FREE SEMINARS!

Hey Guys,

As its Monday and I feel like being generous I am going to give away 3 FREE NUTRITION SEMINARS FOR YOUR CLUB OR GYM!!

All you need to do is click on this link, fill out the form and say I WANT A FREE SEMINAR in the comments.

3 gyms will then be chosen at random on Friday!

For the seminar I can cover whatever nutrition topic you like or simply have it as a Q&A format. Some of the topics I have covered in the past,

• Setting up a nutrition plan
• Weight cutting
• Gaining muscle
• Health
• What foods work best
• Workout Nutrition
• Contest Prep
• Reducing soreness
• Preparing for competition
• The difference between same day weigh ins and day before weigh ins.
• Refuelling after weigh ins
• Hydration
• Weight cutting tips and how to do it safely 

To get the free seminar all you need to do is click on the link above and fill in the form on the website!

The seminar will be completely free, however if you are a fair distance away from the North East of England there will be a slight cost for travel (whatever the cheapest train ticket is).

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Principles

Hey Guys,

Today I want to talk about principles.

Principles are the key to unlocking any goal that you have.

Many people focus on using methods to solve a problem (e.g. carb cycling, fasting etc) and try to get them to fit their own unique circumstance. The problem here is that sometimes it's like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. It might fit but its going to take a lot of effort than it needs to and it's probably not going to look all that pretty in the end.

However if you understand principles (fat loss, muscle gain) then you can apply these principles to any situation and get results (round peg, round hole).

So why do people pick methods over principles?

Well firstly principles take more work to understand.

It's much easier to be told exactly how to do something rather than being told how something works then getting you to creatively apply this to a new situation each time.

In BJJ the people who do the learn the quickest seem to understand principles better. They understand that to pass guard they need to maximise their tools and limit their opponents. They are then able to do this no matter what the bottom person does as they are applying a principle over a method.

The second reason people seem to favour methods (especially in nutrition) is that they seem to get a bit fanatical over things. In nutrition people seem to throw themselves into one method (carb cycling, fasting, carb back loading, IIFYM) and then stick to it religiously despite the results that they are getting (or aren't getting). In nutrition people attach themselves with a cult like passion to a method then disregard everything else as nonsense or out dated information.

This simply isn't the case.

If they took a closer look at things they would see that all of these methods are just different ways in which principles have been applied. If they then saw this, they could then use these methods to gain better understanding of the principles of nutrition.

What we then would have is a group of people that could use the correct methods at the right time in order to move towards their goals as the principles were always being applied (despite whatever method they used).

This however, would mean that I would be out of a job...

The best clients I have are the ones that ask LOTS of questions. They want to know WHY things are set up in a certain way and why I make the adjustments that I do, when I do. They are seeking to learn the principles of what is getting them the results.

Ask loads of questions whenever you are experiencing something new and you will be well on your way to understanding not just the HOW, but the WHY.

However you will probably end up annoying people as much as me (sorry coach).

Stay Healthy,

Mike

New way to get a Nutrition Plan!

Hey Guys,

As some of you will have seen earlier this week, the website has had a bit of a face lift!

One of the new added functions of the site is that you can now spread the cost of a longer plan (6 and 12 months) into a monthly payment via PayPal.

Now if you're like many of the many fighters that I work with, chances are that you fight quite often (many BJJ athletes fight nearly every week!). Because of this they have to keep a close eye not only on their weight, but also their performance.

What many fighters and athletes choose to do is to take a longer plan and have me look after their nutrition full time (no joke, 24/7). However in some cases paying for a long term plan simply isn't feasible due to having to pay for it all in one lump sum.

What you can do now however, is to spread the cost of a plan every month via paypal. The payment comes from your paypal account automatically and I take care of all your nutrition needs.

Here are just some of the features that having a full time plan include (also included in 4, 6 and 12 week plans),

• A full evaluation of your lifestyle and training.
• Full, individual nutrition plan of what to eat and when.
• 24/7 support from me for any questions and quires.
• Bi weekly check ins and weekly evaluations to keep you moving toward your goals.

Simply click HERE to see the full range of plans.

Stay healthy,

Mike

When people drop calories to low.

Hey Guys,

The other day I talked about how using the scale was a bad idea in terms of assessing health and getting the body that you want.

I talked about how when the scale stopped moving people had a tendency to drop calories. This isn't necessarily a bad thing to start, the problem comes when people use this as their only form of adjustment. After a while you're going to start to run into some serious problems!

For the purpose of this post I am going to talk about people who are just focusing on a reduction in WEIGHT using the scale as their only indicator of progress. Remember that weight loss is different to fat loss, and people should focus on the other indicators mentioned in the previous post.

Let's say we have an individual who is on a diet of 2000 calories a day. They are exercising a few times a week and are seeing results in their weight reduction. After a few weeks the weight loss stops, so they do what they think is right and drop calories by 500 per day.

They are now taking in 1500 calories everyday (this is quite low). The weight loss starts up again and they manage to lose a few more pounds, then it halts again. So what do they do now? Most people  drop by another 500 calories because that's what worked before right?

The weight loss starts up again but this time it stops a lot quicker. By now the dieter is probably feeling tired all the time, feeling run down and may have any number of the following issues,

• Getting colds and infections all the time.
• Dry skin.
• Poor sleep quality.
• Irritability.
• Loss of sex drive.
• Skin tender to touch.
• Weight gain.

Plus many other symptoms.

Weight loss as now pretty much stopped. even if they did ridiculous things like dropping even more calories or add in more exercise. 

So what's happened?

Well they have gone far to low, far to soon. As they have dropped calories without looking at the plan as a whole, and the body has down regulated their metabolism to combat the lack of nutrients and fuel. 

This is called metabolic or adrenal damage (another article for another day).

Your body is now in a state where it will do everything it can to not lose weight. As far as it knows, it is on the brink of starvation. All your body wants to do is to survive, it has no idea that you are trying to make weight or just want abs for the summer!

The scope of this is far beyond this brief blog post, however here are a few things that you can do to prevent it in the first place,

• Know what you are doing. If you don't, ask your coach or a professional.
• Make sure you are eating a sensible amount of calories for your body and your activity.
• Get the right nutrients in! Make sure you aren't neglecting any macronutrients.
• Consider refeed meals if your calories are low.
• Look at adding activity in before you cut calories.
• Make sure that you are recovering from your training and you're not just running yourself into the ground.

Running your calories to low for to long can do some serious damage to your metabolism and body. 

Having a damaged metabolism can effect your ability to build muscle and lose fat in the long run. You may also experience a number of other symptoms that will effect your life dramatically. 

NOT GOOD!

Make sure that you are making intelligent, calculated changes to keep you moving towards your goals while keeping you HEALTHY!

Remember that while calories do count in a fat loss plan, there are many other factors that make just a big difference!

Stay healthy,

Mike

3 quick tips to help you with your diet!

Hey Guys,

I always say that the best diet is the diet that you can stick to!

You need to make a nutrition plan fit your own personal circumstances and your schedule.

Does this mean that you can just pick and choose what you want and not be dedicated?

Obviously not!

You need to have a well thought out, smart nutrition plan that is tailored for your goals and needs. However sometimes it is the little details that make or break a diet (I go over this a lot in my ebook). It is making sure that you make enough small changes that add up to a big change. As they say, success leaves clues.

So does failure.

Often diets fail for the same reasons. With that in mind, here are 3 quick tips that can be applied to any diet to help boost your chances of success!

1. Drink enough water. This one is always over looked!! If you are on a nutrition plan from your coach it will most probably have a specific amount of water that you have to drink every day. NEVER JUST GUESS THIS. Water is responsible for just about every mechanism in your body including fat loss and muscle gain! Make sure that you measured out exactly how much water you are supposed to be taking in. Its really important!
2. Being prepared. I have never met a single individual that was successful on any sort of nutrition plan that didn't do meal prep. There are a few coaches out there who say that meal prep isn't important and that anyone can achieve these results with some self control. I'm sorry but I'ver never seen it. Even worse is that these coaches got their physiques using tupperware and meal prep then tell others that they don't need to do it! Prepare your meals in advance and take them with you. Don't give yourself the opportunity to cheat.
3. Don't jump around between diets. Sometimes people will see instant results when they start a nutrition plan, sometimes it takes a couple of weeks. Jumping from paleo to intermittent fasting to the anabolic diet will do you no good at all! Pick on nutrition principle and stick with it for a few MONTHS. the magic of any nutrition plan comes in the adjustments. Knowing what to adjust and when is what nutritional planning is all about. Stick with your plan and make sure to adjust at the right times. Listen to what your body is telling you (if you don't know what you body is telling you, speak to your coach).

These are just a few little tips that can help you stay on track with your nutrition and smash your goals!

Stay healthy,

Mike

Getting a bit too serious.

Healthy eating is always a little tricky.

I'm not going to go into details of cravings, energy and what foods do what. I'm talking about the ever moving goal posts of what is healthy for you and what isn't.

Every week people are rabbiting on about the next super food while telling everyone that yesterdays super food is going to kill you.

99% of the time it is never these extremes and it is most probably somewhere in the middle. What we need to do, as people that care about our long term health, is look at the big picture, try things out and take what people say with a grain of salt (that includes me).

What you often find (especially in nutrition) is that people go wild over a particular food or method then label everything else as the devil.

It's simply not that black and white.

HERE is an interesting article on the topic.

Stay Healthy,

Mike

A Nutrition Plan for ONLY £10!

Losing fat isn’t easy.

Anyone who tells you that it is has either been blessed with good genetics or has never really tried to lose weight.

The problem is that there is that many diets and conflicting types of information out there, no one knows what works and what doesn’t.

Even with the plans that do work they are either far to restrictive or far to complicated to follow.

What people need is a healthy eating plan that tells them what to eat and when but also gives them a little bit of freedom and flexibility so that they can have a social life and not go mad.

Enter Unorthodox Eating.

Unorthodox eating lays out what types of food to eat and when, but still giving you a wide range of choices so that you are getting the right types of nutrients at the right times.

Unorthodox Eating has been designed for those individuals that aren’t athletes but want to do a bit of exercise, a couple of times a week to help lose a few pounds and get in shape while still having some flexibility to have a social life and take a break with some nice food.

This plan will allow you to do just that.

For a one off payment of ONLY£10 you can get started today!

Simply order now and pay through PayPal and receive your plan direct via E Mail (please make sure that the E mail on your PayPal is current).

If you don’t have PayPal, then simply contact me through the CONTACT FORM to arrange another payment method.

This plan is a one off plan that dos not come with E Mail Support or adjustments. If you require something that is set up specifically for your needs, please select one of the other plans listed HERE

The Unorthodox Eating Plan is a simple eating plan to allow people to get control of their eating habits and introduce good, nutritious food into their diets at the right times. The Unorthodox Eating plan is in no way meant to be as effective as a bespoke eating plan that is also provided by Unorthodox Nutrition. This plan falls under the terms and conditions of this site and the disclaimer on this site. The Unorthodox Eating Plan is not intended to diagnose or treat and illness or ailment. Please seek the advice of your GP before undertaking and major change to diet, lifestyle or starting at raining regime.

Cutting weight for same day competitions.

Hey Guys,

One of the main questions I get asked is how to cut weight for same day weigh ins and competition.

A lot of people often find themselves a few pounds over on fight week and want to know the best way in which to get rid of them. Now the best option that allows for the very best performance is not to cut weight. You want to be at a point where you can have a few meals before you fight and come in fuelled and ready to go!

However we also live in a world where people aren't prepared and like to do things last minute...

The problem is that standard water cuts, dehydration and starvation is just stupid for any combat sport with a same day weigh in. Without 24 hours to re hydrate, get adequate fuel into your system and restore electrolyte balance etc it is just a recipe for disaster. It will lead to terrible performance and even injury.

I'm going to state at this point that messing around with weight cuts is no joke. People have died. Don't mess round with anything when you don't know what you're doing. SPEAK TO YOUR COACH AND DOCTOR!!!

So basically if you can't do a full water cut and you don't want to starve yourself then what do you do?

Well this week I am going to be doing a mini cut starting tomorrow showing a few little tricks that will help you shift a few pounds but still be optimal to fight and train. I will be updating everything on each day to give you a breakdown of what to expect. I will probably condense it into one post as well in case anyone misses anything.

More details coming tomorrow!

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Great article on weight cutting.

Hey Guys,

Here is a great article on weight Cutting for combat sports from client Rosi Sexton.

Well worth a read, especially if you are a woman in combat sports!

You can find it HERE

Stay healthy,

Mike

The difference between science and the real world.

I love science.

I especially love it when science takes a look at weight loss and nutrition.

Science helps prove, validate or add weight to theories and arguments that allow me to help my clients become champions.

However science isn't always right. Science (just like anything) can just be one view of a topic that can be taken out of context because of how it is presented.

In the nutrition industry people like to make camps. People like to anchor themselves to a way of thinking then completely disregard every other method and principle with cult like narrow-mindedness. This leads to crazy internet arguments, people being confused and lots of hate mail for me.

People like to pick up on studies, articles and videos and then run around telling everyone that what they are doing is wrong. The other week it was the article on protein, this week it could be this video.

The title of this video really intrigued me as I thought it was going to be about metabolism health. Instead its a video on how all dieting is bad, we are wasting our time and there is a better way to eat.

Now I agree that using fad diets is a bad idea and I am assuming that this is what the video is aimed at as it doesn't mention people who train, lifestyle changes and their effects on fat loss, that weight loss is different from fat loss and weight gain coming from an increase in muscle mass.

In fact, if people don't exercise at all, then this would be a pretty good place to start.

I also highly agree with helping young children to have a healthy view on nutrition and not use the scale as a be all and end all on health and happiness.

The problem I have with the video is on set points and metabolism.

I have seen in many cases people resetting their set points and changing how their metabolisms work. I have seen countless people lose fat and keep it off while eating MORE than they were before.

The speaker on this video knows about metabolism health (also known as adrenal failure) as she touches on it. However she seems to leave out the fact that a metabolism can be improved or fixed with a correct nutrition plan.

I agree that following a fad diet or a diet this is highly restricted in calories and macro nutrients for a long period of time is a bad idea. I agree that most people put back on the weight they had lost after they stop after a fad diet.

However this comes down to having a poor nutritional plan in place and making poor lifestyle choices after the diet is finished, not the fact that their body rebelled against them because they eat a bit less.

This is the type of video that just confuses people and perpetuates the thought of 'I'm not meant to be thin'. The truth is that fat loss is not easy. In fact it's fucking HARD. It does take will power and dedication. It does take discipline. It does take being uncomfortable.

I dare anyone to find me something worth having that came easy!

The presenter says in her closing statement "If diets worked, we would all be thin already". That's like saying if education worked we would all be doctors and rocket scientists.

As terrible as some of the diets are in this industry, at some point we have to also look at the individual that is on them (agreed this is impossible for a presentation).

We need to have a flexible, full filling way to alter people perceptions on nutrition. A good nutrition plan should support the persons life and goals while improving their health, performance and get results.

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Supplements and Marketing.

Firstly this isn't a rant about supplement companies and the way that they market their products.

Every fitness professional has a rant about these companies and the way that they market their products to vulnerable and impressional people.

Well that's how advertising works. They make vulnerable and impressionable people buy shit.

If advertising and marketing didn't work, we would all live in huts, in the middle of fields and only care about what really matters in life. Instead we all want to have the nicest stuff and look the best we can so that we can impress other people.

The fact is, is that if you look at that advert in muscle and fitness that claims that by taking this tablet you will gain pounds of muscle, lose pounds of fat, get an amazing pump and possibly transform into the love child of The Hulk and Optimus Prime while doing your curls, then you deserve to be a little disappointed.

However there is something about appealing to our vain side that makes grown adults lose their minds. Most of us know that these supplements are either bogus or that the results have been exaggerated, but this still doesn't stop us.

There is a little voice in the back of our heads that just whispers, ever so gently,

"But it could work this time, you'll never know unless you try it..."

And we cave. We convince ourselves that there must be an easier way, and that this is it.

It isn't.

Now don't get me wrong, there are some great supplements out there that do a great job. They can really add the finishing touches to a programme. But that's all they are, finishing touches.

Nothing is going to beat good whole foods and a solid nutrition programme.

So if you're looking at buying a pack of that FREAKBEAST NITRO 3000, maybe you've only got yourself to blame when you don't turn into Phil Heath over night...

Stay Healthy,

Mike

PS,

Brands that I trust are,

Myprotein and Biotest UK

I understand your confusion...

Weight classes are confusing.

For a start in grappling, they seem to be different at every event (apart from IBJJF). Some can be as much as a few KG while others are just 0.4KG.

Some have weigh ins early then fights start an hour later. Some weigh in 15 mins before a fight. Some even weigh in minutes before (like last Saturday, I had to wait on the mats as my opponent was still getting changed).

All of this makes it very confusing to gauge what is best for you. It also makes it a nightmare for a nutritional coach like me.

I always ask my fighters what time will they be weighing in and what time will they be fighting. I tailor their nutrition to match not only themselves but the schedule they are on. If the schedule is unpredictable or changes suddenly then it makes it stressful for my clients. Not what you want on competition day!

Now I understand that running an event is stressful (I've helped run a couple) and not everything can be planned to the last detail. But if you are expecting to charge a premium for an event, then you better run it like a premium event (not pointing fingers).

With many events now saying that they adopt the IBJJF rules (feel sorry for the refs) then why aren't they sticking to the weight classes or even the rules themselves?

I personally like the idea of weighing in right before you step on the mat. It would help limit the number of people that starve themselves or do silly water loading and sauna protocols. Fighters would fight at their correct weight being fuelled and ready to fight. In my very limited and humble opinion it should be like this for every weight class,

• Weight class told to warm up 30 mins before first fight.
• All fighters weighed in 5 mins before first fight (first fighters weighing in first)
• Weight class starts.

This would obviously need more people to run the event and make it a lot more scheduled and organised. A bit harder to do? Yes. Better for the fighters and minimise complaints? Yes.

If grappling is going to continue to grow at the rate it is (did someone whisper Olympics) then the focus MUST change to fighter experience and not the experience or ease of the promotors.

Now a lot of promotors will say that they put fighters first at their competitions. When was the last time that gold medalists received a prize that was worth even the same as their entry fee or even a prize at all? However this is slowly changing with events either having better trophies or being low cost for fighters to enter.

All I want to see is events that put fighters first. Surely the money will follow the experience?

Thoughts?

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Great article on Weight Cutting.

Hey Guys,

Following the trend of sharing good information from other sources, here is a great article on cutting weight from YourMMA.

Weight cutting is a very hot topic at all times in combat sports (see what I did there...). I only ever weight cut a few clients and it is always on a day before weight in. Either way, this article will give you some tips and ideas on your next cut (please speak to a Doctor and your coach before trying anything).

You can find the article HERE

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Competition time!

Hey Guys,

As some of you will know I decided this week to enter VS Grappling at the last minute as a few of my team mates were doing the event and I haven't competed yet this year.

However as I haven't been in comp training mode, it also means that I have been walking around at 71KG instead of my comp weight of 67KG. SO what does this mean?

Well, it means that I get to eat loads of carbs on competition day :)

As the class cut off it 73.9KG I have quite a bit of wiggle room to make sure that I am fully fuelled for the comp.

So how will that look?

Here is what I plan to eat tomorrow.

Wake up

Check weight. If still 70 KG or under have a breakfast of oats and 2-3 slices of gluten free toast, 500ml water.

9am.

500ml water, 1 chicken breast, 200g white rice.

10am 

Weigh in.

Straight after have have 500ml water and 1 Biotest Finibar.

I will then have a Finibar for very 30 mins I am waiting to fight and sip on water.

When they call for my division to warm up I will take 2 servings of Biotest Plazma and warm up.

Then depending on whether I killed smashed by bigger gentlemen, I will have another 2 servings of Plazma between fights.

As you can see, this is mostly all carbs and a little protein with pretty much no fat. If I was right on the nose for weighing in or I had more time, these choices would change. The most important thing for me is to make sure I am rested, fuelled, and I don't have a big bloat going on from eating pasta or something along those lines.

Obviously this would change quite a lot depending on the client and the sport, but this is just to give you a quick glance into what I am doing.

Shortly I will be writing an article on how to set up your own eating for BJJ competition so stay tuned!

If you would like to see photos form the day and hear my ramblings then follow along on Instagram (@mikeUnorthodox) and Twitter (@mike_unorthodox)

Stay healthy,

Mike

Great Video for weight class Athletes

Hey Guys,

Today I want to share with you a great video by Layne Norton on weight loss and body fat.

It's a great video that talks about how severe diets can actually make you gain more fat and make you fatter later in life.

He covers some great points early in the video on studies done on weight class athletes and the detrimental effects that constantly dieting can have.

As regular readers will know, I am quite vocal on what weight you should be if you compete often or want to be dominant in a certain weight class (read one of my rants HERE).

If you diet often (or are dieting right now), then please take a look at the vid.

You can watch it HERE

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Interesting read.

Hey Guys,

Here is an interesting eBook/article that was done by Nate Green.

It focuses on gaining weight, then losing weight, then gaining it again in a short time period.

There are a few flaws in it, and certain thing are left out, but as it is quite interesting (especially to combat athletes or anyone who competes in a weight class sport), I thought I would post it up.

Think I'm going to do this on a more regular basis to spread cool stuff. If you've got a link to some other cool stuff, let me know about it!

Find the article HERE

Stay Healthy,

Mike

A bit about my current diet.

Hey Guys,

One of the questions I get asked quite a bit is what does my own nutrition looks like?

People assume that, because I do this for a living, my diet must be perfect and the holy grail for anyone wanting to sort out their own nutrition.

This isn't the case at all.

While it is true that I have a very good idea on what works for me when I am trying to accomplish certain things (lose a bit of fat, gain some muscle), I am often trying out different things in the hopes of expanding my tool box to help my clients. Because of this I don't post my diet much as I would just get asked questions like,

• Why is he eating cereal?
• Why isn't he eating any protein?
• Why so much fibre?
• Why does he cheat and then fast?

Plus a whole load of other things. The simple is answer is that I like to experiment on myself to find solutions to problems. Some of them work well (adding LISS in for fighters), some of them bad (drinking just protein shakes for a month).

However even with all of that in mind, here is what my diet looks like at the moment. Bare in mind that this is for me, and doesn't remotely look like what many of my clients are doing. Everyone is different and has different needs and solutions.

These meals are generally dated 3 hours apart with either of the workout nutritions added depending on when I train.

Meal 1  

4 whole eggs, handful of mixed peppers, handful of onions, 1 tomato, 1 tbsp grass fed butter (to cook with), 34g whey protein, 5g added fibre, 1 probiotic, 1 multi vit, 2 fish oil

Meal 2 

100g chicken breast, large green salad, 20 almonds, 2 fish oil

Meal 3 

100g chicken breast, large green salad, 20 almonds, 2 fish oil

Meal 4

100g chicken breast, 100g steak, large portion of green veg

Meal 5

100g chicken breast, 60g natural peanut butter, lots of celery, 2 fish oil, 3 ZMA

Workout Nutrition

Biotest Indigo 3G taken 30 mins prior to workout, 6 caps

Weights

15 mins before - 30g (65g on Deadlift and squat days) Biotest Plazma

During - 30g Biotest MAG 10

NoGi/BJJ

30g MAG 10 during.

That's it really. As you can see I don't really eat that much at the moment and I'm using high protein, high fat, low carb. This is working great for my recovery and sleep at the moment and I'm going to continue with this but add in a few more calories as the weeks go on.

Got any questions? Please post them below or contact me via the SITE

pPlease feel free to post any questions in a constructive way. Want to be a dick about what I'm doing in an unconstructive way? I'll remove your posts.

Stay healthy,

Mike

What a show!!

Well Guys,

For those that were there, you already know what an amazing show Subf15teen was last night!

It was an amazing event with some very high level grappling on display! Subf15teen is fast becoming one of the best grappling comps in the country and if you fancy a slot on the next one then I would ask Marty or Shaun on the Facebook page as it is filling up fast!

As I said in a previous post, it is how the event is ran and how they look after the fighters that makes the biggest difference. I am very proud to support the show and I'll be doing a full write up on the event very soon!

So what is going on with me?

On the business side of things it's great to be working with people from all walks of life and sports! I love working with such a diverse range of people as they all bring something that is a little different that requires its own level of special attention.

Things are also going well with the new website and I am looking to incorporate some new features and products such as,

• Monthly payments and spreading the cost of higher costing plans
• An affiliate scheme that will benefit the affiliate much more than me!
• On line Coaching Programmes (I am recruiting now if you would like to feature).
• Blog integration on the site.
• Members only area with exclusive plans, articles and interviews.

Plus a load of other stuff!

As for my own training, I'm just focusing on certain areas of my BJJ and not trying to become a one sided athlete (keep sitting in half guard looking for the same sweeps and submissions), bringing my strength up a bit, and giving my metabolism a boost.

After a tough year last year with the previous operations (see archives for details of how I recovered in record time), maintaining and cutting weight, plus a few mini diets, I want to get my metabolism firing on all cylinders again. This doesn't mean that my metabolism is in trouble or slow, I just want to be able to eat as much as possible and have the best recovery.

Metabolism health is no joke and having a healthy one is a massive part of being able to manipulate your weight depending on your goal (making weight for a comp, looking good on the beach etc). Having prolonged strict diets without any form of refeed etc is a very bad idea and can have severe health consequences.

I am going to be writing article on this topic very soon so stay tuned!

Here is a lis of stuff that I'm loving the moment (Loves me a good lis),

1. Kit Dales new grip for omaplatta and triangle set ups.
2. Gi (again)
3. Fanta Zero
4. Steak
5. Evernote (who could live without this genius app?)
6. TED talks and presentations (not the foul mouthed toy).
7. Sunshine baby!!
8. THIS video. please watch if you are a teacher or a parent.

Stay Healthy,

Mike

Dishonest coaches claiming 'natural status'.

Hey Guys,

Today I wanted to talk (well rant a little) about people either claiming or abusing the term 'natural'.

Now I know that there has been quite a lot of talk about this recently, especially in the aftermath of the Layne Norton vs Ice Cream fitness nonsense (for the record I don't know either but I respect the hell out of Layne for what he has achieved and I'm not a fan of the way Ice Cream fitness conducts himself). However this is just my opinion on a matter that is, and always will be, a hot topic in the sports/fitness world.

Now I have nothing against steroids at all. If you want to get as big/fast/strong as possible and don't compete in any kind of sport where they are against the rules go ahead. I even accept that some Olympians and top sports people are using them despite it being against the rules. This is just the world that we live in folks, people lie to earn more money.

I also know that taking a chemical does not take away from the hard work that you have to put in and the sacrifices that you have to make in order to reach the top of any sport.

I think that steroids can be done safely and can be beneficial to health providing you know what you are doing. This does not make make me pro steroids, I am neither for or against them (apart from when they are cheating in a sport. I'm against cheating).

What I am against however, is coaches, trainers, PTs or anyone who makes money from advising others, saying they are natural when they are not. I'm against cheats and liars. I'm against people conning other people with their physique. I'm against people turning a craft I love into underhand sales people.

Whether these people like to admit it or not, steroids DO change the rules. I've worked with people who use and people who don't, and it is a little bit harder without the chemical assistance. You need to know this! People need to know that the advice and training that they give a TRULY natural trainee (I'm looking at you, Growth Hormone and GHRP users...) can be very different from those who aren't using.

Now I get it, I really do. Steroids are illegal. No one in their right mind would declare all over social media that they use and they would avoid the questions all together if they were smart. It's those dishonest scum bags that run around going 'Look at the all natural results I got in only 2 weeks with my new super secret routine', that I have a problem with.

STOP IT.

STOP IT NOW.

I just want people to have some fucking responsibility and integrity.

Don't say things you're not.

Is that really that hard for grown men and women who want to make a living out of other people?

Probably...

Stay healthy,

Mike

PS shout out to all those great trainers and coaches that have some morals and do great work! You already know who you are :)

Interview - Physique Prep Coach Shelby Starnes

Hey Guys,

Today I am Talking to Shelby Starnes.

Shelby is a Bodybuilding prep coach based over in the USA.

I have been lucky enough to talk to Shelby before (you can find that HERE) and review his latest eBook The Healthy Body Builder which you can find HERE.

Shelby is a great guy with a fantastic reputation of getting his clients in shape with great condition. 

Here is what he had to say!

Hi Shelby,

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.

1    Since we last talked you achieved one of your goals of obtaining a pro card. Has your out look to your training and nutrition altered at all?

I’m constantly striving to improve my methods, but I’m getting close to my personal “ceiling effect” in terms of how much better my physique can get. It took me 7 years at the national level to finally turn pro, and that was at a Master’s show. I’ll be 37 this year and the gains have certainly slowed down – every year they get a little slower, even with improved diet and training methods. At this point I’m just looking for ways to improve my longevity in the sport so I can stay healthy and continue competing for another handful of years. This involves stuff like smarter training methodologies, less fluctuation in body weight during the year, and keeping a close eye on health markers on a regular basis.

My focus now is more on being a coach than a competitor.

2.     With you recent eBook The Healthy Body Builder, you cover some off these methods extensively (especially in regards to health). What specific ones have you found that work best for you personally and what would you recommend to people in Europe and the UK that don't have easy access to blood tests on a regular basis, regular health check etc?

Blood pressure is the most important to keep an eye on. It’s a smart move to get your own blood pressure monitor so you can check it regularly. Make sure you get a large cuff one if you’re carrying much muscle – a cuff that’s too tight will give an incorrect reading. After blood pressure, the big ones to pay attention to are lipids, liver and kidney values, and RBCs. I would recommend figuring out a way to get these checked at least twice a year. C-reactive protein is another cool one I like to get, it’s an indicator of inflammation levels in the body.

3.     One of Clients Jamie Pinder recently took to the Olympia stage and looked phenomenal. Many female competitors have a hard time getting really lean and losing the last bit of fat on the glutes and quads. Any tips for the people out there?

Thanks for the compliment! Jamie is one of the hardest working clients I have and I was very happy with the look she achieved this year. She isn’t a naturally lean person so to get that look took a ton of dedication and sacrifice, for an extended period of time. One method that works extremely well for helping females get lean is high intensity interval cardio. I often have Jamie do 15 to 18 minutes of high intensity sprint intervals, directly followed by 20 to 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardio.  This is a great way to etch in detail, assuming diet and other factors are in line.

4.     You’re known as a coach that doesn’t use fancy diets or techniques to get people into shape, but rather as a man who relies on solid principles to achieve the best conditioning possible. How (if at all) has this changed over the years? Are they things that you have abandoned or revised?

Any good coach is constantly learning and revising their methods to help their clients and athletes achieve their best. All the time I’m adding new tools to my toolbox, by way of new training methods and exercises (thanks John Meadows), nutrition science advances, new supplements, etc.  I haven’t abandoned any methods, but I’m always adding new ones to my toolbox.

With that said though, the biggest factor in progress will always be hard, intelligent work. We always want to make the most of our efforts though: science and experience help accomplish that.

5.     In your opinion, what are the biggest changes you have seen in regard to the science of nutrition, have had the biggest impact in the last 5 years on health and all round performance?

Definitely the advances in peri-workout nutrition. Improved nutrient timing is helping tons of people have better workouts and recover from them more quickly

6.     Cardio is a funny subject in the industry. Some say that LISS is a waste of time and cardio needs to be short and fast, while other think that LISS is a great way to increase calorific expenditure while not taxing recovery. As athletes (especially fighters) schedules are already pretty damn full, adding extra cardio can be a pain on the time wallet not to mention further taxing the system. How do you go about setting cardio up for clients with varying schedules?

For those with a busy schedule, HIIT cardio is definitely the way to go.  I wouldn’t go nuts with it though – 3 to 4 sessions per week would be a max. Additional calories could be pulled from the diet, if needed.

7.     While it is highly individual, do you add cardio in at the beginning with the majority of clients?

If they are overweight and looking for fast results, cardio is usually part of the initial plan. If they are getting ready for a competition and are relatively lean to begin with, I wait to add cardio until it’s needed. I especially wait if we have a long time line to play with (i.e. a contest that’s 20 weeks away, versus 8 weeks away).

8.     I have found that having some clients do low impact cardio has a real positive effect on their results, especially when it comes to metabolism etc. Do you think that cardio is beneficial for most people even if they aren't looking for a massive calorie burn? 

Its health benefits cannot be denied.  If you’re looking to gain as much muscle as possible in the shortest time frame possible though, cardio should probably be limited. That’s not necessarily the healthiest approach though.

9.     Micronutrients are often something that fighters over look during their diet prep, especially towards the end, and many suffer for it. Is there anything that you like to add to your clients nutrition plans to cover the bases or do you focus on it right through the prep?

I recommend using a variety of whole food sources, and when dieting “hardcore” (hypocaloric for an extended period of time), a fruit and veggie supplement (like Biotest Superfoods) is probably a wise addition, as well as a multi-vitamin / multi-mineral. Those that really want to know if their bases are covered should look into micronutrient testing (http://www.spectracell.com/patients/patient-micronutrient-testing/) 

10. As a man who has not only tried just about every supplement out there, plus advised people from average Joe's right up to Olympians, are they any brands out there that you recommend? Obviously supplements are just that, but everyone knows some brands present a more honest opinion of what people can achieve and what they products actually provide.

I’m sponsored by 360CUT nutrition, and also Truenutrition.  I wouldn’t be associated with either of these companies if I didn’t believe their products are what they say they are, and provide a good bang for your buck. Others I use are NOW brand (mainly for health related stuff) and Puritans Pride.

Thanks for your time Shelby!

You can find Shelby and contact him through his site HERE

Stay Healthy,

Mike