[illmatic 24]

Hey guys, I figured I'd transfer my journal over to Sherdog for a larger audience to give feedback. I'll get us caught up to today.

Introduction: I'm 20 years old. Southpaw, 6'4 about 195lbs, muscular build from years of weightlifting, but relatively weak cardio. Other weaknesses include an occassional occurence of shin splints and contact lenses. I trained Muay Thai pretty hardcore for a month while I was in Thailand, and since returning I've done about 2 weeks at my local MMA gym (this journal starts at the begginning of those 2 weeks) other than that, pretty much starting from scratch.

Training:
I go to all the classes at the local MMA gym, and in addition will begin my own training with a partner to keep the total training time to about 3.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Training is 4 weeks on followed by 1 week of rest, each week is 5 days training, alternating between 2 days set out like this:

Day 1 - Technique
Stretch
Shadowboxing
Hit Pads
Standup Sparring
Rolling
Stretch
Go to class

Day 2 - Conditioning
Stretch
Skipping
Weight Training (Divided into Push/Pull/Leg days focusing on functional strength, explosive power, and endurance.)
Heavy Bag
Speed Bag
Stretch
Go to class

Classes are as follows:
Mon - Beginner Jiu-Jitsu
Tue - M.M.A.
Wed - Beginner Jiu-Jitsu
Thur - Boxing + Muay Thai
Fri - Boxing + Muay Thai + M.M.A
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Going to ease myself into it at first and build momentum as my body adjusts. Also going to start light on my weights and build momentum over the weeks as powerlifters do.

Diet:
Focused on getting the fuel I need to keep me energized as well as gradually build mass. I tried to make it flexible, and easy to maintain. I could write a better diet, but the question is could I maintain it for a month? 6 months? a year? Probably not. This one, I can.

6:30 am Wake Up
custom protein shake
7:15 am Beginning Work
muesli + a few fruits (varies) + cottage cheese
10:30 am Lunch Break
steak OR chicken breast OR salmon fillet
roast potatoes OR rice OR farkey noodles
steamed vegetables OR greek salad
4:00 pm Finish Work/Pre Workout
2x tuna OR turkey sandwiches on whole grains
7-8:30 pm (Varies alot) Post Workout/Dinner
custom protein shake
A completely random dinner, my only true freedom through the day. Can't be overly bad like a bag of Doritos, but the Chicken Caesar sub from Quiznos I had today, for example, is fine.
10:30 pm Before Bed
custom protein shake

About 6 litres of water throughout a day.

illmatic's Custom Protein Shake
2/3 to a litre 2% milk
1 cup microwaved oatmeal
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla whey protein

Approximate nutritional values:
Calories 6000
Carbs 550
Protein 450
Fat 200

Supplements:
Protein/Multivitamin/Fish Oils

Considering a pre-workout supp like N.O. Xplode but don't really need the extra hit to the wallet or a caffeine dependency, so we'll see on that one.



Fights:
I'm aiming for December for my premier amateur M.M.A. bout. I'd like to participate in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments as well as take some boxing/muay thai fights to increase my skillset, but M.M.A. is my overall direction. Wish me luck and feel free to pass on advice. I'm gonna tear a hole into this guy.

Some Relevant Links:
Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket, Thailand:Muay Thai and MMA Training Camp, Phuket, Thailand - Thai-Boxing, BJJ, Submission Grappling, Mixed Martial Arts Instruction, Nutrition, Weight-lifting, Running, Weight-loss, Fitness and Yoga Programs.
Revolution Chilliwack, Chilliwack, Canada:http://www.revolutionfightteam.com
Valley Fight, Chilliwack, Canada:VALLEY FIGHT

[sharpcelery]

Originally Posted by illmatic 24

6:30 am Wake Up
custom protein shake
7:15 am Beginning Work
muesli + a few fruits (varies) + cottage cheese
10:30 am Lunch Break
steak OR chicken breast OR salmon fillet
roast potatoes OR rice OR farkey noodles
steamed vegetables OR greek salad
4:00 pm Finish Work/Pre Workout
2x tuna OR turkey sandwiches on whole grains
7-8:30 pm (Varies alot) Post Workout/Dinner
custom protein shake
A completely random dinner, my only true freedom through the day. Can't be overly bad like a bag of Doritos, but the Chicken Caesar sub from Quiznos I had today, for example, is fine.
10:30 pm Before Bed
custom protein shake

About 6 litres of water throughout a day.

illmatic's Custom Protein Shake
2/3 to a litre 2% milk
1 cup microwaved oatmeal
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla whey protein

Approximate nutritional values:
Calories 6000
Carbs 550
Protein 450
Fat 200
[b]

How is it that you are consuming 6000 calories on that diet? I also question the 450 grams of protein, how positive are you about these values? If you are very sure about them, what are the portions like?

[illmatic 24]

August 5th:
Been home for a week, just settling back in and getting back on my feet to get my goals in gear. Me and my training partner have had 3 1 hour sessions practicing standup on the thai pads and his shield and we've had a blast.

Tomorrow I sign up for the M.M.A. Gym and do my first class. It's an M.M.A. class tomorrow. Ready to rock.

August 8th:
Well my start got postponed due to some illness and then a wedding. Not a good way to kick it off but it's going now regardless.

Yesterday was my first class. Beforehand 2 of my friends wanted to hit pads for awhile so I met up with them and we practiced our muay thai on eachother for at least an hour. Afterwards I got something to eat then headed to class.

Class was pretty easy, and I daresay our trainer isn't very thorough. I sat down and start stretching before class, but the trainer didn't take us through any warm up. Instead we started with learning a bit of clinch work, wrestling for the clinch, a few moves from the clinch, etc. Then we did a pretty thorough circuit training that I managed without too much trouble. After that he essentially said, we can do whatever we want - shadowbox, hit the bag, pads, etc. as long as we were doing something. I alternated between hitting the bag since I haven't been on a bag in awhile, and shadowboxing while using a line on the mats to practice moving forwards, backwards, and sideways in a straight line while throwing combos. That's the class.

During class the trainer took an interest in me and asked me how long I'd been training for. We talked a bit about Thailand and he mentioned that there's a Muay Thai event coming up in two months. He seemed like a pretty nice guy.

August 9th:
Double class today

First was boxing/muay thai. Skipping, shadowboxing, a ton of heavy bag rounds, one round hitting mitts, 1 hour and we're done.

Then was MMA. Today was called 'rear naked day' we learned everything to do with the rear naked choke and practiced it extensively. After that we rolled for half an hour alternating between partners. I used my strength to help even out my inexperience, but when paired with someone similar to me I was pretty helpless. I got submitted maybe 4 times and managed to submit twice with a triangle and an arm bar. Another 1.5 hours and I'm done for the day.

I got scratched up on my lips while rolling which is kind of annoying but something I'll be getting used to now. Definitely going to roll with a mouthguard and probably a cup by next class. The trainer was a different one today, I know him from when I took a few classes a year ago and he remembers me as a hard hitter . He's much more thorough and exhausting to train under than the previous guy. I have to work during class tomorrow so it's a rest day unless my friend wants to do some pad drills. I'm ******* sore already and I know the morning after is going to be uncomfortable.

August 11th:
Man was I sore for two days. Luckily they were the rest days. This week started today with my first Jiu-Jitsu class. I bought my Gi and started to feel pretty ninja like by this time despite my completely blank white belt. Did a quick stretch, warm up run, and some quick neck/ab conditioning. Then one of the teachers took us aside to talk to us about JJ and the workings of the class. Then we did some practice getting out of full mount, and learned a scissor choke using the Gi. The one hou class went by very quickly. There is an advanced class following right after but I need to do beginners for around 2 months before I can step up. I'll shutup, listen, and try to do it sooner than that.

August 15th:
My sleepings been fucked up lately because of working in the morning and then somehow not being able to sleep at night. This led me to being too tired and miserable so I bitched out on a BJJ class. I also missed an MMA class because my tire popped on the way there and by the time I had a (flat) spare on I was in a shitty mood and too late for class. Oh well.

Today was Kickboxing. Man this trainer doesn't do much with us at all. Half the class hit bags while the other half shadowboxed and then we switched and so on. After that we practiced jabbing with a partner while parrying and dodging. Then he said just do whatever for the rest of the class. Took my partner and we practiced hitting pads and very light boxing sparring. Class over double class with a more active trainer tomorrow.

August 16th:
Missed first class because it was the only time I could get new tires. Did do the 1.5 hour MMA class though. Warmed up with a bit of gymnastics that I was not comfortable with at all. Learned and practiced a few submissions from guard. Then rolled for half an hour. I did alright, there was only one guy in there who dominated me and he had been training quite awhile, other than that I didn't get submitted from the other two guys.

Sticking to my diet pretty well these past few days. I'm tending to miss a few things until my ****bolism gets back into overdrive and I'm fuel hungry. I slept a full night last night, and am avoiding going out tonight to try to hold a pattern.

August 18th:
Went to the gym this afternoon. First time with weights in maybe 3 months now. I want everyone to take note of this because this is the weakest, most pathetic weights I've lifted in probably 4 years or more, and it'll all be uphill from here until I break old barriers.

I did a full body routine to adjust my body to weightlifting and to see how much damage travelling has done to my strength. It'll shift to the 3 day split and I'll add more combat oriented exercises in the near future.

Squats 8,8 @ 135lbs
Deadlift 8,8 @ 135lbs
Bench Press 8,8 @ 135lbs
Military Press 6,5 @ 95lbs
Wide Grip Pullup 6,4 @ bodyweight
Dips 6,6 @ bodyweight

The scary thing is how challenging all these weights are for me. Yikes.

2nd Gi Jiu-Jitsu class was today. Struggling to keep up and absorb as much as I can. Trying to get past the awkwardness and get good at seeing something and then recreating it yourself without missing steps. Had a decent time when we drilled trying to pass guard but I was mostly dominated.



That catches us up to today. MMA class comin up.

[sharpcelery]

Answer me

[illmatic 24]

Originally Posted by sharpcelery

How is it that you are consuming 6000 calories on that diet? I also question the 450 grams of protein, how positive are you about these values? If you are very sure about them, what are the portions like?

It's all according to fitday. Here's a breakdown of the calories per meal. The secret's in the shake.

Meal 1 600 calories (shake)
Meal 2 650 calories
Meal 3 1650 calories
Meal 4 650 calories
Meal 5 600 calories (shake) + random dinner
Meal 6 600 calories (shake)

Total of 4750 calories without counting dinner. My dinner is usually large, similar to the lunch, so it generally breaks 1000 calories pretty easy.

Portion size is large. The protein shakes have about a quart of 2% milk and a ton of oatmeal. The lunch is generally large portions as well, full chicken breast (2 half breasts) or a big salmon steak, six small potatos, and 2 cups or so of veggies/salad.

If anything else looks questionable let me know and I'll go into more detail in that specific area.

[illmatic 24]

MMA Class

Started with the various running warmups, then did a bit of gymnastics again; rolls, back rolls, cartwheels, and diving front rolls. Still awkward but everything's getting better and I'm not as disoriented as last time we did them. Today we worked from side control. Submitting from it (don't know what it was called but had to do with locking the wrist then lifting at the shoulder joint), getting into full mount, and getting out of it. Still struggling to memorize all the steps and then repeat but I got the techniques down eventually. Then we spent time practicing starting from side mount and trying to get full mount while the other guy trys to submit or get to half guard. I did alright here against a guy much heavier than me who said he'd been coming for a year on and off.

Then we rolled where I did alot better. I didn't get submitted, and I managed a guillotine, and 2 triangles. These are the only 2 submissions I seem to get on people when we're rolling because I'm comfortable with them, so whenever I get mount or side control I just simulate pounding on them. I'd like to master a few more submissions so that I can finish it from other positions than in guard.

I noticed I do alot better in no Gi. This may just be a noob observation, but I think that you can get away with shittier technique by making it up with strenth more so in no Gi. I feel pretty helpless rolling in a Gi because technique is a vague concept in my mind. Regardless I'll keep at Gi until it becomes comfortable, and I'm sure I'll pick up skills for both disciplines.

[sharpcelery]

Americana


Also, if it's not too much trouble, could you post a protein breakdown of your diet? Sorry to bother you, but I'm really looking to tweak the diet before I get back to school.

[illmatic 24]

Originally Posted by sharpcelery

Americana


Also, if it's not too much trouble, could you post a protein breakdown of your diet? Sorry to bother you, but I'm really looking to tweak the diet before I get back to school.

Sorry, Americana?

That's no problem. I reccomend checking out fitday.com if you haven't already. I don't use it on a daily basis, just to build diets, until it sets into a pattern.

6:30 am Wake Up
custom protein shake whey powder 50g+milk (3 cup) 24g+peanut butter (tbsp) 4g+oatmeal (cup) 6g = 84g protein
7:15 am Beginning Work
muesli + a few fruits (varies) + cottage cheesemuesli (cup) 8g+fruit (2 pcs) 2g+cottage cheese (half cup) 16g = 26g protein
10:30 am Lunch Break
steak OR chicken breast OR salmon fillet 60-70g
roast potatoes OR rice OR farkey noodles 5-15g
steamed vegetables OR greek salad 0-8g =65-93g protein
4:00 pm Finish Work/Pre Workout
2x tuna OR turkey sandwiches on whole grains multigrain bread (4 slice) 16g+ turkey ham (6 slice) 40g=56g protein
7-8:30 pm (Varies alot) Post Workout/Dinner
custom protein shake 84g protein
A completely random dinner, my only true freedom through the day. Can't be overly bad like a bag of Doritos, but the Chicken Caesar sub from Quiznos I had today, for example, is fine.
10:30 pm Before Bed
custom protein shake 84g protein

In total thats 399-427g before factoring in a dinner, depending on what you chose for lunch. That leaves dinner to make up the difference of 23-51 g protein. Easily done. Hope that makes sense, kinda chaotic.

[sharpcelery]

The submission you didn't recall the name for, it's most likely an americana. It's a key lock.

[illmatic 24]

Originally Posted by sharpcelery

The submission you didn't recall the name for, it's most likely an americana. It's a key lock.

Ahh yes, I do remember him calling it a key lock too. Thanks!