The Masters Division

Duece King: My Fight Diet (5 weeks out)

I was training with Duece this afternoon and remembered that he'd posted a pre-fight diet a while back.  Cutting weight is a topic that people often stop by looking for information on, so I asked Duece if I could re-post it here.

Please use common sense when attempting to cut weight and enjoy the article. 

Thanks Duece!

Duece King -- My Fight Diet (5 Weeks Out)

On average I cut quite a bit of weight for my fights (20-30lbs).  I walk around at between 170-185 and cut down to 155 and people are always asking me how.  Well, diet is just a fraction of the overall cut, but it's a very important one.  So, here's a rundown of the tips I use and foods I eat (and don't eat) to cut weight.

First off, 3-5 weeks before a fight (depending on exactly what weight I'm at) I only eat 3 times a day ( for 6 days out of the week). 

I take Sundays off and eat reasonably - not so strict.

Monday - Saturday: Here's the deal... I eat once right after my morning cardio & conditioning routine, once before I go to the gym for fight class / training, and once directly after.

Here's a list of the foods and tools I use that work for me.  Below that, I will specify what foods I eat, at what times, and eventually I will post my workouts and conditioning as well...

FOREMAN GRILL - Leans out any meats you cook.  Why consume the fat if you don't have to?

BLENDER - A must have for mixing protein and fruit shakes.

BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS - The staple of my entire diet. Lean protein in bulk.

EGG WHITES - More lean protein for diversity in taste & delivery. Say no to yolk!

BROWN RICE - Good source of clean carbs (be sure to go whole grain, while steering clear of brands that say "enriched").

FRUIT - For snacks and more positive carbs. Plus, they tend to add more taste to your day.  As for veggies, I tend to do a lot of cucumbers and carrots.

COTTAGE CHEESE - I use this as a "cheat" or reserve. If I get edgy, I grab this instead of chips.  Just make sure it's fat free.

DRINK REPLACEMENT - This is key! I mostly stick to the Crystal Light brand, but it's all only 5 calories & Sodium free (a must).  It also gets your water intake up.

BLACK PEPPER - Adds taste without using Salt.  Stay away from Sodium!

NON-STICK COOKING SPRAY - Why use fatty butter or oils when you don't have to?

COMPLETE DISH - Here's my most common meal: fried egg whites, grilled chicken chunks, diced tomatoes, and cucumbers.

In addition to these foods, I eat a lot of salads (no dressing, cheese, or croutons), tuna every now & then, and at least one protein shake a day (low cal, high protein, low fat, low sodium - the taste is not what counts).  On average, I eat less than 200 carb calories a day and 600 protein calories a day... AND THAT'S IT!  It would be bad as an everyday lifestyle, but for getting down to a lower temporary weight before fights, it's a good plan.

Next, it is really key to eat certain foods at certain times.  Here's how I do it:

When I wake up every day, I run three miles @ 8mph or run sprints - depending on what day it is.  Then I do a light weight lighting routine (low weight, high reps).  I don't eat anything before that.  It's a tip I picked up from Roger Huerta.  He told me that by waking up and getting your cardio in first thing without eating, it sends your body into some heightened metabolic state for the entire day, so you burn all calories at a faster rate.

Then, I eat a high protein breakfast (mostly that example dish pictured above) and hang out until it's time to go to the MMA gym.  In between I may have some fruit or salad since I have around 4-5 hrs to kill.  Right before I leave to go to the gym I blend up & chug a protein shake mixed with a banana, an apple, 2% milk, & grapes or a plum.  This gives me the clean carbs I need during my training, while delivering a little protein easy enough for me to digest quickly.

Directly after my workout I eat another dish like the one I had for breakfast or have a grilled chicken salad (2 chicken breasts) in order to bulk up in protein when my body can use it best (post workout).  That is the last meal of the day, but between that and bed time I take in a ready made protein shake that's low in sodium and high in protein (the Pure Protein brand makes a good one).

So that's about it.  I try to mix it up as much as I can, so I'm not bored and eat the right foods at peak times (carbs before intense workouts for energy & proteins directly after for best delivery).

Lastly, there's the dehydrating process 2-3 days directly before you weigh in.  During this evil time I cut my intake down to around 300 calories a day (100 carbs or less & the rest protein).  I still run the same daily, only it is in a sauna suit; I don't do any intense fight training; and I limit my water intake to two 8oz bottles daily.

The day of weigh-ins I don't eat or drink anything and I run the same 3 miles in a sauna suit.  Then I'm ready to weigh in on the money.


Please note: this is just what works for me.  It's not the only or most proven method.  Take it as a suggestion if you're looking for one, but nothing more.  I just get asked about dieting so often I figured I'd just offer people a rundown of my own plan. 

Another area that needs to be done right is the re-hydrating process (directly after weigh-ins & until the fight happens) which is too touchy of a subject for me to get into.  Everyone's different and my habits aren't the best and may not work for some.  Seek time proven methods for that area.  You only have a day to fully rehydrate, so you can't afford to miss your mark or screw it up.

Mixing it up

This morning was spent doing some boxing and then the usual Saturday no-gi class.  I haven't done any sort of stand up in a couple of years (even the heavy bag in the garage is starting to gather dust). Coming back into it, it both sucks and presents a huge range of things to look forward to.  It's a great reminder that my cardio needs some serious work.  But this week feels better than last week - last week better than the week prior to that.  I can feel progress already.

The great thing is, I've been here before.  Each weeks gets a little better.  Things that wreck you initially and leave you thinking the classic cliche "I'm too old for this shit" will become commonplace activities (only to be replaced by new heartbreakers).

Another factor that can't be overlooked is the feeling of being completely drained at the end of that hour and transitioning right into BJJ.  Making the commitment to myself to stay.

"Worst case, I sit out a drill."

"Worst case, I lose my breakfast."

"Either way, I'm staying and I'm giving it whatever's left at this point..."

I don't know, it may seem like a small thing to you, but making that commitment has already made me see aspects of my BJJ training differently.  At that point I'm not just showing up.  I'm deciding to stay no matter what.

So the point of all of this is - it's good to find something different that takes you out of your routine and mixing things up a little.  For some of us, it gets easy to plateau, stagnate, find paths of least resistance, or just plain cheat yourself as time passes (lies in the guise of "efficiency").

I'm just saying this from a point of discovery.  I'm someone that recently realized that he was missing opportunities to get the most out of his training.  Maybe this sort of addition to your routine will help as well.

Thanks for reading!

Fight Preparation

I've seen a few good articles on fight prep over the last couple of months.  I've noticed some consistencies and the occasional difference in opinion (imagine that).  I'll look into gathering some links up and posting them this month.  In the meantime, my friend Josh Robinson was nice enough to contribute to the site.  Enjoy!

-Shawn

 
Fight Preparation

Fight preparation is often ignored and taken very lightly. Preparing for a fight does not mean that you go to your gym and roll with your friends/team members and then jump into a national level competition.

Even if you are having relatively intense sparring sessions, you need to break down your fight preparation for yourself as an individual competitor. Each athlete has his or her weakness and strengths and your training and game plan should cater to your needs.

Fight preparation should begin about 6 weeks before a scheduled competition (depending on the intensity of you training leading up to this point).

Any weight lifting that you have been doing up to this point should be pulled back significantly or stopped all together.

Any strength you've gained should have been gained by this point and no amount of lifting in the next 6 weeks will make a lick of difference come fight day.

Also, we are not interested in adding any additional weight before a fight. It's more likely that you'll want to shed any unwanted weight in order to qualify for a lighter weight class. Weight training prior to the 6 week lead up is something I can write about another time. After all, strength is a hugely important part of the game.

Your typical sparring sessions at most gyms are between 3-5 minutes at medium to high intensity. This should be increased immediately to 6 minute rounds with a 60 second break between rounds. Personally I would never spar less than 4 rounds. That is 24 minutes of hard sparring. Each week you should increase your sparring time maxing out at 12 minute rounds x4. = 48 minutes of sparring.

week 1 = 6 minute rounds
week 2 = 6 minutes rounds
week 3 = 8 minute rounds
week 4 = 10 minute rounds
week 5 = 12 minute rounds
week 6 = technique and game planning sparring only

When not sparring you should be perfecting techniques that have been successful for you and working tournament style drills. For example:

Start of on your back with a team mate in side control. You have 60 seconds to score 1 point. "GO"

Start in side control. You are up by 1 point. You have 60 seconds to maintain your lead or submit your opponent "GO"

Start on your feet. It's currently a draw. You have 60 seconds to score a single point. "GO"

Etc...

Do not obsess over any new techniques or tactics that have not been working for you in the gym. Do not try to introduce new submissions that you are not intimately familiar with. Identify what you have been successful with. What have you been catching people with? Focus on those strengths and perfect them. Figure out how to put yourself into a position to pull off that specific submission. This is where game planning comes into play.

Game plan, game plan!!! You must have a very specific game plan. Do not enter into a tournament thinking, "I have good submission skills and defense. I'll just roll and catch what he gives me." Doing that just means you are fighting HIS fight and hoping you'll be better at it. You need to fight YOUR fight. He should be trying to get out of your game. Not the other way around. This is essential.

If you are a good guard player and you are constantly nailing sweeps, triangles and arm bars from the guard then you better seriously consider pulling guard on your opponent so you can implement your game.

Now let's say you get to the tournament and your first opponent is standing very flat footed and high. Everything in your body may tell you to shoot in for a single. But in doing that you've already deviated from your game plan. What if he's an exceptional guard player. Now you're in his guard playing HIS game. You must avoid that initial instinct and remember your original game plan. Force them into YOUR plan.

Always have 3 options. Decide what those 3 options are before fight day. Know the 3 options you have from your desired position. If you are a guard player and option number 1 is your arm bar but you are unable to finish. Keep the arm, hook his leg and sweep for the points.

You get an "advantage" for the arm bar attempt and the points for your sweep. You now have a healthy lead. Another option would be to keep the arm and transition into a triangle. You MUST go through these scenarios in your head and your gym. Assume you will finish your submission. But have 2 other options in case you can't. Have those 3 options available so you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.

When not in the gym sparring or working on technique you should still be working on cardio and considering your weight cut technique. There is no wrong way to do cardio, but you can walk on a treadmill like you're just hanging out or you can do it in a way that will actually increase your cardio.

I have the benefit of living in California and I can use the hills/mountains to my advantage. I wear a 20lb weight vest and run the Santa Monica stairs. It's 400 stairs straight up the side of a hill. I run a quarter of a mile to the next set and run down 400 steps. I run a quarter mile back to where I started. Rinse and repeat. Don't take any breaks. Your break is that you get to run down and not up.

If I'm really moving it takes me 6 minutes to do 1 lap. I try to do 5 laps or more. That is a 30 minute rib cramping, lactic acid building, cardio crushing run. If you don't have access to this type of thing there is no reason why you can't throw on the same weight vest and run at a 10 degree incline at your gym for 30 minutes. Turn around and run backwards at the same incline every 5 minutes for 1-2 minutes. This focuses weight to the front of your quads. Similar to running down hill.

Good Luck and happy rolling!

About Josh:
Josh Robinson is currently teaching Muay Thai at the Beverly Hills Jiu Jitsu Club, where he also trains in BJJ.  Prior to that he ran his own MMA program in San Diego.  In Josh's 10 years of fighting, he has competed in professional MMA and Muay Thai fights, as well as national grappling tournaments.  He's been coaching and cornering fights for the last 5 years.

Give it 5%

One very enjoyable evening in class started out with our coach asking everyone leave their egos behind.  Our group is (thankfully) devoid of ego anyway, so it was a curious way to start.  A few minutes later it all clicked.

The goal for that night was to be submitted.  Just give 5% (maybe 20) and let your partner flow through their submissions and then swap up.  You keep moving, flowing from position to position, attack to attack.  Your partner provides just enough resistance to make the flow feel right - the positioning is realistic, but there's no resistance once you get there.  You can swap every tap, or run a series and take turns.

Since then, I try to find opportunities to drill like this whenever I'm with a training partner that's willing to spare 15-20minutes of their open mat time.  It's amazing how in just a few minutes, you can go from thinking about what to do next to just flowing through an encyclopedia of techniques you didn't realize you'd been building.

Flow drills and similar exercises may be old news to you, but I'm shocked at how few people take advantage of them during open mat.  Open mat tends to just mean, "let's roll." 

Spending time on these drills seems like an excellent way to keep you from getting in a rut.  Plus, the concept can be adapted a number of ways (similar to drilling I'm sure you already do): passes and sweeps; sub combos, etc.

Here's a few videos for those of you that may be new to the concept.  Enjoy!

• Longer video talking through two drills: with and without submissions
• Gracie Technics Academy video of a submission flow drill
• 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Flow Drill
• Another video from Alliance BJJ France