Martial Arts and Training: Nutrition Is the First Thing That Goes For Me

(week of 05/31/2021)

I know I don’t represent everyone, but I know I am also not alone. For some people when life gets busy, the first thing that goes is their activity/workouts. When I am stressed, life gets in the way, or just upset the first thing that falls apart for me is nutrition. I can eat later right? Wrong… I run out of time, train my body not to be hungry. Its no good.

It looks a little like this for me: When I get stressed, busy, upset… I forget to eat. I put it off till I have, what I think is time to eat. This leaves me in a pickle. Because then when I surface for air, I realize I am hungry and if I have not planned I can make terrible decisions. I also find myself at the end of the day having not hit my macros.

Let me restate this about macros: I use macros as a tool. They are a tool to help me reach the nutritional numbers my body needs. Macros are a tool, but not to be focused on to much to be a detriment. Also your body works on averages. So if you did not eat enough protein in one day, if you make sure to eat enough the next day it will average out. That is why I focus on the averages.

I tend to default to carbs…they are easy and tasty!

So to combat this I am taking today to work on my eating schedule. Hopefully if I schedule it out it will happen more often.

This last week I was supposed to do just that, schedule out my food and keep to the schedule as best as I could. This last week I got busy… super busy, kids, work, workout/training… you name it. I did not make the schedule.

My schedule when I wake up alternates. So I don’t wake up the same time each day. That is my biggest problem. On days I work I get up at 4:30 am and tend not to eat till 9 or 10 am when I have a break in the day at work. I need to schedule eating my meals and snacks not at certain times, but at regular intervals that change based on when I get up, rise like the dead out of my bed.

So I am going to plan to do this:

  1. wake up (4:30 am or 7:30 am)
  2. Eat first meal: by 1 hour after waking 5:30 am or 8:30 am
  3. Eat a snack: try 3 hours later 8:30 am or 11:30 am
  4. Eat second meal: 3 hours later 11:30 am or 2:30 pm
  5. Eat a snack: try 3 hours later 2:30 pm or 5:30 pm
  6. Eat last meal: 3 hours later 5:30 pm or 8:30 pm

Hopefully this will work for me. I have made up meal plans, but it does me no good if it sits there and I don’t eat it. I have to do this for me. I have to break this cycle and make it a priority. This is the next step in my fitness journey. I have the training. Now is the time to hone in on my nutrition.

Schedule: This is a pretty typical week of training at least for the last 8 weeks (although now I am changing up my weight lifting program going forward because I just finished an 8 week program)

  1. Monday 5/31/2021: Mile Run, and Weight Lifting 1 hour
  2. Tuesday 6/01/2021: Muay Thai Training 1 hour
  3. Wednesday 6/02/2021: scheduled rest day
  4. Thursday 6/03/2021: Muay Thai Training 1 hour
  5. Friday 6/04/2021 : scheduled rest day
  6. Saturday 6/05/2021: 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training, Weight Lifting 55 minutes
  7. Sunday 6/06/2021: 2.5 hours of Muay Thai training, Weight Lifting 1 hour

My Martial Art Focus:

  1. This week we focused:
    • On foot movement. Not only in our drills, but when I was sparring on Sunday I was getting lazy and crossing my feet when backing up. That is a no no. Will cause me to off balance and or fall.
    • On Teeping and knees to create distance. Using the right tool for the right time. Trying to teep when you are to close for instance is hard to pull off, but kneeing would might be better.
    • Drills for this week:
Knee

Muay Thai Training: class focus is on keeping our feet moving, and cover/block, and return strikes
1) jump rope

2) jab, cross, parry

3) jab, cross, hook, catch, parry, cover

4) cross, hook, cross, slip, bob and weave, parry

5) high hook to your left, high elbow cover, uppercut, hook, cross,
High hook to your right, high elbow cover, uppercut, cross

6) incoming body hook to left, uppercut, hook, cross
Incoming body hook to eight, uppercut, cross

7) feeder choice, hook to head or body

Teep

Muay Thai training: Knees and teeps

1) jump rope

2) jab, cross, Teep
3) held pads for H

4) jab, cross, knee
5) held pads for H

6) Teep, rear kick, hook, cross, rear kick
7) held pads for H

8 ) scoop Teep, kick leg, hook, cross, rear kick
9) held pads for H

10) lead kick, cross, hook, lead kick, lead teep
11) held pads for H

Kali-
We worked on meeting the force in the strikes 1 – 12
We worked on going with the force in strikes 1 – 12
We worked witic to umbrella
We worked half T
We worked Full T

We also had cicadas that were super interested in Kali class too.

  1. Areas I need to work on:
    • I need to work on my entries in sparring. I am short and will forever be out of range if I don’t work my entries
    • I need to work on my tells. I have a tell where I cock my shoulder back before I jab.
  2. Problems/solutions:
    • I am going to work on footwork drills 2 minutes before every run, and 2 minutes after every run. Per my Kru’s suggestion.

Training focus: Weight Lifting and Running

  1. Currently for running I am just using it as my cardio. Gonna add in some footwork for my martial arts before and after.
  2. Weight Lifting, I have been on an 8 week training program. 3 day split. This was the end of week 8. So now:
    • I have chosen my next 8 week program, a shred weight lifting program
    • This coming week will be a de-loading week for me.

Nutrition:

This week because of how busy I was I went a little over on carbs. Its easy to pick up a carb full snack when you go to the store. This week I got much closer to my protein needs. Next week is a new week and I will keep trying.

I have notice that my recovery time has decreased since eating more of what my body needs. When D.O.M.S. (delayed onset muscle soreness) sets in I noticed it last for less time, and I recover faster.

MACRO AVERAGES
 Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7AverageGoalDifference
Protein124108105202104128116126.71428617346.28571429
Carbs284210213245212220282238201-37
Fat77105961551098974100.71428690-10.71428571
           
Calories23252217213631832245219322582365.285712306-59.28571429
06/31/2021 – 07/06/2021

Well that is it for my last week. I finished up my 8 week weight lifting program. I am proud of finishing up. I have gained muscle , toned up, and have improved on my Muay Thai and Kali practices. All around it has been a good week

I have noted where I have a problem with my nutrition intake, and I am actively working to fix it.

What is the first thing that goes when you are stressed out, busy, or just don’t have time?

Thank you for reading. I have had positive feedback from my blog changes. If you liked this please hit the like button. If you want to comment please feel free to drop me a line. If you want to follow along on my adventures and musings, please subscribe.

You can catch my daily shenanigans on instagram @sharpcupcake. More photos, more just day to day stuff.

As always remember, Don’t Photo Edit, Just Go Get It!

Leave a comment