Essential Weight Cutting Tips For Muay Thai Athletes

by James Bee

A big mistake athletes make when going into a weight cut is over complicating things. 

They get so much advice from different people and end up being lost with no real starting point. Most of them end up with information overload. Coaches do it too. They pile on so much information people get overwhelmed and confused. I know I've been guilty of doing that in the past. 

I used to be so excited to talk about nutrition and cutting I didn’t realize there is stuff I need to know as a coach and stuff they need to know as the client. Although science talk and reciting your technical jargon may sound impressive, it wont actually help them cut weight. 

Over time I realized the more direct and simplified a client’s instructions are, the higher the success rate will be. So nowadays, when I talk to an athlete/client about where to start I just stick to these essentials:

Clean out your fridge

First thing's first. Do yourself a favor and clean out any junk foods from your fridge. This will reduce the temptation to snack on rubbish. Fill your fridge with fruits, unprocessed meats and vegetables. You can use this athlete’s grocery list as a good place to start. You don’t need to have everything on the list but get the things you like or haven’t tried before.

Drink more water

How much water are you drinking? This is a good sign of where your priorities lay. Each day you should aim to be drinking around 3-4ltr no matter what weight you are. When it comes time to cut water weight having a higher water intake will increase your water losses. Use a drink bottle so you can keep track. This is a big one.

Reduce calories (but not too much)

Lets not get too stuck on this point, but it's good to know about calories. What you need to know is this: it's important to drop calories early in the cut to start burning fat. For most it's a fine balance between eating enough to make it through training while having calories low enough to lose weight. Remembering there are adverse effects dropping your calories too low. For example; Drop your calories too much and your likely to also lose muscle and strength. I recommend lowering your calories to 10-12 x body weight in lbs. For most who are training hard this will be a safe way to lose weight. Every athlete needs to test this out for themselves to see what works for them.

Increase vegetable intake.

Even though this is one of the most effective steps, people still don't like to hear it. Increasing veggies will help keep you feeling full for longer and give you essential fiber which all helps with cutting weight. Another point to raise is when burning fat, the body releases toxins stored in fat. This is why it's important to load the body with plenty of free radical absorbing antioxidants.

Take fish oil 

If your someone who doesn't get much fish in your diet (like me), one of the best things you can do while cutting weight is taking a liquid fish oil. Evidence tells us the omega 3's in fish oil can slow fat production and improve insulin sensitivity. This creates a far better environment for the body to lose fat. There are so many other benefits to fish oil like reducing inflammation its silly not to take it. You need higher dosage for it to be effective so that’s why I always recommend liquid fish oil because it's concentrated. Take 1tbsp. per day is better than downing 20 capsules each day.

Eat nutrient dense foods you actually like

Finding foods you actually like which are still healthy is the secret to diet adherence. Find healthy foods that work for you and your taste buds, you gotta enjoy the food journey or it won’t last. To eat healthy, don’t be always thinking you NEED to eat kale and coconut oil just because it’s popular or "supposed" to be healthy. Trust me there’s so much out there to choose from. Not sure where to start? Download a free list here. 

Eat the majority of daily carbs at night

People always ask me when is the best time to eat carbs. I know most of you have been told if you want to lose weight avoid carbs after 3pm, but let me tell you this is a myth. A 2011 study published on PubMed indicates that eating carbs at night can increase metabolic response and greater hormonal change actually helping with weight loss. Consuming carbohydrates during and around training (before or after) will also help cut weight. 

Mentally prepare yourself for water cutting

It’s probably the most underrated secret in cutting weight and life period is being positive. If you have even a crumb of doubt and negativity in your mind going into a cut it will fester. If you have a mindset like "Oh this is going to suck" then it will every time. Next time you’re going into a cut, remember that being in a positive state of mind will take you a long way. And IMO this is a BIG secret to cutting weight.

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James Bee is a writer, a consultant and nutrition coach to professional combat athletes. If you would like to learn tips, tricks, and awesome information for fighters and like-minded athletes, check out his Facebook page. You can also download his brand new 8 week cutting guide Here.

4 Super Foods to Increase Your Training Performance

Super foods get their name from being some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. That means the nutrient to calorie ratio is well in favour of nutrients. As a result of consuming more of these foods you’ll be getting more nutrients with fewer calories, which in turn means a leaner body, better training performance and optimal recovery. 

In this article I’m going to list 4 top superfood types to increase your training performance.

High Quality Organic, Grass Fed Beef 

You don’t HAVE to eat meat to be a better athlete – but if you do, I’m a true believer in quality matters. That’s why when I buy beef it’s organic and grass fed. Unlike its farmed grain fed counterparts who are stuck in feed lots all day eating grains, getting fat, being injected with hormones and anti-biotics, organic grass fed beef means the animal spent most of its life roaming free grazing on pesticide free grass and shrubs and is in its natural state. Because of this, organic grass fed beef is lower in total fat, higher in vitamins and minerals, higher in healthy fats, CLA, and lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease. 

Cruciferous Vegetables 

Your Mom was dead right when she told you to eat your veggies. But here’s what your Mom never told you: Studies tell us that eating more cruciferous vegetables helps protect cells from DNA damage, helps inactivate carcinogens, has an anti-bacterial effects, anti-inflammation effects and that’s just the beginning. Veggies like Cauliflower, Broccoli, Kale, and Bok Choi are an incredible superfood but if you hate eating vegetables, a good way to get your daily dose is just by adding in a little bit here in there. For example; add some small bits of Kale into your omelette – you’ll hardly notice it. 

Berries 

When I eat them I instantly feel awesome. There is a growing body of data supporting positive effects of berry consumption in humans. Research tells us consuming things like chokeberries, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries (either fresh, or as juice, or freeze-dried) showcases significant improvements in human health such as cardio vascular disease and also dramatically reducing inflammation. For these reasons (plus many others) they are labelled a superfood and should be an essential fruit group for hard working athletes. There are loads of ways you can get more berries in your diet like throwing a handful in your post workout shake, or my favourite; adding mixed berries on my morning oatmeal. 

Healthy Fats

When I think about what are the best healthy fats, first things that come to mind are Wild Salmon, Grass fed beef, whole eggs, olive oil (extra virgin), coconut oil, nuts, avocados, and nut butters. But the list doesn’t end there. What do fatty acids do? Well they have certain key roles in the body. They provide the structure of our plasma membranes, they help regulate hormone function, reduce inflammation and they help transport certain vitamins and minerals in the body. 

In plain English: They help you produce energy better, think clearer, recover faster and keep your body from making fat. There’s a few simple ways to get more healthy fats in your diet:

1. Add a tbsp. of peanut butter or coconut oil to your protein shakes

2. Consume fatty fish like Salmon or take a fish oil supplement. 

3. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on salads or over veggies. 

4. Eat whole eggs instead of just egg whites. 

5. Eat grass fed beef 

If you’re not sure exactly which meats, vegetables, fruits, fats and carbohydrate sources are best to optimize your martial arts training, Download my FREE Muay Thai athletes grocery list HERE.

Until next time,

JB

James Bee is an Aussie fitness and nutrition coach who specializes in weight cut management for pro Muay Thai fighters. If you would like to learn tips, tricks, and awesome information for fighters and like-minded athletes, check out his website JB Fitness Systems and follow his Facebook page. You can also download his brand new 8 week cutting guide Here.

5 ways to stay lean and healthy while working out less

by James Bee

What an awesome year of martial arts it’s been.  So many great fights, so much action – combat sports just gets better every year.  I hope your year has been full of great training and achievements and you’re going to finish off on a high note.

I say this because now as the year is quickly coming to an end, it is around this time when there are less fight shows on so most gyms will start to relax a bit more.

Coincidentally, it’s also the same time of year when things like McDonalds and ice-cream become an essential macronutrient for some people. I’m not going to lie to you. I definitely confess to eating my fair share of junk food over the holidays, but trust me, the last thing you want to do is waste a whole year’s hard training and dieting by blowing it all in the last few months of the year.

If you want to be one of the smarter more proactive people, you need to make sure you’re cutting fat now. But don’t worry; it’s not as complex as most people make it out to be. Just follow these simple guidelines for a leaner lifestyle.

1.Protein intake

The truth is, when it comes to protein intake, you don’t have to be a pro bodybuilder to benefit. Experts recommended that 0.7gm of protein per lbs of body weight is sufficient to support muscle mass and metabolic rate. When it comes to the ladies, they are often worried about putting on bulk with increased protein but it’s not the case. Putting on size requires a special resistance training program and lots of testosterone so don’t worry, it’s not going to happen. If anything increasing protein will help weight loss for men and women.

2. Focus on fruits and veggies

Don’t underestimate the power of fruits and veggies. They are alkaline producing, which can help to preserve bone mass and muscle tissue. Plus, they are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre, healthy fats, and phytonutrients. When deciding which veggies are best – look for perky bright coloured or dark leaves. When it comes to fruit, choose mainly berries or pick fruits that feel heavy for their size. 

3. Include healthy fats

Then add some healthy fats. Research tells us that good fats can have a big impact on your overall health and performance. Things like increased brain and cell function are just the beginning of a long list of benefits. One of the best bang for buck high sources of good fats is fish oil. I recommend fish oil to all my clients. Some other healthy fat sources are eggs, fish, beef, nuts, flax, and coconut oil.

4. Eat unprocessed carbohydrates

When it comes to carb sources, you can’t beat potatoes, quinoa, and brown rice. The carbs you want to avoid over indulging in are the refined carbohydrates like breads and pasta. This can cause many problems from digestive issues, insulin resistance, to higher than usual joint inflammation. 

5. Drink adequate water

Let’s quickly discuss water intake. No matter if your goal is muscle gain, weight loss or both. Water balance is going to play a big part in your outcome. You need to drink at least 2-3 litres per day. Considering around 1ltr comes from your food, consuming around 2.5ltrs of water each day will set you on the right on track. When you are training, make sure you’re topping up with 250ml water every 15 mins of activity.

James Bee is an Aussie fitness and nutrition coach who specializes in weight cut management for pro muaythai fighters. If you would like to learn tips, tricks, and awesome information for fighters and like-minded athletes, check out his website JB Fitness Systems and follow his Facebook page. You can also download his brand new 8 week cutting guide Here.

JB Fitness Systems

There has been a tonne of talk about weight cutting in combat sports over the last few years. Mainly the focus has been on the dangers and the risks involved.

Sure, weight cutting it's an interesting subject. But no one in their right mind actually gets excited about rapid weight cutting (especially how most people do it). But whether you agree with it or not, for now it looks like it's here to stay.

Yes it’s true, weight cutting of any kind is not safe, however it has become a necessary evil in combat sports these days. Until they come up with a way to regulate fighter’s weight classes or introduce same day weight cutting, here is something that we all have to agree on.

To produce healthier, better performing fighters and to make weight cutting safer, smarter, and less risky – athletes and coaches need to educated and better informed.

That’s where this man comes in: James Bee - from JB Fitness Systems.

Based in Thailand, JB is a fitness and nutrition coach who works with pro Muaythai fighters from all over the planet. Specializing in weight cut management and performance optimization, he has been coaching world class fighters solving some tricky weight cutting issues and helping them get on weight for someof Asia’s biggestevents like Thai Fight, I1 championship, and Max Muay Thai.

His articles have been featured on major combat websites such as Muay Thai Guy and Funk Roberts MMA and now we are happy to announce JB will be contributing a monthly article to Muay Thai Authority.

With fight experience, and a proven track record for producing efficient safer weight cuts, JB has promised to bring you all new information on the simple ways to become leaner, stronger, faster version of yourself. If you want exclusive recipes, cutting tips, weight cutting advice, nutrition, and fight fitness stay tuned to Muay Thai Authority and keep a look out for all new content from coach JB.

If you would like to learn tips, tricks, and awesome information for fighters and like-minded athletes, check out his website JB Fitness Systems and follow hisFacebook page. You can also download his brand new 8 week cutting guide Here.