There are a bunch of benefits that come with cold showers. It boosts your mood and gives you a natural high, increases alertness and focus, helps with muscle recovery after training, improves circulation, and builds mental toughness. It can also reduce inflammation and help you regulate your breathing and stress response. But honestly, you don’t really understand it until you actually do it.

This morning I decided to jump into a cold shower, and it’s still a shock every time.  My family (2 little kids and my wife) can hear me yelling from the living room lol.  I love it though! That shot of cold water wakes you up instantly, especially in the morning. Your body tightens, your breathing goes out of control for a second, and everything in you wants to step out. It’s uncomfortable, no way around it.

But if you stay in, something changes.

After a bit, your body starts to adapt. Your breathing slows down, you settle into it, and it becomes manageable. Then when you finally step out, there’s this unreal feeling. It’s almost like a runner’s high, but even better.  It’s hard to explain, but you just feel so clear, energized, ready to go. Lately I’ve been doing more of these and I feel great every time after.

If you’re new to it, don’t go all in right away. Ease yourself into it. Start with cool water, then gradually adjust it colder in small increments. You don’t even need to put your whole body in at once. You can do parts at a time and work your way up to having the water run over your whole body. That makes it a lot more manageable and helps you build tolerance.  This is the strategy I use if I'm just returning to the routine.

I also find it hits the best after training. After a hard session, a jog in the heat, or even after a sauna, the cold feels way more refreshing instead of shocking. Your body is already hot, so it balances everything out and actually feels really good.

One of the biggest things is your breathing. When you first get in, your breathing is going to go crazy. That’s normal. The key is not to rush out. Stay in until you can control your breathing again. Focus on slowing it down, especially your exhales. Once you get that under control, your body follows. That’s where a lot of the benefit comes from. You’re training yourself to stay calm under stress.  To be honest, that's one of the main reason why I do cold showers.

A couple other things that helped me, set a simple timer if you need to, even 30 to 60 seconds is enough when you’re starting. Try to stay still for a moment and let the water hit you instead of constantly moving away from it. And if you’re not ready for full cold showers yet, just end your regular shower with cold water. That alone makes a difference and helps you build the habit.  No shame in starting small.

I love cold showers in the summer and when I'm on vacation.  Why when I'm on vacation?  Not sure, maybe because I'm usually not training at the same intensity when on vacay so at least I feel productive if I do a cold shower, kinda to make up for the reduced training.  Already this year I've done 10 cold showers, and by that I mean the entire shower session was cold.  I'm going to amp up more of these showers in the summer. Don't get me wrong, hot showers are my go to, but every now and then when I need something wake me up and start my morning, a nice cold shower followed by a cup fresh brewed coffee is heavenly. Hope all is well!

Bao

Spending the weekend in Toronto, and honestly these little mini getaways have become something we really look forward to. This one is a bit different though. First time in four years where it is just Nga and I. Thanks to Chi Ha and the fam for watch our precious kids during this time.

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Probably one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a while.

I’ve been so busy with family and the business that I kind of let myself go physically these past 2 yeras. For my 5'6 frame, I got up to about near 180 lbs last fall. That’s a lot for me. I’ve always fluctuated over the years, but this time felt different. I was slower, more sluggish, and just not feeling like myself.

One of the instructors actually pulled me aside last year and said, “Bao, you’re getting fat.” I remember thinking… did he really just say that? But honestly, he wasn’t wrong. There’s nothing wrong with carrying a bit more weight, but I knew I wasn’t operating at my best, and that’s what bothered me, especially since I feel like it's my duty and job to take care of myself from a physical and health perspective.

Sometime in January 2026, I decided to intentionally do something about it. I know I’m not 20 anymore, I'm 42. I can’t cut the way I used to, and I don’t want to. So I told myself I’d do it at my own pace and focus on something I could actually sustain. Since the start of the year, I’ve gone from 175 lbs down to 163 lbs. Not a crazy fast cut like some of our fighters, but steady,  and more importantly, something I can maintain.

I’ve continued training BJJ the whole time, rolling with the team and getting my rounds in. But I noticed something I suspected would happen. As I’ve gotten better, I use less energy when I roll. My game has become more efficient. I’m not forcing things as much. Which sounds like a good thing, but it also meant I wasn’t burning weight at the same rate as I used to. That’s when I realized this weight loss thing had to come from nutrition.

I love food. I’m not going to pretend I don’t. I knew that if I tried to eat super clean and be strict with everything, I’d burn out fast. So instead of doing that, I started fasting. Most days I intermittent fast, and a couple times a week I’ll do a 24-hour fast. When I do eat, I don’t overthink it. I eat what I like, but I stop when I’m comfortably full. No extremes, no suffering, just something I can stay consistent with. And honestly, it’s been working really well.  Contrary to what some people say, I feel great and have loads of energy.  Just make sure to drink lots of water!

In the last few weeks of weeks, I added running and lifting back into the mix. I was fine fasting and training, but once I added these addtional training exercises (especially lifting), recovery became more of a factor. I started feeling more tired during rolls. So now I’m learning how to adjust and find that balance between fasting, lifting, and training without running myself into the ground.  Excuse the pun lol.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about getting shredded overnight. It’s about feeling better, moving better, and leading by example. I don’t need to be the leanest guy in the room, but I do want to be someone who practices what I preach. For all you out there struggling with commitment and discipline, I hear ya.  It happens to the best of us.  Remember what Kobe said, "Put one foot in front of the other, and keep moving forward."

I’ll continue to share my journey.

Bao
#teamLEGACY
#whatsyourlegacy


Me eating some street noodles in Vietnam. Totally look llike a fob here.


My baby girl has my foodie genes.

April 28 at the Fight Dynasty Event in Mississauga, Keneth entered the ring for the 2nd time.  Coming off a TKO victory, I was very excited to see this fight!

First round was his no question. He looked sharper, composed, and scored more points. You could see it right away. But as the fight went on, it looked to me like he started to get tired.  I know Keneth, and I know how hard this guy trains so I was a bit suprised he would get tired so quicky.  After the fight, I was told Keneth couldn’t breathe properly through both nose going into this bout!  Well, that explains it. I think that made the fight closer than it really should have been in my opinon. From the corner in between rounds, Coach Marlon and Sabrina stayed calm the whole time, no panic.  I'm always so impressed with Coach Marlon and how composed he always is in the corner (and in life).

Keneth takes a split decision win!

Night was good overall. I literally just got back from a family trip to Orlando that morning and didn’t even know if I had the energy to go but I went and I’m glad I did. Saw Chris Greig, my old coach, always nice running into him. Piru and Brett were there too and it's always nice to see them.  Bumped into Arrvy and Jess who were sitting ringside.  Keneth's brother Jordan, the tall guy in pic, used to fight for Fight Club years back so it’s cool seeing that come full circle.

A few weeks ago, Ken’s fight got cancelled because the opponent didn’t have his medical done which sucked after going through camp, but he stayed ready, same opponent, got the medical sorted and they ran it back. Ken is a solid guy, not just as a fighter but as a person. He volunteers his time every week cleaning the club for a couple of years now, does a proper job and stays consistent with it this entire time.  This really shows commitment and integrity. That stuff matters to us at Legacy. That’s why he's a Legacy Fight Good's Sponsored Athlete! He represents what we’re about.

Congratulations to Keneth on your win bud, and we can't wait to see you back in there.