5 Things You Should Never Say To A Female MMA Fighter

“Punch her in the titties!” 

“Pull her top off and kiss her!” 

These are actual statements heard during my friend’s debut MMA bout. Sadly it’s not an isolated incident. It takes endless amounts of physical and mental prep in order to step in the cage, but many female fighters face stigma when competing. Training for a fight involves a minimum of training twice a day six days a week, healthy meal prepping, and no alcohol consumption or smoking. 

Many fighters do this while working and dealing with family obligations. When I’m in camp I’m balancing camp with working full-time as well as attending school full-time. It requires dedication and isn’t for the faint of heart, which is why the above statements are not only disrespectful, but infuriating.

I’ve been training and competing for over ten years. The adrenaline rush of being in the ring is a unique experience that not many ever encounter. I began training in Muay Thai in high school with my younger brother. We fought terribly as kids and my dad decided to put us into martial arts so we could channel that in a more positive manner. 

Black and blues are all in a day's training. 

Aside from my brother and me now being best friends, training has enriched my life in many other aspects. It has helped me not only physically, but mentally as well. It provides an amazing outlet for stress as well as gives me the courage to pursue other dreams. After being locked in a cage where someone is trying to beat you in front of a couple hundred people, it becomes tough to feel nervous. 

I truly believe everyone could benefit from martial arts, but if we keep treating women like they're just a sexy side to the "real" show, we are doing them a great disservice. Here are some of the most common phrases female fighters hear and why they’re bogus.

1) “But you’re too cute/pretty/beautiful to be a fighter.”

Ugh. 

This common statement made to female fighters is intended as a compliment, but frankly it’s obnoxious. You don’t see people telling Roger Huerta or GSP or any other of the gorgeous men in the MMA world that they are too pretty to fight. Insinuating that we’d be better off holding round cards strutting around the cage in a bikini rather than competing in it is a slap in the face to all the hard work we do. 

As to your concern about me ruining my pretty face, well that’s why I practice learning how to block and counter.

2) “So you like to fight? You must be really flexible and into rough sex.”

Now if you’re into rough sex and have a consenting partner, enjoy yourselves -- no judgement. However, this was said to me by a very drunk male acquaintance. Inappropriate doesn’t even begin to cover it. There are many reasons woman compete in martial arts, however last time I checked it wasn’t due to their very private sexual preferences. Any chance you had of seeing how flexible I am ended the minute that came out of your mouth buddy.

3) “Oh my God, doesn’t it hurt when you get hit?”

No. When we women get hit unlike our male counterparts in this sport it does not hurt. It feels like we are being hit by pillows, limb manipulation feels like a pleasant stretch, we never bleed, we never bruise and keep in mind we always look pretty while doing it. 

Of course it hurts. 

Soreness is the norm if you train often. It’s about learning to push past the pain and to become a better athlete. It takes heart to continue to train when you’re hurting, but that is what champions are made of.

4) “I can’t stand watching women fight.”

Society wants women to be pretty, docile little homemakers; fighting flies in the face of that and it makes many people uncomfortable. Women are supposed to be motherly, nurturing. It’s hard to feel that way when you’re seeing two people punch each other in the face. I can respect the fact that my hobby makes you uncomfortable. 

It is important to remember though both fighters are consenting adults; you don’t need to watch it if you don’t like it. I’m not a child though, so don’t tell me I can’t compete just because it gives you the heebie jeebies. For what it’s worth, being a female fighter and being an excellent mother are not mutually exclusive ideas. We have several such badass mommas in the gym I attend.

5) “You must be a super angry violent person that gets into bar fights all the time.”

Listen. Just because I hit people in a ring doesn’t mean I hit them outside of it. I have self-control, which I learned through my many years of Muay Thai training. People get on my nerves because I’m human, but unless my life is in immediate danger, I’m not getting in a fight. I don’t feel like having assault linked to my name and prison orange is not a good color on me. 

Martial artists are usually chill people. There’s no need to get in fights outside the dojo when we can train and be challenged by teammates within the gym.

You may wonder why some female fighters don’t say anything when confronted by such misogyny. There are many reasons. The desire to fit in, not appear weak, not appear overly sensitive, the frustration of being talked over or downright laughed at are all reasons why women don’t always speak up. These comments are usually made in good “fun”, but they’re actually very harmful. It’s important to watch how we speak. 

The emotional wounds from hearing these kinds of comments constantly take a lot longer to heal than any bruise. We have some little girls training at our gym. I want them to be able to focus on becoming ass kicking strong women, not vapid little sex pots in gis. 

orignally posted by xojane.com

What To Eat Before And After Your Workout

There are many opinions as to what you should eat before, during and after your workouts. The reality is that your body is your vehicle, so you’ve got to keep your engine — your heart — running while you work out.

That means fueling up with the right foods before your workout, hydrating with the right fluids throughout your regimen, and eating the right amounts at the right times.

“You don’t have to adhere to a rigid schedule, and there are no hard-fast rules,” says Riska Platt, M.S., R.D., a nutrition consultant for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. “But there are some things you should do before, during and after you work out.”

Before your workout: eat healthy carbs, hydrate with water

Not fueling up before you work out is like “driving a car on empty,” says Platt, an American Heart Association volunteer. You also won’t have enough energy to maximize your workout and you limit your ability to burn calories.
Ideally, fuel up two hours before you exercise by:

• Hydrating with water
• Eating healthy carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereals (with low-fat or skim milk), whole-wheat toast (without the fatty cream cheese), low-fat or fat-free yogurt, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, fruits and vegetables
• Avoiding saturated fats and even a lot of healthy protein — because these types of fuels digest slower in your stomach and take away oxygen and energy-delivering blood from your muscles

If you only have 5-10 minutes before you exercise, eat a piece of fruit such as an apple or banana.

“The key is to consume easily digested carbohydrates, so you don’t feel sluggish,” Platt says.

During your workout: hydrate with water

Whether you’re a professional athlete who trains for several hours or you have a low to moderate routine, keep your body hydrated with small, frequent sips of water.

You don’t need to eat during a workout that’s an hour or less. But, for longer, high intensity, vigorous workouts, eat every half hour 50-100 calories of carbohydrates such as raisins, an energy bar or banana.

After your workout: have fluids, healthy carbs and protein

After your workout, it’s time to refuel with:

• Fluids. Drink water, of course. Blend your water with 100 percent juice such as orange juice, which provides fluids, carbohydrates and potassium.
• Carbohydrates. You burn a lot of carbohydrates — the main fuel for your muscles — when you exercise. In the 20-60 minutes after your workout, your muscles can store carbohydrates and protein as energy and help in recovery.
• Protein. Eat things with protein to help repair and grow your muscles, including a whole grain bagel, baked potato, peanut butter sandwich, etc.

It’s important to realize that these are general guidelines. We have different digestive systems and “a lot depends on what kind of workout you’re doing,” Platt says.

So, do what works best for you. Know that what you put in your body (nutrition) is as important as you what you do with your body (exercise). Both are crucial to keeping your engine performing at its best.

5 Ways To Increase Your Endurance

1. Wake up 10 minutes earlier. Then take 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after work, and you’ll easily rake up time for the 30 minutes of daily exercise. Fill the time with a quick workout DVD in the morning, stair climbing in your office building during lunch, and an after-work walk around the parking lot or to a train or bus station past where you typically hop on.

 

 

2.  Take the magazine test. If you can read a magazine perched on your treadmill screen, you’re not working hard enough, says Karp. Strolling on the treadmill is better than sitting home eating chips, but high intensity interval training can deliver the benefits of exercise more efficiently, adds Lombardo. If you’re not working hard enough, increase your running or swimming speed, add an incline on the treadmill, or increase resistance on the elliptical or bike.

3. Use weights on the Stairmaster. Combining exercises will maximize your results and help you build cardiorespiratory endurance, says Lombardo. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and either pump your arms to mimic a natural stair-climbing stride or raise the weights above your head and bring them back down as you climb.

4. Jump on the bed. Any activity is better than no activity for improving your mood with a release of endorphins. Plus, jumping on the bed can create a sense of nostalgia and reduce stress.

5. Alternate long and hard workouts. Monotonous workouts cause endurance and weight loss to plateau, so increase your cardiorespiratory endurance by alternating between activities that are longer and harder than your regular fitness routine. Begin by incorporating one of these into your fitness routine each week, then progress to two per week when you feel comfortable:

Long: Jog outside, run on a treadmill, elliptical, cycle, kickbox, row, or swim for at least 60 minutes at a rate where you could simultaneously talk in full sentences. 

Hard a: Perform a 10-minute warm-up; 15 minutes at a comfortably-hard aerobic intensity (you shouldn’t be able to talk more than a word or two without taking a breath); 10-minute cool-down.

Hard b: Perform a 10-minute warm-up; 4 to 5 sets of 3 minutes of hard, then 3 minutes active recovery; 10-minute cool-down.