Hi guys. First of all a big hi5 to everybody.
I am writing because I need a a piece of advice regarding workouts. Being unable to find an MMA gym in this small spanish city where I live, i resorted to a 2-days-a-week class of full-contact which is actually pretty entertaining.

The matter is that I've been struggling to get my cardio on top and many times I gas out by the time of sparring at the last 30 minutes of workout which is at least embarrassing.

The thing is that I have been a hardgainer and skinny for most of my life and struggled a lot to achieve the physical state that i have now. 1'80 meters and 78 kilos. Many hours in the gym lifting weights and much money on it, as you might guess.

So what i need is a good workout routine which will help me maintain my hardgained weight and muscle, but giving me a good cardio.

Obviously this includes weightlifting as well.

I train the full contact on Mondays and Thursdays. Thanks very much for your help.

Big hug!

I have heard that swimming is actually the most thurough and hardest and best workout for the whole body. I dont know if you live close to the sea or a lake or if you have a Piscina municipal where you live but I recommend it.

I think though that whatever you do, the number one thing is dicipline. Sometimes you can feel like not training but if you do it anyway you almost always feel better afterwards. Make sure you have routines and that you do something everyday, and off course, stay away from alcohole and drugs as much as possible.

If you want an exact sheme to follow I recommend that you take a look at Phenomskids traininglog viewtopic.php?f=77&t=667 maybe it will give you some hints and tips that you can pick up and intergrate into your own exercise.

One of the best leg and cardio practices I have ever made was working delivering newspapers at night in the city. Up and down staircases for 2-3 hours non-stop every night really made a huge difference in strenght after only 2-3 weeks. I tried to beat my own time every night and went from 3 hours to 2 hours doing the same job (almost running all the way in the end).

Dicipline + Dedication = Results

Do I take that as a compliment?

I can also add something to this discussion:

I, too, am on the never-ending quest for just a little bit more cardio!

Here's my views:

First, really understand what cardiovascular fitness really is. Until you break it down, you won't be able to approach how to work on it.

Remember: cardiovascular fitness is that connection between your heart and your lungs; it is the ability to metabolize stored energy efficiently, while processing oxygen in the lungs, carrying it through the bloodstream, and getting rid of the byproducts through your breathing.

So, when you want to get cardiovascular fitness, what you are really trying to do is train your body to be efficient in its motions, and improve the ability to sustain effort for a longer period of time.


I will shut up, now, about the scientific angle on this, since I don't want to write an article on it, but it will help you (as it did for me) to study 2 subjects:

VO2 Max

Target Heart Rate


In terms of actual training ideas, the best thing for good cardio base is swimming vigorously -for example on a team. But since some of us have trouble finding a place to swim, the next best things for cardio are any combination of the following (in other words any and all of the below, together, not just ONE):

Burpees
Indian Sprints
long distance running
skipping rope
circuit training with weights, using compound movements


If you combine the above with knowledge of VO2 MAX and TARGET HEART RATE, you will have world class cardio.

I'm going to add to this:

1. Get a Heart Rate Monitor. All cardio training is futile without one.

The heart is the only thing that will not LIE to you about how hard you are training. Nothing else is always honest about your intensity. Not your faces you make when lifting, not your sweat, or how you "feel". ONLY your heart rate monitor. For me, I use the Mio Heart Rate Monitor. When I train for Cardio, I get my heart rate up to 170 to 180 range. I go up, and I go down. I sprint for a fixed distance, then I jog, in a systematic fashion, and then I repeat over and over again. My body learns to recover through this kind of training.

2. Train at high altitude if you can.

This is tough for anyone who isn't a professional. Going to high mountain altitude will get your body accustomed to thinner air, and force your body to become more efficient.


3. Learn to control your breathing. Google it.


4. Get good nutrition and proper rest. This is the thing many guys don't do. Your body doesn't get stronger or more fit during THE WORKOUT.

Your body gets stronger and more fit DURING THE HEALING AND RECOVERY AFTER THE WORKOUT. Give yourself adequate time to recover after very hard training, as well as proper food and nutrition, so your body has the raw materials to repair itself with.


5. Get a workout buddy to train with and be ACCOUNTABLE to him/ her. This will keep you motivated to continue on.


Good luck with your goals, and post back your workouts and how you are doing.

Thank you Blackspade for the scientific approach!

Its interesting to hear the actual terms of what really is going on when we train our bodies.

I think you have some good points and tips there too!

Personally I agree the climbing a mountain or training at a high altitude is not only super excellent training but also very pleasant such as the viewes and nature is often extraordinary!

As Blackspade said, Good Luck!

Thanks thanks so much for this, guys! I couldn't hope for a better feedback! Will comeback with some updates! Peace and much love to all!
Dent, sorry for the quote there, I got mixed up

No worries and just great to be of help!

I upped this little thing for you mate

http://mma-torrents.com/torrents-details.php?id=4528

and for everybody else too off course!

Enjoy

I think that being an athlete is a mindset.
When you just want to improve all the time, get better, do 1 more push up, run 1 second faster, then your body will constantly improve.
You said you tire with sparring, then you gotta continue,
when the going gets tough the tough get going .
I know thats hard in the begining, but keep going is pretty much all you can do.
when you push your body further than you (think) it can,
then your body is going to repair itself, and improve itself, so it can actually perform that task the next time.
Of course you gotta make sure that your body has the right stuff to repair itself with: protein and sleep.
That's pretty much how I see boddies.
People often talk about freaks of nature (like Brock Lesnar),
but how do you think he got to this level of athletics?
He isn't born like this, he was training all day.
So if you set your mind to it, you can sparr aslong as you want
(says the guy who sits behind his computer on his lazy ass)


Good luck