Is your training well rounded

        What is up people?!! It has been a minute but I am back and I am going to be here for a long time. So much has been going on with the LMT crew and in my personal life that it has been hard to keep up. Let's run through it really quick. First off I am back in school studying psychology trying to add to my tools for the athletes I train. I am finally becoming a pro and fighting October 9th and my fighters are looking great in the amateurs and my daughter just turned one year old, time flies. It has been an amazing journey and I am embracing every minute even the not so great ones. That being said we are popping the clutch and peeling out as we move forward with the LMT movement so buckle the f@ck up!! I wanted to touch on this subject as I head forward towards my fight and my amateur fighters enter new realms with their careers.

        In the past the physical training that was available was limited. Fighters would do the typical calisthenics and skill training along with the daily runs and possibly some heavy lifting. For the longest time it was not only what was considered the best way to train but it was also frowned upon in some circles if a fighter stepped outside that box and tried something new. Eventually athletes were "cross-training" and that became the new thing. Now fighters and other athletes are using scientific formulas mixed with a little "bro science" to get them to their peak physical shape.
         Let me first say that the amount of exercises and programs available are mind blowing. If you go on social media and flip through pictures you'll see dozens of people at sports fitness facilities doing all sorts of training to reach their goal. Working with the top trainers and pushing themselves to the next level. The only problem for the average Joe is that those places are pricey. Many fighter are fighting just to break even and most have part time or even full time jobs to make ends meet. So how can someone compete with that type of training without having that kind of cash in the bank. Well for starters you're going to have to be disciplined. You have to make up your mind that you want to get better, faster, stronger and nothing is going to stop you. Now beyond that the next step is research.
There are plenty of free resources when it comes to fight training and the first on the list is always going to be YouTube. The great thing about YouTube is that you are able to see and understand how the movements should be done and in some cases the reasoning and science behind it. At then end of this blog I'll add some links for you to check out some websites etc.
         It's been my experience that you can't stick to one way to get into great physical shape. Of course long runs are a staple in combat sports as well as sprint work. I would contend that high intensity interval training and swimming are also great ways to increase your cardio capacity. For strength you could use a mixture of heavy lifting, kettlebell training, and body weight training. Lastly you're going to need some flexibility training. My amateurs have been seriously active in yoga the last couple of fights and it has helped immensely with their breathing as well as flexibility. I've seen high level athletes starting to make their way into pilates studios as well to get that extra edge. Ultimately you have to look within yourself and at the available resources and make the extra effort to be great. It will not be given to you, you have to take it.
        One thing I have always said and stick by one hundred percent is that your skill level can often be the key to beat the more athletic opponent so after all is said and done you can have all of the physical tools but you must master your craft in order to put that athleticism to work. Understanding how your art is suppose to intertwine with your physical capability is the doorway to achieving the highest levels in combat sports.

Links to greatness:

http://www.speedofsport.com/

http://funkmma.com/site/

http://www.nakmuaynation.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLH5tDGl_QiRJ1eDUTLFxQ

https://www.youtube.com/user/donheatrick 

Student of the game

Hello all! Hope you guys all got a chance to hear Jenn and I rant on the new Blog companion podcast. If you haven't had a chance to hear it you can download it on iTunes. Just go to the podcast section and search LMT The Journey and you should be in business. Thanks in advance for the support!! Now that that's out of the way let's get down to my obsession. Studying, my fixation on knowledge is both ambitious and absolutely annoying as hell. It kept me taking college courses for a decade but bouncing around so much that I never really completed a program. That will be done before the end of the year btw. As a fighter I started researching training techniques through Youtube which I then dubbed Youtube University. If you want to learn it, it's on Youtube. It was really subtle at first, learning kicking techniques and punching techniques, defensive drills, conditioning etc. It quickly became an obsession,I couldn't go a day without watching a video about fighting or reading about it. It became my coach, I was learning to thread together different styles of striking by studying videos of the techniques and practicing them everyday at the gym. This is a great way to add some techniques and variety to your training on your own. It is however necessary to have somebody there to watch your techniques for missteps. Sometimes a good coach is hard to find but training partners that you trust can be a big help when you don't have one. As I began to fight and train with a group of fighters it was an invaluable tool for learning pad holding, angles, and just for watching frickin' fights! I spent the first bit of time on the computer catching up on fights I had missed over the years.I can only say that I have seen more fights than I could even begin to count. I mean is it in the hundreds , maybe but probably though closer to the thousands. When I started to do Jiu Jitsu it just added more to my playlist and then I started coaching and my head exploded, not really obviously but I have been flooding my brain now for years with information. I wouldn't be surprised if it did actually explode. Don't get me wrong there is nothing better for learning than actually doing. However, now you have an endless supply of knowledge and for fighters, it is priceless. Want to work on your timing, look up timing drills, figure out how to throw a check hook, it's on there, or if you just want to see Anderson Silva front kick Vitor Belfort in the chops i
t is at your fingertips, no excuses. Now as for me it has gotten to a point of ridiculousness. Television has fights on, computer has techniques or drills playing, smartphone is playing a podcast of some sort (Joe Rogan, Fighter and the Kid, Josh Barnett, etc), and I have at least one book around and a notebook with pen. This might not seem like it's annoying but when a six year old wants to play Playstation and when turned down says to her mom, "he's watching boxing, he's always watching boxing", it might be a bit much..lol. I am definitely hooked on studying and it is a little annoying but it has made me a better fighter, a better coach and a much more evolved thinker. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn and grow your game at a faster pace and with more options.

The Plateau

Plateau-The level reached in training at which one levels out. The "I don't feel like I'm getting any better" stage. This is usually accompanied by boredom and lack of motivation.

For those that have reached this place in their training, I understand your frustration. I too have felt the woes of leveling out. I don't know of any easy way to get out of this phase. I don't know if it's like in basketball, when you hit a dry spell, you just keep shooting til you make one or like in baseball, you swing yourself out of your rut. Of course, in both of those sports like many others, you sometimes need to make changes in order to step up to the next level or at least start performing well again.

Plateaus need to be treated like living in a city way too long. At some point you (the human body) needs a change of scenery. A change in training or at least training habits can force the body to have to adapt in order to keep up with the new training. This should bring some noticeable results in a hurry. Your level of skill depends entirely on your evolution in training. Don't get stuck doing the same training with the same people if nothing new has been introduced. Once you've reached a certain point you must change, adapt, and just plain evolve.

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