WNY MMA & Fitness: Eating to Recover.

For years the most important meal of the day has been said to be breakfast, but her at WNY MMA and Fitness believe that to be wrong. I suspect most of the readers here could agree that with all the effort you put into your training that your post-workout nutrition just may be more important to you than breakfast. In fact, I believe your post-workout meal is one of the most important meals you can have all day.

The reason I believe this is because in a hard workout, you can use up all your stored glycogen, easily sweat over two liters of water, and break down both muscle and red blood cells. This is why what you as an athlete consume in the minutes and hours after your training or competition is so crucial to both performance and recovery. This week I will look at nutrition recovery and explain it's importance and the best ways to use it to maximize your results.

Recovery is defined in the Webster dictionary as "the act of regaining or returning toward a normal or healthy state." In recovery nutrition the foods we choose to consume have been shown to positively affect recovery and an athlete's future performance.

The Goals and Timeframe of Post Exercise Nutrition

“Recovery” covers a range of processes that include:

• Replenishing the muscle and liver glycogen stores
• Consuming protein to assist with muscle repair
• Restoring fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
• Supporting the immune system to handle the damage

It has been determined that the body's cells are most receptive to replenishment, particularly glycogen stores, within the first thirty minutes after intense training. Essentially the clock starts ticking for an athlete as soon as they enter their cool down. This is just one part of the equation as recovery nutrition can be broken into two stages - stage one occurs within thirty minutes of the workout and stage two occurs one to two hours after exercise.

Replenishing the Body's Glycogen Stores

Ingesting carbohydrates after training is critical in replenishing glycogen stores and initiating muscle glycogen synthesis. If we don't replenish these stores an athlete's training performance can be compromised in future sessions.

It is recommended that 1.2g per kilogram of bodyweight of carbohydrates be consumed post exercise. Sometimes it is not practical for an athlete to consume such a large quantity of carbohydrates straight after exercise, as they may have difficulties tolerating food or drink. There is a way to combat this, though. Research in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism has shown that ingesting protein (0.2-0.4g/kg) and a smaller amount of carbohydrates together (around 0.8g/kg) can result in a similar effect, stimulating an endogenous insulin release that actually replenishes glycogen stores at a similar rate as ingesting 1.2g/kg of bodyweight of carbohydrates does.

Building and Repairing Muscle

Muscle protein is broken down due to high intensity or prolonged exercise. This makes recovery nutrition important in helping to rebuild. Once the recovery phase begins the catabolic processes reduce while anabolic processes increase and continue on for at least 24 hours after training. The ingestion of essential amino acids from quality protein sources has been shown to help with the muscle-building process. Even though research continues into the type, amount, and timing of protein consumption to obtain the maximum results, most agree that athletes who do either endurance or resistance type training will get the desired benefit by consuming 20-30g of high quality protein within the first hour post exercise.

Rehydrating the Body

Most athletes will finish a competition or training session in some kind of fluid deficit. If this deficit is not corrected it can have a significant impact on future training sessions. In order to rectify this deficit an athlete should aim to consume 125-150% of the estimated fluid lost over a four to six hour period post exercise.

Including sodium into recovery fluid can assist in replacing the electrolytes lost through excessive sweating. Rather than just losing the fluid through excessive urination, the addition of electrolytes can help the body retain the water consumed. In order to rehydrate effectively, 50-80mmol of sodium should be added. This can be achieved by adding extra electrolytes to commercial sports drinks or consuming fluids created with this ratio. Another alternative is consuming foods that contain sodium along with recovery fluids to achieve this required amount.

Supporting the Immune System

Intensive training can suppress the immune system. This suppression occurs while training is in progress and can continue to affect the efficiency of the immune system for hours afterward.This is obviously a concern for athletes as these hours of decreased immune function could allow an athlete to pick up an infection. Vitamins C and E, zinc, glutamine, and probiotics have all been touted to aid in the protection and support of the immune system. None have been proven to provide a bulletproof defense. There has been research, though, stating that if adequate glycogen stores are maintained pre and post exercise that this can reduce the disturbance of immune system markers as the consumption of carbohydrates can help reduce the bodies stress hormone response to exercise.

Using Supplements or Whole Foods to Meet Your Goals

These days there is a supplement for everything and for some athletes this means that they can get lazy and become totally reliant on sports supplements to meet their recovery goals. Unfortunately this can mean that some athletes end up doubling up on specific nutrients. While inherently this not a bad thing, some minerals taken in excess can cause toxic symptoms, so an athlete needs to be aware of what is in his or her supplements.

Athletes are generally advised to obtain real food options to aid in recovery unless constrained for time. This is because it also allows an athlete to meet the daily nutritional needs of essential vitamins and minerals, and also stock up on much needed antioxidants like vitamins C and E that help reduce oxidization caused from the stress of exercise.

Practical considerations of recovery nutrition also need to be taken into account. Issues like a lack of appetite, unavailability of food, and being unprepared can all play a part in an athlete failing to meet recovery goals. With a little planning these challenges can be nothing more than bumps in the road. Once an athlete notices the benefits, these bumps should be even further minimized, making for a consistent and competitive athlete through something as simple as eating the right foods at the right time.

References:

1. M. Beelen, Burke, L.M., Gibala, M.J., and van Loon, L.J.C. Nutritional strategies to promote postexercise recovery. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2010; 20:515-532.

2. Hayes A and Cribb P. J. Effect of whey protein isolate on strength, body composition and muscle hypertrophy during resistance training. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 2008, 11:40-44

3. Nieman DC. Influence of carbohydrate on the immune response to intensive, prolonged exercise. Exerc Immunol Rev. 1998;4:64-76.

4. "Recovery Nutrition." Sports Dieticians Australia. June 2012

Why You Should Do Yoga at WNY MMA

Why You Should Do Yoga at WNY MMA

You know what I find surprising, its that the participation in yoga around the western new york area is not at the level that it could be. This could be due to the misconception that the practice of yoga is only for women. This couldn't be further from the truth, and I will shed some light on why the guys can benefit from the practice, aswell as post a video at the end for your viewing pleasure of course. All this courtesy of WNY MMA.

Propioception

coming from the latin word propius which means ones own or individual and perception, propioception is the ability to sense where your body parts are in relation to space, aswell as the amount of strength being employed by them. In other words, its a very big deal. You can develop this sense to some degree throughout life, but it is significantly increased through athletic endeavors like; martial arts, gymnastics, yoga, etc. 

Improved Flexibility & Physical Condition

 Common issues for guys are tight hips, Calves and lower backs. Aswell as weak hip flexors, of course anything can be fixed once you know about it. But you won't find out how inflexible or weak your muscles are until you practice yoga. Those weaknesses will become apparent once you start working through the many postures and series of movements. Don't feel anxious about it, over time you will become stronger, no weights needed. Oh, and that flexibility will definitely come in handy for your grappling and striking, just a lil something to keep in mind.

Respiratory Issues?

Not after practicing yoga, in a study that included individuals who suffered from asthma, showed an improvement in vital lung capacity, forced expiratory volume, and expiration flow rate over the course of 8 weeks when compared with a control. What does this mean for you, gradual increase in respiratory health and performance. Meaning, you won't need that inhaler as much. 

Extras:

this was a relatively short article, but I will post some valuable information for the other benefits of yoga, aswell as a video of a UFC competitor that lived in india for a period of time to improve himself through the use of yoga. Its a very interesting video. So all in all, come by WNY MMA for your dose of yoga and mma. The more people to show interest, the more yoga classes we can have. So, the more the merrier. 

Thats all for today, WNY Signing out.

Womens Fitness at WNY MMA & Fitness: Beyond the Treadmill

Womens fitness at WNY MMA & Fitness: Beyond the Treadmill

Have you been staring at that scale in the morning, constantly wondering why you see the same numbers there from last week, and the week before that. I bet you've been running for hours, hoping to lose those extra pounds. Well, you're in luck because your friendly neighborhood WNY MMA and Fitness has the scoop on how to reach that goal of summer bikini body year 'round. 

What you may not have known:

According to a study to compare steady state exercise (SEE) and high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE); HIIE was shown to be more effective in reduction of total body mass, fat mass, trunk fat, and fasting blood insulin levels. Okay, so what does this mean for the non-science people. When you workout using the interval training protocol, you will burn more calories and fat. This will reduce that ever hated tummy fat, also known as the dreaded muffin top. Plus, that ideal body weight that you wanted, yup this is the way to get it. 

Steady State Exercise: Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think

Now don't misunderstand me, if you are just starting to exercise and need to build a strong base; then steady state exercise is the way to go. SEE builds cardiovascular health, a strong heart will do wonders for the body especially when working towards interval training. Its equally as important as interval training when you are on the heavier side of the scale. I know what you're thinking, well what are some examples of steady state exercise; running at a steady pace for the duration of a session, aerobic dancing with the same rhythm, exercise biking without changing the pedal resistance or speed. What is the one thing that all of these things and many more have in common, its working out at a steady state. Keeping your elevated heart rate at a steady level during the duration of your workout.

High Intensity Intermittent Exercise: Interval training

The women's fitness and coed fitness program here at WNY MMA and Fitness follows this particular protocol when it comes to fitness. Why is it that HIIE, or interval training as it is most commonly known, has such a strong following from the fitness community. It's because it works, and it works well. Here's the rundown; interval training in the most basic of terms, is burst training. Alternating between intense activity with intervals of lighter, less strenuous activity. An example of this would be sprinting for a short duration of time, like a minute; while alternating with walking or jogging. There are no limits to how beneficial this protocol is for the public; increase in resting metabolism, reduction of total body fat, increase in muscle, less time consuming, and the effects last.

One Last Thing:

Compare the body of fighters, sprinters, etc with those of marathon runners. Which body would you want, strong and powerful or slow and steady. Stop by WNY MMA and Fitness to get the body of your dreams.

WNY MMA & Fitness: 5 Butt Exercises for the Beach

I know that those wonderful summer months are creeping on us, well, once the rain stops that is. Once that happens, everyone will be at the beach getting a tan. But I know you want to show off a bit at the beach, so why not add a little bit to your routine so that your butt looks absolutely amazing. Not saying that it already doesn't, but who doesn't want to look better. So I decided to share with you Alyssa Shaffers 5 Butt Exercises for the beach. If you are not the work out on your own type, then come on by WNY MMA & Fitness. We have Womens only fitness classes and Coed Fitness classes that are sure to get you looking great. I'm positive that its better than the gym you are currently going to. 

5 Butt Exercises for the Beach

Don’t just lie out on the beach—turn it into your own gym with this fun, fresh body-weight circuit

May 6, 2015

Alyssa Shaffer

Photography by: Ben Welsh/Corbis

Warmer temperatures tempting you to bare a bit more of your bottom? Hit the beach and get a workout for both body and mind. "Exercising outside provides an almost instant psychological and physiological boost that can’t be simulated anywhere else," says Jimmy Minardi, a personal trainer and founder of Minardi Training in East Hampton, NY. Minardi, who often brings his clients to work out on the white sandy beaches near his home, especially enjoys training seaside. "You’ll burn more calories when you exercise on the beach since your body has to fight to stay stable on the uneven ground. Plus, you’re coping with elements like wind resistance and shifting terrain."

But even if you can’t get beachside, you can still benefit from taking your routine outdoors. "You can do these moves in your backyard or a neighborhood park—anyplace where there is fresh air and open space," says Minardi, a former professional cyclist and lifelong proponent of outdoor fitness.

Try this high-intensity circuit, part of the Minardi Beach Workout taught year-round, to help strengthen all your major muscles while also burning calories and fat.

Mountain Climbers
Do these on an incline, alternating legs as quickly as possible. Do two sets of 30 reps per side; increase leg speed by about 20% after every 10 reps.

Jumping Jacks
Do 30 regular jumping jacks followed by 30 deep squat jacks. (After jumping with feet wide, do a deep squat, then jump back to center.)
Option: If you’re on a beach, do these in ankle-deep water for increased resistance.

Incline Pushup Series
Do these moves on a large rock, log, bench, or other raised surface.

• 10 Incline Pushups: Wrists should be directly under shoulders, with back flat; one set.
• 10 Triangle Pushups: Move hands together so your thumb and index fingers touch, forming a triangle shape; one set.
• 5 Alternating One-arm, One-leg Pushups: Raise one arm and opposite leg; switch; two sets total.

Lunge Split Jacks
Stand with feet staggered and lower into a split squat, then jump up and scissor-kick your legs, landing with your opposite foot forward for a total of 30 reps.

Plyometrics
Find a log, stick, rocks, or shells to use as a marker.

• 10 Tuck Jumps: Bringing your knees toward your chest as you jump up, land just over your marker and explode into the next rep as soon as your feet hit the ground.
• 10 Rotating Jumps: As you jump in the air, rotate your body 180 degrees to engage your core and land softly in the reverse position.

Agility Drills
Find 10 sticks or rocks and an incline. Space the markers about three feet apart in a vertical line. Weave in and out of the markers, slalom-style, staying as fluid as possible. Do 10 intervals, going through all the markers.

- See more at: http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/training/other/5-butt-exercises-beach#sthash.wpPw7HGn.dpuf

Make WNY MMA Your First Stop For Fitness

The difference is that we are better. Here's the thing, you look at us and see scary looking stuff to the uninitiated; Heavy bags, cages, boxing rings, sledge hammers, kettle bells, tractor tires, etc. But here's the thing, I am going to give you things to think about when you are comparing WNY MMA and Fitness to those other places. See there, they already don't matter. 

I guarantee that more work is getting done here than at a spa!!!

• When you are at a gym, you are there to work: Look, I know the draw that these places have. There's a swimming pool, a sauna, there's a corner that does facials, oh and that juice bar is amazing. But lets stop and really think about what we are trying to get out of our gym time; when you made that new years resolution, did it include sitting around for an hour or so talking to other gym members about how you argued with your husband/boyfriend about painting the main bedroom fuchsia? No it wasn't, it was to get you butt in gear.

you thought I was joking about the conversation about fuchsia?

• Are you at the gym to run countless miles, or are you there to sweat and ache: You get up, go to the gym and run. Sound familiar? it should. That's because, countless people follow that very formula in the hopes of seeing the fabled body changes of legend. Let me guess, you also leave the gym having energy and a smile. If that's what you are looking for after working out everyday then you will be in for a very rude awakening training at WNY MMA and Fitness. Here you will be leaving sore and having aches in places you forgot even existed, and that's a good thing. 

• Working out getting boring, not here: Unless you have a private instructor to help you everyday, you will not be getting your times worth at a health club. There's a lot of stuff to get lost in, especially by yourself. Because of this, you revert back to what you know. There's just something different when someone is right next to you continuously lighting a fire under butt, you work harder than you would have otherwise. That means you will pass those plateaus that everyone else are stuck at. 

• Having other people working hard acts as motivation: Humans are competitive, that's how we survived for this long on this planet. It's hardwired in our brains, and for good reason. When you are doing something alone, you just don't push yourself as hard. Take a class here and have everyone doing the same exercise as you, now you feel like you're competing against these people; you try harder, this is very important. This is where growth comes from, not from just going through the motions. 

So let me stop being wordy here and just spell it out for you. If you really want to work, then come to WNY MMA and Fitness. Its plain and simple; if you want to chit chat and have a facial, then go to a health club. 

WNY MMA & Fitness: No Band Pull Ups Please!!!!

At wny mma, we do not allow our members to do band assisted pull ups and for various reasons. Below are some reasons why and alternatives to the pull ups you may have been considering. No worries, i'll wait while you read.

Bands Provide Inconsistent Assistance

The intent of banded pull ups is a good one. It provides assistance to the athlete so he or she can get the chin or chest to the bar. It is a cheap alternative to the expensive machine that provides a counterweight applied to the person’s legs or knees to assist him or her (sometimes called a Gravitron machine). But as the cliché goes, you get what you pay for. 

 

The banded pull up is like a spotter that is sometimes overly attentive and at other times not paying attention at all. Imagine someone spotting you on a bench press and at the bottom position, he yanks on the bar for you. At the top position, he is off checking his phone. The banded pull up is similar in how it assists people. 

The banded pull up is like a spotter that is sometimes overly attentive and at other times not paying attention at all."

The Solution - Get a Spotter

If you want to perform assisted pull ups, get a spotter. A spotter will be able to provide more optimal assistance by giving you enough assistance in your sticky spots so you can finish the movement and gain strength. In many group classes, it might be difficult to have spotters, but a team workout , just like the ones at wny mma, where one member is working and the other is spotting could be an alternative.

Bands Should Only Complement the Resistance Curve

In compensatory acceleration training of the squat, the athlete uses bands attached to the ground to provide greater resistance in the top part of the exercise where the movement is easier. With this technique, we learn to accelerate through our lifts, which helps us lift heavier things. In banded pull ups, we are doing the opposite by giving assistance in all the wrong places. 

The bottom of the pull up is where we need to start from a dead stop. We have no momentum and our leverage is at its worst. Sounds like a perfect place to help, right? Well, yes - but only if you don’t want to build strength. The places we struggle are where we build the most strength. The bottom of a banded pull up is like a jumping device for babies. It might be entertaining and fun, but it might not be the optimal way to build strength.

The Solution - Do Jumping Pull Ups

You can break through strength plateaus by getting stuck in the toughest positions. We do box squats or pause squats to practice being stuck in the bottom. Thus, I would suggest jumping pull ups, which simply involve jumping up on the bar and slowly lowering yourself down. The key is in resisting on the way down.

 

"A more advanced person could do pauses at his or her sticky points. This controlled and slow descent will build pull up strength much faster than bands."

In a workout, you can figure out how long each descent should be and shoot for time on the way down as the goal (e.g., each round will have five reps of two seconds on the way down). Don’t count reps where you don’t hold for the specified time. It will be much better for you in the long run if you don’t rush on the way down. A more advanced person could do pauses at his or her sticky points. This controlled and slow descent will build pull up strength much faster than bands.

Get Rid of the Bands 

The third reason is a sub-reason of the last one. If you are not creating strength in the right part of the strength curve, then you will have a difficult time getting off bands. Many people talk about a progression of going from greater resistance bands to lighter bands. But our body takes a long time to adapt to the dead weight at the bottom of the pull up and the bands are an inefficient way to build strength. As a result, I have seen many people a year into their training still doing pull ups on bands. No worries, as this is not a factor when training at wny mma.  

The Solution - Grease the Groove

As a person attempting your first pull up, more volume can be helpful. A greasing-the-groove type of program might be perfect for some. Every hour or so, do a few jumping pull ups with a slow descent. If you can’t do them throughout the day, do them everyday. A low daily volume over frequent days adds up to impressive gains.

Ring Rows Are a Better Alternative for Beginners

Ring rows are great for a beginning athlete. The movement is easily scaled by moving the feet forward or backward and/or bending the knees. 

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In many aspects of CrossFit and mixed martial arts fitness at wny mma, we do a lot of pressing movements (overhead presses, bench press, push ups). The pull up winds up being one of our only pulling movements. The pull up is great, but it is also good to change the angle of the pull to build up the muscles of the back, the rotator cuff, and around the scapula. I recommend ring rows or some type of bent-over row for everyone in order to create balance in muscular development and to support shoulder health. 

 

Another similar option is to place a bar in the rack. You can then do pull ups with your feet outstretched in front to provide assistance (i.e., a nice tight plank with the feet taking away some of the weight of the body). Some people also know this as an Australian pull up(because you’re “down under.”)

I recommend ring rows or some type of bent-over row for everyone in order to create balance in muscular development and to support shoulder health."

Wrap Up

As the saying goes (I may have it slightly wrong), friends don’t let friends do banded pull ups. Bands are like drugs. Please don’t get hooked on them. 

 

The only time a band would be appropriate is if the bands are attached to something on the floor and are providing resistance. That is a great use of bands as it gives the most resistance at the top of the movement and teaches explosiveness on the way up. 

 

But if your goal is to build strength for strict pull ups, I recommend ring rows and jumping pull ups with slow descents. These exercises will build strength much more quickly for the pull up.

Yoga at WNY MMA

Yoga at WNY MMA

You know what I find surprising, its that the participation in yoga around the western new york area is not at the level that it could be. This could be due to the misconception that the practice of yoga is only for women. This couldn't be further from the truth, and I will shed some light on why the guys can benefit from the practice, aswell as post a video at the end for your viewing pleasure of course. All this courtesy of WNY MMA.

Propioception

coming from the latin word propius which means ones own or individual and perception, propioception is the ability to sense where your body parts are in relation to space, aswell as the amount of strength being employed by them. In other words, its a very big deal. You can develop this sense to some degree throughout life, but it is significantly increased through athletic endeavors like; martial arts, gymnastics, yoga, etc. 

Improved Flexibility & Physical Condition

 Common issues for guys are tight hips, Calves and lower backs. Aswell as weak hip flexors, of course anything can be fixed once you know about it. But you won't find out how inflexible or weak your muscles are until you practice yoga. Those weaknesses will become apparent once you start working through the many postures and series of movements. Don't feel anxious about it, over time you will become stronger, no weights needed. Oh, and that flexibility will definitely come in handy for your grappling and striking, just a lil something to keep in mind.

Respiratory Issues?

Not after practicing yoga, in a study that included individuals who suffered from asthma, showed an improvement in vital lung capacity, forced expiratory volume, and expiration flow rate over the course of 8 weeks when compared with a control. What does this mean for you, gradual increase in respiratory health and performance. Meaning, you won't need that inhaler as much. 

Extras:

this was a relatively short article, but I will post some valuable information for the other benefits of yoga, aswell as a video of a UFC competitor that lived in india for a period of time to improve himself through the use of yoga. Its a very interesting video. So all in all, come by WNY MMA for your dose of yoga and mma. The more people to show interest, the more yoga classes we can have. So, the more the merrier. 

Thats all for today, WNY Signing out.