Mon Jan 28 Choosing a weight class for beginners

Some of the most common questions circulated, and not always answered, in the gym revolved around the concept of weight classes. First and foremost, I would like to emphasize that weight class decisions are competition issues. Really, this is the only time you MUST make a limit. As a beginning student, or one that is in it for the exercise and fun, one should not make a problem out of this whole matter. The best thing to do is to eat right, exercise regularly, and train hard. As you progress you'll find it's natural to watch what you eat-- in particular to reduce your fatty/oily foods before heading to the gym. This alone will get you to lean up over time.

As for actually making a weight, I would only suggest to try to "weigh what you will feel best." Forget goal weights in terms of weight classes and focus on what you find is a healthy weight for you. After all, weight classes formats change even from one event to another. Remember that as your body builds muscle and you learn to hydrate properly, you may even weigh MORE than before, so don't see a higher number as necessarily a bad thing. Use common sense in your diet and that will often be enough.

Many complications will come from forcing your weight down. It's unfortunately routine to see athletes torturing themselves through a workout just to fool the scale. Most common is the misuse of sauna suits and skipping of meals--which in the end is weight that will come right back when you eat and drink. Just remember your training will suffer by not being in condition to train.

ONLY after training properly for a good deal of time should the issue resurface as to what weight one should compete in. Competition and amateur level fighters will slowly find what weight works best for them and begin understanding the process of weight classification. With proper experience there, professionals are really the only fighters that should take the risk of "making weight."

Fri Jan 18 Making the most of training

Greetings!

It’s with a great deal of enthusiasm that I officially start the Tallahassee Mixed Martial Arts instructor's blog. Dedicated to helping fans and students of MMA, this blog is based on the simple fact that finding answers to our questions are as much a part of training as technique and sparring. During the week, our TMMA members will directly help my work here as they ask for help with their training. In advance, I would like to thank my friends/former instructors, training partners, colleagues, and students for their part. Therefore, without further ado, we start with a common question that members have when beginning with us:

“What do I need to get the most out of class time?”

While the easy answer is “Just show up,” we cannot get away from the fact that being aware during training is as important as physical attendance. Put another way, a day of mindlessly going through lesson is not much better than staying at home. Granted there’s always something to learn at the gym, you can effectively maximize your day in class by thinking through what you’re doing. When learning mat drills, try to envision how the movements are used within the overall game; when learning techniques, imagine how you would set them up and use them in an actual situation; when covering conditioning think of how important it is to be in superior shape; etc...

At the end of the day, you should be able to review all that you’ve learned whether it is a new submission or a better idea of how hard you can push yourself during a round. Another tip is to focus on retaining two or three things a day. If you try to memorize everything, you’ll forget it all. Instead, put everything in context and come away every time with a handful of tools that you feel work best for you. Improve each time you train, that is truly the secret to making the most of it.

--Dan

Welcome!

Welcome to the TMMA blog. In the followings weeks, look out for exclusive commentary from instructor Dane Funes.