Scale Confusion and Plateau

A few days ago I had the opportunity to cross train at one of the other premier MMA schools in my area. After training I used the scale they have in their bathroom. 173. I left immediately for home and didn't consume anything since it's only about 20 minutes away. I jumped on my scale shortly after walking through the door. 176. This was a little bit of heartbreaker, but aside from that I was not sure which one to believe. If I wasn't trying to make a certain weight I wouldn't have even checked my weight a 2nd time, but I'm glad I did.

This may seem like a silly issue to anybody that doesn't understand how important is to somebody who is right in middle of it. This was my conclusion. The scale at the school may have 100 people step on it in a day. I step on mine 2 to 3 times a day. Their scale may be not be at its original calibration by sheer use. Also, If it were time to make weight, their scale reads 155, and I don't check mine I could be running off 3 more pounds at weigh-ins.

I'm a firm believer that my opponent should see me as healthy as possible, and should definitely not see me cutting weight. Again, this may seem like an odd issue, but I can't stress the importance enough. Day prior to weigh-ins check your weight on atleast 2 different scales. It may save you the last minute heartache.

Quick note: I haven't posted a weight update in a while. I would like to show atleast a 2 pound or more drop in weight every 3 days. As of the last week or so I haven't broken 176 (on my scale) which leads me to believe that I've plateaued. I need to tweak something in the program, and when I do I will let everyone know! I will post a weight update in the next 3 days no matter what happens. Thanks for following.

Life is good!

New Nutrition Plan

I know it's been a couple weeks without a weight update. Well as terrifying as it was to not have a scale when you're on a radical new diet it wasn't so bad. No real change. In fact it was exactly the same as when I last posted a weight update. 177.4.

I am now on the second leg of my diet. It's a little different than the diet I've been on so far. I've only been on it for a couple days, but I'm progressively lowering my portions. I'm also eating 6 times a day, 2 hours apart, and nothing after 6:oo pm except for a light (very light) meal right before bed.

Example:

9 am (breakfast): 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, salsa, 1/2 a bagel (or wheat toast), banana (grapes, apple, etc.), coffee

11 am: protein shake, apple

1 pm: 1/2 turkey sandwich with honey mustard (NO MAYO EVER!), pickle

3 pm: 1/2 turkey sandwich with honey mustard, pickle

5 pm: protein shake

(training)

9 pm: protein shake w/ glutamine for recovery

11 pm: cottage cheese and a tomato slice or a small filet of fish

As it should be breakfast will still be the largest meal to help sustain your body as it fires back up to conquer the day.

Eating every two hours in very small quantities gives your body fuel enough to survive for two hours. If you think about it your meals are probably a lot farther apart. If the meals are too large your body stores what it doesn't need as fat. If the meals are small then your body has a chance to burn it before the next meal stokes the fire.

It is now August 19th. Twelve days until September 1st, and 45 days until fight night. IT IS MY GOAL AS STATED RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW TO HAVE BROKEN IN TO THE 160'S BY SEPTEMBER 1ST.

I didn't expect to have over 300 hits at this point either. A quick thanks to all who have stopped by! Check back this weekend for some more pics or maybe even training video and another weight update!

TIRE MADNESS!

I know everyone is waiting for a weight update. Well, so am I. My school has 3 fighters fighting this Friday and one of them doesn't have a scale. I volunteered mine. No worries, my weight update can wait. However, I'm a little scared. I had a little UFC 101 get together, and a birthday party that I left the "155" reservation for.

Also, There hasn't been a ton of training for me. I assist with training my school's fighters and this week's training has been very specific for them. I have been conditioning and strength training which you'll get to see if you watch a little video we like to call "Tire Madness". Sorry about the audio problem right in the middle. Still getting my video editing feet wet.

Last, but certainly not least. Every "diet" needs before and after shots. Merely to show respect for all cheesy, but awesome magazine and infomercial before and after shots. I'm a little embarrassed about these. So much so I didn't even get my wife to take them. I set up a timer and a tripod...seriously. Be gentle...

Penn for Governor!

My Weekly Training Breakdown

"What we do upon some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we already are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline. "

~H.P. Liddon

"It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself."

~Epicurus

Ok. This has been a rough couple days for me. The problem with being a pro fighter is that at my level I still have to work to pay the bills. It's a little different for me that I don't work a standard 9 to 5, but I run my own business. It has its pros, but definitely has its cons when it comes to training.

Training is on no set schedule, but no less than 4 days a week when I don't have a fight scheduled. Now that I have a fight scheduled this will is a good representation of my training week:

Monday Evening: Ride my bike 4 miles to the school where I train. Muay Thai pad rounds followed by MMA technique, and Muay Thai/MMA sparring. MMA circuits or strength and conditioning training.

Tuesday Morning: Kettlebell & Strength work. Plyometric work.

Tuesday Evening: 15 minute treadmill sprint increasing the speed every Tuesday. No gi grappling/jiu-jitsu for 3 minute rounds for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Wednesday Evening: Ride my bike 4 miles to the school. Muay Thai pad rounds/MMA technique/MMA sparring. Circuits/Strength & Conditioning.

Thursday Morning or Evening: Kettlebell, Strength, Plyo's

Friday Evening: Ride my bike to the school. 1 hour no gi grappling. Boxing work with a pro boxer and my trainer. Boxing Sparring Rounds.

Saturday (or Sunday): Active rest. Swimming, Bike riding, etc.

Sunday (or Saturday): Kettlebell, Strength, Plyo's

Until next time! Training updates, possible weight update, and some sparring video!

Life is simple. Life is good....

Weight Update #1

My first weight update. I check my weight everyday, but it'd be too much for me to take a pic and post it everyday. In an attempt to keep everyone "on the edge of their seat" I'll post it once a week or so.

177 is pretty good progress for a week or so of dieting and working out like a madman. Especially considering that I'm drinking a gallon or more of water daily. 177 and fully hydrated. Only 22 more to go!

Also, I'm having a difficult time finding a cameraman for some of the training sessions, but next post will be a breakdown of my training week. Keep an eye out!

Life is simple. Life is good...

Nutrition, Cardio, Strength Training

Diet. Nutrition and supplementation are the most important aspect of losing weight. Dehrydation is not something I recommend at all. I've had to dehydrate myself a few times, but I feel like I've matured beyond that. Anytime I was dehydrated I felt sluggish. I was tired and miserable all the time, not to mention I'd look like the walking dead. A positive attitude only lasts so long. It's time to do it right.

When training I always like to eat food that will help me maintain lean muscle, help with recovery, and energy for training. I like to eat a large meal in the morning for sustained energy throughout the day. This is also when I like to eat my most carbs. I eat the same exact breakfast almost everyday.

For this training camp breakfast consists of:

2 eggs

3-4 egg whites

mushrooms

scrambled with a little olive oil (which is a good fat that helps with recovery)

fresh salsa

2 pieces of toast w/cream cheese (dairy, also good for recovery and calcium aids in fat loss)

1 piece of fruit

Also important (when you can afford it) is proper supplementation. I can't really suggest anything because everyone is different, but I can tell you what I like.

• Animal Pak - multi-vitamin for bodybuilders. Google it. It has a ridiculous amount of the vitamins you need to train and live on. The package says to take it twice a day. I only take one because of the sheer amount of vitamins that are in it.
• BSN Syntha 6 - It's a proprietary blend of 5 or 6 different proteins instead of standard whey protein. Plus, it's the best tasting protein powder with the least amount of fat that I've found.
• Glucosamine Powder - This is extremely important for recovery.
• N.O. Xplode - It's a nitrous oxide product that helps vascularity, which is a fancy way of saying it opens veins for better transport of oxygen, water and blood while working out. Plus, it's crazy good energy.

I don't like to over supplement because, again, I'm not trying to get jacked. I need to lose weight.

My cardio regiment will have to change for this fight. Cardio has never been an issue, but I've also never run to train for a fight. Boxer's and other MMA fighters run for miles a day! Running sucks. So I don't plan on running for miles a day.

I've always been in pretty good shape, and gotten that way by doing strength training circuits or functional MMA circuits. However, this time I will include running in the mix.

Cardio & Strength Training Plan:

• Run 3 days a week for 30 minutes increasing my speed every time until it's a sprint. Thats 2 full non title pro-fights.
• High rep, high intensity kettlebell/bodyweight/functional strength training. Functional strength training refers to sandbags, tire work, medicine balls, heavy bag work.
• High intensity MMA circuits. Kickboxing to wrestling to boxing to grappling to ground and pound bag etc.

It's important to shock the system and keep high intensity strength training workouts to 45 minutes or less. Anything more and I could actually begin to lose muscle and testosterone levels can drop to insufficient levels.

Stay tuned for some training video, pics, and the weekly scale pic update.

Life is simple. Life is good!

30 Pounds and Plyometrics...

The upcoming fight is scheduled for October 3rd. Officially, That makes 66 days until fight day. So roughly 60 days to train. I've also got 30 pounds to lose.

I've had many training "camps" before this one. The last one for my pro debut was exponentially more complete than any of the others. All the others were relatively short notice which sometimes led to problems. I'm extremely grateful to have a number of different schools in my area allowing me to cross train as well as a number of incredible "hook-ups" including a free gym membership, free chiropractic service, and access to a treadmill WHENEVER I should need it. (THANKS EVERYONE!)

A few of my goals for this camp aside from losing 30 pounds are as follows and in no particular order.

• Pay better attention to where my strikes need to land. Eyes on target. No more throwing and hoping.
• Strike and move. 3 strikes minimum after I find my range.
• Relentless pursuit of the takedowns.
• Better Scrambles. Don't think so much.
• Be a bully. Crash.

Today, I started a 10 week plyometrics program to pick up my speed. Plyometric exercises make you look and feel like an idiot, but I'm convinced they work. As with the kettlebell program I recently started I was sore less than 4 hours after the workout.

183 was my weight this morning. Morning weight is the most important to me. If I wake up, and immediately weigh myself I know how to compensate as far as meal portions go. I need to load water in order to train hard, get full, and recover correctly.

I'll dump the water the day of weigh-ins. Maybe the day before, but not a minute sooner.

Dehydrating myself to lose weight only puts a band aid over the real issue: Body fat. This is not a problem as I know I currently carry more body fat than I should. Some body fat is a necessary evil for training and general living, but I think I'm the teens as far as percentile.

Here are some of the steps I plan to take to get lean, and make the weight:

• Moderate Carb/Low Carb rotation. One day moderate to one day low carb intake.
• No carbs after 6 pm.
• Drink a gallon of water a day. Only water.
• Limit sugar intake to 20 grams a day.
• Sugar can only come from fruit or honey. Absolutely ZERO high fructose corn syrup!
• Eat every meal out of a cereal bowl for portion control. Plates tend to lead to oversize portions.

To finish: I know that some people are endowed with certain qualities and certain weaknesses, but I'm also a firm believer that you can strengthen the important qualities and destroy weaknesses with commitment and hardwork.

Now that I've crushed 3 giant bowls of my favorite meal, spaghetti with meat sauce, and I've finished off a 2 liter of my favorite drink, Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper, the party has started! Time to make 155...

Life is simple. Life is good.