BJJ Nutrition Tips: Food For Fitness Book Review

In my never ending search for more efficient ways to do things, I have recently been looking into the question of diet and nutrition and have very luckily stumbled upon, in my personal opinion, one of the best books ever written on the subject. It’s called Food for Fitness and is written by Anita Bean, A former body building champion and a highly accomplished Registered Nutritionist. I recommend the book without reservations to anyone who is looking to get the best out of their day.

I know many of you are thinking: “There are lots of books on Diet and Nutrition out there. What makes this one so unique?”

We, apart from the excellent and well-researched content, and Anita’s own reputable name, the winner point for me was the design and layout of the book. To me, the question of design has always been about usability, problem solving and aesthetics. This is what distinguishes Food for Fitness: It had it all!

Food for Fitness started with a thorough look at food groups and their functions in the body and followed that up with a very user-friendly association chapter where you were advised on how to time food stuff (around your training sessions) to optimize the benefits. This section was very good in that it both gave you the author’s recommendations but also the guidelines that allow you to substitute your own favourites! Not everybody likes/has access to/can afford The Royal Jelly!

Food for Fitness goes on to list Super Foods, Tips for weight management and much more before it summarises all the knowledge into ready-to-use menu options.

This book is worth its weight in gold! Get Food for Fitness and see your energy levels soar!


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BJJ Nutrition Tips: Recovery Update: Creatine Rules!

Jeez that thing tastes sweet! The brand of Creatine I am using is grape flavour and the tin advises stacking for 5 days with a high dose (20g of Creatine spread over 4 servings) and then down to one serving a day. My urine is very concentrated so I am always keeping a water bottle with me and I will soon half the daily Creatine dose again. I definitely noticed an improvement in my recovery and I recommend the stuff to everyone out there.

Also, a friend recommends Glutamine, which I’m going to look into. I think I’m eating a better diet all-round, which is also helping.

When I go to the gym before work, I always grab a glass of milk afterwards for some extra protein. The same applies with after grappling / Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sessions. A blend of protein and carbs seems to do the post-workout trick (nothing fancy. A glass of milk and/or peanut butter with some toast is just fine!)

If you are having any specific recovery related issues, drop me a line on parttimegrappler@yahoo.com

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3 Tips to Add Balance to Your Weekly Training

So you are a Part Time Grappler (PTG) and have limited time to train (averaging 2 grappling orientated sessions per week). You probably hold down a job and have a family (and other interests) to tend to. Or maybe 2 sessions a week is all you can afford at the moment.

The problem is, grappling (and martial arts in general) are not the be-all end all of fitness training. They come damn well close, but they still leave you short on a couple of fronts.

So keeping with the PTG spirit, here are 3 tips to make your weekly training regime more balanced still:

WalkingNotice that I didn’t say Jogging or Running. I did that deliberately. While I respect running as a healthy sporting activity, I find Walking the superior alternative and I summarise my argument in one word: Availability!

1. I get off the bus 2 stops early and walk extra every morning! I would need a shower if I ran that.
2. Anytime the weather is nice, I suggest a walk to my wife. We all know it is much easier to say Yes to a walk- compared to a Jog-suggestion.
3. I don’t need any special shoes for walking. Any comfortable pair will do as the impact is minimal.
4. The difference in calorie expenditure between jogging and brisk walking for a, say, 170lb person is no more than 4 kcal/minute.

Kettlebells
There is a wealth of information on these incredible cannon balls! You literally have a whole gym in the palm of your hand. You can use them to lose weight, gain strength, enhance endurance…etc. and they are very grappling specific. Very importantly, an average Kettlebell work out takes 10 minutes and let’s face it, it doesn’t get briefer than that! More articles on these later.

StretchingAn important and fundamental concept in grappling (and martial arts in general) is efficiency: Achieving a maximum output from a minimum input. Stretching is an excellent way to make your machine run smoother. Being more flexible gives you more options to achieve the same desired goal and gives you the ability to get there with less exertion. I recommend gentle stretching ultra-frequently (10-12 times/day!) for very short periods (10 – 15 seconds per stretch). That’s 3.3 minutes per muscle per day. Say 5 if you are pushing for the upper end of the bracket. The benefits outweigh the inconvenience both in terms of performance and longevity.

Make the best of your day. Enjoy a healthy life.