Creatine: It Works!
Jul/090
I don’t use too many supplements these days, it’s easy to believe the hype and spend loads of money on supplements that don’t really produce results. However there are a few that are definitely worth your hard earned money, Creatine is one of them. Take a look at this study:
Creatine Prevents Losses In Strength And Muscle Size During Immobilization:
Muscle mass, strength and endurance decrease rapidly during immobilization following an injury or surgery. Creatine monohydrate boosts muscle size and strength in athletes, older adults and people suffering from degenerative diseases. Canadian researchers, led by Adam Johnson, found that creatine supplements (5 grams, four times per day) prevented muscle deterioration in young men with arms immobilized in plaster casts for two seven-day periods. Casting without creatine caused a 3.7 percent decrease in muscle mass, a 21.5 percent decrease in strength and a 43 percent decrease in muscle endurance. During creatine supplementation, muscle mass actually increased slightly, while strength and muscle endurance decreased by only 4.1 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively. Creatine monohydrate supplements prevent large losses in muscle mass, strength, and endurance in cast-immobilized limbs in young men. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, in press; published online in January 2009)
Now you can bank on those kind of results! Don’t bother wasting your money on the expensive stuff loaded with sugar either, a 500g tub should only cost you $15 bucks or so.
In Fighting Shape: for the working man
Jul/092
A fighters workout regime is dedicated, intense, and disciplined. It demands a full commitment from the fighter and allows for little to no leeway. Here is what a traditional Maui Thai fighters day looks like:
- Wake up at 6:00 a.m. and stretch for approximately 30 minutes.
- Perform a five-mile run, partially up hill, at a moderate pace.
- Follow the run with at least 30 minutes of shadow-boxing with three or five pound weights in each hand.
- At least one hour of pad work follows with an instructor.
- After the pad work is complete and each student has had three or four rotations with the instructor, sparring begins.
- Following the morning training a meal is enjoyed and he is free to rest and nap at will.
- At 5:00 p.m., the second session of the day is held.
- This training is usually six days a week, with Saturdays off.
Most of us can’t afford that time or commitment. However that doesn’t mean we cannot train with the intensity and core motions that most fighters swear by. By keeping your workouts focused (STOP CHATTING IN THE GYM!) and intense (Think: survival!) we can see the same results that a ring ready fighter has. These break out into three levels, Mental Fitness, Physical Fitness, and Heart (toughness). Mental and physical fitness can be trained and acquired, heart is one of these thing you either have or you don’t, but that won’t stop us from getting the first two covered!
One way we can beef our mental and Physical fitness is through conditioning. When we train we need to push our body’s to a place we are uncomfortable with, and then go even harder. It’s very easy to start jogging or walking off before the routine is done, you need to force yourself to fight through that wall. Tell yourself that you can go a little longer, believe it, then do it! Try this conditioning program, don’t make excuses, and finish the whole thing!
Do 5 x 5 minute rounds, rest 60 seconds in between (don’t give up):
- 1 min x Kettle bell Swings (at least 55lbs) single or double handed you choose
- 1 min x Jump Rope (sprinting in place style)
- 1 min x Overhead medicine ball slams
- 1 min x Squat jumps
- 1 min x Burpees to finish off the round
Remember, our physical fitness is only as good as our mental fitness, push yourself and enjoy the rewards!
Viking Steak
Jul/091
Its summer, steak is king! Here’s an easy healthy recipe that works with the natural viking diet. It’s a twist on pepper steak that tastes great!
Viking Pepper Steak:
1 pound round steak cut 1/2 inch thick
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1/2 cup pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1 dash of garlic salt
1/4 cup water
2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
Cut meat in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, then crosswise into thin slices. Brown meat in olive oil, then add onion, pepper, pineapple, and tomato; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in water, and sprinkle on garlic salt, and cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve on a bed of shredded carrots.
MMA Week: Couture Training
Jul/090
In honor of UFC 100 coming up this weekend, I decided to share a few workouts for those of you interested in getting your body into fighting shape. I will post training tactics this week that will focus on explosive movements and core power, two key factors in getting your body ready for the cage. Today I will discuss a true MMA training staple, The Randy Couture workout.
Randy Couture is an American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, former collegiate wrestler, and the former heavyweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Couture is one of only two UFC fighters to have held a championship title in two different divisions (heavyweight and light heavyweight) while in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the other fighter being BJ Penn), as well as the only five-time champion in UFC history. Couture is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, and many consider him to be the most popular fighter in MMA history. His training techniques are guaranteed to be brutal and whip you into shape in a hurry! One of his most popular routines was a complex series he used to supplement his training. I recommend you try to mix this workout into your routine 3 times a week.
For this workout, do all the reps without letting go of the bar for the best conditioning effect:
I recommend you start with the 45lb empty bar and work up (depending on your base conditioning). Remember this is not a strentgh workout, its about fitness and endurance.
Do the following without stopping, that’s 1 set. Rest one minute, do 3-5 sets.
- Bent rows x8
- Upright rows x8
- Military press x8
- Good morning x8
- Lunges x8 (each leg)
- Squat push press x8
- Deadlift x8
Here is a video showing how this workout is done:
Keep the intensity high, enjoy!
