Fan Blog

There have been many pundits out there talking about the Brock Lesnar/Randy Couture fight, covering every aspect of the fight itself. I want to talk about gassing out--in particular large men gassing out (being a large man myself I have firsthand experience in this arena over the years).

It is well known that a large, muscled man is apt to spend his energy reserves very fast if he is not schooled in the art of energy conservation. This is because muscle cells use energy--LOTS of energy. First ATP is called upon (Adenosine Triphosphate) which is used up very quickly as it is used by the muscles for explosive movement, then glycogen (a form of readily usable energy contained within the cells) which also burns up rather quickly, and finally, the body will, as a last resort, convert to anaerobic respiration (chemical respiration within the mitochondria) combined with aerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration coupled with aerobic respiration is the mainstay of muscle endurance after round one.

Though the above words have set this article up to be a good piece on how to train for endurance--that is not the focus today--I am instead going to explain how to actually fight in the ring for optimal performance, most of which is mental (as the body follows the mind).

When Brock Lesnar was entering the ring you could tell (and he later admitted in post-conference) that he was nervous...and tense. Very tense. At the end of round one when he went back to his corner he was tense looking and breathing very heavily. Tension in the mind, which leads to tension in the muscles, is partly to blame. Though he had trained very hard, the mental/muscle tension he was experiencing even when simply standing was sapping his energy.

We have seen time and time again muscled men gas out. What gives? The answer is deceptively simple; they need to practice relaxing the muscles, calling upon them when they are needed. Fighting is about winning the fight, not winning most muscular fighter of the night.

When the bell rings, one should always be relaxed and alert as mentally as is possible (while remaining sharp) but also one should consciously focus on relaxing the body. This is hard for men who are used to walking around looking buff. But if winning is the goal, relaxing the muscles is an absolute necessity. If one is trying to throw whilst standing there stiff and tense, his punches are going to be slower, stiffer, and with less snap upon contact. In fact, punching while tense is often nothing more than glorified pushing. Anderson Silva is a textbook example of standing relaxed, punching relaxed, and recruiting muscle fibers of the body only when executing a move or engaging the clinch or executing the ground game.

In short, if one is not engaged in the Greco-Roman clinch or is involved (on top or bottom) in the ground fight for superiority, then he/she should otherwise have the muscles relaxed and ready to spring.

Relaxed readiness will not only conserve precious energy, but it will result in crisper, more accurate punches, and better clinch/ground manuevers.

Relaxed Readiness should be the mantra of all men who fight, especially men with large muscle groups, ensuring the energy will be there when the muscles really do need to contract.

When sparring, remain aware of the legs, back, shoulders and arms. Be ready, but keep these large muscle groups in a state of relaxed readiness. Judge for yourself if this does not help improve your accuracy, explosiveness, and energy reserves. And, as a bonus benefit, it helps the mind to relax. As the mind, so the body, and vice-versa~Trika