Hey Team! We are in the thick of summer now and temperatures and the humidity are rising. This month’s Coach’s Corner goes over how to train properly and safely during these hotter months.

Summer time is backyard BBQ and afternoons on the boat time, right? Of course! But you don’t want to let the vacation mentality get you off track in your training here at The Academy.

Vacation activities aside, one of the main things that keep people from training in the summer is the heat and humidity.

There are definitely benefits of training in the heat. One in particular is increased cardiovascular and muscular stamina. Training in the heat/humidity  is a conditioning technique that fighters from warm climates benefit from because they’ve become acclimated to the heavy heat. They typically last longer in a fight than their opponents who haven’t trained in similar conditions, for obvious reasons.

With that all said, however, with more sweating comes increased dehydration. Dehydration can lead to heat strokes, headaches, and nausea. If you’re dehydrated, you’ll fatigue much faster.

As a rule of thumb you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water to stay hydrated. In the summer time, when you’re sweating a lot from being active you may want to drink closer to your body weight in ounces of water a day instead.

You may be thinking about you’ll be spending extra time in the bathroom, don’t worry about it. Staying hydrated helps the body flush out toxins and waste.

In addition to drinking water and staying hydrated, you want to also make sure that you’re putting electrolytes back into your body after a hard training session. Electrolytes are salts that your body needs to recover after strenuous activity. Salt and Potassium are two major electrolytes that your body needs. A great and tasty source of natural electrolytes can be found in coconut water. Try to stay away from “sports drinks” like Gatorade and Powerade if you can, these sports drinks usually contain artificial sweeteners.

Why? Because these types of drinks are loaded with artificial sweeteners and coloring that you don’t want to put into your body on a regular basis. It’s easy to sympathize with the fact that they’re convenient, but sometimes we have to sacrifice convenience for a better, healthier lifestyle.

Along with staying hydrated, make sure that you’re eating a balanced diet of lean protein, lots of water dense veggies, and fruit. Salads are great in the summer because not only are they refreshing and healthy, they’re hydrating! Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, kale, and chard are all great sources of vitamins and minerals.

This is also the season of farmer’s markets, so be sure to check out your local market. To find out where the nearest market is to you visit:

http://mfma.org/

Paired with hydrating and eating well, you should also make an effort to cross train outside a few more times a week. The more time you can spend getting your body used to the heat the better off you’ll be. Pretty soon you won’t even notice the humidity!

Start by going for a 3 mile bike ride or run in the evening after work. Make sure you wear sunscreen and bugs spray.

If you absolutely hate the heat, then try training in the early morning or the late evening when temperatures are cooler. This won’t help you build a tolerance for the heat and humidity, but it will be better than not training at all.

Summer time is definitely a time to have fun and relax, but as we said in the beginning – don’t let it deter you and set you back from all the progress that you’ve made. Stay focused!

If you have any questions about training, nutrition, or anything else please talk to your coach.

Until next time!

– Your Academy Coaches

MN MMA Team

Hey Team!

We’re already one month into the new year! This month’s topic is on teamwork. Here at The Academy, we know better than anyone, how important teamwork is to the success of our students, our fighters and to the legacy of this school.

Without a solid team to train with, it is very difficult to learn and progress to your full potential. It’s because of supportive teammates that we learn about our areas of weakness, we learn how to perfect our strengths, and we’re consistently held accountable for our progress.

After 20 years of business, we know that another key ingredient to a great team is quality students. Students that are dedicated, mentally strong, and have a genuine passion for the martial arts and fitness. We understand that not every that walks through our doors possess these qualities at first, but through their training here, it is our priority and hope that people gain these characteristics because of the teamwork they participate in every week.
So how does one become a good teammate?
This may seem like an easy question, but sometimes we can get so focused on our progress that we forget to help and contribute to the progress of our teammates at the same time. Sometimes it’s the other way around – we invest a lot in the progress of our teammates but don’t get constructive feedback in return. Other times we feel insecure about our skills, so we draw inward and feel apprehensive about training, and then we quit.

As coaches, we are here to tell you that being a part of a team starts with being a good team member yourself. Here are some words of wisdom to think about:

By pushing your teammates, you push yourself!
Whether you are holding pads, you’re sparring, or your doing a hard circuit in bootcamp, pushing your fellow teammates when they’re struggling is a great way to boost motivation and to help them get the most out of their class. It’s as simple as saying, “C’mon Jon, 2 more kicks!” Or “Let’s go Amy, you can do this!” These are simple words of encouragement, but when you feel like can’t muster the strength to do one more push up – and someone is there to encourage you, you usually push through and do it.

Accountability.

One of the major benefits of training with a team is that you consistently have people around you that can and will hold you accountable for your progress. One thing you can do to increase accountability is to make plans to train with fellow teammates outside of class. This not only increases morale and cohesion, but it betters your training and theirs.

Diverse training partners.

While it’s great to have people that you train with on a regular basis, it is also helpful to make an effort to introduce yourself and train with classmates that you haven’t met before, or with classmates that are newer to the program. Training with a diverse group of people allows you to receive feedback and suggestions from people who difference experience levels and different perspectives on training.

Regardless of where you’re at in your training, making it a priority to be a good team member as well as a good student is critical to not only your progress but to the progress of others. As you move forward in your training, keep this in mind at all times. You only have great things to gain from it.