled.
I believe being at peace with yourself, being able to live your life on your own terms, being loved, being successful and having people to share that success and feelings and love with honestly is being settled according to me. Being married does not necessarily give you that. You can be 'settled' on your own as well. Infact, you should be settled yourself, before you even venture out to attach someone else's life and happiness to your own. Financially. Emotionally. Socially. Or you might just end up burdening 2 lives instead of one.

2. If I have to marry, I'll marry for the right reasons.
Don't marry because you need sex. Don't marry because you need companionship. Don't marry to quell your fears of loneliness or your fear of growing old alone. Don't marry because you need a financially secure future. There are so many reasons for which you definitely shouldn't get married, cause with time, they will only turn to regrets. As for reasons worth getting 'married' for do exist, but I personally am yet to find any but one - the capability to be absolutely honest with an individual who's as weird as you are in the pursuit of happiness. And such people are rare to find, but I'm better off willing to take my chances and face those odds than being tied down into something that my fears have driven me into - or worse, the fears of others have driven me into.

3. I'm Polyamorous. 
Yes, I've heard and seen those fairytale romances and romance books and movies. One hero, one heroine, and happily ever after. And I've experimented with being like that too - but being honest to myself, I don't see myself as a one woman man. Maybe i'm not mature enough. Maybe the world is not yet mature enough. And I don't see myself capable of lying about it either. I have tried, and failed. If you ask me, monogamy isn't natural at all - but that's opening up a whole different debate. This is the point where people would jump in to say that "yeah, typical male - you just want to have sex." - but that exactly is the point you don't get. Being polyamorous means that you accept the fact that men and women both can be in love with more than just one person at any given point in time. Does that mean an open relationship? In many ways, yes. And in many ways no. Polyamorous is NOT the same as promiscuous. There is a difference. And I'll need an entirely different article to try and explain that difference.

4. Love and Sex and Friendship are not always mutually inclusive or exclusive.
excerpt from an article i have written previously:
Romantic love - which is more like a drug - overpowering your senses as powerfully as cocaine (yes, its lab proven) is a physiological-emotional reaction.
Friendship/Liking - is a more long lasting emotion. Something that can last a lifetime. and therefore is much more important in a long lasting relationship that love itself at times. After the love fizzles out - you can or cannot, may or may not reignite it (yes you can). But FRIENDSHIP or LIKING an individual, lasts. maybe not for eternity or whatever, but way longer than love does.
SEX - is a BIOLOGICAL NEED. just as love and friendship are psychological/social needs. Not only is it principally wrong to view them in the same balance - but it is also what makes abstinent people who disguise themselves in the guise of social power or religious godliness the most commonly known sexual predators. Coz it's unnatural! The true basic / carnal needs of human beings are FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER, SEX and BEING LOVED. (yes, sex and love are ACTUALLY unrelated though great when together.)
there is research (much cold-hearted as it maybe) to prove that the lack of either one of these can lead to death.

The most powerful relationships are those in which all three overlap - but it in no way suggests that THAT is the only way it can be.
it is perfectly natural to:
have friends you absolutely love but don't have sex with.
have friends you have sex with but don't feel passionate love for.
fall in love with a friend/s and have sex with him/her/them. And even when that is the case, it does not imply sealing it with societal obligation called marriage.

5. To me, a relationship built on mutual respect, honesty, friendship and genuine affection is more valuable than a million marriages.

I don't need to explain this point, but i'll still take a line to stress on the most important word in this line for me - HONESTY. that's the one thing I personally look for most in any relationship. And not too surprisingly, it's the toughest to find. Sometimes, being able to let go of someone for their greater good needs more love and willpower than it takes to work a 100 marriages.

6. Its not easy to be honest. or to take honesty. It's not everyone's cup of tea.
The fact is we live in a world so full of masks and lies that its increasingly difficult to find a person who can not only be honest, but also take honesty. Can you Imagine the drama after a woman who asks if she is fat being told that yes she is? And that's just the most trivial question yet. Life's full of a lot more bouncers. The question is can you take it? more importantly, do you really want it.
I don't know about the world, but i need it. its my drug. And i respect it. If anything, my best friend even today is the one most brutally honest person I've ever known. And i love her to smithereens. (yes it's a her and no she's not my 'girlfriend'. she's way more than that).

Somewhere along the way, the world has replaced the meaning of 'i love you' to 'i sexually own you' or 'all your possessions are mine" and has been running with that. People have more attachment to genitalia than to people themselves. It's a weird warped up we are in I guess. People are chasing things and obligations over happiness and emotions. but that's not a world i'm willing to give in to just yet. maybe, never. who knows.

For now, I'm happy being me.
And eventually, I might find a girl who is happy being her.
and we might be most comfortable being us.
And we might even get married. who knows.
But not right now. Not coz i 'should'. Not coz its what society expects of me. and definitely not to live a lie.
So let me be.

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

what is sexy? is there a universal formula to it?

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"What is 'sexy'? Across countries, cultures and all kinds of people, I have found a pattern that suggests a common thread. Like a DNA of what is 'perceived' a being sexually attractive beyond just the looks. In the simplest, most basic way, the ATGC code of the universally 'sexy' seems to comprise of being Fit, Intelligent, Compassionate and Rich. Yes, as much as ever you may deny it, money does make a huge difference to how you are percieved. All these 4 factors have a way of overriding other logical reasoning functions and are very much tied to basic human nature. The basic procreation instinct has a huge role to play in the creation of this heuristic and can be traced back to reasons as basic as survival right back to the time human beings were cave dwelling apes.
 -Pushkaraj S Shirke (Article on how attraction works)

 #article #fitness #intelligence #money #compassion #rich #sexy #attractive #attraction #human #nature #psychology "

To My Teachers

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According to the Chinese art of feng shui, finding great friends, mentors and teachers is a matter of luck and fate - like a cosmic blessing. In my case, I guess that's the greatest gift I have ever received - and that too in ample. Irrespective of my age, field or reason of learning, I have always found the best teachers. In school, in advertising, in film, in fitness, in life itself, I have had some of the best teachers anyone could ask for. I guess I'm blessed :-)

300: Rise of an Empire

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300: Rise of an Empire 

Monkeyrating: 6/10 

I would have given it a 7 if it had a story and was atleast a bit historically accurate/weapons accurate.

what about: the movie is an add on to 300. this story runs parallel to the 300 - it covers, before, during and after that time. Its the story of themistokles, a greek general who is leading the battle against the mortal turned god - xerxes and his sister and brutal commander - Artemisia.

What to watch out for: Eva Green's sheer sexiness and evil. Amazing fight choreography and slow motion violence poetry. The character design Is still very 'frank miller'esque and that's awesome.

Defects: the lack of Zack Snyder is pretty evident. As mentioned before, the historical and weapon technique authenticity sucks. And the lack of a gripping story is smeared with over abuse of blood and gore special effects. Worth a watch none the less.

Be your own Inspiration

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"Sometimes, you have to be the inspiration you seek. For yourself. For others. It's not easy, but it's undeniably incredible. #inspiration #motivation #self #quote #note 

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

Spoof Documentary Ad Film

Hilarious!!!!!!!
i definitely believe that this is a kickass viral film - the humour is in its seriousness - just watch it:

From Brooklyn to Seoul, we left no stone unturned as we searched for an answer to the age-old question -- was pizza really invented in Korea? See further evidence at http://www.gumshoepictures.com


all views expressed belong to an opinionated dickhead called Pushkaraj Shirke. If you have differing views, feel free to share them or visit www.go-fuck-yourself.com

BECOMING THE ULTIMATE HUMAN WEAPON: With KRAV MAGA and STRENGTH TRAINING

Krav Maga is NOT a sport. Jujitsu, Judo, Boxing, MuayThai, Taekwondo, Wreslting are sports. 
Krav Maga is a TRUE fighting and defence form. In the simplest of words, KRAV MAGA is applied MMA for self defence and practical combat. 
Unlike combat sports like MMA, KRAV MAGA is a method of self-defense designed for real-life situations. There are no tournaments in Krav Maga - because it is based upon the idea of “finding solutions” when one’s security is threatened. 

There are NO rules but SURVIVAL. It was developed by Israeli veteran Imi Lictenfield by mixing various martial art forms and retaining only what’s best in a practical war/fight scenario to fight against the Nazis. You do have the Mcmap that’s used by the US marines – but Krav Maga is much simpler, deadly and applicable in real life scenarios and not just in war. Which is why even today it is the the technique of choice for defence and secret service forces across the world – including the SAS, the Mossad and the Israeli army.

If self defence was your concern, I’d advice a strong base of Krav maga first – before moving on to learning any other martial art that would require years of training and mastery before you could practically apply what you learn in a fight.
Eventually adding in a good grappling sport like BJJ and a good striking sport like muaythai (or mma itself) is extremely efficient at improving your skills. 

What makes Krav Maga efficient for self defence is that it directly focusses on what is most practical, instinctual and most likely to happen. It trains an individual directly to problem solve the most likely encounters - spiralling all the way up from from basic situational awareness and de-escalation all the way up to to engaging, subduing and escaping. 

Krav Maga’s basic principle in essence is Survival. And its basic technique is what can be termed as BURSTING – where you simultaneously defend, inflict as much damage as possible within as small a span of time as possible and GET OUT OF THE SITUATION.

It requires using every part of your body and great presence of mind within a split second – and that’s perfect because a true fight in the street or actual combat rarely last beyond the first 15 seconds.  It includes open palm strikes, clawing, punching, kicking, pushing and pulling, biting and the use of readily available weapons or objects that can be used as weapons. Though by principle the rule in krav maga is to never let a fight get to the ground, it also prepares you for fighting on the ground and basic grapples and escape tactics.

One of the most effective and tiresome drills used in Krav Maga is that of escaping from a hostile mob – where you are surrounded by people trying to block you, hit you and even use weapons on you while you try to escape out of the mob.The use of bursting and continuously adaptive training makes true Krav Maga very demanding physically. Which is also why after a certain point you need to learn pure grappling and striking skills to get more efficient and therefore expend less energy against bigger and stronger opponents. The necessity of strength and explosive, channelled aggression is why strength training for krav maga can be tricky. 

You have to take into account that power, agility and other fitness functionalities are developed best during training itself by extending periods of training. What you need to focus on training separately is what you cant get from just training in Krav Maga but is essential for it – ie: Strength. However, you can adopt an effective strength training schedule into your Krav Maga program to improve your performance drastically.

No matter how well trained you are, using the strength training protocol given below will add sheer brute force to all your moves – making you that much more an effective fighting machine.

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR KRAV MAGA:

The major lifts - SQUATS and all its variations, DEADLIFT and all 3 variations of the Bench press are a must for Optimal Strength Training. 

If you train Krav Maga 3 days a Week, You must Strength Train 3 days a week.
On the days you practice krav maga you must do your flexibility drills.
The Strength Training regimen is as follows:

Day 1: Krav Maga

Day 2: Upper Body
Day 3: Krav Maga

Day 4: Lower Body

Day 5: Krav Maga

Day 6: Plyometrics and Explosive drills.

Day 7: ABSOLUTE REST

NOTE: though it may be tempting, NEVER overlook your rest. Take absolute rest as your body only truly grows and repairs when it is resting. The OFF DAY has as much significance as the training days. So see to it that it is genuinely a rest day & not just a rest day from Krav Maga practice & Weight Training.
Avoid all strenuous activity or sports on that day. 

But keep your nutrition on par at all days – without fail. No matter what the sport or skill set you want to progress in, if it involves strength & explosiveness, then the Nutrition protocol to be followed is Body Building Nutrition. Even if gaining muscle is not the objective, you still will need Body building nutrition to combat the degenerative catabolic effects of strenuous KravMaga practice. The body will not repair & adequately heal itself from Krav Maga practice if adequate amounts of first class proteins are not provided as per Body-Building Nutrition.

PS: Selection of Exercises in Weight Training, Plyometrics & Agility Drills plus teaching Bio-Mechanically Correct Form & Technique on each of them is the job of a qualified certified Personal Trainer. So be sure to join a gym that has the K11 Trained Logo on its media communications. 

Written by Pushkaraj S Shirke in Consultation with Kaizzad Capadia

Director of Your Fitness Club
Co-Founder and Director, K11 Fitness Academy