Get Fit like a Professional Fighter!
1) Train 3-4 times a week. Consistency is the most important thing to achieving fitness. More importantly, consistency snowballs into momentum. Momentum is the feeling of addiction when your passion drives your desire to train. It is one of the greatest feelings in the world because you can feel yourself improve physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The BJJ, MMA, and Muay Thai classes at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts are designed to keep things fun and full of variety. One of our goals at Evolve is to make things sustainable. It is our belief that if something is fun (and not work), it is more sustainable.
2) There is a difference between normal training and fight training. This concept was nearly unanimous by the World Champions on the Evolve Fight Team. Normal training is solid training within 80% of your limits. Train without maximum intensity 3-4 times a week with each session at 1-2 hours. For normal training, the key is to maximize your learning, fitness, and reflex without risking injury or fatigue. In this manner, you will be able to train for months without quitting and will be able to reap the rewards of a steeper learning curve and gain most of the fitness benefits. On the flip side, fight training is typically an 8-10 week program of increasing intensity designed for peak athletic performance for a single day. Fight training is typically a 6 day cycle of intense training with the intent of pushing your body and mind to its limits each day. Usually, you will train two (2) sessions of three (3) hours each day. Fight training is typically reserved for professionals such as the official Evolve Fight Team. Most of our students will not undergo the rigors of fight training unless they plan to compete in tournaments.
3) Nutrition is vital. As the saying goes, "you are what you eat." You must replenish your body 5-6 times per day with small meals. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat lean protein such as egg whites, fish, chicken, and turkey. Eat complex carbohydrates such as pasta and brown rice. Stay away from sugar, fried foods, creamy sauces, fatty foods, and salty foods. Don't drink any sodas. Drink plenty of water (8-10 glasses a day). If you are working out regularly, you should also drink protein shakes and take nutritional supplements such as a multi-vitamin, fish oil, glucosamine chondroitin, wheatgrass, and BCAA. If you would like to follow the official Evolve Fight Team Diet, then please go to the front desk at Evolve and ask for it. We can even give you a tailored diet plan for your needs.
4) Sleep 8 hours per day. When you sleep, your body is re-creating itself. Without sleep, you lose a vital part of the rebuilding process for your body. The greatest Champions in the world make it a habit to sleep 8 hours a day, especially after a hard training session.
5) Work on your cardio. The Muay Thai, MMA, and BJJ classes at Evolve are designed to improve your cardiovascular fitness. If you stick with our 12 month programs, you will see results without question. Not only will you become a healthier and fitter person, but you will gain the lifelong skills of self defense. In addition to training, the Evolve Fight Team also does roadwork and stairwork a few times a week. If you have the desire to push your fitness to an elite level, then we can recommend some great exercises for you.
6) Hit the weights 1-2 times a week. A higher muscle-to-fat ratio means that your resting metabolism will be higher. So your body will burn more calories. Lifting weights 1-2 times a week gives a nice boost to your metabolism and gives you some strength advantages for your martial arts training.
7) Have a circle of friends. If you have friends who do the same thing, then it encourages you to do it too. The family and friends culture at Evolve is critical to the success of our students. As many of you know, the Evolve Instructors talk often about teamwork and the need to help each other. Together, we rise. Together, we fall. One of the benefits of Evolve is that you will form lifelong friendships at Evolve.
If you follow these 7 simple rules, you will see big leaps in your fitness and your abilities as martial artists. Of course, we do not expect our students to follow all of the above rules. This article just simply highlights what the official Evolve Fight Team does in order to stay in shape.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts. Achieve Greatness Within.
