Last Week for Discounts on Nutrition Plans with Unorthodox Nutrition

  

January Offers from Unorthodox Nutrition For the First time in 6 years we are doing some Offers on Nutrition Plans, Coaching and Free Seminars. YOU CAN USE THESE OFFERS FOR ANY COMPETITION OR PRE BOOK THE TIME FOR WHEN GYMS REOPEN ETC Click the Images below for details.  Visit the Website for more details

January Offers for Nutrition Plans, Macro Coaching and FREE Seminars

 

January Offers from Unorthodox Nutrition For the First time in 6 years we are doing some Offers on Nutrition Plans, Coaching and Free Seminars. YOU CAN USE THESE OFFERS FOR ANY COMPETITION OR PRE BOOK THE TIME FOR WHEN GYMS REOPEN ETC Click the Images below for details.  Visit the Website for more details

UPDATE - What I've been up to, things that are happening and a Discount Code :)

Hey Guys,

Firstly I'm really, really sorry of there lack of content on this blog! From going from 3 posts per week to zero is pretty crap on my part! Big thanks to all of the people who E mailed me to grill me about a lack of content!

So, why the slip?

The simple truth is that I've just been mega busy with the Upgraded Grappler and getting it off the ground.

I won't bore you with the details of what the plan is about as I have already talked about it on previous blogs. If you are interested (and you should be dammit) then head over to the website for more details.

The plan has been doing amazingly well and has been getting amazing results from low level beginners right the way through to UFC stars like Ross Pearson. The plan is so intuitive, and tailors itself each week to the individuals needs so we know everyone will kill it!

We have also been producing a TON of video content such as live workouts, highlights, Periscope workouts and sample workouts like THIS ONE with a commentary so that people know what we are doing and why!

We are also launching a lot of extra content on the website that includes,

• Articles
• Blog
• Videos
• Recipes
• New products and plans
• Clothing
• Possible Q&A

Head over there now for more details!

Stay healthy,

Mike

PS as I have been absent for so long, use DISCOUNT CODE FRIENDS20 for 20% off the Upgraded Grappler Program!

A Plan that is aimed specifically at the Grappler is now HERE!!!!!

Hey Guys,

We are now LIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEE!!!! (use Bruce Buffer voice).

This is easily some of the best work me and Barry have ever done. there is absolutely nothing like this on the market that is aimed specifically to Grapplers.

You can now grab the program at,

www.upgradedgrappler.com

The problem with most Grapplers programmes is that they are either not designed for sport (think lots of curls or workouts from Muscle Magazines) or they are pure strength programmes designed for lifters that just lift and do nothing else. What happens with both of these programmes is that there is either no carry over to Grappling or people get burned out really quickly and then have to dial back on training. What you will learn to do with this system is to supplement your sport with training and nutrition that will take you to the world class level.

So how will we do that?

The system is designed to complement your training to make you a better athlete. the programme will make you stronger, faster, more powerful and recover faster while making you healthier (because who wants to fall apart in just a few years). This system will allow you to complement your grappling training wheel not bring you out by using proper nutrition.

The system is split into two parts, Strength and Conditioning and Nutrition. The Strength and Conditioning will give you specific exercises to do, at a specific weight, in a specific order while the nutrition will give you exactly what macro nutrients to eat plus guidelines to maximise them. It is the combination of these that will give you the best results. Both of these factors can be repeated continuously as the professionally designed Spread Sheets will adjust everything as you go!

This is a completely intuitive system that adjusts itself based directly on your results. There is nothing out there even remotely like this!

Grab it now at www.upgradedgrappler.com

Stay healthy,

Mike

The Upgraded Grappler is now LIVE!!!!!!!!

Hey Guys,

We are now LIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEE!!!! (use Bruce Buffer voice).

This is easily some of the best work me and Barry have ever done. there is absolutely nothing like this on the market that is aimed specifically to Grapplers.

You can now grab the program at,

www.upgradedgrappler.com

The problem with most Grapplers programmes is that they are either not designed for sport (think lots of curls or workouts from Muscle Magazines) or they are pure strength programmes designed for lifters that just lift and do nothing else. What happens with both of these programmes is that there is either no carry over to Grappling or people get burned out really quickly and then have to dial back on training. What you will learn to do with this system is to supplement your sport with training and nutrition that will take you to the world class level.

So how will we do that?

The system is designed to complement your training to make you a better athlete. the programme will make you stronger, faster, more powerful and recover faster while making you healthier (because who wants to fall apart in just a few years). This system will allow you to complement your grappling training wheel not bring you out by using proper nutrition.

The system is split into two parts, Strength and Conditioning and Nutrition. The Strength and Conditioning will give you specific exercises to do, at a specific weight, in a specific order while the nutrition will give you exactly what macro nutrients to eat plus guidelines to maximise them. It is the combination of these that will give you the best results. Both of these factors can be repeated continuously as the professionally designed Spread Sheets will adjust everything as you go!

This is a completely intuitive system that adjusts itself based directly on your results. There is nothing out there even remotely like this!

Grab it now at www.upgradedgrappler.com

Stay healthy,

Mike

Off Season for Fighters

Fighters love to fight. It’s a fact.

They have something hard wired into their brain that makes them step in the ring, cage or on the mat. They NEED to do it, they can’t function in life if they don’t have the sense of competition, camaraderie and achievement that only a fighter knows about. However all this punishment leads them to do stupid things like take fights at the last minute and fight often without adequate rest in between fights. This is partly a coaches fault and partly the fighters. It is my opinion that the further that you move up the ladder of a sport the LESS fights they should take. For example I think a Pro MMA fighter should have a MAXIMUM of 3 fights a year. Any more and you are pretty much never out of camp.

 I believe that all sensibly trained fighters should have a good off season between fights to get better and recover for the next fight. The purpose of this article is to give you an idea of what things to be aiming and watching for from a nutritional standpoint. I must say that this is a brief overview and every single fighter is different. If anyone has any questions then please contact me or speak to your coach, they know you, I don’t.

So what is an off season and what are we looking for during it? An off season is a chunk of time (2-3 months) where a fighter aims to improve their technique, conditioning and strength. So during this time you will be focusing on weaknesses in your game and improving how strong and fast you are. At this point I would like to give just one piece of advice to every single fighter, GET STRONGER. Nothing will transfer to all areas of your ability than getting stronger. Trust me. With this in mind I’m going to cover off a few nutritional basics that will aid in your recovery and therefore growth. Before I get into the main points of nutrition, here are a few things that you should be looking to improve over all. Again, please speak to a strength and conditioning coach about the best plan for you. Ok, so here is the list;

• Strength. Good bench marks are 1.5 x BW (body weight) bench, 2 x BW squat and 2.5 x BW deadlift.
• Speed and explosive power. Sprints, jumps, throws etc
• Flexibility and mobility. Please stretch and foam roll people, pretty please...
• Cardio. Not long runs but being able to perform at a higher intensity for longer at your sport.

Ok, so nutrition. For most this is the area that is a mind field and I get that I really do. Every single article you read suggests something different. Intermittent fasting, fasting, carb back loading, low fat, high fat, low carb, the list is endless. I will always say that I don’t subscribe to one single way of doing things. Your body is an adaptive machine so everything works but nothing works forever. It is knowing when and what to use and knowing what works for an individual that makes the difference.  With this in mind here are a few points that I would start the average fighter off on. Again, this is a starting point so please adjust to fit your current body type and goals (or speak to your coach or someone who know what they are talking about.

The idea of the nutrition of an off season is to give your body the ability to recover and grow. Because of this it will need a slight excess of food so that it can do this. This is not an excuse for all you can eat buffets and pizza every night. When it comes to weight gain no more than 20 pounds for a pro fighter (or one that has a day before weigh in) and 10 pounds for everyone else. This way you can still build a good base of muscle but can be a fight camp away from being in shape. A little note about fight weight as some people always wonder what they will fight at. At a Pro level, having a lean lower back and abs are a good base to start!

As we are trying to promote muscle growth without to much fat gain, keeping protein high (a minimum of 1.25g per pound of body weight) and keeping carbs slightly limited but more importantly, timed to certain parts of the day. Carbs have gotten a lot of attention over the last few years and a pretty bad rap. Everyone is suggesting different things. If you haven’t tried one of gazillion methods out there, then I advise taking in 0.75g per pound of body weight and adjusting them from there. I like fighters to have about 30 – 40% of their carbs at breakfast and the rest around their training (before, during, after). People are either taking in to many carbs or not enough. I would err on the side of caution though, it’s always more fun to add in more carbs than take them out. The rest of your plan should focus on good healthy fats that will aid in joint health, hormone production, organ and immune support, fat loss and a load of other goodies (hint, get a good quality fish oil). Don’t fear fat.

With any plan it is the adjustments that are made along the way that will determine its success. Add or lose a pound? Getting faster or slower? Can’t sleep, shit, have sex as much? These are all factors that can be addressed through changes and adjustments in diet. The body is not a static entity, what works one week might not work the next. Factors such as recovery, stress levels and many other things are all factors that can and do, affect training. Making good sound judgements on this data is vital to improving a plan.

So how are going to measure progress while in our off season? The first point of call should be your coach. Tell them what you are doing and the goals you are trying to achieve. This way they can keep you on the right track. Nutrition wise we are focusing on good, clean gains. Changing our bodies composition (better muscle to fat ratio) should always be the goal. Remember, this isn’t body building and we aren’t bulking. We want to add muscle that will be beneficial to us in competition but we don’t want to get sloppy and stray to far from our fighting weight. It is possible to get stronger without adding weight but to be honest, most could do with a few more pounds of muscle. This is why your coach is important, while you think that you are getting ‘swole’, they will know if your performance is declining or improving. If it is improving great. If not, make adjustments so that it is.

Now you have read about a few things that can make a great off season so what next? As stated, discuss it with your coach and someone who knows nutrition. I would personally set up a mini trial with a few goals in mind (improved lifts, better muscle – fat ratio etc) for about 8-12 weeks and give it a go. See what works for you and see what doesn’t. Remember the idea is to improve yourself as a fighter, if it’s not working don’t do it. However if this is something that you love (you’re reading this so I know it is) why not take some time to be better? Train and eat smart and great results can only follow.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

Health and MMA. Are you focused on it?

Hey Guys,

Today I want to share with you an old article I wrote onOff Season Planning for Fighters.

Enjoy

Health.

We all have it.

However many of us have bad health despite training hard and eating ‘clean’.

How is that possible? We suspect that if we are exercising and eating a ‘clean’ diet then we must, by default, be healthy. It’s what all the magazines, papers and our own Doctors tell us, how can they be wrong?

The simple fact is, is that health is not a priority for fighters. They want to be at a certain weight, improve their strength, speed, power and technique, but health? That’s way, WAY down the list. Chances are if you are a fighter and you are reading this you haven’t gave a second thought to your long term health.

This absolutely needs to change. Fighters cannot keep living on diets of chicken, rice and broccoli and expecting to be living to a ripe old age and playing with their grandkids. The sport of MMA is an abusive one on the body. It is a high impact sport that wears down tendons, effects your immune system, damages muscles and in some extreme cases can effect vital organs (ever wonder what bad weight cuts do to a liver and kidneys? Go have a look). I’m going to be real with you. There are aspects of this sport that will kill you if you do not do them properly. There are factors that if not addressed, will give you serve long term negative effects. Not only on your performance, but the ability to be a husband, father and friend.

By now it should be blatantly obvious that your health needs to be your number one priority.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. Thankfully the MMA industry is slowly turning a corner and putting fighters health first. With things like Safe MMA testing fighters and more and more coaches preaching about over all health, things can only get better for fighters.

So what should you do to ensure you are maximising your health? What techniques can you employ easily that will have a dramatic effect on not only your health, but also your performance on the cage and on the mat?

Well luckily for you, Mike is here to give you the top things you can start doing right now that will make a big difference!

Speak to someone who knows about health and nutrition.

This can be anyone from a professional to a coach. As long as they have a back ground in producing great results with a variety of different people, go talk to them. Tell them what you are currently doing, any issues you currently have (lack of sleep, head aches, not being able to go to the toilet, lack of sex drive etc.), and ask how they can help. Ask them what tips they can give and what you should be adding into your over all plan. If you have a physical problem, speak to a Doctor. The quicker you can get things looked at, the quicker you can get it fixed. There is a massive trend in combat sports to let little niggles fester and find ways to train around injuries. While this keeps you training in the short term, it’s really going to mess you up in the long term. Especially if you get a couple of these ‘niggles’. Things mount up. Get things checked and more importantly, do what the Doc tells you to do to fix it!

Eat your damn Veggies

I know I go on about this a lot (and will continue to), but it is really, really important. Find a range of veggies that you like and work them into your current meals. Use a slow cooker and different recipes to give them flavour, add herbs and spices to liven them up. Hell, you can even blend them together to make a sauce (tomato based is the most versatile). Just eat the damn things. I know that a lot of you have horrible flash back of eating badly cooked sprouts as a kid, but trust me, well cooked veggies are the bomb. Find a way to add them to your diet and your health will improve ten fold.

Water. Drink more of it.

I will put money on the fact that most of you are not drinking enough water. 2 litres a day? Not even close. Think 3-4 on a training day will more the bigger you are. Water plays a role in pretty much every function the body performs and when it is deprived of water even slightly it struggles. Do yourself a massive favour and drink more. Your sleep, joints, fat loss and recovery will all improve!

Improve your digestion

A healthy varied diet with lots of veggies and a bit of fruit will help your digestion no end. However if you want to improve it a bit then you can take the following actions,

• ·      Stop eating foods that give you an upset stomach. I know that seems simple but the amount of people eating foods that don’t agree with them is staggering. For most this is junk food…
• ·      Drink more water. See above.
• ·      Take a probiotic everyday. I like clients to use either Yakult or 0% Fat Actimel.
• ·      Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut as they are teeming with good bacteria that can help your digestion.
• ·      Never stuff yourself. Only ever eat to the point of being satisfied.

That’s it for now. While these tips seem very basic, they are the ones that work 100% of the time as long as you are consistent. Remember, consistency beats everything!

Take care of your health and your body will provide you with the results you need. Not just for a fight camp, but for life!

Stay healthy,

Mike

PS for more details on Nutrition Plans, articles, interviews and product reviews please CLICK HERE

Off Season for Fighters Article

Hey Guys,

Today I want to share with you an old article I wrote onOff Season Planning for Fighters.

Competition Nutrition is something that I get asked about a lot, especially by people competing for the first time.  How much should they let their weight go up by? What should they work on?During this article I highlight some strategies that I have used time and time again to help clients take home the Gold!

Enjoy

Fighters love to fight. It’s a fact.

They have something hard wired into their brain that makes them step in the ring, cage or on the mat.

 They NEED to do it, they can’t function in life if they don’t have the sense of competition, camaraderie and achievement that only a fighter knows about. However all this punishment leads them to do stupid things like take fights at the last minute and fight often without adequate rest in between fights. This is partly a coaches fault and partly the fighters. It is my opinion that the further that you move up the ladder of a sport the LESS fights they should take. For example I think a Pro MMA fighter should have a MAXIMUM of 3 fights a year. Any more and you are pretty much never out of camp.

 I believe that all sensibly trained fighters should have a good off season between fights to get better and recover for the next fight. The purpose of this article is to give you an idea of what things to be aiming and watching for from a nutritional standpoint. I must say that this is a brief overview and every single fighter is different. If anyone has any questions then please contact me or speak to your coach, they know you, I don’t.

So what is an off season and what are we looking for during it? An off season is a chunk of time (2-3 months) where a fighter aims to improve their technique, conditioning and strength. So during this time you will be focusing on weaknesses in your game and improving how strong and fast you are.

 At this point I would like to give just one piece of advice to every single fighter, GET STRONGER. Nothing will transfer to all areas of your ability than getting stronger. Trust me. With this in mind I’m going to cover off a few nutritional basics that will aid in your recovery and therefore growth. Before I get into the main points of nutrition, here are a few things that you should be looking to improve over all. Again, please speak to a strength and conditioning coach about the best plan for you. Ok, so here is the list;

• ·       Strength. Good bench marks are 1.5 x BW (body weight) bench, 2 x BW squat and 2.5 x BW deadlift.
• ·       Speed and explosive power. Sprints, jumps, throws etc
• ·       Flexibility and mobility. Please stretch and foam roll people, pretty please...
• ·       Cardio. Not long runs but being able to perform at a higher intensity for longer at your sport.

Ok, so nutrition. For most this is the area that is a mind field and I get that I really do. Every single article you read suggests something different. Intermittent fasting, fasting, carb back loading, low fat, high fat, low carb, the list is endless. I will always say that I don’t subscribe to one single way of doing things. Your body is an adaptive machine so everything works but nothing works forever. It is knowing when and what to use and knowing what works for an individual that makes the difference.  With this in mind here are a few points that I would start the average fighter off on. Again, this is a starting point so please adjust to fit your current body type and goals (or speak to your coach or someone who know what they are talking about.

The idea of the nutrition of an off season is to give your body the ability to recover and grow. Because of this it will need a slight excess of food so that it can do this. This is not an excuse for all you can eat buffets and pizza every night. When it comes to weight gain no more than 20 pounds for a pro fighter (or one that has a day before weigh in) and 10 pounds for everyone else. This way you can still build a good base of muscle but can be a fight camp away from being in shape. A little note about fight weight as some people always wonder what they will fight at. At a Pro level, having a lean lower back and abs are a good base to start!

As we are trying to promote muscle growth without to much fat gain, keeping protein high (a minimum of 1.25g per pound of body weight) and keeping carbs slightly limited but more importantly, timed to certain parts of the day. Carbs have gotten a lot of attention over the last few years and a pretty bad rap. Everyone is suggesting different things. If you haven’t tried one of gazillion methods out there, then I advise taking in 0.75g per pound of body weight and adjusting them from there. I like fighters to have about 30 – 40% of their carbs at breakfast and the rest around their training (before, during, after). People are either taking in to many carbs or not enough. I would err on the side of caution though, it’s always more fun to add in more carbs than take them out. The rest of your plan should focus on good healthy fats that will aid in joint health, hormone production, organ and immune support, fat loss and a load of other goodies (hint, get a good quality fish oil).

 Don’t fear fat.

With any plan it is the adjustments that are made along the way that will determine its success. Add or lose a pound? Getting faster or slower? Can’t sleep, shit, have sex as much? These are all factors that can be addressed through changes and adjustments in diet. The body is not a static entity, what works one week might not work the next. Factors such as recovery, stress levels and many other things are all factors that can and do, affect training. Making good sound judgements on this data is vital to improving a plan.

So how are going to measure progress while in our off season? The first point of call should be your coach. Tell them what you are doing and the goals you are trying to achieve. This way they can keep you on the right track. Nutrition wise we are focusing on good, clean gains. Changing our bodies composition (better muscle to fat ratio) should always be the goal. Remember, this isn’t body building and we aren’t bulking. We want to add muscle that will be beneficial to us in competition but we don’t want to get sloppy and stray to far from our fighting weight. It is possible to get stronger without adding weight but to be honest, most could do with a few more pounds of muscle. This is why your coach is important, while you think that you are getting ‘swole’, they will know if your performance is declining or improving. If it is improving great. If not, make adjustments so that it is.

Stay healthy,

Mike

PS for more details on Nutrition Plans, articles, interviews and product reviews please CLICK HERE

What do you want?

Hey Guys,

Just thought I would throw up a quick post to ask you one simple question,

What do you want to see from me?

I know that a lot of you are reading this. I also know that not many of you comment. I want to give you the things that will help you the most (plus I really love talking with you all).

Please let me know either in the comments (blog comments or Facebook) or send me a message at mike.unorthodox@gmail.com

I'll help any way I can and give you what you want!

Stay healthy,

Mike

Help for Client Amy O'Mara

Hey Guys,

As some of you will have saw earlier last week, one of my clients Amy O'Mara has been selected to be part of the UK MMA Squad that is heading out to Vegas to take part in the Ametuer World Championships very soon.

As this is a massive step in her career, she is after forward thinking companies that would sponsor her and get some fantastic exposure for their brand!

Here is what Amy had to say!

Hi there,

I am so grateful and proud to be representing my country in Vegas as I love the Uk and love MMA even more! However I need a little help to bring back what I know I can!

The cost for the athlete to travel, stay in the hotel and entry fees and tests etc is £1500. We are asking sponsors to help with anything toward this fee that they can.

In return for sponsorship we will be having a sponsor t-shirt made up that will be worn all around Vegas. 

The stuff that is probably more beneficial is the UK based promotion. We will push there brand on all our social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and Instagram personal and business accounts. We will add the sponsors to the websites for stockport and Macclesfield facilities. Push the brand in our facilities and through our email marketing systems. 

We will essentially mention and promote the brand/business when ever we get the opportunity.

Give me a shout with any questions.

Thanks 

Amy.

If anyone can help Amy out and if you want to grab this amazing opportunity then please E Mail her HERE to discuss options.

Thanks for reading,

Mike