Preparation is vital before an MMA fight

It is often said that a bout is won or lost before the fighters even enter the ring. This can certainly be the case with MMA as champions and challengers put their body and mind through rigorous training regimes and unforgiving mental challenges to make sure they are at their peak - before engaging in one of the toughest sports in the world.

So what can an MMA fighter do to increase his or her chances of having their arm held aloft on fight night? Here’s a look at some key factors that might just be the difference between defeat and victory.

Training 

MMA fighters use a combination of different training techniques due to the diverse nature of the sport, ensuring they are ready for anything their opponent has to throw at them. A varied approach including wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, weight training and cardio vascular exercise is great preparation for the battle ahead. A good technique is one thing, but you must make sure your body is conditioned to last the duration of the fight, so be prepared for some long days and nights in the gym.

 Nutrition

 

Train twice a day for six days a week and you’ll start to feel the effects, both good and bad. If you don’t eat correctly your body will not be able to take any more punishment and you’ll end up doing more harm than good. Eating plenty but in small quantities is the best way take on nutrition when you are training, rather like a body builder would. It’s recommended that six small meals a day is the perfect intake for what your body is going through. The healthy option is always the best but cutting out carbs isn’t a must, as it’s important that you maintain your energy levels. Many trainers promote the idea of a “cheat meal” once a week, maybe a pizza, steak or chips, as a reward for all your hard work – in regulation of course.

Supplements 

Putting your body through, what is essentially physical torture for up to six weeks is bound to take its toll. When you train you are basically teaching your body to do things it couldn’t before, through pressure and hard work. Over time, if you don’t supplement your body for what it is losing during training, workouts will just become a waste of time.  Any good MMA shop will offer a wide range of protein supplements to ensure that your training regimes are not becoming harmful and you can maximise your recovery period.

Equipment

A good workman should never blame his tools. But if you don’t have the correct equipment from the start, you’ll be severely hampering your chances when it comes to progressing as an MMA contender. There’s no point training with old or second hand gear and then buying new kit for a big fight, as you’ll still be getting used to it when the bout comes around. It may seem like an expensive outlay initially but think of it as an investment for the long term – making sure your fight gear feels comfortable and gives you the freedom to perform to your true ability in the octagon.

The Key To Weight Loss

A report issued by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in February 2013 reveals some worrying statistics about weight gain in the UK. In 2011/12 only 34% of men and 39% of women had a normal body mass index, and even more alarmingly, the numbers of people who are admitted to hospital because of obesity has tripled in the last five years - last year around 3,000 men and over 8,000 women needed treatment due to their weight.

Losing weight is a challenging process with many obstacles to overcome and a great deal of confusing and sometimes contradictory information. In actual fact the key to weight loss is very simple: eat fewer calories than you burn and your weight will go down. The difficulties arise in knowing exactly how to go about achieving this apparently simple aim and, crucially, in making sure you don’t put the weight back on again in the future. Here is an introduction to some of the basic principles of safe weight loss.

Nutrition
There are thousands of different kinds of diets, all of them promising that their way is the best. Basically, you need to make sure that you consume fewer calories (energy), but don’t miss out on the vitamins or minerals that your body always needs. For women, a diet which provides between 1,000 and 1,200 calories a day is recommended, and for men those figures are 1,200 to 1,600.

Be careful of what are known as very low calorie diets (VLCDs) such as the Grapefruit or Hollywood Diet. These tend to involve eating the same types of low calorie foods and only provide around 800 calories a day. With a diet like this, the chances are that you will lose weight fast, but you won’t be getting enough energy and the diet will be very hard to maintain. Many people give up after a while and end up going back to their previous unhealthy lifestyle, and naturally they put the weight back on.

Exercise
At the same time as you cut the amount of calories you consume, you also need to make sure that you get plenty of exercise. It is the right balance of diet and exercise that will ensure that you lose weight safely, and become a fitter, leaner person in the long term. An hour’s worth of a cardiovascular activity each day should be enough for most people to see the benefits. Find something you enjoy; if the exercise you’re doing is making you miserable you will be unlikely to stick at it. Running is an excellent means of losing weight, but be careful not to do too much too soon, as it can put a strain on your joints, particularly the knees. Swimming is a good alternative as it tones your arms and legs without putting them under any undue pressure. Other forms of exercise worth trying out are cycling, hiking and even kayaking.

Sensible Approach
With both the diet and the exercise, it is important to go at a steady pace. Sudden, dramatic weight loss or too much exercise all at once will put your body under a lot of pressure, and in the long run you will be less likely to keep your weight down. The actual figures vary for each person of course, but a general rule of thumb for safe weight loss is as follows:

Eating around 1,200 calories and exercising for about an hour each day, should result in the steady loss of around two pounds per week.

If you are unsure about anything concerning diets and exercise, check with your doctor first. As long as you don’t expect miracles, and you adopt a sensible approach, there is every chance you will be able to attain your desired weight.

Guest Post By: Wildmoor Spa & Health Club

Keeping Fit with Cancer

Dealing with cancer can be an emotional experience for anyone. Luckily, there have been advancements in cancer treatments, and doctors are able to more effectively treat these diseases. Mesothelioma and other aggressive cancers are now able to be treated more successfully because of these advancements. Even though treatment has advanced tremendously, the cancer patient can do many things to help his or her response to the treatment. A great way for a cancer patient to improve his or her health is to participate in some type of exercise program. The patient can participate in this program individually, or he or she can participate as part of a group.

Before the cancer patient begins the exercise program, he or she should make sure to speak with their doctor. Once the patient begins the exercise program, he or she will begin to strengthen different parts of his or her body. Not only will the exercise strengthen parts of the body, but it will also allow the individual to shed unnecessary fat, lower his or her blood pressure, and give him or her more energy throughout the day. Lack of energy is one of the main effects that cancer treatments has on a person.

Cancer can affect many parts of the body; therefore, the unaffected parts of the body should be kept in good working condition. Exercise is known for its ability to fight off diseases, so as the person exercises, he or she decreases the risk of the cancer spreading to the other body parts. Furthermore, as the person exercises more, he or she is able to strengthen the parts of the body that are already affected by the cancer.

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, he or she will experience many different emotions. Two of the most common emotions are anger and sadness. With exercise, the person will be able to improve his or her mood. Exercise releases endorphins throughout the body, which are the chemicals that allow the mind to experience feelings of pleasure.

Unless a person has gone through cancer, he or she may not understand how much it affects the body. It will affect a person physically and emotionally; however, if exercise routines are done during this time, the person can improve his or her prognosis and overall health.