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LUNCH WITH JAMES ANDREW OF WIJW

July 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
It had been about a year since I saw my good friend James. So we decided to catch up with lunch at Blue Smoke, one of my favorite BBQ spots in NYC.  James is the man behind the huge blog, WIJW (What Is James Wearing). In typical positive James fashion (excuse the pun) he reminded me of the power or meditation and visualization as a way to achieve all your goals. We also talked a lot about the shoot and interview we did for his blog, so I wanted to share the really cool post with you.

HERE IT IS—–

Some of you may know the story of how WIJW came to be – the cat calls I’d receive at the gym for my usual (slightly over the top?) outfits – I’d come in with my citron yellow jeans or a dusty rose suede safari jacket and there’d always be a “Hey Jimmy – whatcha got on today?” Of course I’d be tickled by the response I was getting, but I didn’t really see the opportunity I had until I started fitness training with the amazing Ngo Okafor. It was in fact Okafor who, with huge foresight, suggested I make a blog based on my fashion sense. It did take some friendly insistence from him over the next month or so, but I eventually called on Alex Scott to help create what we now know as What is James Wearing?! Tonight’s post is a tribute to Okafor’s persistence and the push he gave me to get this all to happen!As a model, Okafor has worked with major superstars like Gisele, and Mary J. Blige, and he’s currently featured in a huge Under Armour campaign. Okafor has acted in several TV shows as well, including Six Degrees, The Rebound with Catherine Zeta-Jones, and he has just finished work on an upcoming feature film, “Jeremy Fink and the meaning of life.” Okafor is currently at work on a feature-length documentary, which chronicles his journey from Nigeria to the top of the boxing world. “I really want the film to inspire people to dream big and work hard,” says Okafor.  “That’s always been my mantra and so far so good.”Be looking for his 2011 calendar which will be out soon, with proceeds going to raise funds for up-and-coming boxing stars in Nigeria.Ngo Okafor male model Boxing Champion and James Andrew of WIJW

Ngo Okafor male model Boxing Champion and James Andrew of WIJWSo to my dear friend Ngo – thank you for pushing me to become a better version of myself and for being so completely inspirational to us all – may your star continue to rise!

by

Ngo Okafor

THE MOST DOWNLOADED BLACK MALE MODEL

www.getingo.com

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EVEN A BRICK WANTS TO BE SOMETHING

July 9, 2011 By 1 Comment

“Even a brick wants to be something”. This was a line from one of my favorite films, ‘Indecent Proposal’ . If you haven’t seen this film, put it on your Netflix list of must-sees immediately. I was up late last night watching a lot of boxing and classic movies. I happened to catch the last 30 minutes of ‘Indecent Proposal’ and was reminded of the days when films were original and beautiful acted. A time when films were crafted out of simple life stories. Unlike these days, when there seems to be a lack of creativity in the film business. These days, it’s all about remakes and ridiculous numbers of sequels. I love Rocky and I love Sly Stallone, but if I see a trailer for another Rocky Balboa film, I would be pissed. Vin Diesel and Jason Statham are my top action actors, but if I see an ad for another ’Fast and The Furious’ or ‘Transporter’, I will lose it!

These days, there seems to be some level of fear when it comes to making films based on original life stories. The fear is that these films may not succeed. No business person wants to lose money. When producers do a remake or sequel, they bank on recovering their investment by banking on emotional viewers. People will line up to see these films because of the way the original version made them feel. People love traveling back in time to reminisce about their younger years or lost youth.

Much of this fear can be blamed on the economy. Many producers are less likely to take  risks in a down economy. Movie goers are much more selective about what they see. I know I am. As an actor, I used to see everything that came out, but now, I’m more selective. I still see a many films, but no where near the way I used to in the past.

Fear stunts creatitivity, but you can’t make a film without money. Catch 22!

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DON’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!

July 7, 2011 By 2 Comments

PLEASE…PLEASE…PLEASE…I am obligated to begin this post with this disclaimer. Guys…I only say ’DON’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER’ when it comes to business, acheiving career and life goals. When a girl says no to you, NO means NO. OK, now that we got that out of the way, lets move on.

To survive and succeed in the entertainment business, you cannot let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. You cannot take no for an answer. When I decided that I was going to compete in the Golden Gloves, many people in my life told me that I couldn’t do it. My friends told me that I was too old to compete. They told me that the younger guys who have been boxing their entire lives were going to kill me. Some of the coaches in the boxing gym would laugh at me when I started boxing and they told my trainer not to waste his time with me. Whatever their reasons or motivation for saying the things they said, they had nothing to do with me. I believed that I had something to offer. I believed that I could work hard and win. I didn’t care what all those people said about me. It hurt to hear it, but I used it as fuel for my fire. If I ever felt tired and not in the mood to train, I would remember those people. I would remember their laughter. I would remember their negative comments. That would make me get up and run or hit the bag for a few more rounds.

The same thing happened with modeling. Many people including agents told me that I wouldn’t make it. They told me that I was too muscular and too tall. They said that I would not be able to fit the clothes. Once again, I knew that I had what it took to make. If one man…or woman can do it, so can I! When I was selected for the Wall Street Journal Magazine editorial, I was so excited. It was huge. I was selected over Roy Jones Jr. When I got to the WSJ office, they looked at me, saw the muscles and felt that I wouldn’t be able fit the suits they had. I told them to just hand me the jacket. They reluctantly did. I proceeded to slip into it without a problem. They all looked shocked. I then put on the pants and shocked them even further. They didn’t have to tailor my suit at all. They had to tailor the suits for all the other guys. After nearly 10 years on top of my game, they are all “fans of my work”. They all become fans of your work when they can’t knock you down. They have no choice but to join you.

Check out the Wall Street Journal Magazine image-

Ngo Okafor male model in the wall Street Journal Magazine

Ngo Okafor African Male Model Actor in the wall Street Journal Magazine

We have to believe in ourselves or else no one will. Once you belive, your body has no choice but to follow. The same goes with exercise or work. Once you want to change your life and become better, everything and everyone will follow. NEVER TAKE NO AN ANSWER

NEVER TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER

by

Ngo Okafor

THE MOST DOWNLOADED BLACK MALE MODEL

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YOU WANNA SEE MY WHAT?!

July 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ngo Okafor African American Black Male Model

Ngo Okafor African American Black Male Model

I always wonder why people in relationships send nude pictures with their faces showing. yeah..yeah..yeah…you’re supposed to trust the person you’re in a relationship with, but they are sometimes not the problem. Especially in this day and age where every time we turn around, there is a sex tape or nude pics of some celebrity leaked. And then you have that dumb ass politician who sent his pictures on twitter for billions to see. Once these pictures or videos are taken and sent out, they can be hacked on your end or on your lover’s end.

Once your picture is sent, there is a great chance that the data sent can be hacked or intercepted. Although Wifi connections  are extremely convenient (sorry to burst the bubble of all you Starbucks wifi users), they are extremely vulnerable to hacking. Your computer can be seen on these public wifi networks. Once your computer is found, any low level hacker can view your files, acquire passwords and oh no…download all your butt naked pictures!!

Lately, there have been several such leaks. Celebrity computers and phones that have been ‘hacked’ include Cassie, Rihanna, Amber Rose and most recently Blake Lively. Some of these images were leaked in order to enhance careers. As they say, no publicity is bad publicity. As long you are being talked about, you continue to stay relevant. I don’t agree with this school of thought, but then again, what do I know. Amber Rose on the other hand has suffered from this leak. It has been reported that her agent dropped her after the pictures came out. All the projects that they had lined up for her have all gone up in smoke as well.

So, the next time you are away on business or vacation and your loved one tells you to send them a naughty picture, politely decline. If do decide to do it, please crop out your head. You never ever know!!!

Ngo Okafor

www.getingo.com

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THAT’S LIFE

July 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

I just looked at my blog and sawthat the last post that I wrote was on the 21st of June. Even before then, my writting has significantly diminished as I continue to I get over the death of Ogbogu. I miss Ogbogu, but time has continued the heal the rawness of the pain. I’m learning that the pain will continue to be a part of who I am. It will be a part of my family’s life forever and it’s ok. We are all learning how to deal with it. Everyday when I see a picture, a video or the t-shirts for Ogbogu’s funeral, I feel my heat drop. I can’t believe that it has been over two months since we lost him.

When I came back from London, I went right to work. I felt that I had lost so much time and had to go on overdrive in order to make up for the time that I had lost. I was in the gym the day after I got back. I had a photo shoot 3 days after I got back to NYC. I felt that this was what I had to do in order to get back on top of my game. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t getting enough sleep. Getting back to being busy again, as quickly as possible was what I thought that I needed to do. I was able to do that, but I didn’t pay attention to the fact that my body was breaking down. Onward and upward! No time to look back.

I continued to push until my body said STOP! The mind can only over ride the body for so long. I came down with the flu late on the saturaday evening. I felt terrible, not just because I had a massive headache, severe joint pains and high fever, but I was pissed off that I was going to lose more time. I felt that I was getting back into a groove and BOOM! Your body will tell you when it needs you to chill the hell out. And now I have no choice but to sit at at home and do nothing. I hated it at first, but I’m coming to terms with it now. I haven’t taken this much medication in nearly 10 years, but it is necessary. I don’t think I’ve slept this much since I was a baby. It actually feels good now.

This weekend, I’m going to relax, watch tennis (even though the Williams sisters are out of Wimbledon) and movies. I also have the several marathons of ‘Law and Order’ to keep me company. Stay warm and out of trouble this July 4th weekend.

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NGO’S NEW ARTICLE ON MODELS OF DIVERSITY WEBSITE

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ngoli Onyeka Okafor is a Nigerian-American male model, two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion and actor.He is also famous for being the most downloaded black male model in the world.Let’s find out what drives this ambitious man who took the time to answer some questions for Suzanne Fatta of Models of Diversity on 5 June, 2011…
S Ngo black male model and lil KimF:Thanks so much for your support of Models of Diversity! I’m sure our community would like to get to know you more, so can you tell us about yourself – where were you born? It sounds like you had a very stimulating and diverse experience growing up.NGO:I was born in Massachusetts in the United States. My dad was getting his PhD at Harvard University when I was born. When he was done, he wanted to use his knowledge to help develop Nigeria and he also wanted his children to grow up in Nigeria and learn the culture.

SF: You’re famous for being the most downloaded black male model, but can you explain what that means? Is there a governing board out there that keeps track of such things, or do you have assistants counting up YouTube views?

NGO: The term ‘most downloaded’ is determined by the search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, Bing etc. They track articles, images, mentions and website traffic regarding a person. I have more articles, images and more traffic to my website than any other black male model. With regards to YouTube views, I have worked hard to put forward videos that stimulate people and make them want to share them. My YouTube channel has over 600,000 views. Once a video goes viral, the rest is history.

Ngo Okafor Black male modelSF: Your devotion to fitness led to modelling work, which led to acting. Do you find it hard to juggle the demands of three careers at once? How do you prioritize?

NGO: I don’t find it difficult to juggle all three facets of my career. They are all performing arts, so each one helps the other. Practice is key. When I am doing workshops in acting class, it helps my modelling. When I’m working out in the gym, I work on relaxing while strengthening my body which helps both modelling and acting.

SF: You’ve been featured in Vogue, Fortune Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Vibe, The Source, ESPN Magazine, and W, among others. What advice would you give to aspiring male models out there?

NGO: My advice to any aspiring model is to recognise what your strengths are. Find out what separates you from everyone else and perfect it. That is what will give you longevity in the business. Hard work, focus and perseverance are very important as well. This is not an overnight business. It takes time. There will be a lot of rejection before you get a ‘yes’.

SF: Do you find your academic and business background helps you in your career choices?

NGO: I do. My computer savvy helps me in my business because it helps me to edit my images and my videos. It also comes in handy when doing marketing, both online and off.

SF: Have you ever experienced racial prejudice in the sports or entertainment worlds? You mention that you met some adversity in the early stages of your career.

NGO: Of course I have. For example, I have worked on dozens of issues of a particular men’s magazine, but have never been offered the cover. They would rather give it to a white model that is nowhere near the shape that I’m in.

SF: You are very generous and honest, sharing your story with your fans on Twitter and your blog. Have you been told you’re an inspiration to your community? What do you think the importance of inspiration or mentoring is?

NGO: I believe that we are born with talents and gifts. My gift is to inspire and motivate people. I’m happy to see that I am able to use my gift to influence people and change lives. It is important to inspire and motivate people looking to get in the business because although it is tough, someone has to show that with hard work, anything is possible.

ngo okafor african american male model in wall street journalSF: You’ve been in the UK a few weeks now … do you notice any differences in the modelling and fashion industries on either side of the Atlantic?

NGO: I definitely see a difference. It is very clear. In America, every other commercial (print or TV) has a person of colour in it. Most corporations do a commercial geared to wards the white market and they also another one to cater to the non-white community. Here in London (and the UK in general), you can look at several print ads and commercials and not see one person of colour. There is just no colour representation. No one is fighting for us except you, Models of Diversity!

SF: Are you involved in any social causes or charities? And what do you do for relaxation?

NGO: I involved in a charity program that I created which will provide under privileged kids in Nigeria and Africa with boxing equipment. This process will be filmed as part of my documentary which I’m currently working titled ‘The Triumph Of The Will’. This film will be available on DVD when it is completed.

SF: OK, so you’ve risen to the very top of the heap in athletics and modelling, and are climbing up as an actor. Any more dreams, goals or ambitions? What’s next for Ngo?

NGO: I would like to add ‘filmmaker’ to my list of titles. As I mentioned above, I’m working on my documentary, titled ‘The Triumph Of The Will’. It is a film that will chronicle my journey from Nigeria to United States and on to the top of the modelling and boxing world.

SF:Thank you so much for giving us your time and support. We wish you all the best and will be cheering you on all the way from the UK!

NGO: Thank you so much for having me. I truly appreciate all the love and support.

You can learn more about Ngoli at…

www.getingo.com
www.youtube.com/user/NGOTV
www.twitter.com/catchngo
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TO CARB OR NOT TO CARB? THAT IS THE QUESTION

June 21, 2011 By 1 Comment
Ngo OKafor on a Clikque Magazine cover

Ngo OKafor on a Clikque Magazine cover

I would like to thank Carleen, a reader of my blog, for sending in a nutrition and fitness question. The question and my response are below. Please check it out 

QUESTION

Please make some suggestions on what would work for a seroiusly over weight mother. Would the low carb system work for me? If it is, sould I consider it a lifestyle change? I tried it before and the weight cane off really fast, can you over do the low carb plan? Would weight training to a lesser extent be good too? Thanks in advance

 MY RESPONSE

Hi Carleen,

Reducing your carb and sugar intake will definitely help. Lower your rice, pasta, potato and white bread intake. The most important thing to keep in mind while on the subject of nutrition is portion size. If you can control the amount of food consumed, that will make big a difference. Smarter carb choices are oatmeal, whole grain bread, whole grains and vegetables.

In the begining, when you you are trying to get your weight under control or if you are trying to get your weight to a healthy place, more extreme measures should be taken such as eating just lean meats and vegetables. When your weight is under control, it might be a good idea to relax the diet a little so that you don’t crash. Eat smaller meals throughout the day. Exercise is also important. Cardiovascular exercise such as walking, low-impact fitness classes are great choices to aid weight loss. The reason I suggest low-impact classes is that most of the time, when a person is overweight, running and jumping exercises put dangerous amounts of pressure on joints such as the knees, hips and ankles. Consistency with any exercise routine is key. Please consult your doctor before resumimg any exercise routine.

It is important to build lean muscle to help burn fat. The muscle building process continues well after the strength training exercise is done. The lean muscle building process continues to burn fat throughout the day and even while you are asleep.

BY NGO

THE MOST DOWNLOADED BLACK MALE MODEL AND ACTOR

WWW.GETINGO.COM

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THE TRUE TEST

June 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday was a workout day that many exercise enthusiasts dread…LEG DAY!! Yes, I’m on the list as one of those people who dread leg day. No matter how much I dread it, it must be done. You don’t want to be that guy or girl, who has nice looking upper body, but no legs. The true test for me to know that I’m truly back to form was to do a leg workout. Working out your legs not only strengthens the leg muscles, doing leg exercises actually strengthens your entire body. This is true because the muscles in the leg are so big that training them requires demands higher levels of adrenaline and testosterone in the body. The elevation of testosterone in the body makes the entire body stronger.

My workout yesterday, by my standards was slightly above average. It didn’t reach machine status. I like to train at machine status. Machine status is the point at which my level of endurance is so high and I am able to push past all kinds of physical pain. Yesterday was good, but not quite there. I made a video that shows a cross-section of my workout. Check it out below.

 

I started the workout by running 2 miles on the treadmill. I started my run at 7.0 mph and then sped up to 9.0 mph. I then finished off the second mile by running at 10.0 mph. That was a tough run, but the harder you run the easier it gets. I then got on the Keiser exercise bike and rode for 20 minutes on high gear. After my cardio, I did a Squat/Deadlift/Ab twist circuit for 20 minutes, non-stop. This was brutal. It started out ok, but as time went on, it got more difficult. I did the workout with my good friend, Matt Townsend, a trainer at Peak Performance. We did this 20 minute workout because we didn’t have a lot of time and I really wanted to test the endurance of my leg muscles. A big shout out to Matt for shooting this video.

My legs were already toast after running and riding the bike, but in my mind, I believe that the quickest way for me to get back in top shape is to push myself to the limit. Most of working out is mental. Once you decide that you want to change your body, your body has no choice to follow. The mind is the general and the body is the rest of the platoon. If you keep that in mind, there is nothing you cannot achieve.

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I’M BAAAAAACK….FINALLY

June 15, 2011 By 2 Comments
Ngo okafor African American Male model

Ngo okafor African American Male model

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a photo shoot on monday. The image to the left  is one of the images from the shoot. I’m very happy with the outcome. The image was exactly what I had in my head. I love it when a plan comes together! In addition to the shoot, I started my new training program in earnest, on monday. As I write, I have four eggs in a pot, boiling. This is a technique that I learned back in the day. Many people say that they are too busy to cook and eat breakfast in the morning, so I came up with this idea. You can put some eggs on the stove to boil and then jump in the shower. By the time you get out of the shower, they are done. You eat them with some oatmeal and off you go. At the risk of sounding like my mother or your’s, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

My plan for this training program is to build my endurance back up in order to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (running, exercise bike or boxing) everyday and then and lift weights afterwards. On monday, I wanted to work on boxing technique, so I ended up boxing for about an hour. Technique work is not as intense as doing drills because with technique work, I’m trying to perfect a movement as opposed to drills, which are intended to exhaust you. When I’m training for a project such as a calendar, getting my body as muscular and as lean as possible is paramount. Cardio is king! I try to do as much cardio as I can everyday. In order not to look too skinny, I lift very heavy weights for every body part. I also watch what I eat. I try to keep my carbohydrate intake low and my protein in take high. I don’t like vegetables, but I make sure that I include some greens in my diet.

After my boxing training, I did a workout for my back. I started by doing pullups. I did four sets of pullups. As I write this, I see now that I have to attach images of these exercises in order for the reader to fully understand what the movement entails and what the movement looks like. It will also help the reader do the exercise properly. My first set of pullups was with just my body weight. For the second set, I attached a 45lb plate to a lifting belt and used that to add resistance to my pullup. For the third and fourth sets, I added another 45lb plate. When I was done with the  pullups, I walked over to a bench and did dumbell bent-over rows (another reason for pictures). I also did four sets of this exercise. I used 70lb, 80lb, 90lb, and 100lb dumbells respectively. That was tough because I hadn’t lifted weight that heavy in a long time. Onward and upwards! I was exhausted, but I had to keep going. I had to do at least three different exercises for my back.

Next I did four sets of seated rows (insert picture(s), I know..I know). I made the weight selection for this exercise heavy as well. While I did these exercises, I did abdominal exercises in between sets. My goal for this new calendar is to make abs look even more defined than ever. No matter how good you think you look, you can always look better. There is always a body part that can be improved upon. I will make another video on thursday to show you my progress.

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THE WORLD IS FULL OF EXCUSES, BUT NOBODY IS LISTENING

June 14, 2011 By 2 Comments

THE WORLD IS FULL OF EXCUSES, BUT NOBODY IS LISTENING. This was a my quote that my dad would say to my brothers and I when we would bring home a bad grade or if failed strive to our fullest potential. We would give all kinds of reasons why we didn’t achieve the best result and he would sit there, with this look on his face and say “The world is full of excuses, but nobody is listening”. I hated that quote. As I got older, I realized that the quote was true. Nobody was listening. Everybody has got their own problems and do not have time to hear why you didn’t succeed.

Ngo Okafor for Schott NYC ad on billboards nationwide

Ngo Okafor for Schott NYC ad on billboards nationwide

I had a photo shoot yesterday. I had an idea for a series of images that I wanted to create and called on my photographer friend, Jadee, to shoot it. I like working with Jadee because he gets my vision. I can tell him what I see in my head and he can bring it to life. Many photographers cannot get out of the way of the creative process. They would rather do it their own way instead of collaborating with the model in order to produce the best image. I will put the images up shortly.

While on the shoot, I had a chat with one of the younger models on set and it went like this - Younger model(YM)- Are you a boxer? Me- Yes, I am.(YM) What gym do you train out of? Me-Mendez boxing. YM-Why don’t you train at Gleason’s gym in Brooklyn?. Then I looked at him. That was the question that most people ask when they have no belief in themselves. They ask this question because they believe that the gym you go to will make you a better fighter. Very wrong! When I started training at Mendez boxing gym, it was new and nobody had heard of it. People questioned why I went there. I did so because it was quiet and I could think and work without some idiot trainer trying to tell me all the things I was doing wrong. But then after me and a few of the fighters started winning Golden Gloves, everybody wanted to come and train at Mendez. I ecouraged him to become be a leader and pave the way and not follow.

The younger model then asked me if I lifted weights. This is another question asked by people who don’t want to work hard. If you want to box for fun, then it’s ok not to work extremely hard. But if you want to fight, you better train every muscle in your body. It is life or death in that ring. When I’m in the ring, I’m looking to break every bone in my opponents body. If I can hit them and make them explode into a million tiny little pieces, I would. If you don’t have muscle to protect your bones and your organs, you will get killed in there. It is not a joke. All the great fighters lifted weights. Mike Tyson, Roy JOnes Jr., Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquaio, Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins; they all lifted weights. Bernard just won a world title a few weeks ago, at the age of 46. He beat a champion who was 18 years younger than him and made the champion look like a beginner. You can’t do that if you don’t strengthen your body by lifting weights. Bernard trained his butt off in order to make this happen. He did not make excuses. You know why?…

BECAUSE NO BODY WAS LISTENING!!

By

Ngo Okafor

The most downloaded black male model and actor

www.getingo.com

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DON’T WASTE YOUR DEATH, BY NOT LIVING YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST

June 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ngo Okafor African American Male model and Actor

Ngo Okafor African American Male model and Actor

While at the gym last week, I ran into a friend and trainer that I had seen since before I left for London. He offered his condolences for Ogbogu’s death. We had a long chat about life, death and loss. He then told a great quote; “Don’t waste your death, by not living your life to the fullest”. WOW!! That is such a powerful quote. It is powerful because we are all going to die, it is a date that none of us can put off, but living is a choice. Living our lives to the fullest is something that we all can control. We can choose to live in fear and accomplish nothing or be fearless, grab life by the horns and leave a great legacy behind. Thank you Robert for that quote.

I worked out on saturday and what a hard workout it was. I was just going to Peak Performance, my gym, to do some cardio and light a light leg workout until I ran into Sean Webb, a trainer at Peak. He had the great idea that we should do a prowler workout. The prowler is a piece of equipment which looks like a sled. It weighs 75lbs and the friction between the prowler and floor makes it difficult to push. Sean wanted us to do 3 ’Prowler Pushes’  and 3 sets of ‘Prowler tows’. A prowler push is an exercise where you hold the prowler, lock out your arms in front of you and push forward with your legs. We had to go four lengths of the gym floor for one set. The prowler  tow is where you pull the prowler which is attached to a cable. Check out the video below to see the workout (that’s Sean waving to the camera):

Sean asked me to give him 15 minutes before we start the workout,so I had the bright idea to run two miles while waiting for him. That was a bad idea! The workout was brutal. My legs had never burned so badly. After the first two lengths of the gym floor, my legs burned so badly that I didn’t know how I was going to do the next two lengths of the gym floor, and that was just the first set. I had to 3 more!! For the Prowler push we used two 25kg plates in addition to the weight of the prowler for a total of 185 lbs (in addition to the friction). For the prowler tow, we added 100 lb sand bag for a total of 285 lbs. I followed this up with abs. Please don’t these abdominal exercises if your abs and lower back are not very strong. Consult your doctor.

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CAN I GET A JUMP START…. PLEASE

June 11, 2011 By 4 Comments

I got up and ate 6 scramabled eggs. I wanted to eat some oatmeal, but after eating the eggs, I had lost my appetite for it. Oatmeal is a good source of protein, carbs and fiber. It gives me energy for my wotkout in the morning. I got to the gym yesterday at 11:45am. I planned to start working out at 12, but when I got there, there were trainers there that I didn’t see the day before. So, I stopped and caught up with the guys. That was a lot of fun. By the time I got through talking to everyone, it was nearly 2:15. I went into the studio and hit the bag for about 15 minutes. It felt really foreign to me. I didn’t throw a single punch while I was in London. I didn’t even shadowbox.

Ngo Okafor

Ngo Okafor

I decided that for friday, saturday and sunday, I would do chest, legs and bag respectively. For chest I would do the following -

  • bench press/situps/leg raise combo
  • Seated chest press/seated ab twists/ab roll outs combo
  • Standing chest flyes

It took a while to get going. I felt like I needed a jumpstart. Today, a workout partner would have come in handy. I finally got to it. I did 4 sets of the bench press/situps/leg raise combo. I followed that up with the Seated chest press/seated/ab twists/ab roll outs combo. I then finished up with standing chest flyes. I started sweating towards the end of the workout. I usually run or do some intense cardio exercise before I start lifting. I really needed to push through workout in order to get over the rust. It felt really good to get it in. Once it was done, I felt better. Now that this first workout is out of the way, all the others will flow.

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NEW BEGINING

June 10, 2011 By 3 Comments

As I mentioned in my post, I went to the gym yesterday. I also said that I would document the entire process of me getting back in top shape, in addition to documenting the training process for my 2012 calendar which will be shot in Nigeria. I have attached to this post, a video, that I shot yesterday at the gym. i shot the video right before I started my workout. Check out the way my looks in the video and the it looked on the 2011 calendar cover image below the video. The purpose of this video is to show that you can change, no matter what. Here it is:

 

Ngo Okafor 2011 Calendar Cover

Ngo Okafor in his 2011 Calendar Cover

 

I didn’t do much of  a workout yesterday. I spent most of my time in the gym catching up with my friends. I hadn’t seen them in so long. Today will be the day of reckoning. No excuses. I will also share my workouts and nutrition throughout this training process. Stay tuned

Filed Under: CATCH NGO, NGO OKAFOR Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,