Training to be the best martial artist or cage fighter requires an extreme amount of dedication in all aspects of your life. You have to create a daily schedule so you can balance you technical training with your cardio and your weight lifting. As a martial artist you also have to be dedicated and create a diet regimen as well so you hit your target weight for fighting or competing and don’t lose excess muscle mass or strength.
A well balanced diet with plenty of protein, carbohydrates, and fat can be quite tricky and if you are not strong willed or committed then you will fall short of your goals. Once you have your plan set in motion there are certain things you will want to consume and a few things that should be avoided at all costs. These foods will send your training plan in the wrong direction and wind up costing you more in the long run.
#1 Food to Avoid: Fast Food
Fast Foods: Oh, that greasy pizza or yummy McDonalds value meal loaded with calories sounds so good late at night when you have been dieting and exercising so you think, “One little meal won’t hurt me. I will burn it off tomorrow.” Hello, think again, you are an elite athlete in training and that “one little meal” is going to cost you big time. Sure you can most likely burn it off over the next few days, but you shouldn’t have to because you shouldn’t be eating it. Fast foods are loaded with empty calories and chemicals that aren’t going to do you any good when you are trying to make your goals. If you absolutely need those junky things then go home and make your own pizza or hamburgers. At least when you make it yourself you can control what goes into it and your portion size. You can use low fat or lean meats, cheese, and wheat bread or crust. So before you head over to your favorite fast food hot spot remember this; Fast Food = Empty Calories.
#2 Food to Avoid: Sugary Drinks
Sugary Beverages: Soda, fruit juice, Gatorade, flavored waters, etc… are all drinks that you want to avoid when training for your next fight or competition. It is beneficial to remove them from your diet for pretty much the same purpose as my last food to avoid. These beverages are empty calories that will cause you to have to work harder to burn them off. Besides that they can reek havoc upon your body with the chemicals (aspartame) and caffeine plus they deplete you body of the essential nutrients and minerals you need to function at your optimal levels. If you can’t quit cold turkey then it’s best to try to wean yourself away from these drinks and opt for water. Eventually you should be able to avoid them all together. It might be hard in the beginning, but definitely worth it in the long run.
#3 Food to Avoid: Alcohol
Alcohol: Have you ever woke up the following morning after a party with a hangover? If so then I don’t need to tell you that you drank too much alcohol, you probably already know it. That morning after you probably aren’t focusing on how many calories you consumed or the amount of time it’s going to take for the booze to leave your system so you can resume your training plan. Alcohol and martial arts don’t mix, enough said. If you are serious about becoming the best then keep it out of your system. You can justify whatever you want (good for your heart, etc). You want to win? Don’t drink!
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