Swole Science

Science of Recovery

During exercise and physical exertion the muscles of an athlete receive micro-tears in the muscle fiber tissue. These micro-tears not only cause the sensation soreness but are responsible for the muscle being rebuilt larger and stronger. These fibers are constantly being repaired after an athlete finishes a workout and therefore there is a biological increase in protein synthesis to help aid recovery. The increase in protein synthesis allows protein to be metabolized faster and more efficiently specifically for the purpose of the recovery of the muscular skeletal system. Without proper sleep, recovery time, and food, the muscles of an athlete will never fully recover and thus yield subpar and plateaued results. In summary, the muscles are broken down in the gym and built back up in kitchen and bed. There must proper effort on both ends of the spectrum (exercise-recover) for optimal aesthetic and athletic results.

Sleep

The sleep needs of people depends on age, level of activity, and personal factors. It is recommended that the average adult get 8 hours of sleep but this number can increase given an increase in athletic activity and exertion. The average American gets 6.5 hours of sleep and 20% get less than 6 hours. That puts the majority of the population at a significantly reduced recovery rate. Athletes cannot afford to be anywhere this number in order to maintain their athletic progression.

During sleep, the body the body goes into a hyper recovery mode where it is inundated with recovery hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone. These hormones are primarily released at night during the deep stages of sleep and crucial for recovery, protein synthesis, energy, mood, strength, and overall mental/physical wellbeing. Without the proper release of these hormones the body will not only age faster but it will not perform at it’s peak because there will not be proper recovery the night before. Exercise helps maintain and increase the levels of these hormones especially as we age, which can help you looking and feeling younger. In order to reap these benefits from exercise you must sleep properly and deeply. Sleep tips-

• Eat something before bed but not immediately before. You want to provide nutrients for your body to use during the night and to aid in recovery. Without proper before bed nutrition the body can go catabolic, and break down precious and hard earned muscle tissue.
• Avoid light at all costs.
• Avoid electronic distractions such as TV’s and Cellphones that can keep you awake.
• Use your bedroom for sex and sleep only.
• Lower the temperature. We tend to sleep better at slightly lower than room temperature level.

Food

This is one of the most neglected aspects of training. You cannot out train a bad diet and what you fuel your body with dictates your results. Food is bodyweight, strength, size, fuel, and energy. Athletes who have trouble gaining/losing/maintaining weight are always subpar in the nutrition department of their training. Muscles are fueled by glycogen which is from carbohydrates. Once the body’s muscle glycogen stores are filled, the rest is stored as fat. The body was not meant to be sedentary, therefore a diet heavy in carbohydrates without exertion leaves to excessive fat storage. Protein is used for thousands of body processes from hair to rebuilding muscles, and it is one of the only nutrients that the body cannot store. Therefore protein needs to be constistantly consumed and athletes need significantly increased amounts due to the muscles recovering. Fats get a bad reputation due to the widespread use of unhealthy unnatural processed fats. Consumption of quality and healthy fats such as omega-3 fats are essential for brain function, joint lubrication, and production of hormones.

It is essential for an athlete to consume enough protein for recovery, carbohydrates to restore glycogen, and fats for overall health. The most important time to consume protein is within the vital 1 hour post-workout window where the body’s protein synthesis is spiked the muscles are primed for excessive absorbtion of nutrients. Proper nutrition upon waking is also essential as not only does it set the body’s anabolic tone for the rest of the day but after sleep the body is eager for nutrients. An athlete can manipulate their bodyweight, body fat, and muscular size depending on the caloric and macronutritent intake. In order to gain healthy weight, you must exceed your caloric maintenance number with quality calories in conjunction with a strenuous workout regimen. In order to lose weight, implement a workout program with a slightly reduced but consistant reduced caloric intake, minimizing carbohydrates while keeping protein high. This will place your body in a state of ketosis, which will yield a steady bodyweight and body fat reduction while helping to preserve muscle.

Tips for nutrition-

• Consume quality unprocessed carbohydrates prior to training to restore muscle glycogen
• Avoid overly processed food at all costs.
• Eat enough protein for muscle maintenance and recovery.
• Manipulate your diet for the results you want by paying attention to the numbers.
• Consistency is key, There are no fast and easy results.
• Implement fruits and vegetables for essential vitamins, minerals, and health.
• Abs are built in the kitchen, not in the gym.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

For years there have been women’s self-defense classes promising a sense of security for the long and dark walk in the parking lot. These classes are typically five or less one hour long sessions. Some are at the local police station and others are offered at Karate schools. I find these classes to be impractical in real life situations. Mastering a martial art takes more than five hours. The greatest disadvantage a woman has in a fight against a man is strength. This article is breaking down the women’s self-defense methods and offering the best plan of action.

Weaponry:

The first weapon is the stun gun, which are readily available to the public. Just the electric arcing’s menacing and intimidating appearance and sound alone is enough to scare off some attackers.  This weapon provides a good affordable sense of security when walking in the dark alley way or parking lot. A Taser is more expensive but allows for incapacitation at a distance because it shoots out corded projectiles that embeds the skin of attacker while delivering an incredibly high voltage shock. With around 9 million volts of zapping electricity, a stun gun is a must have for the damsel in distress.

Pepper spray is a more common and less lethal weapon to have. The spray is held inside a capsule, often a pressurized cylinder, and a thumb press button activates a mist of capsicum based mixture. Aim for the attackers eyes for best results. Try to spray downwind if possible to avoid mist coming back onto your face. Not only does the mist temporarily blind the attacker, but it also irritates the throat and airway which causes difficulty breathing, an intense choking sensation, and a very painful claustrophobic experience. Some have a dye which can be seen on the person who was hit and the police can use this to identify who was at the scene attacking. Pepper spray is cheap and available to the public for less than $10 and can be easily carried on in a small bottle on a key chain. Pepper spray has a reputation of being a ineffective, especially against intoxicated attackers. This is a common myth that is unsubstantiated, the new formulations of pepper spray will swell the attackers eyes shut and irritate the attackers airway even with an indirect hit, thus giving you vital seconds to stop an attack and escape.

If a concealed weapons permit is held, then one recommended gun is the hammerless Smith and Wesson air weight .38 special. It has a snub nose barrel which makes it even easier to be concealed and the hammerless design helps with quick removal from the purse without getting the hammer caught up on keys, inner pockets, or any other things a woman’s purse contains. The downfall is that this is a deadly weapon that requires extensive training for proper and safe use. Absolute safety and prudence must be exercised while wielding a firearm. The use of a deadly weapon should never be the first line of defense and should only be used if there is absolute knowledge of certain impending endangerment of your life.

Physical Self Defense  

Women typically on average have approximately have about 60-80% of the muscle mass of men. This stark disadvantage makes it imperative that a women avoid strikes and flee the attacker rather than stand and engage in a potentially dangerous combative situation. Typically, in a street fight it is advisable to close the distance if in fear of taking a blow. It is hard to deliver a damaging blow without having any space for the fists to travel and build momentum. Force equals mass times velocity squared, and thus if the velocity is next to nothing, then the resulting force will be too. Yet, it is not recommend women to close the distance because this will put them in grabbing range and this is the first goal of the attacker because it makes bodily control extremely easy, as well as putting you in jeopardy of being taken down the ground. We will now examine vulnerable bodily areas to exploit while being attacked. These key weak points allow a physically weaker opponent to extract an incredible amount of pain and discomfort with very little applied physical force.

The first tip is to aim strikes towards the groin. Typically a powerful knee, kick, or punch to the groin will cause the attacker to grab his stomach and hunch over. The pain from a direct groin hit is enough to make a man pass out if done hard enough. Once the groin hit is delivered the instinctual bodily reaction will be to hunch over in pain and an intense weakening sensation felt throughout the body.  Once the attacker hunches over after the devastating hit it is time to then run to a crowd as quickly as possible.

Another vital area is to constantly attack are the eyes in any manner possibly. It can be poking, scratching, slapping, and weaponry to the eyes. The attacks must be relentless and without hesitation to the eye region. Even with very little force, one can push through the shut eyelids and reach the eyes in order to stop an impending or on going attack. Another target are the ears. The delicate connective tissue of this body part guarantees that a small and weaker opponent will have plenty of power to rip apart an ear. The ear tear is good for when an attacker picks up a victim over his shoulders because the ear is exposed and directly reachable. If you see piercings of any type such as earrings, eyebrow rings, or lip rings, simply rip them out to cause sharp intense pain that will help distract an attacker. Small joint manipulations offer an advantage to smaller people because it takes very little power to break and dismember the small joints of the body such as the fingers. Bend the fingers back one at a time. Wrap a whole hand around one finger and torque back. Don’t target the attackers thumb because it is shorter and can pivot differently than the others because of the flexibility of joint.

One of the most common attacks, and worst transitionary positions to find your self in is the being grabbed by an attacker. In order to escape, mitigate any potential damage, and maximize the chance of you escaping, use the following tips. If you are being bear-hugged from behind over your arms: grab the small joints of the fingers and begin to rapidly snap them back as you lower your weight by dropping your hips and escaping my shifting out of the grip using total body strength against the weak link of the hands. When pulling apart the small joints of the fingers use your whole hand and pull in a downward or outward motion as quickly as you can.

Additionally, use the rear headbutt to repeatedly strike against the face of the attacker when locked in a rear bear hug. While being bear hugged in any form either front or back, reach back/forward and strike/squeeze the groin of the attacker with your hand or knee. If your are being grabbed around your waist with your hands free, use the same aforementioned method to escape. One key technique is that once the grip has loosened, and there is enough space, you can also spin around and attack the vulnerable areas of the face and throat while pushing and moving backwards against the embrace. The front bear hug allows you to also knee the groin with incredible accuracy and force while simultaneously using the arms to push away from the attack.

If grabbed by the arm or shoulder, immediately lower your center of gravity and shift your weight away from the attacker by quickly leaping way and running. If you cannot escape, use the aforementioned attacks while still motioning away from the attacker consistently with your body. Biting, spitting, and scratching at the face are also quickly accessible techniques that will allow you to hurt your opponent quickly and from multiple situations.

The fact is that the goal is not the stay and fight with your attacker and thus risk potential deadly consequences. The goal is to temporarily cause enough pain, distraction, and discomfort in order to stop the attack for enough vital seconds that will allow you to escape and run from your attacker. Using these quickly ascertainable and naturally basic techniques you can empower yourself with enough useful knowledge that will allow you to possibly save your life. Be sure to check out the basic self defense article here. 

-Papa Swole and Kevin ‘Kage’ Pearson

Kevin “Kage” Pearson is currently a fulltime firefighter in Florida. He is a former professional mixed martial artist and still teaches classes at F2 Arena & Darkside Athletics located in Gainesville, Florida. See more right here on Swolescience.com! Also check out his YouTube channel KevinKageMMA.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Main Card

The main card  starts at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.

Ben Henderson vs. Nate Diaz, lightweight

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, light heavyweight

Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick, welterweight

Rory MacDonald vs. B.J. Penn, welterweight

Preliminary Card on FX

The Preliminary card  starts at 5 p.m. EST on FX.

Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens, lightweight

Raphael Assuncao vs. Mike Easton, bantamweight

Ramsey Nijem vs. Joe Proctor, lightweight

Daron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez, lightweight

Tim Means vs. Abel Trujillo, lightweight

Nam Phan vs. Dennis Siver, featherweight

Preliminary Card on Facebook

Facebook preliminary card can be seen at 4:30 p.m EST

John Albert vs. Scott Jorgensen, bantamweight

Main Card Preview

First up on fox are Mike Swick and Matt Brown.  Swick had a very long layoff before knocking out DeMarques Johnson a few months ago.  He brings lighting fast hands with tremendous knockout power along with a very well rounded grappling and submission game.  Matt the Immortal is one of the toughest dudes in MMA.  This man can take a beating, but he also has the ability to dish it out.  This fight will be action packed and is my prediction for fight of the night.

The next fight is the one I am most excited for.  BJ Penn is my favorite fighter of all time.  The consummate champion, he fought from 155-205.  He’s been fighting for the UFC since 2001 and has fought everyone from GSP to Lyoto Machida.  Rory MacDonald is a young gun fighting out of Canada’s famed Tri-Star gym, home to GSP.  BJ has a bone to pick with Tri-Star losing the two matchups against GSP.  He won the first fight in my opinion and the second was the greasing incident but that’s another article for another day.  Rory is the prototypical mixed martial artist.  He is great at nothing but good at everything and is the much larger fighter in this matchup.  If BJ comes in with the fire and cardio he showed against Diego Sanchez, it’s going to be a long night for Rory.  If the BJ who fought uninspired against Nick Diaz or Edgar the second time shows up, it might be the end of the era.

The third fight is another living legend, Mauricio Shogun Rua, taking on a dynamic light heavyweight fighting out of Sweden, Alexander Gustafsson.  Shogun is a dynamic kick boxer with good jiu jitsu, but he’s getting a little old and is showing after a plethora of wars inside the ring.  Gustafsson is young and hungry and has only been the judges’ scorecards once.  Shogun could gut this one out and win but it will be a ridiculously tough task.  Gustafsson could attempt to stand on the outside and pick him apart a la Bones Jones, but Shogun’s aggression and counter striking might be the difference.

Finally, the moment we have all been waiting for.  Ben Henderson and Nate Diaz showdown for the 155-pound belt.  Henderson is a huge 155er cutting from well over 170 pounds to make weight.  Diaz is a triathlete with cardio for days.  Diaz has the awkward boxing of his brother and the black belt in jiu jitsu too.  Henderson has the greatest submission escapability I have ever seen, don’t believe me? Just watch his fight with Cowboy Cerrone in the WEC.  Henderson is a great wrestler with some awkward karate strikes and a capable jiu jitsu game.   This fight will very likely go the distance and I give the slight edge to Henderson.  He has the ability to win on the judges’ cards by doing just enough to steal the round.  One thing is for sure, this card will be all you could ask for from a pay per view and it’s free on basic cable.  I know what I’m doing December 8th and I hope you all do the same.

 

Make sure to catch the fight and Follow us on Twitter for fight play-by-play, notification of future articles/interviews/product reviews and all around information- @SwoleScience

Check out Young Swole on Twitter @GaryOrr

Check out Papa Swole on Twitter @PapaSwole

-Papa Swole and Young Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

For this workout you are going to do 4 sets for each exercises. For the weighted exercises you’re going to do the following:

• First set – a weight that allows you approximately 15 reps
• Second set – a weight that allow you to do approximately 10-12 reps
• Third set – a weight that allows you do approximately 7-8 reps
• Fourth set – 50% of the third set weight and always done to failure (till you cannot do anymore)

The order and rep ranges of the exercises will allow you to finish the exercise with maximum hypertrophy and efficiency.

1) Barbell Squats- Normal stance with toes pointed slightly out. Follow the aforementioned repetition ranges and weights.

2) Dumbbell Press- Follow the aforementioned repetition ranges and weights.

3) Dead lift- Conventional dead lift. Follow the aforementioned repetition ranges and weights.

4) Skull Crushers- Use a Ez-curl barbell with close pronated grip. Follow the aforementioned repetition ranges and weights.

5) Pull ups- Use weighted or assisted pull ups to fit the repetition ranges.

6) Arnold Press- Sit up at a 90 degree angle and place the dumbbells in front of your chest with your palms facing towards you. Slowly press upwards and rotate your hands so that your palms face forward at the top of the press. Feel free to alternate this exercise with standard dumbbell shoulder press.

7) Dumbbell curls- Use the standard grip with your palm facing out front.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Here are some of our top 10 songs (in no particular order) to train from the MMA cage to the weight room.

1) AC/DC – Thunderstruck 

There is no doubting the pure classic rock intensity and powerful build up that has come to define this classic. This is one of those songs that has stood the test of time and can still be heard around the world from weight rooms to football games. Once you hear the epic and haunting ‘thunder’, you know that it’s time to get going.

 

2) Metallica – Whiskey in the Jar

Despite beating Napster to death, Metallica is arguably one of the best metal bands of all time. Whiskey in the Jar is one of their lesser known hits but it’s melodic, yet consistent hard sound that will definitely help keep you going.

 

3) 2Pac – Still Ballin’ ft. Trick Daddy

2Pac is one of the greatest hip-hop revolutionaries and artists of all time and almost any song from his extensive catalog could be on this list. We chose his posthumously released collaboration that uses his previously recorded verses and hooks. This song give you classic aggressive gangster rap defined by a unique fast pasted west-coast beat and one of the best hip-hop lyricists of all time.

 

Welcome to the Jungle is a song that doesn’t quit and is one of those timeless songs that would wake the dead to workout. From Axl Rose’s howling to the guitar solo, this song gets you moving.

 

5) Any of the Rocky songs

Now with the exception of Rocky 5, the first 4 Rocky‘s are pretty epic in their ability to give you a motivational training montage in 80′s glory. These songs take you back to Rocky, the American underdog, training relentlessly for the win. Besides, we all know it’s hard not to instinctively shadow box when we hear ‘Eye of the Tiger’.

6) Hollywood Undead – Undead

Hollywood Undead burst onto the scene a few years ago and went from being a MySpace band with a fan page to being featured in a Madden video game. Their unique style and beats help create some of the best workout songs around. All you need to know is that they all wear masks and should check out their hit ‘Undead’.

 

7) Korn – Got the Life

Most of you will remember Korn as one of the pioneers of the late 90′s Nu-Metal movement, which was a unique and popular blend of rap and metal music. While the genre’s popularity has waned in recent years, Korn’s powerful mainstream hit ‘Got the Life’ is one of the best pump-up songs around.

 

8) Roy Jones Jr. – Can’t be Touched

Roy Jones Jr. (56-8) is one of the best boxers of all time with a total of 21 world titles and a still on-going career. In 2005, he formed the group Body Head Bangerz and released Can’t be Touched as a single. This pump-up song is as good as Roy’s career and continues to be one of the best songs to get you feeling like Roy in the ring.

 

9) Rammstein – Du Hast

You don’t have to understand German to appreciate this German industrial metal band that sold out Madison Square Garden in 30 minutes and continues to create some of the rawest rock sounds around today. Du Hast has been featured everywhere from the Matrix to HBO’s Entourage, but make no mistake this song is as original and powerful as they come, making it one of top songs to workout to.

 

10) Kanye West – Stronger 

First of all this song is named ‘Stronger’. Second, it opens and sets the tone with “Now that that don’t kill me, can only make me stronger.” If that doesn’t say it all right there then you haven’t heard this song yet. Set to a remixed Daft Punk, Kanye delivers with a electronic hip-hop hit that will help keep you in the gym till closing time.

What makes someone ‘alpha’? Alpha isn’t about being a domineering bully, a one dimensional physical ogre, or condescending toward others. It is a someone who is: confident, accepts challenges, is not afraid to assume leadership when necessary, maintains a good outlook on life, does not let anything stop them, and approaches problems as challenges that can be met. There are no physical requirements for being alpha and it is not something that is easy to be, but it can be assumed at any point in one’s life. Taking control of your life, being assertive in your own actions to follow, and live the way that you want to live while helping to bolster and bring up others around you. Many assume that ‘alpha’ is being a ‘lone wolf’ who cares for no one but themselves, but this could not be farther from the truth. The fact of the matter is that you help yourself by helping others, and a truly alpha individual takes pride in bringing up those around them and never belittling others. In order to be alpha you must step up to the challenges that come to you and rise to the barriers that stand in the way of your dreams and goals. Surround yourself with positive people, those who want to better themselves, stay confident but humble, stay strong, and always push forward.

It is imperative to always keep goals and continue to push for them. If you are not pushing for goals and progressing in life, then you are complacent, and being complacent is as good as being dead. It is the stagnant existence that is simply waiting to die. There are no excuses in life, and weakness is always a choice. Physical factors such as body type, age, and strength are not barriers, but simply unique traits that will come to define your journey. People love to make excuses, but the reality is that the pain of regret is much worse than the pain of failure. If you go out and try and give it 100%, and you fail, then at least you gave it your best effort. Anyone can become a ‘champion’; a champion is someone who never gives up and keeps coming back until their goal is met. You never know how strong you actually are until you have no choice but to be strong. The  events in your life will come to define who and what you are, each situation that you overcome and each challenge met will teach you a lesson, make you stronger, and build your confidence. You are never truly defeated until you give up; from an Olympic race to fixing a broken down car, to hitting a new personal record in the gym, the key is your attitude and assertiveness to accept and rise to the the challenge in every way possible.

Check out our other motivational and attitude articles here- SwoleScience Motivation. 

Stay Alpha

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

When I’m training, even though I know I’m about to be in for a tough session, I tell myself, “It’s only 90 minutes.”  If I’m about to get shark-tanked, I may tell myself something like, “It’s only 5 rounds.” If I’m exhausted on the 2nd workout of a 3 workout day, I tell myself, “Only one more workout…” Before each fight if I catch myself getting anxious, I may tell myself something like, “It’s only some heavy sparring with no pads in front of a lot of people.” If I’m on the mat and have to grapple with a black belt or someone like Jake Shields next, I’ll tell myself “It’s only 5/7/10 minutes.” Long story short, I do what I can to convince myself that whatever is coming up, isn’t all that bad after all. I beat it before it begins, and this comfort allows me to think better under what would normally be an intimidating or stressful situation that could hinder my ability to think effectively; whether I’m exhausted physically, or just in a bad place in the fight/sparring.

On the flip side I also minimize myself when others praise or compliment me in the gym. I don’t do it verbally (well, sometimes I do) but I tell myself something to not allow me to believe my own hype (which I did once, maybe even twice and it didn’t work out so well). If a training partner I spar with compliments me on a punch that I was landing effectively, I immediately replay my boxing coach’s criticism in my head of the same punch when I throw it in his presence. If I sub a guy while grappling, I may tell myself that it was because I was bigger/stronger than he and that I’d better tighten that technique up to be able to pull it off on a guy my size or bigger come fight time. I always find any way I can to not toot my own horn.

Reason being, I feel that once you believe like you’re good at a technique or in a certain area, your training in that area may lose some, if even a little bit, of intensity. This is where I see guys stumble all the time. Once you start to feel good about yourself in a certain area, you allow ego to creep in a bit there; and ego is any fighter’s own worst enemy. We all have a guy in the gym, who when you point out something to him that he can tighten up, based on what you saw or experienced when training with him, their response is to give you some half-assed excuse that makes no sense as to why they do it the way they do…… I NEVER want to be that guy. Even if I don’t see or agree with what you’re saying or trying to show me, I still mull it over, consider it and thank you. I just feel that it’s what is deserved if a guy is trying to help you. I mean, how many guys are giving you advice in your gym because they want you to get your ass kicked? Anyways, enough about etiquette, let’s get back to mentality talk.

In retrospect, I guess one of my greatest strengths is my mental state towards training and fighting; and probably one of the only areas I deserve to give advice or suggestions.

Although I minimize so much, I never minimize the IMPORTANCE of things necessary to properly prepare for a fight. You’ll never hear me say, ”It’s okay if I miss practice/training, or, ”It’s only one session” nor will I make any excuse that begins with, “It’s only….”  I over emphasize the important stuff and minimize all the, ”Wow, maybe they’re right and I really am THAT good” stuff.  I fell for that once, maybe even twice, and yeah, it didn’t work out so well. There is NOTHING worse than losing to a guy that by all means, you should have easily beat, and WOULD have easily been beat, had you trained properly for that fight. The MMA gods have cruel hands when it comes to teaching lessons….. The sooner you wise up, the better off you’ll be.

So, the next time you have a great training day, allow yourself to feel good, but not good enough to slack. Because at the end of the day, you have to assume that the other guy trained harder than you did, better than you did, smarter than you did. This will push you to take harder, better, and smarter to new levels. The next time you sub a guy on the mat, remind yourself that you can’t do that to Jake Shields or Nick Diaz. The next time you have a good stand up round in sparring, remind yourself that Floyd Mayweather or Nonito Donaire would have lit you up that round. I guess what I’m trying to say in this paragraph is set your standard bar up there with the best of the best. This will make you push through level after level of improvement because you will always look at yourself in a more minimal manner than others see you, which also means, you won’t fall for your own hype. If you set your standard bar by those who are at the top of the fight game, it’s only a matter of time and effort before you are up there with them yourself.

Shit, if you ask me, I definitely belong up there with those upper level guys; I just have a whole lot of work to put in before I get there. Now, I know that doesn’t sound like much minimization there, but it is realistic. As much as it can be for me, it can be for you as well.  Because when you convince yourself that you are truly headed to the top, it makes it a lot easier to mentally commit to the long process it takes to get there. It makes it easier to run that extra mile, to fight on through the break between rounds in sparring instead of rest, to get through that last round of grappling, even if it’s your 10^th straight 10 minute round, to eat a clean diet that keeps your body fueled and recovering faster.

The only time I’m not minimizing myself is when I’m walking out to that cage on fight day and I KNOW I did everything possible and necessary to win this fight. This is where I am so convinced that I am relaxed on my walk, feeling the energy of the crowd and for once, hyping MYSELF up.  I had a good weight cut because I dieted right, my timing is on point because of all the rounds I put in in the gym, I’m not going to gas because I did so much conditioning, my skillset is the best it’s ever been because of all the drills I did, and tools I picked up in the process. I am walking into battle with the energy and faith of everybody, from my coaches to my training partners, to my friends and family who invested in me. This is the ONLY moment that I allow myself to believe that I am great. Every time I walked into battle with that mindset on the way to the cage, I came out of it with a W….. and immediately go back to deferring credit, and minimizing myself by letting everyone know that this was a result of the teamwork put into me; the rounds the guys gave me at the gym, the coaching I got, and the help and support I got at home from my wife and kids while I was getting ready for this fight. Because after all, I realize that if it weren’t for the combination of those things being what they were for this fight, who knows what would have happened.

Fights are won in our minds before the cage/ring. But just like your body, you have to allow your mind to peak on fight day. This is something you can’t do if you’re high on yourself every day leading up to the fight. So, keep everything in perspective and keep pushing. Because when fight day comes, and you’ve set your standards with those who are great, you’re going to realize that although you may not be great just yet, today you truly are better than your opponent. It’s just a matter of walking into the cage and proving it, one step to greatness at a time. You had better minimize that step though, because there are many more to be made…..

-Mark Matthews

Professional MMA fighter and tattoo artist Mark Matthews is an accomplished and seasoned master of both crafts. Within the MMA world, Mark is a jiu jitsu and boxing specialist who has won his last three consecutive fights. He is ranked #1 fighter in the 185 pound division by West Coast Fighting Championships, has previously fought at 170 & 205, and will be fighting for the 185 pound championship title in the West Coast Fighting Championships. See Mark’s championship fight on January 18, 2013 at 7pm at Jackson Sports Academy in Sacramento, California.

As a tattoo artist, Mark has been tattooing for 20 years total, 14 years professionally, and has won numerous art awards at various tattoo conventions. Mark’s exceptional talents allowed him to be elected to be part of a very small group of the best tattoo artists in the country; as a contestant on the SpikeTV hit show ‘Ink Master’, which premieres October 9th, 2012. Mark also recently opened his premier own tattoo studio, Forever Forward Social Club.

Some of Mark’s work:

Check out:

Mark’s Official Site- www.ForeverForwardTattoo.com

Mark’s Official Twitter- http://twitter.com/ManifestMark

Mark’s Ink Master bio & video trailer- Ink Master Mark Matthews

Be sure to check out Mark’s new tattoo studio:

Forever Forward Social Club

1618 S El Camino Real

San Mateo, CA 94402

 

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post and exclusive interview that is copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Compound 20 is described as a “revolutionary leaning & hardening cocktail” and “Selective Beta-2 Adrenoceptor Agonist”. The purpose of this product is to improve aesthetic appearance and overall bodily composition by assisting in decrease of fat, and subcutaneous water retention, while improving the overall fullness of the muscular tissue. Compound 20 was given over an eight week trial period and the results with respect to its effects, side effects, and overall experience are as follows.

USP Labs Compound 20

Two pills were taken twice a day spaced out 6-8 hours. Ingredients:

• N-Coumarolydopamine
• N-caffeoyldopamine
• Symplocos Racemosa Extract (standardized for Triterpenoids)

How it works

Compound 20 works through it’s selective Beta-2 adrenoceptor agonist properties, thus stimulating beta-2 receptors, which allows your body to release and burn stored fat at a higher rate and increase muscle mass.

cAMP, or cyclic adenosine monophosphate is an important messenger in your body. cAMP is derived from ATP (adenosine triphosphate). cAMP  is very important for hormones such as epinephrine, muscular blood flood, prevention of muscle breakdown, and the metabolism of protein, sugar, and fat.

Beta-2 adrenergenic receptor is one of the three beta-adrenergenic receptors. These receptors are vital to the adrenaline induced fight or flight response that occurs in the body during times of extreme stress are are targeted primarily by: noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and adrenaline (epinephrine).  Scientists have found the compounds in cocoa (as found in chocolate), work via the same Beta-2 adrenergenic receptor of the pharmaceutical grade clenbuteral. The effects of Beta-2 agonists on the adrenergenic receptors show that the compounds work by providing a rapid increase in muscular protein synthesis that lasts for about five to seven days. After that initial period of protein synthesis induced by the drug, there is a decline, but it is accompanied by a decrease in muscular degradation and catabolization. This anticatabolic effect preserves muscle from from being excessively broken down during training, increases recovery, and decreases recovery time. Studies on beta-2 agonists show an increase in the density of type-II muscle fibers and consistent body fat reduction. One study found a 20% gain in muscle, coupled with a 20% loss of fat when clenbuterol was given for just eight to fourteen days.

The following study shows the effectiveness of the cocoa compounds found in Compound 20 as beta-2 agonists.

“The more cAMP the cells produced, the better the beta-2-receptor stimulated. The figure below shows that, within this category of substances, clovamide and its analogue N-coumarolydopamine are the most powerful beta-2-agonists.” – Reference Link and Study.

UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort

September 22, 2012
10pm ET/7pm PT
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Preliminary Fights on FX Network. Main card on Pay Per View

Main Card (PPV)
Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort (Light heavy weight title fight)
Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson (Flyweight title fight
Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann
Matt Hamill vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira

Undercard (FX)
Igor Pokrajac vs. Vinny Magalhaes
TJ Grant vs. Evan Dunham
Sean Pierson vs. Lance Benoist
Jimy Hettes vs. Marcus Brimage

Undercard (Facebook)
Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen
Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson
Kyle Noke vs. Charlie Brenneman

Main Card Preview

The first fight is a featherweight contest between Charles Oliveira and Cub Swanson. Swanson has looked dynamic in his last couple bouts with back-to-back TKOs. Oliveira was equally impressive coming off of consecutive submission victories. In the classic striker versus grappler matchup, look for a barnburner with a pretty good chance that this one won’t reach the judges’ scorecards.

The second fight of the main card marks the return of Matt Hamill. He is taking on a relatively unknown Canadian, Roger Hollett.  Hamill is a fantastic wrestler with some pretty good striking. He also is the only man to hold a defeat over the champion Jones.  Albeit by DQ after getting massacred, but a victory over Jones is still something to tell your kids about. Hollett is a well-rounded fighter, with a sub par submission game coming in riding a five fight win streak.

The third fight on the card is one of the most exciting ones for me. The fighter everyone loves to hate, Michael Bisping, is taking on an American war hero, Brian Stann. Bisping is easily a top five middleweight who can strike, wrestle, grapple and talk smack with the best of them.  The only knock on Bisping just happens to be the specialty of Stann, punching power. Bisping has been seen to have pillows for hands and Stann will take your head off if you stand in front of him. I’m definitely pulling for a Stann KO similar to Bisping’s last KO defeat at UFC 100. This one could go to the judges because Bisping likes to dance, and is more experienced than Stann, but it should be exciting.

The co-main event is the long awaited finale to the UFC’s flyweight tournament. Joseph Benavidez is taking on Demetrious Johnson for the UFC’s first ever 125 pound belt. Benavidez is stronger and better rounded; Johnson is faster and has a heart of a lion. This one could go either way and has great potential to take the fight of the night award. The team alpha male product, Benavidez is the bigger name and bigger fighter, but you can never count out Demetrious Mighty Mouse Johnson.

The main event of evening pits the champion, Jon Jones, against the youngest ever UFC heavyweight tournament champion, Vitor Belfort. Jon Jones has the most reach in the UFC and has unique striking and strong wrestling. Vitor possesses the great equalizer, dynamite in his hands. The old cliché of the punchers chance has never been truer in a title fight. Vitor Belfort is coming in after joining the Blackzilians and Jones’ former teammate, Rashad Evans. This fight will very likely end in fireworks and can’t wait to see it.

Make sure to catch the fight and Follow us on Twitter for fight play-by-play, notification of future articles/interviews/product reviews and all around information- @SwoleScience

-Papa Swole and Young Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Leigh Steinberg Exclusive Interview for SwoleScience.com conducted by Papa Swole.

SwoleScience- Thanks for doing the Interview, how are you doing?

Leigh Steinberg- Doing great.

SwoleScience- You have represented some of the biggest names in sports from the NFL to Boxing, and negotiated the richest rookie deal in NFL history at the time with Steve Bartkowski. How and what made you want to get into sports?

Leigh Steinberg- I was a dorm counselor working my way through law school in an undergraduate dorm. They put the freshman football team in the dorm, and one of those students was Steve Bartkowski. After I graduated from law school in 1974, I was weighing different offers from firms in corporate litigation, criminal law,  politics, and television news. As it happened, I took a trip to Egypt, was out on the Nile, jumped into the Nile, which seemed like a good idea at the time (laughs), and got some tropical disease. I ended up in the hospital for six months over in England, so I couldn’t work. In January of 75’ Bartkowski was the first pick of the first round in the draft; picked by the Atlanta Falcons, and that next month he asked me to represent him. So there I was, brimming with legal experience, never having had a client before, I had the first pick in the first round of the draft. There was a World Football League at the time competing against the NFL with teams like the Shreveport Steamers and Chicago Winds, and because of that we were able to leverage in order to get the largest contract in NFL history. It eclipsed Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson, who were the previous standard bearers. I recall we flew into Atlanta to sign the contract and arrived in the airport the night before. As we arrived there were lights flashing in the sky and there was a huge crowd pressed up against the police line, and the first thing we heard was: “We interrupt the Johnny Carson Show with a special news bulletin, Steve Bartkowski and Leigh Steinberg have just arrived at the airport and we are switching live for an in-depth interview.” So I looked at Steve probably the way Dorothy looked at Toto when they got to munchkin land, and I said “I guess we’re not in California anymore.” It was really then that I saw the tremendous idol worship and veneration that athletes are held in the community, across the country.- They’re movie stars, they are celebrities, and there really wasn’t organized sports law at that point; as a matter of fact, there was no guaranteed right of representation. A team and a general manager like Mike Brown of the Bengals could simply say- “You’re an agent?”…Click, and hang up the phone.

What I saw was the potential for athletes to be role models and trigger imitative behavior, especially in the young. I felt that if they retraced their roots and went back t0 the high school community that helped shape them, then to the collegiate community that helped mold them, and to the community that they played for, and help set up programs to enhance quality of life, then people would get a chance to know them for the quality of their character as opposed to a dot running around on an athletic field. So we made it a requirement that each athlete in their own way and on their own time, would go back to the high school community, setup a scholarship fund or give to the boys club, church, etc. At the collegiate level, athletes like Eric Harris and Troy Aiken endowed full scholarships to UCLA, Terry Collins at Penn State, and Edgerrin James at the University of Miami. This was a way of saying ‘this institution helped me, so I’m going to help enable another athlete to go’. Also, at the pro level, we setup programs that were foundations, where I challenged the athlete to find something, some condition or something in their old life that was especially distressful that they would like to tackle. For example, paying the down payment for single women in a program called ‘Homes for the Holidays, where they received the first home they’ve ever owned, fully  outfitted by Home Depot. There was Steve Young’s ‘Forever Young Foundation,’ where we granted substantial amounts of money to youth charity, and Warren Moon’s ‘Crescent Moon Foundation,’ where he sent hundreds of kids to college. It is a way to make a difference.  I didn’t really aspire towards sports law, but I serendipitously fell into it and then decided to stay.

SwoleScience- You helped revolutionize the sports representation world by spearheading large numbers and exposure of athletes, how do you think this changed the overall world of sports in general?

Leigh Steinberg- The key was to make sure there was a bond between the athlete and the fans. We didn’t force the fans an unremitting diet of contract hassles, and athletic misbehavior, which would push them away from sports. So part of the concept was having an athlete planning for a second career from the beginning; to utilize the off-season to help build that, and to realize that many of the people critical to their future were huge football fans. When Brent Jones was playing for the 49ers, Santa Clara where their practice facility was located, was proximate to silicone valley, which had the Internet revolution and venture capital community. So Brent has now gone on to a billion dollar hedge fund. Deron Cherry was a pro bowl safety for Kansas City and he had a charity foundation; when that ended, he had such a high profile that they granted him the Anheuser-Busch distributorship, which was a license to print money (laughs). He also became a minority owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I saw that generation as being able to not just be greeters but owners. As Ray Childress of Houston who was the defensive tackle, he had the Childress Foundation and then he ended up with car dealerships, and finally a minority owner of the Houston Texans.

So the plan was always to see an athlete holistically and to challenge them to think of the end of the career as the beginning of an exciting new life and not as a death. I also saw the growth of television. What it would and could mean as satellite and cable proliferated, turning three independent stations into two hundred stations. That provided a golden opportunity for rights fees and amount of broadcasts.

SwoleScience- What are the components involved in representing a professional athlete?

Leigh Steinberg- There are three components to sports representation. First is recruiting. Second is contract negotiations. Third is client maintenance.

The first key is to really understand an athlete; I would tell them that they should do an internal inventory and think about what values and priorities are critical to them. How they feel about short-term economic gain, the money that could come instantly, or long term economic security, money that would come over time. Thoughts on geographical location, weather, lifestyle, climate, urban, rural, family, profile, being able to make a difference in world, and endorsements. Then there were sports considerations; for instance, a starter liking the coach, the system the team plays, the playing surface and field conditions. All those stack differently into different players’ lives. Everyone confuses the requisite to representation and success as clever persuasive skills, but really it is listening skills. It is peeling back the layers of the onion so that an athlete can truly reveal himself and then help them deal with their deepest anxieties, fears, and greatest hopes and aspirations.

SwoleScience- How do you secure and really go about exposing your athlete with respect to endorsements and the media?

Leigh Steinberg- The key is to get the right athletes in the right sports to begin with.

SwoleScience- I’ve personally seen a lot of mismatches of athletes and endorsements.

Leigh Steinberg- Here’s the point, if someone tells a backup offensive lineman during recruiting that they are going to be an endorsement superstar, this is misleading the situation. It’s like a pyramid, and those few athletes with high popularity and high name recognition get the majority of the major endorsements. So, it was not by chance that when I started in football I realized that quarterback position probably had twenty times the name recognition of an offensive lineman. Not that there isn’t room for linemen, there are some really good opportunities for big men in the world, but the reality is that the key is the public. They decide when it has had its fill of sports pages that read like the business section, or even worse, like the crime beat section. They’re looking for interesting role models, someone they can point their children towards. Athletes like Steven Young, Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, Drew Bledsoe, and Ben Roethlisberger, players who had shown their caring for the community with their charitable work, were very conscious of public behavior, and were much more attractive to advertisers.

SwoleScience- How involved is a sports agent with an athlete’s daily life on average?

Leigh Steinberg- There are probably four or five issues that motivate an athlete to call, other than to say hello (laughs). They may be disturbed they are not starting, because their team is losing, because they don’t think the coaches are guiding them correctly, because they don’t like the city they are in, or because they are injured. Those are all special circumstances, which require the ability to give sage’s counsel, and exercise good listening skills. I would go to games because you need to see athletes play live, you also need to see them play in their cities. It was one thing to see Ben Roethlisberger on the road, it was another to see him in Pittsburgh and understand the environment; seeing how people react to him was critical. The major difficulty in this field for me was the injury rate, especially in football, but also present obviously in boxing, basketball, and to some degree in baseball. Knowing that, every Sunday night was like an edition of ‘E.R.’ or ‘House’, but I’m not nasty enough to be the guy in ‘House’ (laughs). The reality was that every joint of the human body was broken down in many athletes, so I had a physician’s desk reference on my desk, and had to become a specialist on how to send athletes on second opinions, and understand the construction of the knee, hip, and shoulder. The most disturbing phenomenon of all was the spectrum of head injuries and concussions.

SwoleScience- I was just going to ask you about head injuries and concussions in football.

Leigh Steinberg- I finally got to a point in the 90’s where when players like Steve Young and Troy Aikman who were suffering multiple concussions, would go to doctors, and there were no answers. How many is too many? No answer. What is the effect of one on the other? No answer. When is an athlete risking long term damage? No answer. So I started the Concussion Conferences with neurologists in Newport Beach back in the 90’s for three years, and then we did them again with the Concussion Institute in Los Angeles starting in 2006.  We had neurologists who were able to say that three, more or less was the magic number and that they felt these triggered exponential higher rates of Alzheimer’s, premature senility, dementia, and four times the rate of depression. The problem was that athletes were in denial about their own health from Pop Warner on. They were taught to be stoic, ignore pain, and stay part of starting unit.  It’s very difficult to get them to admit as older athletes that they were impaired and to warn younger athletes.

I got to the point where I couldn’t represent these athletes anymore, and send them out into a sport that could really hurt them, without being a crusader on the issue. Finally, I realized that it wasn’t just NFL football, it was baseball, basketball, field hockey, and AYSO at the pro/college/high school levels. We pushed very strongly for baseline testing to be introduced, where a cognitive test was given that would allow an objective way to assess a player’s level of mental acuity. Then when you have a kid with a concussion, there would be a second test that would again give the ability to make sure that you stayed asymptomatic and rest before you practiced and got in the game.

SwoleScience- What would you say is the most intense negotiation and hardest deal you ever secured within the sports world?

Leigh Steinberg- (laughs) In terms of intensity, the deal for Steve Young back in 1984 with the ‘LA Express’. The USFL was desperately trying to secure a big star quarter back for its Los Angeles franchise, the two leagues were warring against each other. The irony is that Steve really only wanted to play in the NFL; he had grown up with Roger Staubach’s picture above his bed. So you really had two leagues fighting with each other, and Don Klosterman was the general manager of the team and a former quarterback. He had a lot of style and swagger, so we started negotiating in their El Segundo office and then in the later afternoon moved to his house in the Hollywood Hills. It was a very easy negotiation because I just kept saying ‘No’ (laughs). Steve was going to be the first pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft but this was all occurring in March; so, we went back and forth, and back and forth. Finally, now this is 1984, we got up to a figure of 42 million dollars, which at that point was unheard of in the world of sports. In addition, they were going to help him establish a scholarship fund and make sure he went to law school, and a whole lot of other perks added to it.  We kept going and going, at one point we jumped into Don’s swimming pool, because it was so late. Finally, at about seven o’clock in the morning, Steve accepted the deal. We had gone at that point, roughly twenty-four hours straight. When the deal was announced, it lead the Dan Rather nightly news, was front-page headlines across the country and even in Europe. Steve was frankly agasp because he had these good Mormon values and now he was being held up as symbol of sports economics run amuck.  It was staggering because no one ever thought an athlete could make that much money.

SwoleScience- What sports do you think are not fully being capitalized upon with respect to exposure and athlete revenue?

Leigh Steinberg- Hockey. As an example, in the last playoffs they had Los Angeles, the second largest market against New Jersey, the first largest media market. So here you have a commissioner and advertiser’s dream. The two biggest markets in the country, both of which are larger than some countries, were playing each other. One of the games in the series wasn’t shown on NBC, it was shown on NBC Sports Television, which is received by some fraction of the homes that receive NBC. So here’s their showcase not on national television. That sport was in a very expansionistic mode some years ago and had moved all across the Sunbelt, and then they had a devastating strike. P.T. Barnum once said “the show must go on” so when they had that strike, they stultified and chilled their expansion. The key to that is that in those areas is where we haven’t grown up with ice. It’s never snowed in a place I’ve lived in my 63 years; we used to go on field trips in the mountains, called snow trips. In southern California we had never seen it, except for ice in the icebox; we’d always try to save the snow to come home and show our parents, but the hour and half bus ride put an end to that story (laughs). They key is that the sport is underutilized.

There are two other baffling situations. One is soccer, which is the world’s passion, isn’t impactful as a professional sport in America. I believe that is because Americans like games that have a finite chance of success or failure on every play- batters out, safe, pass completed, incompleted, etc. And we love a lot of scoring. So when you have a continuously played game that doesn’t have a lot of scoring and doesn’t have commercial breaks, it doesn’t fit traditional American tastes.  I wrote a book called ‘The golden goal” which talks about parenting tips for parents of youth athletes. No one gives you a ‘drivers license’ on how to raise a child and if you should explain to him at age six he’s supposed to be a young Vince Lombardi and win at all costs or that participation is the key; and if his team isn’t winning, he’s not starting, playing a bad position, do you tell him to assert himself? Or should he tough it up and learn character? And that being said we see some outrageous parental behavior.

SwoleScience- Within the entertainment world there is a very strict distinction between agents and managers. The sports world seems to almost blend those roles. How do think that effects representation?

Leigh Steinberg- In the world of entertainment, a movie star can have a booking agent like William Morris Endeavor, a personal manager who is in charge of his career, a lawyer who does the lawyering, a publicity person, and a financial planner. Who has the most power depends on the personalities involved, in some cases the booking agent, law firm, or the personal manager. In sports it’s much more simplified, players have their agent and then my preference is that players find a separate business manager so that they have a financial planner in their lives that can teach them the basics of financial management and serve as a safety net to make sure their life gets under way in a prudent manner. Although we may interact with the financial planner, it essentially sets up a checks and balance system. The PR function, some of it I do, some of it the team does; so it’s much more simplified and therefore the relationships are much closer which I enjoy. Part of the reason I didn’t go into entertainment law was two fold, number one, I didn’t really want to know that the actor that I loved so much had a cocaine problem, beat his wife, or something, and just wanted to enjoy the artistry on the screen; number two, the relationships didn’t seem as close in all cases, and it seemed like there were too many cooks in the broth.

SwoleScience- With the recent incredible growth of the UFC and mixed martial arts, where do you see combat sports in the future?

Leigh Steinberg- I’ve represented Oscar De La Hoya for several years, and Lenox Lewis for a much longer time; I grew up in the era where boxing was dominant. There is a change in consciousness especially in the younger generation that gets their information from a computer rather than a newspaper, in tight sound bytes, able to control color, sound, and stimulus on a big screen television set, computer screen, mobile phone screen, or tablet, and multitask. They have a much shorter attention span because of it. Mixed martial arts seem to fit that mentality much better, it has the violence of football, and fights are quick. So I think it is going to continue to grow and become more and more mainstream. Now many of the matches are pay per view which can generate enormous income, but at some point they are going to be on a major network and that will boost their popularity. The NFL has never put the Super Bowl on pay per view, and if they did, they could have amazing windfall; but because anybody with enough money to get their own television can watch an NFL game, the popularity is almost universal, and that popularity fuels enormous television contracts which has transformed sports.

When I started back in 1975, each team got 2 million dollars as its share, as part of the National Football contract from the networks. That figure went up to 17 million dollars in 1989. Then all of a sudden, Fox and other networks jumped in because they understood that by bidding economics, could make more money than they’d ever recoup from advertising for the rights fees. They could put their promos in the Monday through Friday shows onto Sunday afternoon, and all of a sudden Fox could build its entire network, get exposure from Monday through Friday, and on Sunday,  and add to their rating and values. Fox was more of a minor network when it started, and now it is very competitive with the other three. When CBS dropped NFL football, its programming went into the cellar and when it got it back, it’s now dominant again.

SwoleScience- Since Steve Bartkowski, how much as professional football changed to now?

Leigh Steinberg- (laughs) It is almost unrecognizable; dramatic changes. In terms of how it is played on the field, when I began, teams ran on first down, ran on second down; now, it has become primarily a passing game with runs supplementing it. When I began, there were defensive ends playing at 220 pounds, guards playing at 220 pounds, a big tackle might be 240 or 250. Now, it is impossible to play tackle in the NFL without being over 300 pounds; the size has changed dramatically, the speed numbers have changed dramatically…

SwoleScience- Well, why do you think that is?

Leigh Steinberg- Nutrition, training techniques, and science instead of superstition, are used to train players. There are amazing nutritional supplements, really advanced concepts on diet, advanced training techniques, multiplicity of people doing that training.  We can put a prospective draftee into a training program for six weeks, with the right trainer, strength coach, weight coach, and watch the dramatic changes occur in their body, where they get bigger, stronger, faster, and more flexible. So there have been extraordinary changes.

The way that sport has multiple platforms of content is staggering. In other words, it is possible to watch NFL football on a tablet or a cell phone. There are fantasy leagues where fans across the country can get involved in their own surrogate teams. Concepts like direct television where a fan has the option of splitting the screen in multiple parts or being taken to wherever the dramatic action is, with statistics and other things on the screen. There is the capacity now to take a television screen and put over the game coverage statistics for fantasy league, and talk back and forth to other fans as the action occurs. There are naming rights on everything. The NFL, baseball, all have their own networks now. There is no end to the way that sports enjoyment is being developed. Dozens of apps for mobile phones, internet, or tablet which provide highlights and other content are available. I’m helping a group called DeskSite which has an app that can go onto a computer and if you are living in southern California but you are a very intense patriot fan you can get all of highlights and all of the content: interviews, analysis, etc, just as if you were living in Boston. The sport has married television, technology, Internet, phones, and tablets in ways that were never thought possible.

SwoleScience- The movie ‘Jerry Maguire’ was famously based on you, how did you become involved with Jerry Maguire?

Leigh Steinberg- The director Cameron Crowe called me up in 1993 and asked if he could do research, and shadow me through the world of football agents for a film that was going to feature a sports agent. He came with me to the NFL draft in 1993, when Bledsloe was the first pick; he watched and interacted during that. He came up to the press conference in Boston, came to the league meetings in 1993 in Palm Desert, came to a number of games with me, went to our Super Bowl party, went to pro scouting day at SC with me; we talked a lot and told a lot of stories. Then I helped fit the script so that willing suspicion of disbelief that was necessary to keep someone ensconced in the plot of a sports movie would show that it wasn’t a spoof.

Then I got a chance to work with the actors. I took Cuba Gooding Jr. down to the Super Bowl in Arizona that year and made him pretend he was a wide receiver for a week. I actually showed Jerry O’ Connell who played Cush the quarterback, how to throw a football because he had gone to NYU and they didn’t have football there (laughs). Then I obviously acted a little bit, which is not to quit my day job (laughs). I thought that the movie [Jerry Maguire] humanized agents and showed some of the warmer and more positive aspects of that world, and it became the most successful sports themed movie ever.

SwoleScience- You were a technical advisor on Any Given Sunday which shows a very gritty portrayal of the league, is this the most realistic portrayal in the media so far?

Leigh Steinberg- Oliver Stone called me, who was not doing an NFL approved film (laughs).  I introduced him to athletes when I was out on the practice field. I remember being in the locker room when Al Pacino did his big scene, and had the opportunity to interact with Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, and Jamie Foxx on their roles.

There’s poetic license through out. If a running back would tell off a coach, he might have bit of room but they wouldn’t let the player run the team. But it was spot on, on how it showed the development of a young quarterback and how dramatically his life changes. I thought it was revelatory in terms of how injuries are treated.

SwoleScience- Well, in reference to that last statement, I would like to ask you about the portrayal of cortisone and everything in the movie?

Leigh Steinberg- Look, people have a misnomer that nefarious trainers and unethical people push players to do all sorts of delirious things to their bodies in order to play, but the players want to play; and players will do anything to play.

SwoleScience- So you’re saying it’s a two-way street?

Leigh Steinberg- Oh yeah. These athletes are in denial, since Pop Warner and little league.

SwoleScience- You were recently on HBO’s ‘Real Sports’, and around the same time, the same show did a special on the painkiller Toradol and the NFL. They showed players who had lined up to take Tordadol, and now had issues such as kidney failure. I think everyone is very quick to blame the owners and the trainers, but I don’t think anyone has really come and said the situation is a two-way street.

Leigh Steinberg- Of course it is. The reality of the situation is that long term health is an abstraction for young people, and it’s an abstraction for athletes. So you put the two of them together and it is very difficult to have them look past the moment to safeguard their health. So, think about this, if our values as non-professional athletes would put long term health first, the ability to play in an athletic career second, and below that, the ability to play in a given game, and at the end of the list would be to play on a certain play…This is turned completely on it’s head in most competitive athletes’ minds; all they want to think about is to play.

SwoleScience- What do you think is the best quality to have as a sports agent?

Leigh Steinberg- Heart. Empathy. Caring for clients, and vision. Being able to see the future trends in industry, future for an individual athlete, and also to be a steward to the sport. It is not enough to just stack dollars and bankbooks; if athletes become unpopular, the sport become distasteful. They key is, I have never seen this as labor vs. management; that is a stereotype. Take the sport of football; the real battle ought not to be labor v. management, unions vs. owners, or players vs. teams fighting over money. Obviously there are going to be processes to solve those things, but the key is to build the sport and build the brand. The battle for NFL is the battle against baseball, basketball, home box office, Walt Disney world, and every other form of discretionary entertainment spending. So the key to all that is to build the brand, to develop all the ancillary revenue streams, to keep athletes and sports popular, and the pie will be large enough that splitting it up won’t take so much heavy lifting.

SwoleScience- You had a hiatus from sports representation and have now come back recently, what are your goals for the rest of your career and what else you want to accomplish?

Leigh Steinberg- We’re going to try to build a company that has a real impact on sports and entertainment. It will aggregate a certain amount of athlete talent through representation and that should power a big marketing arm that markets to teams, leagues, individuals, corporations, and then a studio, in the virtual sense, that can do sports themed television, motion pictures, video games, mobile phone apps, internet apps, and find promising companies that we can help to develop and bring to market. Sometimes be producers, sometimes be consultants, and sometimes be shareholders.

Additionally I want to use sports to combat a major threat to our way of life, which is climate change. I don’t want to be a part of the first generation to hand that degraded quality of life down to children. Climate change is real and it threatens the human race. I’ve aggregated a series of sustainable technologies in wind, solar, water, resurfacing, recycling, to bring to venues at the pro, high school, and college level, and to drop carbon emissions and energy costs, trying to make those venues energy providers where they can actually send energy back to the grid, and to transform them into educational platforms so that players and fans who come, can see a waterless urinal or a solar panel for the first time, and think about how they can incorporate that in their own homes or businesses.  We put sports in the forefront leading the way towards attitudinal change on the issue of energy and energy saving.

SwoleScience- What is the most important piece of advice you would like to give to aspiring sports agents?

Leigh Steinberg- It is a hypercompetitive field. Understand that it takes passion and energy to be able to sustain the pace and make an impact. Have a core set of beliefs and a way to make athletes lives better and the sport better. Leave a legacy, make a difference. My dad had two core values, one was to treasure relationships, especially family, and the other was to be an agent for change to help people who couldn’t help themselves. So understand that at the end of life the world will no longer remember the size of the contracts done, but to help athletes in their maturation process and be more fulfilled, and then together help make an impact in the world; I mean those are practices that will stand the test of time.

SwoleScience- Thank you so much for the interview Leigh and we look forward to speaking to you again in the future.

-Papa Swole

Check out Leigh Steinberg’s Facebook Fan Page Here

Check out Leigh Steinberg’s Twitter Here

Check out Leigh Steinberg’s Official site Here

Check out Leigh Steinberg’s Blog Here

(Photos used with permission from Leigh Steinberg)

(This is an original post and exclusive interview that is copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

The human brain’s chemistry is very sensitive to a variety of internal and external factors such as diet, stress, and sleep. Exercise is able to positively influence multiple channels of wellbeing and mental health through its physiological effects on the human brain. The implementation of daily exercise has the potential to benefit everyone due to these unique benefits that exercise has upon the brain.

Depression and mood- Depression is one of the most common and debilitating mental afflictions. Approximately 9.5% of the United States adult population is affected each year, with over 17% of people experiencing a severe depressive episode at least one time in their lives. Depression is also one of the leading causes of disability and costs the United States over 40 billion a year in lost work and productivity. As scientists continue to research this condition, one form of alternative treatment that seems to provide significant long term improvement of depression symptoms is exercise. Exercise has been shown to be as effective as medical treatment in terms of reduction of symptions and remission rates, even after 16 weeks post study. The percentage of patients in remission from their depression at 16 weeks did not differ among groups (60.4% [exercise] vs. 68.8% [medication] vs. 65.5% [combination]. Furthermore a recent study at Duke University took a large sample group of clinically depressed patients and found that 60% of those who exercised were able to overcome their depression without antidepressant medication.

Focus, Attention span, and Memory- A tremendous number of adults suffer from trouble focusing and limited attention span. The basic treatment for this has been prescription stimulants which increase the brain’s dopamine levels in order to correct the problem. Exercise increases brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which naturally increases the neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain, which in turn helps to balance and  increase the brain’s cognitive abilities. Researchers at the University of Texas found that the more lactic acid produced during exercise (the burning you feel in your muscles) the more BDNF was released. Furthermore, the subjects were presented with the ‘Strooptest’ to assess their cognitive abilities. The specific purpose of this test is to measure how good your brain is at dealing with information, and the results showed that after exercise the subject’s brains performed significantly better in regards to the most difficult area of the test. Studies have also shown that after approximately just 30 minutes of exercise the brain is much more adept to focus and retain studied information.

Exercise also has been repeatedly shown to decrease the rate of aging in reference to memory and brain function as time goes on. Additionally, exercise has been shown to be neuroprotective in many neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, such as reducing the risk of developing dementia. Furthermore, strong evidence suggests that regular exercise may reverse alcohol induced brain damage over time.

It is hypothesized that exercise works through a combination of methods in order to influence positive brain chemistry with respect to mental health and well-being:

1. Positive outlook and achievement- The athlete’s own ability to overcome obstacles, improve their progress, and achieve goals improves their self esteem and overall personal assessment of themselves.
2. Endorphins- Endorphins are a natural pain reliever and antidepressant released by the body at the response of certain stimuli. They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus and are similar to natural opiates. The increased release of endorphins following exercise can provide feelings of euphoria and a sensation of accomplishment. This sensation is commonly known as the ‘runner’s high’. Endorphins are directly related to a positive mood and an overall enhanced sense of wellbeing.
3. Monoamine- This is the increase in the availability of brain neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine). Studies have found that exercise boosts activity in the brain’s frontal lobes and the hippocampus as well as a significant increase of neurotransmitter chemicals. Lower levels and an imbalance of these chemicals has been found to be directly related to medical issues such as depression, problems concentrating and focusing, etc.
4. Release of Stress- Exercise helps relieve stress by allowing the brain to mentally clear itself and reduce the symptoms of stress built up in the body.
5. Further benefits from exercise on the brain include:

• Increasing the blood and oxygen flow to the brain
• Increasing multiple growth factors that help create new nerve cells and promote synaptic plasticity
• Increasing chemicals in the brain that help cognition by stimulating the creation and release of, but not limited to: dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
• Increasing levels of nerve growth factors, which support the survival and growth of neuronal cells

The benefits of exercise exceed well beyond the common physical manifestations that are easily observed. The integration of frequent physical activity can not only improve your body but your brain, mental health, and overall well being.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Andres Puerta’s own words on the creation and inspiration for the SwoleScience Anthem.

First of all, this is an honor. When Swole Science presented me with the idea of having me create a track for them, the first thing I thought was, “alright, this one has to be BIG…” I began thinking about the feel of events such as UFC and the caliber of athletes that have been featured on the site. As things turned out, my goal with this track was to embody a real sense of adrenaline and power. I hope that listeners will become motivated to take on physical feats and push themselves to their highest potential. Hopefully, it grasps the feeling MMA fighters and all athletes get when they step into the arena of competition.

I am always trying to take my music to the next level, so I hope others do the same with their physical stature. LISTEN AND ENJOY!

- Andres Puerta

Andres Puerta is an enormous talent in genre blending, crossover style, and is incredibly versatile as a producer. A big fan of dub step and electro, Puerta keeps his style unique by blending atmospheric melodies and heavy rythms with elements of hard-rock. Andres’ passion and musical savvy have landed him gigs at some of Miami’s most elite hotel parties and nightclubs, including Karu and Y, once host to artists such as Above and Beyond and Danny Tenaglia. Andres continues to produce, create new music, perform, and expand not only his fans but his involvement within the music industry as a whole.

Check him out at the links below!

http://www.soundcloud.com/andres-puerta

https://www.facebook.com/andrespuertamusic

http://twitter.com/theandrespuerta

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Hyperemia is a biological process where the body diverts blood to tissues where they are needed for a specific purpose. Examples of this include: brain tissue during demanding tasks, muscular tissue during physical exertion, and genital tissue during sexual arousal. This increase of blood can create a tremendous biological shift of resources within the body depending on the activity. This concept is evidenced by the fact that when an athlete begins to exert themselves physically the muscles being targeted will receive up to four times the amount of blood they normally receive because of hyperemia.

As muscle tissues are repeatedly contracted there is a need for additional oxygen, nutrients, and removal of waste products (lactic acid and carbon dioxide) within the muscle. As blood is circulated and rushed to the area there is a pooling of blood within the tissue which gives the sensation of  enlarged volume within the muscle. The specific purpose of muscular hyperemia is to deliver nutrients to sustain, repair, rebuild the muscle, and to flush out waste. Excessive lactic acid builds up quickly within the muscle which causes the burning sensation felt in the muscle. This burning serves as a pain threshold warning for you to stop what you are doing as to avoid injury, but this can be reasonably pushed through, thus working beyond what your brain is telling you your muscles are capable of. As the muscle is being used, the body is continuously straining to oxygenate and fuel the muscular tissue in order to upkeep endurance and sustained level of exertion. The rest period in between working intervals allows your body additional time to replenish for the next period of exertion.

During training the muscular tissues of the body suffer micro-trauma in the form tiny tears in the muscle tissue which are rebuilt stronger and larger. Muscular hyperemia increases the ability to train harder and longer due to the oxygenation and nutrients, which in turn will result in more muscular trauma. This same process will increase the recovery rate of those same tears due to the increased blood supply.  The continuous engorgement of muscular tissue caused by muscular hyperemia will help an athlete within their athletic activities by delaying fatigue, decreasing recovery time, and increasing athletic exertion.

In addition to the athletic benefits of muscular hyperemia there are other advantages such as aesthetic enlargement of muscular tissue, and capillary development.  Muscle growth can be induced via the pump through continuous stretching of the muscle facia. Fascial stretching occurs when the muscle is pumped beyond its normal size continuously over a constant period of training. When the fascial layer of muscle between the skin and the muscle is stretched, room for continued muscle growth is made available. Furthermore, Over time, the pump will also create a greater number of capillaries, which will, in turn, provide the muscles with more nutrients and oxygen and allow for larger pumps and more growth in the long term. These capillaries will speed up recovery time in the future, and will also sustain larger and stronger muscle tissue that is being developed.

Athletes have routinely found the feeling of the pump to be a sign of achievement and accomplishment especially during training. One of the most famous examples was during the film ‘Pumping Iron’, when Arnold Schwarzenegger told the world that the pump was the same feeling as having sex. Here to give his humorous personal insight on the pump is Team SwoleScience contributor and professional mixed martial artist Kevin ‘Kage’ Pearson with exclusive commentary and video…

“The expression ‘if you got it then flaunt it’ is most associated with a woman’s excuse for dressing scantily clad, but this can apply to men. Whether its wearing a tank top or a size “smedium” shirt, there are ways guys can highlight an important asset: muscles. The one place a guy cannot be accused of trying to show off too hard is at the pool. The pool is a place where girls can wear that sexy bikini and show off. Its the same way for a guys. In modeling shows I’ve done, as soon as the director would tell the men that the next run is shirtless I would see most the guys on the ground hitting push ups to try to look pumped up. The pool is like a car show. You wouldn’t show off your hot rod at a car show when its looking dirty right? Well going to the pool without a PUMP is like showing up in a high end sports car with flat tires. If you are the type of person who likes extreme pumps and wants them to last then check this video out. ”

- Kevin ‘Kage’ Pearson

Email Kevin at- Kevin@f2arena.com or Check him out on Facebook Here

Kevin ‘Kage’ Pearson is a professional mixed martial artist with: twenty one years of boxing experience, seven years of brazilian jiu jitsu, countless amateur kickboxing/boxing/MMA fights, and is certified personal trainer and martial arts coach.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

UFC on Fox 4

August 4, 2012

8pm ET/5pm PT

Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center

Main Event:

205 lbs.: Mauricio Rua vs. Brandon Vera

Main card (FOX):

205 lbs.: Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader
170 lbs.: Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson
155 lbs.: Jamie Varner vs. Joe Lauzon

Preliminary card (FUEL TV)

145 lbs.: Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan
205 lbs.: Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado
145 lbs.: Rani Yahya vs. Josh Grispi
265 lbs.: Philip De Fries vs. Oli Thompson
145 lbs.: Manny Gamburyan vs. Michihiro Omigawa
125 lbs.: Ulysses Gomez vs. John Moraga

We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves right now.  Let’s start with the first bout of the main event- DeMarques Johnson is taking on Mike Swick in his return after a pretty extensive layoff due to injury.  Johnson is a solid striker with some well-rounded grappling.  He’s alternated wins and losses his last few times out and is looking to get back into the win column after suffering an arm bar loss.  On the other hand, it will have been two years, five months and 30 days – 911 days in total – since welterweight contender Mike ‘Quick’ Swick, 14-4, last fought. A seven year veteran of the UFC and one of the original ‘Ultimate Fighter’ cast members, the popular Texan has battled a series of health issues including a condition called esophageal spasm which threatened his career. The last time Swick fought was February of 2010, when lost via d’arce choke by Paolo Thiago.  He has lightning quick hands and is very competent on the ground.  This fight should bring the fireworks and don’t expect it going to a decision.

“I never thought about wanting to quit myself. But there was a time where I thought my career might be over, talking to the doctors. If I couldn’t eat like an athlete, if I couldn’t rest my body, I was finished. But, slowly, I learned to control the condition through diet. The only thing diet-wise that is different for me is I miss all those great foods that taste good. Career wise, it is under control…

I think in a way I’ve preserved a lot of my athletic prime while dealing with my health issues. Over the last two years I’ve not taken any damage to my body or head in a way that eight or 12 fights would have done. Even though I had to miss out on all those fights, I feel I’m coming back more healthy than ever. I’m faster than I’ve ever been, I’ve worked speed non-stop for two years, and I’m more motivated and hungry. That fire that used to burn is even bigger. So I’m definitely far from done, and I think this is a whole new beginning for me.”- Mike Swick at the UFC prefight media call.

The second bout is a lightweight bout, which will vault one combatant back into the number one contender picture while sending the loser back to the bottom.  Joe Lauzon is a decent striker with fantastic jiu jitsu.  Jamie Varner is a great boxer, well above average wrestler, and has decent bjj.  Lauzon wants this on the ground and Varner wants this to stay up.  I look for one man to impose his will and don’t expect this match to leave the first without a finish.

This isn’t the co main event, but it definitely should be.  Lyoto “the Dragon” Machida is taking on Ryan “Darth” Bader.  Machida is one of the most intriguing fighters in the UFC.  He is incredibly elusive and very dynamic.  Machida is a former champion and his only 3 losses are to former and current UFC champions.  Bader is a great wrestler with knockout power.  He has likewise only lost to current and former champions.  The key to this fight is if Bader can close the distance without getting caught to earn a takedown.  Unfortunately, Machida also has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so he’s going to have to be careful.  I believe this fight will go to the judges, but it should be a very exciting fight nonetheless.

“I respect Ryan Bader very much as a fighter. He will pose some great problems but I believe my training camp has been one of the best of my career. My striking is very sharp, and I’ve worked on my wrestling because Bader is a strong wrestler. I’ve made some radical changes in my training, although karate will always be my main focus. I am getting back on the road to the title. I know what I have to do, and I am ready for this opportunity.”- Lyoto Machida at the UFC prefight media call.

“This is it, time to show what I can do. I’m better than ever; I used to be just a wrestler with a big overhand right, but I’ve added many more skills to my game now. Fights against Rampage and Brilz have shown my stand-up is a lot more technical and smooth. The win over Rampage felt like the start of a new chapter. After dominating Rampage my confidence went through the roof and I’m now more than happy to face anybody in the light heavyweight division…Machida is a former champion but so were three out of my last four opponents.  I’m no longer looking at these guys as fighters I used to watch on TV– they’re now my peers, my rivals. Machida is no different. No one is invincible and it is now my time to beat him and go on to a title shot.”- Ryan Bader at the UFC prefight media call.

The main even bout between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon “the Truth” Vera is a match up between two very capable Muay Thai practitioners.  Shogun is coming off of a controversial, fight of the year candidate, loss to Dan Henderson.  Vera is getting back into the octagon after a very lackluster decision over Eliot Marshall.  Shogun has dynamic striking and Vera looks to match him kick for kick and elbow for elbow.  Shogun is trying to get another crack at the champ and Vera is attempting to put two wins together for the first time since 2009.  This fight will bring the fireworks, but has the potential to go to the judges due to each fighters ability to negate each other.

“I think this fight with Vera is going to be a great fight while it lasts. Vera is a very good striker, and I think this fight will take place standing up and will be a great war for the fans. I know winning isn’t enough; I have to look very impressive and I am planning on a fast knockout like I did against Forrest Griffin. I am not underestimating Vera, he has skills and has a lot to prove, but I have skills and want my title back…I want the winner of Jones vs. Henderson. The fight I had with Henderson was a great fight, the fight of the year, and it was a very close fight. I am okay with that, it was a great fight. But the loss to Jones I can’t live with. I could have done so much better and I want to fight him again. First, though, I have to beat Brandon Vera and winning isn’t good enough. I have to be very impressive, but that it what I have trained to do.”- Mauricio Rua at the UFC prefight media call.

“I’m so ready for this. This is ‘The Truth’ resurging. I feel like I have won the lottery twice, not just fighting a legend like Shogun on FOX, but having the chance to get a title shot. ‘The Truth’ is going to shine though. Shogun is the one who has everything to lose. This is Shogun’s showcase, his spotlight, his time and I’m going to take all that off him. I’m taking his name, his title runs, everything he is, and I’m taking it all for myself…The guy is a legend, man. When you fight this guy you’re not just fighting some of the best skills in the world, some champion who can mess you up bad with kicks and knees, you are fighting a sick guy who absolutely will not stop coming after you. Beating Shogun – and beating him the way I want – corrects all the mistakes I’ve made and wipes away all the bad performances. Beating Frank Mir is probably my best performance, but people don’t realize that was nothing compared to what I do all the time in the gym. I’m going to show off what ‘The Truth’ really is on FOX.”- Brandon Vera at the UFC prefight media call.

This card is beyond exciting and the fact that it is on Fox just makes it better due to it’s viewer exposure.

Make sure to catch the fight and Follow us on Twitter for fight play-by-play, notification of future articles/interviews/product reviews and all around information- @SwoleScience

-Papa Swole and Young Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

The purpose of this workout is to improve functional strength, athleticism, and overall bodily aesthetic appearance. This style of exercise, diet, and rest will allow the body to develop strength through multiple channels of resistance fueled by a diet that will preserve and build lean muscle, thus simultaneously creating both an anabolic and fat burning state within the body.

Exercise:  Blend the functional movements (non weighted) with a regimen of moderate resistance on the weighted exercises. Implement high reps (up to a maximum of 20) to build muscle that has endurance and strength. Use a staggered system to increase/decrease repetitions and weight, as the body begins to tire. Use this combination of exercises to structure daily workouts that are never the same arrangement of exercises, as well as varying the repetitions and weight as you progress.

Example of this would structuring your workouts in a balanced manner as discussed in our previous training schedule article. What you want to do is combine these exercises via supersets (two exercises paired up and done one right after the other with no rest). Check out our previous article on repetition ranges as well to help structure your workout.

Sample workout-

1. Push ups (to failure) superset with lat pull downs (Increasing weight, 15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)
2. Curl ups supset (to failure) with bench press (15, 12, 10 reps increasing)
3. Bicep curl (drop set: Start with 10 rep max, then decreasing weight by 5-10 pounds till 20 reps. No rest in between sets. Rapid decrease of weight increasing of reps)
4. Walking Lunges super set with mountain climbers (reps of 20)
5. Triceps extension (drop set: Start with 10 rep max, then decreasing weight by 5-10 pounds till 20 reps. No rest in between sets. Rapid decrease of weight increasing of reps)
6. Shoulder press (Increasing weight with rep ranges of 20, 15, 12, 10 reps)

Exercises used-

Non weighted:
Push up
Pull up
Chin up
Chase the rabbit
Mt. Climbers
Side kicks
Walking lunges
Contact pads (punches/kicks)
Step ups
Race walking backwards

Weights:
Bench press
Shoulder press
Lat pull down
Bicep curl
Triceps extension
Leg press
Pull over

Diet:
Animal based protein
Water based carbs (fruits/veggies)
Lots of water (Gallon a day)

Sleep:
8 hours per night. Keep in mind that hours slept before midnight are more valuable for physical transformation than later.

-Papa Swole and Eric Fleishman

Eric ‘The Trainer’ Fleishman

Eric Fleishman is an elite celebrity personal trainer who trains some of the most high profile clients in the world from professional athletes to movie stars. Eric is based out of California, has over ten years of experience, and maintains a very high level of involvement within the fitness community through his seminars, events, and training. Check out him out at the links below.

http://www.ericthetrainer.com

https://www.facebook.com/ErictheTrainer

http://twitter.com/ericthetrainer

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Wineland v. Jorgensen

Eddie Wineland took a win over Scott Jorgensen with a beautifully executed right hand.  Jorgensen couldn’t quite close the distance and Wineland executed a fantastic game plan keeping the smaller, quicker wrestler at bay. Wineland has had trouble in the past with the likes of Benavidez and Faber, but with his improved takedown defense it looks like he may be climbing back up the ranks of the Bantamweight division. Look for Jorgensen to bounce back in his next fight due to his consistently showcased ability to improve and return better than before.

Pyle v. Neer

Mike Pyle finished Josh Neer with a first round knockout.  Pyle looked he was in excellent condition,  and was able to catch his adversary in an explosive knockout that showcased the true unpredictability of this sport. Pyle will have a step up in competition in his next fight after a close decision loss to Koscheck and this KO victory. Neer just signed a new four-year deal with the company, so he probably won’t be going anywhere any time soon.

Silva v. Brenneman

Erick Silva defeated Charlie Brenneman via first round submission.  The first round submission came from a beautifully executed rear naked choke and proved that Erick Silva is one of the most dynamic up and coming fighters in the Welterweight division. Fighting out of the Black House MMA gym in LA, Silva trains with greatness on a daily basis.  He is surrounded by Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, the Nogueira brothers, and countless others. Brenneman is a good wrestler, with moderate stand up, but needs to improve leaps and bounds if he seeks to move beyond the impending status of mid tier fighter, or ‘gatekeeper’.

Johnson v. McCall

Demetrious Johnson defeated Ian McCall via unanimous decision. Unlike the more balanced first match, this bout was particularly one-sided. Johnson was the more aggressive striker and seemed to have the advantage in the grappling. These significant factors as well as dominating and dictating the pace and action of the fight allowed him to secure the decision. This win paves the way for Johnson to take on Benavidez for the inaugural Flyweight belt in a few months. Look for McCall to be back with a vengeance as time progresses with his iron chin, great grappling and very solid stand up.  The UFC’s newest weight class is going to be a flashy and explosive one and we cannot wait for all the new talent to appear as the Flyweight division progresses in integrating new fighters.

- Papa Swole and Young Swole

Exclusive SwoleScience.com Cage Side Photographs by Josh Mercado

 

Full Card Results

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

• Welterweight bout:  Jake Hecht vs.  Sean Pierson

Pierson defeated Hecht via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

• Lightweight bout:  Henry Martinez vs.  Bernardo Magalhães

Martinez defeated Magalhães via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV)

• Middleweight bout:  Buddy Roberts vs.  Caio Magalhaes

Roberts defeated Magalhães via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28).

• Lightweight bout:  Tim Means vs.  Justin Salas

Means defeated Salas via TKO (strikes) at 1:06 of round one.

• Bantamweight bout:  Dustin Pague vs.  Jared Papazian

Pague defeated Papazian via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:21 of round one.

• Featherweight bout:  Leonard Garcia vs.  Matt Grice

Grice defeated Garcia via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

• Welterweight bout:  Seth Baczynski vs.  Lance Benoist

Baczynski defeated Benoist via split decision (27–30, 29–28, 29–28).

• Welterweight bout:  Mike Pierce vs.  Carlos Eduardo Rocha

Pierce defeated Eduardo Rocha via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

Main Card (FX)

• Bantamweight bout:  Eddie Wineland vs.  Scott Jorgensen

Wineland defeated Jorgensen via KO (punches) at 4:10 of round 2.

• Welterweight bout:  Mike Pyle vs.  Josh Neer

Pyle defeated Neer via KO (punch) at 4:56 of round 1.

• Welterweight bout:  Erick Silva vs.  Charlie Brenneman

Silva defeated Brenneman via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:33 of round 1.

• Flyweight bout:  Demetrious Johnson vs.  Ian McCall

Johnson defeated McCall via unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, 29–28).

Josh Mercado is a versatile and incredibly talented professional mixed martial artist with: 6 years of experience in the combat sports world, and versed in Muay thai, brazilian jiu jitsu and total Mixed Martial Arts. Josh is a Brown Belt in MMA, standing at 5’6 and weighing 125-135 pounds. Check out Josh’s other SwoleScience collaborations- Increasing punching power, Stand Up Combinations and Strategy, Kick Drills and Darce Choke, and Basic MMA Strategy.

Josh is currently 4-1-0 in Professional Mixed Martial Arts, and continues to rise through the mixed martial arts ranks towards his goal of becoming a world champion.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Appearance 

These special edition shorts come in the original Sprawl black and gold color scheme that showcases an unique asymmetrical single leg gold stripe along the left leg. The color scheme is both basic yet very bold while still conveying the trademark sprawl uniqueness and toughness. This pair of shorts is a throwback to the all one piece construction of the earlier shorts which departs from the multiple layers of the Fusion-S shorts and the multiple seamed Fusion II shorts. The Fusion II Special Edition shorts are essentially just two pieces of fabric which allows for less propensity to rip and a seamless streamlined look. The trademark ‘Sprawl’ logo is moved to the rear of the left leg behind the gold, while the right leg stays in the trademark classic position. The rear of the shorts have a special ’10 year anniversary’ logo that is positioned directly in the center of the waistband.

Features and Fit

The best way to describe these shorts is that they are a perfect hybrid of the best features of the Fusion-S and the Fusion II shorts. From the Fusion-S shorts there is: open leg format for full mobility and limitless movement, and seamless smooth construction. From the Fusion II shorts: there is the wide waistband, fitted cut, but removes the ringed leg holes and outlining tubular seams. The result is a sprawls best fitting and innovative short yet, which allows its users all of the benefits of it’s predecessors which a limited edition look.

Fabric

As with all their previously reviewed shorts, Sprawl has fabric which is blood, sweat and fungal repellant, as well as guaranteed for the life of the shorts. The fact that these shorts are fungal resistant in addition to repelling bodily fluids is paramount to assisting in protecting the health of any athlete by reducing the risk of staph, ringworm and other transmitted health infections.

Value

At a price of $61.99, directly from Sprawl, the shorts are inline with the athletic/MMA/board short price range. The technology and features that these shorts offer is beyond what is found in other many other shorts, making them a valuable purchase. The shorts offer superior value for their price range and give the users a dependable short that is guaranteed not to fail on the mat or anywhere. The price of these shorts is inline with the standard for the athletic and MMA shorts except these are guaranteed for life, and have superior technology for movement and safety.

Negatives

There were no real structural negatives or issues present. The only issue that can be said is that the fit of the shorts is notably more of a tapered cut than that of the Fusion-S shorts which may require ordering of one size up if a user is accustomed to the feel of the baggier fit of the Fusion-S shorts.

Conclusion

These a great pair of shorts with exceptional dynamics with regard to athletic performance. The shorts offer superior technology that help contribute to maintaining and improving combat sports/athletic performance. Sprawl is continuously improving and evolving their features for the better improvement of athletic fashion and performance.

Buy the Shorts at-

Fusion II 10th Anniversary Special Edition Shorts directly from Sprawl 

Update on the Original Fusion-S

This is a current picture of a year and half old pair of the original Fusion-S shorts from our review. There is no staining, discoloring, fading, tears, or real signs of excessive wear and tear. Check out what over 500 days of abuse looks on some Fusion-S shorts.

 

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material. This is an impartial review on a provided product without compensation and originally tested by the author)

Why Train Heavy?
Look around at some of the biggest and most badass dudes in sports (and bodybuilding) and you’ll find one thing they all have in common: they are ridiculously strong and most of them lift pretty damn heavy. Going back to Big Ron, the dude not only had legs the size of small Sequoia trees, but he also put up some insane numbers that even accomplished powerlifters would celebrate: an 800+ lb squat & deadlift and a 600+ bench press. Brock Lesnar is a well-known gym rat who routinely crushed 400+ for reps on bench; Ray Lewis is rumored to just eat dumbbells and barbells because he’s that badass. Legend has it that former 100-meter world record holder Ben Johnson used to hit his max squat (600+) less than 15 minutes before the race to fire up his nervous system. Doesn’t hurt that he was also popping D-bols like they were candy, but that’s a different story. Dude could run really fast in part because he was insanely strong. The list goes on & on for athletes across numerous sports.

So why does lifting heavy weight make you a better athlete? To start, you have to understand that moving big weights requires you to call on your “fast twitch” muscle fibers. These diesels produce the most force and are primarily involved in higher intensity/shorter duration events (sprinting, jumping, lifting heavy weights). These bad boys have the greatest potential to get HUGE and it is therefore critical to train them hard if you want to get big and move fast (something we think most of us would like to do).

Before we go too much further, let’s define heavy. By heavy we mean anything less than 8 reps. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever go above 8 reps, just that you are most likely to get strong and jacked if you focus on compound exercises with sets of 3-8 reps. This rep range is ideal for athletes looking to build up strength and add size simultaneously. If you want to go for the occasional pump that Arnold championed, go for it (we do it pretty frequently after we’ve hit the heavy stuff). Just don’t make it the mainstay of your program if your goal is to become a ridiculously strong athlete.

Why MMA Athletes Should Train Heavy
While we recommend that athletes in most sports train heavy for a number of the aforementioned reasons, we especially recommend MMA athletes and other combat sports athletes to crank heavy weights on the reg. As mentioned above, training heavy is going to recruit and train the muscle fibers that produce the most force. If being able to punch and kick like the legendary Frank Dux played by none other than Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 80’s classic “Bloodsport” is something you might be interested in, then you’ll want to train heavy. Want to turn would be armbars into mangled opponents? Start hitting some heavy ass weights! Seriously though, building up increased power in your legs and core will enable you to do virtually everything better in MMA; from throwing more powerful punches and kicks and shooting like a champion, to resisting takedowns and submissions.

How to Integrate Heavy Lifting Into MMA Training
Obviously the most important aspect of your training is going to be practicing MMA and not lifting weights. When time permits you to do both, you should make it a priority to get in at least 2-3 sessions of heavy lifting per week. How often you hit the sanctuary (aka the gym) for heavy lifting sessions is highly dependent on how much additional stress you are putting on your body with additional training (MMA, running, etc.). If you are spending a ton of hours in the cage each week, maybe cut it down to just 2 sessions instead of 3-4. You don’t want to overtrain by putting too much stress on the body, so just be smart about how often you hit those weights and make sure you are taking the proper steps to recover from your training ( proper diet, rest, and supplementation: post-workout shakes with whey protein, creatine, BCAAs, and glutamine!).

We know that MMA fighters must watch their weight carefully, and they must also maintain incredible flexibility for grappling. If you are worried that heavy, explosive lifting will negatively affect your speed, flexibility and agility, think again. Many professional bodybuilders have no problem performing splits, as well as many diesel (but nimble) football players that can run sub 4.5 second 40 yard dashes. The big compound movements require flexibility. Squats, power cleans, and deadlifts all require excellent mobility, especially in the hips. Having more flexibility helps increase strength by increasing the range of motion your muscle fibers have to be able to generate power from. Think of all the awkward positions in your ground game and how being able to summon explosive strength from a deep squat are related. If you are concerned about putting on mass, stick to the lower rep range for higher weight, which is ideal for increasing strength instead of the higher rep ranges for building mass. As long as you maintain flexibility during your training, the only effects will be positive strength increases & some additional testosterone. In the words of Big Ron- “YEAH BUDDY!”

While we won’t go into specific workout routines in this article, you can maximize your strength, size, and explosive power by focusing on the following:

1) Hitting heavy compound lifts for low to moderate reps (3-8) – Squats, deadlifts, power cleans (never do more than 5 reps), bench, military press, rows, & pull-ups.
2) Lifting light weights very explosively (40-60% 1RM for 1-5 reps) – think power cleans, squat jumps, bench press throws to name a few.
3) Sprinting (anything less than 100 meters is best for developing explosive power)
4) Plyometrics (squat jumps, split squat jumps, tuck jumps, bounding, etc)
5) Med ball exercises (overhead throws, push press, med ball slams, etc

Conclusion

Legend has it that King Leonidas used to psyche himself up to decimate Persian armies by hitting a heavy set of back squats with freshly slaughtered boar carcasses on the end of a wooden stick before he laid down the hammer. We aren’t suggesting you do anything similar, but we do recommend putting in some quality time at the Sanctuary if you want to make some gains in the cage. And of course let’s not forget the other perk of lifting heavy…more plates = more dates!

‘til next time, stay HUGE friends,

-Evan Clark, NSCA-CPT, Alex Lewis, & Papa Swole (Ryan Ramsauer)

JackedPack is a supplement subscription service that sends you samples of the newest and most popular supplements every month for you to check out. They offer two different size boxes and links on their site to directly purchase full sizes of the samples. The boxes every month are handpicked to give you a broad spectrum of supplements from preworkout to postworkout and everywhere in between. Not only do these guys provide some badass boxes of supplements samples every month but the JackedPack crew are athletes who train, live and breathe the iron, and stay involved within multiple facets of the fitness world. Check them out at – www.JackedPack.com

Follow JackedPack on Twitter Here

Follow SwoleScience on Twitter Here

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Cauliflower ear is a condition that occurs due to blunt force trauma to the outer ear. Due to the level of intense trauma sustained by the ear, the ear develops a hematoma which results in a large pocket of blood. The pooling of blood in the ear disrupts the natural shape of the ear by separating the skin of the ear from the cartilage with blood and fluid. Overtime, the ear heals on it’s own but appears distorted, bloated, shriveled, and pale, due to lack of blood supply and eventual hardening of the tissue. This condition is prevalent in activities where there is high likelihood for ear trauma to occur such as rugby, wrestling, boxing, or mixed martial arts.

There are many different approaches to dealing with cauliflower ear. Some mixed martial artists such as Randy Couture, Junior Dos Santos, and Matt Hughes have opted to allow their ears to heal naturally and thus have very prominent cauliflower ear. Others have chosen the best method of control which is to have the ear drained immediately after trauma. Once the ear has developed the hematoma and there is a pooling of blood, the athlete should immediately have the ear drained using a small syringe. After the ear is completely drained, the ear should have pressure applied constantly in the following days in order to promote reattachment of the ear to the cartilage and prevent further fluid build up.

The best method to prevent cauliflower ear is to wear headgear while wrestling and sparring in order to protect against trauma to the ears that can accrue due to training. The primary complaint of athletes is that the headgear is cumbersome and is annoying due to the additional weight and size added to the user’s head from the headgear, along with the tendency to become ‘caught’ and snag during combat sports. As the popularity of combat sports has increased there are a wide variety of affordable slim fit headgear options available for athletes of all levels. The negative effects of cauliflower ear are permanent deformation of the ear that can cause problems hearing, infection, and discomfort.

How an athlete chooses to prevent or deal with their cauliflower ear is personal preference, and professional mixed martial artist Kevin ‘Kage’ Pearson shares with SwoleScience his own exclusive personal story and opinion along with video of him getting one his ears surgically repaired.

“I have been involved in combat sports my whole life, I started boxing when I was  seven years old and continued the sport through college. During that time, my father always made me wear headgear. I started learning jiu jitsu went I left to college in 2005 which was around ten years after my competitive boxing began. Within one year of grappling I had developed cauliflower ear. The first ear came primarily from lots of grappling with ground and pound. The next ear began to develop a few months later and it was provoked by wrestling takedown practice which involved intensive takedown drills. I had the first ear drained by a doctor five days after signs showed. The second ear I drained myself using a syringe. After this experience I bought headgear for wrestling and it has stopped my ears from getting worse. Occasionally I will roll with beginner grapplers without using head gear and my ear will get red and painful to touch. I can also irritate it doing wrestling drills without headgear on. I came to the conlusion that wrestling and ground and pound are what aggravates this issue the most for me. Which is evidenced by the fact that I have sparred standup without headgear on for years and never had redness of my ears. Additionally, other athletes are more susceptible than others due to the fact that I also have teammates that have been doing MMA for a few years and they show no signs of cauliflower.

There are some pros and cons of this condition. Some bad things maybe hearing problems if the orifice has closed completely. The only complication I have is when I wear headphones I have to wear the ones that clip around the ear because the buds will just fall out and not stay inside my ear.  The damage to my ears is not very extensive so I can only imagine the fighters who have very noticeable ears. The cool thing about my ears is the credentials. I think with the popularity of UFC and MMA on television people are understanding that fighters can get cauliflower. There are many t-shirt blackbelts out there. These are the guys who flaunt the tapout and shiny throwndown graphic Tees, but they do not fight or train. When I’m working at my part time security job and someone notices my ear, they understand that I got this way from fighting. Actually doing it and not just wearing the UFC apparel and watching it on TV. My teammate has it worse and he too works as a bouncer and his ears prove his background as well. People see them and know not to mess around with him because this guy is the real deal. I’m not saying that I want my ears to get worse, but in a way, I am proud of my battlewounds from doing what I love.”

-Kevin ‘Kage’ Pearson

Email Kevin at- Kevin@f2arena.com or Check him out on Facebook Here

Kevin ‘Kage’ Pearson is a professional mixed martial artist with: twenty one years of boxing experience, seven years of brazilian jiu jitsu, countless amateur kickboxing/boxing/MMA fights, and is certified personal trainer and martial arts coach.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

The Absolute

The watch came mounted in a cylindrical padded container along with an instruction booklet and sticker.

This model of the Absolute came in a classic stainless steel finish that featured a bold black and white rotating face that was implemented as part of the watch to tell the time. One aspect that truly sets this watch apart is the spinning logo of the watch is used as the hour hand, while using a separate hand smaller hand for the minutes.

The watch’s styling and presence is very bold and sleek, with a large bezel and thick locking band. The weight of the watch is also impressive due to the fact that it strikes a noticeable and welcomed balance between being too heavy and too flimsy. As aforementioned the actual bezel of watch is large both in width and height but remains sleek on the users wrist due to the curves of the watch. The band of the watch has a standard double locking mechanism that keeps the watch firmly in place. The rear of the watch is polished and features some of the technical specifications of the watch. The fit of the watch is excellent with the watch seating itself very comfortably on the wrist and very easily adjusted in size by removing/adding links. The Absolute is water resistant to 3 ATM, is 43mm diameter, and 12mm thick.

Value

The Absolute model comes in two finishes: black and stainless steel, and retails directly from NOVO for $220 (black) and $200 (silver). There are also two other models available in various finishes that range in price from $160-$240. The price is definitely a very reasonable price for the watch given the fit, quality, and styling.

Negatives

There were no negatives associated with this product. Although personally, we would like to see an ‘extreme’ model in the future with classic NOVO styling and full waterproof capability that can be worn while diving.

NOVO

The NOVO Watch brand hails from Canada and sponsors action sports athletes from a wide variety of sports. Including:

MMA

• Jordan Mein
• Derek Boyle
• Stephen Beaumont

Snowboard

• Thomas Gronberg
• Chance Jensen
• Charlie Dale

Skateboard

• Joshua Thomas
• Ryan Spate

FMX

• Bruce Cook
• Kris Garwasiuk

Bike

• Johnny Korthius
• Scott Alleyn

Ski

• Andreas Unterberger

Boxing

• Adam Trupish

Check out NOVO watches directly at their website here.

 

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material. This is an impartial review on a provided product without compensation and originally tested by the author)

UFC on FX 3 is taking place at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida on June 8th, 2012. The first two fights of the preliminary card will air on Facebook at 5pm EST. The seven televised preliminary card fights will begin at 6pm EST on the FUEL TV network.  The five fight main card begins at 9pm EST on FX.

UFC on FX 3 will feature:

Main Event:

125 lbs.: Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall

Main Card (FX Channel):

170 lbs.: Charlie Brenneman vs. Erick Silva
170 lbs.: Josh Neer vs. Mike Pyle
145 lbs.: Scott Jorgensen vs. Eddie Wineland

Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):

145 lbs.: Leonard Garcia vs. Matt Grice
170 lbs.: Mike Pierce vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
170 lbs.: Seth Baczynski vs. Lance Benoist
135 lbs.: Dustin Pague vs. Jared Papazian
155 lbs.: Tim Means vs. Justin Salas
185 lbs.: Caio Magalhaes vs. Buddy Roberts

Preliminary Card (Facebook):

155 lbs.: Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Henry Martinez
170 lbs.: Jake Hecht vs. Sean Pierson

UFC on FX 3 Main Card Breakdown and Preview

Wineland vs. Jorgenson is a bantamweight division (135-pound weight limit) match up that has tremendous potential for fight of the night.  Eddie Wineland comes in with an 18-7-1 record with 9 knockouts.  He will be looking to defend the takedown and use his reach to obtain victory.  If taken down, he is competent off his back with 5 submission victories but Jorgensen maintains a furious pace on the ground with a brutal ground and pound attack.  That being said, Scott Jorgensen brings his 13-5 record to the table and will spend most of the fight looking for the takedown.  If he wants to keep the fight standing, he will need to get inside of Wineland’s reach and work the dirty boxing.

Mike Pyle and Josh Neer will be competing in the welterweight division (170-pound weight limit).  Both fighters possess a very substantial amount of experience and are very well rounded.  Pyle is 22-8 with 16 wins coming via submission.  With respect to who has the advantage on the ground, Pyle is very even when compared with Neer, who comes in with 12 of his 33 wins obtained via submission.  Both utilize very balanced striking, with the slight edge being given to Neer because of his relentless pace and granite chin. Given this well rounded match up, this fight will most likely not reach the judges scorecards.

The next match up is Silva v. Brenneman, which takes place in the welterweight division (170-pound weight limit). Erick Silva is a dynamic Brazilian with a 13-2 record.  He has great Muay Thai and black belts in both Judo and Jiu Jitsu.  Charlie Brenneman is a grind it out wrestler with a 15-3 record and 8 wins by decision.  Silva outclasses Brenneman in most aspects with more accurate and aggressive striking, as well as superior grappling. The key for Brenneman will be for him to neutralize Silva’s attacks and control the fight for the long haul.  Despite the countering styles, look for this fight to be finishing early.

Now the fight we have all been waiting for, the main event of Johnson v. McCall. The winner of this bout faces Joseph Benavidez from Team Alpha Male for the inaugural UFC Flyweight Championship.  Mighty Mouse (Johnson) is 14-2-1 with most of his fights being an entire weight class higher.  Uncle Creepy (McCall) is 11-2-1, but hasn’t been facing the same caliber opponents in the smaller organizations.  In the striking department, Johnson may have the fastest hands in the entire UFC organization and he posses a slight edge over McCall.  The grappling advantage is given to McCall, who had top position for most of their first fight.  This fight has a lot to live up to, because their first match was epic. Look for this one to go to either the judges after some very action packed rounds or a very fast flash and dynamic finish.

 

We will be bringing you pictures taken LIVE from the event in our post fight breakdown!

Make sure to catch the fight and Follow us on Twitter for fight play-by-play, notification of future articles/interviews/product reviews and all around information- @SwoleScience

-Papa Swole and Young Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Jimmy Pedro Exclusive Interview for SwoleScience.com conducted by Papa Swole.

SwoleScience- Thanks for doing the interview; how are you doing?

Jimmy Pedro- Doing great.

SwoleScience- So you are a two time Olympic bronze medalist, six-time national champion, and have thirty international gold medals; what has been the biggest contributor to your success as an athlete and martial artist?

Jimmy Pedro- The single biggest factor has been: mental toughness and fortitude.

SwoleScience- You were a ten-time USJA Junior National Champion, how did you get into judo so early, and what has your evolution been like to get where you are today?

Jimmy Pedro- I was literally thrown into the sport by my father who was a judo coach. I exposed myself to the best coaches in the world and trained with the best programs in the world. I have trained extensively overseas, spent a lot of time in England with Neil Adams; I’ve been to Japan over forty different times to train and compete. I have trained extensively throughout Europe.

SwoleScience- How do you think that overseas training has made a difference and overall influenced your success?

Jimmy Pedro- I think that by spending so much time in Europe and Asia, I was able to familiarize myself with their strengths, and get comfortable competing and training with various styles throughout the world.

SwoleScience- You have had a very consistent win record over your career. Over the course of your entire career which bout would you say was your hardest bout?

Jimmy Pedro- I had some battles with a guy by the name of Udo Quellmalz from Germany; he’s an Olympic champion, and two-time world champion. We had some very tough fought battles.

SwoleScience- What does your current training regimen consist of, and did it change during Olympic contention?

Jimmy Pedro- Currently I am retired, but when I was in my heyday, training consisted of: everyday doing morning running either sprints or distance running; then, a judo technical training session, followed by afternoon weight training, and then, another evening judo workout with sparring.

SwoleScience- How much does additional strength and conditioning training factor into judo competition?

Jimmy Pedro- Strength and conditioning was readily important and critical to my success.

SwoleScience- What additional strength and conditioning training techniques do you feel are the most effective for judo?

Jimmy Pedro- I think that Olympic style powerlifting and complex exercises such as clean and jerk, front squat, push press, and all in sequence really develop strength, power, and stamina. Then you combine that with a lot of polymeric exercises. I see MMA fighters nowadays doing tire flipping, and other exercises where they are basically simulating an MMA fight; I was doing that since at least the mid 1990’s as an athlete.

SwoleScience- So, what did it feel like to win the Olympic medals in 1996 and 2004?

Jimmy Pedro- I don’t think that anything will ever match winning the Bronze medal in 1996. That was my first time at the Olympic Games and it was something that I had dreamt about my entire life, and when it became a reality in 1996, in America, it was a dream come true. It was just friggin’ awesome. I was there with my family and my friends; and everyone who helped me was in attendance, rooting for me that day. It was a very sweet victory.

SwoleScience- For those who don’t know, can you explain the philosophy and basic rule structure of judo?

Jimmy Pedro- In judo, although the emphasis is primarily on the standup part of the game, the object of judo is to throw your opponent from his feet directly onto his back, and if you can do so, you instantly win the match. You can try a throw, and you will score points; you are allowed to continue to grapple on the ground similar to jiu jitsu, where the objective is to either submit your opponent with an armlock or a strangle similar to jiu jitsu, or you can pin your opponent like in wrestling.

SwoleScience- One argument that always comes up is the judo vs. Brazilian jiu jitsu debate. How do they differ and what is your opinion on their comparison?

Jimmy Pedro- Judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu came from the same place, so all of the techniques, all of the strangles and armlocks, are basically the same. It is just the goals of both sports have gone into two entirely different directions. Judo is a much faster paced, explosive, and more dynamic art than jiu jitsu, and therefore you cannot pay as much attention to detail as you do in jiu jitsu when you do judo, because the referee does not give you enough time to execute those skills on the ground; where as in jiu jitsu, the entire match can be spent on the ground and you can take your time. Jiu jitsu practitioners are much more stylistic in their technique, and it is inch by inch, whereas in judo it is 100% or nothing because that is all that you have time for.

SwoleScience- Would you change that? Would you change that time-limit aspect of judo?

Jimmy Pedro- I think there becomes a point where it becomes a stalemate and therefore you should break that up in any sport.

SwoleScience- The reason why I ask is because when SwoleScience spoke to the Gracie brothers (Royce and Royler) they adamantly stated that there should not be time limits in any competition. What is your opinion with respect to judo?

Jimmy Pedro- I think that in any sport, it is very, very, boring for the public to sit there and watch something that just goes on for ten minutes without an outcome, so I think there should be some sort of time limit. However, the rule that I would change in judo is that you would continue on the ground and you have to stand yourself up; whereas now, the referee will stand you up a lot of times in judo. I think that the athlete should have to get up on his own in order to continue on his feet.

SwoleScience- Brazilian jiu jitsu has branded itself as a real world self- defense technique, do you feel that judo has this application as well?

Jimmy Pedro- 100% yes. Every art has challenges; you would not use jiu jitsu and go to the ground if you have more than one attacker. Whereas in judo you can attack multiple people, you can throw the first guy, and then take the next guy on. A throw on a mat, cage, or elevated platform does not have the same impact that it would on the street concrete. If you throw someone on their head in real life, they are not getting up.

SwoleScience- You are currently the 2012 USA Olympic Judo coach for the games taking place this year. I know you have stated in the past that you are predicting Gold medals this year; what specifically have you guys been doing different to bring home the first American Gold medal?

Jimmy Pedro- This team was hand selected back in 2004, immediately after I retired from the Olympics. USA judo put me in charge of a program called the U23 Elite Team, which essentially was the handpicked, most talented 20 kids in the country between the ages of 15-23; and we said, this is the group of the future. I work with them at camps, training, competitions, and I brought them all to my dojo here in Massachusetts, and have been training with them. We have truly developed a team of athletes that believes in a system of fighting such as gripping and conditioning. They have a total package of every element, and I have worked with them for a long period of time. Our athletes that are stepping onto the mat in 2012 have been preparing for the past eight years with a staff that is committed to seeing them succeed, and they have bought into the program, and now we are seeing the results of the effort.

SwoleScience- Based on your Olympic experience, do you guys think you have what it takes this year?

Jimmy Pedro- Without question. We have a couple of athletes that have a legitimate shot at a medal. Kayla Harrison is a gold medal favorite heading into the Olympics; she has beaten everyone in the world this past year. We have Travis, on the men’s side, who has beaten most of the contenders for medals. We have an athlete named Marti Malloy, out of San Jose, California, who made it to the semi-finals at Worlds, also to semi-finals in France which is one of the top level tournaments in the world, and she finished with a bronze there, and she has contended with the best. We also have a gentleman by the name of Nick Delpopolo who is top 15 in the world and is a medal contender as well. So, we have the four athletes that I just stated,  all of which are contenders for a medal, and eventually one or two will win.

SwoleScience- With the recent mainstream success of mixed marital arts, do you see this bringing more exposure to American judo at this year’s games?

Jimmy Pedro- Before jiu jitsu exploded into what jiu jitsu is today, I think mainstream media didn’t give much credit to martial arts at all. They didn’t give it any exposure on television, any time to martial arts, because they didn’t think there was a fan base that would follow it. I think that with the explosion of MMA, just in the last four years, and how frequently it is on TV, I think American media realizes that there are true followers of martial arts in this world, and judo is one art of MMA as is jiu jitsu. There are not ten of thousands of fans, there are millions of fans of martial arts, and hopefully this will help with media coverage for this year’s games.

SwoleScience- There have been more and more examples of Judo throws and techniques being exemplified in professional mixed martial arts competitions, is there room for successful cross competition?

Jimmy Pedro- I think that to be truly successful in the sport of Judo to where you win a medal in the Olympics, you have to devote yourself to Judo full time. Because the level of technique is so high, if you take time off it is very tough to come back to that same level of skill. If you want to win an Olympic medal in judo, you need to do Judo 100%, particularly the two years heading into the Olympic Games. After the Olympics, if you want to take some time off, and focus on mixed martial arts, you can certainly do that. To be truly successful at MMA, you have to have a well-rounded game as well. You cannot just think that with Judo you are going to win at mixed martial arts. You truly need to become a good striker, work on jiu jitsu and submissions, and diversify. Interestingly enough, one of the best Judo guys in the world Ilias Iliadis, who won the Olympics when he was 17, is a two time world champion, and is a friend of mine, and he is asking me if I can help him with his mixed martial arts career because he wants to compete after these games, which he may very well do.

SwoleScience- Given the current climate of the combat sports world, where do you see judo evolving in the next 10 years?

Jimmy Pedro- The current president of World Judo which is a judo federation, is 100% committed to the sport of judo. Worldwide judo has about 190 nations that participate in this sport, and there are millions and millions of people practicing judo worldwide, so it is a very strong and organized association. The focus will be on judo and the Olympic ideal of judo as a sport with friendly competition, respect, respect for your opponent, and a sport for the development of society by helping people become a well rounded individual. MMA, particularly what is on TV, where guys are slitting each other’s throats, or talking trash, all of those things go against the judo and Olympic ideals because they are not really respecting their opponent if you are trash talking him. The judo direction is going to continue to focus on being clean, positive, forwarding the Olympic ideals, having respect for everybody, and improving society through friendly competition.

SwoleScience- What goals do you have in the sport left besides what you have already accomplished in your incredible career?

Jimmy Pedro- Number one, I would like to produce an Olympic champion, and hopefully we will get an opportunity at the London 2012 Olympics. I will fully be content if one of my athletes on a US Olympic team won Olympic gold because that has never been done before. The second goal would be to have judo become successful in America by making it more of a mainstream sport.

SwoleScience- What else do you think needs to be done to make it more of a mainstream sport?

Jimmy Pedro- Make it Professional. Athletes need to be paid, and coaches need to be paid for teaching judo in America.

SwoleScience- Besides training and coaching what else are you involved in now?

Jimmy Pedro- I am Vice-President of Marketing and Sales for Zebra Mats and I am a consultant for a company called Fuji Sports.

SwoleScience- What is the most important piece of advice you would like to give to an aspiring martial artist or athlete?

Jimmy Pedro- This goes back to your first question as to why I was so successful and it is the mindset of a champion. It really is that you need to have a goal, believe that the goal is possible, and you need to do everything your power to pursue that goal. Along the way, regardless of the bumps and the bruises and setbacks, if you truly believe that the goal is possible, you will make it happen, without a doubt.

SwoleScience- Thank you so much for the interview Jimmy and we look forward to speaking to you again in the future.

 

-Papa Swole

Check out Jimmy Pedro’s Facebook Fan Page Here

Check out Jimmy Pedro’s Twitter Here

Check out Jimmy Pedro’s Official site Here

Check out Zebra Mats site Here

(Photos used with permission from Jimmy Pedro)

(This is an original post and exclusive interview that is copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

 

Pain is simply a mental perception that must be blocked out to overcome weakness and thus become both mentally and physically stronger. It is a sensation that is self manifested during those times of stress which can be overcome by no one but yourself. It is the epitome of self struggle, and you must realize your own potential to overcome yourself. Pain and weakness are brought on by struggles and challenges, the same struggles and challenges that allow you to improve and achieve goals in life. The realization is that life is always hard, and there are always challenges, but just a like a fight or an exercise, it ends, thus you must do your best against the struggle and in life. These adverse situations will be met, and the scars from your perseverance through them will strengthen you both physically and mentally. It is not always about the end result, it is about conquering and achieving something, thereby improving yourself in the process.

The fear and sense of both failure and pain is always prevalent, those who rise above these sensations feel it the same as everyone else, but they just simply chose to not allow these to defeat them. The pain of regret as a result of giving up and giving in is always far greater than the pain of defeat. One quote has rang true in it’s application to adverse situations is: “Don’t give up the ship”, which was first screamed by Commodore Perry during the Battle of Lake Erie (September 10, 1813). This instructional battle cry meant to convey: not give up, do not concede, continue fighting, and never allow yourself to contribute to your own defeat by giving in. If you have never failed, you have never challenged yourself, but what separates winners from losers is they never quit. There are only two ways a person can be truly defeated: if they give up, or if they die.

There is a very big difference between utilizing pain to listen to your body to void injury and giving up at the slightest discomfort. Realize that some pain must be listened to for your health and wellbeing but remember that pain is perception, stay strong, and realize you are stronger than you think you are.

Check out our other motivational articles here.

 

SwoleScience Strong.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

The 600 Workout

The workout features sets of three exercises that are superset together one after another, and then repeated three times through before continuing on, for a total of nine sets. There is no rest in between the exercises, but there is an allowable small break after each run through of the group before you start the circuit again. This is not a short or easy workout and it should be stopped immediately if you feel any abnormal discomfort or signs of dehydration.

Round 1- Back

Superset each exercise (no rest). Go through the circuit and then repeat three times.

• Deadlifts x 10 reps
• Pull ups ( to failure each time)
• Bent over row x 10 reps

Round 2- Chest

Superset each exercise (no rest). Go through the circuit and then repeat three times.

• Dumbbell press x 10 reps
• Dumbbell push ups (deep push ups performed holding dumbbells) x to failure
• Dumbbell flies x 10 reps

Round 3- Abs

Superset each exercise (no rest). Go through the circuit and then repeat three times.

• Hanging knee raises x 10.
• Floor wipers x 10
• Bicycle crunches x 10

Round 4- Biceps

Superset each exercise (no rest). Go through the circuit and then repeat three times.

• Cable hammer rope curls x 10
• Standing barbell reverse curls x 10
• EZ curl bar cable curls x 10

Round 5- Triceps

Superset each exercise (no rest). Go through the circuit and then repeat three times.

• ‘Inverted V bar’ cable extensions x 10
• Rope cable extensions x 10
• Seated dumbbell extensions x 10

Round 6- Legs

Superset each exercise (no rest). Go through the circuit and then repeat three times.

• Squats x 10
• Lunges x 10
• Calf Raises x 10

Round 7- Shoulders

• Front dumbbell raises x 10
• Lateral dumbbell raises x 10
• Standing barbell shoulder press x 10

Round 8- Chest and Back 

• Chin ups x 10
• Incline dumbbell press x 10
• Incline Push ups x 10

As a variation, feel free to take various groups and incorporate them in weekly training schedule with increased weight used for the exercises. For example: Groups 1 & 2 as a workout for one day, then 3 & 4 & 5 the next day, and lastly 6 & 7 & 8. This would create a three day training split but with increased weight ranges than when done in a large total body circuit as described above.

This workout is an original SwoleScience.com collaboration effort between Papa Swole and COC Fridge Swole.

Go Train.

- Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

The abdominal muscle group is comprised of four muscles: rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominis. These muscles form a shell around the vital organs from the bottom of the rib cage to the lower torso. These muscles not only protect the torso but are also used to: keep the posture, counterbalance the lower back muscles, flex the torso forward and sideways, rotate the torso, and compress the abdomen forward. All of these muscles must be trained evenly in order to prevent any muscular imbalances or weak points.

Rectus abominis is the traditional ‘six pack’ muscle that is showing when the torso has low body fat. This muscle is the forefront of the abdominal muscle group and run from the bottom of the rib cage to the pelvic bone. They are responsible for the forward flexing and movement of the torso, helping hold abdominal pressure for stabilization of the torso during exertion and protection of the vital organs.

External oblique muscle group is visible along the sides of the rectus abdominis muscles and run diagonally down from lower eight ribs, attaching to the top half of your hip and rectus abdominis. The external obliques, along with the internal obliques, are responsible for the rotational torque of the upper torso whereby allowing the torso to twist at the waist, and stabilize the body laterally thus allow you to straighten your torso upright when it’s bent to the side.

Internal obliques lie underneath the external obliques and run diagonally in the opposite direction. The internal obliques work with the externals to help rotate the trunk. The internal obliques will also compress the abdomen when both sides contract and thus help stabilize the internal organs, preserve abdominal pressure during exertion and provide counter rotation and balance in conjunction with the external obliques.

Transverse Abdominis muscles are the inner most abdominal muscles that outline the abdominal cavity. Unlike the previous muscle groups, these muscles are not responsible for torso movement but are used to manipulate the abdomen itself. These muscles are responsible for sucking in your stomach thus the vacuum effect that allows the diaphragm and abdominal cavity to contract inwards. These muscle groups are extremely important for not only aesthetically developing a flatter abdomen but to stabilize the torso core during exertion and balance the other abdominal muscles.

Key Abdominal Concepts

These are the concepts that every physically active person must know and will clear up any misconceptions up that you may have.

1. Everyone has ‘abs’- Aesthetic ‘abs’ are abdominal muscles that are visible with low body fat. Everyone has abs and therefore in order to create a more visually appealing physique, body fat must be reduced through total exercise and diet.
2. You Cannot Spot Reduce- Cranking out thousands of crunches will not spot reduce fat from that one area of your body. Exercising in any shape or form will use calories thus contributing to achieve your overall goal; on the contrary, spot reduction is a common myth.
3. Why develop abs- Development of abs will allow these muscles to help reduce chance of injury, stabilize your core, keep your stomach flat, reduce risk of hernia, increase power and allow them to show through your skin more prominently (with combination of lowered body fat)

Exercises

These are total abdominal exercises that when done routinely will allow you to achieve all of the benefits of a stronger core and abdomen.

Planks- Get your body into the push up position but instead of resting on your hands get on your elbows and forearms. Keep your back completely straight and stay on your toes. Control your breathing and keep this position for the specified time. Try to get as close to the time as possible and do not rest more than 15 seconds.

1. Hold plank position for 1 minute for 4 sets. No more than 15 seconds rest in between.

Crunches- This is a classic abdominal workout that is commonly incorrectly done. Lie down on your back with your knees upright and feet on the ground. Place your hands at the sides of your head or across your chest. Control your breathing and exhale as you bring the upper part of your torso up. Come up to where the bottom of your shoulder blades are off the ground, no higher and no lower. Feel free to implement a weight (plate) being held across your chest for higher resistance. Get as close to the rep range as you can while performing the crunches slowly and controlled.

1. 4 sets of 50 with 15 seconds rest.

1. 4 sets of 25 with 15 seconds rest.

Reverse Crunches- Lie down while keeping your upper torso completely flat, use your abdominal muscles to bring your legs up bending at the knees.

1. 4 sets 25 with 15 second rest.

Hanging Ab Raises- This requires hanging from a bar using arm straps or using your own grip (more advanced). While hanging, control your breathing, keep your body as stable and motionless as possible while raising your knees up as high as you can go in a slow controlled motion. After some abdominal development, alternate between this movement and raising your legs out in front of you with your legs completely straight. To provide even more advanced development, place a small dumbbell between your ankles and hold it by squeezing your legs together or crossing them at the ankles around the dumbbell.

1. 4 sets of 25 with 20 seconds rest.

 

The Basics

The Elevation Training mask is a modified Israeli civilian gas mask with three varying nose pieces which screw onto the original gas mask filter adapter in order to restrict and provide resistance to the respiratory system. The Israeli civilian gas mask is a very common well fitting mask that is not only slim and lightweight but also has excellent weight distribution while being worn. The theory behind the mask is that if you restrict the level of oxygen you can improve athletic performance in a multitude of ways. The Elevation Training Mask comes with:

• The mask
• Three resistance nose pieces
• Three cleaning wipes
• Information packet
• Blackout eye covers (optional reusable adhesive stickers for the lenses that allow for stimulated blackout and claustrophobic training)

The plastic discs are color coded and are as such:

• Yellow- 3 small holes. Restricts breathing x 1 time.
• Orange- 2 small holes. Restricts breathing x 3 times.
• Red- 1 small hole. Restricts breathing x 9 times.

The Science

The purpose of the mask is to improve athletic anaerobic performance and this is how it does it: The mask claims to replicate the effects of high altitude training which is the principle that an athlete who trains in a oxygen restricted environment will cause their body to physiologically change and thus improve performance at sea level. The physiological changes are increased efficiency of oxygen use through the body’s increased production of red blood cells and capillaries due to the reaction to limited oxygen, and thus improved endurance and nutrients’ levels during competition at sea level. Additionally the mask claims to cause a slight increase in carbon dioxide to improve performance through the Bohr Effect, which states that a increase of carbon dioxide in blood causes decreased affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and therefore more available oxygen.

Features of the Mask 

The mask is a light weight rubber that ergonomically fits on the face and must be balanced with the correct fit. On the front of the mask there is an intake adapter where the nose piece screws in and directly below it there is an exhaust vent. The mask has small rubber internal disk valves that open and close with the corresponding flow of respiratory gas so that air only comes in through the top vent and out through the lower vent.

The mask also features a voice box within the exhaust valve which allows for speech to be audibly heard while talking in the mask with very little hindrance in volume and quality.

The screw vent on the right side of the mask is for drinking water through the mask. It requires a additional special adapter straw and is generally reserved for when the mask is used during tactical application.

There are five adjustable elastic straps that clamp on to small multiple grommets on the mask. The straps are easily adjusted on the fly by simply pulling on the ends of each strap to tighten and by angling the buckles to loosen.

There is also a rectangular elastic pad that is meant to be angled on the back of the head to provide the best fit.

The inside of mask is defined by two eye lenses and a jet fighter style internal mask. The jet fighter mask covers your nose and mouth which prevents hot air from the respiratory process from backing up into the mask and thus fogging of the eye lenses. The top lateral sides of the internal mask have two diaphragm vents that further limit any exhaled hair from reaching the eye mask area. The internal cylindrical rubber piece near the mouth is the other end of the water straw.

Fitting and Cleaning the Mask

In order to fit the mask, place your chin in the cup at the bottom of the mask and place the mask over your face while simultaneously pulling the straps over your head. This is where it gets tricky: Do not over tighten the straps or the internal jet fighter mask will become too depressed against the skin and therefore cause the mask to fog. So first, lightly tighten each of the lateral straps two at a time and then lastly pull on the top strap just enough to keep your chin in the cup. Overly tightening the mask will not only cause discomfort and headaches but it will cause the mask to fog constantly due to a poor seal. Now due to the fact that you will be breathing heavily in the mask, there will be a tremendous amount of moisture present after it’s use. Since the mask only comes with three wipes and the company does not sell any additional ones on their site, the best way to clean the mask is to put a few drops of mild soap in the mask and rise it under lukewarm water allowing the soap to fill the mask. Swish the water around washing the mask with your hands, and finally rinse until soap is no longer present. Wash the nose pieces separately and leave all components to air dry. Do not scrub the eye lenses or use any harsh chemicals on the mask.

Experience and Results with the Mask

The first thing you’ll notice when you put the mask on is that you sound like Darth Vader. Secondly, the range of vision in the mask is excellent. The mask provides the aforementioned intake resistance with correlation to the attached nose piece but there is also a slight resistance upon exhalation as well. The mask slows your breathing down by requiring you to take large, deep breaths due to the resistance. Working out with the mask is extremely motivating by providing a tunnel-vision-like-focus effect on the task at hand and restricting distractions due to having to focus on your breathing.  As the workout progresses your heart rate increases, and so does your need for oxygen, which would naturally be met with rapid breathing. This mask forces you to slow down your breathing no matter how hard the workout gets and to take deep labored breaths. Keeping the mask on truly helps build a level of mental strength as you will have to keep it on for any benefit, and every natural instinct in your body will be telling you to rip it off.

Sparring, pads, bag work, weights and cardiovascular exercises with the mask are exceptional and are not hindered in anyway by the mask due to it’s slim light weight profile and field of vision. Resistance exercises with the mask are very different and take some getting used to. You’ll have to slow your breathing down and take deep heavy breaths in between sets in order to oxygenate your body. Cardiovascular activities are very similar in dynamics to resistance exercises but require you to maintain your focus and breathing pattern no matter what the level of intensity. One thing you will notice is that no matter how hard you work and no matter what you do, the mask will only let you take deep resisted breaths which helps you pace yourself.

The most remarkable benefit of using the mask, aside from the previously mentioned characteristics, is one that is not even really advertised by the company: its effect on the lungs. The lungs are almost always the weak point during exercise due to the inability to resistance train them in the same manner that you would do with other areas of your body. The mask actually strengthens your pulmonary muscles and will give your lungs a slight sore feeling due to the resistance after each use.  Additionally, it increases lung capacity very quickly thus resulting in increased cardiovascular and pulmonary functions. Through these improvements in performance, the mask allowed for an increase in lung capacity, ability to hold your breath, and resulted in naturally deeper clear breathing when the mask was off. This mask is recommended not only for athletes but for those who want to increase their lung muscle resistance and capacity.

When using the mask, start with the yellow nose piece for a several weeks and begin to increase the resistance after approximately four weeks. Additionally feel free to vary resistance such as using the red cap for weight training and orange for cardiovascular training. With the use of the mask over six weeks- training capacity, endurance, and lung efficiency definitely improved significantly. It made cardiovascular and strength training more efficient by allowing for a very prominent increase in endurance capability in every activity. The end result was being able to train harder and longer when the mask was off.

Value

The mask costs $89.99 directly from Elevation and is at the upper end of the price range for these types pulmonary resistance devices.

Negatives

The first issue is that instructions could be included with regard to cleaning, fitting and care. The second issue is the price of the product. The positives of the mask are very beneficial to athletic performance but given the components it would be more accessible at a slightly reduced price. Another issue is that due to the rubber composition and use conditions, the “Training Mask” and “Elevation” stickers have a propensity to come off fairly quickly, but simply email the company and they will send you replacements for free.

Conclusion

The Elevation Training Mask takes the undergound concept of gas mask training and makes it accessible in a revolutionary product that helps improve athletic performance through increase of pulmonary capabilities and bodily oxygen levels.

Purchase the Elevation Training Mask here directly at- http://www.trainingmask.com/ 

 

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material. This is an impartial review on a provided product without compensation and originally tested by the author)

Chris Myers Exclusive Interview for SwoleScience.com conducted by Papa Swole.

SwoleScience- Thanks for doing the Interview, How are you doing?

Chris Myers- Doing great.

SwoleScience- You just got back from the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl, and you were the first Houston Texans lineman to ever make the Pro Bowl. what do you think has been the biggest contributor to your success as a player?

Chris Myers- To be the honest with you, and this sounds cliché to say, but the rest of the line. There’s no way, especially at center that you can have a fully successful season all on your own. I mean there’s only a certain amount of plays per game that they call where you’ll have to be alone but the rest of the time you’re having help from both the guards, so I have to contribute it to the rest of the offensive line. To have the line develop these last few years, have a running back like Arian behind you, a quarterback like Schaub, and this year two other ones (quarterbacks), it just definitely helps out. There’s no way a center could make the Pro Bowl on his own.

SwoleScience- So you were a top prospect from the University of Miami, things kind of went stagnant with the Denver Broncos, and now you’re one of the top rated starting centers and leader for one of the best offensive lines in the country. Take us through this evolution?

Chris Myers- The University of Miami, that was just a dream come true. I was a Miami Hurricane growing up and getting to go there was awesome, and then in my third year getting to be a starter and it worked itself out to the point where in my senior year I was able to get some recognition, and ended up being drafted to Denver in the 6^th round. That was unbelievable, to be able to be that swing center guard guy out in Denver for a couple years from 05’-06’, and then all of a sudden the training camp of 07’, Ben Hamilton from left guard got hurt, so I had to jump in there as starting left guard and started the first four or five games of that season. Then all of a sudden Tom Nalen our starting center got hurt, and I was that swing guy so I moved over to center and started the whole rest of the year. That was my first actual playing time because in 05’-06’ I was just doing special teams. That was huge for me right there and it was also the end of my first contract so I was unrestricted that season, so being able to have been with coach Kubiak back in Denver for my rookie year in 05’, he was familiar with what I was able to do and luckily I got that starting chance in 07’ and he (coach Kubiak) was at Houston, wanted to the zone scheme and wanted someone who was familiar with it. So with Tom Nalen coming back to Denver the next year because he was hurt in 07’, it was kind of a no-brainer for me. So Kubiak and Rick Smith came searching out for me, they worked out a trade with coach Shanahan, which really changed my career. I came out here (Houston) in 2008 and have been starting since. It’s just been the ride of a life time, I mean we struggled a little bit in 08’ and 09’, and 2010 we obviously had a promising start and kind of went off the deep end those last few games of the season, but we turned this around this past season with the hiring of Wade Phillips and getting things straightened out on all sides of the ball.

SwoleScience- Now that the Houston Texans made the playoffs, do you think you have laid the foundation and ground workout to go to the Super Bowl next year?

Chris Myers- Well I think that’s the whole point. I mean obviously this team has just been fighting and fighting to make the playoffs since the franchise opened up in 02’. This year was actually the first year that we have been able to do it and capitalize upon it. The thing about it is, that our expectations for the playoffs this year, even with all the adversity we had, all the injuries we had, the potential for us to go all the way to the Super Bowl was there. Even in that last playoff game against Baltimore (Ravens) we kind of had a grinder of a game. We were running the ball, we were successful; but it’s just the turnovers that ended up being the demise of the game. We were confident and if we had been able to break Baltimore, then we would have been heading up to New England and we would have been on a roll. There’s no doubt in our minds we would have been able to make it to the Super Bowl. Like you said, it’s just a building block and it’s a foundation that you can build upon and you have to be able to handle the success and organization as a team to be able to stack these things on top of each other and make multiple playoff appearances.

SwoleScience- You’re currently an unrestricted free agent, do you see yourself playing with the Texans next year?

Chris Myers- I hope so. I would like to stay here and see this thing through and be able to see where this thing goes. It’s been a building process with coach Kubiak since day one, I joined in 08’ and I have been having a lot of fun. I have built a lot of relationships and friendships out here so if we can continue that, it would be huge. Is this the end? I don’t know, that’s what I pay my agent for, and that’s what those conversations are for when it comes to contract time. Got another month and a half until free agency starts so we’ll see.

SwoleScience- What expectations do you have for your career within the next few years?

Chris Myers- The way I personally work is since day one, since college, is that I set personal goals for myself. When I achieve those certain goals, I create new ones so I don’t become complacent. First it was make a team, then it was try to get playing time, then it was try to be a starter, and then it was try to make the team better and make the playoffs. You also have your individual goals such as making the Pro Bowl and those are always on the back burner as well. Once you accomplish your goals you have to keep setting the bar higher and obviously the highest one is the Super Bowl. That’s what every player in the NFL plays for, to get to the highest level and that’s what every team ultimately works for as well.

SwoleScience- Did you ever envision yourself playing professionally and at such a high level or performance?

Chris Myers- Well I didn’t start playing football at all, organized football, till 10^th grade. My parents wouldn’t let me play, so I didn’t play till 10^th grade and when I first started playing I was really small and really skinny. I obviously always wished that I would make it to the NFL and that was always a dream, but you have to understand statistics and how many guys actually make it. Overall though it’s your work ethic, I think. What I learned over my career, in just finishing my 7^th year and going on my 8^th year in the league, and if I could tell any young kid about anything I’ve learned, is that it is your overall work ethic, determination, and mindset. It obviously has to do a little with physical ability but not as much as it does your tenacity and how much effort you give playing wise. That is just understated. You can’t track that, scouts can’t determine how good you are based on your work ethic but it’s just something that’s going to take you higher and higher. The more you work, the more results you’ll see and you don’t really understand that until it happens. So with success brings more work and that’s the way it works for me personally; as you achieve more, you want more and you want to work harder, and that’s what I’m going to strive for in this offseason.

SwoleScience- What personal improvements to your game you plan to make for next year?

Chris Myers- My weakness has always been my pass protection and I’ve been able to have better technique than the bigger guys. I’m not a 305-310-320 pound player, I’m 285 and I have to have better technique and quickness to be able to block bigger guys. That’s something I’m always consistently working on. You can never be good enough and no matter what your strengths and weaknesses are, you need to work at all of them. I’m going to just try to improve my whole game overall and that’s what every single player has to do every single offseason, not just focusing on one area and making every area better.

SwoleScience- Take us through a season week of practicing and training?

Chris Myers- A regular week for us consists of: play a game on Sunday.

• Monday- you come in and lift, get some kinks out but nothing crazy and no real heavy lifting, just do what you can. Do that first thing in the morning (workout). Then everyone comes in and watches film of the game. After that we get into position groups and go out onto the field, get a light jog in, get rid of the soreness from the game and that actually helps a lot to get that conditioning in after a game.
• Tuesdays: Tuesdays are always off in the NFL. But if you’re a guy who wants to make it a long time in your career then you’re going to live in the training room and that’s something I learned later on in my career. Every single morning whether off or not, I’m in there several hours every morning before anything else starts. Even on off days I’m in there getting training done.
• Wednesdays/Thursdays/Fridays are our practice work days- Get in there early in the morning and stay till 3-4 in the afternoon. Just watching film, lifting, running, and practice.
• Saturday: More of a laidback mental approach to the game. Have a walkthrough in the morning, have off during the day and then it’s to the hotel for a home game. If it’s travel then it’s travel schedule.
• Then game day again Sunday.

SwoleScience- So would you say you build most of your strength and power in the offseason and then just maintaining it?

Chris Myers- Yeah, we definitely do. You definitely build it in the offseason and the point is to maintain it, and if not get stronger during the season. The way our strength program works is they want to have you maintain what you built in the offseason because a lot of guys have problems lifting throughout the year especially towards the end of the season- body starts deteriorating, guys are not as strong anymore, certain areas are injured and can’t be worked out. But with our strength coaches Cedric Smith and Matt Schiotz, they do such a great job implementing other lifts when you’re hurting in one area and keeping your strength the same way. That’s been huge for us, to be able to keep the same strength that you had in July right before training camp and have it in December.

SwoleScience- So what is your training in the offseason then?

Chris Myers- Lifting and running four days a week. One day off during the week but every other day you’re outside good hour to an hour and a half doing conditioning, drills and position groups. Then certain days we’ll have changing direction, straight ahead, or power conditioning, sleds pushes, working in the sand pit, we’re all across the board on what we do. We have the kind of strict regimen that kind of tapers off towards the end so we don’t pull anything. In the weight room we do a lot of Olympic stuff. Power cleans, squats, bench- straight bar or dumbbell, and then also some machines. As I said before our strength coaches are pretty cool about working with you if you have certain things that are ailing you and doing different types of lifts. For the most part it is that old school type of strength training.

SwoleScience- You’re known for having explosive power and speed which is rare for a player your size, what exercises do you think have been the most beneficial for improving your game?

Chris Myers- Over the past couple of years, to be honest with you, and it stinks for my ligaments and my knees, just the worst thing for them, and it’s squats. Being able to squat and keep that strength throughout the year I think has helped out with my blocking ability and I’m convinced of that. Like I said before it is definitely a detriment to your knees and a grinder, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make to have that strength throughout the year.

SwoleScience- What are you’re strongest lifts?

Chris Myers- This year it’s actually been my upper body, between dumbbell bench and the straight bar bench this past offseason. Trained this past offseason with a boxing trainer out here and he had myself, Matt Schaub, Kevin Walter and quarterback who was with us last year- Dan Orlovsky. We were all training together at this gym called ‘Hank’s Gym’ right here in Bellaire and he had my upper body and squats through the roof this year so that’s something I’m going to get back to these next couple of months before we start back with the team.

SwoleScience- What player have been the most challenging to play against?

Chris Myers- They’re all different and everyone always asks me this question. There are all types of issues with offensive linemen. You’ll have your issues with the big 340 pound nose guard but then the defensive tackle who’s usually 280 pounds that’s quick and agile. So it all depends and you have to have different repertoire to handle each player and they will try to counter every single move you have, and then you have to be able to counter that back. Obviously you treat a 340-pound guy different from a 280-pound guy. Sometimes you have to fight power with power, sometimes you beat power with speed and quickness, and sometimes you beat a quick guy by strong-arming him. It all depends all across the board and you can’t pinpoint one guy. But a few guys like Haloti Ngata, and Khris Jenkins in his prime, Kevin Williams up in Minnesota, and everyone in their prime were just so good.

SwoleScience- I feel like you’re a very intelligent player in the way that you face and play the game, and I think it has helped put you a step ahead everyone else.

Chris Myers- Thank you, I appreciate that.

SwoleScience- Take us through your most embarrassing play of your career?

Chris Myers- The most embarrassing play I ever had was when I first got to Houston and it was the “welcome to the NFL” play. I mean everyone has one of those and mine was during our first game of the season in 2009. I had just come off a high ankle sprain in training camp, didn’t really have any training camp all year, and it was my first game back. I was playing the Jets, and Kris Jenkins was up against me. I was one on one against him and I stepped the wrong way, I stepped over him too much and he clubbed me to the ground, and he rushed Schaub and made the sack. That was played all over ESPN and talked a lot about in the media here, but that’s just something every player is going to go through. You have to have your good and bad plays, and that was the most embarrassing play of my career. It’s funny to see the transition of time from that season where everyone was hating on me to now. I use that as motivation and I use that to better my career and my playing ability, and it has been pretty successful these last couple of years.

SwoleScience- What injuries have you sustained in your career?

Chris Myers- Knock on wood, I’ve actually been pretty lucky. I had an injury back in college, a lateral lesion on my left knee which is basically a dislocated kneecap which was during my freshman year and from there on I had a high ankle sprain in 2009, and then since then I haven’t had any injury that has prevented me from playing. I’ve remained pretty healthy, which I’m really thankful for. Overall I’ve been really lucky and like I said before just keep working at it every single year.

SwoleScience- What would you say is your strongest quality as a player?

Chris Myers- Going back to what I talked about before, it’s your overall effort. Coaches can coach technique and how to play football but no one can coach how to give great effort except the player themselves; it’s from inside and it’s one thing that is going to be determined on every single play. One player is going to give more effort than the other and that’s how you win your battles. One thing you have to understand as a pro, is that every single play, you have to give all of your best effort and especially when you are on the offensive line and you’re battling every single play. I pride myself on being able to give the most effort every single play and the most tenacity.

SwoleScience- What would you say is your biggest weakness as a player?

Chris Myers- I view it as a weakness but I also view it as an advantage: my size. On our team with the zone-blocking scheme you don’t have to be that big, and you need quicker and more agile guys to work our scheme. Then there are certain plays where you need to be one on one with guys and give up some weight, but you take that sacrifice to be able to operate the rest of the offense. Sometimes it pans out, and I’m lucky that the last few years I’ve been able to hold my own in there and that’s something I try to work on the most. This goes back to me talking about squats, the more squats I do the more weight I can handle, and the better it is for me to take on a nose tackle.

SwoleScience- What is the most important piece of advice you would like to give to aspiring athletes?

Chris Myers- Don’t let any coach tell you that you can’t do anything. Don’t let them tell you that you have to be 320-330 pounds to play offensive line. Don’t let them tell you that you have to run whatever time in a 40. You’re going to look back on your high school days and you’re going to remember them, but training in high school like you’re training in the NFL is just pointless to me. Colleges and teams are going to find you if you’re good enough and like I said before, this is my third time saying it: effort. If you’re a grinder and you’re putting in effort every play, then in films they’ll find you. Even if they’re not directly recruiting you and they’re recruiting someone else they’ll still see you. So be able to understand that effort and tenacity goes a long way.

SwoleScience- Thank you so much for the interview Chris and we look forward to speaking to you again in the future.

-Papa Swole

Check out Chris Myers’ Twitter Here

(Photos used with permission from Chris Myers)

(This is an original post and exclusive interview that is copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

The first thing to realize is that a punch is more than your arm and shoulders. A common mistake is to “arm punch” which is basically a snapping triceps motion that has limited power and speed. A true punch utilizes a rapid succession of micro movements from the ground up to create one seamless conveyance of power through the fist.

1. Begin your stance in a neutral fighting stance shoulder width apart. Slightly bend your knees and keep more weight on the balls of your feet.
2. When using your rear punch (cross or straight): Quickly twist your back foot towards your opponent, snapping your leg forward and turning your knee towards your opponent while torquing your leg muscles against the floor to twist rotate faster and on the ball of your foot.
3. Use the motion from your legs and implementing explosive core strength, quickly twist torque your hips, following in the same motion.
4. Continuing to use your core and back muscles, snap your rear shoulder forward.
5. As your shoulders snap forward, whip your arm out as quickly as possible towards your target.
6. All of the aforementioned motions should be done in extremely rapid succession and practiced while moving in order to avoid telegraphing an impending attack.
7. Keep your wrist straight and locked while squeezing your fist tight.
8. Do not focus on the range thereby stopping the punch early. Simply attempt to punch through your target.
9. Just as quickly as you released your punch return it to your defensive stance to mitigate the chances of a counter punch.
10. The quicker these motions are executed with rapid contraction of the aforementioned muscles, the more powerful the punch that will be delivered.

Focus on developing your speed and timing without a bag first, then slowly begin to migrate over to a bag while still maintaining the correct motions. Do not revert to “arm punching” or heavy slow heaving punches which simply push the bag. Focus on popping the bag and creating a dent rather than swinging the bag. In order to build strength and power implement total body strength workouts, core exercises and hitting heavy bags.

A well executed punch is vital to developing your combat sports skill set for competition, fitness, self defense, confidence, drills, and any form of training.

Josh Mercado is a professional mixed martial artist with: 6 years of experience in the combat sports world, and has taught Muay thai, brazilian jiu jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. Josh is a Brown Belt in MMA, standing at 5’6 and weighing 125-135 pounds. Check out Josh’s other SwoleScience collaborations- Stand Up Combinations and Strategy, Kick Drills and Darce Choke, and Basic MMA Strategy.

Josh is currently undefeated with a record of 3-0-0 in Professional Mixed Martial Arts. All three wins are attained via impressive submissions. Josh offers personal training in the South Florida area specializing in- Weightloss, Kickboxing, MMA, Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Self Defense, Strength Training, Endurance Training, Conditioning. Contact Josh to train at- (305) 905-0522

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Water is defined as a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, that is comprised of two parts hydrogen per one part oxygen ( H ₂ O). Water freezes at 32°F or 0°C , boils at 212°F or 100°C, and contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, by weight. This simple compound incredibly basic on it’s face, but let’s take a closer look at it’s role within the body.

Approximately 60% of the human body is water and a closer individualized look at this composition reflects a perfectly coordinated synergetic biological machine that is almost entirely contingent upon water.

• Brain is composed of 70% water
• Lungs are nearly 90% water.
• Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight
• Body fat contains 10% water
• Bone is 22% water
• Blood is approximately 83%  water.

Generally, in order to maintain positive homeostasis in normal conditions approximately two to three quarts a day are needed for the average human being. In times of high intensity and strenuous activity an athlete can require up to 2 gallons or more per day for optimum performance depending on temperature, diet, size of individual and exertion.  Now, lets get into the specifics for athletes.

1. Athletic Performance- Adequate fluid intake is one of the most misunderstood concepts within the athletic world. With respect to water and athletic performance, athletes engaged in strenuous and rigorous training can use over 2 gallons of water per day. The concept of dehydration is also a staunch misconception as dehydration is defined as a loss of 1% of bodyweight from fluid loss, which can be easily achieved through athletic training. A lack of sufficient fluids within the muscular system can have incredibly drastic effects upon performance. Consistent research and studies have found that dehydration of muscle by only 3% causes a 10% loss of contractile strength and an 8% loss of speed. A study conducted at Ball State University showed a 7% drop in speed over 10 kilometers by runners who were dehydrated by just 2%-3%, which is only 3-5 pounds for a sample 165 lb. runner. Further research has shown that a 2.5% reduction of body weight from water loss results in a loss of 25% of bodily homeostatic function and efficiency. To give you a perspective for a 175 pound man this translates to only about two quarts of water which can be lost through urine, sweat, homeostasis, heat, etc. Athletes must maintain a constant flow of water in order to perform at peak physical and mental capacity and maintain overall health.
2. Bodily Functions- Water is involved in almost every bodily function and is vital to almost every bodily process. During mental concentration and focus the brain uses up water at an incredibly rapid rate, which must be replenished or a marked reduction in mental performance along with potentially debilitating headaches can result. The kidneys utilize water to metabolize protein, which is of specific importance to athletes who commonly implement additional protein within their diet to bolster their recovery and bodily composition. Electrolytes and cellular energy are also dependent upon adequate water intake and even the slightest offset of biological fluid composition can result in excessive cramping. These are just a few of the vast ways that the body is constantly consuming and using water on a constant basis.
3. Metabolism and Weight- Proper fluid levels help to sustain and maintain the proper metabolic rate of the body and assist in healthy weight maintenance. Inversely, a negative fluid balance will aid in the reduction of the metabolic rate and thus forth can cause excessive weight gain. When there is a continuous and proper water intake the body will rely upon this constant flow of water and actually reduce stored water weight. Inconsistent consumption of water and/or a negative fluid balance will actually result in the storage of water weight as the body attempts to maintain a homeostatic environment. Additionally, water also helps to flush out toxins, excrete waste, and regulate the body’s internal chemical and biological composition.

Athletes should consume a bare minimum of a gallon of water a day and less active individuals should strive for approximately 3 quarts a day for optimum health.

- Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Appearance

The hoodie is basic black with contrasting color accents on the hand pockets, shoulders, and interior of hood. The look of the fabric combines the soft look of a casual hoodie and the plastic sheen of a warm up. The fabric has a very slight sheen to it but significantly less than traditional athletic warm ups. The fabric is a fast drying moisture management blend that does not hold water and dries very fast which comes at a tremendous advantage during athletic application. Furthermore, hoodie’s actual design is bold and rugged while still being minimalistic enough be worn virtually anywhere.

Fit and Features

The hoodie has an excellent athletic fit that tapers to the body at specific points in order to minimize excess fabric while still allowing enough room for athletic endeavors. The first key feature of the fit is the elastic waist and wristbands. These bands both keep the hoodie in place during training and create a very comfortable fit that does not appear too baggy. The second feature is that the hoodie tapers down to the waist, which helps to reduce the “bottom-heavy” look of most hoodies, where most of the excess fabric pools at the hands and waist. The hoodie is very light weight but still possesses dual layered insulation which provides excellent conductivity of heat for both comfort and warming up. The MMA hoodie also boasts specific features that are specifically implemented to assist the athlete.

The 1/4 Zipper- This feature allows for the hoodie to be not only quickly removed but to be put on or removed with sparring headgear on as well for  added convenience.

The Storage Pocket- The front hand pockets are divided in two which means either one can be used to place your hands, as well as one can be used to store items. At the top of the hand pockets there is a hidden zipper which cannot be seen unless the pocket pouch is pulled out and away from the hoodie. This pocket has a small opening but opens up inside to store an MP3 player, keys, phone or anything else while running or training. The hidden pocket is perfectly balanced and under the hand pockets so the contents do not not bang around. Another notable feature is the small slit on the inside of the hoodie which allows for headphones to be discretely wired from the hand pockets through the slit and under the hoodie to the users ears. This places the wires of the headphones all out of the way while running, sparring and training.

The Thumbholes and Zipper cuffs- The cuffs of the MMA hoodie have two very distinct features which are incredibly functional to an athlete. The first are the thumbholes, which helps keep the hoodie in place and keeps the arms from riding up while in motion. The zippered cuff allows the hoodie’s cuffs to be opened up and zippered over gloves or any other equipment while training.

The MMA hoodie has performed extremely well under intense training conditions. After a eight weeks of use it is still to this day not stained, ripped or discolored in away.

Value

The MMA hoodie costs $62.50 directly from Sprawl. This price places this product in the average price range for normal hoodies. Given the very unique athlete specific features, versatility and performance, it is well worth the price.

Negatives

There were no negative aspects with this product.

Conclusion

The Sprawl MMA Hoodie is a very reasonable priced hoodie that offers the athlete training specific features.

Purchase the Sprawl MMA Hoodie at- Sprawl.tv

 

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material. This is an impartial review on a provided product without compensation and originally tested by the author)

1) Training Schedule and Frequency- In order to mitigate the frequency of common overtraining plateaus, it is key that an athlete maintain a balanced training schedule with adequate time for rest. The breakdown of muscular tissue from athletic exertion must be properly healed for adequate hypertrophy and recovery or the athlete will fall into a negative training cycle that will hinder progress. Make sure that:

• Training frequency and intensity are counterbalanced with rest time.
• Muscular groups and athletic activities are counterbalanced by each other as to not overtrain a specific body part.

2) Identify Weaknesses- Every athlete has strengths and weaknesses, and more often than not, an athlete will fall into their comfort zone of strengths and allow their weaknesses to hinder their overall progress. Realize the weak and lagging sections of an athletic activity, and focus on isolating and strengthening them. For example, if the sticking point of your bench press is the lockout portion, focus on strengthening the triceps and upper range of the lift. Perform pyramid sets of increasing/decreasing weight with the movement only on the upper portion of the lift. This is an example of identifying, focusing on, and strengthening a weak point of a particular lift.

3) Change your workout- This is one of the biggest and most frequent factors to the common athletic plateau. As aforementioned, no matter how great a workout, it must be constantly changed or the body will adapt and improvement will change. One key modification is to change the repetition range and weight- high repetition sets with low weight, drop sets, low repetition sets with high weight, isolation and compound exercises, etc. The different levels of variation must be applied systematically throughout the workout to different exercises. With sports, change the drills, opponents, add resistance and continue to change things up to challenge yourself.

4) Small Weight Increments- The typical large weight increments that commonly occur during progressive periods of athletic progression will often begin to flatline due to the body’s adaptive plateau. The athlete must set their ego aside, and slowly increase the weight by smaller increments of weight with varying repetition ranges. For example- if you’re stuck on 135 bench press, add 2.5 pounds to each side in a pyramid format, dropset, superset or other variation. Use these smaller weight increases to slowly inch toward muscular failure and forced repetitions, which will in turn help muscular hypertrophy.

5) Nutrition- Make sure that your pre/post workout nutrition and supplementation is as complete as your training. Improper diet and supplementation can lead to long term plateaus, slow recovery, and sluggish workouts. An athlete’s diet must be comprised of the proper portions vegetables, fruits, protein and complex carbohydrates. With the proper fuel the body will continue to push forward at 100% every time and recover to it’s maximum potential after every workout.

- Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Preworkout

The basic nutritional basis for preworkout is complex carbohydrates for energy and muscular glycogen, combined with easily digestible protein for sustainment of muscular fibers. The ratio should be 2:1, with more carbohydrates than protein. Fat and processed carbohydrates should be avoided because of the excessive strain and energy consumption that it requires, and thus will result in the athlete feeling sluggish and can hinder performance. The proper nutritional profile should be consumed an hour to hour and half before the workout. Supplementation can range from stimulants such as basic caffeine, beta alanine for endurance, and finally amino acids for nitric oxide production and thus vasodilation. All of these are basic proven methods to help stimulate the central nervous system, sustain endurance, and help create an ergogenic benefit. The specific amount and combination depends upon the athlete’s size, tolerance and preference.

Postworkout

Postworkout supplementation is vital to assisting the athlete in preserving, developing and maximizing  the results of their efforts in the gym. While a constant diet is very important to overall athletic performance, the postworkout anabolic window is one of the most important times to adhere to specific nutritional guidelines. Research has shown that there is approximately a 45 minute period after the cessation of athletic activity to which the body is extremely susceptible to nutritional absorption. Within that period, an athlete must consume protein, carbohydrates and any post workout supplementation. This basic outline coupled with a clean constant metabolically stimulating diet has the potential to result in incredibly improved athletic performance, body composition and muscular development.

- Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Despite their multiple roles the shoulders are an extremely complicated and delicate balance of three small muscles groups that are connected via intricate system of ligaments, tendons and cartilage. The reason for their delicacy and complexity is the sheer freedom of movement that the arm can be rotated and moved, but with this comes the extremely heightened risk of structural joint damage with overuse and exertion. The development of the shoulder is commonly misguided by failing to realize the extreme stresses being put upon them by multiple auxiliary muscle groups. An athlete must understand that with any chest and back movement, the shoulder is the fulcrum to which the power and torque of the chest/back is being delivered through the arm, therefore the shoulder is being exercised as a direct corollary muscle. Furthermore, when doing arm workouts the shoulders stabilize the arm to isolate and support the development of the biceps and triceps. If for example, your training split includes a chest, back, shoulder, arm and leg day, the end result is that a relatively small group of muscles and fragile joint are ,being constantly stressed. With a balanced training schedule, strict form, proper weights and a faultless shoulder workout, an athlete can develop their shoulders properly to improve upon all of the aforementioned beneficial aspects with a significant reduction of chance of injury.

1) Dumbbell Lateral Raise- Stand with your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width apart with your knees slightly flexed. Grasp two dumbbells in each hand and place them at your side with your palms facing your body. Slowly raise the dumbbells up while keeping your arm only very slightly bent at the elbow. Lead with your elbows and thus your elbows should be higher than the hands at all times. Do not come up higher than shoulder height and do not raise up on your toes to assist with the weight at any time. Lower the weight back to your sides and repeat.

• Warm up very light on this first set, especially to avoid any strains on the shoulders.
• Increase the weight to a weight that you are able to perform 12 repetitions. The weight should be hard enough to just do the full 12 repetitions but without any deviation from form.
• Increase the weight 5-10 pounds to perform 10 repetitions.
• Increase the weight 5-10 pounds to perform 8 repetitions.

2) Front Dumbbell Lateral Raises- Use the exact same form and structure of the previous exercises in all aspects except hold the dumbbells with your thumbs facing the sides of your legs and thus the inside of the dumbbell should be also facing your sides with the top of your hand facing forward. Raise the weight up using the same range of motion and technique as the lateral raises.

• Warm up very light on this first set, especially to avoid any strains on the shoulders.
• Increase the weight to a weight that you are able to perform 12 repetitions. The weight should be hard enough to just do the full 12 repetitions but without any deviation from form.
• Increase the weight 5-10 pounds to perform 10 repetitions.
• Increase the weight 5-10 pounds to perform 8 repetitions.

3) Seated Dumbbell Press- Sit at a 90 degree angles (with back support) and kick up the dumbbells to your shoulders (or have a spotter load them for you). Press the dumbbells straight up above you. Watch your arms and do not go any lower than a 90 degree angle of your elbow joint, especially with higher weight. Although this range of motion has it’s place such as in standing barbell press, with the isolation of seated dumbbell press it can put excessive strain on the shoulders. So go only 90 degrees down which should be around eye level and press the dumbbells together over your head. Do not round your back or jerk the weights.

• Perform 8 repetitions. The repetitions should not be ‘stopped’ at 8 but you should choose a weight exhausts you for just 8 repetitions while maintaining strict form.
• Decrease the weight and perform 10 repetitions with strict form and failing at 10.
• Decrease the weight 5-10 pounds and perform the weight until failure without regard to repetitions.

4) EZ Curl Upright row- This exercise must be done very carefully with regard to the weight and form due, to the ability to easily injure the shoulder over time. Stand slightly shoulder width apart with knees slightly relaxed and grasp an EZ bar at the middle grip (not the inside) and hands shoulder be about 8 inches apart. With the bar resting on your thighs, raise the bar up along the body leading with the elbows. The hands should stop right below the chin with the elbows at ear level. Do not swing, bounce, or lean to get the weight up.

• Perform 12 repetitions. The repetitions should not be ‘stopped’ at 12 but you should choose a weight exhausts you for just 12 repetitions while maintaining strict form.
• Increase the weight and perform 10 repetitions with strict form and failing at 10.
• Increase the weight 5-10 pounds and perform the weight until failure without regard to repetitions (should be around 6-8 repetitions)

As with all workouts there are infinite combinations and organization of repetitions and exercises for your chosen athletic goal. This is a basic strength and volume outline that can be modified and/or combined with other SwoleScience workouts or exercises.

- Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)

Tim Kennedy Exclusive Interview for SwoleScience.com conducted by Papa Swole.

If you want to start running, it doesn’t matter if you are 15 or 65, you can begin to progress, advance and improve. It doesn’t matter if you will be the next Usain Bolt, but guess what? a year from now you will be better, faster and stronger than you were when you started and that is an achievement. Do not let any limitations allow you to accept a complacent situation based on excuses and negativity. Keep in mind that no matter how difficult things get, just keep going, keep pushing forward, and the fact is that you only fail when you quit, and by utilizing determination and discipline, you will never taste the pain of regret. Everyone can achieve something more than where they are now and improve themselves on some level from your physique to how you are as a person.  Set a goal and go out trying to achieve it, because no one can regret giving their best effort at something…win or lose and no matter what the outcome. Never allow anyone to put you down, bully, or belittle you, what you achieve from your particular situation is what makes your achievement unique, from completing a wheelchair marathon to a championship game, each accomplishment is relative to what it took to achieve it, how you improved and succeeded past the adversity that you faced. What most people don’t realize is that champions are made everyday; they are those who realize their own strengths and weaknesses, and improve these areas by applying discipline and effort through mental strength to go above and beyond what stands before them.

 

Check out our other motivational article here.

Rise to the Challenge No Matter What.

-Papa Swole

(This is an original post copyright to SwoleScience.com, credited to the aforementioned author. Its reproduction is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved to the original authors of any quoted or embedded material)