competition question

[stabmasterarson]

I don't know if this is the right forum for this, but here goes....

I am looking to compete in modified MMA and submission no gi grappling in march 06. I have been training in grappling for only about 2 months right now, but I have a solid striking background in muay thai, so I have some level of cardio, etc. I'm gonna compete as a beginner at this event. I need some advice on weight categories.

Right now, I'm 5'7" and 179. I have a big rib cage kind of structure to me(short & wide). I got a fat caliper and that told me I have between 21-22% body fat. That means my lean muscle mass is 149, I have 30lb of fat on me. I have rolled with guys who compete at 180+ and they are too strong for me to do much with them, but part of that is my lack of skill as well. My instructor told me to drop down to 173, that's the top end of the weight category that I could easily make weight for. To go down to 11% body fat, I would lose 20 lb to be 159. That seems like the kind of weight that guys my size compete at in Pride, etc.

I want to be as competitive as possible, so should I try and drop the 20 lb by march? I don't want to get any weaker than I am, I feel damn weak already against some of these guys.
I have dropped about 5lb since I started rolling 2 months ago already. Should I run to lose weight, or what? I have cleaned up my diet, no pop, very little beer, 2 protein/glutamine shakes a day. Or should I try to put on muscle, then lose weight to be 173, but not fat?

Currently I grapple 2-3x a week, do Bas rutten workouts 1-2x a week, either on the bag (muay thai 2 min rds x 10rds), or the mma workout 2min rds x 10rds shadow boxing, and try to lift weights 1-2x a week, but not too hard because I stay sore too long and can't go all out training...mostly body weight plyos and dumbbell/ball work, pull ups, etc.
I haven't tried working out 2x a day the way pro fighters do cause i'm not getting paid to do it, and I am sore all the time..

sorry about the novel i wrote here, just wanted to be thorough

help!!!

 

[RedmanWrestler]

hmmm so basically you have about 4 months that's a lot of time to make your weight if done properly. One thing you have to keep in mind though, at 159 your opponents will be fast, conditioned, and most likely more technical. I'm not to try scare you or anything but somethin to keep in mind cuz those lighter guys usually are. You sound like your pretty young, still in HS i'm guessing. \

For being sore all the time i guess one option would to either to let up on some of your workouts, not going 100% all the time. You could also divide up your workouts maybe light workout with the weights or calisthenics in the morning then your grappling in the evening, or go for a run in the mornings then you bas workouts or bag work. Working out 2x a day is not impossible it just has done right and planned out. I can do this 3 times a week despite working a 45+ hour a week job which involves a lot of manual labour. I also did this training for a wrestling tournament last 6 days before competition, wrestling practise in the mornings/afternoons, then weights and cardio in the evenings i lost 11 lbs in that time without cutting weight. Fogel eat your heart out jk lol

I guess my advice would be to work your techinique for now cuz your still relatively new to grappling and try the 173 weight category. Work on your overall conditioning, enter the tournament a cardio machine with strength that doesn't seem to end because you may be wrestling in more than one match.
I know you probably don't wanna here this but maybe give up the alcohol completely if not completely then maybe a month or 6 weeks before your competion. It may affect your pefromance your endurance or cardio. Basically do more homework on your technique and training, see what works for you and what doesn't, with that its up to you to train hard and train smart. Have a good tournament, kick some ass.

 

[Richard Emling]

20 pounds by march no problem i cut 15 pounds in 2 weeks every fight and what is modified mma if you dont mind me asking

 

[stav]

u said your 22% body fat......strictly speaking for a fighter to have that much % body fat shows lack of conditioning.

Not paying u out or nothing i am just saying for your hieght u should be much lighter if u want to compete.

Making weight will not compramise yout Strength as u have plenty of Excess weight to get rid of b4 u get rid of muscle mass and u have plenty of time.
While cutting weight from 22% body fat wont compramise your strength it will increase your stamina as your body wont be carrying the extra weight around unnesseraly as well as making u slightly faster.

I am 171cm tall (5'8"-9 ?? sorry i dont work in imperial measurments) so i think i am slightly taller then u but not by much but weigh 71kg or 156.2 pounds( 1kg = 2.2 pounds).

I say aim for around 12-13% body fat for your fight. This way u can fight at a lower division and maintain the same strength of as if u were goignto fight heavier.

 

[Morgano]

i'm 5'7, I feel a little light around 150 but i've been up to 175 and i'm way too thick that way...I'd say I'm most comfortable around 157 or so....I'm currently in college and my diet is absolutely terrible but, I'd suggest that you start running two or three times a week for at least 20-30 minutes, you'll drop some weight and increase your cardio.

 

[farmboy]

Of course, at 159 he may be a lot stronger than some of the guys in the same weight category. But, yeah, you need to work heavily on your conditioning, no pun intended.

 

[LPF4]

Don't use those fat caliper that you buy and use yourself. Go get tested at a gym where the person actually knows what they are doing. They should take about 7 measurements from different points on your body.

I found that the home scale was close to what I was told at the gym I go to. Remember they are only acurate to +/- 2% or something like that.

The post above that mentioned running was a good one. I was swimming, running and riding in the morning before work and lost some weight quick. I think Body for Life recommends doing all exercise in the am on an empty stomach.

Just cut down to 165 or so and then cut the rest in the days prior to the event.

Its likely you'll lose some muscle mass when you cut since it will be extremely hard to lose only fat unless you count calories everyday and are really strict with your diet. Read Body for Life for a simply overview.