Nutrition Tips For Martial Arts

Nutrition Tips For Martial Arts Training & Weight Management
written by: Master McCorry

Is nutrition important in sports or, in life in general? YES, of course it is! Nutrition not only helps in boosting your energy levels but, it also enables you to understand how your inner body  performs and how to achieve a perfect body composition. It also helps you understand how best to increase, or lose weight, at some point in your sporting activities or life. A case in point is when you want to  lose a few pounds to have the right weight for a martial arts tournament, competition, upcoming event or, for the summer season. Unfortunately during such times, losing weight sometimes needs to be done in a quick and fast way. And, this of course will require a lot of sacrifice and pains to achieve. The following are nutrition tips to ensure that you lose weight and acquire a perfect body in a fast and healthy way. 

Set a Goal 
The first thing you should do as soon as you start the journey towards your ideal weight, is to set a goal. The goal in this context is to shed off some pounds. It is important to understand that there is no safe way to lose weight than eating appropriately and training hard to achieve that
goal.  Some people may resort to using sauna belts and sweatsuits, pills and fad diets as the fastest way to achieve their goals. However, these apparels are not enough to help you lose weight, be healthy and keep  the weight loss off. Avoid fasting as it will cut down your caloric intake and cause problems to the normal functioning of your body and it's metabolism. 
 
Avoid Eating Empty Calorie Foods
For a healthy weight loss procedure, it is advisable not to cut too much of your calories on your food intake. For proper functioning of the body, it is important that you constantly supply it with essential nutrients and cutting down on your food intake may stop the supply of these nutrients.
Therefore, instead of drastically cutting down on your energy source, refine your food intake with more nutrient-dense foods (fruits and vegetables) and avoid eating empty-calories (highly processed foods that contain added fat and sugar). For example, you can eat more vegetables
instead of those sides of french fries or baked potato's with your lean cuts of protein meats, poultry or, vegetarian and vegan proteins sources such as beans, lentils, tofu and tempeh. Your body will get the required energy supply it will demand from your training. Cut the baked products for desserts and turn to fresh fruits for sugar cravings.  

 Learn How To Naturally Boost Your Metabolism
In order for you to lose weight your metabolism must be improved. Frequent meals (ideally small meals every 3 hours, or 3 meals with a snack in-between) full of nutrient dense foods based from your BMR (basil metabolic rate) which is the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day. By doing this, and knowing your caloric intake, your body will be able to burn calories for longer periods of time. This will also help you gain and maintain the energy level you need to train hard and achieve your goals.  Below are some formulas to find your proper caloric intake based on your activity level.

BMR Formula

Women: 

BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches)- ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: 

BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches )-( 6.8 x age in year )

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR result by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2 

If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) :Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375

If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) :Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) :Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725

If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

It is important to point out that your metabolism is influenced by your age and genetics. But, this does not mean that you cannot change it. For instance, as a martial artist your metabolism will depend on exertion level and your eating pattern or habits. If you want to lose weight you must
increase the frequency of your workouts and adjust your food intake. When planning your meals endeavor to combine proteins with complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits as mentioned above. Keep healthy snacks handy for in-between meals such as fruit or a serving of nuts. This
will will prevent yourself from going too long without eating which leads to hunger, which then leads to poor food choices. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated for optimal performance and prevention of morning grogginess and tiredness. 

Stay on the GOAL Track!
We all know how hard it is to achieve our ideal weight.  Whether it's 30,40, 70, or 100 pounds or, that last 5-10 pound hurdle to reaching your goal for your special event or competition,  understand that falling off the goal track is normal and perfectly fine.  Most of us have all been there at least once in our life.  Don't beat yourself up but, more so, pick yourself up and get back on the goal track. Move on and forget about it. With a little determination YOU CAN do it and YOU CAN be successful in reaching your goal weight!

www.brucemccorrys.com

Martial Arts & Weight Loss for Adults

Martial Arts & Weight Loss for Adults 
written by: Master McCorry

Are you looking for ways to have a fit body this summer? Are you looking
for ways to lose weight naturally without using the latest diet pill or
remedy that are associated with many harmful side effects, while at the
same time, maintaining a perfect physique and fitness this summer? Then, it
is time you enrolled into a martial arts school or academy, a case in
point, the Bruce McCorry’s Martial Arts Academy (Peabody Ma). Coupled with
a proper nutrition plan, martial arts has proved to be a perfect weight
loss solution for a number of people... a very entertaining weight loss
solution that is. 

 For you to benefit from losing weight from martial arts, you must follow a
proper nutrition plan and have a focused mind, determination and commitment
in order to succeed. Martial arts contains a number of great, physical
exercises that can help you lose weight and build a better, fitter,
stronger body. Alone, it is very beneficial, but, when combined with a
proper diet rich in energy giving foods, fruits, vegetables, vitamins and
minerals and the elimination of sugars and starchy carbohydrates, it is an
excellent weight loss plan for adults. Unlike other weight loss activities,
martial arts dwells majorly on burning fat through the fast paced workout
activities involved. 


The following are some of the best martial arts for weight loss;  
 

Karate 

This is a type of martial art that is centered on power. The focus is
usually placed on the upper body strikes however, plenty of kicks are also
involved. This martial art discipline can be an excellent core workout for
strength, endurance and shaping your muscles. For you to perfect in this
discipline, you must be physically fit and demonstrate fast reflexes. All
these require thorough exercising and practice which can lead to weight
loss. 
 

Kung Fu and Taekwondo 

Kung Fu is arguably the most diverse martial art discipline. This is
because of the many fighting styles it has. Many of these styles require a
lot of body movement which include flipping, jumping and general body
movement. Flexibility and fast reflexes are key in this discipline.
Taekwondo on the other hand focuses mostly on your kicks. The exercises
involved in these two martial art disciplines are good for a solid leg and
Cardio workout. When sparring, you will have to continuously move each and
every part of your body, hence a perfect way to lose weight. 

 

MMA, Kickboxing and Muay Thai 

These three are the most intensive martial art disciplines ever. MMA is
all about power, motion, speed and endurance. And, all these cannot be
achieved without an intensive workout. It is a little wonder that most MMA
fighters get exhausted after a few minutes of engagement in the ring. They
are excellent martial arts for weight loss and great body fitness. 

 

Tai Chi benefits for weight loss 
Studies show that Tai Chi can be used to tackle obesity. This type of
martial art is ideal for individuals at all levels of fitness. Tai Chi
offers an easy and enjoyable way for people to start a weight loss journey.
Although it will take time, this is the best exercise for people of all age
groups including the old to keep fit and maintain a healthy body weight. 
 

In summary, martial arts is not all about fighting, self defense or
throwing kicks and punches. It's a great solution when it comes to weight
loss and maintaining a perfect body weight. Therefore, if you are looking
for the best natural ways to lose weight, consider enrolling today at the
Bruce McCorry’s Martial Arts Academy and attain that perfect body for this
summer. 

Past Weekend Events :)

Thought it would be fun to post some laid back pictures of everyone pitching in as a family....

       Kicking off the weekend with Kickboxing Class....

                                           
           
Pre-Testing jitters on Saturdays Martial Arts Training...

Sunday Morning Painting with Students Jen, Dede, Mike, Rob, Pat, Ashly, Lee , Chris and Melinda 

Thanks Everyone!....

Chris had final cleanup from all our painting efforts! :)